Ryse: Son Of Rome Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Worth Checking Out

This! Is! Sparta!....wait wrong reference. Welcome to another Friday game review with your friendly neighborhood gamer Zalgo_Cometh. I been excited about this game from day one it was showcased back at E3 2013 but was immediately bummed out to hear it was a Xbox One exclusive. Fast forward to October 10th 2014 and the PC master race is blessed with a version of Ryse: Son of Rome to the elation of PC gamers everywhere. This was no mere carbon copy port however as it effectively made the most of the PC's well know graphical prowess. Anyways enough of my elitism, it has a tendency to show up now and again; were off to Rome...

Ryse: Son of Rome is a third-person action-adventure video game developed by Crytek and published by Microsoft Studios. Ryse follows the life of the Roman centurion Marius Titus as he becomes one of the leaders in the Roman Legion. Released as a launch title for the Xbox One, Ryse received mixed critical reaction from reviewers, being praised for its high production values but criticized for its repetitive and simple gameplay. The player controls Marius Titus, a Roman general.  In combat, Marius can block attacks to break enemy combos to counterattack. There is also a co-operative multiplayer mode, where players team up to accomplish various challenges in a gladiator arena setting. The story follows Marius' life from early childhood to becoming a leader in the Roman Legion. The story is described as "an epic tale of revenge spanning an entire lifetime".

What’s Good:

Graphics: Without a doubt the area this game shines the most in. The PC copy is simply stunning when turned to max graphics. The textures, the shadowing and lighting , it all blends so perfectly together to deliver a top notch cinematic experience. You get to see a wide variety of environments as you progress through the game all with their own unique look and feel.

Story-line: A well portrayed story of revenge, personal growth and honor. It will have you eager to discover the progression and eventual end of it all. Tying in the presentation and delivery of the subject matter is also a testament to the well written story-line of the game.

Soundtrack: Well representative of the era the game depicts. The voice acting is top notch and all auditory cues are executed well.

What’s Bad:

Game Mechanics: They get repetitive. Fast. Thankfully there is a great story-line and a fair portion of epic cinematic scenes to help distract you from noticing too soon. Added to that they include a system of buying and unlocking new moves for kill moves that improve as you progress through the game.

What Should Have Been Added:

Honestly I would have liked to see more of a fleshed out story cause such a rewarding single player experience felt too short as I managed to beat the game in roughly 6 hours. Maybe if they let us play Marius from his Teenage years upwards as he learns to become the epic soldier he is. That would have helped add some more content into the game so it doesn't feel as short.

Final Thoughts:

Not the greatest of games but still a good game. Combat gets repetitive but i enjoyed chopping off many an arm and leg. Wasnt much a fan of the multi-player aspect as it too like the combat system suffers from repetitiveness but more so due to the lack of a story and cut-scenes to distract you from it. In any case I have been mostly just streaming my gameplay having fun with the whole cinematic experience, so feel free to check out my stream archives below.

Watch live video from The_Ghost_Who_Walks on Twitch

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Middle Earth: Shadow Of Mordor Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Definitely Worth Playing

Let me go on record saying I am not a fan of the Lord Of The Ring universe and have little knowledge of its extensive back story and lore. With that being said I went into reviewing this game with not much interest. What should have been a disadvantage turned into the games strong point, as it completely won me over and had me enjoying every second of playtime. This game boasts three main aspects of a game of its nature done well: the story, the combat system, and the gameplay mechanics. So lets travel to the mystical land of Middle Earth...

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is an action role-playing video game set in The Lord of the Rings universe, developed by Monolith Productions and released by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The game takes a look at the family of Talion, a ranger of Gondor responsible for guarding the Black Gate of Mordor, as he is killed by Sauron's armies. Talion is somehow revived with "wraith-like abilities" and heads into Mordor to exact his revenge.  Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor was released on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. In Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, the player plays as a ranger by the name of Talion who has wraith-like abilities. In this open world video game, players have the freedom to pursue side quests and roam around the world. The game takes place between the events of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings. The story involves the Rings of Power, but the story is separate from The Lord of the Rings canon. 

What’s Good:

Graphics: I know I repeat myself a lot when it comes on to PC versions of multi-platform released titles but PC is truly the master gaming race. From the graphics to the customizability its just a better experience on PC. The PC version of this game comes with an option to install a HD texture pack to push the graphical capabilities of your system even further to increase the overall graphic representation of the game.

