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Video Game Review – Assassins Creed: Odyssey

I generally like the Assassins Creed series but I’ll admit I got series fatigue after Black flag and never finished Unity and I never even purchased or played Syndicate. I absolutely love what they did with Origins though and as result I thoroughly enjoyed the newest installment, Odyssey. I got a Platinum trophy on the Playstation4, thus I fully explored the game and most of what it had to offer. This game is absolutely massive and Gorgeous to behold. I must say it is an impressive game even at its worse! Never once can I say the game is very bad at all there were some minor things I found silly or repetitive but that is literally any video game.

Most importantly I thought the game was fun! It’s fun and rewarding to explore, the action is fun, and they give you so many options on how to fight and engage the enemy that, as long as I kept changing up my perks and switching up my play style and weapons, the gameplay loop never really got boring even after 100+ hours. To me that is a pretty good experience. There was some repetitive stuff but to me it never felt super drab or grindy.

I truly enjoyed the characters and time setting. I liked the Greek accents even if they were a little cheesy sometimes I thought it felt pretty genuine for the most part. Most every review I have seen or read praises Kassandra as the better and more lively of the two playable characters. I chose her because quite simply a female character adds so much to the dynamic and way I play the character. I personally like the “Bad Ass” female persona, I grew up watching Ripley fighting aliens with machine guns duct taped to flamethrowers. I wasn’t disappointed by Kassandra in the slightest. I read a review that says, “playing as her turns the game from a good one with a solid male lead character into an epic game where you are basically a mini Wonder Woman.” I would definitely agree and second this statement.

The characters felt pretty real and alive. She displayed emotions in a great range, she was funny, and several times I felt the dialogue was specifically tailored to her sex, which to me was refreshing. A friend of mine played through the game as Alexios so I got to hear some of the dialogue and the way people talk to him. There is definitely a difference in the way the NPCs address the main character depending on their sex. It added a nice touch of realism that helped to immerse me in the world that much more.

Some of the Dialogue is kinda cheesy and after spending so much time in the game you start to see the limitations of your choices and effects but The game is Massive and their are so many interesting tid-bits of lore and story, I rarely felt bored and logged over a hundred hours in the game. Better yet I have yet to see any added content so I know I will spend even more time in this gorgeous world. I like how the tale dipped into the legend of Leonidas and the 300 soldiers who fought against the Persian Empire. Some of that kinda gets lost in the story because it is so long, but I was happy with their depiction none-the-less.

The games graphics look very similar to AC Origins. Which I am not complaining about. Origins was a breathtaking game, and Odyssey is no different. I think Origins was a little bit more solid and fluid but Odyssey is larger by a fair degree. Altogether the small glitches and rough spots were easily overlooked next to the beauty and detail everywhere else in the game. I also appreciated the music. As I explored the gorgeous scenery between objectives beautiful female voices echo and twangy sting instruments play serene little riffs that took me to the rolling hills of the Mediterranean.

There were a couple of glaring little things that kinda made me chuckle or were kinda annoying but these ended up being kinda charming, such as the glitchyness of Skyrim. None of these things are game breaking but hard not to notice.

The NPCs dive directly into my horse when I am riding through populated areas. I feel like people stayed more out of the way of my horse in Origins.. but maybe it was just as bad. It’s not a terrible glitch it’s just funny when people are yelling at you to “watch where you are going” as they dive into your horse as it passes them. It happens a lot too.. not just every now and again. I think there is some small timing or spacial issue but I don’t know anything about the technical side of bugs or glitches..

I thought the inventory Menus are kinda clunky as well. I think there should be some kind of fast dismantle option or a way to highlight and sell all of your junk weapons and armor with one button press instead of Ka-chunking through every single piece of worthless armor you collect throughout the game, and you collect a lot, so I found this kinda annoying.

