DMC - Devil May Cry

Devil May Cry has returned with a complete redesign of, well, everything really.  We are thrown back into the early days of Dante the demon hunter, son of the demon Sparda, as he begins his rise against the mass demon hordes and yes, his hair is no longer white. Get over it!

^google search

From the release of Devil May Cry 4 back in 2008, fans have waited patiently for Dantes return only to be shocked by Capcoms sudden plans to reinvent the franchise.  At first there was a lot of negative response to the early images that were shown of Dantes new look, but the fact that this game was not only a re-boot but it was also a prequel to the games, seemed to slip peoples minds.  It wasn't just Dantes image that changed though, his heritage also changed, in past games Dante was the son of the demon Sparda and a had a human mother.  In DMC this has changed, he is still the son of Sparda but now his mother is an angel, making both Dante and his twin brother Virgil both Nephilim. (Half demon Half angel) This opened the game up to a whole new world of possibilities, like offering Dante the choice of using both angel and demon weapons.  Although its still good to see Dante sporting his favourite toys, ebony & ivory and his sword "rebellion".

^google search

The gameplay for DMC is still the same as it ever was really, you hack and slash your way through missions uncovering more and more of the story as you do so.  So DMC, other than Dantes appearance and origin, hasn't really gone to far away from what we have all grown to know and love.  Although rather than battling the demon hordes in our world, Dante is now pulled into the mystical and stunningly designed realm of limbo, which is a twisted, distorted version of our world.  Each level of limbo is more visually pleasing than the last, with amazing attention to detail.  Even the enemies in DMC are quite stunningly designed.  You can tell a lot of time and thought went into the all round design of DMC.

IGN.com

As with previous titles, the soundtrack to DMC is the usual blend of hard rock and techno that all the fans have grown to know, in DMC in particular the music seems to complement Dantes new emo look.  

The voice acting in DMC is also quite exceptional, making it very easy to become enthralled by the cutscenes that appear throughout the game.

So the main thing about DMC is of course, the relationship between Dante and his long lost twin brother Virgil.  DMC is the game that shows how the rivalry between the two brothers began, allowing you to play through the tale of what came between them to make them go their separate ways.  There was also a DLC release called Virgils downfall which allowed player to take control of Virgil after the events of DMC's main story, allowing the player to gain a deeper insight into Virgils twisted mind.

Another DLC that was released and was also free was the bloody palace mode, in this mode Dante is put through his paces as he faces off against wave after wave of enemies.  There were also a few other DLC packages that came out featurting new costumes and changes to the weapons.

One of the main features of all Devil My Cry games has always been the different difficulties that can be unlocked, DMC sees the return of these difficulties from Dante Must Die mode to Hell and Hell mode.  Its these modes that its always best to have some real knowledge on how to perform some decent combos otherwise you probably wont stand a chance.

^IGN.com

An unfortunate downside to DMC is that the missions/story are quite short compared to some of the previous titles like DMC3 and even 4, but there is still plenty of reason to return back to the levels to find all the hidden content like secret doors, keys for the secret doors and lost souls.

DMC proves that sometimes its better to go back to the very beginning and start all over again.  The fighting is as insane and flawless as ever and Dante himself is a very welcomed change in my eyes. DMC has done well by receiving its reboot, there are other game titles i could mention that may also want to try a reboot to bring it back from the dead (*cough cough* resident evil)

IGN.com

The new and improved DMC gets a 8 out of 10 from me, i just wish the story had been longer.  Maybe the next instalment will be even better. Fingers crossed.

Sonic Generations

Now i am a huge fan of Sonic The Hedgehog and i have been since back in the Mega Drive days.  I've got to say though that it has been sad to see the blue blurs decent from being at the top of the gaming world to being yesterdays news.

^gameinformer.com

Sonic Generations is the game that could change all that, by breathing new life into a dying franchise, Sonic Generations revisits some of the most memorable moments from Sonics past and lets you relive them.

The game itself offers two ways to play, for those of us who grew up in Sonics glory days on the mega drive, there is the classic side scrolling action that we all came to know and love.  The second way to play is the aptly named "modern" way which as you guessed is a gameplay that style similar to likes of Sonics dreamcast adventures.  

If we ignore the fact that Sonic Generations is slightly lacking in the story department, the game itself is more of a nostalgic flash back for old school gamers.  Returning to levels such as the Green Hill Zone and the Chemical Plant Zone brings back a whole load of memories from childhood days and its fairly impressive and made all the more better from the redesign of the levels.

