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Reviews
The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020)
Heart of Gold under a dry Earth.
'The Haunting of Hill House' is, in my opinion, one of the best pieces of modern supernatural fiction. It takes what the original put out - a story about people of questionable mental faculty falling victim to a haunted house - and gives it muscle and bone. Turning it from a story about a psychological study into a sweeping family drama made every moment all the more moving, and the performances by the cast, the sets, all made it feel like a grand play.
'The Haunting of Bly Manor' takes the formula of the first and re-adjusts it to suit the feel of a British serial thriller. There's murder, betrayal, spousal deceit buried underneath the story of a woman running from herself, and her trauma, by taking up work as an Au Pair in a spooky old house.
Soon, she finds the young boy is duplicitous, and the young girl is too 'splendid', but the Au Pair firmly sets her foot down on the household, impressing the other house-keepers, and making an enemy of the spirits invading the children.
The Tale of Bly is a lovely, yet morose and terrifying ordeal, one worth experiencing, but on the surface it's dry and hammy. The acting is difficult to suspend disbelief for. A few of the characters come equipped with accents that aren't their own, and it sometimes shows. But when you consider the characters the actors are playing, the accent slips or strange intonations make a little more sense.
Taking each scene in as if it were the page of a thrilling graphic novel made it easier, and more fun, to digest. However, there were a few unforgivable moments in the story that made me decrease my score; one of which included a jump-scare in the episode I refer to as "the Trunk episode".
"Haunting of Bly Manor" is a tale worth listening to. It doesn't demand your attention, it asks for it patiently, and rewards you for giving it more, as was the case with its predecessor. However, if your suspense of disbelief is hard-fought, it might be a cringing venture.
Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018)
Sicario, re-painted.
The first 'Sicario' film was the kind of film we needed during the time it came out. As conflicts in Mexico were affecting the US, it gave us a glimpse into the human aspect of the drug war, and also gave us a lens to look at ourselves and our own morals through.
In 'Sicario 2', we're introduced to a new threat: an influx of Islamic terrorism from Mexico.
This time, we follow the perspectives of Alejandro and Graver, (Del Toro and Brolin, respectively) as they attempt to stir up a cartel war in Mexico. They take out a series of attacks before kidnapping the head-strong daughter of a cartel jefe, Isabel (Isabella Merced). The remainder of the film is trying to get the girl across the border, encountering a number of conflicts along the way. In the second half, she forms a slight bond with Alejandro, who saves her from being retaken by the cartel. By the end of the film, she watches Alejandro presumably get shot and killed, and is traumatized to the point of catatonia. However, Alejandro survives, and lives to find the young cartel kid that shot him, to take him under his wing as a Sicario in Training.
--
Once again, the film is written by Taylor Sheridan, and it shows. There's still a measure of careful humanity in the characters. However, I feel the story meanders from its start point. It uses Islamic terror as a leeway to the Mexico story, and then never gives it any attention. This could have been a story about kidnapping the cartel jefe's daughter, and Alejandro's conflict between the mission and his personal revenge, and it would've been more cohesive. I also feel he reminds us too much of Alejandro's past in the writing, as he reveals that Alejandro's family is dead, twice, through some forced exposition. Feels almost like Taylor was trying too hard to get us to relate to Alejandro, without simply letting his character breathe.
On the flipside, Josh Brolin did -not- disappoint in portraying Graver again, however in this one, he reeks of desperation, and not the cool-headed operator that Graver was in Sic1.
Again, the thrill has not left. This film is still an awesome watch, and it makes me excited to see what they can pull out of Sicario 3, if it ever comes to fruition. However, I feel Sheridan should invest a little more time into creating a natural flow to his story in the next one, and giving the characters more room to breathe. It could make for an excellent summation to the series, instead of being Sicario 1, repainted again.
Sicario (2015)
It's just over there...
My adult life was raised in Arizona, in the east valley. Miles away from us, 180 to be approximate, is the Sonoran desert. Less than 20 miles away is Chandler, where the film opens. I thought to myself, watching these opening moments, how close to home is this? How much do we really see about the Cartel, and never think "That's happening just over there."
I continued watching, engaged in a morbid curiosity.
Our perspective is granted by the protagonist Kate Macer (Emily Blunt), an experienced FBI agent who is attached to an extrajudicial CIA outfit lead by Matt Graver (Josh Brolin), under the pretense of supporting them in El Paso. She boards a plane, learns that they're actually bound for Juarez, Mexico, and acquaints herself with Graver's mysterious companion, Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro).
