The Far Cry series has been going strong since 2004. It has gone through some changes over the years, but finally hit a really well working formula with the 2012 entry, Far Cry 3. With Far Cry 5 now out, in a Montana setting and a similar formula, does it do enough different to keep players engaged?
Far Cry has taken us to many different places, like the islands of Micronesia, Africa, it has given us animal powers, we’ve checked out some Pacific islands, headed to the Himalayas, and it has even brought us back in time to the Stone Age. Heck, the series has even taken us to a 80s themed future where you kill giant dragons. The Far Cry series does not hold back when it is picking its setting.
Hearing that Far Cry 5 would be set in the United States in the state of Montana was surprising, and for a lot of people not in a good way. How do we go from so many exotic locations, to just some random midwestern state? Well, I am happy to say that these people are just plain wrong and the setting is just as engaging as previous entries. Montana is a beautiful sate, and the development teams at Ubisoft Montreal and Ubisoft Toronto put so many interesting locations and things to do that I never felt bored.
The setting brings more than just pretty trees, beautiful rivers, and mountains. We also get a healthy number of vehicles. In past games, you are usually driving some old and decrepit vehicles, but in Far Cry 5 you are behind the wheel of weaponized eighteen wheelers, trucks, and cars that you would normally see on the roads of America. If ground based traversing is not your style, then there is a large assortment of helicopter sand planes to fly, a fist for the series if you don’t count the gyro-copter in Far Cry 4. Take your trek by boat if you need to as well! Parachuting and wingsuiting are still around and as fun as ever. You are not without an assortment of ways to get across the map in any way you see fit.
This time around, the player is fighting a religious cult. Many people assumed that the development team was trying to make a statement in a post-Trump America, but in my time with the game, I noticed that they main focus was creating a fun time rather than attempting to make any political or righteous proclamation via their game’s story. While it would have been interesting to see the game plant it’s feet into the ground with a statement, it was very refreshing to not have them do that, as we get plenty of politics out here in the real world. That is not to say that politics have no business in video games, but rather it was refreshing to see them not take a stance and focus on why we play games, escapism and fun. One thing is for sure, killing cultists IS fun, and our main bad guy, The Father, is very interesting. He makes quite the impression in the first moments of the game. Nobody will ever be as memorable as Vaas, but The Father holds his own in a series with pretty memorable villains.
The gameplay is solid, and upgrading and equipping the right loadout is a fun feedback loop. To help in the carnage you now have a gun for hire mechanic. Across the game map are random NPCs and fully fleshed out characters that you can recruit to your squad. You gain the ability to have two guns for hire, which changes things up in some big ways. Need some air support? One character will follow you around in an airplane and make passes at the enemy with some killer air support. Headed into an outpost, and need a silent partner? Perhaps your dog Boomer, a cougar named Peaches, or a silent bow huntress can help! There are so many options and ways to team up and get the job done.
Now sure, a lot of this sounds like your basic, everyday Far Cry, and that’s because it is. If you were hoping for a complete overhaul of the formula, then you might be disappointed. You are still hitting points of interest, taking down outposts, doing missions and trying to take down the big bad. The way you gain access to these missions and points of interest are different though, which brings some refreshing mechanics into the mix. Gone are the radio towers that populate your map with an assortment of locales and things to do. If you want to find stuff on your map, you better do it the old fashion way and explore. You can also talk to random NPCs in the world and they will suggest places of interest for you. It is very much like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim in that regard. In fact this series has very much been a Skyrim with guns type of game, but now even more so.
Another smaller change is the way your character progresses and grows. Experience points are no longer given with kills and liberating outposts. Instead, you get perk points for completing challenges and missions, and you use those perk points on a very standard skill tree, shaping your character into the way you want him, despite by game’s end you having enough points to spread across almost everything. No more hunting is required to further expand ammo and item slots, which to me is kind of a bummer. Hunting is almost completely unnecessary now, unless you are trying to make a quick buck on the pelts. Hunting has now been rendered to a side activity that is only good for making money.
One last change is in mission progression. You won’t see story missions on your map regularly. Some side missions and other quests will populate on your map, but the main goal is filling up an action bar to try and get the boss of the area to come out of hiding and face you. The action bar has sections and each section filled grant you a main story mission. The thing is these missions do not populate on your map. They just happen randomly to you once the section of the gauge is filled up. Often times I would find myself driving or fighting in the world only for my screen to go blank and a story mission automatically unfolding. They give you context for why it happens so suddenly as well, so while it feels jarring it actually makes sense. One example is I was does with a drug called Bliss, and I began a very psychedelic journey that was not unlike other drug based scenes in previous games.
These changes do not make a completely new experience. They change the very standard Far Cry formula in small ways, but in the end this just feels like another Far Cry game. To be honest, I don’t think that is a bad thing. They have a very specific flavor, and what can I say I dig the taste and I don’t know if I want it or need it to change much. Enough is there to make things feel refreshing, but not too much has changed where it suffered an identity crisis. This is not a series we get yearly entries of; so I don’t think we have hit that saturation point yet with the series.