^sega.com

There is more to Sonic Generations than just traversing old levels.  There are also some classic fights such as the unforgettable battle from Sonic CD between Sonic and Metal Sonic on the Stardust Speedway Zone and Dr Robotnik's Death Egg robot from Sonic The Hedgehog 2.  This being said though, the boss battles in Sonic Generations are a few to short, in the actual story itself there are only four actual boss fights and a further three rival fights.

^sega.com

Even though the boss battles are few, there are plenty of side quests for both Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic to go through.  There is quite a range of challenges from the simple beat the clock to taking control of some of Sonics friends such as Tails and Amy to complete the mission.  Even just replaying through the story levels has something to offer, by gaining red ring stars that are hidden throughout every level, you can unlock a variety of content from concept art to original background music.

Sonic Generations also features an online mode where basically all you have to do is complete the level in the fastest time possible and upload it to the leaderboard.  Not exactly mind blowing as far as online features go, but come on what did you really expect?!

So as I've said Sonic Generations is really more of a game for the die-hard Sonic fans who want to relive Sonics glory days, although i think new comers will still get something out of playing this game too.  Its nice to see Sonic, as Sonic should be, without any of the stupid gimmicks like becoming a were-hog!!!

^sega.com

Sonic gets a 7 out of 10 

One day he's going to be back at the very top of the gaming world again.  Just wait and see.

Resident Evil 6

Now i have been a huge fan of the Resident Evil series ever since it was first released for the PlayStation One back in 1996. I have followed the heroic tales of Chris & Clare Redfield, Leon S. Kennedy, Jill Valentine and of course Albert Wesker. I have fallen in love with these characters and their plights, so it goes without saying that when it was announced that Resident Evil 6 was in production, i had extremely high hopes. What a fool i was!

^ign.com

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that RE6 is a bad game, its still more than worth a play through, it just doesn't live up to the expectations that were set for it.

It was a brilliant idea that Capcom had to return to the basics of the RE world and return to having good old zombies coming after you, but in my honest opinion they tried too hard by breaking up the story into four interlinking campaigns. The reason past Resi games have worked so well is because you were given two characters and thrown into a world of survival horror. Now they have stuck with the pairing of twos, but using four different stories was probably not the way to go. Stick with what you know Capcom. While I'm on a rant, i really think that its about time that Resident Evil went back to focusing on the survival horror side of things and forget about the action. Maybe its time for Resident Evil to take some tips from what other huge gaming titles have done, reboots seem to have worked well for the likes of Tomb Raider and Devil May Cry. Maybe its time to give up on whats next for Resident Evil and go back to the very beginning and retell that got us all so passionate about the RE franchise.

As Ive said, Resident Evil 6 is broken up into four unique story types that all link in to each other to form one all round story.

• Leon's campaign focuses on a gameplay very similar to that of Resident Evil 4.
• Chris' campaign is a gameplay similar to RE5, relying heavily on gun fights.
• Jake (our new come to the RE universe) focuses on hand to hand combat and survival to a certain extent.
• Ada's campaign is all about stealth.

^ign.com

Each campaign is broken up into chapters and relies heavily on cut-scenes which usually isn't a bad thing in previous titles, but in this game they seem to be overly used and not always necessary.

Visually RE6 is stunning and the details on each character are particularly unique. There is a new aiming system and the addition of being able to perform proper melee attacks is very welcomed. A downside that is new to RE6 alone is the upgrade system that has been placed in the game. Back in previous games it was only the weapons that were upgradable, but now they have made it so that the characters are upgradable, which just seems really pointless and unnecessary, not to mention it will take a couple of play through before your anywhere near to gaining most of them, which gets very dull, very fast.

Now moving away away from the story, there is also the return of the ever popular Mercenaries mode, which started back in RE4 and really hit its stride in RE5 and the RE6 went and let it down. Its still a good mode to play and still a lot of fun but this time its actually let down by its lack of levels. Only three levels were available on the disc itself, there are more available through purchasing DLC but i think that is beside the point. But other than that Mercenaries is still a lot of fun to play through whether its solo or co-op.

There is also a new feature where you can take control of the creatures in RE6 and hunt down people online during their campaign and take them down. At first this is a very unique and exciting but soon the novelty wears off and it becomes just as dull as playing through the campaigns for the third or fourth time.

Now RE5 had an amazing mode called versus that was either downloadable or came with the "gold" version which i would have thought would be the first thing that RE6 would have included, but there was no sign of it, until recently that is as yet again a DLC package.

^ign.com

So really Resident Evil 6 was a bit of a let down really towards its hardcore fans, but its still completely worth a play through, just to see the story unfold. The game itself is still good and worthy of having the Resident Evil name on it (unlike Operation Raccoon City) but there are still so, so many flaws with it. I think Capcom should probably learn from the mistakes made in this game, more single campaigns and survival horror, less focus on gun-play and vehicle chases. They need to bring back the eerie environments, made even more creepy by the music in the background adding to the tension. Its either time for the reboot or maybe its time to close this chapter of Resident Evil and start something new.

