Top 20 Favourite Games (20-11)

I did a top 20 "best games of all time" list and I felt the title was a bit misleading. I am in no way stating which games are the best of all time, just what games I personally love the most. The following list contains games that are personal favourites to me and I had to stick to 20 because I really do play way too many games for a top 10 and there has been SO many favourites over the years that I just cannot overstate how much I love.

But first off I wanna give some honorable mentions to games that barely made the list:

Half-Life



I really love Half-Life and I've played it a lot back in 2001 and 2002, one of the games that really made me feel immersed and made me feel like I was going through one big world and not just levels and cutscenes. It was a groundbreaking game in the terms that it constantly kept you in first person and felt very cinematic but in a different sense than games like Metal Gear Solid. Though it hasn't aged that well and I find it really hard to play through these days unlike the games on the list so I just can't include it for that reason. I just don't play it anymore.

The Longest Journey and Pinchcliffe Grand Prix

Pinchcliffe Grand Prix

I've played these games a lot, TLJ mostly due to the great dialogue and lengthy expositions done by the excellent voice actors and it's easily one of the best Norwegian games I've played, next to the Pinchcliffe Grand Prix game, which I also really played a lot back in the day but I just don't play it anymore at all so I find it hard to include. Pinchcliffe Grand Prix is basically a collection of arcady minigames that you play in order to win car parts to build the legendary Il Tempo Gigante car from the movie and race in a Death Rally esque racing game. It's a really solid game, not very impressive graphically but it does the job well and runs on pretty much every computer since 1998 and the graphics were really good for the time in terms of CGI animation and you can really tell a lot of passion was put into it to make it as close ot the movie as possible, even getting some of the same voice actors even if it's been over 20 years since the movie came out. There IS a Nintendo DS version of this game but I have yet to try it out and I hear it's kinda meh so... I might just stick to the PC version. The entire game is in Norwegian since the movie is a Norwegian cult classic, but I'm pretty sure there is an English version too, just saying. The game received a prestigious EMMA award in 2001 so that counts for something. One of my favourite aspects about the game is that it's entirely without violence and still manages to be a lot of fun and is a great introduction for younger players into gaming and especially simple arcade games. I don't play it that much anymore but I can see it as a game I might play with my children one day.

The Longest Journey

TLJ is an adventure game about April Ryan who turns out to be having the power to travel at will between two parallell dimensions, one is in the science-focused Stark while the other is in the magic-focused Arcadia. It's a really solid point-and-click game with a huge story and universe and great voice acting and it's only ruined by the terrible sequel Dreamfall which I honestly consider one of the worst games I have ever played in my life. But TLJ is a great classic by all means. Either way, both of these games I have played a lot and I really loved them but I just don't find myself having the will to revisit them.

So that's it for the honorable mentions, let's move on to the 10 first games on my top 20 list.

20 Duke Nukem

Duke Nukem was the first game that I remember playing at all. My father was a computer enthusiast and so naturally I got a lot of experience around computers growing up and Duke Nukem was a really popular shareware title when I grew up and it got a lot of gameplay from me. My dad probably can't count all the times he woke up at 5 in the morning from the PC speaker sounds. The game is a fairly decent platformer that sported some nice graphics for the time and paralax scrolling on PC was a bit of an achievement back then as PC platformers were starting to take off. It might not have aged that well as it sports EGA graphics and mere PC speaker sounds, but for me the nostalgia is really strong and to this day I still play this game a lot and it's arguably one of my favourite platformers ever. The basic goal of the game is to get to the exit of the level but with as many points and as much health as possible, since it's a very arcady game and it's all about getting the highest score. You're armed with a ray gun to kill off enemies which can be upgraded as you play to fire more rapidly. It's divided into 3 episodes, and the goal of each episode is usually the same, kick the ass of Dr Proton and his Techbots to hell, though the setting and level design varies between each episode, a theme that would be revisited in future games.
Just like most Duke Nukem games to follow, it wasn't terribly original or even that good, but it was incredibly unique in the terms of style. Of course, I would come to grow up with Duke and his later games and they are some of the games I have played the most in my life and it was all thanks to this initial game. Though I'm placing it lowest on the list due to it having some issues such as the levels getting pretty repetitive after a while and some of them are even pretty badly designed and can be a chore to get through, but overall this game is as solid classic DOS gaming as it gets. The game can easily be found online as you can get it at GOG.com and even on Steam as well, though since the game originally was released through mail order by Apogee, finding a boxed copy can be next to impossible, so if you do find one, consider yourself lucky.

19 BlackThorne

I'm not sure what really draws me to this game, whether it is the awesome 16bit graphics, the music, or just the sheer style of the game and the uber-sexy macho hero who reminds me of Duke Nukem for some reason. All I know is that I played it a LOT as a kid, almost as much as the first Duke Nukem, and also play it a lot today in DOSBox. It's just an overall solid action/adventure game in the vein of Prince of Persia, except you get a shotgun and the ability to hide in the shadows, not to mention you can fire behind your shoulder without looking (which would be IMPOSSIBLE but it works in a 2D space just fine). The main goal of the game is to fight an evil overlord who has enslaved your people and you have to go through 3-4 different stages to get there, each stage split into sections that you travel through in Prince of Persia style. Some might find the controls a bit sluggish but if you've played PoP before, they should feel like second nature. It's just a really cool game and I always keep it installed for some reason. Pretty difficult to find nowadays, especially a boxed copy.
Really wish it would be released on GOG.com or Steam as Blizzard do own the rights to this game since they developed it. A GBA port was released more recently though which might be easier to find though I really recommend tracking down the DOS version since every other version I've played was very censored and the blood was recoloured green while in the original DOS version the violence was more graphic, giving it a more adult feel.

18 Terraria

There are few games I can just play for days and never get tired of. When I first played Terraria I think I must've played it for an entire day almost, it's a game that I'm almost afraid of playing since I know I won't be able to play anything else for several hours or even an entire day if I get into it. A lot of people compare it to Minecraft but that's almost an unfair comparison as Terraria is so much more than what it appears to be. I've also had some people not wanting to play it due to the 2D graphics but to me that's one of the reasons I love it. It reminds me so much of the old 2D DOS games I played as a kid and I completely adore the style of it. While you can craft in the game and a lot of the game centers around crafting and building, you also have tons of enemies to fight and even bosses, and there's a lot of really good RPG elements in play that make it a very diverse experience. It's just a game I never get tired of and I can see myself playing it way into the future. The game can be found on Steam for next to nothing these days so I strongly recommend checking it out if you have any interest in Minecraft-like games, though like I said, it's a lot different from Minecraft.

17 Metroid Fusion

Out of all the Metroid games I strangely find Fusion to be my favourite. I've played it over and over more times than I can count and while I don't play it that much anymore it is the game in the series that I find the scariest, with the best story, the best controls and also the best gameplay. It is easily the best 2D Metroid and while the music isn't as memorable as Metroid 1 or Super Metroid, it definitely does set a good tone and adds a lot to the atmosphere in the game. The sound effects are really good for the GBA and I also really enjoy the fact that the game is pretty linear so you never get lost which for me was a common problem in other 2D Metroids and even the 3D ones. It is much easier to get through the game in Metroid Fusion and that's always a plus for me. Of course I have nothing against the more free exploration in other Metroids, I just simply prefer a more linear path and I am very happy that Fusion offered that. I also find the X parasites a really cool enemy and I think the SA-X is the most memorable enemy in the entire franchise, only possibly rivaled by Dark Samus in the Prime games. I only have one thing left to say, this game can bring chills down my spine and it's on a handheld platform. To me that counts for a lot.