Co-op is back, and you can enjoy the game from start to finish with a buddy…but I found this to be rather pointless if your goal is to progress into the story. If you jump into a friend’s game, and unlock a bunch of map locations, do some quests and progress the story, none of your progress follows you back into your game, except money made and guns earned. Now I understand this in some ways, as it would not make sense to skip some of the story in your game if you played a bit further ahead in somebody’s else’s, but I feel more should have came over with you. Is it so hard to have map locations, side quests, and other little activities transfer over? In all honesty it made me never want to play with a friend. Sure it is a lot of fun causing chaos together, but the end just did not justify the means, and I found myself ignoring co-op requests when friends would reach out to me. I will say that doing simple activities like fishing and racing was a lot of fun with a partner though.
Far Cry 5 is a beautiful game. On a PS4 Pro or Xbox One X you will see the game really come to life in its 4k, HDR display. Few games capture nature like this game does, and hearing the sounds of the flora and fauna layered underneath the chaos and gunplay of the gameplay really creates a nice orchestra of different sounds and effects. Seeing the complete random nature of the world in these graphics have just been a breathtaking experience. In one situation I was hunting a very mad bear all hoped up on the before mentioned Bliss drug. The bear was quite the bullet sponge as it took many of my rifle rounds, only to run straight towards me, right past me, into a small fire, catching it on fire, only for it to run towards a nearby outpost, into the enemy filled area, and right up to an explosive barrel that 4 guys were standing next to, killing them and liberating the outpost. I was not even planning on taking down that outpost at this time. These random happenings are not foreign to the Far Cry series, but I have found that they happen more regularly, as if there is a chaos code in the background that just randomly generates unique moments that leave me audibly voicing my surprise or excitement.
These teams did a wonderful job with Far Cry 5. I experience was a meaty one with plenty to do, leaving me with plenty of Owen Wilson style “wows” to be said. While it does not do much to change the standard Far cry formula that began in Far Cry 3, I changes up enough to not make it feel like a reskinned experience. Far Cry has never looked or felt better, and if you are a longtime fan of the series, this should be a no brainer purchase. However, if you are looking for a complete reinvention of the series, you may find yourself disappointed. There are not many games that offer up an experience quite like Far Cry delivers, and if you like open worlds and shooting bad guys, then you might want to saddle up for this trip into Montana.
REVIEW | Salt and Sanctuary
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Long has the winter extreme sports genre laid dormant, until Ubisoft awakens a game like Steep from its creative slumber. The team over at Ubisoft does a lot of good with Steep, an open world mountain simulator where you get to, snowboard, wind-suit, paraglide, ski, and walk across a frozen paradise. While the team nails the sense of speed, there are some shortcomings that hold this game back from being truly, genre defining.
Apparent right off the bat, are the recreated Alps, open world in all its beautiful and digital glory. The graphics are near lifelike as I stand atop a mountain that a helicopter has just dropped me off on, and gaze at all the powder that I am about to shred. Character models are detailed well but there are no customization options in terms of how your physical appearance is represented. However, you do get a choice of pre-set character models and you can change the clothing of. This cosmetic only customization is sure to bother some, but the mechanics themselves make up for these shortcomings.
Steep May Be More Realistic But there Is Still Fun To Be Had `
Steep goes for a much more realistic take on the sports than say a franchise like SSX, or 1080 Snowboarding. You won’t be unhooking your board, and swinging it over your head like a helicopter propeller. Instead, the game feels much more like the game franchise, Skate. The tricks are more standard, and less flashy, and I think that works in this game’s favor. Steep still lets you bring the funny as you can don some goofy looking suits, and act out some pretty bizarre furry adventures as you glide down the slopes in a panda costume. The silliness ends there though, as the real focus is on recreating the feelings of these extreme sports.
The controls are rather simplistic, but take some time to actually master. Pulling off tricks is as easy as nailing a jump at the right time and then manipulating a series of R1, L1, and joystick maneuvers to pull off some real life moves when on skis or a snowboard. The sense of speed that is built through these courses is perfect, and nailing a good speed run or a series of tricks is gratifying.
Wing-Suiting Never Felt So Good
The paraglider is easy enough as you float along, catching updrafts as you go point to point. This event can most often times be more boring than entertaining. I found myself skipping these missions as often as possible. Wing-suiting may be the star of the show. Nailing a perfect drop and course run is intense, and induces the urge to stand up and cheer as you celebrate your close calls as you fly dangerously close to the environment. This is the best feeling wing-suit mechanics in the medium, as I feel like I have absolute control over my glider.
Hiking up to Some Beautiful Viewpoints
The walking around may be the most polarizing aspect of this game. Steep encourages you to take a moment to walk around, and explore. Doing this will unlock more drop off points to start new races. New summits will be unlocked as you increase your player level, and on these summits are increasingly difficult races and events. At some point the game will force you to walk around. While I may call it tranquil and serene; I have found many that have called it tedious, boring, and time consuming. I will ask that you let your own preference guide you on how the walking portions will make you feel.
Leveling up in this game feels empty. Your character does not get stronger, faster, or better at balancing. The costumes, and clothing, and items you unlock have no stats are baring on your performance either. Everything in this game is cosmetic including your level number, which to me is a shame. I wish these things stood for something more, but there is something to be said about a game that gives you everything at the start, and has you relying on pure skill and not stat boosting upgrades.
