It has begun.

E3 2013 is all about Sony versus Microsoft, and I think I can say for everyone that this is going to be the most anticipated, fierce, and earth-shattering year for both consumers and developers alike. For the first time ever, both Microsoft and Sony will be releasing their consoles around the same time, whereas the XBox was released 20 months after the Playstation 2, and the Xbox 360 being released a year before the Playstation 3. Everything that we’ve all heard since the start is boiling down to what’s going to happen within the next few days. There are so many websites that provide different information on the Ps4 and XBoxOne that it’s really hard to get all the facts put together in one article from a reliable and non-biased source. Real Otaku Gamer to the rescue!

I stated on twitter earlier today, videogames are not about which kind of gamer is better; it’s about a family of outcasts who come together to share their passion, not war. Unfortunately, there’s no stopping the PC/Sony/Microsoft war that’s erupting, but as an avid gamer myself, keep videogames as a hobby, not a religion. I want to make it perfectly clear that while the staff here has their own opinions and the console they’re excited for, it is not war, and the gaming community should never feel like it.

With that being said…

We’ll start with the Playstation 4.

The Dualshock 4, equipped with LED bar, touch pad, options and share buttons, and gamer sensor underneath to recognize the user.

For everyone who’s into the specs and the hardware, the console will feature 8GB GDDR graphics ram, a single chip custom processor, a low-power “Jaguar” CPU with 8 cores, and an AMD Radeon GPU. The controller itself will have a new design that will be easier to hold, featuring all the classic L and R bumpers and triggers, a touch pad, and a share button which will allow video streaming so you can prove that amazing KD ratio you tell everyone about. The controller will also have built in speakers (I’m sorry, that’s sooo cool!), rechargeable battery, LED lights so you can identify other gamers easily, see when your character is low on health, etc., and will also have the ability to sense if you’ve passed the controller onto someone else and will automatically adjust the split screen. The camera, called PS Eye, will not be required for all games, but will be fore some. That should not come as a shock to as since the available dancing and exercise games require the camera.

Let’s hop to Sony’s pros and cons with this console:

Pros:

- Because the camera will not be required in order to play this system, that will keep costs down for consumers. For more More About the Playstation Eye, click the link!

- It will use the same GPU, CPU, and hardware used in the best gaming PCs. Sony was smart in this area because they know that PC gaming is becoming the new standard. Built with a Solid State Drive, where the output will be able to have more cinematics, which is more than what many PCs can currently do. Check out the PS4 System Specs and the system specs in greater detail here.

- Sony designed this console to have a 10 year lifespan. We understand things are buggy at first release, but I think both Sony and Microsoft learned from their latest consoles what went wrong with their rings and lights of death.

- Controller can charge when the console is off. Can I get a ‘Hallelujah’?!

- Sony is keeping their focus with the “This is a game console” mentality. The KISS (keep it simple, stupid) method has always been good. When you focus on too many capabilities, you short-change on all of them, making each utility sub-par.

- Every game released for the PS4 will be available for PSN and will have a playable demo.

Cons:

- Not backwards compatible. Note: There will be an alternative BC service through Gaikai that will be offered through this console. We are also unsure on whether or not original Playstation games will be able to play.

- While the PS4 is dedicated to being a game console, it is still just that; a game console – a more powerful PS3

- There is no definitive answer as to how used games will work, whether there will be a fee, or it will work like Microsoft’s system. Thankfully, this question will be answered very soon.

- Probably the biggest problem is that we don’t know much of anything. Xbox One, at least, gave us a decent amount of information whereas Sony did not.

So in conclusion…

Playstation 4 is for gamers. It is designed to do just that, and aside from the familiar apps (like Netflix or other TV services) and capabilities (like bluray), there’s not much else. That’s not said in a drab way, but like I said, this console is designed to game. That’s it.

For more information on this beast, please visit the Sony PS4 Official Website.

Now, onto the XBox One!

The console at the reveal last month, featuring the console, controller, and Kinect.

There’s no denying the uproar and outrage about the recent news and information Microsoft reveal. Some people just don’t care because they love Microsoft, they love all the utilities it’s capable of, and that’s great for someone who can and will use them all to the max. Microsoft will be providing over 300,000 servers as opposed to the 15,000 that the 360 currently has. This console also features the 8 core x86 processor like the PS4. It will have 8 GB of RAM and a 500BG HD.

Pros:

- The long awaited Blu Ray abilities will be available.

- You can download your games straight to the cloud. No more missing/scratched disks. You can access your movies and game saves anywhere, anytime. And no need to spend money on extra hard drive space because the games will be stored in the cloud. That also includes no more waiting for game updates.

- You can add up to 1000 Live friends as opposed to the original 100.

- It’s an all-in-one media center that will connect your gaming needs, music, cable, Skype, Netflix, and everything else into one place, all voice activated. No more switching inputs!

- A multi-useful Kinect that will sense your body and movements better than its predecessor. You will also be able to skype with your friends while watching TV or playing your games. If you play on a Fantasy league, your stats will be automatically updated for you.

-  Personalized console that knows what you like and what you don’t, and saves your preferences.

In all honesty, there is a lot to be said about the XBox One due to the fact that it does so much. This console is going to be great for those who love everything and don’t have enough screens to do them all with. Microsoft has put all control in your hands and your voice; your gaming, your way. For a full list of its functions, please visit the XBox One Official site.

Cons:

We all have heard, and given these cons, I agree that we’re really being screwed over. On the other hand, we don’t know much about the PS4 either, so it’s just a waiting game.