I felt like sneaking and being stealthy was easier than it has ever been. Especially once you power up some of your assassination perks, you can quite literally skip through some of the bases without ever alerting anyone. This is cool and all but I feel like the Enemy AI could have been a little bit better in the hearing and noticing disturbances department. Otherwise I liked how the game kinda levels up with you so when I went back to do missions that I had long passed they were still somewhat difficult and not just a waste of time. I felt like the pacing of the game was pretty good overall.

Lastly, I thought the story was a little bit Convoluted. I ultimately got everything and understood everything but there were some twists that were kinda random and some times in the game where I was like WTF? I feel like they should have gated a couple of the Cultists of Kosmos so that when I got to a certain place, I hadn’t already killed the leader and thus make all of the missions in that area pointless.. This game is so massive that it would be impossible to make it flow without a couple snags. It’s worth noting that most AC games are a little weird when they try to explain themselves.. so it wasn’t too hard to overlook the strangeness of some of the events or pacing issues.

All in all I feel that this is a strong game in the Assassins Creed franchise. I really enjoyed it. It was refreshing to have some RPG elements combined with the glorious action and stealth in the Assassins Creed style. Overall this is a great game for anyone who enjoys big open worlds and lots of exploration. The game was engaging throughout and I still have more to return too and I will. I played a lot of video games this past Holiday season and am just barely now getting to the reviews.

You may not like this game if you dislike long games with Massive and complex stories. There is lots to read and do and can get distracting from the main missions. There is also a degree of grindyness to this game that may turn off some gamers. I don’t mind a bit or repetitive grinding, as I said earlier they give you so many options that the game can only be boring if you play the same way for the whole time.

Definitely recommend Assassins Creed Odyssey.

Video Game Review – Spider Man

I played this game in it’s entirety on the Playstation 4 standard system and got a platinum trophy. Gamer tag SL_Blank

I would highly recommend this game for anyone who liked the Batman and Arkham games. The fluid fighting mechanics are faithfully re-created to make you a web-slinging bad ass after just a short while playing. Definitely give it two thumbs up. I will go over some pros and cons but will try not to spoil any major story points.

One of the most memorable things I liked about the game was the freedom of movement that felt genuinely… well, Spider-Man. After an opening sequence and tutorial for the mechanics, from the very onset of the game, you can do all of the favorite movements. After some practice you can effortlessly re-create your favorite scenes from the movies including vaulting over buildings and doing graceful back flips between every web swing. The game captures the movement and essence of Spider-Man really well.

The story was also a highlight and I was expecting something a little bit lighter in subject matter. This is definitely a darker and more mature exploration of the characters that have been portrayed countless times in varying media. The cinematics are absolutely gorgeous and rival the best CG films I’ve ever scene. The eyes and basic animations are pretty solid. The voices and movements of all of the characters sound pretty good and are believable. Not a single one of them are super cheesy and ruin it. I genuinely cared about most of the story issues being presented. Most people know the back story of the Spider-Man series so I appreciated that this game dove right in and gave tons of little nods to nostalgia as well as more about he characters and lore of this particular Marvel Game Universe (MGU), although I personally craved a bit more. I enjoyed learning about this MGU Peter Parker and his various friends and enemies. I wish they had have given a bit more back story over all.

There will definitely be more Games in this series. Overall the game does all the basic open world mechanics really well. Base Clearing, random pop-up events, collectables, challenges, leveling up, unlocking new skills, etc is all included. There was nothing super cutting edge that I noticed. I know by now that they wouldn’t put all of the best things in the first entry in the series. What it does well, it does REALLY well, However there was a strong desire for more, and I am not being greedy. I have read other reviews with this exact sentiment. There could have been a lot more interaction with civilians and urban landscapes. I personally would have appreciated a lot more variety in the missions and side missions. Again, this is not to discredit the great moments, but some of the time in between felt repetitive from an early stage and didn’t really abate much.