My biggest issue with this game is one that had me constantly frustrated. There is no easy way to find a race type you are looking for. When choosing a race to tackle next, the game has you going to a world map and choosing a series of flags that represent a race off of said map. There are so many different types of races and tracks, and I was usually looking for a specific one to show off to a friend of co-op partner. To find that specific race, I would have to locate it on this cluttered world map, with strangely marked iconography to loosely represent the event. This world map is basically littered with these varied races. The events are dotted like chicken pox all across the face of the map as you try and decipher which race is which. I found myself constantly frustrated as I tried to find a specific event type, only to lose patience and just choose any event. This is extremely poor mission design.
The multiplayer is another pillar of mediocrity for Steep. Real players will bleed in and out of your world and races as you explore around and participate in the events. It is not uncommon to see people engaging in the same races you are, but it never quite feels like you are racing with/against them. It feels more like they are just participating in timed events with you, racing against their own times, and leader-board scores. Sure it is a lot of fun to have these players shredding around with you, but it still feels like an empty experience. I never once felts like I was working towards the same goal with my partner or opponent. This is a racing game right? Why don’t I feel that urgency in the events?
There are user created events, and you have the ability to share your own runs down the mountain for others to compete against your time, but I found the menus to be convoluted and confusing. I’m sure some may not have an issue with the navigation, but I felt they could have presented the information in a much clearer way. This content does have the ability to extend the life of the game, but at the end of the day you are still going down the same mountain sides, using the same equipment, with the only goal being to get a better time or score.
Steep truly shines when a singular event has multiple traversal styles. There was a particular race in the game that has you using all modes of transportation as you make your way across the mountain range. Switching between all the mode of transportation to ensure you reach the finish line, is as tactical as it is exhilarating. I just wish there were more moments like this.
Steep has a lot going on for it. It is easily the best extreme winter sports game in years, but then again it has not had much competition. I feel a few updates and additions could fix the issues I had with the game, however its final and last issue I will share may be a deal breaker to some. Steep has very little content. It takes a week or two of play to max out your character level to the cap of 25. The amount of different race types is little as well when compared to others in the genre and their mode types. Perhaps DLC could extend the life of this game, but I think selling a season pass on top of the game’s full price is a tall order to ask of people.
I think Steep can be a perfect pallet cleanser at the end of the year as you come off of huge experiences like Watch Dogs 2, Dishonored 2, and Final Fantasy XV. Is it worth the full price? Well that depends on how much you enjoy striving for bettering your times and scores, because it is hard for me to recommend the game based off the amount of content alone. What you will get with Steep though, is a true sense of speed, amazing controls, and a beautiful open world. If that is enough for you, there will be plenty of fun to be had with this game.
REVIEW | Salt and Sanctuary
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E3 is the stuff that gamer dreams are made of, even nearly a month after all the announcements. It is never too late to report on hype, so here I am sharing the E3 experience, as told by some guy watching from his couch. I have been following the event for 14 straight years now, and it is customary for me to been write out my thoughts and reactions to all of the announcements. This is my gamer holiday, my gamer Christmas…E3 is my gamer Mecca. Allow me to take you through my journey of E3 2016, and why I think it was one of the most successful trade shows in the history of the business.
Living Through the Hype
There is nothing quite like the Electronic Entertainment Expo for a passionate gamer like myself. Every year E3 acts as a temperature check for hype of the industry, but more importantly it proves that this industry isn’t going anywhere. It is as healthy as it has ever been and while a trade show like E3 may not be around forever, it will take a new form in terms of being a hype generating machine. We need trade shows and press events like this, and while more and more studios, companies, and developers drop out in turn of trying out their own personal conferences, one thing is for sure, there is nothing in this world quite like the week of E3.
This year there weren’t any “next gen consoles” to announce, it was just all about the games, and boy howdy were there some interesting looking experiences. Sure Microsoft tried to sneak in a few words about their slim line system as well as their .5 step up labeled the Scorpio, but they did it with class and it took up minimal time of the press conference. You would think Sony would have spent so much time on showing VR games that are near impossible to show in a press conference setting, and while they did show up with some news, it was such a small fraction of time that they took up. Everybody who showed up for E3, including EA, Ubisoft, Bethesda and Nintendo, came to win. They came to murder the competition and explain why their games are the experiences you should be playing this fall and going forward. I think all of them had strong showcases (with a few major stumbles from EA) and delivered on the one currency that matters in this industry…hype.
As an agent of hype, I go out of my way to be overly excited about any and all games. Pushed release dates, games that won’t come out for another 3 years, and completely out of context CG trailers do not put me off. Speculating on these games that are not out yet is one of my favorite activities to do. I like to build my own story and elevate my own hype on these experiences that are years out, and then the payoff of getting them when they finally do arrive is unmatched to any feeling this industry can evoke. Has my hype ever turned against me? Sure every once in a while, but I don’t let that ruin future potential to be excited about something. I’d rather be excited and let down than spend the road to launch being pessimistic and worried. Gosh that just seems incredibly draining; I’ll take the hype any day. So we all get it now right? We are on the same page? E3 gets me hyped and now it’s time to break this year’s conferences wide open. I just want to focus on my personal High and Low of each conference.