- The Kinect is required in order for the Xbox to do its functions. Because there is additional hardware that comes sold, the initial cost will be much higher. The Kinect also cannot be shut off, and if it does break, then you’re really out of luck with playing your console.

- You must connect to the internet on your console once every 24 hours. If not, you will not be able to play and the Xbox will be a pretty paperweight until you can connect.

- Only certain, pre-approved retailers will take your trades. Because less places take the trade, you will get less money for it. You cannot lend games, rent games, but you can sell games if the person has been a friend on Live for at least 30 days. Once they purchase it, it will be theirs forever and it cannot be sold.

-Not backwards compatible.

- If you’re sitting with your significant other while one wants to watch a game while the other wants to watch Teen Mom, at the sound of the voice, the TV will switch. “XBox, play Knicks Game.” Switch! “… XBox, play American Idol.” Switch! Very prone to trolling.

To sum it up…

I think the cons are tending to outweigh the pros in this area. But when looking at what it can do as a whole, it really gives the player ultimate control over all entertainment.

Putting PS4 and Xbox One Into Perspective

Understand that this is not a final list, but this is a good chunk of what all gamers should know going into Microsoft and Sony’s conferences. Us here at Real Otaku Gamer want you to be as informed as possible, without bias, straight from the source (or at least the credible ones). The pros and cons are great and concerning on both ends for this to be considered a very neck-and-neck competition.

So what do you all think about the story so far? Will PS4 win over the population, or Microsoft sway the audience with their all-in-one media center?

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. Ah, the end of the Final Fantasy 13 series, finally. It’s been a long time coming, and initially I felt that it should have ended a very long time ago. Playing the first one, I hated nearly every second of it. Despite my mind talking me out from repeatedly picking up the controller, it seemed that I just played it simply because it was in my console. And then FFXIII-2 came out, and I let out a soft sigh, mumbling here we go again. I do have to admit that the second installment was 10 times better than the first with a much more cohesive and comprehensible story line  enjoyable worlds to visit… very reminiscent of Kingdom Hearts in a way. After I beat it, I was left with 25% of my brain saying that I couldn’t wait to see what was next. Albeit a bit late, the game now takes a change in what seems to be for the better. Before we get into technicalities, we need to establish the background of this latest installment.

A screenshot during Toriyama’s presentation in Tokyo, Jan 2013.

Following the events in FFXIII-2, In 1000 AF, Valhalla and Gran Pulse have merged after Etro’s death. The result of the chaos is called the Nova Chrysalia – the four continents in the Sea of Chaos and Bhunivelze as the new Cocoon. Due to the merge of Valhalla and Gran Pulse, people have stopped aging. On one of the continents named Luxerion, the citizens start to form a closed religious city where those who do not believe are cast out. Lightning then awakes, and in 13 days, 13 hours, the world will be decimated. She is then called by the god Bhunivelze to save the world. She reunites with the old gang along the way and fights her way through those who oppose her mission in hopes of saving mankind.

I have to say, the idea sounds pretty frickin’ awesome and solid.

Motomu Toriyama, the series director, stated that Lightning will face her final battle. Whether or not she will return or not in any future games outside of FFXIII is not clear, but what is clear is that this trilogy featuring Lightning’s story is over. Toriyama made it a point to the directors to bring the power and glory in her eyes, to make her fierce, persistent, and relentless towards her mission. I like it! That tells me that there will be even greater graphics to bring emotion onto the field, trying to close the chasm between player and character. Let’s move on as to what will make this game very different from what we’re used to.

When it comes to gameplay, think of the doomsday clock element of Majora’s Mask and the interactive abilities of Assassin’s Creed. She will be able to hang off ledges, duck around corners, jump, etc. The characters will also be able to freely move during combat, which is an element that didn’t really catch on much in the Final Fantasy series. In addition,  this game will feature a more realistic time setting where the day is split into morning, afternoon, and night and interactions with other NPCs (non-playable characters) will vary depending on the time of day (inspired by Skyrim). The monorail that takes you from continent to continent or between cities will run on a regular schedule as well, so yes, you might have to practice your patience when transferring to different places. Yet another familiar feature are the Schematas, where Lightning can change outfits that will change her abilities during combat (a la Final Fantasy X-2) instead of the Paradigm Shifts that we’ve been accustomed to. In one person’s review of the demo, the combat system is very easy to get accustomed to and requires less strategy that was required in the series’ predecessors. That’s not to say that the boss battles will be easy nor simple. It does make it convenient that we no longer have to worry about the different paradigms that are in the queue in order to survive.

The demo will make its debut at E3 next week, where we will have more information on whether or not the game is a yea or nay. Check out the E3 trailer below and tell us what you think!

The game is set to release Fall of 2013 for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

Today we are diving into an artistic dream world, in a fast paced arcade puzzle adventure! Echoes is playable on PS3, PSP and Vita. These are called Minis, simple yet very entertaining. The game is created by Indie game developer Halfbrick. Echoes is an old version of you, every time you collect a crystal in the game, you create an Echo that traces your path back and forth. The point of the game is to collect the selected amount of Crystals every round.

The game presents you with a more and more difficult challenge as you progress. Echoes also features different powers that help you thought the game, such as hourglasses that stop time. The game starts you with 3 life’s,  although you may lose a few life’s hitting your own Echoes, you eventually do get life’s in some of the stages.

The game also comes with different modes to keep the game fresh. The game includes Arcade mode, Jackpot mode, Survival mode and clock work. These are modes are unlocked the further you progress in the game. Jackpot mode gives you about a minute to grab as many crystals as possible while avoiding your own Echoes. Survival mode, starts you off with 10 seconds,you then set off pulses ( crystals that eliminate echoes). The point in this mode is to get the highest score possible. Clockwork allows to move your Echoes forward and back with the trigger buttons.