Story-line: The game finds a good balance between incorporating the more well known aspects of the Lord Of The Rings lore and starting a new non canon story that fits well into Middle Earths timeline.

Game Mechanics: Let us sing the praises of the new and innovative nemesis engine first and foremost. This innovative aspect of the game is the core of what makes Shadow Of Mordor truly shine as a game of the year candidate. For a full understanding of the Nemesis system check out this link for full details: http://www.ign.com/wikis/middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor/The_Nemesis_System

Replay: The game has two main skill trees to help you shape your character as a specialist Ranger, wraith, or a hybrid of both. Furthermore you can choose to farm certain epic runes to come up with interesting builds for your character based on the weapons you get them for. Add to that the expansive and interactive open world

What Should Have Been Added:

I would like to have seen a mode where you are able to play as an Orc. I feel that would expand on the experience as a whole and offer a new dynamic for gamers to explore. I mean seriously with how awesomely ugly these guys look and all their varying strengths and weakness I think it would make for an added level of play.

Final Thoughts:

Solid game that even though borrows certain aspects from other well established titles also refines them while still bringing something new to the table with the Nemesis engine. Many games in the future will benefit hopefully from this system. This in turn will help improve on an already great game mechanic and refine it to further greatness. I encountered a bug that I hope is fixed later on where even after killing an Orc he could potentially come back to life if he wasn't decapitated and killed using certain key moves. In any case I have been mostly just streaming my gameplay having fun with the game so feel free to check out one of my stream archives below.

Watch live video from The_Ghost_Who_Walks on Twitch

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Dead Rising 3 Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Definitely Worth Playing

Tried and true the Zombie Apocalypse is forever a welcome plot no matter the media. From books, to movies to even video game; everyone loves a good zombie killing spree. Back again with another video game review for you, a review that almost didn't happen cause my computers power supply almost died on me this week. Thankfully due to my awesome techie prowess in PC repair I "macgyver'd"  it back to working condition. So I guess ill be picking up a spare power supply this Black Friday. Lets jump into this review of Dead Rising 3....

Dead Rising 3 (デッドライジング 3 Deddo Raijingu 3?) is a 2013 open world action survival horror video game developed by Capcom Vancouver and published by Microsoft Studios.[1] It was released as a launch title for the Xbox One platform on November 22, 2013. The game was announced as an Xbox One exclusive during Microsoft's E3 2013 press conference on June 10, 2013 but has since been released as a Microsoft Windows port released on September 5, 2014. Dead Rising 3 is set in a vast, open world environment which is much larger than the worlds of Dead Rising and Dead Rising 2 combined. Dead Rising 3 expands upon the crafting system introduced in Dead Rising 2. Players retain the ability to create "combo weapons", but without the need for a workbench, allowing them to craft weapons and even vehicles on the fly. Dead Rising 3 offers two player cooperative gameplay. Co-op play is entered seamlessly in all game modes with the exception of an explicit single player mode. In all other modes (Casual, Completionist, Speed Run, Hardcore) players may be paired with a second player seamlessly at any time should a match be found. The primary player continues as Nick Ramos while the secondary player assumes the role of Dick, a trucker who survives the outbreak.

What’s Good:

Graphics: As is the norm the PC version far exceeds what it console counterpart brings to the table. The character models and level designs spring to life with the detail and vibrancy that one would expect to see on PC.  A proprietary engine called the Forge engine was used so the team at Capcom Vancouver could realize their expanded vision for the series.

Story-line: Being the third iteration in the series Capcom decided to go in a different direction somewhat and introduces a new protagonist called Nick Ramos. The story follows a young mechanic named Nick Ramos and his attempt to survive a massive zombie outbreak in the fictional city of Los Perdidos, California. During which time he meets and interacts with a wide variety of survivors and zombies. This enables anyone to pick up the game without feeling alienated for not knowing the back story of the other two games.

Game Mechanics: Crafting plays an integral role in the progression and difficulty of the overall game. Blueprints scattered across the open world help you build improved weaponry and vehicles to make your fight against the Zombie Apocalypse much less of a struggle. Because of this side missions and map exploration are encouraged without being actively forced on the player. This leads to more Zombie kills as well that will help level up the player to improve his various skills using points gained from leveling up.

