Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare

This really is a fantastic little game.

No, wait, hear me out. When I first heard there would be a third-person shooter based in the PvZ world, I initially cringed. Very hard. While Plants vs Zombies may be, hands down, the greatest casual game ever made (claim may or may not be supported by actual merit), the idea of an action game populated by cutesy zombies and flowers sounded terrible. Having given the game a fair chance, however, the opposite seems to be true.

Garden Warfare has two main modes:

* A horde mode, not unlike Mass Effect 3's multiplayer or Team Fortress 2's Mann Vs Machine mode, where zombies of various types of zombies spawn in a few areas and attack a garden that you plant in various parts of the levels. You can plant smaller defensive plants to slow them down and work as one of a few classes of specialized plants to defend that garden. Two types of soldier, the cactus (with a remote drone) and peashooter (with speed boost), a venus fly-trap-esque Chomper plant, and the Sunflower medic are available in this mode. 10 waves of defense and a boss wave against a large, overpowered zombie, then Crazy Dave comes to evac your team in his flying RV.

* Competitive multiplayer, where you get various modes such as Team Deathmatch, Kill Confirmed, control points, and others that you might find in a Call of Duty or Battlefield title. Home team is the Plants, with the aforementioned classes, while the opposing force is the zombies, with their own classes a soldier, engineer, mad scientist, and “all-star.”

Bolstering this is the customization options, available with microtransactions (don't do it!) or by earning in-game tokens by playing and/or winning matches. You can make some very colourful plants and zombies by purchasing card packs that include parts to unlock alternate models of characters (with side-grade abilities), customization items, and power-ups like defensive plants.

There is no story or campaign mode, but considering the story of the original game is “Zombies are coming to eat your brains. Plant things to stop them. Oh, and here's Crazy Dave, he'll sell you stuff” it shouldn't surprise anyone. The game is a little shallow because of that, but unlike other multiplayer-only games (looking at you, Titanfall), Garden Warfare wasn't sold at full AAA retail price. I honestly can't recommend even the standard price of $30, but if you see it on sale (and Origin has had it on sale several times recently), I recommend it.

Performance is solid. With vsync on, the game never drops below 60 frames per second, and the controls are tight on both gamepad and mouse/keyboard. Options menu is a bit limited, though.

Garden Warfare is a fun little romp with a rich color palette and a very imaginative visual style. It's also a serious game with a solid horde mode and decent competitive mode, too.  Recommended at a sale price of $15 or less.

Note: This review was written using a purchased copy of Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare. Hardware used was an i5 2500k / GTX 770 and alternately an X-Box One pad and Logitech G700s/Belkin Nostromo keypad.

The Art of the Uncharted Trilogy HC

Join Dark Horse Books and Naughty Dog on a breathtaking, comprehensive exploration into the Uncharted saga! This epic volume offers a detailed look at the art of one of the most exciting game series of this generation, with insightful commentary from the games’ creators! Own a piece of Uncharted history!

There have been some really impressive games coming out in recent years that still continue to sit at the top.  As seen in a previous review for content from Naughty Dog, one such example is the hit title Uncharted.  With another, potentially final game coming out next year, what better time to release The Art of the Uncharted Trilogy.

Split into three main sections for each game, the book then subdivides further into smaller subsections.  Each game section starts off with the key piece of character development, which over the course of the games is interesting to see the changes characters go through.  With such expansive areas to explore, the bulk then moves onto all of the various environments our adventurers travel through.  Closing up each main section, we see two offering readers the chance to see unused content, and one with a fun look into Drake's journal.

The art book of a game like Uncharted is undoubtedly going to give you such a breathtaking look into how it comes together.  With all of the concept art, finished art, and even art for things that never even came to be, it's a really neat stroll through the years the game has been around.  Having played two of the three out so far, it was like being sucked into the world all over again and with even more to see.

With three games to cover, there is no shortage of fantastic content to fill this book.  I was hesitant to read the last section because of spoilers, but it was great to see regardless.  Fans of this amazing game series should definitely check this gorgeous book out.  Those that have never traveled with Drake will get a nice peek into his world and may just get you to play.

For more on The Art of the Uncharted Trilogy or other Dark Horse books, check out Dark Horse Comics.

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

Carmageddon: Reincarnation (Public Beta) Review

Normally, I avoid (and recommend avoiding) games that are in Early Access. I've seen too many go under or under-deliver, like Double Fine's Spacebase DF-9, pushed out the door before it was ready and pretty much abandoned, never to be feature-complete. Some have been successes, like Kerbal Space Program and Prison Architect, while some have been viral hits without even being completed, like Rust or 7 Days To Die.

I rolled the dice on Carmageddon: Reincarnation. The original Carmageddon was one of the first games I had for my first dedicated PC, eating up a permanent 200MB chunk of my 1GB hard drive alongside such classics as Doom II and Blood. I've long held it up as the superior PC equivalent to the more popular Twisted Metal series. It was better looking, with more personality and a physics engine that felt more like driving a real car, and combat much more visceral due to a lack of traditional weaponry like machine guns or rocket launchers.

In 2012, Stainless announced that it had reacquired the rights from SquareEnix and was launching a Kickstarter. I was not, at the time, in a position to financially back the game, but kept up with its development. The Kickstarter had a goal of $400,000 which was met in 10 days, and capped out at over $625,000. In 2014, the game launched on Steam's Early Access, and I immediately purchased it.