Resident Evil shows so much promise but appears that it was just rushed for early release, next time they should just take their time so that they can deliver an epic game that the fans are all waiting for.

Resident Evil 6 gets a 7 out of 10 from me, i wish it was higher but i was left feeling very disappointed.

Mass Effect 3

Commander Shepard is back in this third and final instalment of their epic battle against the reaper forces.  Now first and foremost I must start off by saying that the only way to truly enjoy Mass Effect 3 is by playing its previous title Mass Effect 2.  All the choices that you make in the second game have repercussions and influence the games story in unique ways in ME3, and this gives the player a completely deep involvement in the way that the game plays out.

^masseffect.bioware.com

Now without giving to much away, the story begins with the player gaining control of Shepard as he has been summoned to a spectre meeting and almost immediately, you are thrown into the action, and very soon after you will be back in the familiar surroundings of the Normandy exploring Mass Effects vast galaxy in order to rally the forces against the on coming reaper onslaught.

The main focus of ME3 lies with the story this time, where as its previous title had many side missions and loyalty missions, this seems to have been completely removed to make more room for the stories, although there are a few DLC packs that add to the game, that I would strongly recommend purchasing as with one pack you gain a prothean team member called Javik and the citadel pack shows off a slightly more humorous side to Shepard and the ME world.

Again Mass Effect is packed with some of the most stunningly beautiful designed levels.  The characters have an almost real feel to them (as real as aliens species get) with a lot of depth, rich back stories and this is all rounded off by some amazing voice acting.  I feel more than anybody else that the character Joker need to be mentioned because he is simply the most amazing character that ME has to offer, although he is not a playable character this time around, the conversations you will share with Joker are very memorable.  With all that being said though I would not be the same without the team you build up during ME3, each character brings something different to the find and even during conversations.
Now this is where it becomes key that you have played and completed ME2 before playing this game because without the descions and charcters met in ME2, ME3 lacks a lot of things and becomes a straight forward game and it has got to be said that it is well worth completing 2 just for the experiences of meeting old friends gaining a few extra allies towards your fleet and again for the conversations that will be had. These all add up to make Shepard’s last chapter an epic story.
I will say that thanks to the DLC that was pretty much demanded by fans, the endings to ME3 became more than just a choice of what colour a beam of light would be, they became three very unique and epic ways to tie off Shepard’s Final tale.

With nearly all games that are released these days, there is generally some form of an online multi-player mode.  Some games fall short of living up to there need that gamers are looking for in a multi-player. Mass Effect 3 is NOT one of those games! ME3 has one of the most addictive and amazingly designed multi-players that I have ever played on.  With a wide selection of characters to play as and unlock and a huge array of weapons to choice from, you will be asked to choice your enemy: the reapers, the geth, Cerberus or you can be brave and select enemy unknown to put it on random.  So as I’ve said the multi-player is highly addictive and once you get into it, there’s no doubt you will spend a lot of hours working your way through it.  A good thing that I liked about the multi-player is that it actually links up to the story as well.  By levelling up your character you are given the option to promote them to the main game boosting your allies in the war.  Also by completing different levels and taking back parts of the galaxy, you improve your galactic readiness.

^masseffect.bioware.com

Anyways all that being said, the Mass Effect games are definitely something I would advise anybody who is a fan of RPG’s to add to their gaming collection.  EA should be proud of everything they have achieved through this title and I’m sure there’s going to be more to come, even if that is with or without Commander Shepard, I look forward to what’s in store for Mass Effects future releases.
Commander Shepard’s life is in your hands, its time to step up and show the entire universe what you’re made of.

^masseffect.bioware.com

Mass Effect deserves the 9.5 out 10 that it’s getting.

Tomb Raider

      Lara Croft is back and she is more bad ass than ever before.  This is probably the best idea that Square-Enix have ever had re-booting the Tomb Raider franchise.

     

^tombraider.com

       From the moment you begin your story, the action sets in straight away and you really can’t help but feel incredibly sorry for our heroine Lara.  There are a lot of differences in tomb raider now that sets it miles apart from it previous titles, for instance, medipacks are now a thing of the past, but with this comes a whole new level of detail because when Lara is hurt it leaves a lasting impression on her.  This just demonstrates how far gaming has come with the level of detail that has gone into not just the character but the beautiful surrounding too.  Another change is the levelling up system, for Lara levelling up consists of new fighting skills and better salvaging, but my favourite part of this is the levelling up system for the weapons, where upgrading them also adds a visual difference to the weapon.  Lara has also lost the dual pistols that she was so well known for and instead is now sporting a bow and arrow, this is an amazing addition as it makes the game feel so much more gritty and real which fits in very nicely with this re-telling of how Lara became the woman she did.