Throughout the course of the film, Macer is consistently faced with the fact that her morals and principals do not function in the Sonoran Desert. She tries her best to steel herself for every encounter between Graver's outfit and the Cartel, only to learn that she has waded into a riptide, and is swiftly losing the shoreline.
By the end, Kate's only power move is to hold onto her principals. She insists going to talk about what the CIA did in Juarez. But Alejandro reminds her where she is, and who /he/ is, with a gun to her chin, and a strong encouragement to sign the NDA he's placed before her. She signs, and as Alejandro leaves, she goes to her balcony and draws a weapon on him. He welcomes whatever's next, but she relents. She holds onto her last principal, she regains control, and even though she lost the battle with Graver, she won the war for herself.
--
Overall, the film is an excellent fish-out-of-water tale with an underscore on human fragility. Every moment is caked in realism. Every character, one could assume, has a purpose until their purpose is used. 'Sicario' is a film that tells the viewer "Nobody's bulletproof", and delivers on that concept in spades.
Denis Villenueve will always deliver as a director. The action in the film is as contained as the characters need it to be, and the mood of apprehension is pervasive, thanks in major part to the late Jóhann Jóhannsson's incredible score. Taylor Sheridan, as a writer, delivers an awareness to the human condition. Between all of them, 'Sicario' developed into a well-shot, well-acted exploration into what it feels like to be a sheep in the land of the wolves.
Ghost of Tsushima (2020)
First Impression: A little disappointed
Sucker Punch is a really decent developer. They have a lot of great ideas in their gameplay, but everything else that it comes wrapped in kind of...sucks the life out of the experience as a whole. Ghost of Tsushima was announced a few years ago, delayed once or twice, and now it's finally been dropped. Everyone seems to like it, but my first impressions are not all that bright.
-STORY:
We're literally thrust into the world, and exposition is thrown at us in leaflets. We're samurai, defending our island from the Mongols. Our big bad is Genghis Khan's grandson, who has captured our uncle and mentor, and has him held prisoner in a castle...but in the opening part of the game, it's made to look like Khan kills him? Our main guy is shot with two arrows and left there on a beach, but then the wind wakes him up and he's good.
I could continue about the story, but honestly, it feels very cookie-cutter. The pacing smacks of "Yeah, yeah, yeah, let's get to the samurai fights already". Which, I mean...respect, but....when you spend the better half of your marketing campaign on the story and world, you could spend a bit more time in-game on the story and world.
The characters seem phoned in, and spend a grand majority of the opening part of the game giving us expositive dialogue. The big bad just feels like a big bad, the main character is a brick, every other character just feels like a piece of scenery.
While I'm sure the pacing has some deep root in Samurai film culture, I'm not a Samurai film buff, and the pacing kinda killed it for me.
-GAMEPLAY: Okay, so here's where it shines...and also kinda wanes. The combat is phenomenal. The movement is fluid, the standoffs are fun. If you wanna fight like a samurai, the combat system is ultra-responsive to that end.
Sneaking feels the same as any other game. Oddly enough, there's a few instances where I felt like I was playing a run-down version of The Last of Us stealth, because the game's sneak areas come with a "listening" function, that highlights enemies by listening for them.
The navigation system is interesting, but has its weird quirks. The wind just causes a whole buncha particle effects flow up around you and detracts from enjoying the world...then there's the world.
The world could be -SO- magnificent at times, but then you get to the top of the hill and are presented with a washed-out, 2014-era environment. It doesn't look any different from what the E3 builds looked like, and that's saying something.
-OVERALL: First impression after playing for four hours is: The game is too similar to others. I'm seeing a lot of elements that they just cobbled together to wrap around their engaging combat system. The story feels rushed, the characters are announcing their development instead of just developing, and the world feels uninspired.
Really great combat, though.
The Last of Us: Part II (2020)
The Last of Us Part II is an important journey to take.
This game, and this review for it, were both made during a time of extreme division in the world. Particularly, the USA, within which there has been a boiling-over of class/racial tensions. During a time of so much hatred, and division, a game like The Last of Us Part II is an important glimpse into the cycle of humanity.
-Story-
Set five years after the events of TLOU PT. I, Joel and Ellie are living comfortably in Jackson, Wyoming. During a patrol, Joel and Tommy rescue a young woman, Abby, and escort her back to her people. Upon arriving, Joel and Tommy are attacked by the woman and her people. Meanwhile, Ellie, also on a patrol, receives word that the men haven't returned. She goes looking for them, finding Joel being tortured by the brutish Abby, who seems to be taking some revenge on Joel for a past, grave mistake. Abby kills Joel in front of Ellie, and our story is catalyzed.