The alpha that initially launched was rough. Missing many features, art assets, and sound effects, it was barely playable and prone to crashing. It wasn't optimized at all, and trended towards a framerate in the low 20s on even the lowest of settings. Stainless kept up with updates for a while, but then there were some months of radio silence.

On Valentine's day, 2015, the game was released into public beta, with a massive update that re-wrote most of the game's code from the ground up. Multiplayer was enabled, the roster of cars and drivers was expanded, and some optimization was implemented.

As it stands now, the game is still in a rough state, but it's a faithful update of the original. If you've played the original, you'll absolutely adore Reincarnation. The cars handle much the same way, and the Classic Carma mode is a spot-on modern recreation of the original game. The damage models are insanely detailed, and the repair mechanic is amazing and hilarious to watch, especially when you hit a full repair and your own driver ends up flopping alongside  the car until you slow down enough for him or her to re-enter the vehicle.

Multiplayer is still hit or miss, with connection problems and a low population (which will hopefully change after the game goes into full release), and the AI is still abysmally stupid, doggedly sticking to the track and often ignoring the player car or driving straight into walls when the car is damaged. Optimization is still not complete, too, as the game chugs along in the mid-20s framerate on low settings on my GTX 770, but at least looks much more visually impressive in beta than it did in alpha.

But it shows promise. I eagerly anticipate the full release of the game, and recommend getting in while it's still priced for early access and includes the original trilogy of Carmageddon games with the purchase.

Bottom line: Recommended for fans of car combat, fans of the original series (especially the first game), and those willing to put up with the growing pains of a game in beta for what's likely to be a solid final product.

Disclosure: The copy reviewed was purchased personally. A review copy was not provided. Hardware used was an i5 2500k and PNY GTX 770 XLR8, with an X-Box One pad for controls.

The Sky: The Art of Final Fantasy Book 3

The Sky Book Three contains Amano's sketches and paintings for Final Fantasy VII (1997), VIII (1999), IX (2000), and X (2001), depicting characters such as Zidane Tribal, Garnet Til Alexandros XVII, Adelbert Steiner, Vivi Orunitia, Amarant Coral, Queen Brahne, and many others. Bonuses include a series of silkscreen images done for Final Fantasy VIII, unreleased pen-and-ink sketches of the Gunblade, and designs for the gemlike logo of Final Fantasy IX.

The first two books of the re-release being as wonderful as I expected, the anticipation for the third and final was certainly huge.  Not only was this because of getting to enjoy another Final Fantasy book, but it was the one including the games from the series that have stuck with me most to this day.  It was truly a delight to get another shot at viewing Book Three in the trilogy for The Sky: Art of Final Fantasy.

It should be more than obvious by now that this is a wonderful book with endless pages of amazing art.  The name Final Fantasy is one that for many people automatically produces images of beautiful visuals to go along with great stories.  For the third consecutive time, Yoshitaka Amano has provided a large collection of illustrations to support the series.  Adding another batch of art like his strengthens one of the key factors in what makes it so successful.

I cannot deny that as excellent as it was to see all the art from the first two books, this was the one I looked forward to most.  With it showing us pieces Amano did for numbers VII, VIII, IX and X, this was the best collection for me personally.  Not only did I thoroughly enjoy the art for VII in particular, but there were some specific ones for VIII that I really loved.

Now that Dark Horse has been kind enough to give folks a second chance at these books, it would be a wise choice to do so.  At some point I’ll probably try to search for copies of the originals, but having these will more than hold me until then.  The only disappointment I have now is that there’s no more of them to read, but it has been so nice checking them out and think everyone should.

For more on The Sky: The Art of Final Fantasy or other Dark Horse books, check out Dark Horse Comics.

The Sky: The Art of Final Fantasy Book Three will be available 11/19

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

The Art of Dragon Age: Inquisition HC

The next generation of fantasy is here! Go behind the scenes of Dragon Age: Inquisition,the most ambitious game ever created by legendary developer BioWare!

Featuring hundreds of never-before-seen art pieces and commentary from the developers themselves, this volume offers revealing insight into the inspiration and creation of every facet of Dragon Age: Inquisition, from the heroes to the wondrous weapons they wield, the powerful beasts they battle, and the extraordinary world they inhabit.

Of all the genres within the video gaming realm, RPGs are undoubtedly my favorite.  Building a character specifically tailored towards your own style of gameplay just makes it all the better.  There have been a number of quality titles to come out of that field, and Dragon Age is one of the bigger ones as far as I’m concerned.  Needless to say with the new one on the horizon, being able to read The Art of Dragon Age: Inquisition had me almost as anxious as playing the game.

Rather than splitting this one up in to chapters focusing specifically on certain aspects of the game, this art book approaches it as a collective whole.  Even in this format, it still gives the reader a look at anything from character backgrounds to area designs and everything in between.   Although there’s no definitive break up covering certain components of the game, it seamlessly touches it all throughout the book.

If this art book is any indication, the latest in this fantastic series has really taken the visuals to another level.  The huge amount of work that is shown for character designs, level creation and even a peak at storyboards is so impressive.  You cannot help but get completely lost in all the artwork inside, and is especially nice seeing art never shown before.

