In the TV series Lost, we see a character named Desmond Hume residing in an underground facility, driven borderline insane by the monotony of his daily routine. Desmond is required to regularly enter a series of numbers on a computer every 108 minutes. While nothing as redundant occurs in The Bunker, the game’s tone, setting, and non-linear storytelling feel directly inspired by a show like Lost.
The Bunker, developed by Slendy Interactive in partnership with Wales Interactive, begins in a post-nuclear war era with the birth of our protagonist, John. He’s born in an underground shelter that houses less than 60 people. However, we quickly flash forward 30 years later to find John alone with his mother. Thus the central mystery reveals itself: what happened to everyone else?
An Alarm Sounds
What separates Slendy Interactive’s first outing from other titles is its aesthetics: everything is live-action. With a runtime of roughly 90 plus minutes, you essentially have yourself a movie. Now the industry hasn’t mastered manipulating a real human being completely. The Bunker is simply a point-and-click thriller, but is still impressive for a developer’s debut game. Unless you’re slow to select the next location and make John stand around looking clueless, the gaming experience itself doesn’t distract from the cinematic quality.
Adam Brown’s John looking rightfully terrified
In the midst of John’s daily routine, an error message indicates a system failure somewhere in the facility. This is where the conflict and John’s unease begins. He hasn’t traversed from his floor with his mother much, if ever. Visiting other floors to resolve a mechanical problem sets his nerves off. Actor Adam Brown‘s performance, especially his facial expressions, effectively communicate John’s dread with his predicament.
Repressed Memories
As you take John along on his mission to repair the electrical and air filter systems, Brown moves timidly along each darkened hallway. With each floor you explore, a seemingly repressed memory rears its ugly head. We begin to see what unfolds with the shelter’s previous occupants via flashback, culminated in the game’s final moments. It’s as disturbing as it is gratifying.
Actress Sarah Greene plays John’s mother and she covers every range of human emotion fathomable by the game’s end. However, I’m intent on avoiding spoilers, so I’ll reference these specifics no further. If you ever throw up your hands during The Bunker‘s story, which can take a stretch to get into, be assured there’s absolutely a pay-off.
Lesser Demons
Outside of our two leads, the minor characters deliver their lines in a most uncomfortably wooden fashion. Then at certain points where John is simply standing in a hallway, the musical score swells as if hinting at a big reveal or jump scare, but nothing comes.
John’s mother portrayed by Sarah Greene
Mechanically speaking, the game is ultimately not intended to be any sort of challenge. It’s rather unfortunate though, as glimmers of a Quick Time Event (QTE) appear all-too briefly. However, the average gamer will pass these QTEs with flying colors and then some.
Despite any criticisms I levy against The Bunker, the story and high production value compel you to forgive them. This feels like a full-fledged Hollywood production but occasionally the actors arbitrarily stop and wait for a button click. They even filmed this in a real decommissioned bunker. This pays off as it makes your environment feel legitimately previously occupied.
It might be too early for declarations, but I’m predicting this title could see the same success as last year’s live-action mystery game Her Story.
Grade: B
REVIEW | Salt and Sanctuary
PAX South 2019: Splitgate Arena Warfare, World of Horror, JackQuest, and Disjunction
PAX South 2019: Jump Force, Skellboy, A Fold Apart
REVIEW | Spider-Man PS4
Review | Re-Exploring No Man’s Sky Next
REVIEW | Downward Spiral: Horus Station
The Mafia series has always been remembered for its amazingly constructed stories. The focus points have always been characters and narrative, and Mafia III continues this trend. Despite an early exposed gameplay loop and some slight graphical issues, I never found myself bored with this seemingly polarizing game.
Late Night New Bordeaux
I grew up with family in New Orleans so the setting of Mafia III, New Bordeaux, really speaks to me. The roaring late 60’s jams gives me vibes of old car trips with my parents and the music of their generation.This game brought up a bunch of old memories that were more than welcomed, so you’ll forgive any bias you pick up while reading the review of how fantastic I found this game.