EA Conference
This was the first conference of the week and by far the weakest, but I think it set expectations correctly for my mind (and hopefully yours) to be efficiently blown by the coming conferences. What was not lacking however was how they started the conference. That first game announcement is the hook, and blowing out Titanfall 2 at the top of the show was an amazing idea. That game showcased so well, and the single player trailer got me more than hyped to get back into this series. I really enjoyed the first game, and it is quite easy to tell we live in a post Titanfall FPS world now that all games have taken their locomotion mechanics. It’s hard to find a shooter nowadays that you aren’t jet-packing, double jumping, and wall running around, and that’s totally okay but just remember who pioneered it! Titans seem to have personalities and characteristics now, and I have a feeling that will be on full display in the story mode. It is very hard to top the new whip though, which adds to your maneuverability as well as works as a melee weapon. Gosh, the end of that trailer where the two pilots are in the sky and whipping towards one another…that’s how you evoke mass excitement!
Unfortunately I have some negative things to say about this conference. A few things really rubbed me the wrong way, and the biggest offender Mass Effect. This was the year to show that game; this was the time for a blowout. Mass Effect Andromeda is coming out next year and we already suffered a delay this year. After the trailer showed, we knew nothing more than what we did a year ago and that is a MAJOR issue. Did I enjoy the trailer? Of course I did, I will enjoy anything with Mass Effect in it. Was it a tease? Overwhelmingly so. We need to know more about this game, and this little trail of breadcrumbs is just not enough. We need facts, we need gameplay…we need some real news Bioware.
The upsets did not end there however, EA was nice enough to bring up the Star Wars games and that is pretty much all they did with them. They might as well have just had somebody come on stage and say, “They exist!” I love seeing Amy Hennig with Visceral talk about Star Wars, and I love seeing dudes in mo-cap suits playing with lightsabers with the Respawn logo in the background. Seeing glimpses of in engine screen shots is always welcomed…but I just needed more to get that level of hype I love to dwell in. If wanting more is the worst thing I can say about this conference, then to me I’d say they still did pretty well.
Bethesda Conference
From the Prey Trailer
Bethesda really knew how to pick up where EA faltered. They came out strong with a Quake announcement and then it never let up until the conference’s end. The high point of Bethesda’s hour for me was the new Prey trailer. I had no idea I was watching a Prey trailer until I saw the title reveal. I was never a big fan of the first game but was excited about the idea of the sequel announced a few years back. Well now that’s out and this reboot/rebrand is in. The narrative that the trailer showcases is awesome. I was so drawn in by this man who ends up speaking to himself by the scene’s end while living a Groundhog’s Day experience as he relives the same day over and over. Who is this man, what is happening to him, and how does he fit into the real story? I don’t know, and I don’t need to know. The trailer sets a tone that I am interested in and I cannot wait to see how it all pans out.
Comparison of Graphics
I wanted to give Skyrim Special Edition as my high for this conference but I have put 300 hours into the original, and despite me being the one of many who feverishly asked for this game, I would feel bad to give it a highlight spot when something new and fresh like Prey should get some of my much deserved limelight. So while Skyrim SE is probably what I am most excited for, Prey is the real show stealer here.
It is hard to nail down a low point for this conference, and heck pretty much every conference going forward. At gun point I would have to say there was a bit of a stumble with announcing the Fallout 4 DLC. I thought it showed well, but it was too quick, and I guess I figured there would be a much bigger announcement. Perhaps those expectations are unfair because Far Harbor DLC did just come out, but for a conference I guess I just hoped for something a bit more than adding working conveyor belts to your settlements. This just comes off nitpicky and that is because it is. The conference was great and it is hard to find anything negative about it. For the new kids on the conference block (this is only their second year at E3) they really knocked it out of the park.
Microsoft
Microsoft was up next on Monday and just like the last few years, they really came out swinging. Sure they opened with an announcement of a slim model which is good, because it just gets it out of the way so the focus can turn to what matters, games. After watching this conference I thought there was no way that Sony had the lineup to usurper Microsoft this year. More on how that turns out later.
Microsoft had so many highs that it’s hard to pick one. It is so easy to go with something like We Happy Few which felt like a completely Bioshock inspired game. Every fiber of my being is shouting at me to write about Scalebound and their awesome presentation…but deep down I know that what wowed me the most was Sea of Thieves. During the entirety of it’s on stage demo (and its following hands on impressions from trusted industry types) I was just thinking of how many friends I knew who owned a Xbox One…and how do I get them to buy this game so we can all go on swashbuckling adventures together. Luckily it will take no convincing because the game speaks for itself. Want to meet up in a tavern and drink with friends? Go for it. Find a treasure map on the island you are on? Go look for it! Want 
to rob people coming out drunk from the local tavern? By all means do it. The real meat and potatoes is boating up with a crew and hitting the high seas. Out there you can run into sea monsters, or worse, other ships with their own crew. Each crew member has a function. One needs to man the sails, the other the anchor, somebody needs to be in crows nest navigating, and a trusted pirate friend needs to be at the helm. Everybody has a function, and everybody must be communicating to ensure that the dangerous ships and crews you face out there will not lead you to a watery grave. The first thing I am doing? Loading up my boat with booze, pals, and instruments, and we will sing sea shanties all the way to Davy Jones’ locker.