Whether or not you know the games, you will find yourself fully transported to the world by the end of the book.  Fans of the series, fantasy enthusiasts and art lovers alike will get a real treat with this book.  Unless you don’t want spoilers if you’re not sure about buying the new game, I would definitely say this is one to grab.

For more on The Art of Dragon Age: Inquisition or other Dark Horse titles, check out Dark Horse Comics.

The Art of Dragon Age: Inquisition will be available 11/18, same day as the game!

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

Tomb Raider Volume 1: Season of the Witch TPB

Lara and the other survivors of the Endurance are experiencing horrific visions after their ordeal in the lost kingdom of Yamatai. But the visions lead to a darker fate . . . Can Lara survive the calamities that await her as she struggles to piece this new mystery, and her life, back together?

I would have to say a fairly good percentage of people, gamers or not, have some familiarity with the bigger video game characters.  Although not up there with the likes of Mario or Sonic, Lara Croft  or more likely “Tomb Raider” has a decent chance of ringing a bell.  Having actually played and thoroughly enjoying the recent prequel Tomb Raider title, I was really looking forward to reading Tomb Raider Volume 1: Season of the Witch.

For those who know Lara but haven’t checked it out, the last game release is a very different look at Lara.  Once you start this collection of the first six issues of the comic, you’ll see how literal I mean that.  Without ruining too much of the game or this book, this extension of the story sees Lara unexpectedly caught up in the aftermath of the game’s events.  Yet again she has to face off against a group of people up to no good in a quest for power, having to save those close to her in the midst of it.

Whenever you have to visually adapt work from one medium to another, there’s always going to be some level of expectation for the fans.  Knowing what Lara and her crew looked like in the game, I think the team pulled if off well here.  The line art in these comics is super clean, and although it doesn’t jump out at you, the color work is well done.

As you would think, playing the game does certainly help with familiarity and making this more of a continuation to the story.  Both the writing and the artwork were definitely successful in making it feel like a natural next chapter for the game.  Even if you don’t know anything about Lara and her most recent (or technically first) adventure, this is a fun one to newly experience.  Either way, this is a fun book for both Tomb Raider and comic fans alike.

For more on Tomb Raider Volume 1: Season of the Witch or other Dark Horse titles, check out Dark Horse Comics.

Tomb Raider Volume 1: Season of the Witch will be available 11/19

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

Dishonored: The Dunwall Archives HC

Having spent many an hour in front of the TV enjoying the game, I was pretty thrilled to crack open this book.  I was hoping for a similar treatment as other video game books I’d read lately, with stuff like behind the scenes and other production work.  That didn’t end up being the case with Dishonored: The Dunwall Archives, but regardless I still had a great time going through it.

For the most part, reading this book was almost like getting an abridged version of the game.  It’s almost like seeing in game readings, posters and other art without getting to play, which sounds a little weird.  The way that it is approached though is pretty neat, as if this was something residents of the world could read.  So in that aspect, it really does a great job of immersing you in the environment even if you know nothing about it ahead of time.

Although there isn’t a large amount of artwork within, what we do get to see is really quite great.  Some of the art that was included in the book has never been seen before, so that helps make up for the limited amount.  Anyone who hasn’t had any time with the game will get a nice sampling of the impressive visuals you’d get while playing.

To me personally, this book acted as more of a nice companion to the amazing content the game had to offer.  The majority of what I saw was really just a reminder of what made the game great which isn’t such a bad thing.   For those that have played, this will mostly just be a nice piece to collect as a fan.  New folks to the hit title though will benefit from getting a nice introduction to the world of Dunwall.

For more on Dishonored: The Dunwall Archives or other Dark Horse Titles, check out Dark Horse Comics.

Dishonored: The Dunwall Archives HC will be available 11/19

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

The Sky: The Art of Final Fantasy Book 2

The Sky Book Two contains Amano's sketches and paintings for Final Fantasy IV (1991), V (1992), and VI (1994), depicting characters such as Cecil Harvey, Rydia, Bartz Klauser, Lenna Charlotte Tycoon, Faris Scherwiz, Terra Branford, Locke Cole, Sabin Rene Figaro, Shadow, Setzer Gabbiani, Celes Chere, and, of course, Mog (among many others!). Bonuses include Amano's art for the 1994 Final Fantasy Grand Finale CD and the 1994 Pinball Mandala series, and advertisement lithographs of the 1999 Final Fantasy Collection exclusive watch.

After having a very pleasant experience with the first book of The Sky re-release, I couldn’t wait to see book two.  To be totally honest, my excitement is primarily based on the fact that it’s another piece of Final Fantasy that I could get my hands on.  Although Book Two of The Sky collection may not be new to the fandom in general, it’s a brand new treat for me and one that I was very ready to jump into.

Once again, we are given a book packed full of spectacular art from start to finish.  Anyone who knows Final Fantasy knows the quality of beautiful artwork that comes along with it.  In the event you don’t, you’ll get to see almost 300 pages of the kind of illustrations from Yoshitaka Amano that makes the series so visually amazing.  As with the first book, this is a fantastic way to reinforce the love fans already have and break future fans into the world.

The next book in this artistic journey through Final Fantasy was just as gorgeous as the first.  Even if you don’t know the games at all, having a look at an art book like this is still worthwhile.  This collection covers Amano’s artwork for games IV, V and VI within the main titles of the series.  I particularly enjoyed seeing his illustrations for the adorable Mog characters, which if you aren’t familiar with you’ll instantly fall in love with.