I understand this is a symptom of pretty much any game you go on to platinum. By the end you have done literally almost everything that the creators of the game put in there for you to do, so it’s bound to be a little repetitive. This overall observation didn’t negate from the fact that I had a blast traversing this accurate portrayal of Manhattan. The game lacked a definitive day and night cycle and eventually gives you the option to change the time of day at your leisure. Both day and night looked stunning from high on top of the Empire State Building. Pretty accurate, as I have been up to the observation deck of that particular building! Spider-Man can just run his happy ass up the side of the building! Screw waiting in lines!

Yep, that is pretty much my basic review, There have been a ton of other reviews discussing the nitty gritty. This is just a strait up review from a casual gamer.

Final Thoughs… Honestly at this point you can probly find it used for cheaper and even more so if you wait till after Thanksgiving. I highly recommend this game! If you enjoy being comic book characters in a fluid and seamless open world than this is a great game for you. If you like tight and cinematic combat, you’d probably enjoy it as an action game. Of course if you love spider man you most certainly will dig. It’s been a long time since a good Spidey game came out and this one was a blast to play. I eagerly await the next installments over the next year or two.

As always Thanks for Reading, feel free to comment and share your experiences!

Video Game review – Metal Gear Survive

**May contain spoilers** I try not too but it’s hard writing a review without spoiling some things, read at your discretion. Feel free to ask questions or comment if you have something to add.

Over all I give Metal Gear Survive a 4 of 5 stars. *NOTE* I have not beaten the game yet. I will update this review if it needs it upon completion. I feel I have played enough hours to write a good review for someone who is curious about picking up the game.

Let me first say, I am a huge fan of Hideo Kojima and his Metal Gear Solid video game franchise. I appreciate how the tight mechanics, mature military sci-fi story, superb graphics, and excellent voice acting come together to create thought provoking video games with great content. I was a little skeptical after Hideo Kojima, the main producer of the series, left the game studio Konami. I have read a lot about what caused the split but that is another article entirely. I simply want to give an honest review of Konami’s Metal Gear spin off, without devolving into the Kojima/ Konami fanboy critique.

First and foremost i have read several reviews for the new game and most of them do not say if it is a good game or not. Most reviews I have read simply devolve into how it is NOT Metal Gear.. I got fed up with reading about what people think of the series or the Kojima/Konami situation. I don’t think a single reviewer, actually reviewed the game. It was more about what they didn’t like about it or the story or characters. Still most reviewers put way too much emphasis on the game not being Kojimas Franchise and a cheap cash out by Konami. Most reviews online will tell you all about this. I want to actually discuss the game and why I more or less enjoy it.

It is not a direct prequel or sequel. Metal Gear Survive is an off shoot that happens sometime between the end of Peace Walker and the start of The Phantom Pain in the main story chronology. It is a military story in proper Metal Gear fashion that involves wormholes and other dimensions, combined with infected, zombie like creatures, in a mysterious survival setting. Your character is a silent cuztomizable soldier. You do not directly play as Snake or any of the main characters that you may know. Survive is an entire side story consisting of entirely new characters and some new and old ideas.

That being said, I enjoy this game because of the many formulas at play. Metal Gear Survive is more or less a base building sim that plays a lot like Tom Clancy’s: The Division. It is a well crafted loot-shooter, that combines all of the better mechanics of Metal Gear series, with the looty goodness of The Division, and with a sprinkle of your favorite zombie games peppered in. You have certain amounts of time you can stay out in the environment and you collect materials, food, water, blueprints, and other stuff that you have to take back to a base to count as acquired. You can extend your exploration by preparing yourself with more survival gear, weapons, ammo, food, and water. This allows you to stay out in the harsh environment much longer than if you venture in unprepared. The entire game plays like one huge subsistence mission, where you are entirely un-equipped at the beginning and every single item you use is procured from the environment.