There were next to no low points in this conference. I feel that I do have to point out that I thought ending with the big Scorpio reveal (Microsoft’s .5 console) was a misstep. Really Microsoft? This is the thing you were most excited to show us? Well, I was not excited and while I understand why these .5 systems exist, I do not care to upgrade at this moment in time, especially if all games will continue to work on the current versions of the consoles. Was it a bad announcement? By no means, I thought they did a good job at giving us the information…but I just don’t feel it was the announcement to end on.
Ubisoft
Ubisoft, Ubisoft, oh where art though Ubisoft? Seriously this is the Ubisoft I have always wanted. No annual Assassin’s Creed to slow the conference down, and the weird ecstasy filled dance party at the top of the show was their only “weird moment.” Never before has Ubisoft came out so strong at E3, and that is probably why they are suffering form a corporate hostile takeover by Vivendi. You’re looking too good these days Ubisoft! In any case, Ubisoft focused on all the right things and ended their conference with a big new IP. Sure at surface level Steep seems just like a snow extreme sports game, but is much deeper and you have a community enriched experience filled with so much freedom in terms of traversal and activities. While this was a big moment, it is far from game of the show material.
The moment of hype comes in the form of, South Park: The Fractured But Whole. Not only is this an insanely fun title to say and type, but it also showcased wonderfully. Trey and Matt (the creators of South Park) came out and discussed their heavy involvement in the game. They gave us a very funny trailer which completely satires the blueprint of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase system. If that wasn’t enough, we get three awesome gameplay snippets. The demo itself was filled with great South Park jokes, and Matt and Trey themselves just seemed so excited to show off this game. It was such a treat to see them so passionate about this project. They were very vocal about how demanding The Stick of Truth was and it seemed like they would never do a game again…yet here they are. Guys and gals, it is more than we deserve as gamers!
The low point was hardly low. If anything this is just another positive masquerading around as a negative. I am not a big Watch Dogs fan, so there was not much the sequel could do to get me on board. I thought the first game was hollow, the main character to be as interesting as a wet rag, and found every single mechanic to be less than a game like Grand Theft Auto V. However, this showcasing of the sequel actually has me looking at the game in a much more positive light. The game seems fun, the new character comes off as interesting, and all the little mechanical gripes seemed to have been fixed. Am I back in? Nope, but I can and will recognize that this game does seem to be in good shape. I feel the demo went on a bit long but in the end it did what it set out to do, and that was showing off that they were indeed listening to the fans and their complaints of the original. That is classy as hell Ubisoft.
Sony
Sony my Sony, my sweet and fair Sony…you had so much riding against you this year. You have constant lack of first party games, and all of your delays on properties announced last year are more than noticeable. I had little hope you would take the W this year. Well that’s what I get for thinking. I had figured that they would come out; talk too long about VR and their new .5 system upgrade. Instead you pulled the rug out from underneath us all, and proved why you are still leading this generation.
Where do I even begin in breaking down the major highlight of this conference? How do I choose one? Heck, I could not even choose a game and instead talk about their incredible pacing of their showcases, or even their choice of not resting on their games announced last year. Hell I would even love to gush about the live orchestral performance that lasted through the entire conference. Instead of hearing about Kingdom Hearts 3, Final Fantasy 7, and Shenmue 3, we get a totally new roster of awesome announcements. Some we knew of, while others were major surprises. Is it worth me dwelling on how much God of War rocked me? Never been a fan of the series, but what I saw had me caring in a big way. What about the Heavy Rain inspired game Detroit: Become Human? Sure it was impressive but it was just validating what I already knew.
Sony Bend’s Days Gone
The show opened up with Syphon Filter’s developer Sony Bend studio and their new game Days Gone. While the trailer itself had a very Last of Us feeling, the real bread and butter came from the end of conference gameplay. Wow what an impressive stage demo. The game’s enemy, whom can only be described as the zombies (don’t call them that though!) from World War Z, moves like cascading water in tandem with one another like a wave of bodies. Well look at that, it seems this may have been my highlight of the conference. Sometimes you just have to work these things out on paper before realizing what really wowed you the most. It would have been so easy to talk about how awesome Horizon showed, or talk about the big Resident Evil 7 reveal with a PT like marketing demo. While all of these announcements are game of the show worthy, I truly feel that the surprise of Days Gone landed in a big way for me. The fact that so many people did not feel the same way alarms me, but we like what we like.
It is hard for me to pick out any moments where I felt the pace of the show was hindered. The show was nonstop trailers with minimal talking or presenting, so when those slow moments came with the Skylander’s reveal and the minimal VR…it was necessary to slow that heart rate. The amount of excitement that they built through the run-time of the show was so intensely satisfying that the down time ensured our poor little hearts wouldn’t breakthrough our rib-cage. Do I care about Skylanders? No I do not; I could not even begin to care less. Do I want stage time on VR? Not particularly, but they didn’t dwell on it long and moved right past it and back to their original pacing. What I am trying to say is, that I had little to zero issues with this conference and it should be the defining mold of E3 press conferences moving forward.