If you sadly missed out on the original box set or slipcase set, this is a really nice chance to pick it up fresh.  Granted, even if you have it in one of those formats, getting it in easy to carry digital format couldn’t be a bad thing.  No matter the case, I’m certainly happy to have been able to see this and totally can’t wait for the last one.

For more on The Sky: The Art of Final Fantasy or other Dark Horse books, check out Dark Horse Comics.

The Sky: The Art of Final Fantasy Book Two will be available 11/5

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

The Sky: The Art of Final Fantasy Book 1

Dark Horse is pleased to offer the stunning visions of designer Yoshitaka Amano as individual volumes previously available only as a part of the now sold-out The Sky: The Art of Final Fantasy Boxed Set or still-available The Sky: The Art of Final Fantasy Slipcased Edition. The legend begins here with The Sky Book One, containing Amano's sketches and paintings for the first three Final Fantasy games. Introduced are characters such as Princess Sarah, Firion, Cid, Maria, Sara Altney, Alus Restor, Ricard Highwind, and many others.

Having previously missed out on the original release, getting a new opportunity to check out an art book for Final Fantasy is truly a delight for me.  Being such a huge fan of the series in general, I automatically jump at the chance to enjoy any bit of content.  The re-release of all three books for The Sky: The Art of Final Fantasy is more than welcomed, especially with this being my first time seeing them.  As soon as I opened Book One, I finally got to see what I’ve been missing out on this whole time.

This book is purely an art book, through and through.  That is not at all a bad thing for quite a few reasons.  As it is, artwork that comes out of the Final Fantasy universe is always gorgeous.  It really just comes with the territory.  With that being said, having an entire book filled with the illustrations of Yoshitaka Amano makes it all the more spectacular.  Whether or not you already know the name, once you finish with this book you’ll know why it’s a name to remember.  On top of all that, sometimes it’s just nice to sit down with a book of nothing but beautiful artwork on a rainy day and this fits that bill.

A book like this is such a visual treat, regardless of being a Final Fantasy fan or not.  Page after page of what is virtually like seeing Amano’s sketchbooks is time absolutely well spent.  Covering his contributions to Final Fantasy I, II and III, art lovers and obviously fans will get to see such a wonderful collection of his work here.  I’ve always appreciated seeing the behind the scenes work from games and movies, so being from Final Fantasy this was way up there for me.

Anyone that was lucky enough to get the long since sold out box set, or even the slipcase set may not necessarily see the need to acquire this.  For anyone that has not been able to do so before, this is an excellent time to grab them as the three books come out individually.  I personally cannot wait for the next two and would suggest everyone new to them should plan to pick them up.

For more on The Sky: The Art of Final Fantasy or other Dark Horse books, check out Dark Horse Comics.

The Sky: The Art of Final Fantasy Book One will be available 10/22

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

The Art of The Evil Within

The Art of The Evil Within is a comprehensive look at the twisted new survival horror game by the legendary Shinji Mikami—creator of Resident Evil!  Go behind the scenes and witness never-before-seen concept art as this unique art book takes you on a terrifying ride showcasing what went into making this horrific thriller—can you survive your greatest fears and make it out alive?

When I first saw the cover of this book, I was filled with a combination of intense excitement and a good amount of fear.  The former of course because I’d get a sneak peak at stuff from the game before it even comes out and the latter simply because of what the book is.  A small part of me wanted to wait for the game, but the part of me that wanted to see stuff immediately won out.  The Art of The Evil Within is easily one of the books I was most anxious to open up and it was everything I thought it would be.

The sheer amount of fantastic content within this art book is outstanding.  Chapter one of course leads with the heroes of the game, although in this case that means more the main characters as opposed to just the “good” guys.  What’s really nice is we see various stages in their designs, everything from early versions to their final ones, and even different outfits that were considered.

Ah, chapter two – VILLAINS.  The many horrifying, hideous, downright evil forces you face off against get a large place in the book, as they should.  There are so many nasty things that will be going after you in the dark, and I’m already terrified to see them.  They are gruesome, disgusting, bloody, and pretty much exactly what they need to be.  Having seen what the team came up with, I am twice as hopeful for the game.  And twice as afraid.  At least twice.

Chapter three shows us the dreadful environments, which are about only thing that would be a contender for importance over the villains.  I have to be honest that each and every page in this section had me on edge.  It gives a pretty thorough tour of the dark and scary places I’d have to navigate through, and they’re frighteningly wonderful.  Just that small view into the world already let me feel the impending doom the game will likely provide.

One of the final chapters which I thought was really cool actually highlights props, logos and other things from the game.  I enjoy little tidbits like this, especially as a cosplayer, as official reference can sometimes be difficult to find.  Rounding out the book is a collection of the various pieces of marketing that have come out since announcement.

With the game only days away from release, this was the perfect book to hold me over until then.  This is a great buy for anyone familiar with the game, survival horror, or games in general.  For anyone that doesn’t fall into those groups, it’s a superb art book to read, especially if you love the horror genre.  Either way, this is a spectacular book that everyone should take the time to read.

For more information on The Art of The Evil Within or other Dark Horse books, check out Dark Horse Comics.