16 Quake

Aww, he just wants to hug you!

Of course, to me I wouldn't be able to make a favourite games list without throwing in at least one id Software game and to me, Quake will always be their crowning achievement. The Lovecraftian tone coupled with the Nine Inch Nails sound design and the classic FPS gameplay that popularized a lot of things such as rocket jumping and online multiplayer even more than Doom did, makes Quake a solid 90's classic game that people are still modding it and creating new content, and with engines like Darkplaces you can even install high resolution textures that really make the game feel a lot more modern. The game is basically another Doom, except with less of a It really is their best game in my opinion and although it often falls under the shadow of Doom and Wolfenstein 3d, to me Quake just combines everything they had done at that point and perfected it. It was also a groundbreaking title in that it used polygon models instead of sprites, something that was really cutting edge back in 1996, especially since the game ran pretty well on most PC's, although it definitely benefited from hardware acceleration.

15 Grim Fandango

Of course I had to squeeze in an adventure game here and while I really love other games like Monkey Island and The Longest Journey, Grim Fandango is really my favourite adventure game of all time. I've played it so much that I know the entire game, every character, every line, every scene by heart and I must've played it more than any other adventure game I can think of. It's just a really charming game, chock full of humor and a bit of dark undertones too and the world was one of the first that I felt was believable and I could explore and get lost in. The art design also feels really fresh as it mixes 40's art deco with Mexican folk lore, something no other game has done to my knowledge, at least not in the same way and that well. The game is about Manny Calavera, who might appear to be the grim reaper but he's nothing more than a salesman who sells trips to the Ninth Underworld, the place of eternal rest, while spending his time trying to work off his time so he can get there himself. Of course he discovers that there is some heavy corruption going on and uncovers a web of deceit that leads him to an underground resistance and so on, though his quest soon becomes more about finding a woman who he feels responsible for, Mercedes Colomar, after not being able to give her a good trip despite her flawless attributes. It really is a gripping story and one I don't mind replaying now and then, like a good book or good movie, you can watch it again and discover something new.

14 Star Fox

The only console that I've actually spent a considerable amount of time gaming on was the SNES and among the games we had for the system, one of them was a little game called Star Fox, or Starwing here in Europe. The game is fairly unique in that it was one of the few games for the SNES that utilized real time 3D graphics. It achieved this by actually having a 3D processor chip included on the cart itself, which did all the math for the polygons and stuff, leaving the rest of the functions such as sprite scaling and sound to the SNES. This made for some really graphically impressive games for the SNES, Star Fox being probably the most popular and it's easy to see why. Star Fox is so much more than just a tech demo for the Super FX chip, it's actually really fun to play. It's basically an on-rails arcade shooter where you play through a set course of levels out of a possible 3, each of varying difficulty, attempting to get the highest score possible. Everything about Star Fox makes it an insanely memorable game for me and I even got so much into the game that I put on a headset and pretended to be actually flying the arwing. Easily one of my favourite SNES games and one I can pick up and play any day. There's even a slight animals vs humans theme going on which I find really intriguing.

13 Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams

Now this is one that I just wanna include because it has become one of my favourite games lately. It's a PC platformer that is essentially a sort of modern remake of the old Giana Sisters game for Commodore 64. Though Twisted Dreams is actually more than the original game was. While the original Giana Sisters alot of the time felt like a mere Mario ripoff, Twisted Dreams has a much more unique feel to it and a lot of really cool gameplay elements that I just haven't seen in other platformers that much. It takes some clues from the new Super Mario games on Wii but adds its own style and flavour to it. The music is done by Chris Hülsbeck and Machinae Supremacy and they've done a stellar job re-imagining the old chiptunes from the original into pretty epic rock songs that still maintain the addictive melodies and update them with more modern production, giving them more of an edge. An interesting thing about this game is the focus it has and the focus is on parallell dimensions and almost everything in the game, graphics, sound AND gameplay work together towards this focus. You can change between the Giana Sisters at any time you want, both of them being in different dimensions that work as opposites of each other and the levels are designed to take advantage of this game mechanic so you're constantly having to change between characters. It's similar to the dark world mechanic in Zelda Link to the Past in that each dimension has slightly different elements and you have to use both to complete the game. An interesting mechanic is that the graphics and music change on the fly as you change between dimensions and the music in Punk Giana's dimension is a lot more rocked up by Machinae Supremacy and the music in Cute Giana's dimension is more mellow and synthesized to give it a less rocked feel. To me that's just ingenious game design and shows that strong focus can really help give a game a unique feel. I strongly recommend checking the game out and there's even a free demo of it available on Steam, though you can get it DRM-free at GOG.com as well.

12 Super Mario World

Super Mario World was a game that I played almost ridicilously much growing up. Simply because it was easy to play but hard to master, and a ton of fun. Coming home from school, I would often do my homework and then just spend the rest of the afternoon playing Super Mario World. And growing up the game remained one of my most played console games and to this day it's probably my favourite Mario game and the only one I ever really got into. Other Mario games I've always had a bit of a problem getting into since I am primarily a PC gamer and only have a pretty marginal interest in console games, but World definitely is the Mario game that I love the most. I would say it's pretty much the perfect Mario game to me and I think a lot of Mario fans can agree.

11 Balls of Steel

Balls of Steel is pretty much to me the most fun pinball game I've played. Inspired by the pinball cabinet displayed in Duke Nukem 3D, it was released by 3D Realms under their Pinball Wizards label and lets you actually play a pinball table based on Duke Nukem 3D. I play it mostly for the Duke Nukem table but the other tables are just as fun and I always keep it installed for some quick and dirty pinball fun whenever I need it. I've tried a lot of other pinball games over the years but none of them really felt as satisfying and fun as Balls of Steel and I just simply love the game to death. It's a shame it was the only pinball game ever released under 3D Realms/Apogee's Pinball Wizards label but it's also one of the best pinball games out there so... at least it has that going for it. You can get it at GOG.com these days and that's the version I recommend getting, although a boxed copy is pretty easy to find on eBay if you give it a few searches. Highly recommended if you want a fun pinball game that doesn't take a whole lot to get into. It might not be very accurate in terms of realism or simulation but you know what, it's fun as hell and that's what matters to me.

So that's it for now. Stay tuned for my follow up list which will contain my top 10 favourite games of all time! Feel free to leave comments below!

- Alyxx

Review: Bleed (PC)

BLEED
Platform: PC (Steam)
Released: 2013
Genre: Platformer
Developer/Publisher: Ian Campbell
Buy on Steam

The strangely titled retro platformer Bleed from Bootdisk Revolution was released recently on Steam but has been available DRM free and on XBox Live since 2012. Featuring a cool pixelated purple-haired heroine dual-wielding pistols, you can make sure this game got my attention and getting it for my birthday from a friend, I had to try it out. Is it worth buying or is this indie game just another retro platformer in the sea of retro platformers? Let's find out.