Living Post Hype
So with E3 now in our rear-view mirror, a lot of us have that post E3 depression. We’ve all heard so many good things about so many games that aren’t even close to being out. So you may ask, Kyle, how do we even cope with knowing we are so far away from so many great experiences? My answer, give into the hype. I am not saying blindly love and be excited for all of these things until they reach unobtainable levels of interest. What I mean is just give into the excitement, ride the wave of hype all the way to release. The excitement you get from pondering on a game on the horizon is unlike anything else. You will never have this road to excitement other than now, so why even fight it? Excitement and hype are good. For me there is no such thing as “over-hyped.” It is a term I see thrown around all too often. While the game may not have lived up to expectations, nothing can take away those moments of pure concentrated excitement that you felt all the way up to launch. It is a good feeling, so embrace it. E3 is a time where we all as gamers come together and get excited for our healthy industry. I feel that pessimism is in low reserves during this week. Of course it is re-birthed the week after and the internet goes right back to its awful self, but in that moment…we all have E3…we all have the hype.
Daku Con 2018 Photo Gallery
Daku Con 2018 Convention Recap!
PAX South 2019: Splitgate Arena Warfare, World of Horror, JackQuest, and Disjunction
PAX South 2019: Jump Force, Skellboy, A Fold Apart
PAX South 2019: Devil May Cry 5, Young Souls, Magequit
Nan Desu Kan 2018 Photo Gallery
Every year my inner gamer just about yodels during this 3-day industry show. Rumors are either brought to fruition or are laid to rest (for another year anyway), and I can plan my gaming budget for the future.
Day one and two had some major reveals, some really intense teasers, and I wanted to share with you guys what games I am personally most excited for. Let’s break this down by conference!!
Microsoft
*Evolve
First up for me is Turtle Rock/2K’s Monster Hunter look-a-like Evolve.
I love games where you can cooperatively take down a massive creature, so pair that with insane gameplay and graphics, and I’m basically sold. They had a huge presence at PAX, and I’ve been following it for a few months, so it’s definitely high on my list.
*Dragon Age: Inquisition
I’ve been a sucker for the Dragon Age games, and Dragon Age: Inquisition looks even more jaw dropping. This installment looks a lot more haunting, a lot more scary (which might just be me), but the DRAGONS. Character design has always been pretty, but just the details on the armor is kinda breathtaking!!
*Ori and the Blind Forest
This is one that kinda caught me off guard, and finishes my Microsoft list. It’s absolutely gorgeous looking, and while not too much of the story is really hinted at, I kinda wanna play on the sole fact that it is beautiful. It’s called Ori and the Blind Forest and it’s from Moon Studios. The only problem is, I am terrified of owls, so we shall see how it goes, ha ha ha.
EA
*Star Wars Battlefront
Star Wars Battlefront. I don’t even know what to say, cause I’m fucking rendered speechless, and in tears. You get to FIGHT on different PLANETS on the side of the Rebellion, or the Empire WITH BETTER GRAPHICS!!!! YOU GUYS!!!!
Ubisoft
I could care less. Maybe Colby has something for ya, cause I’m the only person apparently not hyped for any of the titles, which include Valiant Hearts, Rainbow Six Siege , and I forgot what else…Mirror’s Edge 2? You know how you can get my interest, Ubisoft? How about making your main protagonist in Assassin’s Creed: Unity a woman? Like….Charlotte Corday instead of Scruffy White Guy #5.
Sony
*The Order: 1886
I love Action/Adventure platformers, and this one pits an alternate London band of “knights” against supernatural creatures. It was teased at last year’s E3, and seeing a full length trailer basically made me need a fresh pair of underwear. It’s a PS4 exclusive, and definitely one at the top of my list, thanks to the sort of Resident Evil vibe this trailer gives off!
*Bloodborne
Project Beast was revealed to be Bloodborne, a horrific, squelching sounding tease of a game, but oh my goodness, I cannot wait to slice open weird things!! I didn’t hear quite as much buzz about it, but maybe that’s because people were still reeling from other announcements?
*Abzu
80% of my hype for this game is due to the fact you can apparently swim alongside whales. Seriously. Aside from aforementioned whales, the graphics could definitely look a bit better, but it’s just a trailer, and I highly doubt the makers of Journey (which, if you have not played, PLAY IT) would disappoint.
*Batman: Arkham Knight
I’m not sure if I’m more turned on by the new Batmobile or Kevin Conroy’s dulcet voice just flowing over the body like a tub of dark chocolate…The newest Batman game is set to surpass Batman: Arkham City, and Rocksteady is setting the bar higher and higher. I loved how the developer described the surprise cameo as a realization of their (and I suppose ours if we were mid-fight) worst fear. Check the trailer to see what I mean!
Nintendo
*Legend of Zelda Wii U
Confession: I am not the biggest LoZ fan, more of a casual observer/player of the franchise, but this…this made me want to cry from how pretty it is! Couple with that with the rumors floating around that this is Zelda we will be playing as instead of Link, and color me intrigued. Oh yeah, and this game is apparently open world, which is a giant step away from standard linear gameplay, Wind Waker aside.