The game is really fun, especially for the price. At last check it was going for $2.99 and remember it is a PS Mini, meaning that this game be played on most of you Playstation handheld devices. Great game, HalfBrick did a great job to make such a simple artistic looking game very entertaining.

Poker Night at the Inventory 2 is TellTale’s latest Xbox Live Arcade, Steam and Playstation Network game and is, as the title suggests, a Poker game at it’s core. More than that, this downloadable title is an example of how great personalities and some clever writing can make a functional but not particularly exciting card game into an engaging and fun experience for the player.

After a short and cameo filled introduction the player, aptly named and referenced to as “Player”, is introduced to their adversaries for the night’s game; Brock from “The Venture Bros.”, Claptrap from “Borderlands”, Ash from “Army of Darkness” and Sam of “Sam and Max”. Other characters from these titles and other telltale titles drift in and out during the course of tournaments.

The Cast of Poker Night at the Inventory 2

The writing in this game is superb, drawing from popular culture, developer-in jokes and character backstories, always keeping the player engaged and chuckling throughout. TellTale has made the focus of the game the characters and their interactions whilst playing, not the poker itself. This works well in this game as the mix of nostalgia and humour, brought to life by the characters and Glad0s, allow the player get wrapped up in the experience not the base gameplay, often hanging out for the cast’s quips and comments more than counting the chips on the table and watching for tells.

The poker in game feels a little drab itself, and without the writing would probably be just another basic poker game. The choice of Glad0s as dealer helps to liven up the gameplay as she regularly drops from the ceiling to provide ‘helpful’ comments to the player. The game also features character animations to give away when they are bluffing, but they are not common or very well executed. The Player may also buy drinks for the cast from the bartender Mad Moxxi of the  Borderlands games. They make the ‘tells’ from others more obvious, but they still didn’t play much of a role in the results of the tournaments. When you get to playing you get a choice between “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “Omaha”, both games play well and the tournaments serve as opportunities for bragging rights, and more importantly, unlocks. After completing challenges you are offered the chance to win a special item from each character’s title, such as Ash’s Necronomicon and Claptrap’s Video Game Award, each awarding the player with unlocks outside of the game.

Borderlands 2 Unlocks

The game’s brilliant writing is added to by the ability to get heads and skins for Borderlands 2 on all platforms, and then platform specific unlocks including avatar items, Team Fortress 2 hats and exclusive themes. These unlocks keep the game playable well after the dialogue starts to repeat, but once you complete these there is little to keep you playing after the occasional game for nostalgia’s sake. There are also felt, deck and chip variants for each title to unlock, purchasable with ‘unlock tokens’ won in tournaments. These re-skin the bar and game aspects, but don’t affect gameplay.

Overall this game is quite fun and well worth the price tag, quite cheap on all platforms. The jokes, dialogue and unlocks make the game quite addictive and entertaining, but the replay value drops once the dialogue starts to loop and the unlocks are all collected. Some extra modes, multiplayer and more dialogue would help with the replay value, but the game is still great. For some laughs, free items and a good bit of poker fun this is well worth the download. A solid 8/10!

First appeared on NerdyButFlirty.com

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is a game built on the engine of nostalgia. The Ubisoft team created a love letter to their childhood heroes, and they’ve done it with the incredibly solid and addicting gameplay of Far Cry 3. This game isn’t just a one-trick pony: though it runs the risk of being too over-the-top, FC3: BD is refreshingly self-aware enough to avoid the pitfalls of a (too) repetitive joke.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is a game for gamers. What I mean by that is, this is a game that breaks the fourth wall and invites you in on the jokes and tropes of both old-school action movies and the action game genre itself. Helpful loading screen advice includes: “Enemies in range can be shot” and “Use cover to stay behind things” while a tracking symbol and static roll across your screen. This is the first indication that this game might be…a little different.

Whereas Far Cry 3 claimed to be a satire, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is an actual epitome of satire and a delight to play. I mean, the hardest part of writing this review is not quoting almost every line of text and dialogue. It’s that hilarious. They also had a whole section about how violent games don’t cause violence…it was breathtaking. Oh, and you throw dice instead of rocks and the scientists say adorably geeky things and your computer calls you a nerd–

Okay, I’m going to stop making out with the game long enough to tell you all about it.

Plot

You play Rex Power Colt (voiced by the super-legit Michael Biehn), one of the last Mark IV Super Cyber Commandos on the planet. With your buddy Spider and the sultry Dr. Elizabeth Veronica Darling, you have to take down the crazy Colonel Ike Sloan and unravel the mystery of the Blood Dragons. Or something like that. The in-game manual has a completely different plot listed. Have fun with that.

The plot is straight out of an 80s action flick, with over-the-top dialogue, lots of stereotypes (the black sidekick with a potty mouth, the female scientist with the ridiculous name that all the men want, etc.), and implausible situations involving sharks and infiltration.

I had very minor problems with the story, but all were based on issues that existed in movies in the 80s, so I couldn’t actually be mad. The game was just being true to slightly racist and sexist source material. I mean, you can’t fault a game with a training montage: it’s just against the rules of fair play. Even if there is a sassy black best friend yelling “WE NEED TO RECALIBRATE YO ASS!”

Graphics

Chrome, lasers, cyborgs, neon, and smoke: that’s the aesthetic of Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon. The graphics are technically just as beautiful as Far Cry 3, but the smoke and dark color scheme make it a lot harder to see enemies (hence why they glow red) and harder to appreciate the beauty of the island. On the other hand, it looks pretty cool, and the nice touches like the city-at-war in the background add an interesting layer to the horizon.

