Beauty and the beast, gaming edition.

Some like them beardy!

No, not talking about the disney classic. But rather, character creation. Most games nowadays have this feature so that we can make our fantasy-self or fictionary girlfriend(hey! some of us are alone..).

So, what would you rather play as, an ugly hero/heroine or a beautiful hero/heroine?
For most of us, they go for beauty(yes, including myself). But I guess that's the easy part(at least for me), the carefree-beautiful hero/heroine. But, games like Oblivion and Skyrim for instance let you fantasize about a backstory to your character. Simply a "do and don't list", for instance you have arachnophobia, or even play as a merchant. There are some really interesting gameplay videos about just that, being a merchant in skyrim.

Yes, I made this chick out of
that abomination above..

But this isn't about being a merchant, it's about character creation. Yes, most games have in-depth character creation "tools" and most of us like to experiment it, while other games have pre-made ones and that's fine too. But I'm one of the people who like to experiment with character creators. Simply because you can make an abomination or some really pretty characters.

However, there are three games I sit in the character creator for 2-3 hours before I'm happy with the results, Demon's Souls, Dark Souls and Oblivion. Some have stated that it's impossible to make a decent looking female face in those games. But with enough patience you can make some decent looking characters. It's really tedious but worth it, sometimes it feels like I've completed the game when I'm finally done.

My Oblivion chick.
Which is decent!

Also, I'm back!(for now..)

HUGE BLANK SPACE










HUGE BLANK SPACE END, because I can!

Also, I think I have a thing for redheaded girls.
JUST TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW! K BAI!

It's not the destination that matters, it's the Journey.

Games don't need words to tell a story.

Let me tell you something about a game called Journey. It's a short game that manages to deliver one heck of an impact on you! The visuals are fantastic, the atmosphere and the music it delivers is just perfect.

As mentioned, the visuals of this game are fantastic, it manages to give you an illusion of a vast world while it being kind of linear. You'll always have your "eyes on the price" or rather, you know where to go next. Linearity isn't a bad thing in Journey, since you always want to know what happens next. You'll mostly travel a vast desert by the start of the game, and that's really all I want to tell you. Since the later stages are easily as impressive. Music plays a huge role in this game, and manages to fit into the landscapes perfectly.

Platforming. Nothing too hard.

The gameplay is easy, yet really fun. I would call this game a platforming game since there are a lot of segments that include just that. Anyways, you are a masked traveler and you have this magical scarf, you may find "upgrades" hidden here and there to make this scarf longer, hence giving you the ability to jump further. But the scarf depletes when you use it(depending on how long your scarf is). But that really isn't a problem since you can always find these.. wierd looking scarf-creatures that refill your scarf jumping ability. Still with me? Good.. You'll also play this game alone most of the time, but you can meet other travelers(real life players) and help each other out or just completely ignore one another.

This game has a deeper meaning than what it really seems to be at first, I would say this is a journey through life. You'll have fun, you'll meet hardships along the way, you'll push yourself even if the odds are against you, all to see and end to this journey. And what an ending this game has.. I seriously sat there, with manly-tears cheering on that little masked traveler all the time. Yes, this game will make you satisfied, even though it's a short game.

You can meet others in this
lonely journey. But it's optional.

If I were a therapist, I'd force people to play this game. Since it manages to tell one heck of a journey with so little words. I guess what I'm saying is.. go get this game if you own a ps3! Please, just do yourself a favor and get it. It is such a beautiful game, and it's so rare to find a game like this in the marked nowadays. And that's all there is to it. Seriously, I could sit here and write how good this game is. But then you'd be wasting time reading it. And since I'm a good guy(or the fact that I'm lazy), I made this review somewhat.. brief.

GO GET IT NOW!

Rayman Origins

Yes, I know what you’re thinking, “a game review for Rayman Origins? But that’s like old news! And it’s way not old enough to be retro! Wtf?!”, but we (I) don’t really care what you think, so here it is!