But it isn't all that it seems. This isn't a story about Ellie seeking revenge for Joel's death, although she unequivocally does. This story is about the consequence of violent, vengeful rage. We also take the role of Abby, who, it is revealed, is the daughter of the doctor Joel murdered to save Ellie from the surgery that would've killed her. Abby sought her revenge and got it. Now, Ellie seeks hers. The cycle continues, the hatred spreads, and more and more bodies collect.
-Gameplay-
The game features much more fluidity in movement. Every moment is cinematic and tense. Shooting feels like it could use some finagling in the options menu before you play, although I enjoyed the feeling of having to measure my shots in combat. Running around the arenas were exciting. The music and action make you feel as though you're playing a Sam Mendes film.
Stealth is an important part of the game. New movement techniques offer you a more fluid stealth experience. Players can slide through gaps between objects, go prone in grass and water, and more. Players can distract enemies with sounds, just like the first, however this time around, there are scent-tracking dogs. Setting traps, and using your scent to your advantage, is a new obstacle to traverse.
Melee combat feels weighty. Every fight is as close to a real struggle as you claw your way closer to each end. Most of the time, you'll be outnumbered, meaning fist fighting is a last ditch effort a lot of the time. Unless you get an enemy on their own, there's a chance running out of ammo will cost you your life...unless you're witty...or Abby.
Players, as Ellie, can set traps and use stun bombs and molotovs from crafted materiel. As Abby, players can craft pipe bombs. Both characters are agile and quick in a fight. Abby is more tanky, Ellie is more rogue.
The details make every encounter memorable:
-Characters have names and connections with each other: You might kill a character and someone else will call out their name, and become enraged that you killed them.
-Abby's anxiety: Abby has anxiety about heights, making her fearful and vertiginous near ledges.
-Gibs!: Enemies exploded with mines will have their parts fall off of ceilings and walls. Jaws can be shot off. The violence is brutal.
-AI: Depending on which class of enemy you're playing against, you'll get different responses in how they search for you. WLFs are brutal, but grunty and easily angered. Seraphites are methodical and sneaky, and also suicidal.
-Summation-
The Last of Us Part II is an important journey to take. If you come into this game thinking every encounter is the same, and the story lays too heavily on its pro-Whatever stance, then you're not paying attention. This is a story about the cost of violence, hatred, and revenge. This is a story about letting sleeping dogs lie, lest you wish to get bit.
Had Joel not interfered the surgery, lives would've been saved. Instead, he acted violently, and the hate spread to Abby.
Had Abby reckoned with Joel in another way, more or nothing could've been formed out of their meeting. Instead, she acted violently, and the hate spread to Ellie.
Had Ellie reckoned with Abby, more or nothing could've been formed from their meeting. Instead, she acted violently, and honest lives were unnecessarily ended in the heat that followed. And the hate cycles on.
In summation, TLOU2 is a story about hatred catalyzing and burning more than it builds. It destroys spirits, kills possibilities and ends nothing. If we take any message from this game, it's this: Understand your own pain, understand mine, and we will understand each other.
Dream Corp LLC (2016)
Remember to Adele Dazeem
I heard about 'DreamCorp LLC' from a video on YouTube. Years after finding myself engaged in the trippy visuals of A Scanner Darkly, and seeing that the same method was being used in this show, I decided to give it a go one night working a graveyard, and came back with a new favorite.
STORY
Each 11minute episode serves as a situational plot involving the staff of a dream evaluation clinic. The absurdity within the walls of DreamCorp's grungy office space is accentuated by the unique cast of characters: A pervy technician with agoraphobia, a science whiz assistant with no gauge for human interaction (who is replaced by another science whiz assistant in season 2), a nurse with a thing for fear and loathing, an Everyman recruited to the team after going delinquent on his medical bill, a robot with Stephen Merchant inside of it, and the fearless mad scientist leader of the group, Dr. Roberts.
Though his team is dysfunctional and barely medically licensed, the doctor always finds a way to breakthrough with his patients and get into the root causes of their emotional and mental hangups, all while trying to keep his patients and staff from killing each other and themselves.
-REVIEW-
The trailer didn't mince words when it showed me what the show was. Despite it's appearance as an absurd comedy with ridiculous Tim and Eric vibes and gimmicky art, DreamCorp actually turns out being a transcendent and somewhat endearing experience. The DreamCorp team descends into their patient's subconscious to deal with issues ranging from parental abandonment to irrational fears, and I found a few episodes really hitting close to home.