The Art of The Evil Within will be available 10/14, same day as the game!

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

The Art of Naughty Dog

Crash Bandicoot. Jak and Daxter. Uncharted. The Last of Us. One studio has been responsible for the most iconic video game experiences of this generation. Now, Dark Horse Books invites you on a thirty-year retrospective tour, observing Naughty Dog’s ascension to its place as one of the most influential production studios in the world!

Like the previous anniversary epic that I was lucky enough to experience, The Art of Naughty Dog is another shining example of how to share the celebration with the community the right way.  From their very humble beginnings in a basement onward through 30 years of trial and triumph, this is a fantastic read for studio fans, video gamers and art lovers alike.

Readers will get the privilege of following along the company's history through a large amount of visuals and tidbits of development background from all their games to date.  Starting out with virtually unheard of releases before they even became Naughty Dog, the majority of the book then gets split up with focused sections on all their hugely successful series.

Most long time gamers would easily recognize names like Crash Bandicoot, Jak and Daxter, Uncharted and most recently, The Last of Us.  Moving past how enjoyable it is to play games from these series, the book shares such a gorgeous collection of artwork that went towards the creation of the final product.  Quite a bit of the art in the book has never been officially released to the public before and that's always a treat.  We also get the opportunity to appreciate just how much work goes into making a game, especially early on with the limitations developers faced.

Like they say, it's almost unheard of for a studio to be around as long as Naughty Dog has.  This book does do a wonderful job of reinforcing the reason behind the studio's long life span and list of top games.  You don't need to be a particular fan of the studio, an artist or even a gamer at all for this book to be worth it.  The treasure trove of artistic content and interesting history is enough to justify picking this up.

For more information on The Art of Naughty Dog or other Dark Horse books, check out Dark Horse Comics.

The Art of Naughty Dog will be available 10/1.

Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All giddiness, comments, enthusiasm and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.

FFXIV: A Realm Reborn - One Year Later

With my time in the game nearing the one year mark (since live release not beta), I figured now is as good as any time to do up a review.  After spending far too much of my life playing a certain well known MMO, I never thought I’d jump back into another.  I dabbled in a few here and there since my days in WoW, but never for long or with much interest.  Then again, I never expected to have one come out that met just the right criteria to give me without much reason not to play.  So, without further ado, we have the chronicles of my soon to be year in the world of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.

I suppose I should first start off by saying that even as huge of a fan of Final Fantasy as I am, I admittedly never played the original Final Fantasy XIV aka Version 1.  I never even played XI to be perfectly honest.  At the time these MMOs for the series came out, I just wasn’t in the mindset of that game genre for one reason or another.  Having now been immersed in A Realm Reborn (ARR as I’ll now refer to it throughout the review), I do sort of wish I had given that one a chance even if it performed less than stellar.

With this being my first MMO in a while, I hoped the transition back into that style of play would be smooth.  Barring any time adjusting to the game’s particular interface, the world itself, and various aspects of gameplay, the learning curve into ARR wasn’t bad at all.  The primary challenge that I personally face is playing on a PS3 as opposed to a PC.  It obviously presents limitations in things like target acquisition and casting spells, but you learn to get past it.  Anyone that can’t help but resort to PC methods, fortunately keyboard/mouse setup is an option with the PS3.

For those that enjoy the actual lore and story of a game, the one you’ll experience in ARR is wonderful.  Throughout any of the various classes and jobs you level, as well as all the dungeons, there is a really good amount of exciting storyline.  Even some of the quests you encounter have some really neat stories.  What’s really nice is that you can go back and watch cutscenes later on that you may have skipped.  I’ve skipped some in the interest of time, but the content I’ve followed thus far has been fantastic.

Visually, ARR is absolutely gorgeous as any long time fan of the Final Fantasy line would expect.  The world itself is filled with a plethora of stunning environments, in both the main world and the unique dungeons.  Characters are just as pleasing to the eye, with a nearly infinite amount of choices for how they appear, as well as numerous outfits that you can often customize as well.  Even now, I still find myself briefly distracted at times just gazing at my surroundings.

All around, the time I’ve spent in ARR has been extremely fun and well worth playing.  Being just a casual player, there’s a good amount of dungeons and content I haven’t touched yet.  Even so, I don’t feel as if it’s necessary to rush through it in order to get my money’s worth.  Coming up on a year on playing launch, I would easily suggest this game to anyone looking to try an MMO.  Or, you know, maybe trying to get out of Azeroth and into Eorzea.

Battlefield 4 Campaign Review

     I'm going into this one with my eyes wide open. I'm fully aware that a single-player mode on Battlefield 4 is about as useful as the vestigial tail on human being. Almost literally no one plays Battlefield games for the single-player. No one except me. Normally, I wait for these types of games to hit $10 or so, pick them up, and blow through them on the weekends. It's my version of going to see a big, dumb Michael Bay movie. I've done it for every Call of Duty game after Modern Warfare (the last truly good single-player campaign in a Military Shooter), the last couple of Medal of Honor games, and Battlefield 3. The worst of these that I've played has been Battlefield 3.

     Until now. I'm not going to get into EA's Origin client here, as it would easily double the length of this review, but they've recently started a Game Time feature. It's inaugural event was a week's free playtime on Battlefield 4. Decent deal for those waiting to pick it up for the multiplayer (if there's anyone still waiting to do that), but even better for someone like me. This type of game generally tends to have about 4-6 hours of campaign time, and according to Origin, I have approximately 6 hours start to finish logged, including a couple of bathroom breaks and lunch where I left the game paused.