Music

The music in this game is fantastic. They capture the rocking spirit of 80s and 90s action movies and also manage to incorporate some sounds from Far Cry 3 as well. The music kept the energy high in enemy encounters and made you feel like a badass during stealthy infiltration missions.

Gameplay

There are a lot of the same elements in FC3: BD as there were in FC3, as is only to be expected in a derivative game. On the other hand, there are plenty of little differences that give the game a spirit of its own.

Your camera has been turned into your Cyber Eye, a device that makes a lot of sense for a cyber commander to have. Your hand is now a cyber hand and you have lovely cyber powers, including the ability to breathe underwater (thanks to your cyber lungs), survive falls from any height,and run really fast.

There are seemingly fewer animals than were present in Far Cry 3, and the animals that make it into this game are a little…different. A little more cyber. Please do yourself a favor and read EVERYTHING in the Research Data section of your Data Console. The writers in this game had a ball.

Missions and Adventures

There are seven missions, each pretty difficult unless you spend a lot of time leveling up. They are all multi-tiered and ultimately insanely rewarding. You’ll get that sentence when you finish a few of them.

Besides the actual missions, your character can also explore the island and complete quests for weapon upgrades. Quest types include hunting/wanted quests, liberating garrisons, and finding collectibles. One of the new mission types involves rescuing hostages before they’re shot to pieces, which was quite fun.

In Far Cry 3, liberating garrisons could involve enlisting a tiger or a group of komodos; now you can lure a giant, insanely over-powered dragon into their midst instead…after knocking down their anti-dragon shields. I loved the new range of choices the generators opened up.

Blood Dragons

Speaking of which, let’s talk about how awesome blood dragons are. You remember that slight bit of fear that struck your heart the first few times you unexpectedly ran into a tiger or bear in Far Cry 3? Remember how they were a little difficult to kill and you had that second of panic before getting into gear and working to dispatch it?

Well now imagine that tiger/bear is waaay bigger, much stronger, and a lot more damage resistant. Imagine that it shakes the ground when it runs towards you, that you can practically feel its eye lasers grazing the back of your neck as you jump down the cliff in an effort to escape.

So much is done right with the blood dragons. Not only do they manage to create a real feeling of danger, but they also add an interesting layer to the strategy of taking down a garrison or group of soldiers. They have three stages: dormant, watchful, and attack mode, as indicated by the colors of a stoplight. You can lure a blood dragon with a cyber heart, something you rip out of the chest of cyber soldiers you after you murder them.

As I sped away from one dragon when I ran out of bullets, I tossed a cyber heart to the left to distract it and snagged a hang glider, narrowly missing eye lasers as I glided to safety…and I remember thinking: this is why you play Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon.

Combat

Combat is the same as in Far Cry 3, except you start off with a lot of the skills you had to build up in that game. You also no longer have a skill tree: you are simply given certain skills as you level up. You have a shuriken now too, which adds a nice little link to your chained takedowns.

Your favorite weapons are all there, with delightful attachments that might make you crow for joy. The missions can seem punishingly hard at first, until you realize you should head out into the open world and complete some quests to mod out your favorite sniper rifle. Then you become *serious 80s voice* The Punisher.

Negatives

I have very little to complain about, gameplay wise, but there is one complaint, and it is something that annoyed me in the first game as well. Some of the action buttons are a little finicky You have to hold certain buttons for certain actions, such as pilfering and buying things. Sometimes, that prompt just won’t appear. Or sometimes the command to run just won’t work. Or you’ll turn on your Cyber Eye instead of throwing a cyber heart. At least with the 360 controller, this is a game that will have you literally mashing buttons at times to get them to input correctly. It is a very minor problem, but I’m pretty annoyed that I’m still having it in the new game. After the fifth time you move over someone’s body trying to get the prompt to appear, you’ll see what I mean.

Another small negative is the prevalence of escort missions. There are quite a few of them. I just despise escort missions in every game I’ve ever played.

But, in general, it was very hard to find things to dislike in this game. Remember how you hate Jason for constantly saying “disgusting” after his fiftieth animal skinning? Well Rex also says disgusting…just in a completely different way. A way you will love him for. Were we talking about negatives? I can’t remember.

Final Verdict

Have you ever played a game that parodied another game so hard it floated into the sky on a burst of rainbows and laser beams? This game is pure greatness.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon doesn’t waste your time explaining how to play the game. It cuts out all the fat, adds a ton of bullsh*t, and takes you on a nostalgia trip riding on solid gameplay and addictive action.

There are so many amazing moments that I want to share with you, but I won’t because I want you to have that jaw-dropping moment of “no they did not actually put this into the game” that I was able to experience.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is available for $14.99. Go get it.

In the words of Rex: “Sayonara Sushi!”

“The mind of the subject will desperately struggle to create memories where none exist…” – Rosalind Lutece, Barriers to Trans-Dimensional Travel, 1889

Bring us the girl and wipe away the debt. As you soar into the floating city of Columbia for the first time you see exactly where Irrational Games’ ambitions lie; Amongst the clouds with this incredible city. The game manages to achieve all of it’s ambitions and more, with a story the likes of which we haven’t seen since the original Bioshock, varied and new first person gameplay and a stunning, truly realised world for the player to explore. This game does what it’s predecessor did in 2007; it changes and challenges the gameplay and story of this console generation and reinvents them to become a truly incredible experience.