The effects seem gimmicky, but I felt like the producers did a really great job representing the incongruence and shifty nature of dreaming. When it came down to the character 88 having a trip on a hallucinogenic pickle in season 2, it felt like such an amazing experience for the character to have. Unfortunately, in the subsequent episodes, it almost seemed like that experience left 88 and didn't return. A plot with strong points does not make a strong plot.
The soundtrack was phenomenal. There were a few episodes that really evoked emotion with it's content and soundtrack. I'd advise keeping your soundhound handy.
-OVERALL 9/10-
A strongly measured show that feels like a mix of British absurdism, American medical drama, and workplace comedy surrounded by dreams and the human condition. Definitely worth the 30 bucks I dropped for both seasons. I'd advise watching with an open mind and empathy clicked on. You'll understand....and don't forget to subscribe to our rewards program.
Death Stranding (2019)
An Atlantean Odyssey
PT was released before I could afford a PlayStation. I didn't get to experience the tense atmosphere, fear-inducing loops around the corridors of a suburban house whose walls had seen something vicious. When I heard it was just a teaser sting for a new Silent Hill, I was intrigued. When I heard it was at the direction of Hideo Kojima, I was ecstatic. And when I heard it was cancelled, and Kojima left Konami, I was heart-broken. Then came the release of a trailer. Kojima Productions, Hideo's phoenix from the ashes, gave us a taste of something else.
This cryptic trailer, and another set to Low Roar's "I'll Keep Coming", sent fans into a tailspin of dissection, analysation, and theorization. Before we knew it, Death Stranding was all we could talk about. All we knew about it was that, like PT's unbirthed Silent Hills, it included Norman Reedus as the star. It had something to do with babies, beached dead sea life, and Mads Mikkelsen looking awesome. The years went by, we learned more, wondered more. Then, November 8th rolled around, and we all strapped on the boots of Sam Porter Bridges for an Atlantean Odyssey across a wasted land.
-GAMEPLAY-
The more eyes we got into Kojima's shattered UCA, the more we realized that it seemed to amount to little more than a mysterious delivery simulator. The game itself is a complex puzzle game. The goal is to get from point a, to point b. The puzzle is in the roughshod terrain, the environment's otherworldly weather patterns, and the presence of terrorist groups, bandits, and spiritual phenomena known as BT's. Additionally, you'll be carrying packages of various weight and dimension. These packages attach to your suit via hangars on Sam's shoulders and hips, and can be stacked (assumed magnetically) while secured in Sam's back harness. Sam also ports bodies (living or dead), which add a level of difficulty in transporting as they lean left and right occasionally.
Timefall rain and snow are our main environmental malefactors. Timefall accelerates the rate of age on an object or being, leading your cargo's containers to rust and deteriorate. Falling on a container with little to no quality will lead its contents to become easily damaged. If an important package becomes broken, there will be a fail state screen prompting you to load your earliest save point. Containers can be fixed with a special repair spray, ensuring the contents stay relatively unscathed.
Usual survival fare is nicely done. Regulating stamina is your main goal in staying upright. Your blood comes second, as it is easily maintained by eating cryptobiotes (tardigrade-like bugs that float around near mold mounds) and resting. If any of Sam's biological functions fail, you will come to know Repatriation.
The touted undersea limbo to which Sam departs upon death has you floating aimlessly until you hit a barrier or return to Sam's body. Upon returning, Sam becomes "Repatriated" into the world of Death Stranding. Nothing is recharged or repaired. You simply get another chance.
On top of survival mechanics comes the online mechanic; a real cherry-on-top. Players build structures with materials gathered from either distribution centers or around the world. Structures include roads, generators, safe houses... All easily built with a "chiral printer" device called a PCC. The environment and time will take their toll on these structures, though. Players will have to work together to maintain easy routes, bridges, and other infrastructure, to ensure that no Porter is left behind.
Each area in the game is separated like Metal Gear TPP's maps. Large swaths of land layered with hills and rivers. Every piece of the set affects Sam's movement. Even muddy terrain makes him slip, prompting you to hold the trigger buttons to regain his balance.
Contending with the environment is only a third of the battle. Human outliers, like the bandits known as MULEs and the deadly terrorist faction, and the spectral Beached Things that stalk the wilderness, who present Sam with tense challenges in the course of his work.
The player can employ weapons to defend themselves, however they must refrain from using lethal force against human targets. The threat of a void-out is very real, as they threaten to destroy, and make inaccessible, large areas when a death occurs within them.
-STORYLINE-
The story itself is both expository and confusing. Watching the cutscenes, i felt as though I were thrust into this world, with these characters, talking about their world to each other, but we Ludens weren't let in on the secret, until snippets begin to piece everything together, and the exposition became more about the gameplay, and less about the story.