There is no fast travel, which has been bothering some, but I never use fast travel in any game because I feel it is immersion breaking.Trust me; there is nothing quite like driving through the murky bayous while listening to Credence Clearwater Revival on the radio and singing the song “Born on the Bayou.” With over one hundred licensed tracks from artists like Jimmie Hendrix, Bobby Fuller, and The Troggs, I never found myself hating the long rides to and from mission locations. If I were really these characters in this game, I would have to actually drive the distance, and I think it’s fortunate to have such amazing music to keep you company.
Lincoln Clay
Speaking of the characters, this game is filled with well thought out and written characters. Lincoln Clay is your avatar, and by the end of the journey you will truly feel like you are embodying the man.
Former Black Ops commando Lincoln returns from Vietnam and wages war on the mafia across New Bordeaux when he comes back home to his old crime family to see they have fallen on hard times. Lincoln Clay is more than willing to align himself with unsavory types as he expands his bloody services across the city’s districts. Lincoln will do anything to ensure that the men responsible for atrocities committed in the fantastic opening sct in this game, pay for it.
As you free up certain districts, you will attract one of three underbosses, who come from different backgrounds and walks of life. Lincoln teams up with a female Haitian crime lord, a down on his luck Irish mod boss, and a chastised OG Italian mobster from up north. Among this colorful class is my personal favorite character, Donovan, a crooked federal agent who acts as Lincoln’s handler of sorts. Together they work to bring down the mafia. Why you ask? A classic tale of revenge of course.
And Mafia III’s vengeance-soaked story-line definitely deserves the rank of classic; its performances and narrative could rival those of TV’s and film’s best dramas. The game constantly had me thinking of last generation’s Spec Ops: The Line, one of the best written narratives in the whole medium.
The game weaves multiple timelines together to tell the story. While the actual gameplay occurs within 1968 New Bordeaux, the cut scenes flash forward via a documentary-stylized film. In these scenes, people from Lincoln’s life talk about the man and the legend himself, as these scenes unfold in an interview like manner as they reminisce about all that transpired during the Fall of 1968. One character in these scenes is Father James, who is slowly coming to terms that he helped and aided a friend, Lincoln, who had become a monster. The emotional weight is heavy and rewarding. Other scenes play out in a court room where Donovan is giving a disposition on what transpired in New Bordeaux, and they are equally as well performed. These cut scenes sometimes foreshadow events that are about to transpire. The board of men discussing the debriefing of the events that happened in this game will allude to large chaotic events that happen, and then the game will shift back to 1968 where you assume control as Lincoln Clay and play out those events. This is utilized throughout the game in extremely effective ways.
The game is visceral and brutal in its kills
The gameplay seems to be the polarizing part of Mafia III. The gameplay loop exposes itself very early and never deviates. You get some info from Donovan, head to the district in question, begin to dismantle all the rackets in the region, which then exposes the area’s crime lord, which naturally leads to your assassination of the target. This loop repeats for about 30-40 hours in every district of the city. While I never tired of taking over rackets, distributing power to my underbosses, or doing execution kills on crime grunts, I have heard many say they felt bored with this loop, but this was not my experience at all. There are so many ways to go about taking over rackets and completing standard missions. You can go all stealth (which at times is overly simple, but still satisfying) or you could go full-out lead and just blow everybody apart with the game’s pretty standard but robust weapon system. Also the big story missions, where you are taking down the crime boss for the area, are innovative, fresh, and have great map designs that seem handcrafted and catered to slaying as many gun-wielding goons as possible.
Lincoln dealing with his Underbosses
I enjoyed giving properties to my underbosses as they pitched why they felt they deserved the rackets and areas. If you focus too much on one underboss, the others will get mad and leave you in which case you will have to hunt them down and kill them. This made me feel like I was actually running an up-and-coming empire. It added that extra weight to every decision.