The Rayman series started back in 1995 with the 2D platform game, and since then the series have included Rayman 2 and 3, both in 3D. There is also the Raving Rabbids mini-series for the Wii, and even educational games like Rayman Brain Games. I consider myself as a Rayman Veteran, and the first Rayman might just be my favourite videogame all time. And yes, this might just make me a bit biased. I also really enjoyed Rayman 2, (especially being dragged through the lake by holding on to the snake’s scarf), but it just couldn’t compare to the first game. I would just like to point out here, that I think they actually did a really good job with Rayman 2, but in almost all cases where there is a follow-up (be it a game or a movie or whatever), it is as good as impossible to beat the original.  And in Rayman Origins this is what I think Ubisoft managed to really understand, and accept, instead of fighting it.

Rayman Origins was at first meant to be a smaller game, a tribute to the first Rayman game, but also a game that would “fill-in-the-blanks” between Rayman 1 and 2. Fortunately, Ubisoft decided to make the game into a sequel instead, giving us a lot more Rayman to enjoy!

 The Collector's Edition (Oooooh...)

Yes, I had to. So, what can I say about all this extra fancy stuff I got? Well, first I kind of have to point out what it included, which was:

Original Soundtrack CD

Art book

Fancy Cover

(and the game obviously…)

The best thing in this package was, for me, definitely the art book. The game drawings are really beautiful, and there are also funny stories, like how Globox became blue. Other than that, it’s cool to actually have the soundtrack, so we liked that. But unfortunately the fancy cover was mostly annoying. Yeah it looks a bit cool and stuff, but if you do not have the room to display it properly, it becomes pretty annoying. I thought I could just use it like a normal cover and keep the game inside, but the problem is that it is really easy to destroy while opening and closing it, so I don’t dare use it. Instead it now takes up twice as much place in my shelf. And it just annoys me.

The Game

 

First things first, the game really is as beautiful as everyone claims it is. Why doesn’t all game development companies do this?! Instead they just go “Hmm… should we use computer animation, which we wish we had the technology to do better, but we don’t, so we just make it as good as it can be, or should we instead use drawing, which we have the technology to make really spectacular looking? .. Well, drawings old news, let’s use computer animation instead! Yay!”… Oh yes, back to the review.

The gameplay is really a tribute to the original Rayman game, and yes it is a side-scrolling platformer game. The game is built up of different worlds, which consists of (I don’t know the correct term so lets call them…) places, and each place consists of levels. For each place you need to catch Lums (pronounced Looms), and free electoons. Later on you will need a specific number of electoons in order to reach new worlds. There are 5 electoons for each place, the first three you need to physically find throughout the levels (hint: they are often hidden, so listen for someone crying for help), the second two you get by obtaining large amounts of lums, and the last one you will get by finishing the course before a timer runs out. Which in order to do, you actually have to play the places again, giving you really good replay value!

The same as in the previous Rayman, you won’t get all of your skills at the beginning of the game, instead you have to free the sexy fairies, and then they will grant you skills such as boxing, running on walls and other cool things. 

Multiplayer vs Singleplayer

In Rayman Origins you can choose whether or not you want to play with friends, in a solution that is about exactly the same as in Super Mario, meaning if you die you get bubblized. A point for Ubisoft here is that also the bad guys get bubblized, but of course they just die, whereas you can be freed by a friend. I had a really great time playing the game in multiplayer mode, and most of the game I actually played with friends, so I highly recommend it. Just don’t play it with annoying people who laughs hysterically after punching you into a monster, simply because they can then take the coin instead of you. It is ofc totally okay if you do it to others. So how is it playing singleplayer? It is just as fun, but also a lot harder! Because if you die in multiplayer mode, you just get bubblized, and then your friend frees you, so you can try again. But when you play alone, you just simply die, and has to start the game over again. And some of the later levels are really difficult, something which is not the best if you have a temper when you play (ehem…). Luckily I managed to destroy the evidence before youtube gained a “Angry chick plays Rayman” video.