The game world is in almost direct contrast to that of Irrational Games’ original Bioshock, we see a rich and colourful city in the prime of it’s existence  whilst also involving the player in Columbia’s breathtaking descent. Columbia has it’s own set of rules, it is a fully realised world with a vibrant cast of characters that really make the world feel real. People walk around, reacting both to the player and surrounding events, with clever and involving conversations that reflect the world around them. The game is set in alternate reality 1912 and shows off the views and values of an America steeped in religious rule, patriotism and severe xenophobia. The content in game is quite harsh in contrast to the vibrant city and challenges the player to look at society today with reference to the game. Every area of the game feels different and diverse, from the squalid Shantytown to the opulence of the streets above and then into the skies of Columbia aboard the many airships and floating platforms, never ceasing to pull the extraordinary narrative along with each detailed environment.

The streets of Columbia

As the player enters Columbia they are introduced to the basic gameplay elements of Vigors (akin to the original Bioshock’s Plasmids) and the variety of weapons through a carnival, set up as part of the celebrations for Comstock, the game’s antagonist. In your first hour you will experience combat with some basic guns, vigors and the transport method doubling as a melee weapon; the skyhook. The skyhook allows for some incredible firefights and a new mobility unseen in gaming. Just hop aboard a skyline and you can drop behind enemies, into cover or zip around the area quickly all the while returning fire from attackers. The game’s AI is also quite clever, with enemies and “Hard Hitters” (different, more tough enemies such as the handyman and motorized patriots) able to use the skylines and move around like the player. Then the game takes it up a notch, in story, gameplay and emotion with the introduction of Elizabeth.

Elizabeth. This one character serves as the core of the story and gameplay. From the moment you meet her she barely leaves your side, constantly adding to the game. In combat she will help you by finding health, salts and ammo and also cash outside of combat. She also has the ability to open ‘tears’ in the environment, pulling items from other worlds and reality into being in the locale. She also adds real emotion to the gameplay. You begin to rely on her and think about combat situations with her abilities in mind. In the few short absences she has from the player you genuinely miss the character. Her powers and dialogue always make the player feel more invested in the story, her presence never once takes anything away from the experience. Her AI is also incredibly well done, she will explore and interact with the environment, once again bringing areas of the game to life and you will want to sit in one spot and see all the animations and dialogue the developers have crammed into each of the game’s areas.

Elizabeth

I have talked about the story a lot so far, the narrative really pulls the whole experience together. The story crafted by Irrational Games masterfully weaves the setting, values and original story together into a story that will keep the player invested in the game’s fifteen plus hours of gameplay. Without revealing too much, the story centres around the protagonist, Booker Dewitt, tasked with travelling to Columbia to rescue Elizabeth to pay off his gambling debt. The city is ruled by “The Prophet” Comstock, who has kept Elizabeth locked away for years. Bring in the Vox Populi, a resistance movement of the lower classes and racial outcasts, fighting against Comstock’s extremely one sided rule.  The story has the occasional lull in sections, but they always followed by something amazing soon after, only increasing the effect of the succeeding event. Once you dive into the narrative the tale morphs and evolves at a cracking pace up to the jaw dropping finale, where players will be left thinking long after the credits roll.

Overall the game is an amazing experience. Irrational Games have done an amazing job of bringing the world of Columbia to life. The story, gameplay and above all the work that went into Elizabeth help this game to exceed all expectations and in turn reinvent the FPS genre amongst it’s many more stale counterparts. The game is incredible in scope and story, well worthy of any gamers time, earning it’s well deserved place amongst some of the finest games of the generation.

In my mind, this game deserves no other score than, Go and Buy it NOW!

DATTEBAYO!  Uzumaki Naruto or Naruto Uzumaki has made his return again, in the next installment of Naruto’s almost annual fighting game, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3. And just as the game before it, was big, this one is even bigger than before. The series roster has increased again in playable characters being the highest in the Ultimate Storm series to date, numbering around 80 playable characters. This game, like its previous iterations, truly evokes the emotion from the player, displaying the series on a better plateau, than the anime and manga can since the animation and drawings for the game are truly first rate from CyberConnect2. Mind you, the game isn’t without its faults, but its still truly a splendid game, and made me remember why I love the manga, and this gaming series from CyberConnect2.

The gameplay has once again received a facelift, in the form of each of the 80 characters, having an ‘Awakening’ mode like various, albeit few characters had before. With each of them, having an awakening mode, gives everybody a trump card in their back pocket during fights in story, head-to-head, or online battle. The controls of are still simple as they were before, allowing for one-button combos, modified with directions. So any veteran from games of yore will be in comfort zones, only learning a few new nuances. And anyone new, will learn the game fast and be up to speed as others, but not more experienced than the more experienced players. That goes for the online mode, is slightly a lagfest, and it either, you play a lag match and get manhandled due to the lag in-between button input, or you’ll fight a

match, as if the person is right next to you. So it’s an leave it or take it element.

As before, the game includes quick time events during certain events during the course of the single player experience. Which to the shegren to some, still are enjoyable, and allow for the over the top battles, that many have seen in the manga or anime. Also with the story gameplay, the game also allows for decisions at certain points of the game, allowing for the player to change the way the story is played out before them, giving you, the player, a different look at the battle. But the game follows more so, directly after Ultimate Ninja Storm 2, with the end of the Battle against Pain and leading all the way up to the games version of the conclusion of the Shinobi World War. This is due to the World War still ongoing in the manga, and it being completed before the World War, was even halfway done.

