Months Later Who Has The Upper Hand?

Welcome to another random Monday blogpost, trying to keep these short and sweet going forward. So not sure if you recall but a couple months back when E3 2013 happened we did our summary of the big question going into the holiday season. Which Next -Gen console to invest in? You can see that video below:

Months later and the dust has settled and the numbers are in. *Drumroll Please* Who comes out on top in the battle for Next-Gen Supremacy after all the changes and releases?

I called this from day one. Whether they want to call me a fanboy or not I was right. The facts were all there, even if certain policies and features changed here and there over the time period of when I released this video and now. So by now if you are a heavy gamer and been following the console wars you should have a firm grasp of what has solidified Sony's victory in the battle of Next Gen gaming, but here is  a updated glimpse of why.

The Games

Sony has the potential for more exciting exclusive games than Microsoft. Granted everyone is hyping over Titanfall right now, but already PS4's release of Infamous: Second Sun has further helped sell PS4's on release. As great as Titanfall is it isnt exactly the great console seller for theh XBOX One like Halo was for the original XBOX. According to a trusted source of the market for computer and videogames (MCV); PS4 hardware sales have been boosted a full 106% since the release of inFamous: Second Son. Supply constraints may have prevented that number from being even more significant. inFamous: Second Son is the first post-launch testament to the PS4's power, offering owners a chance to see visuals unlike ever seen before on a console. Sony has gone on to release a list of over 100 games that are scheduled for release on PS4 over the next year which you can see by clicking here.

Services

Essentially Sony went the route of appealing to gamers while Microsoft tried to be a jack of all trades by trying to appeal to everyone. Sadly when you are a jack of all trades but master of none it doesn't always workout so well. Granted now both consoles require you to pay for an online gaming experience but at least with Sony you get value for your money from all the PlayStation Plus deals and free games they offer. Couple that with the upcoming testing and release of PlayStation Now which will provide access to all the previous generations of games at your fingertip and its a no brainer. Ill give Microsoft the nod as far as service integration goes simply because they have the better dashboard and motion gaming setup but I play games and so do many others. I don't really care much about a voice control system that doesn't work well enough for me to abandon the idea of just using my controller to navigate the menu.

Performance

If you saw the video I did you should know the specs between both systems are relatively the same but the PS4 has a slight edge over the XBOX ONE. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes developer Kojima has gone on record saying his game will look better on PS4. And there's been a lot of argument around games like Call of Duty: Ghosts that run natively in 1080p on PS4 vs. 720p on Xbox One. Of course, the Xbox can run games in 1080p and 60fps, but with multiple titles coming in with lower native resolution on Xbox, Microsoft's machine has been publicly perceived as less powerful. Granted the experiences and games are almost identical like on Xbox One and PS4, but people will gravitate to what seems like the better system for the money. At at a $100 lower price point and essentially better gaming specs the choice is clear.

more.

Strider Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Give It A Shot 

Well not much to say for this week's game review, This game has been sitting on my back burner for a while now but we finally found some time to jump into it. A classic franchise is reborn with improved graphics and an all new story-line to appeal to a new generation of gamers as well as placate the die-hard fans. So without further adieu lets start on our path as ninjas....

Strider is a side-scrolling platform game developed by Double Helix Games and Capcom's Osaka studio. It was released in February 2014 for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and Windows. The player control the series' main character, Strider Hiryu. The environment is freely explorable in search for weapons and items. Strider Hiryu's main weapon is his Cypher, a plasma weapon that can take several properties. Upgrades for the Cypher can be obtained by exploring the various levels throughout the game. In 2009, a Strider reboot was in development by Grin. However, due to financial difficulties that bankrupted the company, the game was cancelled. Development of the 2014 game was made possible thanks to the series' popularity especially in thanks to Capcom's surveys and forums.

What’s Good:

Story-line: The game is considered a retelling of the first arcade Strider game with elements from the NES console game. So its nice to see the attention to nostalgia.