The characters are interesting, but they feel wooden and somewhat unpolished. It seems as though Kojima had more interest in the people behind the characters than he did the characters themselves. While in cutscenes, the characters simply seemed to be talking to each other from one point to another, but never really developing anything. Higgs seemed to be the only character with a soul, despite being so nihilistic.
The real hearts are in the Preppers; characters who stay away from the outside world, and rely on Porters like Sam to keep them afloat. Mostly, Preppers give canned lines to Sam, while others have character and life to them. They make porting things across long, dangerous distances all worthwhile.
-OVERALL-
Death Stranding is divisive. Some will be drawn away from this one by the basic appearance of a rugged delivery simulator. Others may be drawn to it for kojima's name. But it's a diamond in the rough, where your currency is the adulation of fellow Porters, and in-game Preppers, for a job well worked. Death Stranding engages you by encouraging you to make these connections to advance the story, and your own personal standing in the world.
Death Stranding is a game that rewards patience and care-taking over proficiency. It can be both therapeutic with its quiet moments, and nerve-wracking at the appropriate times. It's not a game for everyone, but one everyone should give some recognition.
9/10
Control (2019)
Just another case of the Mondays.
The last game I played in which the character had supernatural abilities, I was saving a fictionalized New Orleans from a gargantuan, world-eater monster. Now-days, I've graduated to becoming the director of a shape-shifting, Brutalist skyscraper in the Big Apple, protecting it and it's people from a destructive, otherworldly force of possessive nature.
In 'Control', I portrayed the character Jesse Faden, who came to the Federal Bureau of Control in search of answers as to her brothers disappearance to the Bureau years prior. She finds the building bereft of employees, and the acting director dead from what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head...with a seemingly supernatural sidearm.
Jesse retrieves the sidearm and, by order of the mysterious Board, becomes Director-in-Training, tasked with ceasing the invasion upon the Bureau's headquarters - The Oldest House - by the terrifying menace known as The Hiss.
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Immediately, I was sucked into the fluid, fast-paced action of Control with intuitive and responsive controls. Shooting is easy, both on-the-run and ADS, although I found it easier doing potshots than precise ones. The supernatural abilities that I've gotten my hands on early in the game are simplistic, but very well-crafted. Nothing feels hindered by any sort of UI elements. You simply use the power with the press of a button, and immersion is never broken.
Combat is difficult, and I sometimes found myself losing to a boss, returning and having to re-watch their unskippable intro scene. But Control's easy-to-master controller setup makes these moments marginally frustrating, and the combat system makes every return exciting. Enemy AI has been fair so far, though it doesn't seem different from any other shooter, despite Northlight's AI system being touted as something to gawk at.
The graphics presented their capabilities even on a regular PS4 system. The environments have believable and deep reflections and material to them, and the levels themselves are interestingly designed. There wasn't a moment in playing that I didn't feel curious about the environment I was in. The destruction capabilities of the game's engine really sold me, though. Projectiles rip through offices, taking out other physics objects in the room, and causing chaotic action scenes. Unfortunately, for early PS4 users, I noticed distinct framerate drops during some action sequences. They didn't seem to affect gameplay, however.
The story and how it unfolds are what shine the most in this game. Jesse is truly presented as a fish out of water, and every piece of exposition we hear is valuable and worthy of listening to. The Oldest House has a lot of secrets, and Jesse has access to all of them.
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All in all, Control is poised to be one of the most memorable games of the generation. Once again, Sam Lake and Remedy present us with a deep story, rooted in curiosity-binding place, pulled together with solid, responsive gameplay and topped with a bow. Anyone who's a fan of Alan Wake, or any number of Remedy's previous iterations owes it to themselves to gain some Control.
Mafia III (2016)
(PS4) A Fine Mess of a Game.
Mafia's always been one of those game series that kept the cinematic nature of itself tight and intriguing. The first game's introduction spilled you into a sense that you were getting yourself into a playable film, rather than a video game, and the second wasn't too far off either. The third, though, presents a story to the player as if it's an historical event that plagued a community. It presents a story worth telling, and a character worth delving into. Its introduction sucks you in under the pretense of a documentary, and then gives you the meat as though you were reliving the actions of its characters through memory rather than re-enactment.