Another new gameplay element that was added is ‘Mob Battles.’ Think of these battles, which are more than a handful, as Dynasty Warriors, solo but with Naruto Universe abilities. The gameplay is different and allows for rather cool mechanics of fighting against more than one opponent with the help of assist characters, if they are story related. Also, if you fill up your bar, after consecutive hits and assists, you can complete a quicktime move allowing you to jump from enemy to enemy, dealing massive amount of damage, against boss characters, and killing the minions easily.

Graphically, the game hasn’t taken much of an jump from previous iteration, but it did a great job of cleaning up the lines, and making the game more crisp and fluid during various chaotic moments in the game. But as the game is made first in Japan, the lip syncing is synced to the Japanese language, and as the characters talk, with English dub, you can clearly see the lip syncing, is completely far off, and quite comical when you see lips moving after a character has made an boisterous rant. This is seriously one of my few pet peeves, since I didn’t play, Generations previously. As you travel through various areas to advance the story, the areas feel and look make sense, and look great for the game and material.

The game from the quick battles, to the over the top boss fights against Kurama the Nine Tail Fox, it’s a Naruto game, that even Naruto would enjoy, BELIEVE IT! gotta love those bad translations of Japanese material. Ultimate Ninja Storm 3, is a game that if you haven’t played, or a returning vet, is worth the pick-up. Its solid, fun and definitely a fun ride, and at one point, I’ve got a little choked up at a couple points. Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja 3 is available now on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Also, for those who pre-ordered Ultimate Ninja Storm 3, you also got a special character Naruto in the form of Goku from Dragonball Z, so its quite fun… look at him!

Darkstalkers Resurrection is a downloadable title featuring two standout fighting games from the 90s. This dual HD bundle features Night Warriors: Darkstalkers’ Revenge and Darkstalkers 3. These are the two marquee titles that define the series.

The combat is a mix between Street Fighter and the VS. series (X-Men vs Street Fighter; Marvel vs Capcom; etc.). It’s a very fast pace brawler and has a legion of devoted followers ever since it was originally introduced.

The characters are definitely a highlight. Characters such as Morrigan, who is a succubus, Demitri, who is a vampire, Hsien-Ko, who is an undead girl who is partially her also dead sister, Victor, who is Frankenstein’s monster and my personal favorite B.B.Hood who is red riding hood…if she was an assassin bent on taking out the Darkstalkers using guns and knives. All these characters evoke a certain charm that is not found in other games.

Darkstalkers Resurrection has many features including tons of in-game goals to accomplish, a new online mode, tutorials for each character and a slew of options to tweak the visuals and gameplay. There are also tons of unlockables to obtain via the Vault system which encourages you to play the game more and complete tasks in order to unlock exclusive artwork and character endings.

The online mode is very solid featuring GGPO netcode which means nothing but smooth connections for the majority of every match.

Needless to say, I would highly recommend checking this downloadable title out if you’re into old fighters, new fighters, old school horror icons or just want a change of pace from the norm. Plus, at $15 (PSN)/ 1200 MSP (XBL) it’s practically a steal for these arcade perfect ports of two great fighting games.

“There are no heroes here, only survivors” – Matthias, Tomb Raider

When the first trailer was shown for the new Tomb Raider, I was among the skeptics. It looked like another game with an over-sexualized heroine, and there was even a potential rape scene! However, as I mentioned in a previous article, after watching all of the trailers, I came to a different conclusion: Tomb Raider was probably going to be awesome. Other journalists told me not to get my hopes up.

It feels good to be the one smirking now.

I was right! They did it! They told a woman’s story, the story of her growth into a survivor, in a completely compassionate way. Yes, her body is still a little on the fantastical side (also, why didn’t she ever steal someone’s parka so she could stop shivering?) and yes, she often makes dumb mistakes and gets herself into all sorts of ruckus, but those are minor details and really such an improvement over the norm. One step at a time! And this was a pretty big step.

The game also includes a few homages to past games and movies, which I loved. This new Tomb Raider is completely modern, and yet retains the feel of the classic Tomb Raiders. I felt it the first time I wandered into a water-filled cave. As I moved slowly through the water, a wave of nostalgia hit me. Luckily, no bats or batshitcrazy T-Rexes made an appearance!

So, without further ado, let’s zip-line-and-crazy-pickax-jump into this review! This covers the PS3 version of Tomb Raider, which does not include her fancy “every strand of hair moves” technology that the PC version came with.

Package

Check out my unboxing video here. The game came with a code for a scavenger hunt (that I was apparently supposed to do before the game came out) a mini art book, and Tomb Raider: Final Hours, which works through the Amazon Appstore.

Plot

“Armed with only her instincts and her innate ability to push beyond the limits of human endurance, Lara must fight, explore, and use her intelligence to unravel the dark history of a forgotten island and escape its relentless hold.”

In this reboot of the series, a young, 21-year-old Lara is on her first archaeological adventure, looking for the kingdom of Yamatai. Following a hunch, she convinces the crew to head into the Dragon’s Triangle and its deadly storms.

From there, everything hits the fan in a rolling avalanche of crazy.

Characters

• Alex – Know-it-all nerd boy who just wants to impress Lara.
• Jonah – The spiritual brown man, he’s nice, patient, never loses his temper, and gives me presents. He also has a dark past.
• Sam – The director of the expedition’s film. I loved seeing a woman in this role, as it’s very rare to see female directors represented in any medium. She also cares deeply about her roots, as well as Lara. She miiight be sweethearts with Lara.
• Reyes – The tough girl with a heart. She is tough on Lara and has little patience for her. She’s also a mechanic and single mother.
• Roth – Is the fatherly figure who taught Lara everything she knows.
• Grim – The badass old man. You get the idea that he, Roth, and Lara’s dad had some crazy adventures of their own.
• Whitman – The prima donna douche-bag and head archaeologist of this expedition.
• Lara Croft – The young and passionate Lara lives on instinct, much as she is told to. Unfortunately, her instincts tend to lead her and others right into danger. Also, she comes off as a little book smart but street dumb, constantly tripping on vines, loudly calling out for people instead of hiding, and never picking up a parka from one of the many dead, fully-clothed people around her. As for her new look, her arms should be way more muscly, but in general, her body is proportional and more realistic than past representations (though I still think her lower back is probably aching and hey, she keeps using a bow but doesn’t bind her breasts, but whatever, survivor, wooo!).