Graphics: Double Helix has done a phenomenal job in bringing the futuristic ninja into the modern day by upgrading the visuals while maintaining the two-dimension plane.

Game Mechanics: Robust game design with a wide variety of attacks, powerups and level interaction.

Replay value: Just enough replay value can be found in the various hidden areas of levels and added concept art rewards hidden through out levels for the die hard fans.

Soundtrack: The game's soundtrack features multiple homages to classic Strider themes but with several modifications. The sound quality is also meant to resemble the music from the original games.

What’s Bad:

Game Mechanics: They have utilized what I like to refer as the A.I. reload mechanic where if you go off screen the enemies you already cleared are reloaded and you have to fight them again. This deters you from actively wanting to explore a level for fear of dying.

What Should Have Been Added:

Pretty good for a standard 2-D side scrolling game but I feel the combo system was a bit lacking in depth.

Final Thoughts:

Solid reboot of the series no doubt; long time Strider fans will appreciate the nostalgia. The game certainly retains much of the appeal of the original games. From the reloading enemies, to the random A.I. difficulty spikes; the game is sure to bring a tear to your eye. Feel free to check out our game-play with commentary videos...

more.

Thief Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Give It A Shot 

Well 2014's first reboot is out and boy is it a doozy. It is a revival of the cult classic Thief series of stealth games, of which it is the fourth game. Thief was initially announced in 2009 under the working title Thief 4(also known as Thi4f or Thief), after rumors of its development. Well you came here for a game review so that's what you're going to get. Small heads up about the usual game-play with commentary videos that accompany my reviews. We were trying something different this week where we took the video from our stream that we did but the quality was very disappointing in comparison to the usual so we apologize profusely. Will return to normal for our next review but feel free to check out the hilarious commentary as always. Lets slink into the dark depths of Thief...

Thief is a stealth video game developed by Eidos Montreal and published by Square Enix. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One platforms. Players control Garrett, a master thief, as he intends to steal from the rich. Similar to previous games in the series, players must use stealth in order to overcome challenges, while violence is left as a minimally effective last resort. Gameplay is choice-driven, with players having a number of possible paths and approaches in a given level. Players may use the environment to their advantage, as well as pickpocket characters. As Garrett attempts to steal in levels, guards and other non-player characters (if they are aware of his presence) will try to flush him out and kill him. Different NPCs may use different means to find him, and the game's artificial intelligence will be aware of the level design, and therefore, know of potential hiding spots. Players may enter a "Focus" mode, which provides several advantages. It enhances Garrett's vision, highlighting pipes that can be climbed, or candles that can be put out to make the area darker. Focus can also slow down time, so that Garrett is able to steal more effectively while pick-pocketing. Garrett can also use Focus to push enemies or perform debilitating attacks. It can be further upgraded over the course of the game.

What’s Good:

Story-line: Pretty solid story-line and interesting characters in the game. The way the story unfolds and progresses is also noteworthy as it keeps the pace of the game steady. 

Graphics: Stellar graphics all around, the textures, environments and lighting truly go above and beyond what expected. The game is visually well crafted on all platforms but it truly shines on the XBOX One and PC.

Game Mechanics: Definitely an originator of modern day stealth, the Thief franchise employs a very robust and expansive world to traverse. With multiple paths  to achieve objectives the game offers much needed  variety and liberalness to not restrict the user and confine them to a totally linear path. Also the freedom of movement that is offered to the player is interconnected with the flow and play-style of the game being heavily stealth based and is executed very well. Guard A.I. is hit or miss at times as they sometimes look right at you but seemingly have bad eyesight and cant see in the dark but other times will very skillfully hunt you down and drive you out of hiding. 

Replay value: With all the aforementioned freedom in paths and approaches to dealing with situations one could only imagine that there exists a fair amount of replay value. Couple that with all the various challenges and large number of items available for theft present in game and you have yourself hours of entertainment at the ready. Another noteworthy claim to fame for this reboot title is the custom difficulty setting, honestly cant recall seeing this in any games I have played. I was quite surprised and intrigued by this however it seems primarily directed at making the game more challenging more-so than easy.