-STORY-
The player is thrust into the shoes of Lincoln Clay, a Vietnam veteran returning home from the conflict to his native New Bordeaux, Louisiana (a play on New Orleans). His festivities are cut short, though, when his surrogate father, and do-gooder criminal Sammy Robinson, informs him he's in deep with the local Italian mob don Sal Marcano. A plan is hatched by the Don and his son, Giorgi, to rob a government vault on Mardi Gras, and collect a sizable amount of cash. In the process of planning, though, Sal gives Lincoln the option of taking over Sammy's operation, to which Lincoln outright refuses.
The job is done with some slight hiccups, and the gang makes away with millions. The amount is divvied, the mob is called to collect, but Lincoln's brother, father and friend are all killed in an act of betrayal by Sal and Giorgi. Lincoln is left for dead, a bullet graze permanently scarred on the side of his skull as a reminder of what he's lost. When he awakens, he vows revenge against the mob, and all involved in making New Bordeaux their criminal underworld.
-GAMEPLAY-
This addition to the series brings in a grand scope of new gameplay to the mix. Stealth elements, accurate portrayal of Vietnam soldier training in Lincoln's movements and tactics, and a solid driving mechanic all lend to Mafia III's appeal.
The shooting is solid, however it might be advised on turns down the aim assist as NPC's have a tendency to be madly accurate. Some chase scenes involved getting chased by enemy cars. They managed to flatten all four of my tires, leaving my car a useless wreck until I could find another one, but my quarry would manage to get away before I could acquire a new mode of transport.
NPC AI seems uninspired. Sometimes they come off as too responsive to Lincoln sneaking around, but this can be forgiven given the fact that he's a fairly bulky fellow. That being said, the stealth experience is solid but slightly hollow. It's simple to hide behind a wall, whistle for an NPC to come over, kill them from behind cover, rinse and repeat. One minor annoyance with the AI was that they would often repeat lines in different voices, but also give accurate context to what they might be doing/looking for/find in the environments. However, whilst walking about on the streets, you'll slowly notice that the background NPC's get stuck on each other while driving, among other things. I witnessed on NPC stop at a red light, get out of his car and run away, with nothing prompting him to do so.
One thing I did note and enjoy about the AI was the design to match the era and environment in which they resided. White NPC's will often treat Lincoln with the stand-offish behavior that wasn't far from the norm during the 1960's, being that he is African-American. Some characters would greet Lincoln as he strolled by, to which he would respond without my causing him to do so. It felt like it put another aspect to Lincoln as a character. That he's friendly to those who are friendly to him. But when he would bump into an NPC and forcefully tell them to "move out of the way", it lends a feeling that he's a man on a mission, and in the moment has no time for nicety.
Some of the environments themselves seem uninspired, also, and the background NPC's have a tendency to feel artificial, breaking some immersion. At one point, during a raid on an enemy stronghold, I paused the game, and when I un-paused, the background NPC's had returned to their chairs, speaking and acting as if I hadn't just blasted goons left and right on the premises. It was a disappointing moment in an otherwise fruitful and exciting gunfight.
The driving, though, is phenomenally more advanced than the previous entries in the trilogy. The options menu gives you the choice of Simulated, realistic driving or Normal, more easy-going driving experiences. Some folks seem to have beef with the camera work in cars, but I found it to be cinematic and it made me feel like I was watching a cool car action sequence while I played.
The characters and missions are a big highlight to the developer's effort. Each cutscene is beautifully acted, there's never a sense that the voice actors put little into their performances.
The missions are very rinse and repeat, however there are often differences between how one might approach a mission, or the objective of the mission, leaving every one feeling unique. Their open-ended nature means that you can switch objectives at will. While one objective might tell you to go see someone about a thing, you can put it off to pursue another with no constraints, lending credence to the idea that Lincoln is a man out for his own means and results.
The User Interface is a shining example of how to make a game's menu and HUD smooth. As a result of making allies with the other criminals in the game, you get special perks, including car and ammo delivery services. The NPC's delivering upon said requests are responsive and I've rarely seen them get caught on the scenery, where-ever I may be. One cool thing of note was the fact that, while driving, if the pause menu is brought up, the car radio will continue to play. So you don't have to worry about interrupting one of the many classic 60's songs playing to check your map or change an option.
-GRAPHICS-
The most disappointing aspect to the game, as a whole (on console and in my opinion) would have to be its graphical presentation. For a game in production for over a decade, the lighting, draw distance, and overall textural feel of the game seems dated and outmatched by other drive-and-shoot sandboxer games like Grand Theft Auto V.
The lighting was often glitchy. Sunlight would shine into interiors through unseen holes or slits in the roof, or characters would be illuminated in unrealistic ways.