Race is a big factor in this game <factor or theme?>
The journey itself is filled with an exposed game play loop, standard open world activities, and serviceable mechanics. If you like open world games, this is an easy recommend. The game does suffer from some pretty substantial graphical problems, poor lightning, and botched animations…but a few updates from now these will be none issues. However, there are flaws and I feel obligated to point them out. At no point did I ever feel aggravated to the point of quitting because of these technical contention but I did suffer a few hard game crashes.
If you can stick it out to the end, you will be rewarded with one of the most satisfying endings to any game I have played in recent memory. Seriously, I cannot give the ending enough accolades. Now I understand I may be more forgiving on gameplay when the story is good, which is why i pointed the flaws throughout this review. With the technical issues in mind, I still would sing the praises of this game form the rooftops because at the end of the day because cultivating an amazing narrative in this medium is still a hard feat to pull off, yet Mafia III makes it look easy.
REVIEW | Salt and Sanctuary
PAX South 2019: Splitgate Arena Warfare, World of Horror, JackQuest, and Disjunction
PAX South 2019: Jump Force, Skellboy, A Fold Apart
REVIEW | Spider-Man PS4
Review | Re-Exploring No Man’s Sky Next
REVIEW | Downward Spiral: Horus Station
There are two types of hype. The more commonly known hype is the extravagant or intensive publicity or promotion when used in marketing terms. For me, hype is that billowing of excitement that comes deep from within. It is the fuel that guides me and all of us towards a purchase in this medium. Hype is that faith you put into a product you have never touched yet find yourself defending it blindly. The idea and feeling of hype is a good thing, but if you allow it to run wild and choose to bring your hype levels to immeasurable heights you need to ask yourself, “Was it the marketing, or was it me?”
I am a firm believer in giving into the hype. I am not saying to lose your sense of logic and let your expectations run amok. More so I mean to just allow yourself to be excited about the things that speak to you. Being skeptical and negative all the time is physically draining. I know it is because I used to be that person. When you just pick apart marketing, assume the worst, and build up negative views, you are setting yourself up for a cycle of hate that will bleed well over into the game’s launch. You are giving into skepticism not to hype. Now no matter what the score is or buzz is, you’ve already made up your mind to hate the game.
On the flip side, if you just give into the excitement, you experience a very positive marketing cycle that will build a confident expectations all the way up to launch. That excitement is important. The buzz you spread by talking about your enthusiastic views to friends and others online builds a community of hype. This is a positive thing when dozens if not hundreds of people in your online circle are expressing their enjoyment for a game to come. Trust me when I say that people feel better when they are excited, not skeptical.
By no means am I saying that over-hyping things are okay. You have to practice a bit of restraint as well as remain logical about what exactly it is you’re excited for. By assuming something will be the greatest game of all time, you are setting yourself up for failure. Just reword your internal feelings and expectations to fit more along the lines of, “I cannot wait to experience this game for myself.” These are just suggestions; I have no dominion over how you express yourself. However, these tips may just put you in the correct mind space to have your expectations met.
There are so many examples I can give either personally or just from the industry itself. Being a student of the gaming industry for over 25 years now, I have seen many games rise and fall thanks to customer hype levels. Success is made or broken depending on the market the developers and production companies, but also on how the customers are responding to their product. One thing to always keep in mind is that marketing is created to trick you, to lie to you. The idea of marketing is to convince the consumer that they need this product even if deep down the product isn’t really for them. This does not exist in a vacuum, this is how marketing works across all products and mediums.
As a consumer you must speak the language of marketing so you don’t get fooled into buying something that ultimately just does not resonate with you. Nobody but you knows what you like. To fall victim to marketing speak that oversells an item is on the consumer, not the developer. Sure they should not weave lies and manipulate their product to seem like something else, but it is also on you to inform yourself.
There are plenty of games journalist, reviewers, videos, and ways to get the information you need to build a case for your excitement. Plenty of people have gotten their hands on this product that isn’t trying to sell it. Align yourself with somebody in the industry who previews games and trust that they are telling the truth by reviewing their body of work. Always make sure the blame is pointed towards the right party. If you are the “best game of all time,” guy then you have foregone your ability to put the blame on the developer. You said it was going to be the best, not them.