So there you have it! I’m incredibly stoked for a lot of the titles out in 2015 and 2016, but I want to know what made YOU excited!!! Tell me, or tweet them to me @ladyvader99!! LET’S ARGUE OR SQUEAL OVER VIDEO GAMES!
REVIEW | Salt and Sanctuary
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Here’s a summary of the biggest announcements at Ubisoft’s E3 2014 press conference.
Far Cry 4
Though this trailer was all cinema, it showed off some of the character of Pagan Min, a ruthless eccentric who seems to have some sort of connection with the main character. The graphics on display in the trailer were rather impressive and the land of Kyrat is beautiful, but what’s even cooler is Mr. Min and his insane personality. A charismatic guy, as all good self-obsessed villains are, I can’t wait to tear ass around the jungle looking for him
The Division
I was excited about The Division’s gameplay, but after this trailer, I’m really invested in the story too. It’s really easy to gloss over the personal impact of widespread disease in stories like Resident Evil, but this trailer really hit you where it hurts. Without even showing people, a family is ripped down to nothingness by a sudden epidemic and the brutal work around them. If the gameplay made you like the game, this trailer will make you love it.
Assassin’s Creed 4
We now know a little bit more about AC4. The protagonist’s name is Arno Dorian and the game takes place around 1789. He’s Austrian and French and seems to enjoy the color blue. The freerunning capabilities in this title look much smoother than we’ve seen before and the interface is far less cluttered. Combine that with the four player co op shown off in Microsoft’s presser and this is shaping up to be the best AC title yet.
Shape Up
Ever wanted to play a game that actually makes you exercise and isn’t DDR? Shape Up looks like that game. The exercises/games it has actually look fun and when you throw competitive play into the mix, it looks like the most appealing exercise game coming out.
Rainbow Six: Seige
Remember how Battlefield Hardline was cops vs robbers on a huge scale? Think there’s room in your brainspace for cops vs robbers on a small scale? If so, Rainbow Six: Seige is right up your alley. The trailer features 5v5 competitive play with tons of tools on each side from drones to baracades, breach bombs to shield stands, it looks like a more strategic, better coordinated cops vs robbers game. With a smaller map and smaller teams, everyone must be on high alert and communicating if they hope to get the advantage, something that sounds incredibly fun.
Valiant Hearts
Just watch this trailer. Warning: likely to make you cry.
Daku Con 2018 Photo Gallery
Daku Con 2018 Convention Recap!
PAX South 2019: Splitgate Arena Warfare, World of Horror, JackQuest, and Disjunction
PAX South 2019: Jump Force, Skellboy, A Fold Apart
PAX South 2019: Devil May Cry 5, Young Souls, Magequit
Nan Desu Kan 2018 Photo Gallery
Sit down for an honest review, spoiler-free
for a game full of wonder, sorrow, and fun
Child of Light’s great to play, a few things it missed,
but is overall solid, whimsical, a game that does stun.
Within the past month Ubisoft Montreal brought us a beautiful surprise in the form of a side-scroller meets RPG, Child of Light. Built on the same engine from Ubisoft’s Rayman series, Child of Light is less Rayman, and more director Patrick Plourde and writer Jeffrey Yohalem’s homage to fairytales, classic fairytale illustration, fantasy films and Japanese RPGs such as Final Fantasy.
Even Yoshitaka Amano, the artist who produces both concept art, costume design and logo art for the Final Fantasy series contributed either conceptual or promotional art for Child of Light.
You can see the I believe “extra” party character from the downloadable quest add-on, on the top right.
A short game, with a somewhat fresh or “indie” feel, it’s a certain departure from grittier or more sophisticated work Ubisoft normally puts out. Smaller, more intimate. Artisan.
Child of Light is centered around a young girl from 1895 Austria, the aptly named (and pink haired!) Aurora. Aurora, the daughter of a Duke, contracts an illness that sends her into a death-like sleep, or rather actually…uh, dies? She however awakes upon an altar in a ruined fantasy land, Lemuria, caught underneath the grip of an evil Dark Queen who hid away the sun, moon and the stars. Aurora, gifted a sword and aided by the (on PC) mouse controlled Igniculus, a “firefly” (more like a will-o’- the-wisp in function, whose design vaguely resembles Slime from Dragon Quest) must set out and reclaim said celestial bodies to bring peace back to Lemuria. Aurora too seeks to return back to her father, who himself is ailing following Aurora’s apparent “death”. Along the way Aurora befriends comrades to the cause, effectively expanding her party.
THE GOOD:
First, let me say I am not a good gamer. I am really terrible at videogames. Which is why you never see me over here writing for you in this department often, if at all. I don’t think I have yet! I tend to like artsy, heartfelt games that are on the simpler side in execution. Team ICO holds my heart. But, Ubisoft’s desire to create an “interactive painting, a playable poem” and this game’s fairytale allure made me want to try this game. As a deficient gamer, I was lucky, as this game has two settings, more or less “easy” and “hard” modes called “casual” and “expert” respectively, and it was difficult enough for me on “casual” mode. Which is fine. Because I like to play my games well, more leisurely and I still ran into some boss battles and even just situational battles that were less than smooth. But I liked it that way. So, if you’re not a great gamer and want something fun but not too difficult, this game is definitely for you. In fact I think it would be a great introduction to RPG’s for sophisticated kids and tweens and teens. Or really anyone.