My Overall Opinion
 

I would definitely recommend this game to almost anyone (which I think I just might already have done). It is really enjoyable, whether or not you get mesmerized by the graphics, just stop playing in order to listen to that weird chorus again, or laughing hysterically at how you punched a friend into a monster, or yet again when you get so angry it is a wonder the TV survived. I might be biased, but seriously, Rayman rocks!

Giving games a second chance

Ever play a game which everyone praised, butyou just couldn't get that into? Or better yet, a game you were really hyped up for? Then disappointment. You just don't like the game, no matter how much you want to, and so you leave it on your shelf. Leave it there to rot and fester.

It's weird to think of it now, but when I first played Mass Effect I didn't like it. The combat was clunky, the squad command sucked (not to mention I had to check the manual for controls every. single. time. I wanted them to do something) and.. I just couldn't get into it, for some strange reason, and this is Bioware! One of my all time favorite developers. I actually did beat the game that time, because I figured "Hey! I'm already this far, might as well get this over with", but after that nothing from the game stuck with me. Except the story. The story is awesome.

Part of the reason I didn't like it probably has a lot to do with expectation. I had just finished Dragon Age when I started playing Mass Effect and I guess I expected the latter to be much more like the former. I went into it in the wrong set of mind. I was ready to leave Mass Effect behind for good, when one day I bought the sequel at one of those "get 2 for the price of one!" sales. I bought it because.. well, you know, just in case I ever wanted to play it. It too had to rot on my shelf, for 6 months. Until I one day decided that I might as well beat it, I've got nothing better to do. Wait a second! I can't remember a squat shit of the story! I decided to play through the first game a second time, just to catch up on the story. I was really dreading it. Last time I played it, it was a 40 hour snorefest. Not this time.

Like I said earlier, a game has a lot to do with expectations. The last time I played Mass Effect, I had been superhyped about it, because of all the perfect scores it garnered from reviews. This time I was prepared for a tedious game. After a while the memories of the great story came floating back to me. The gameplay wasn't as bad as last time. I cared to speak with my crew members. I actually started enjoying the game. So you can just imagine how stoked I was for the sequel, which somehow garnered even better reviews than the prequel. Instead of impressing me, it blew my mind.

Anyway.. I had a point with this article, but was it again.. Ah! You should give some games a second chance. You might be surprised to find out that you actually enjoyed it. Oh, and also, only 2 weeks left for Mass Effect 3!

(PS. I probably should have proof-read this article, but I can't be arsed because fuck you.)

The soul shines bright in this game!

If you're familiar with the Soul Calibur series, then you already know it is a weapons-based fighting game. Soul Calibur V shines in a lot of aspects, but I miss a few things from the past games. Like a story mode to each of the characters, rather than a mediocre story which goes all-over-the-place. The fifth game in the series is looking fine indeed, this is one of the best looking fighting games to date. Added with flashy animations, a surprisingly fitting super-move-meter and an indepth character creation mode.

Patroklos in action.

The story is focused on a guy named Patroklos who is in search of his sister. You mainly play as him and get some "skill" in his fighting style(sword and shield), but, I never really enjoyed playing as him. The guy is so simpleminded and full of clichés, so much in fact, that he doesn't become a likeable character. There are some other characters you also play in the story aswell, like Patroklos' sister, Pyrrha. I found more liking to her than Patroklos, even though she has a slight different moveset than her brother and a greater "feel" to the fighting. Not the best story, but still, it had me entertained.

Ezio, show ya moves!

While this game seems to be focusing a lot more on online than it's predecessor, I still play offline most of my time. Even though there are some really nice lobbies, you can spectate while others are playing, chat lobbies and an overall nice feel to the online community. I still spend most of my time in Quick Battles or Arcade mode, since they got me hooked. Especially the Quick Battles, they can be challenging(fun!) and you get to unlock titles, you even get some exp after each battle. Yes, you level up in this game, but you don't really get more damage or anything. But! You unlock certain clothing at certain levels, which is awesome.