The story in Bleed isn't exactly complicated stuff. You're basically sent out to kill some ex-heroes who have turned into villains somehow over time in order to become the new ultimate hero. The game does have its own unique humor though and contains several references to oldschool platformers and clichés. I particurarily love the level and boss descriptions and the main character has a ton of personality as every time you die, she will utter a comment about how she died, often pertaining to the level or enemy you fought. The story is pretty basic but sufficiently quirky to make it a bit unique although the gameplay is obviously the focus of the game.

The game plays a lot like the old classic Megaman games although with its own spin on things. The basic goal of each level, which can be played alone or co-op with a friend, is to make it through to the end and killing everything in your path, using your abilities to survive the hazards and enemies that come your way. The controls are gonna take some getting used to, especially the jumping mechanics (which confused me a bit at first as your double jump is controlled by aiming it). You're given two weapon slots and start out with dual pistols and a rocket launcher (two of my favourite weapons in any game) although as you complete each level you earn money you can use to buy new weapons and upgrades and you can change your weapon loadout at any time during the level, which expands your inventory slightly. You're also given a slowmo ability which comes in handy during certain areas and boss fights and it can be upgraded to last longer by giving you more energy, and a health bar which can be upgraded and you have infinite lives so losing is not that big of a deal, respawning you in the room you died. This is a godsend because this game is really challenging, even on the Easy difficulty. I really recommend not playing on anything but Easy when first playing this game as even that mode seriously kicked my ass on several occasions, especially since the controls feel a bit awkward at first and take some getting used to.

Once you have beat the game's 7 levels with the last one basically being a boss run, you can play through those again on higher difficulties or attempt some harder modes such as the Arcade mode (playing through the game on one life) or Challenge mode where you fight 3 bosses simultaneously on one screen. You can also unlock other characters by completing the game on other difficulties so the game does have some replay value although for me the game felt a bit too short and with not enough differences to warrant repeated playthroughs. I would've loved the ability to play more than just 7 levels personally.

The graphics are pretty decent, sporting the retro pixelated style you can expect from a retro platformer so there's not much to say about it. It feels deliciously 80's though with a lot of purple and pink used and a pretty broad colour palette. The game has a pretty good soundtrack although it just didn't stick that well with me for some reason. The main theme is pretty much the only memorable theme from the game in my opinion which is a shame. I just didn't feel the soundtrack stood out that well for me.

So overall, how good is Bleed? For me, the game is pretty average and kind of gets lost in the sea of retro indie platformers these days. Although I enjoy the style, especially the dual pistols and just the fact the game has a badass heroine and a quirky story, I found it way too short and way too difficult to really get into. The controls take some getting used to and even then I just can't find much replay value. It might be something I have the odd craving for now and then but I can't see myself playing this much.


SUMMARY:
STORY: 5/10
Largely forgetable and just there to serve the gameplay, although a bit quirky.
GRAPHICS: 7/10
Colourful retro graphics, but nothing you haven't seen a million times before in other retro platformers. If you like this style, this game is probably for you but for me it just feels a bit above average.
GAMEPLAY: 5/10
Difficult controls take a bit getting used to giving the game a bit of an unfair difficulty level for beginners and it will take a while to get into. It's a decent platformer though and the gunplay is fun. I will have to say it's a very short game though, the only replay value is there if you somehow feel the need to play through the same levels over and over.
SOUND: 6/10
It's classic 8bit style sound all the way but just doesn't stand out enough for me. I've seen this done a million times already in other indie platformers and this game just doesn't do anything unique in the sound department. It's decent and definitely fits the game, but just not memorable enough to be anything but average.

FINAL SCORE: 6/10

Top 10 Free To Play Games

We all love free stuff. I mean, it's free, you don't pay for it. Though in some cases with today's list you might end up paying for it in the end but this is a list of games that will literally cost you nothing to play. Take into consideration I am not counting demos or shareware here, only free games, and which offer the best gameplay and value for your airbucks. These are not in any way the top 10 "be all end all" of free games but they are simply my favourites among the free stuff out there

10.

Since Wolfenstein 3D became 20 years old last year, an online in-browser version of the game has been available to play, absolutely for free. It contains all of the levels from the full version and literally only costs you the time you spend online. Check it out now!

9.

Tetris is a legendary title among gamers. Known for its addictive nature and sweet music, Tetris is still going strong on pretty much any computer and device known to man that has a screen on it. Nowdays you can easily play it for free in your browser.
http://www.freetetris.org/

 8.

Want the multiplayer of Call of Duty without paying 60 bucks for it? Then Blacklight Retribution is the game for you. Offering a free-to-play model of the Call of Duty style multiplayer, set in a cyberpunk setting with some nifty unique features like mech suits and a vision that lets you easily spot campers, BLR sets itself apart as a superior experience to Call of Duty in many aspects. My favourite thing about it is the customization options and the ability to play as a female soldier. It has sweet visuals and very good audio to match them. Soon coming to PS4 but for now you can grab it for PC on Steam.

7.

Offering sleek visuals and an incredibly cool futuristic sci-fi style, Warframe is a free-to-play multiplayer shooter where you control cool looking robots, performing dangerous battles and missions on space stations and such. It's a very good game if you're into third person shooters and with a lot of customization options. Definitely worth checking out.

6.

While it costs you a bit to get a pro subscription, Quake Live is still a great game and basically a free version of Quake 3. Setting up an account and playing takes you seconds as all you need to do is install a plugin and you can play it in your browser. A lot of fun in short bursts if you're an oldschool Quake fan! You can play it at www.quakelive.com!

5.

Shadow Warrior is without a doubt one of the best Build games out there from the 90's, and if you're a fan of Duke Nukem 3D, Redneck Rampage, Blood and other Build games, Shadow Warrior is a must-play. It's not as good or memorable as Duke but definitely very fun to play and has a lot of delicious over-the-top violence and the graphics are an improvement on Duke 3D. You can play it for free on Steam!

4.

Black Mesa is pretty much a re-imagining of the original Half-Life with updated graphics and levels and much better voice acting that ties it more to Half-Life 2. It has a different feel to it though and really does stand on its own. Suffice to say, you haven't played Half-Life until you've played Black Mesa as it really does feel like a better Source version of Half-Life than HL:Source. All you need is Steam and the Source SDK and you can play it! Get it now at http://www.blackmesasource.com/

3.

Tribes Ascend is one of the games that tries to classify itself as a virtual sport rather than a game and it's easy to see why. Tribes is really one of those games that is easy to play but takes a long time and effort to master and get good at as it has a very unique playstyle. It is a lot of fun though to be skiing at high speed and use the jet pack to fly high and bomb the poor mofos under you with a grenade launcher. Definitely worth trying out and it's free!

2.