The beginning of this game is not easy. It is a survival type game where the first enemy you encounter is the environment and elements themselves. You have to struggle to find water and keep hydrated as well as cook food. I have read other reviews that described how much of a difficult slog the beginning of the game is and I can definitely agree. I died a lot in the beginning because I was constantly starving to death, either for lack of water or food. Keep at it though because it is deeply satisfying when you start to learn how to keep yourself healthy, well fed, and watered. I was not looking for a game to hold my hand so I enjoyed this steep learning curve. However, people who don’t like slower paced action and stories in general will most likely be put off by the pace of the beginning of the game. This game rewards persistence, and learning from your mistakes.

The action plays well, definitely at a slower pace, compared to the traditional Metal Gear games. I have experienced and played with styles combining run and gun tactics, (once I finally found the blueprints to build a gun) to the quiet and stealthy strategy of the core games. Both work well and the game does a good job balancing and dealing with tension.. A great sense of panic and urgency builds as the zombie like creatures become alert and scream, thus alerting all of the enemies around you. I could feel my excitement rise when I realize a whole hill of those things turns to me and starts running toward me in a large mob. In this game you get to decide whether to take the fight or flight approach, both of which are warranted at different times, a decision which becomes crucial to survival during some parts.

I really enjoy the “Dust” aspect of the game. All around the main base is an ominous cloud called “the dust” . Most of the adventuring is done by gearing up at base and then venturing out into the dust to find, survivors, gear, new materials, or blueprints to craft new things. This brings to mind the Dark Zone of The Division. This area sets up a need to prepare and form a strategy before just casually trekking to that wormhole irregularity. The game does a great job of making the dust disorienting with only small visual clues to help you find your way around. You literally have to make note of direction and recognizable landmarks in order to keep your bearings. This gets more difficult when enemies require you to fight or take alternate routs to avoid being spotted. The lack of direction combined with the fact that you are on an oxygen timer creates quite a tense “oh shit I have to get home” feeling. I think they did this wonderfully it is a great aspect to the game in my opinion.

There is an extensive tutorial menu so every mechanic of the game can be re read to better understand or if you missed some information. I also particularly enjoy that it gives you the option of recovering lost items when you die. You can choose to start right before that last mission started before you left the base, or you can start from base and go try to recover the box full of your items that you lost when you perished. This choice greatly relieves the sense of loss when a game over inevitably happens. I don’t like games that try to waste your time, while in the game.. (that is why I play video games for entertainment). Losing everything for not preparing yourself or making a mistake kinda bugs me but this game gives you an option at least. This is not an easy game so expect to die a lot, especially in the first segment of the game, it is pretty normal, and you aren’t doing anything wrong.

I do have some complaints about the game but none of them are cause enough to make it a bad experience, just something to be desired.

I had hoped the Co-op play would have been in the main quest part of the game. So I could team up with friends to secure the base and loot for materials. For now I believe there are only select staged areas that players can take on cooperatively. I haven’t played too much in Co-op so I will probly update this section a bit when I finish the game.

The characters are decent but not as instantly lovable as the main protagonists of the Core games. Many people will be put off right from the start because you don’t play as snake or one of his colleagues. For the first several hours I found it hard to take the characters seriously, However, after I played for a while I actually kinda started to care whether this group of random characters will ever get home. Also the main conflict, why the characters are stuck in this world, is fairly thought provoking and I want to know who is behind everything and why/how the characters are being manipulated. All of these things, coupled with the inclusion of aspects from the Core metal gear series, make for a pretty compelling survival game with the soul of it’s name sake.

The Metal Gear series is known for it’s tight gameplay, chiseled graphics, and mature (sometimes ludicrous) sci-fi / military stories. Metal Gear Survive definitely embraces these qualities while giving something a bit different. Overall not perfect but pretty good in my opinion. Definitely worth a play through if you like good looking, tight playing, survival games. I highly recommend this if you desired more from The Division. This game feels a lot like that. If you are looking for another Metal Gear Solid game, don’t bother. It is a different experience overall and uses a bunch of new mechanics and other story drivers that may not satiate the common Metal Gear fanboy.

Well I hope this was informative. Please comment or share if you fancy. Much love and Happy Gaming!