Child Of Light Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Definitely Worth Playing

Oh my freaking freak. Whats up gamers? Your friendly neighborhood gamer Zalgo Cometh here to bring you another video game review. Last week we checked out the free to play FPS game; Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms, this week we look at Child Of Light. Another game from Ubisoft which had garnered much attention recently at PAX East 2014. So lets go see what all that attention was about...

Child of Light is a platforming role-playing video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. The game puts players in the shoes of Aurora, a child stolen from her home, who, in her quest to return, must bring back the sun, the moon and the stars held captive by the mysterious Queen of the Night. Helped by her playable companion Igniculus the firefly and several unlikely allies, Aurora will face her darkest fears in this modern take on a coming-of-age story. Child Of Light was released on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xbox 360 and Xbox One in April 2014.

What’s Good:

Replay value: This is a classic RPG with turn-based combat, 200+ skills to unlock, and 600+ crafting combinations for Oculi. There is no doubt that there is replay value abound in this game not to mention the various party members and attack strategies to utilize in battle.

Soundtrack: This is well executed and heartfelt as the overall tone and pace of the game is dictated or should I say indicated by the various sound track elements that help to submerge the player into the world of Lumeria.

Graphics: The game itself is powered by UbiArt Framework, an in-house engine by Ubisoft previously used for Rayman Origins and its sequel, Rayman Legends. So it has a cartoon but very artistic and detailed design, which is very vibrant and engaging providing the player with remarkable environments to transverse.

Story-line: The story at times can seem cliche but even so everyone enjoys a heartfelt adventure filled with danger and challenges to overcome. As Aurora travels and grows you discover more and more about the land and its inhabitants so your focus expands from just the central theme of rescuing Aurora and completing the primary objective of making it back home.

Game Mechanics: Well executed turn based system that has appeal to both the casual player and the more adept. By including attributes of a side-scroller with RPG elements such as leveling-up to increase stats over time, the game gives you varying aspects of the overall game-play to master. Combat and Non-Combat features of the game are smooth and easy to utilize which further promotes an enjoyable gaming experience.

What Should Have Been Added:

I would have liked to been able to fully use all the party members I gained instead of having to randomly switch out or not use some at all. I ended up playing this through mostly with just Norma and Aurora cause they had a good synergy for AOE attacks and Status effects. Possibly they could have either had bigger party limits to allow full use of a more diverse party strategy. Only other thing I can think of is maybe voice acting for the cut-scene parts of the game like the below picture.

Final Thoughts:

This game is very well done and the game industry definitely could use more games this well executed. Games that place a strong focus on the art of storytelling and creating a connection between player and character that lingers even after the game has been beaten. Being a gamer that thoroughly enjoys platformer games and RPGS (my two favorite game genres followed by fighting games) I am very thankful I got to experience this game. I'm happy it did not pass me by due to lack of hype or major advertising like we typically see for franchise titles. Feel free to check out the below gameplay with commentary we did for Child of Light...

more.

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Give It A Shot 

Ok so its been a while since I gave you a free game to enjoy so buck up cause this one is on the house. Found out about this through a friend as I don't usually find myself playing a lot of free games but he said I should give it a try. So shoutouts to Alvarez aka Rez for bringing this to my knowledge, let go shoot stuff in Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms...

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms (known during the beta as Ghost Recon Online) is a third-person perspective, multiplayer action video game released for Microsoft Windows PCs and planned for Nintendo's Wii U console. The game is part of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon series. This game is supported by micro transactions. The Windows version is confirmed to be a free-to-play game, and requires a Uplay account. Whilst not officially confirmed to be a free-to-play model as well for the Wii U as of January 2013, Nintendo's president and CEO Satoru Iwata commented in an interview that he has no opposition against this model and is willing to work with it.

What’s Good:

Game Mechanics: Not so much a fan of Third Person Shooter (TPS) games but Tom Clancy is a veteran at his craft so this long standing franchise has solidified and mastered its representation of the control and fluidity of a TPS game.

What’s Bad:

Replay value: Not much considering its a free to play online game. Shit will get pretty old pretty fast without much consideration of a story line or diversity between the three offered classes.

Story-line: There is none, there isn't much compelling you to play aside from completing the daily self challenges for the free in-game currency to buy upgrades or to level up your character class of choice.