Replay: With the newly released DLC titled Super Ultra Dead Rising 3′ Arcade Remix Hyper Edition EX Plus Alpha and the various game modes and endings to unlock there is no need to question replay value.

Soundtrack: The overall pacing and tone is well suited to the Zombie Apocalypse not to mention all the quirky sound effects and voice overs.

What Should Have Been Added:

Just for shits and giggles maybe a create a character mode would have been a good fit for this game given the wide variety of items available in game to alter Nicks overall appearance.

Final Thoughts:

Overall its a great game and I had always wanted to try out this series but could never find myself playing it on console. Glad to see that Microsoft and Capcom wised up and decided to release this on PC as well. My only complaint about this game is primarily the map and navigation system. It can be a bit cumbersome to traverse at times. It would have been nice to maybe have a proper way-point navigation system. There is also a pesky 30 FPS cap found in the PC version remnants of being ported over from Xbox One I guess but thankfully it cane be fixed relatively easy. I wouldn't recommend doing this however unless you have a pretty beefy computer that can pull its own weight specs wise. (Create a text file and rename it to “user.ini”, then paste in: “gmpcr_unlock_frame_rate = True” with no quotes. Place it in the same folder as deadrising3.exe before running the game.) With that being said I leave you this game-play footage with commentary for your entertainment...

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Soul Sacrifice Game Review

Final Verdict - Definitely Worth Playing

Ahh yes; the PSVITA a handheld device with such promise but a lackluster gaming library to back it up on launch to offset the high price. You truly were ahead of your time. Fast forward to current day an granted it has not been an easy road for the successor to the PSP family things are certainly looking better. With the release of the PS4 and the PSVITA TV device things are certainly looking bright for the device. PS4 games are being coded to work on the VITA so you can take your gaming anywhere and everywhere you please not to mention the expanded functionality of the PSVITA TV. There are certain games that take full advantage of the PSVITA and all its capabilities; Persona 4 Golden, Tearaway, Gravity Rush, etc. This is undoubtedly a no-brainer, say hello to Soul Sacrifice...

Soul Sacrifice is an action adventure video game developed by Marvelous AQL and Japan Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for PlayStation Vita. The core mechanic of the game is the ability to sacrifice parts of the character's body or items to create devastating attacks. These sacrifices will be permanently marked on the player character's body, meaning that they are not an infinite resource that can be tapped into. The concept was created by long time gaming legend Keiji Inafune, best known for co-designing Mega Man. Due its success a sequel for the PlayStation Vita, titled Soul Sacrifice Delta, was announced during TGS 2013, and is due for a March 2014 release. Soul Sacrifice is played in the third-person perspective. The player character is a sorcerer who relives another sorcerer's memories through a journal. The character can be customized in variety of ways and is molded by various factor throughout the game to achieve a final form based on the characters sacrificial alignment.

What’s Good:

Replay value: The game has immense content available to keep you occupied for hours on end: various outfits and alternate colors to unlock, wide array of spells available with upgradeable levels, not to mention all the DLC missions available for the game. Currently free of charge I may add as well since the game is currently being offered to PlayStation Plus users for free. Now if that wasn't enough you can also choose to play through the game all over again to unlock the various alternate sacrificial offerings as well as costume colors.

Soundtrack: The soundtrack is very immersive and provides an ominous undertone to help sell the image of the world you find yourself in. The voice acting in both English and Japanese is superb and very well executed. So well to the point that the Japanese voice overs are available as DLC for purchase on the PSN Store.

Graphics: Definitely one of the better looking games on the PSVITA, it makes the most of the PSVITA's OLED screen. All the fancy theatrics and spell manifestations are really well represented on the PSVITA.

Story-line: The main protagonist of Soul Sacrifice is one of the innocent bystanders that has been enslaved by a powerful and cruel sorcerer known as Magusar, who absorbs human sacrifices to remain immortal.

Game Mechanics: The character can be customized in various options and can change throughout the game. Central to the combat system is the saving and sacrificing mechanics. When an enemy or ally is defeated, they collapse to the ground and you are given the choice to either save or sacrifice them. Players are also given the option to sacrifice a part of their own body when they receive enough damage. When a player chooses to sacrifice a part of themselves, they cast a powerful spell, known as black rites, which differs depending on what part of the body is being sacrificed but also suffer a semi-permanent status effect.