     Story-wise, this is pretty much what you'd expect from a Modern Military Shooter. Take a country that the US is currently not on great terms with and have them make an unfeasibly effective strike on the US or its forces. Pretty much the same storyline as Battlefield 3 or your pick of any recent Call of Duty game. Characterization is weak, save two of your squad, and the mcguffin of the story is a man who seems to have telepathic powers of persuasion. I reached the end of the game, and I still seriously didn't understand why he was so important. Your squad consists of super-competent Chinese security agent Hannah, borderline-insubordinate Irish, and newbie-cipher Pac. I found myself shouting at Irish at several points and wondering how he became such a high-level operator given his total lack of respect for pretty much every other character he interacts with. Hannah seems almost a bit too competent at times, and Pac is just there. Until he's not.

     Technically speaking, I marvel at Crytek. How a developer so well-respected can fail so hard on basic competencies of programming is beyond me. Battlefield 4 came out on consoles, so I know absolutely that they know how to program gamepad support. And while pads are supported in the PC version, that support is so lackluster and lacking that they may as well not even have coded it in. There are no button prompts for the pad. Every action from opening doors to navigating menus is hard-coded to the keyboard prompts. The fact that there are no sequence-breaking QTEs that can only be performed with they keyboard (like last year's Battlefield 3) is balanced by the fact that the weapons menus during gameplay can only be used with a mouse, even when they are activated by using a gamepad. Pad support isn't the only problem, though. Missing event triggers, AI pathing problems, and collision detection are terrible eyesores. I ran to the top of a building only to have my squad hit the roof and freeze. I had no idea what to do next, so I ended throwing myself off the building so I could restart the checking point (after I'd found a wall not guarded by an invisible wall). Next time up, there was a helicopter waiting for us. I lost count of the number of times an NPC would walk straight into me and push me around the map. I was hit by a tank doing at least 30 MPH and instead of dying was just pushed right along in front of it. Sniper shots were foiled by the empty spaces between bits of scaffolding, as bullets ricocheted off of empty space.

     This may be a great multiplayer game, and even that's debatable given the problems its had in its early life, but as a singleplayer game, Battlefield 4 is yet another argument that online shooters really should just do away with the mode altogether and leave it to games like Spec Ops: The Line that want to use the format to tell a proper story.

Kickstarter/Indiegogo Spotlight: SketchCraft: Digibooks

I've been a fan of Rob Duenas for a while, there's just something about his art style that I can't get enough of.  Lucky for us, he's got another awesome Kickstarter that I am more than excited to get behind.  With the Sketchcraft: Digibooks project, he's going behind the scenes with a step by step through some of his previous work.  I cannot wait to see his process, and you can do the same by helping fund the Kickstarter.

Kickstarter/Indiegogo Spotlight: Thanataria: Rise of the Fallen

This week we're going to switch gears a bit and spotlight a KS for a cool new indie video game in the works.  Not only is it cool and indie, but a friend of mine is a part of the team!  Thanataria has been influenced by quite a few old school fantasy RPGs and should be a lot of fun to play.  Press start and get to the next step in helping make this happen by going to the Kickstarter page.

Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs

I have a confession to make.

I never finished the first Amnesia. It's more accurate to say that, according to Steam, I have played 28 minutes of Amnesia: The Dark Descent. That includes times spent setting up options in the menu. So in reality, I've gotten far enough that the first strong gust of wind howled through a corridor before I quit. I'd like to say that's because I didn't like the controls. Admittedly, I do prefer gamepads to mouse and keyboard, but the atmospheric elements of Amnesia: TDD kinda scared me.

Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs recently went on sale for 66% off on Steam, so I decided to roll the dice. It does, for the record, support gamepads. As far as the technical aspects of the game, Frictional teamed with The Chinese Room, creators of Dear Esther (developer of 2008's popular First Person Walking Simulator Dear Esther). It's got a fairly hefty options menu, and the game looks gorgeous (when you can see it).  It ran well on my GTX770, and once I'd nailed down a particularly nasty case of screen tearing (disable in-game Vsync, both regular and adaptive, and enable it in the Nvidia Control Panel or your ATI equivalent), the game ran at a smooth 60 FPS with no screen tearing. The gamepad controls were responsive and simple to learn, and even the object manipulation mechanic of the first game translated well from mouse to thumbsticks.

This is not an overly complex game, though. It's pedigree shows through, as many sources have said that this game is far simpler in its gameplay mechanics than the previous Amnesia title. Your lantern has unlimited oil. There are no items to pick up, no laudanum to keep you sane. Your character is obviously far more mentally stable, seeing as the monsters in this game doesn't affect your ability to cope with the world around you.