Technically Dota 2 is in closed beta but with so many codes floating around, Valve are practically giving the game away for free. It's definitely a very fun experience though and very addictive once you start playing it. It's basically a team vs team game where two teams start on opposite ends of a map and duke it out, trying to destroy each other's bases and you basically control a hero character, and the game's addictive nature lies in how many heroes there are, their abilities and which one you choose as your favourite. While it may take a few forum requests to get it, it's easy to get a free copy if you have Steam.

1.

Let it be said, I am a MASSIVE shmup fan. It is by far my favourite genre from the 8bit and 16bit eras of gaming and Tyrian 2000 is definitely up there among the best and the best part is, it's 100% free! On gog.com you get the game pretty much when you sign up for an account and it's totally worth getting an account over. Not only is it a fun arcady shmup but it also has customization options and great music! Head over to www.gog.com now and grab yourself a free copy!


So yeah, those were my top 10 free to play games. Which are your favourites? Leave a comment!

- Alyxx

PC Game Review: BioShock Infinite

BIOSHOCK INFINITE
Platform: PC (Steam)
Released: 2013
Genre: First Person Shooter
Developer: Irrational Games
Publisher: 2K Games
Buy on Steam

Before I start talking about the game, I just want to say that this is the first BioShock game I've played. I actually never played BioShock 1 or 2 and bought this game for the sole reason that it seemed intriguing and got a lot of great reviews from both people and critics. A lot of people seem to really love this game and most people have already compared it to Half-Life 2 in terms of how good it is. So I thought that now that I've finally finished this game (on Hard difficulty mind you), I'd share my two cents on what my thoughts are about BioShock Infinite.

The first thing that really caught my attention about BioShock Infinite was the graphics. This game oozes atmosphere and pure raw STYLE from the moment you start it up. It's basically set in a sort of steampunk fictionalized 1920's, and stuff like religion and not to mention a good deal of racism is alive and well. You'll even find a lot of advertisements for cigarettes marketed to children. The graphics do a wonderful job setting you in the right mood and making the environment feel alive and vibrant and this is by far one of the best looking games this year. You'll probably benefit from buying this game on PC, seeing as it's far superior to consoles in terms of graphics, if you really care about that sort of thing, but it probably looks great on consoles too since it's more reliant on style rather than photorealism, something I tend to prefer in most cases. If you look at something like Deus Ex Human Revolution compared to Call of Duty Ghosts, in my opinion, Human Revolution wins out.

Vigors are an essential part of the gameplay and helps add some needed flair to it, though the weapons feel uninspired.

Another thing I noticed was how well paced it was. Being a sequel (spiritually anyway) I expected this game to more or less throw you right into the action and just toss everything at you at once. Instead the game gradually eases you into its concepts and introduces everything pretty smoothly. When you reach Elizabeth, who is in many ways the second protagonist in the game in addition to Booker, that's when the game really begins and you get introduced to the more heavy story elements. Before that the game spends a considerable amount of time just letting you wander around, soaking in the environment and getting familiar with the setting before it throws you into the action. Up until the point where you meet Elizabeth, you've already had the time to get familiar with the combat and basic weaponry and the game does a wonderful job easing you into more and more concepts, building them gradually like Lego blocks. It's this kind of game progression I enjoy in most games as it can be rather overwhelming when everything is thrown at you at once. It doesn't hurt that the story is really good and will definitely keep you playing for a long time. I won't really go into any big spoiler territory here but the game is long and has several great twists, especially one at the end and it does involve time travel and multiple dimensions and stuff and it's really good fuel for thought, which I'll admit is a rarity in most of today's games.

But no matter how good the story might be, the gameplay elements though tend to feel rather... uninspired. It's hard to put into words precisely but the game does feel like it's lacking a lot of things and I'll explain why. The first thing is the weaponry. You're given this skyhook thing, which you can also use to travel on skylines, which by the way is as fun as it looks, I'll give it that, and you use the skyhook as a melee weapon. However, unlike when the weapon is first demonstrated, you can't really do any finishing moves or executions using the skyhook. Most you can do is thwack people with it repeatedly until they die and it's not really that satisfying to use as a weapon and in most cases it's only usable to finish people off after stripping most of their health away with your other guns. In of itself it's a rather disappointingly weak weapon. The other weapons also feel almost dull and you're never really given anything that stands out particurarily or feels particurarily satisfying to use. I mostly stuck to the Carbine or Revolver since the two only automatic weapons, the machine gun and the crank gun (basically a minigun with a crank), feel rather underpowered and especially on Hard waste a lot of ammo and aren't that useful. I really wish you could have something like an assault rifle that felt really satisfying to use. You also have a rocket launcher and a grenade launcher, but all of the weapons feel rather standardized and boring to use and nothing really struck me as feeling radically satisfying.

Meet Elizabeth, one of the most expressive and interesting sidekicks since Half-Life 2.

Another thing that really struck me was that death has no real consequence in this game. Sure, it takes some money away but you don't really get any penalty for dying. You either just step back out of an office (which is a pretty cool idea I'll admit) or Elizabeth revives you. Either way, it's kinda like in Borderlands where death feels entirely inconsequential. I just wish there was more of a penalty so that you didn't get this "eh, I'll just get back into the fight" feeling since enemies don't even regenerate health while you are gone. I mean, it's kinda unfair on the enemies too and I really wish this game stuck to quicksaves instead of basically giving you infinite lives. I guess it makes the game feel smoother but it also makes death feel entirely without consequence and it kinda bothers me when I think about it. I know that Spoony touched upon this issue in his review and I definitely agree with him on it. By the way that's a review I'm gonna have to do one day, Borderlands, seeing as the infinite respawns make NO sense in story context and are purely there as a way to keep players interested since a lot of modern gamers probably just turn off the game when they die even once (no offense intended here, I've been guilty of it myself).

The enemies behaved rather well, though a lot of them suffered from "running into you without any regard for self-preservation" syndrome. I mean, we're in 2013 and we still haven't figured out to make AI that doesn't do stupid shit like this? None of them felt really memorable aside from some of the higher level enemies like the Patriots and the Handymen (which are TERRIFYING by the way since they don't give you time to react at ALL). I also liked some enemies in one level of the game which essentially are living flashlights that can see you and warn everyone else, those kinda creeped me out. The game also notably had a lack of boss fights. Other than fighting Lady Comstock (and you don't really fight her as much as you fight her minions), I can't really remember any memorable boss fights in this game, which is a bit of a bummer for me. Hell, the final fight is really just an airship battle with no real boss to speak of.

The Skyhook is one of the coolest aspects about Infinite, especially when you can strike someone from a skyline.

That being said the game does have some cool gameplay elements. The biggest draw of the game are of course the Vigors that give you several different powers and they can be upgraded via vending machines that sell everything from weapons and ammo to different Vigor upgrades. I definitely preferred some Vigors over others and you'll probably quickly find your favourite among them as it's kinda like a case of finding one you like and sticking to it since switching Vigors mid-combat is a bit of a chore, especially if you're playing this game on anything but PC (on PC you can hotkey to any Vigor you want). 