What’s Bad:

Game Mechanics: The computer controlled A.I. on missions where you have party members isn't always the smartest. They will blindly run into hostile situations and get them selves killed and repeatedly cast healing spells even though you need them to be attacking more often than not. Due to the need to grind and farm both levels and materials for spells the maps and enemies become repetitive so some variety in that regard was needed.

What Should Have Been Added:

Maybe a store where you can buy certain hard to find spells or soul essences would have been a good idea. I would have also liked if all missions were available for co-op through the online mode and not just the Avalon pact missions.

Final Thoughts:

Truly a must own title for my handheld of choice. This is definitely a system seller and I am eagerly awaiting the sequel release in March. Soul Sacrifice isn't the be-all, end-all Vita game many hoped for, but its definitely worth having in your gaming library. I hope one day this series will get to shine as a full fledged console game as well and not just a handheld exclusive because I know it can really benefit from next generation graphics. I been so engrossed in playing this game I wasn't able to record some  proper game-play myself but I found this video of the demo so you can have a general idea of what awesomeness awaits

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Batman Arkham Origins Game Review

Final Verdict - Give It A Shot

Well we're back for another year here on our blog. A lot of new changes have been taking place and in keeping with as such we are changing our review scheme for this year, the grading structure will  remain the same but we wont be assigning a numerical score to the game. When I review games I review it in a manner that I feel doesn't give away too much of the overall game experience but gives just enough insight into the game to pique your interest. I have always questioned the merit behind assigning a numerical value somewhat as a final score so will be embarking on this new system for the year 2014 and see how it fares. Today we take a look at Batman Arkham Origins; I received this game for free as a part of a promotion for purchasing a Nvidia 770GTX graph card this past Black Friday for my new PC. Feel free to check out the various un-boxing videos if you are into that sort of tech on our YouTube channel.

Batman: Arkham Origins is a 2013 action-adventure video game developed by Warner Bros. Games Montréal and released by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for Microsoft Windows and the PlayStation 3, Wii U and Xbox 360 video game consoles. Based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, it follows the 2011 video game Batman: Arkham City and is the third installment in the Batman: Arkham series. the game's main story-line is set five years before that of 2009's Batman: Arkham Asylum and follows a younger, less-refined Batman. A bounty is placed on him by crime lord Black Mask, drawing eight of the world's greatest assassins to Gotham City on Christmas Eve. The game, played from a third-person perspective, focuses on Batman's combat and stealth abilities, detective skills, and gadgets for combat and exploration. Arkham Origins is the first game in the series with multi-player capability.

What’s Good:

Replay value: The game features an expansive and robust world to traverse with a plethora of activities, missions and instances to partake in. Warner Bros. Montreal saw fit to incorporate a multi-player addition to the game; a first in the series I might add which further pushes the player to come back for more. After completing the story mode a New Game Plus mode is unlocked, enabling a player to replay the game with all their acquired gadgets, experience and abilities; enemies are tougher, and the icon warning players of attack is disabled. Completing New Game Plus unlocks I Am the Night mode, where the game ends if Batman dies.

Soundtrack:  The score for Arkham Origins was composed by Christopher Drake. The in-game music was created with layers which activate with action (such as Batman entering a location or beginning a fight), and can be added or subtracted depending on what is occurring. The overall nature and undertones of the soundtrack do well to immerse the player in the city of Gotham.

Graphics: The game features high contrast between dark's and lights, with exaggerated shadows and few balancing colors. The entire game is represented beautifully using the Unreal Engine 3 graphics engine. This is even more so pronounced on the PC version of the game when played at max graphical settings in Direct X11. On compatible systems, the Microsoft Windows version uses Nvidia's PhysX software engine to produce more realistic, dynamic interactions with the game world. With PhysX enabled, some areas contain additional snow or fog (which reacts to Batman moving through it); with PhysX disabled, the effects are lessened or absent.

What’s Bad:

Game Mechanics: I'm not entirely sure if its because i'm not a fan of the series or just used to a different third person experience but the controls felt a bit clunky and unpolished. Maneuvering in the game didn't feel refined enough as well as the combat and cover approach system leaves a bit to be desired.