Recently I suffered from overhype. The Metal Gear Solid series has always been my favorite thing to exist in the history of ever. So of course when The Phantom Pain was announced, I was over the moon. We were slowly dip fed information for over 3 years as each trailer push me more and more towards immeasurable levels of hype. When the game came out, and the Kojima/Konami controversy happened, I was still blinded by my own excitement. I never thought in a million years that the game would not deliver for me on a personal level. While the gameplay was the best the series ever had, the game was far from a Metal Gear experience in terms of narrative and characters. The story was hollow, and for the most part not even present. It still ended up being my game of the year because I was objectively able to see that there was a great playing game within the coding of this mess of a story, but the way I hyped this game up for myself will haunt me. Would I have loved this game if I had just ignored the marketing and my pure love for the series? Sure the game was cut short in development, and pieces of it were obviously missing, but if I had not had the expectations I set for myself, would I have just enjoyed the game for what it was? This is how hype can turn on you.
Allow me to give a different example though; one that is more on the macro instead of my personal micro. Almost a month ago a little game called No Man’s Sky was launched. Now, I followed this marketing very closely over the last 2 or 3 years. A lot of things were said by creator Sean Murray, but at no point do I ever feel that he outright lied about the project. When talking about a game made by a small team that was announced years before it actually launched, you have to take things said early on in development with a grain of salt. Not every idea makes it into every game. Look at every Fable game for an example of that. Does that excuse the developer? No of course not; they should be as truthful as possible about their product but again remember, marketing is meant to trick you into purchasing a thing you didn’t even know you wanted. The whole world lost their minds when No Man’s Sky came out and it wasn’t the Second Life in space that everybody assumed it would be.
As somebody who did follow the marketing, and who was extraordinarily hyped for this game, I ended up getting the game I wanted and thought it would be. My question is how did so many other people assume that it was something else? It is simple…it’s the hype machine taking control. This is the self-manufactured excitement that you yourself allowed to achieve. In this case I think there was a mixture of poor communication from the developers as well as people allowing their expectations to run rampant. I still play and enjoy this game to this day and am getting everything I ever wanted out of it even with my extreme levels of excitement that I allowed myself to get to. Deep down I knew this was more of an indie project, created by a small team, with randomly generated properties that would make the experience different from person to person. I managed my hype, followed the marketing, and kept a healthy level of skepticism. It paid off with immense enjoyment of the game which many cannot claim.
You are the controller of your own hype, so when things don’t meet your expectations try looking internally instead of lashing out at the developers or taking it personally. These are video games people, they are a great hobby and great escapism but never warrant outrage that turns into death threats to developers. I seriously suggest seeking help if you are the type that jumps to death threats every time something does not meet your expectations. I don’t care if the threat is hyperbolic or not. Gamers get a bad rap for being overly opinionated, self-entitled, and generally just rude to one another; especially with the anonymity of the internet.
Be the example by just owning up to yourself when you have overhyped a game, but at the same time don’t fear to give in to your own excitement. It takes much more energy to be skeptical about something than it does to be hopeful about something. Plus it is just generally better to seek out that positivity rather than dwell in the negativity. You just have to ensure that you are self-managing the hype machine and not allowing it to take over your ability to remain grounded and logical about the incoming product. Mastery over hype ensures for a healthier and more gratifying gaming experience. There is an art to marketing and the road to a game’s launch, and I implore you all to be mindful about the information that is out there while all at the same time, surrendering to the hype.
REVIEW | Salt and Sanctuary
PAX South 2019: Splitgate Arena Warfare, World of Horror, JackQuest, and Disjunction
PAX South 2019: Jump Force, Skellboy, A Fold Apart
REVIEW | Spider-Man PS4
Review | Re-Exploring No Man’s Sky Next
REVIEW | Downward Spiral: Horus Station
Coming up with a definitive top ten list for what I feel are the best video games of all time was not an easy task. How much nostalgia do I represent? Should I allow so many newer games on here? What are the rules I should be setting for myself when conjuring such a list? I racked my brain about all these things for days but in the end I felt that the list should be comprised of games that reminded me of why I love this industry.