The game relies pretty heavily on looting as well and it gets almost absurd how much money and stuff you find in trash cans and just lying around and sooner than later, it kinda strikes me that I felt a bit like a kleptomaniac playing this game, not to mention a glutton. I mean, even with full health, I'd stick my hands into a trash can and fish out some food and eat it and it's nothing gamebreaking but it does kinda make you a bit grossed out when you think about the fact this guy even later on stuffs his face with all kinds of nasty shit, even rotten fruit and such. I mean, it even says rotten fruit and the guy still eats it. What a pig! XD

Don't let the silly design fool you, these guys can make you shit bricks...

A lot of people have mentioned that Elizabeth is one of the best companions in a game ever, and while I can see where people come from in the sense the game is kind of an escort mission but never feels like one, she doesn't really do a whole lot other than throwing you some ammo and stuff once in a while. She's basically immune to damage and it's kind of hilarious to see her running among the enemies and them not really giving a shit about her and I can't really say it makes her an active sidekick, but it does keep her from getting annoying and she is genuinely charming and has a lot of expression and emotion to her. I just disagree that Elizabeth is really that good of a sidekick since she doesn't really do anything other than opening doors for you (which makes her basically an extended lockpick and you need to gather lockpicks ANYWAY to use her) and tossing you ammo mid-combat, which I'll admit comes in handy but again, it doesn't really make her that useful.

So yeah, the music and voice acting is also top notch, I can't really find anything bad to say about that. All in all this game isn't GREAT or PERFECT by any stretch but it's good, really good. The story however is rather linear, there are no multiple paths (even if it's hinted at) and once you've played the game once, there's not really much reason to replay it, unless you really like playing around with different Booker builds and Vigors and stuff. I don't really feel like replaying it though since the ending kinda makes the entire game feel a bit inconsequential, which is one of my biggest pet peeves with some stories, when it kinda opts for that pussy out ending of "this never happened", which I won't go into any spoilers about but you'll know what I mean if you've played this game.

The Vigor effects tend to take centerstage at times.

Summary:
Gameplay: 7/10
Nothing really groundbreaking, you'll either love it or just not find it that special. I belong to the latter group on this.
Story:8/10
A great story but the ending for me kinda ruined any replay value and it felt very linear.
Graphics: 10/10
An absolutely breathtaking game. One of the few times a game has me awed at the sheer style and smoothness of the graphics. It really takes you into a whole other world.
Sounds: 7/10
It's pretty average. The music is largely forgetable, though the voice acting is great. The weapon sounds could definitely have been a bit better.

Average Score: 8/10

- Alyxx

PC Game Review: Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon

FAR CRY 3: BLOOD DRAGON
Platform: PC (UPlay)
Released: 2013
Genre: First Person Shooter
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Buy on Steam


How can you go wrong with a version of Far Cry 3 featuring a cyborg Michael Biehn fighting a horde of giant neon-glowing Blood Dragons spewing lazers out of their eyes and an army of cyborgs who all sound like Microsoft SAM on crack while wielding futuristic-looking weapons and a flamethrower in a landscape filled with neon colours to the thumping awesome beat of one of the best retro 80's soundtracks ever heard in a video game?
Short answer: You can't. Long answer: Look below.

From what I understand, Blood Dragon started out as somewhat of an April fools joke. Far Cry 3 done as a retro-futuristic shooter influenced by 80's sci-fi thrillers and action movies. However, at some point, somebody probably thought this idea was way too good to waste on an April fools so they went ahead and made it. The game was thought to be a DLC for Far Cry 3 but instead was made into a standalone game that does not require Far Cry 3 to install and run, which is a good thing as in many aspects, I vastly prefer Blood Dragon to Far Cry 3, even if the latter has a longer campaign and multiplayer. The game features the voice talent of famous action star Michael Biehn (Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, Navy Seals) who does his best Snake Plissken voice, of course sounding endlessly badass. It really feels like he was always meant to be in a video game and this is further proof for it, and hopefully he will be more remembered for this role than his reprised role as Hicks in Aliens: Colonial Marines.

In an 80's dystopian version of 2007, where the world is suffering from the aftermath of a nuclear war between the United States and Russia,  Biehn portrays sergeant Rex Power Colt, a Mark IV cyber commando sent on a mission to investigate an island where colonel Sloan, an elite agent, has gone rogue. Confronting the colonel, it turns out that Sloan wants to take over the world (of COURSE) using the lazer-firing blood dragons as his weapons, from which he has taken blood and injected himself with it, giving him extraordinary cyber powers.
The story is pretty straight forward and never gets in the way of the gameplay, and is quite enjoyably cheesy, with all kinds of 80's clichés, such as a training montage and the cutscenes are portrayed in a wonderfully done 16bit style, similar to games you'd see in arcades or on the Sega Mega Drive back in the late 80's/early 90's.

IMMA FIRIN MAH LAZOOOOR!

Gameplay wise, Blood Dragon is near identical to Far Cry 3, but with its own twist on the game. Instead of choosing which powers you want to unlock, they are pretty much unlocked for you every time you level up, giving you time to focus on the game and making it a more streamlined experience. Tutorials are always popping up (to Rex' annoyance) to give you information about your skills and weapons, with the occasional PSA popping up to humorous effect. Also, due to Rex Colt being a cyber commando, he has no limited sprint and there is virtually no falling damage at all (which is used to great effect in a memorable scene in the game). This makes Blood Dragon a much more fun and enjoyable experience than the original Far Cry 3 in a lot of respects, since it's faster paced and you only need to worry about dying from getting your stupid ass shot instead of falling off a cliff. The controls are also identical to Far Cry 3 and if you've played pretty much any first person shooter or something like Crysis before, you'll most likely slip right into them.

The world map is notably smaller than in Far Cry 3, and Blood Dragon is indeed a much more bite-sized experience, and the gameplay elements remain mostly the same. You'll spend the majority of the game liberating Garrisons, slaying enemies and animals for XP and other bonuses, and doing side missions to unlock new weapon upgrades. There are however some interesting twists to Blood Dragon as the eponymous blood dragons are some of the most terrifying enemies I've ever faced in a game as they can kill you easily with their lazer blasts. Thankfully, they are near blind and moving slowly near them you can often avoid them, and they have an affinity for the hearts you rip out of the enemy cyborgs, so throwing them to distract them often works well. There are other minor additions but I'm sure you'll find those out on your own. The campaign itself is rather short and solves itself quickly. I played through the game in less than 2-3 days while I can usually spend a week or so on a game, though if you do every side mission and try to max yourself out, it will take a while for you.

Takin' down da choppa!

The graphics are gorgeous in Blood Dragon, everything is more or less oozing (sometimes literally) with a neon retro futuristic 80's influenced style that doesn't really remind me of anything from the 80's but still has that style to it. There's a lot of glowing lights used and it's really a feast for the eyes. Textures are pretty good and I especially like the details on Rex' arm. The music and sounds match the visuals perfectly as the soundtrack, composed by Power Glove, is a retro synthfest that perfectly captures the dystopian sci-fi 80's cyberpunk feel of the game. The main theme is extremely catchy and I found myself humming it long after playing the game. Thankfully the version I bought came with a soundtrack CD and I've already put the music on my mp3 player as I just can't get enough of it. It really is one of my favourite soundtracks this year, if not THE favourite soundtrack!