Where A Machine For Pigs really shines is its storytelling. You wake up in a caged bedroom of a properly posh Victorian mansion, and bits of story are slowly fed to you throughout your descent (a dark one!) into the heart of a Steampunk monstrosity of brass tubes, gears, pistons, and oh-so-many nauseating swine carcasses. Like many dark horror stories, there are aspects that fall apart if you look at it too closely, but the game wraps up before most people have time to question those aspects. The game runs about 4 to 4 and a half hours, but that's a tight 4 and a half hours, with very few wasted moments, and a hectic (if overly obviously scripted) sequence later in the game where the monsters really come into play. Overall, it's dripping (quite literally at times) with atmosphere

Is it worth the usual $20 price tag? That's all going to depend on whether you're a big horror buff. Personally, I'm not. That I only paid < $7 for the game, goes a long way to my personal valuation. I feel I got my money's worth, even though it didn't quite hit that “dollar-per-hour” magic mark. If you're a fan of horror, I recommend this at a higher price than I paid, especially if you like your horror to come from the storytelling as much as the gameplay.

Titanfall Beta

I used to be a Call of Duty fan. I say this with some not-insignificant amount of trepidation, as I know the reputation the series has around core gamers. That reputation ranging from "Madden with guns" to "barely a casual game." I feel very strongly that the series peaked at COD4: Modern Warfare, and has been steadily going downhill since, with Treyarch's recent Black Ops entries trying desperately to stem the tide of stagnation and entropy that's been seeping into the series since 2009, when Infinity Ward seemed to stop caring about innovation and start recycling their work.

     When I'd heard of the fracture at Infinity Ward, with a lot of the founders and team leaving to form Respawn, I was intrigued. I wasn't happy to learn they'd landed at EA (I'll leave the circle-jerking about EA for another time), but I was encouraged by some statement they'd made about maintaining creative control. I mean, these were the Modern Warfare guys. On the one hand, if anyone could, they could. But then, Bioware couldn't..

     Titanfall is the first release from Respawn, currently in an open Beta. It's painfully Infinity Ward, too. Despite using the newest version of the Source engine (and the old girl's looking pretty fantastic in her dotage), it feels just like the cobbled-up Quake engine that the COD series has been using since 2007's COD4. Right down to bullets that magically curve around corners to kill you after you've taken cover. But it is fast, it is slick, and it handles incredibly well.

     On foot, it calls comparisons to a less-than-successful shooter-with-legs in Brink. In an extensive (and surprisingly-not-boring) tutorial, you'll be taught the basics in wall-running, ledge-climbing, and taking full advantage of the verticality of the levels. Which you'll want to take advantage of. Because if you don't, you're going to die when another player spots you from a rooftop running across an open field. It also invites comparisons to Brink in that the story, according to the developers, comes not from a single-player campaign but from multiplayer matches themselves.

    Titanfall also borrows heavily from the MOBA genre, much like free-to-play Monday Night Combat, with squads of AI-controlled NPCs which are less agile, less intelligent, and far less deadly than you and your fellow players that, as far as I can tell, exist solely to inflate your scores and lower the time needed to call down your Titan. And when your Titan falls, the game changes from Call of Parkour to Mechwarrior on speed. The Titans, while not terribly different from your average mechanized armor division, manage to convey a sturdy sense of weight while still remaining agile and not breaking the flow of gameplay.

     A few minor niggles in the PC porting that I've noticed. The refresh rate is... strange. FRAPS tells me I'm getting a solid 60 frames per second, but I can still see frames jerking periodically, like it's not *really* hitting that solid 60. It could have been my imagination, but there seemed to be a very mild mouse acceleration effect. Swapping over to a gamepad was easy enough, and the game handles button prompt switching on the fly among the best that I've seen.

     Titanfall is pushing the multiplayer shooter genre in a pleasantly non-modern-military direction, considering how tired and overpopulated that subgenre has gotten, mainlining some serious sci-fi civil war into the mix. It's a proper good time, with only a few marks against it. Sadly, those are pretty significant marks for me. It's an EA game, which means that if you're on PC, you'll be using Origin. And there's no single-player campaign. While I've made a few exceptions before for games without single-player story campaigns, they're very few and far between. I'll pass on Titanfall, but that doesn't mean you should. If you enjoy manic, fast-paced competitive shooters, this one holds a ton of promise.

Kickstarter/Indiegogo Spotlight: Pantheon

For more information about what looks to be a great game from a great creator, head on over to their Kickstarter page...time is running out so don't delay!

Broken Age

I grew up on adventure games - King's/Police/Space Quest from Sierra, Sam And Max Hit The Road from LucasArts, even Loom and Leisure Suit Larry.  If it was point-and-click, I liked it *way* more than most of the other game genres. Somewhere along the line, though, the adventure game got pushed aside by FPS (First-Person Shooters), RTS (Real-Time Strategy), and action-oriented 3rd person games. Don't get me wrong, I've found a title or franchise in each genre that I've admired, but point-and-click adventure games always held a special place in my heart.

King of this genre, for me, was the work of Tim Schafer. From his work at LucasArts (Monkey Island 2, Day of the Tentacle, Full Throttle, etc) to his founding and subsequent work at Double Fine (Brutal Legend, Costume Quest, etc).  Long have I pined for the glory days of point-and-click adventure games.   Thankfully, my prayers (and the prayers of thousands of gamers) were answered in 2012 when Double Fine launched a Kickstarter campaign for a new adventure game project. I followed their journey with game design, concept art, soundtrack samples, and general nerdiness when it came to the behind-the-curtain of "how a game is made".  Earlier this month, our patience and loyalty finally paid off: we get to play the game we backed - Broken Age.