The environments, while detailed and intriguing, seem bland and sickly with no palpable texture to them. The sky would often change on a dime instead of keeping a consistent time of day or weather pattern. Interior-wise, mirror textures are blatantly unfinished. They display a fish-eye effect of the room behind Lincoln, instead of portraying an accurate reflection of Lincoln inside the room. A minor inconvenience in the grand scheme, but a noticeable, immersion-breaking error in graphics. For a game on next-gen, and given the window of development, there could've been a lot more love given to the graphics.
One cool thing of note is in the way the characters are portrayed in cutscenes. Noticeable muscle movements in their face when they speak, ala Red Dead Redemption's graphics, give a realistic feel to each character, which is something that was somewhat lacking in the previous entries. However, some of the realism is broken with dropping framerates and screen-tearing, atop the lighting issues, in most cutscenes.
-OVERALL-
While Mafia III is a grand return to the series in gameplay, story and acting, its a fine mess of a game. The graphics seem more like they were unsuccessfully ported to the next-gen rather than fully next-gen. The environments are somewhat lacking, but they do what they can with what they've got and its a welcome change from Empire Bay's urban environments.
The characters are wonderfully portrayed by their actors. Not a single dime was wasted in hiring them. Each one feels like they have an established personality, and it was a welcome treat to see Vito Scaletta's story continued.
The gameplay is a shiner. Each moment kept me coming back for more, and Lincoln Clay is one of those multi-faceted characters that you don't know whether to love or hate.
If this story were presented in the medium of film, it would be a classic. It stands well enough on its own as a story, but it stands on a busted kneecap as a game.
Alien: Isolation (2014)
Dread-inducing, sweat-pumping Survival-Horror at its finest.
I've grown up with the survival horror genre. From Clocktower to Silent Hill to Amnesia, I've put a lot of effort into desensitizing myself to being scared by the dark horrors that await in the recesses of these interactive worlds. I've also been a fan of horror movies for as long as I can remember. The first time I heard of them making something close to being an interactive Alien experience, I saw the development of Aliens: Colonial Marines. I never got the chance to play it, but to hear of it as a colossal failure disappointed me. I was excited to experience Alien in an interactive format. And that's why I was both reticent and excited to hear about Alien: Isolation. But it all paid off in the end.
-PLOT- You take on the role of Amanda Ripley, the daughter of Our Lady of No-Nonsense Ellen Ripley, as she accompanies a crew to the space station Sevastopol to retrieve the Nostromo's flight recorder. Upon arrival to the dilapidated space station, she is separated from her EVA team by a massive explosion. She enters the station to find it in extreme disrepair. It's apparent that something of an uprising has occurred among the Seegson Corporation's community. It's also apparent that she's not alone.
The player must guide Ripley through malfunctioning synthetics, crazed space station residents and more, all while avoiding the terroristic, stalking Xenomorph.
-GAMEPLAY- While the game generally takes a "Sneak first, fight later" approach, the player is given the opportunity to fight aggressors, all of whom have their own threshold for pain. The player can employ many pieces of equipment in fighting antagonists, including a maintenance jack and a revolver.
The mechanics in utilizing this equipment is non-invasive to gameplay. Holding down right mouse allows you to aim your firearm, left clicking allows you to fire it. When you're not aiming your firearm, left clicking allows you to melee with the Jack. It's very simple, and the fighting - while somewhat arbitrary - doesn't feel difficult to grasp.
On top of being able to fight off your enemies, Ripley comes equipped with the expertise of an Engineer, allowing you to scavenge and utilize items from the game's environment to craft helpful items ranging from distraction countermeasures to medical syringes.
If the player is out of options, Ripley can alter and use the environment to her benefit through the use of Rewire relays. Using these, she can divert power away from unnecessary systems to create distractions or disengage security systems that might otherwise give away her position.
The enemy AI may seem a bit shaky when using stealth, but once they're locked onto the player, it becomes a fight for survival that will thrill you as much as it will kill you. Stealth becomes your most faithful ally. When in hiding, the player can employ a multi- directional leaning technique, similar to the one found in Wolfenstein: The New Order, to peek around corners. Learning as much about your surroundings before fighting the toughest enemies is an important step to surviving Sevastopol.
-CHARACTERS- The overall feel that is garnered from the characters and cutscenes is almost exactly akin to watching a film, however a lot of the voice acting (mostly from Amanda) is somewhat disappointing. It feels very difficult to relate to her in that aspect, but the gameplay ultimately makes up for any missing connection you might have with Amanda as a character.
There aren't many people you'll meet on Sevastopol that don't want you dead, but in a game like this, seeing another human being is always both a relief and a stomach-churning moment of doubt. This is one aspect that makes the characters of Alien: Isolation pretty cool in their own right.