What Should Have Been Added:

Some personal customization options would be nice so that you can better differentiate your own player from all the other people who play the same class as you online. Maybe something as simple as color dyes or something as complex as specialist/hybrid class building. 

Final Thoughts:

The game is free. It deserves at the very least a try. So what more can I say but go ahead and try it. Even better if you can get friends to sign up and play with you. Got the usual footage for you but no commentary due to technical difficulties that I didn't realize until it was already too late. I do apologize for the seemingly half-assed review but I honestly hold true to the point that if its free and tolerable it has to be someones cup of tea so its worth a look. The game is currently available on Steam at the following address:

 http://store.steampowered.com/agecheck/app/243870/

more.

South Park: The Stick Of Truth Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Definitely Worth Playing

The long await day of salvation has arrived. After many a setbacks and delays we finally have the game of prophesy. Today is truly a special day here on In The Mind Of My Mind as there is much mirth and rejoicing in the land of gaming. South Park: The Stick Of Truth is finally a reality and I could be none the happier as it has fulfilled my hopes and dreams. In an age where licensed franchise video games usually suck, South Park: The Stick Of Truth has answered the call to greatness. If you are a fan of the cartoon you will go crazy for the gaming experience it has to offer; if not you can very much still enjoy the game at its core values of story-line, game mechanics and content. Come on down to South Park and meet some friends of mine...

South Park: The Stick of Truth is a role-playing video game, based on the American animated television series South Park. The game was developed by Obsidian Entertainment in collaboration with South Park Digital Studios and published by Ubisoft. The game was expected to be released sometime in 2013, for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles, and Microsoft Windows, but was postponed to 2014, due to the shutdown of original publisher THQ and numerous delays. The player takes control of "The New Kid", who moves to South Park with his parents after a mysterious event forced the family to move. Similar to their duties on the TV show, South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone wrote the script for the game, oversaw the project, and provided the voices of the characters. This is without a doubt the definitive South Park game and goes the extra mile to deliver and authentic South Park experience first hand for the player. This sadly also works against the game because due to the authenticity of the South Park content the game received unfavorable reviews in Australia and Europe from the Electronics Rating Standards Bureau (ERSB). This led to it being censored as you can see an example of below:

What’s Good:

Soundtrack: Soundtrack is superbly executed. From the occasional ominous medieval music to the voice acting even hinting to the illustrious career work of Trey Parker and Matt Stones with the long list of songs on the radio. Another noteworthy bit of praise is for the audio cue that plays whenever your weapon flashes before an attack so you get the timing right for a perfect attack. This single feature has been the saving grace for me while playing as trying to watch for the visual cue for the attack at times is a bit tedious.

Graphics: Not the most cutting edge graphics one might expect from current gen consoles but it is pixel for pixel an accurate representation of the South Park universe. This helps to solidify the immersion factor of the game as it makes you feel like you are literally immersed in the South Park world. Not only does it feel like an episode of the iconic TV show but also it makes you the central focus and star of it all.

Story-line: The characters' costumes and classes appear to be based on the South Park episode "The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers". The costumes and class names also appear in the three-episode story arc formed by "Black Friday", "A Song of Ass and Fire", and "Titties and Dragons". These all tie into the story-line development of the game and gives the fans a "sneak peek" for the game, and at the very least, was "good marketing/PR" in light of the numerous delays to the release of the game.

Game Mechanics: The very well executed game-play design of this game will appeal to many die-hard RPG fans as it favors turn based combat. The game has also managed to incorporate and represent most tell tale aspects of a good RPG game such as varied classes, deep combat system mechanics and character customization to suit all players. The game also has a well layered tutorial system; this helps the player learn the inner workings of the game, and as a bonus features a help menu for future reference.

Replay value: A fair amount of replay value exists as there are 4 classes to choose from which offer varied combat experiences. There are also key points within the story progression that offer multiple choices and outcomes for the player to explore.

What’s Bad:

Story-line: For a Role-Playing Game (RPG) title gamers are used to 20+ hours of gaming not to mention higher level caps one character classes. Sadly South Park falls a wee bit down in that regard as the campaign will run you about 10-15 hours worth of time overall. Add to that the low level cap of 15 and you know somebody somewhere is going to complain about it.