Story-line: Arkham Origins is set as a predecessor to the other two Batman Arkham games in the series. The events in Arkham Origins take place about five years before Batman: Arkham Asylum, in midwinter Gotham City. Batman, an experienced crime-fighter in the second year of his career, is not yet the veteran superhero of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. He is a mysterious force; even the police do not know whether he is a vigilante, a myth or a supernatural being. Because he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So, they hunt him, because he can take it. Because he's not their hero. He's a silent guardian. A watchful protector. A Dark Knight.

What Should Have Been Added:

A co-op mode would have been a pleasant addition to the overall game.

Final Thoughts:

Arkham Origins does not do much to push forward the Arkham series but still represents the series well. If you are a fan of the series you will find everything very familiar and easy to get right into. Newcomers to the franchise will adjust well to the game as well due to the overall completeness of the game mechanics and design. I feel the multi-player was an unnecessary addition to the game but who am I as a gamer to complain about additional content. Feel free to check out our video game-play with commentary...

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My Metal Gear Is Rising

Game Mechanics - 1.5/2

Storyline - 2/2

Graphics - 1.5/2

Soundtrack - 1.5/2

Replay Value - 1.5/2

 Total Score - 8/10

Hey there gamer guys and gamer girls; welcome to our first video game review of 2013. For those new to the page this will be nothing new but for returning veterans of my blog you should have noticed already. We have changed the grading scheme to make things a bit easier as most gamers have expressed a liking for an easy to understand scale of one to ten. We have also changed the rating pictures to better convey the final verdict on a game; they range from Approved (definitely get your hands on a copy of this game or watch someone play it if you can't), Give It A Shot (the game has it merits and is a reasonable source of entertainment but you should probably rent or borrow this game is you aren't a fan of it), and Denied (this game offers a wide range of faults and is more like a punishment than a reward for partaking of it in all its glory). We will still keep our regular format of breaking down the game with the good, bad, and improvements section. To top it all off we will try to provide video game-play with commentary for all our reviews as much as possible for those that may not have ready access to some of the games. So now that the explaining is over lets talk about Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance...

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is an upcoming action video game being developed by Platinum Games and produced by Kojima Productions, for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles. It will be a spin-off of the Metal Gear series, with a self-contained plot. Set four years after the events of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, the story will focus on the cyborg ninja, Raiden, in a fight against a self-proclaimed private military company involved in terrorist activities, Desperado Enterprises. It is awaiting a worldwide release on February 2013. Although a Japanese release for the Xbox 360 platform was planned, that version was cancelled for unknown reasons. This is only the demo release of the game we are reviewing but I must say if I hadn't already put aside money to pre-order Tomb Raider in March I would so totally be buying this game. If you own a PS3 or XBOX 360 you should definitely get this game; and here's why...

What’s Good:

Everything is good as far as key components go. Soundtrack is good, graphics are on point, wide move-set and combo options for taking out your enemies, challenging but not insanely hard difficulty to deter even the most casual of gamers and an engaging story-line with beautiful cut scenes that keeps you involved and highly entertained.

What’s Bad:

Button configuration layout needs a bit of fine tuning to feel more intuitive, and the tutorial needs to be more in-depth as well, covering the full range of options available to the player.

What Should Have Been Added:

First and foremost I think a dedicated button for blocking would be a great thing to have, couple that with a RPG type leveling system for parts where you can customize your armor to suit your play-style best and you have a game that would be perfect if not near perfection.

Final Thoughts:

Let me just say this game is on point; for all the cynics that were bashing this game or skeptical about it because it doesn't stay true to the stealthy nature of the Metal Gear Solid franchise I say a pox on thee. You know not the wonders that you are missing out on and i'm sure it was made very clear that this was a spin-off game. Set entirely in its own plot timeline separate and apart from the original MGS series. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance has fluid third-person action featuring slow-motion swordplay in place of the stealth style featured in the Metal Gear Solid series. Not to mention some really graphic in your face cinematic kills that will showcase the beauty of the graphics engine for this game. With that being said feel free to download the demo on PS3 or XBOX 360 and try it out yourself before the game is released on February 19th. If you can't we got you covered with our play-through of the demo with live commentary.