-GRAPHICS- With references taken from the Scott film, Creative Assembly has managed to craft an amazing recreation of the retro-future of the Alien universe while maintaining a truly next-gen graphical feast. From the smallest free-floating particles to the grandest, dimly-lit hallways of Sevastopol, the game is not without details.
If you find a locker to hide in, you may notice pictures or notes hanging from the door on the inside. When blood is spilled, it will form trails in congruence with the movement of whomever spilled it. Every detail in the game is enough to delve you deeper into the experience.
-OVERALL- Alien: Isolation gives us a refreshing dip back into the murky waters of first person Survival-Horror. In a genre ruled by jumpy ghosts and slender men, it's nice to have a biological entity to be scared of for once.
The characters feel a bit undercooked, which might detract from the cinematic quality of the game. But it's immediately rectified by the quality of the environment and audio.
Every moment aboard Sevastopol feels like a fight to survive. For those of you who may have enjoyed the feel of System Shock 2, Alien: Isolation will certainly feel like a call to home. For those of you who enjoyed the Alien franchise, you will gain nothing but appreciation for Creative Assembly's attention to Ridley Scott's work. This is a game for everyone looking for an ultimate and brutal first person survival-horror experience
The Last of Us (2013)
A cinematic marvel that transcends the boundary between gaming and film
The end of the 4th console generation came with a bang. It was almost as if most of the developers mustered all the energy they built up across the last near-decade, then let it shine in the most radiant way possible: by excelling in the production of cinematic gaming. Many games have come along and thrived in this particular niche. For example: the stellar David Cage productions Heavy Rain and, the most recent, Beyond: Two Souls. Many developers have attempted to mold their IP's within the cinematic video game form, and very few have succeeded as much as Cage, and Naughty Dog.
In the days of Playstation's advent, Naughty Dog was synonymous with the oft sophomoric Crash Bandicoot series, following up with Jak and Daxter when Playstation 2 entered the scene. By the time Playstation 3 made its entrance, Naughty Dog had grown up. Taking advantage of the 4th generation's enhancements, they released the critically acclaimed Uncharted series, starring sly explorer Nathan Drake. This paved the way for them to sharpen their knives, and slice through the veil between gaming and film. Enter: The Last of Us.
-STORY- Twenty years have passed since the outbreak of an infectious fungus caused the whole of society to break down. Joel is a man on the fringe, surviving with a close knit community in what used to be Boston, MA. His group specializes in mostly underground activities. It's this involvement that brings him under guardianship of Ellie, a 14 year old with a very special connection to the Cordyceps fungus, the mind- altering infection that turns humans in ravenous monsters. Tasked with delivering Ellie to the militant band of revolutionaries known as Fireflies, Joel carts himself and Ellie on a brutal journey across the country, fighting off infected, bandits and cannibals alike, with one objective in mind: Endure and Survive.
-OPINION- The game itself is well-deserved of the ratings it gets. Its gameplay is easily some of the finest in the survival-horror genre. The crafting system makes on-the-run material creation easy when required in a tight situation. The inventory is easily navigable, but sometimes difficult when one is under pressure. The game is hard where it counts, juggling between moments when strategy is more necessary than action, and vice-versa, without missing a beat.
The characters are acted brilliantly by their cast, including BioShock Infinite's Troy Baker, and the absolutely stunning Ashley Johnson. While the Storyline is brilliantly told, never once feeling like a zombocalypse archetype, i couldn't help but feel as if it had been done before. This, I personally feel, is the only place where i felt the game fell short. Many of the revelations within the story are predictable, many of the characters act in predictable fashions, and yet somehow - mostly due to the stellar performances by both protagonists - the game manages to drop your jaw, and leave you feeling any number of emotions in reaction towards the choices the characters make.
The music composition offered to us Iñárritu collaborator Gustavo Santaolalla is beyond comparison, offering a level of emotion to the story through its use of a minimalist structure. Sound becomes a major gameplay necessity and is therefore represented realistically through reverb and echo, making it possible to track your enemies as the move around the environments. Gunshots will make your ears ring, and silence may unsettle you.
-OVERALL- With some of the finest scenery, gameplay, storytelling and sound design, The Last of Us presents itself as one of the finest odes to video game immersion that's come out of the fourth generation. It's hard to find an unbearable spot in this game, however its writing feels slightly predictable at points, leaving little suspense to be had during the story's development. Apart from the multiplayer aspect, which may be torture for those inexperienced with it, the game offers ages of entertainment for all those willing to endure, and survive.