This game is a bit unique in that while the lead is a very feminine looking little girl with pink hair, gifted (eventually) fairy wings, and wields light, her main weapon is a big sword. She is the hero. She is not limited by the game makers to traditionally “girly” attacks or themes despite her hyper-feminine appearance and wearing a nightgown/dress. There is additionally no prince for Aurora to fall in love with. No romance. None. Aurora is a great main character, I loved her a lot. Certainly great for kids to see; we need more main characters like her! Actually all the characters have interesting personalities and elements to their individual stories that are good for growth and learning how to cope with things. What we saw of them, I enjoyed them all.
Another highlight, the music composed by the young (twenty-four year old) but terribly talented musician Cœur de pirate (Béatrice Martin) is inspiring and really provides a great atmosphere with the illustration-like visuals. If they ever release an OST I’d snap it up in a second.
Visually the game is stunning. It is an interactive painting. Incredibly difficult to choose where to screenshot that others haven’t already done. Gorgeous, non-objectified character designs for female characters. Everything, from backgrounds to enemies is either hand drawn watercolor or rendered in gorgeous illustration or stained-glass CGI with lots of bloom and shading. Gorgeously animated. The effect is something similar or reminiscent to Okami (with a more western storybook feel instead of sumi-e, the inspiration for the game coming from John Bauer and other “Golden Age of Illustration” illustrators like Arthur Rackham) and due to the side-scrolling nature of the game, at least a little bit; shades of Paper Mario-like interface.
Some glitches on my PC version through Steam were however, noticeable, mostly Aurora’s very animated hair, would disappear in certain battles effectively giving her a Mia Farrow pixie cut. But that didn’t really bug me too much. I thought the storyline was good, definitely not mold breaking by any means, but overall, solid. Not perfect. But “enough”.
The game overall reminds me of the 2D Aquaria, an indie game from a few (woah actually seven!) years back that was very ambitious with it’s paper-y doll illustrated look and I think still holds up strong as a great game today.
THE BAD:
The faults in Child of Light, while a solid game with it’s own charm, comes mostly from some underwriting when it came to the main plot, some telling vs. showing, and while overall solid, a limited battle system.
I felt story-wise the writing got a little thin at times; I felt I had missed some much needed back-story regarding some characters and was confused at some characters popping up out of nowhere but proving important to the plot. There are also story points and elements going on that we never get a full explanation about why it’s happening (but sound interesting) or further explore. This somewhat lack of roundness particularly for three characters including the big bad and the disjointed pacing that entailed made the game sometimes feel abrupt or again, that I had missed something. I felt the end also fizzled out or felt a bit rushed, jumping from one boss to the final boss without any break or gameplay in between, not even to adjust your assigned occuli to weapons and defense. The final battle was also visually underwhelming compared to what I was imagining or compared to bosses I had gone up against earlier in the game. To be fair, they have confirmed they cut a level leading up to the final boss, but it was simply game play.
Being said I would have also liked more cut scenes and or plot integration with my party. FFX always comes to mind as an RPG that did party interaction and plot specificity rather right. Okami was never terribly difficult and often repetitive but the sheer number of characters, personalities and side quests with high degrees of interactivity with said characters made the game feel so rich. A bit more of that kind of “oomf” and integration would have really made the game.
Some NPC’s in Child of Light even after you’ve helped them, continue their dialogue as if they were still looking for the object that you delivered and now hold in their hand. Small glitches like that take you out of the game. I additionally thought one party member was a bit redundant despite some great spells, and it would have been fun or different had they “joined” an existing member in your party as a duo thus changing up the roster and the stereotypical RPG format instead of taking up another solo spot.
Additionally, while gameplay was fun; you more or less have most of your character’s attacks already; you gain a few new abilities but in general you have the set attacks already. You can acquire new “passive” attacks or increases in your status that assist in battle but with existing attacks all you can do is advance them to apply to multiple individuals and or increase in damage. This is a bit of a downer as one of the cooler parts of RPGs is unlocking and learning new abilities and seeing them being cast/performed for the first time, especially in a time of need. It also encourages you to cycle through your party more as characters get stronger and more useful as they “grow” into their respective roles and offer even more unique attacks.
Given the small development team and short playing time of the game however, I know this is asking for a lot. I understand the limitations. What we did get is still a blast and at it’s core still a good narrative and very playable.
I feel a lot of these issues in Child of Light could be remedied by additional downloadable narrative quests down the line. There is already a downloadable quest with a new party member available who I believe was meant to be there the entire time. If they keep adding additional content, I think it would help the game be even greater than it managed to be; which is still rather great.
I really do recommend this game; there is an official tumblr for it to learn more about it and how they made it. The staff were nothing but enthusiastic and so invested in the game; really check it out and support their hard work.
For the super affordable price at $15, I’d award Child of Light an 8/10.
In all, the game is magical, gorgeous and scary
get it, play it, and let me know with a shout
of what you thought, your feelings,
for Child of Light; do you laud or flout?!
See you real soon!
Max Eber
max@sub-cultured.com
Twitter: @maxlikescomics
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