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I Hit People For A Living

Gameplay - 8/10

Storyline - 8/10

Graphics - 9/10

Game Score : 25/30

Welcome to another Friday video game review blog post, today we are going to be looking at Hitman Absolution. Before we dive into the goodness just a small public service announcement this will probably be the last video game review for 2012. Going to close off the year as always with a top ten list of games for 2012 so you can be prepared for that in the coming week. Its been a blast providing you guys with reviews and entertainment via our game-play commentary videos on our YouTube channel. So lets get into some Hitman Absolution...

Hitman: Absolution is an action-adventure stealth game developed by IO Interactive and published by Square Enix. It is the fifth entry in the Hitman game series, and runs on IO Interactive's proprietary Glacier 2 game engine. Before release the developers conveyed that Absolution would be easier to play and more accessible, while still retaining hardcore aspects of the franchise. The game was released on November 20, 2012, which is the 47th week of the year (in reference to the protagonist, Agent 47). The game takes place in the United States, and features an online option. In addition, the game features "instinct mode" which allows 47 to predict enemy patrol routes, much like the "sonar vision" that was featured in Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction, "eagle vision" in Assassin's Creed, "tracker mode" in Crysis 2 and "Detective mode" in Batman: Arkham Asylum.

What’s Good:

Superb graphics, game is more accessible than previous iterations, tons of in game content to work for, great versatility in how to approach missions as well as replay value. Soundtrack really fits the tone ad scene changes as you play through the game as well. The interactivity with your environment and how you can manipulate it to progress is very well done and plays well to the motif of being a Hitman that shapes your gaming experience as you see fit. Multiple game difficultly settings to appeal to everyone from the casual gamer to the purist fan of the series.

What’s Bad:

Camera controls at times are a pain, but this is somewhat acceptable as this is a common occurrence in most third person game or it may be due to my personal preference for first person viewpoint. Scoring system penalizes you for killing unnecessarily even if it is you clean up after yourself  so no one notices. This takes away from the freedom they give you in the game and detracts from that overall experience of having total control to progress how you see fit. The instinct meter decreases and replenishes haphazardly, I noticed when I needed it I had little to none there but then randomly I would accomplish things when I didn't need it that would replenish it.

What Should Have Been Added:

I think a nice addition would have been to animate more methods of assassinations or even better yet make varying cut scenes for each assassination and then give the player a choice based on the weapons he has which cut-scene to play out.

Final Thoughts:

While in and of itself a solid gaming franchise this game caters more to the fans of the series and not necessarily newcomers who might have heard good tings about the game. There is a slight learning curve involved in fully appreciating everything that this game has to offer but that shouldn't be a deterrent to any gamers out there but instead an incentive to enjoy the game to its fullest. Hope you enjoy the game-play commentary as always and as always keep on gaming...

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Not Even Anger Management Can Help This Guy

Gameplay - 9/10

Storyline - 10/10

Graphics - 9/10

Game Score : 28/30

Finally I get my hands on this game. had it for a while now but just couldn't get any time to sit down and have at it the way i wanted to. Thankfully good things comes to those who wait and by golly was it certainly worth the wait. Asura's Wrath is everything I could have hoped for in a single player experience; not to mention this is added to even more with bonus DLC that was released. So lets take a look at Asura's Wrath...

Asura's Wrath is an action video game collaboration between CyberConnect2 and Capcom that was first announced at the Tokyo Game Show in 2010. According to the game's producer Kazuhiro Tsuchiya, "Asura's Wrath takes elements from Hinduism and Buddhism and blends them with science fiction. In the game, Asura is a demigod fighting to reclaim his daughter from the deities who kidnapped her and banished him from the mortal world." The main character is based on the ever combative and superiority-seeking beings of the same name that are part of the Hindu and Buddhist cosmology. The game was received positively by the Japanese gaming public but received mixed review from the American gaming demographic.

The game-play of Asura's Wrath is a combination of multiple genres, while overall is presented in the style of an episodic anime series. The game-play throughout shifts between a third person action and a rail shooter game. The game also requires the player's direct input during cinematic events in the form of interactive cut-scenes with various quick-time event and context sensitive button prompts. In all forms of game-play however, player progress is determined by two gauges represented at the top of the screen, the life and burst gauge.