Those dam puns...

So all in all, is Blood Dragon worth the money? Gods yes, this is by far my favourite game this year. It has an amazing style that a lot of people have compared to Duke Nukem Forever and I have to agree, it's probably why the game appeals so much to me. There's just nothing like playing a character like Rex Colt that really makes you feel like a superhuman and gives you the ability to just have fun with a game instead of limiting you like a lot of modern games tend to do. The game also never takes itself too seriously, there's a loose humorous tone to it and I'm sure anyone who grew up in the 90's and 80's are going to love this game. It's a shame the game feels way too short and there is no multiplayer as I would've loved to play this co-op with a friend and it seems like there would be opportunities for it at times. I also had slight performance issues on my PC though that could just be my PC. Otherwise, this game is a must-have for fans of shooters and 80's retro futurism, and I highly recommend it!

SUMMARY
Gameplay: 8/10
Graphics: 9/10
Sound: 10/10

Average Score: 9/10

- Alyxx

Top 10 Worst Sequels

Sometimes when a franchise goes on for long enough, there's usually an eventual sequel that just doesn't live up to the franchise standards, or in worst case utterly destroys a franchise. Since we've looked at the top 10 best sequels, it is now time to deal with the worst, the ones that failed in my opinion. Here are some of my least favourite sequels. Keep in mind these are not necessarily bad games (with a few exceptions) but just failed to deliver a good sequel that could live up to the predecessor.


And no, I refuse to put Duke Nukem Forever on this list for 3 reasons:
1. I had fun with it
2. It actually felt like a sequel to Duke 3D, carrying over everything I loved about it
3. This is my list and I can put whatever I want on it.

10. Quake 2

When you compare Quake 2 to the original Quake, it's really hard to see it as a true sequel. Let's be honest, Quake 1 didn't have much of a story but it did have a setting, taking a lot of inspiration from HP Lovecraft and creating probably id's darkest horror setting to this date. The manual taunts you that the final boss will be Quake himself, and that Quake might just be a codename. Who knows, maybe it's one of the elder gods himself! However instead of fighting him, the final boss is just a giant slimy bitch who gives birth to the monsters you've fought and you kill her, leaving the real enemy still out there. The game didn't feel like it had any real closure and not even the mission packs helped add any to it. I was looking forward to beating Quake's ass in the sequel, Quake 2. So I put it in and what do I see? AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT GAME ALTOGETHER!!! While Doom 2 might have felt a tad bit too similar to Doom 1, Quake 2 has the polar opposite problem, it's way too different from Quake to even REMOTELY be considered a sequel! The name Quake 2 is incredibly misleading in this regard and from what I understand, originally it was supposed to be a new IP and they just, well, couldn't find a name that wasn't licensed and stuck with Quake 2. While I'll admit Quake 2 isn't a bad game, and it's a hell of a lot of fun, especially in multiplayer, it's impossible to see it as a good sequel. And for that, it deserves a place on this list.

9. Fallout 3

While Fallout 3 isn't a bad game per se, it's simply too average and too tame to feel like a good sequel to Fallout 2, one of the most over the top and out there RPG's I've ever played. For crying out loud, I became a pornstar and fucked a guy to the point where he exploded! There was so much fun to be had in Fallout 2, the guns felt immensely satisfying, and you could turn on bloody mess from the beginning! It was an amazing game and how do Bethesda follow it up? They make a dumbed down semi FPS RPG that doesn't even bother finding a new setting, just badly ripping off the setting in the first game, throwing in a bland uninteresting story of "bad guys" vs "good guys" and leaves little to no room for actual roleplaying. That and the graphics haven't at all aged well. With mods, the game is slightly more tolerable but no mods can make the core experience any less disappointing. Overall I was really disappointed in Fallout 3 as it had so much potential to be a great RPG but they threw it out the window for one of the most overrated games this generation.

8. Deus Ex: Invisible War 

Again, in of itself, Invisible War is not a BAD game, it's just way too simplified and dumbed down when compared to the original Deus Ex. The story is also a bit all over the place and in some weird way makes all 3 of the different Deus Ex endings canonical. It's hard to explain how they did it but it sure left me a bit confused. As a shooter it works just fine and you can have a lot of fun being an asshole who just shoots everyone, but I wouldn't recommend this if you want an experience like the first Deus Ex gave you.


7. Bubsy 3D

Now, it's not like the first two Bubsy games were any kind of masterpieces so it's kinda weird that this game got made in the first place. While I'll admit Bubsy 1 and 2 had their charm on SNES and Mega Drive, there is no charm to be found in this game. Just look at the above screenshot and tell me if you can believe it's a PS1 game. Yeah, looks more like an early 90's experimental ALPHA of a game, doesn't it? It controls bad, it has zero to no redeeming values, the graphics are atrocious and it's hard to believe Accolade even released this game in such a state back then.


6. Ultima IX

To call Ultima IX anything but a giant middle finger to the fans of the Ultima series and anyone who actually cared about the characters and storyline in the games, considering it has so many inconsistencies and just outright WRONG things about it that makes it immensely out of canon with any of the other games, would be to lie. Not only that but to get this game working on any modern PC requires so many patches that it's just not worth the hassle. It's easily one of the worst games EA have ever published and makes Mass Effect 3 seem like a masterpiece in comparison.


5. Diablo 3
 
One thing is to release a sequel to one of most popular hack'n'slash RPG's of all time, Diablo 2, and stuff it with needless MMO elements and microtransactions. Another is to force you to be always online, even for the single player, and then having your servers rendering players unable to sign in. On top of that, Blizzard have treated the players like crap if they complained about this game and some have even lost the chance to even play it. It's one of the most notorious examples of forced online DRM in recent memory and should be setting an example no other companies should follow. I would much rather play any of the two Torchlight games since they are actually made by the people who worked on Diablo 1 and 2.


4. Metroid: Other M

While the gameplay in Other M is pretty good, it is very hard to ignore the bland emotionless voice acting from the heroine herself, Samus. Expected to be the game where we would finally see her express herself and find out more about her, instead we are treated to one of the worst acting performances ever in game history. The other characters don't do a better job either and the story is pretty bad to add to the pain of it. Other M is easily one of the worst sequels in history due to its utter failure to deliver upon its promises.


3. Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

The Banjo Kazooie games are some of the most revered on the N64. While I am absolutely not a fan of them myself I can see how Nuts & Bolts utterly failed as a sequel. Originally meant to be the long awaited sequel Banjo Threeie, Nuts & Bolts instead tries to combine building cars and riding such cars with the platforming of Banjo Kazooie. Who thought this was a good idea? Microsoft sure did...


2.Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness

Supposed to be a reboot of the entire franchise, Angel of Darkness failed to deliver on pretty much everything. Forcing in RPG elements that didn't need to be there and just all around having terrible controls and gameplay compared to earlier titles, Angel of Darkness stands as the worst entry in this legendary franchise. The only saving grace is that Lara looks damn good in this game as usual, but not even she can save the disastrous gameplay.