I love this multicultural cast of characters and I enjoyed learning more about each of them. You find out most of the info through reading documents or, rather, having documents read to you by their voice actors. It often lends a haunting and melancholy air to the adventure.

As great as it is to have a diverse cast, I do have to point out that they each turn into tropes by the end of the game. The exciting news is that those tropes aren’t based on their race or gender, but more on roles of other characters in action movies. Yes, Reyes is a single mother and has a bad temper, but she is also a mechanic, a strong leader, and has a sweet side that is shown only when talking about her daughter or around her secret beau. Jonah is the mystical brown man, but he also has a troubled past, and his mysticism has more to do with his personality than his race.

All in all, I was very pleased to see this group, and I hope other games take note!

Graphics and Sound

This game is lovely. Environments often equate to eye-porn, with the complementary music adding a sense of loneliness to Lara’s journey. The atmosphere in this game was just spot on. I was freaked out, excited, sad, whatever they wanted me to feel.

The characters look stunningly realistic, and on the PC version Lara has TRESSFX, lending super realism to her…hair.

I played on the PlayStation 3 and saw only one glitch, where a gun was floating in the air, lonely and aloof.

Gameplay

The gameplay of this game is really and truly a blend. It’s not exactly a survival game, because you don’t need to eat to live, and ammo is plentiful. It is an action game with strong puzzle and shooter elements.

In general, the gameplay made me think of Far Cry 3 (PS: holy fast-travel batman!) and Uncharted. Oddly enough, a lot of the controls reminded me of DMC: Devil May Cry, but that’s probably just my brain being strange. Either way, I felt that this was the kind of game that would have been more difficult to play if it had come out a few years prior, but instead feels like a natural evolution of game mechanics.

QuickTime

QuickTime events were used heavily throughout the game. You all know how much I hate QuickTime events, but at least these generally did not take away from my ability to see what was happening on the screen.

Tools and Skills

There were a few interesting mechanics, such as lighting things on fire, environment interactions, and scaling walls with your pickax. Using fire continuously to help you in various puzzles and in traversing the environment was very interesting to me, as fire is usually a damaging feature in games, as opposed to a helping one. The game uses a system of base camps to allow you to upgrade skills and weapons based on experience points and loot (called salvage in game). Lara can also change outfits and collect relics and journal entries, adding clues to the island’s mysteries.

The UI of the skills and gear was very awkward and non-intuitive to me. It took me forever to figure out where everything was, and I found it difficult to compare weapons in any way.

I also had to figure out that when I dug in a box and didn’t find something, it actually either just made an automatic change in my gear or added to my salvage, without me appearing to have grabbed anything.

Environment

Lara’s interaction with the environment is also a solid gameplay experience. She automatically takes cover when enemies are near, she reaches out to touch walls when she gets close to them, she lights a torch in dark tombs and looks around in interest at scenic areas. I loved the automatic cover, and would enjoy seeing it as an alternative to sticky cover in other games.

As I mentioned before, the game is vaguely reminiscent of the old Tomb Raiders, especially in the optional tomb maps. Each area is its own puzzle/platformer, and there are enough varied moments that no section ever becomes dull. You could be doing anything from steering a fall to jumping around sunken ships to scaling an ice cliff to running from flames. This was truly a game that kept me on my toes, and even the most ADD player would have trouble being bored.

However, one issue I had is that sometimes areas are so clearly traps that it feels ridiculous that you have to actually go to them. This is a combination of narrative and level design that leads to this issue though. It just made Lara seem dumb for going into those areas.

Although the level design is usually very fun, sometimes it was a “learn by dying” experience, as you slowly pieced together how best to proceed in the level. Some levels needed to be stealth, which wasn’t always apparent since most areas allowed you to choose your own approach. These areas were particularly punishing and frustrating.

Stealth

When it worked, stealth was mildly addictive. When it didn’t work, it was horrendously annoying. As most of you know, I don’t generally enjoy stealth games. I am very impatient, which resulted in my death numerous times because I didn’t wait for an enemy to move, or pay attention to where they were facing. Eventually, I learned to treat the game as if every mission required stealth until the mission proved otherwise.

Combat

You will probably die in at least one fire-fight, as waves of enemies relentlessly pursue you, shooting up the frail boundaries you hide behind.

In general, combat is very well-paced with the story. Modding weapons leads to very satisfactory shooting experiences. One issue I had though is that Lara is so weak compared to the enemies. I can shoot some of them in the head twice and they don’t die… but if one of them has a rifle, I’m dead in seconds.

Enemies honestly cause more harm to themselves sometimes, setting things on fire, dropping napalm, cramming a choke point…lol, blowing up entire levels…lots of ways.

In general, combat became a more enjoyable experience the more I played and became used to the aiming mechanics, which felt slightly shaky in the beginning.