Whats Good:

OMFG!!! Epic storyling, awesome button mashing fighting, quick time events galore, DLC bonus content to keep you coming back for more. From start to finish I feel so immersed and connected to the game's development that I looked eagerly forward to each chapter as I played through the game. The QTE's (quick time events) are really random and keep you on alert for them as you never really know when one might come up. The voice acting and original soundtrack are very fitting and well executed and really help to bring across the entertainment value of the game.

Whats Bad:

The counter system in the game needs to be more refined. At times playing the game it seemed a bit inconsistent and haphazard a mechanic where sometimes I would get prompted to press a button to counter and other times nothing would happen. Another issue is that maybe the game could have been a little longer, but then again that's how I feel about any good story driven game I really get into. There is no in game notification as to goal completion; by this i mean the awards given at the completion of a level are not clearly stated so that you can know how you are doing beforehand. I found this very frustration thinking that I was doing well only to discover after finishing the level that I didn't receive a good score.

What Should Have Been Added:

I would have liked to seen the other deities in the game as unlockable characters that I could play through the game with. Going through the game and fighting against them at times made me want to use them and I think that would have added an additional layer of replay value to the game.

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Lazy Dogs Sure Are Awesome

Gameplay - 7/10

Storyline - 7/10

Graphics - 10/10

Game Score : 24/30

Hey y'all, hows it hanging? We are back again today looking at another highly anticipated game. Just a small reminder we are having a giveaway at the end of September for a PC copy of Skyrim on Steam. Outside of that only other update I have is that we are almost at 300 likes on our Facebook page so do your part to help the page grow. With all that being said I present to you, Sleeping Dogs.

Sleeping Dogs is a 2012 open world action-adventure video game developed by United Front Games in conjunction with Square Enix London Studios and published by Square Enix, released on August 14, 2012, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. Sleeping Dogs takes place in Hong Kong and focuses on an undercover operation to infiltrate the Triads.
The game was originally in development as an original title, but was announced in 2009 as True Crime: Hong Kong, the third installment and a reboot of the True Crime series. As a result of the game’s high development budget and delays, it was canceled by Activision in 2011. Six months later, it was announced that Square Enix had picked up the publishing rights to the game, but the game was renamed Sleeping Dogs in 2012 since Square Enix did not purchase the True Crime name rights.

Sleeping Dogs features a large cast. The player character is Detective Wei Shen, an officer sent deep undercover in a feared Triad gang. The game takes place in a fictional Hong Kong with players assuming control of Wei Shen, an officer of the San Francisco Police Department, who had been seconded to the Hong Kong Police Force. Wei has been assigned by the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau to go undercover and infiltrate the Triad society called Sun On Yee and take them down. The game starts in a Hong Kong Shipping Harbor, where undercover police officer Wei Shen is busted after a drug deal gone bad. Thrown into jail, Wei meets his old friend, Jackie Ma, who offers Wei to join his gang after they are released.

The core gameplay of Sleeping Dogs consists of giving the player an open world environment in which to move around freely. Sleeping Dogs is played as an over-the-shoulder, third-person perspective action-adventure game with role-playing elements. On foot, the player character has the ability to walk, run, jump, climb over obstacles and swim, as well as use weapons and martial arts in combat. Players also drive a variety of vehicles including automobiles, boats, and motorcycles. The combat system revolves around hand-to-hand fighting, similar to Batman: Arkham Asylum/Batman: Arkham City's "Freeflow" combat system. The cover system allows the player to move between cover, fire blindly, aim freely, and target a specific enemy. Individual body parts can also be targeted.

Overall my initial impressions of this game were impressive and I was mad hyped for another open world game to play seeing as how our last open world game we reviewed was Saints Row The Third. Sadly however I might have gotten my hopes up too high comparing it to an epic gaming experience like Saints Row The Third. Don't get me wrong now Sleeping Dogs is a pretty decent game, and employs a lot of game mechanics to set itself apart from comparison to similar games such as the GTA and Saints Row series. However with so many variant game mechanics it comes off feeling like a novelty after a while and interest wains. Thankfully there is a solid story-line present even if a bit cliched; which due to the games fast paced action keeps manages to keep you playing. Definitely worth a try and will most definitely keep you from sleeping...

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