Game Mechanics: Not much to say here aside from this one off instance where I was playing a mini game for a quest where you are dancing for the Goth kids. For some reason it only recognizes the directional arrows on the keyboard instead of the movement keys assigned at W, A, S, D. Not really a big deal as this only occurs on PC but had to make mention. 

What Should Have Been Added:

I would have liked to see more variety in the classes offered, granted they have subtle differences but I felt like there was no clear cut distinction between the moves, weapons, and equipment for the respective classes. I found myself not caring much about sticking with a particular weapon type as one would when playing an RPG; certain class limitations would have been nice to emphasize more the choice of character the player decides to go with.

Final Thoughts:

As a die-hard fan of the series I must say this game is not for the easily offended or weak willed. This game serves up a big helping of fan service and gone above and beyond the expectations of its followers. If I had a hat I would be tipping it to Trey Parker and Matt Stone, as I sip some lemon tea on a warm afternoon. I imagine somewhere out there on a patio somewhere with legs crossed like gentlemen they marvel at how well this game is bound to do. I very rarely find myself singing the praises of a game but this game deserves it and has my stamp of approval as a game of the year candidate for 2014. I have pre-ordered a copy of the Grand Wizard Edition of the game for my personal collection and if you are a fan of the TV show you probably should too. Feel free to check out some of our game-play with commentary below...

more.

We're Going Straight To The Wild Wild West

Game Mechanics - 1.5/2

Story-line - 2/2

Graphics - 1.5/2

Soundtrack - 2/2

Replay Value - 2/2

 Total Score - 9/10

It's video game time again folks. As we trudge along through this the annual summer drought of gaming we try to clear up our backlog of games in anticipation of the early fall AAA releases. Thankfully it is almost over and balance and order will be restored to the force as this should be the last week of the gaming summer drought. I had heard about this game a while back and more or less forgotten about it cause I personally had not seen much hype or advertisements for it. Somehow it has found its way back into my life and this week we review "Call of Juarez: Gunslinger"...

Call of Juarez: Gunslinger is a Western-themed first-person shooter video game, the fourth in the Call of Juarez series. Call of Juarez: Gunslinger is a linear first-person shooter game. Like the previous Call of Juarez games, the game consists of completing objectives to progress through the game. Call of Juarez: Gunslinger returns to the traditional Old West setting and features three unique game modes (story, arcade and duel) while the setting is the life story of a bounty hunter named Silas Greaves. The story levels are flashbacks of the life Silas Greaves, who is an unreliable narrator. As his audience challenges the lies and inconsistencies in his tales, Silas revises his story, which results in abrupt changes to game environment. This mechanic allows the game to recycle sections of the game with minor alterations. Staple gameplay elements of the series such as bullet-time and gunslinger duels make a return.

What’s Good:

Replay value: The game allows the player to carry their accumulated skills over to replays, so they can eventually fully master all categories thus giving the player added incentive to revisit the game upon completion. Scattered throughout the game are collectible secret items called "Nuggets of Truth", which recount the historical truths behind Silas' tales. These also help to level up your character and contain real world history about famous happenings and figures of the Wild West.

Story-line: The story and recounting of the adventures of Silas are engaging and rewarding as you both play and listen to Silas explain his past adventures. 

Soundtrack: Soundtrack is definitely solid and immerses you fully into the game and the Wild West ambiance of the game as a whole. Guns sound authentic as do the accents and vernacular of the characters you come in contact with.

What’s Bad:

Game Mechanics: Granted most if not all the things about the game mechanics are positive I just wanted to exclusively make mention of something I found highly frustrating. The dueling system; it starts off pretty intuitively and straight forward but then somehow becomes confusing and complicated. The addition of speeding up your draw time via the 'A' and 'D' buttons is not explained or demonstrated clearly, this in turn does not give the player the chance to adapt and utilize the mechanic effectively.

What Should Have Been Added:

I feel that maybe they could have given you a choice in customizing your character, maybe even let you decide the gender. Another possible idea could have been to add a co-op mode where you play through the game as a dynamic duo. 

Final Thoughts:

Honestly a refreshing change of pace considering the typical military oriented first person shooters we have grown accustomed to. Throwing in a leveling and RPG (Roleplaying Game) element to it with the varying skill sets was also a nice touch. My only gripes with the game overall was the ridiculous fall damage in the game and the hard to figure out dueling aspect that I made mention of earlier on. Aside from that I most certainly enjoyed my time with this game and will be looking out for others in the series. Until then you can check out my game-play with commentary...

more.