Now, currently, only Act 1 is available and I haven't completed all of it (you can readily switch between two main characters in 2 separate stories), but what I've played is wonderfully whimsical and full of nostalgia.  I lamented the day the games went from the hand-drawn animation style of "Sam & Max" and "Curse of Monkey Island" to the all-CG look.  This gradually changed over time and by the time Broken Age came out, I no longer cared: the movement and design of the colorful characters had me enthralled.  At the top of Act 1, you have a choice to play the story of Vella (voiced by Masasa Moyo) or Shay (voiced by Elijah Wood).

Vella is a girl who has been chosen to represent her village in the "Maiden's Feast" which is a ceremony not unlike "The Lottery" where a member from each village is sacrificed to appease a horrific monster.  Vella is not convinced this is the way things should be done anymore and sets her mind on changing things.

Shay is a young boy living on a suspiciously safe spaceship watched over by a "Mother" and "Father" figure (represented by a ship-generated "Sun" and "Moon" respectively). After becoming bored with the "missions", Shay finally comes in contact with a wolf character hiding out in the bowels of the ship who asks for Shay's help in saving and protecting the universe.

Double Fine makes sure that their years of game-making experience shines here. Dying in game has never really been an option for the point-and-click titles: if you're afraid of your character dying, how can you effectively try new things in order to solve puzzles? The instant immersion of the game world ensconces you like a warm blanket and begs you to "just dream here for a little while longer". I had a heck of a time breaking free for food or sleep. Congratulations, Double Fine: I'm loving what I see so far. Keep up work like this and we might see a resurgence in the point-and-click adventure genre which is sorely needed and I can't be the only one that misses the glory days of this level of storytelling.

Assassins Creed: Liberation HD

  In her mind's eye, the world changes color as she rounds the corner and catches sight of her quarry. She focuses her breathing, and light and color fall away, outlining the man in sharp relief. He turns, and she fades into a corner behind a scaffolding, just out of sight. She falls into a routine of weaving between people and structures, staying mostly in shadow and just out of the corner of his eye, an ability honed by years of training. 

     As the man stops, she judges the distance between them, the eyelines of the passersby, and the ambient noise level, and comes to a decision. Now is her moment. She walks purposefully but silently towards him. Mere steps away, her wrist flicks ever so slightly as a thin blade slides into place and locks just below her palm. In a move that would make a pickpocket proud, she brushes against the mans shoulder, excusing herself, while sliding the blade between his ribs and into a vital artery. She walks briskly away, rounding a corner before bounding up a fence and onto a rooftop. The man will be dead in seconds, and she'll be safely away. 

     Aveline de Granprie is a frustration to me. I'm well known as someone who rails against the overzealous social justice bullies of Tumblr at the same time that I ridicule the far right conservatives, but I'm all for diversity and variety and representation in my hobby. I love a good character that's not a white 30something male with short brown hair. Aveline is a female character. A conflicted female character with depth that is not oversexualized, is the protagonist of her own game, and the daughter of a mixed race couple, her mother being a freed slave. This game should have been embraced by the socially progressive, and should have been propelled to success by that alone.

     Which kind of makes me sad that, like another similar protagonist (Nihlin of Remember Me), that Assassins Creed Liberation kind of landed with a soft thud and was quickly forgotten, ironically like the protagonists of the series. Except Ezio. He was rather loud and flashy.

     Assassins Creed Liberation HD was originally released (without the HD tag) on the PS Vita, some years ago. It's helpful to remember this when you see some of the limitations it has. I'm playing the PC port, for reference, and taking into account the technology that this game was built on (an engine that was compatible with the PS Vita), it's actually pretty impressively well-built. The maps aren't terribly large, with New Orleans being *maybe* the size of one of the cities from the first Assassins Creed (if that) and the bayou and worksite maps being even smaller, but still very well detailed. That said, the optimization is on par with the last few PC releases in the Assassins Creed series. In a word, terrible. I'm fully aware that I have an aging video card (GTX 560), but when I turn everything all the way down and can't maintain a steady 60 FPS on a game that looks like this, that's a problem.

     Story-wise, this is still Assassins Creed, with every bit the conspiracy theory jammed into it that you could imagine. There's no real-world aspect this time, what with Aveline not being part of the Desmond bloodline, but there's an in-universe reason for the story it's telling, which is rather clever and plays into the end of ACIII and the real-world segments in ACIV. It touches on some interesting aspects, what with playing as a woman and situations of slavery being shown, but it never comes across as heavy-handed. Less of a THIS IS BAD AND YOU SHOULD FEEL BAD and more of a "this is how the world used to be. It's not like this anymore, and that's a good thing." The mechanic of playing as a woman is put to good use here, as well, in that Aveline has 'guises' she can use; simply put, she can change her clothes. Her normal Assassin's gear (which has full physical capabilities, but starts notorious and gains attention quickly), the Lady's dress (which gains notoriety slowly and can charm certain gentlemen or guards, but limits your weapons and can attract the attention of muggers), and the slave's rags (virtually invisible to the world around you as long as you don't draw attention to yourself, and can carry more equipment than the Lady).

     This is a *good* game, but it's by no means a *great* game on its own, like Assassins Creed II or ACIV: Black Flag was. This is like Revelations or III. Fun if you're a fan of the series and can look past its flaws, but probably best to pass on if you've never played an Assassins Creed game.