Below is a list of my top ten favorite video games of all time. You will notice that many games are from the year 2000 and on. I don’t want to make it seem like I didn’t have a fondness for games in the 90s or that nostalgia is completely lost on me. I by no means only enjoy “newer” games. These are just the games that stood out to me in a big way. As the industry grew, so did the ability to weave incredible stories and amazing worlds to occupy. That’s what was important to me when collecting games for this list. I can only choose one game per series but besides that small rule, all bets are off. Let’s get started:
10. Final Fantasy X
I feel this Final Fantasy focuses on what is most important to my game experiences, and that is story. To me this is the best narrative in any Final Fantasy. The idea of Spira and its anti-technology, Sin fearing, magic using, summoning praising, pilgrimage taking, is a world I think about often when I reminisce about JRPGs. This game has my favorite cast of character in the series, and dwells on a touching love story between main character Tidus and Yuna.
The sphere grid was introduced in this game, which does away with the traditional leveling mechanic in turn for this customization heavy grid. You can make any character play any role that you want them to. I also love the ability to trade out characters without sacrificing a turn. Little things like this elevate a very standard turn based fighting system. I will always remember the ending of this game when thinking about best conclusions in video games. It is a powerful experience that has great pacing for this otherwise stuff genre.
9. Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3 may be in the lower part of my top ten, but it may have the best writing out of all of these games. You can easily distract yourself form the main quest of finding Ciri, and instead get absorbed into the smaller, but equally emotionally heavy narratives of the side quests. The Bloody Baron is a side quest in this game that has a better story than most games’ main quests.
This experience is cultivated by amazing writing, inspired performances, and so much content that you could spend a lifetime with this game and not see every corner or mission this game has to offer. Walking into larger cities and seeing them alive is awe inspiring, just as much as climbing a large mountain and getting a view of a large island you are occupying. This game is a visual feast and may be one of the best looking and smoothest running open world games in the biz.
8. Grand Theft Auto V
This may be the most lived in world on the list. The wider San Andreas area is mesmerizing as Blane County’s country bumpkin northern parts give way to mountains a bustling downtown metropolis with such seamlessness sometimes I swear they photo-captured it form the real world. The way the natural geography of this map is, is unlike anything else that is out there. It just feels real, so real that you could just stand on a street corner and listen to passing by NPCs as they have full blown almost unrepeated conversations with one another. The heists and gameplay mechanics are great but the real star of this game is how every moving part builds an immersive world where even staring at the trash, drifting I the wind can be an elevating experience.
7. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
No world has ever drawn me in so much as Skyrim has. With its Nordic aesthetic, and strong native people, I found myself getting lost in every corner of this world. I spent nearly 300 hours in this game, and with the newer Special Edition coming out to current generation consoles, I will happily spend another 300. This game is an example of ultimate escapism, as I feel transported to this land and quickly become engrossed in its culture and lore. To me, world building isn’t done any better than how it is handled in the Elder Scrolls series.
6. Persona 4
With all of the JRPGs I have under my belt, I can easily say Persona 4 is the best of them. The series gives us a cast of amazing characters as they trouble their way through classes in high school while fighting demons at night in an alternate dimension. This game is no different, but it just does it right. The voice acting is stellar which is hardly ever the case for western released Japanese Role Playing Games. This story is more of a mystery, as it tells the personal narrative of an entire small town where everybody knows one another. As suspects begin to form, the gang uses their abilities to uncover as much as they can, while also juggling social relationships with one another, as well as taking time out to grab a bite to eat at the local diner. Persona 4 is as zany as they come.