E3 2013 Wrap Up

Well here we are on E3 week and boy oh boy has it kicked off in fine style. As per always we do a E3 run down every year and count our blessings that we get to look forward to. For those that may not know shame on you but we welcome you with open arms. Feel free to check out any of the live streams from IGN or Gametrailers that are doing live coverage of the event. So we are gonna try out something different and do something of a VLOG instead of all the typing and reading that you are normally accustomed to. Hopefully its entertaining to you and I don't bore you too badly; so please do enjoy.

With all that info flung your way i'm sure you are a bit overwhelmed so take some time to let it all sink in. Here are some of the interpretations from the internet in regards to the competition between XBOX One and the PS4.

more.

What Are Your Origins?

Game Mechanics - 1.5/2

Story-line - 1.5/2

Graphics - 1.5/2

Soundtrack - 1.5/2

Replay Value - 1.5/2

 Total Score - 7/10

Come one come all as we take you on a ride to co-op town in this weeks video game review. We got ourselves into quite a pickle this week; had totally forgotten that remember me was coming out this week and had gone ahead and gotten some other footage recorded for this game. So ill probably try to do the Remember Me review next week but who knows. Need to revisit my gaming calendar and see what is coming out and such. Anywhore as you were; grab yourself a sat and enjoy this weeks game review of Rayman Origins. 

Rayman Origins is a platform game developed and published by Ubisoft for PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo 3DS and Microsoft Windows. The story follows Rayman, his friend Globox and two teensies as they fight Darktoons and other evil creatures that have infected the Glade of Dreams. Rayman Origins is a side-scrolling platformer, the same style as the original Rayman game. Rayman Origins is playable with up to four local players who may drop in or out at any time. Players can choose to control either Rayman, Globox or two Teensies, with additional costumes available as the game progresses. Players travel through each level, fighting enemies and rescuing imprisoned Electoons. As the game progresses, players gain new abilities such as running up walls, gliding in midair, swimming and shrinking in size to reach new areas. Certain segments also sees players riding a mosquito, where players can shoot enemies or suck them up and fire them. If a character is hit by an enemy or obstacle, he will inflate into a ballooned state until another player can bring him back into the game by slapping him.

What’s Good:

Nothing amazingly game changing about the platforming formula here. All your expected ins and outs are covered. The game provides a solid platforming experience with a few basic gimmicks here and there to keep you interested and challenged while playing whether with friends or all alone.

What’s Bad:

Nothing bad to make mention of or highlight as the game is pretty solid as far as your expected platforming game experience should go.

What Should Have Been Added:

Since its pretty much a solid experience all around I would be hard pressed to think of something that could be added. I could maybe go out on a limb and say make each character has like an elemental power attack or something that when you play co-op you combine attacks to better defeat bosses or go through levels.

Final Thoughts:

Solid platforming game with added fun when playing cooperatively with others. Nothing majorly game changing to report as far standing out is concerned but with the upcoming sequel due out this year there is a whole new world of features and additions coming our way. So at least there's that to look forward to; so until next time, keep on gaming...

more.

All About Dat Ass......assin

Game Mechanics - 1.5/2

Storyline - 2/2

Graphics - 1.5/2

Soundtrack - 2/2

Replay Value - 1/2

 Total Score - 8/10

Dearly beloved we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of my camera and its newly found tripod. Hey guys just kidding; how y'all doing? Welcome to another video game review here with us. Today we take our first crack at reviewing and recording a PSVITA game now that we finally got our tripod that we ordered a while back. Hopefully more of these reviews will be in the future. Without further ado lets get to that ass...

Assassin's Creed III: Liberation is a historical action-adventure open world stealth video game developed and published by Ubisoft exclusively for PlayStation Vita. The game is set between 1765 and 1777, and primarily features Aveline de Grandpré, a female African-French Assassin around the end of the French and Indian War, in 18th century New Orleans. This is the first female protagonist of the series and hopefully not the last. Liberation makes use of the Vita's touchscreen and rear touch pad, cameras and gyroscope. These include Chain Kill combat, and the ability to pickpocket people. By linking the game to Assassin's Creed III, the player will receive an in-game version of Connor's tomahawk, an exclusive character skin, a multi-player character and a complete upgrade of all ammunition pouches. The game uses the same engine that runs Assassin's Creed III, allowing for the same game-play experience as a console release.