What’s Bad:

Soundtrack: Not much of significant mention as well as the voice acting for the game seemingly fell short. This makes the character (Garrett) not as convincing and you don't feel as attached overall to him unless you were already a long standing fan of the series.

What Should Have Been Added:

I would like to have potentially seen a co-op mode especially since they game starts you off as a part of a team. The idea of running a thief tag team against unsuspecting guard could have added such depth and varied game-play tactics.

Final Thoughts:

Solid reboot of the series no doubt; long time Thief fans will appreciate the well executed nod to a long lost franchise. While new comers to the lore of Thief may find it quite the adventure to embark on. Definitely a little rough around the edges since its been out of the gaming world for a while but it made good on it return. Feel free to check out our game-play with commentary videos...

more.

NBA 2k14 Game Review

Final Verdict - Give It A Shot

Say hello to the next generation of gaming with King James himself. NBA 2K14 has been toted as the best representation of the next generation of gaming. It makes superb use of the power of next gen graphics and quite honestly is the foremost leading game to take advantage of the emerging generation of gaming. Typically I stay away from reviewing sports games because I suck at them primarily but also cause usually they are the same thing every release aside from the fact that they change the roster. Thankfully I can say this years' release of NBA2K14 heralds a return to greatness for the series and solidifies the franchise as a strong contender in the sports genre of gaming. So lets see what the game of basketball is all about...

NBA 2K14 is a basketball video game that was developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K Sports. LeBron James of the Miami Heat became the cover athlete, and also served as the music curator for the game. 2K Sports also released the DLC pack that as a bonus for pre-ordering the game, they would receive 10,000 VC, bonus content for "Path to Greatness" mode, adding James in the Blacktop mode and a signature skill for MyCareer mode. On August 14, 2013, 2K Sports announced that Crew Mode would return to this year's installment of NBA 2K. The main centerpiece of the game as always is the My Career mode where you play as a rookie trying to make a name for yourself in the NBA.

What’s Good:

Replay value: With such a wide variety of modes and teams to play with this installment of the franchise is the most rounded and expansive to date. Many different avenues to explore in this years game where we have such things as: "LeBron: Path to Greatness" mode, A new "Training Camp" mode, a vast character creation library, MyCareer and MyGM modes, as well as more than 50 hours of new commentary from Kevin Harlan, Clark Kellogg and Steve Kerr. New draft night audio is also present alongside new "MyCareer" voiceovers.

Soundtrack:  On July 15, 2013, the NBA 2K Live team announced the soundtrack to NBA 2K14, chosen by LeBron James. 2K14's soundtrack presents a much more present style of music, showing off new singles that have been recently released instead of older more classic songs like previous 2K versions. This brought a modern new age feel to the overall  flow of the game and is in tune with bringing the game into the  modern next generation of gaming.

Graphics: Bar none there is no disputing that this game is currently the pinnacle of next gen graphics and is one of the few titles that make it worthwhile spending that cash on a next gen console.

Story-line: Not a bad attempt with the various dialogue choices. Though somewhat limited, they do give a feasible idea that you make decisions to invest in the progression of your character's development. The social media integration alongside various activities available, help to garner team and fan admiration to help tie in another level of interaction is also a nice aspect of the game progression as well.

What’s Bad:

Game Mechanics: As always the lack of a smooth controller scheme integration presents too high of an entry level barrier for new players. Compounding that with a lack of a structured tutorial to teach the fundamentals of the game and you have the makings of a bad time filled with frustration.

What Should Have Been Added:

A tutorial mode should have been added to help ease new players into the flow of the game as well as introduce veteran players to the finer intricacies of what might have changed over the change in titles.

Final Thoughts:

Simulation basketball at its finest; with just enough new features, and tighter-than-ever gameplay, NBA 2K14 tops its predecessors and competitors...again. I can't say I would recommend this game to everyone as the learning curve is a bit steep but for the seasoned veterans out there this game is definitely worth getting.

more.