1. Dreamfall: The Longest Journey

It's hard for me to talk about Dreamfall because I loved The Longest Journey so much. I had really high hopes for the sequel and it seemed to be such a wonderful game when I saw the initial trailers. The graphics were breath taking and I had all these expectations. Well, Dreamfall made sure to quickly blow all my expectations out of the water... The game is loaded to the brim with inconsistencies that made me wanna throw the game out the window, the characters had incredibly bland voice actors, the story was atrocious and characters from the first game were used with little to no understanding for their deeper desires and what drove them in the first game. April Ryan had turned from an optimistic charming girl into a passive emo bitch who didn't care about anything! I wanted to just slap her so hard she'd start giving a fuck! Charlie, for some reason, was running the Fringe café, EVEN IF HE STATED IN THE FIRST GAME IT WASN'T A GODDAMN FULLTIME JOB AND JUST SO HE COULD GET OUT OF THAT PLACE! Emma claimed she believed April in the first game WHEN SHE CONSTANTLY QUESTIONED HER SANITY AND APRIL BARELY EVEN MENTIONED IT TO THEM! Charlie claimed to be skeptical when he ALWAYS BELIEVED APRIL! Also, what the HELL was up with that Ring girl? Why even throw all those references in there? Seriously, this game is one of the worst sequels I've ever played and to this day the ONLY game in my collection I actually sold. It makes me physically ill talking about this game, makes me on the verge of crying, because this game DESTROYED any hopes I had for The Longest Journey to become a franchise. It was such a horrible sequel that it just utterly VAPORIZED the franchise. Now Ragnar Tørnquist wants to make an episodic sequel called Dreamfall Chapters but I think it's safe to say he lost me with Dreamfall for good...

- Alyxx

Top 10 Best Sequels

Top 10 Best Sequels
by Alyxx

When an IP becomes a hit, usually that means a sequel. Both in the movie business and gaming world, sequels can either make or break a franchise and here we're going to look at 10 of my personal favourites.

10. 
It takes a lot to improve on a game like Mass Effect, and in some ways, I still prefer Mass Effect since I see Mass Effect 2 as less of a RPG and more as an action/adventure game. However, as a sequel, Mass Effect 2 does improve on Mass Effect 1 in a lot of ways as well as continuing the story in a nifty way. The cover system is improved, you now have ammunition to worry about which gives you more reason to use multiple weapons instead of sticking to one weapon constantly since you had basically unlimited ammo in ME1, graphics are much improved as well, conversations feel more alive and overall, the game feels better and controls more fluidly. While Mass Effect 3 is also a stellar title, I still think Mass Effect 2 is slightly better.


9. 
How do you make a sequel to Doom? Easy, you give people more Doom! Doom 2 is essentially a retail expansion to Doom as the improvements are extremely subtle and it's really similar to Doom in most ways. However this is not necessarily a bad thing and the level designs feel better, the new double barelled shotgun is a kickass addition and the new enemies pack a punch too. A classic shooter made more classic! And John Romero is the final boss...


8. 
Speaking of classics, do you remember Duke Nukem 1? No? How about Duke Nukem 2? Not that either huh? Well... what about Duke Nukem 3D? I'm sure you have because Duke 3D is one of those sequels that was so good that it pretty much put the earlier titles to shame, something that is not easy to do mind you. While it's technically a remake of the first game with a new storyline and enemies, it's a great sequel as well and in my opinion one of the best shooters of all time. This is the game where Duke got his attitude, his one-liners, and his legendary status among gamers. Hell, it's so good that even today, people are still making mods for it.


7. 
Borderlands 2 is yet another example of a perfect sequel. It removes the annoying elements from the first game and improves on the rest. The story is better, the characters are more memorable, the guns are better, the loot is better. Overall, Borderlands 2 is actually so good that it retroactively makes the first game better as well since it makes you care more about the story and characters in it! That's not easy to pull off, mind you! It also has one of the best villains of all time, and teaches us the age old lesson that in order to care about your enemy, you have to know him, and Jack's constant teasing throughout the game and messing with you and your friends really makes you want to see him pay in the end, and the ending of this game is a thousand times more satisfying than the one from the first game.


6. 
It's sort of a hard task making a sequel to Tomb Raider. After all, the first game was such a stellar success that it would be hard to pull off in no shorter than a year after it. While Tomb Raider 2 is technically similar to the first game, a lot of it updated and it does feel better to play as well as having a more interesting story. It also has some of the most memorable levels from the entire franchise, including the sunken Maria Doria ship which is one enormous level that feels like it has a story to tell and first time playing this game, exploring everything was a wonderful feeling. It truly is a magnificent sequel and highly recommended to all action/adventure fans.


5. 
Making a Call of Duty sequel these days must be a task of pretty much colossal proportions. The franchise is the highest selling in gaming history and Treyarch had a lot on their shoulders when making this game. I was glad to see that Black Ops 2 is easily the best Call of Duty made and I can see myself playing it for years ahead. It also helps that it's the most PC friendly CoD I've played and they've really went that extra mile to make it inviting to new players as well. Everything about it is an improvement over any previous titles and I am happy to call myself a Call of Duty fan because of this game.


4. 
We all know the reason people got a Nintendo back in the 80's. Mario. The first Super Mario game was an amazing success that proved to people what games were capable of and Super Mario Bros. 2 also was a great game, even if it was a reskinned Doki Doki Panic. But Super Mario Bros. 3 is one of the sequels that just outclasses both of them. It is easily considered one of the best games of all time, if not one of the best NES games of all time. The amount of detail, passion and just outright fun put into this game is mindboggling from an 8bit console and it stands as one of the best titles Nintendo has ever produced, and also one of the most challenging.


3. 
Let's face it, the first Mega Man game wasn't really impressive. The difficulty was way too high even if the graphics and music was pretty good. However, Mega Man 2 improves on pretty much everything, delivering an experience that surpassed the original by lightyears. The music is arguably the most memorable on the NES, up there with titles like Zelda, Metroid and Super Mario, and it's just all around the best Mega Man game in the series for me.


2. 
Where Mario was the reason most people got a Nintendo, Sonic was the mascot for Sega and while the first Sonic game was a big reason most people got a Mega Drive, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 arguably is more memorable as it introduced multiplayer with the cute foxy sidekick Tails. Still keeping up the level design which centered around high speed as well as intricate platforming, Sonic 2 delivered more of the great stuff from the first game, but with a ton of more fun to it. Also helped that Michael Jackson was involved with the music...


1. 
While some may argue that Super Metroid is the best 2D Metroid, my personal favourite will always be Fusion. Not only does it have more of a story to it, it's also more streamlined and easier to play for me at least. The music is great, the sound effects are incredibly atmospheric and it's the only 2D Metroid that comes close to really making me feel frightened. Whenever the SA-X comes walking, my skin crawls for real and I get goosebumps, especially when playing with headphones on. It's easily the best GBA game I know and the best Metroid sequel in my opinion.