      

      There are a lot of games out there that should be taking a tip from Tomb Raider by re-booting the franchise (Hint Resident evil)

      So as I've mentioned about the lasting damages to Lara, there's also the dirty gritty look that becomes dominant on Lara through all the hardships and challenges that she must endure, but these types of visuals are also reflected in the landscapes of the enormous map and also in the enemies that you will encounter and also in the wildlife that inhabits the mysterious island that you have to explore.

      During gameplay, you will see and amazing array of stunning cut scenes, talented voice acting and a storyline that is so gripping you will not want to put the controller down.

      Moving away from the story, you also have an online multiplayer mode where you take control of either Lara and her shipmates or the islands inhabitants known as the scavengers.  There are a total of four online modes to play:

Rescue - This is basically a retrieve and capture mode, where if you play as the survivors you will need to secure five medipacks to bring back to your base camp.  But if you are the scavengers you will need to have 20 kills to secure a win.

Cry For Help - In this mode, the survivors must try to activate radio transmitters, where as the scavengers need to take the batteries.

There are also a team death match mode and a free for all which I feel are both self explanatory.

      At first the multiplayer modes are incredibly fun, but they soon become very bland and repetitive after a few rounds. Also the levelling system becomes a pain, where it works in story mode it seems to become unnecessary in the multiplayer.  Also the weapon load-outs and skills seem over complicated compared to what they actually bring to the experience.

       

      So if we forget about the multiplayers lack of innovative ideas and enthusiasm and focus on the main game, this title is probably among the greatest games that 2013 has to offer and is a must to any gaming collection. 

      

      I personally feel that Tomb Raider is an outstanding game and that the much needed re-boot is very refreshing and extremely well thought out.  The story is thoroughly engrossing, the visuals are stunning and the gameplay itself is frankly just sick!!

     

      Tomb Raider gets a well deserved 9 out of 10 from me; my only criticism is that the multiplayer really lets it down.

^tombraider.com

Injustice: Gods Among Us

          From the neatherealm studios, which you may or may not know are responsible for producing the phenomenal mortal kombat titles, comes this dc universe take on the popular fighting game. Some of the most famous superheroes and super villains battle it across stunningly beautiful, yet chaotic levels.

^injustice.com

 As with pretty much all games of this particular genre, the focus lies mostly with the battles, which yes that should definitely be the min focuses, but as a result the story mode seems to take a back seat.  Now don't get me wrong the story mode is still good and the story itself behind the entire game is simply amazing but that being said it is a very short mode that can be done in half a day.  It’s very disappointing though because the ideas are there, the visuals are all there, but before you even realise it you've clocked the story.  But the story isn't the only mode that Injustice has to offer.  In the single player section there is a variety of battles to test your skills and a mode called S.T.A.R. labs where you will complete a massive array of missions using the characters Injustice has to offer.  Although some of these missions do have a tendency to become very repetitive and to fully complete S.T.A.R Labs will probably take a long time, it is a lot of fun to go through and it is a brilliant way to discover which character suits you best and hone your skills.

Now speaking of honing skills, this is definitely something that you will need to work on before you decide to take on some of the online modes.  As with most fighting games you have the usual modes such as ranked matches, and for fans familiar with the MK series, there is also king of the ring and survivor.  There are also daily challenges that will pop up when you enter the online mode that if completed offer you bonus EXP to help level up your profile.

So far Injustice has released a fair amount of DLC content most of which so far is costume packs but also at the present moment there have been three character releases:

Lobo - Intergalactic bounty hunter

Batgirl - From the bat family

And just recently Scorpion from the Mk series was released as the third character.  There is a fourth character in the pipe lines and there is also a lot of debate as to who that character will be.  So far the popular choices seem to be between the Martian man hunter or general Zod. If it was up to me though, I would have liked to see beast boy thrown into the mix.

Another feature that I feel needs to be mentioned is the very inventive IOS app.  Being able to play the game on your IOS device is extremely addictive and has its benefits, by playing the app version you unlock various content for the console version and in return by playing it on the console,  you unlock content for the app.  It’s a very unique idea and proves to be even more addictive than trying to achieve trophies.

Overall the game is an amazing fighting game, the visuals are breath taking and the character designs are simply outstanding. Injustice is a game that I would strongly recommend to anybody to have in their collection.

^injustice.com

I have decided to rate injustice with 8 out of 10