Multiplayer

Tomb Raider has four multiplayer modes:

• Team Deathmatch – Team vs. team and highest score wins
• Cry for help – Round based mode where survivors must activate radio transmitters while preventing batteries from falling into enemy hands
• Survival of the Fittest – Kill other players without dying to become the executioner before time runs out
• Rescue – Attempt to recover medical supplies while the Solarii must finish you with a melee execution

I played Team Deathmatch to get a feel for the multiplayer. It has a fairy simple set up: gain XP to get new weapons, mods, skills and characters. You get to choose which team you will play on, Survivors or Sollari. I liked that the system rewarded me not just for epic wins but also for epic fails, with a Feats and Setbacks feature.

The multiplayer is not bad, I just really wish they’d made it relate more to the main game. For example, all of the times the crew was separated from Lara could have been the setup for each of the multiplayer maps, with Lara calling in on walkie-talkie at the end of them.

Final Thoughts

This game took me on a journey. I went from scared and naïve Lara to a badass warrior woman. There was a moment at the very end, where Lara does something iconic to the Tomb Raider franchise, and I actually cheered. This is the Tomb Raider we’ve been waiting for.

You know what else is amazing about this game? Women stood behind it. Girl gamers asked for it, bought it, played it, and mostly loved it. This is the proof the industry needs that “if you build it, they will come” should be their mantra! Gamers are hungry for more strong female leads in games.

Another favorite aspect of the game for me was something that even my male friends noticed: no one called me rude names! I was never “bitch” or anything like that. They called me the “Outsider.” Heck, some of the bad guys even talked about what an amazing shot I was! I love that positivity in things I kill.

Despite the sometimes punishing combat and Lara’s almost unbelievable naivete in the beginning, this game proved to be a fun, fast ride worthy of any action flick, but with the solid gameplay of a classic.

First appeared on Nerdy But Flirty.

One of the biggest genres this generation has been the Western-style RPG, typified by games like Skyrim, the Souls games, and The Witcher series. with their gritty Game of Thrones aesthetics and more open-world structure. With Eastern-styled RPGs struggling this generation, Capcom chose a different approach and decided to create its own entry to the Western-style fantasy RPG, while still keeping Capcom’s sensibilities regarding action and combat. The result of this is Dragon’s Dogma, an open-world action-RPG from a team of designers whose members have worked on the PS2 Devil May Cry games, Monster Hunter, and the Eastern-RPG-styled Breath of Fire series.

In Dragon’s Dogma, you play a blank-slate main character of your own design who is attacked by a dragon during the intro sequence and has his/her heart torn out, informed by the dragon that they are now the Chosen One. Known thereafter as the Arisen, you then travel the world fighting the monsters that have suddenly plagued the countryside. The plot is paper-thin pulp fantasy that mainly serves as a backdrop for some great hack-and-slash action. In this way, Dragon’s Dogma is very much like Capcom’s hugely popular Monster Hunter series, only with an eye more towards international audiences.

One of the main features of Dragon’s Dogma is the pawn system. Pawns are player-created servants/battle companions of the main character. They are created using the same classes available to create the main character and are always at the side of the main character. However, in addition to creating your pawn, you can also download pawns created by other players via PSN or Xbox Live, and you can make your own pawn available for download by other players. The pawn system is a community feature. When you draft another player’s pawn into your party, you can rate his/her appearance and abilities as well as send the pawn with a gift for his/her original creator, and likewise other players can do the same with your pawn. You can also share your pawn via Facebook if your Facebook account is connected to your PSN/XBL account. Your companions are controlled by AI, although you do have the standard commands to change your companions’ behaviors as you see fit. The AI is reasonably competent. You generally won’t be frustrated as your pawns throw themselves headlong into an unwinnable situation or draw hordes of enemies upon you before you’re ready to take them on. The pawns will also constantly give you advice and/or warnings about enemies or other hazards in your party’s vicinity, which is helpful at times but can become an annoyance.

The combat is where Dragon’s Dogma really shines and reminds you of its Japanese heritage at Capcom. This is some of the best action RPG combat I’ve ever seen. Unlike so many other RPGs where it feels like you’re fighting paper dolls, the hits in Dragon’s Dogma feel rock solid, both on the giving end and the receiving end. Furthermore, Dragon’s Dogma allows you attacking options like climbing on the backs or heads of large enemies to deal damage, although you’ll have to do your best to hang on. These same large enemies are more than capable of crushing you underneath their feet.  While the combat isn’t as fast as a dedicated hack-and-slash brawler, it’s still among the best in the RPG genre. More than a few long-time Capcom fans have compared the combat in Dragon’s Dogma to that of Capcom’s 90s Dungeons and Dragons arcade brawlers (Tower of Doom and Shadow Over Mystara), and with Dragon’s Dogma’s huge array of melee attacks and magic, this is a fitting comparison.

You’ll be fighting plenty of huge monsters like this as you journey throughout the huge open world of Dragon’s Dogma.

In terms of visuals and sounds, Dragon’s Dogma is solid, if not spectacular. The world is suitably huge and panoramic, with sprawling cityscapes and endless mountains, valleys, and rivers. The character-creation modes are a cut above those of other games and allow you to customize your characters beyond the standard crew-cut males or helmet-haired females. The animations are done well enough, although slowdown rears its ugly head during crowded scenes.  The sound features stock Western-style RPG background motifs and sound effects. As previously noted, your pawns will constantly chatter to you, which may annoy some players, although you do have the option of turning the game’s voices down or off.

All in all, if you like intense, frenetic combat and a huge world to explore and can overlook the paper-thin plot, Dragon’s Dogma is highly recommended. While it isn’t likely to give From Software any cause to worry, Capcom has made a good first foray into the world of gritty console action RPGs, and hopefully we will see more in the future from this promising franchise.