PC Game Review: Tomb Raider (2013)

TOMB RAIDER
Platform: PC (Steam)
Released: 2013
Genre: Action/Adventure
Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Publisher: Square Enix
Buy on Steam

Tomb Raider definitely has a special place in my heart. I grew up with the Tomb Raider games on PC and Lara has always been a bit of an idol for me and an inspiration to follow my dreams and do what I want and not letting anything get in my way. The Tomb Raider games, from 1 to Chronicles, all share the same excellent gameplay that in a great way blended action with adventure and to this day they remain some of my favourite games. And while Angel of Darkness was an indisputable failure, TR Legend and onward all felt like great Tomb Raider games. However, for Lara's new adventure, she is reborn from scratch, given an entirely new look and personality. Square Enix has taken the chance to make a proper Tomb Raider reboot, giving her an origin story where she transforms from a shy bookworm into the bad ass adventuress that she is known to be. What they did was create probably the best Tomb Raider game yet and something entirely different from what fans of the series have come to expect. So naturally, going into this game with any expectations would not be doing it justice. You'll simply have to take it for what it is, and what it is, is one of the most gripping origin stories I've played recently.

Lara acts and looks a lot more natural than ever in Tomb Raider 2013.

One of Tomb Raider's strengths is that of storytelling. Trapped on an island with her friends and no way to get away, Lara has to learn to survive in a harsh environment and she is more than often forced into bad situations she has to escape, and you can see these situations all affecting her, toughening her more and more as she goes along. The game's main focus lies on Lara's evolution and dynamic transformation and pretty much everything centers around watching her grow and mature, with several subtle details showing it. For one, as she starts out, she'll act with regret when killing someone and doesn't seem used to it. However, as the game progresses, she slowly adjusts and even starts to enjoy it near the end. She'll look increasingly bruised and scratched and her clothes will start to deteriorate from damage and such. One of the most beautiful things about this game is that we discover Lara's latent abilities and instincts together with her naturally as we play and it builds a very strong empathic connection with her that is unlike most games I've played lately, and the game does so without ever putting you directly in Lara's shoes. The game is constantly third person and Lara will act smart enough to do certain things on her own, such as going into stealth automatically when enemies are nearby or light a torch before a dark area, regardless of whether you do it or not. However, she never does anything that seems counter-intuitive or intrusive and you are still very much in control of her actions.

Afraid of heights? Me too...

The gameplay is very reliant on quick time events and most actions require these to be performed in some manner, and whether this is a flaw or not depends entirely on your taste. The quick time events during certain boss battles did feel very intrusive and not very intuitive at first and ended up stalling the game a bit for me. I often died simply because I didn't time the events or perform them correctly, or quite simply didn't react fast enough. However once I got into the game these quick time events became like second nature to me and adjusting to them was easy enough. It's only a minor annoyance and nothing that broke the game for me, thankfully. Otherwise the game plays mostly like a third person shooter, similar to the old Tomb Raider games, though your weapons often fulfill more functions than just being used for killing, and some tools serve functions beyond what they're meant for. 

Most of the game centers on exploring the island and you get XP rewards for finding salvage, which  you can use to upgrade your weapons, hunting animals and doing challenges. These challenges differ but mostly center around finding a certain number of objects of some kind. Every so often you will level up and gain a skill point, which can be used to teach Lara a new skill. However, the most striking thing about Tomb Raider is that it made me rethink about killing my enemy. At one point, an enemy was crushed under rubble, dying from the wounds. I stood there, holding the machine gun I took from him, aiming at him, but I hesitated. I couldn't shoot him. I heard him saying "stay with me" and... I felt sorry for him. I lowered my gun and watched him die and after that I actually cried a bit. It was a very intense moment from the game that I will never forget. Later on in the game as Lara kills more enemies, they start talking about her as you listen in on their conversations and some of them even start to fear her. The game is just full of fascinating details like that. There is also a multiplayer mode, a first in the main series, where you can select several characters and compete in team deathmatches and other modes. While I haven't played the multiplayer extensively, what I played was fun and went smooth without any lag or dropouts. However, a part of me can't help but wonder who at Square Enix demanded this mode to exist. I mean, most people play Tomb Raider for the single player experience so why the multiplayer? It's obviously a bit of a tacked on afterthought to extend the game's life, although like I said, the multiplayer is done well and I have no complaints about it.

Lara's weapon of choice throughout most of the game is the re-curve bow, which serves several purposes beyond killing.

The graphics in Tomb Raider are simply outstanding and some of the best this generation. On high end PC's you can even enable TressFX which makes Lara's hair incredibly lifelike, each hair moving separately. At times the game is breath taking as the sheer scope of the island is enormous and the locations all have their own feel to them. It does feel like the old Tomb Raider games where Lara would go to different locations, however in this game all of them are centered on just one island so there's still a very unifying feel to them and you can revisit them as many times as you like, even after the main game is over, to complete challenges and such. One flaw is that the graphics are actually so natural and lifelike that you can get lost easily in this game. Unlike previous games, the level design can feel a bit confusing since it's supposed to look realistic. Of course, I actually kind of like this feeling, and after a while I instinctively began to look for clues in the terrain and ended up not really using the survival instinct key at all which is more or less a "hint key" in this game. The characters are all well designed and feel like they have depth and personality to them. The facial animation definitely holds up well and this game did manage to get a few tears out of me at times.

The voice acting is incredible too, especially Lara's voice actress. In the past, Lara has always been given a very cold voice, but in this game, she shows a much broader spectrum of emotions. The performance left quite an impression on me and is probably one of my favorite game roles of the year. The other voice actors do very well too and overall, the sound in this game is incredible. The music though feels a bit forgettable, especially when held up against the original Tomb Raider music. The game did a nice throwback to the original Tomb Raider theme, though most of it I couldn't even remember and it felt more like background ambiance. This is just a taste thing though. The music wasn't horrible, it just wasn't memorable.


SUMMARY:
GRAPHICS: 10/10
This is possibly one of the best looking games this year, definitely up there with Crysis 3 and Bioshock Infinite in terms of just featuring breath-taking visuals. The details on Lara's hair, outfit and the environment is incredible on a medium to high end PC and I strongly recommend playing this game on PC over consoles because of the increased detail.
SOUND: 9/10
An outstanding and unforgettably emotional performance from
Camilla Luddington lends Lara Croft some humanity at last and the sound effects all add to the atmosphere
of the island. The music is good but sadly not that memorable at all. It mostly serves to enhance the mood
rather than create it, which is the only thing I personally dislike about the sound and something I miss
from the older games.
GAMEPLAY: 9/10
The quick time events annoyed me a bit, but otherwise the game feels like a very good modern
action/adventure game, in the same vein as Uncharted. The incredible story kept me going until the end
and I loved every second of it.

FINAL SCORE: 9/10

This is one of the best games I've played and the best Tomb Raider game I've played. While the
unforgetable music and sometimes annoying quicktime events keep me from giving it a perfect
10/10 score, this game is SO close to perfection for me.
It's gritty, dark, emotional and feels like a true survival mission. Watching Lara Croft mature into the
legend she is and how she survives the worst odds is a fascinating and unforgettable experience and one I
plan to replay more than once.
If you're at all interested in action/adventure games, if you're a Tomb Raider fan or not, get this game. I
strongly recommend it as it is one of the best this year.

- Alyxx