5. Uncharted 4: A Thieves End
I’m sure I will get plenty of hate from all those Uncharted 2 loyalist out there. Heck I even thought 3 was better than the second, but I digress…Uncharted 4 is easily my favorite in the franchise. I thought the brotherly story was filled with so many emotional moments as all of the best characters come back for another adventure romp. The set pieces while not as plentiful, are jacked all the way up to 11. Speaking of 11, Chapter 11 may be one of the greatest couple hours of video games to ever exist. The controls have never felt better and it may be the most beautiful game to currently exist. The ending to Uncharted 4 has no right being as good as it is, and ending on such a high note is so hard for a series to do it seems.
4. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
I remember riding my bike up to the local Blockbuster every week, to extend my rental on this game the day it came out. The same man checked out my order every time, and as weeks went by he noticed that I had paid for the game twice over with my rentals. He allowed me to take the game home as the new owner of what I like to think of the best Zelda game there ever was. I was totally lost in this world, and loved every second of the journey. I think the time traveling elements created a great story which leads to some of the better dungeons in the whole series. Plus those boss battles are just unforgettable. This is the first game of this caliber and size that I ever remember beating, and it will stick with me forever.
3. Mass Effect
Everybody loves to beat the drum for 2. The suicide mission was so good, how could it not be 2? Well I enjoyed 3 much more than the masses seemed to and after a while I grew to really love the endings after months of picking it apart. The first Mass effect will always be the strongest for me though. The RPG elements were the strongest in this game, and while the shooting got better, it was never bad in my opinion. I thought the story and world building in this game was so strong, and it carried the weight of setting up the entire universe on its shoulders. The game did this without flinching. It is one of the strongest examples of world building in a game that I can give.
I thought the more personal story of chasing Saren across the galaxy to stop him from causing more chaos than he already has. Of course the reveal of the universe’s big bad, the Reapers, was nothing short of spectacular. Choices mattered in a big way, and carried over into the next installment of the game, and that created a personalize narrative that you could easily be immersed in. Space Operas just don’t get better than this.
2. The Last of Us
Few games carry the emotional weight that The Last of Us does. The opening moments in the game are devastating, and that tone never lets up. In a game where truly no character is safe, I found myself constantly on the edge of my seat as I navigated my way through the Clicker filled halls, and deranged humans who occupy the desolate streets.
The story of Joel and Elly is so powerful and nuanced. Anytime Joel is reminded of his daughter by Elly, he looks at the watch his daughter gave him as a gift. Small moments like this conjure so many feelings within that I dare anybody to play through the end and proclaim they felt nothing. The ending is so satisfying but as always, the journey to get there was unlike anything I have experienced in this medium. This is easily one of the strongest narratives ever told in any form.
1. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
It would have been so easy to pick the first Metal Gear Solid here. It was the game that made me realize that amazing stories were possible in this medium. I could also go with Metal Gear Solid 2, as it is the most cerebral of the series and the one that gets the most fuss. Ultimately I had to go with 4 because in the end this game was for the longtime fans of the series. This game was filled to the brim with answers, connections, call backs, and character moments that were all building to this amazing conclusion. I have never in my life been so satisfied with an ending to anything. It was everything I could ever hoped it would be.
Guns of the Patriots is politically and emotionally charged, and the big action moments and boss fights are pinnacles of the series. Games to me just don’t get better than this. The creator, Hideo Kojima, has always been such a huge inspiration to me and while this series may not be for everyone, the people who it is for I seem to have an instant connection with. Metal Gear Solid, bringing people together since 1987.
So there ya have it. This is my very subjective top ten games of all time. This should not be taken as an example of that I do not appreciate older games, instead try thinking of it as how lucky we are to have games currently that really push the envelope forward to create a healthy an innovative industry. I like new games, hell i love them, but I do not forget my roots or where this industry came from. I may not wax nostalgia with this list, but it is an ode to how far we have come in terms of storytelling, interesting characters, and living and breathing worlds. What is your current top ten list? Sound off in the comments below!
REVIEW | Salt and Sanctuary
PAX South 2019: Splitgate Arena Warfare, World of Horror, JackQuest, and Disjunction
PAX South 2019: Jump Force, Skellboy, A Fold Apart
REVIEW | Spider-Man PS4
Review | Re-Exploring No Man’s Sky Next