Probably the most awesome feature in this game is the Character Creation mode, you can pretty much make anyone. That's right! Anyone. The characters I've made so far are Ganondorf and Luffy D. Monkey. I wish I could show you some screenshots because it's awesome how much you can do in this mode. And of course, you can then play as your favorite character online/offline. There is also a great amount of fighting styles you can play as, all of which seem pretty balanced. You can even play as Ezio Auditore from Assassin's Creed, but I was disappointed to find out you can't make a character out of his fighting style or rather "soul".

Indepth character creation.

And that pretty much sums up Soul Calibur V, it has a rather weak story, but I was entertained by it. Quick Battles are a blast to play, even more if you like to collect titles. The online portion is really well done with awesome lobbies and a better online community than it's predecessor or -dare i say it- in all of fighting-games history(especially the lobbies etc.). Also, the limitless character creation mode is a huge bonus!  All in all, I enjoy this game and I will definitely continue to play it.

Early sunday morning..

Whoa, I don't remember the last time I was awake this early.. on a friggin sunday! And no, I'm not drunk or anything.. because that would've been the obvious answer. However, I guess I should thank some drunken people for waking me up with their drunkeness though. Because I've found some awesome news for anyone with an adventurous heart! It is still in development, but maaan.. I'm looking forward to this game already, because it defines the word "Fun"(at least it should!). Make sure to watch that fan made trailer, I think I must've already watched it 100 times now.. So should you!

Cube World.

And for those who want more info on the game, check out the development blog:

http://wollay.blogspot.com/

Some gaming news!

First off, I'd like to say I've been playing REvelations like crazy lately, the online portion is really fun. So fun that unfortunately, my wrist hurts.. So, I've been thinking to get my hands on the Circle pad pro to the 3DS, I've seen a lot of good reviews and that it actually looks pretty comfortable!

Sceptic at first, now it looks more.. attractive.

Besides, I might as well get it now, since Monster Hunter Tri-G has finally gotten an european release date! Well, sort of.. I did some research and all I could find was it will be released this fall, which is indeed great news for me and all the other european monster hunters! However, it will not have an online mode like Monster Hunter Tri(wii), but still.. local gameplay with friends is always fun. So, you might think to yourself, what is new in this Monster Hunter game? Well, besides from new armor, new weapons and new monsters.. There is a G-rank available, there are basicly 3 ranks in this game, well.. 4 if  you include the solo quests. But they aren't as important! Anyway, it's normal-rank, high-rank and then finally G-rank, where all the baddies are.. this is like a super-hard-mode. Whereas the wii version only had normal and high rank quests.

Kind of mesmerizing, eh?

Next off is Soul Calibur V, which I probably will get my hands on, since I'm a sucker for fighting games.. Though still a novice in any fighting game(not a button masher!), I enjoy a good fighting game every now and then. Soul Calibur V looks amazing, and they've really outdone themselves with the character creator(yes, I've watched a few videos) and the customization is pretty much limitless. Ohh, and have you seen the japanese Ad for this game? It's looking rather.. awesome.. can't... look.. away. But yeah, Soul Calibur has always been close to me ever since Soul Calibur 2(Link was awesome!).. unfortunately I never got to play the first game of the series and I guess I never really want to either.

Monster Hunter Tri G, new monster has appeared!

I've also been playing a lot of Dark Souls lately, mainly because of a new patch, well.. I guess it's pretty old, but it's new to me(patch 1.05). Where they've actually improved the co-op, meaning you'll be able to join your friends in some jolly cooperation! I'd say it was pretty much impossible to join a friend in a co-op session before this patch, which made the world of Lordran feel kind of lonely, with an exception of being invaded all the time.. Ohh, and there is one complaint I have about this game, it's the pvp. I usually don't have anything against pvp, but in this game, it makes me furious because of one thing.. lagstabs. It's all they ever do, that's why most of my time, I play offline.

I guess this concludes gaming news for the week/day, I am still waiting for Shach to do an article about "what-we've-built-in-minecraft". 

Anyways, have a nice day!