What’s Good:

Storyline - Beautifully well written story with plot twists and turns that will have you at the edge of your seat. Diverse cast of characters that are sure to leave a memorable impression in your mind. Most importantly we see a true progression of Aveline as a character and how she journeys and grows on her path to self discovery and acceptance.

Soundtrack - Perfectly matching soundtrack to highlight and compliment that time the game takes place in as well as the various settings you traverse throughout the game. It truly helps maximize the games effect on you, submerging you into the culture and period of time in New Orleans.

What’s Bad:

Replay Value - This game has little to no replay value; die hard fans may want to play again on a higher difficulty or to try and get "full sync" on all relevant missions but that's about it. Couple that with the fact the multi-player experience is an utmost failure in comparison to the type of multi-player experience the console version of the game received.

What Should Have Been Added:

A better multi-player experience akin to the one provided on the PS3 and XBOX 360 and PC would have been good. Also a better monetary system in the game because it is way too hard to make money especially when everything is so expensive.

Final Thoughts:

Hands down one of the top 5 PSVITA games to own. You will not regret playing this game i guarantee it. Ubisoft did such a great job with this installment of the series that it fits so perfectly right at home on the PSVITA. Little motion sensitive actions exclusive to the PSVITA are nice little touches that help you feel even more so involved in the game and the town in general. 

more.

I Am Alive; Are You...?

Gameplay - 7/10

Storyline - 10/10

Graphics - 9/10

Game Score : 26/30

Today is the day I finally get to play another intensely story driven game that I love so much. Sweet mother of god I love a good story driven game, granted there are a few snags here and there with the game-play infrastructure I was so into the story I made do and trudged ahead. Anywhore thinking i'm going to approach this differently and keep it simple since this game has been out for a while. So lets look at the epic tale of I Am Alive...

The game takes place one year after America has gone through a massive disaster known simply as "The Event," which included earthquakes that destroyed most cities and areas. Due to the damage of the aftermath, many people are forced to go without resources. The government tries to help citizens, but their attempts are useless. Supplies become low and this causes citizens to become agitated, violent and bitter. A male survivor (who is never named in the game) travels to his old home of the fictional city Haventon, to rescue his wife Julie and daughter Mary.

The Good:

I love the story line behind this game, you really connect with the main character and all the ups and downs he has to go through as you progress through the game. Little by little you find yourself growing and shaping him as you encounter various situations where you have a choice in-front of you. From choosing to execute downed enemies to deciding if you want to give your supplies to injured people who you meet along the way. Even though it has no direct effect on the character growth in the game you feel connected to him to the point it feels like it does. In reference to the graphics on PC they are leagues ahead of the console release of this game as expected, which adds even more value to the overall experience of the game. The game has an emphasis on climbing and exploration. Every effort has a cost and, when engaging in physically demanding activities, such as climbing or jumping, it is critical to manage the main character's stamina for him to survive. By managing stamina skillfully players are rewarded by accessing hidden paths, resources and other survivors.

The Bad:

Some of the interactions especially for fight sequences can be a bit stiff. I found myself trying to do as I was instructed but for whatever reason it would not work. I feel that maybe it would have been easier if kills weren't interaction based but instead something you could do freely once you had your machete equipped. Granted that the game is a survival horror third person game and not a first person shooter i'll excuse this next point but I still have to make mention of it. The aiming mechanic for the gun in this game is in need of dire revision, way too many times I found myself missing targets I knew I was aiming on properly. The difficulty of the game itself at times can be daunting but that in itself is part of what makes it a good game.

The Ugly Truth:

The game is good. Not great but the story in and of itself is what carries it off so nicely. Maybe i'm being biased but I would like to think that people enjoy playing an engaging and interactive gaming experience. I would not recommend this game to the average casual gamer however even though there is an easy mode option that gives you unlimited retries. I feel that to truly experience what this game offers you have t be willing to experience the same type of survival risk that the character goes through. Knowing that you are low on supplies , retries, pitons, etc. can really change your frame of mind and the way you play the game as a whole.

Well that's it from us here at Zalgo_Cometh so feel free to check out our little game-play with commentary as always. So until next time; keep on gaming...

more.