The Last of Us Review

The Last of Us is Naughty Dog's latest IP, released two years after the conclusion of their blockbuster epic Uncharted. This game has been showcased as a gritty, dark and very violent game, which is not usually Naughty Dog's style. However, the Sony owned studio have always managed to please gamers, and receive critical claim with new IP's, but can The Last of Us do the same?

Story

The Last of Us starts off in present day USA, and introduces us to Joel, the main character, along with his brother Tommy and daughter Sarah. On the night of his birthday, a mutant Cordyceps infection breaks out amongst humanity, which quickly spreads throughout the country. 20 years later, and a much older and rugged Joel awakens, and he and his  smuggling partner Tess are entrusted with a mission to deliver a young girl named Ellie to the Fireflies, a rebel group, fighting against what remains of the authorities. Joel and Ellie must make their way across a United States now teeming with infected humans, hunters and thieves and make sure that Ellie is delivered safely to the Fireflies.

The story of this game is incredible, and you will feel a connection with the characters almost immediately. You will never know which way the story is going to go, and you will be guessing as to what happens, as well as going, right until the end. Naughty Dog did an amazing job making the player feel an emotional connection with all the characters you will meet in Joel's and Ellie's journey.

Gameplay

If you have played Uncharted before, you will see some of the mechanics naughty dog brought over from those games. You will spend the majority of the game playing as Joel in a third person perspective, while Ellie is controlled by the AI. As the game is based on survival, sneaking is essential, as ammo and other supplies are very limited. There is also a crafting system, where Joel can create Shivs, bombs, and other items, provided he has the necessary parts scavenged from the game world. Naughty Dog created a new AI system for this game called "Balance of Power", where the enemy AI will react depending on the situation. For example, if Joel is preoccupied with fighting off a group of 2 or 3 enemies, another lone enemy may sneak around and take Joel by surprise. It's a new fight every time, and it keeps the player constantly alert for any and all threats. The gun-play has been adapted from Uncharted, but given some changes to keep the survival element of the game intact. For example, you can no longer fire from the hip, as this would be a huge waste of valuable ammo. There is also a higher level of control needed when firing, as Joel will not be able to aim as well under fire. Another new feature of this game is "Listen Mode", which allows Joel to see enemy movement and positions, as long as they are making noise. Enemies that are quietly moving around the area will not be visible and will still require the players' attention.

While I am usually not a fan of stealth games, and I dislike having it forced on me, it's completely understandably why there is such a huge emphasis on it in this game. If you were to run out guns blazing like in Uncharted, you would be dead in seconds, and the feeling of the game would be completely ruined. Joel isn't supposed to be a superhuman, he's just a regular guy, and the game gets that point across very quickly.

Visual/Sound

The feeling of a post apocalyptic world is shown really well in the design of the levels. Nature has started to reclaim its territory, with plants and animals covering towns and cities, but the destruction of other survivors is also shown well too. Windows are smashed, doors are hanging off hinges, makeshift barricades from early in the outbreak still exist in places, but most of the areas you explore will have been long ravaged by other survivors. Again, it really adds to the survival aspect of the game, and completely immerses the player. The music in the game is equally fantastic, and always matches the current situation. Most of the music is slow, but in some of the more gripping parts of the game, it will slightly up the pace. The music and look of the game is just another wonderful piece which really helps keep the immersion and feel alive from beginning to end.

Multiplayer

The multiplayer mode of the game incorporates many of the survival aspects from the single player, and adapts them to a multiplayer setting. The multiplayer has its own story, independent of Joel and Ellie's journey. You must choose between being a member of the Fireflies, or a Survivor, each with their own mission lasting 12 weeks. 1 multiplayer match counts as one day, and you are in charge of making sure your camp is well fed and healthy. You do this by scavenging for supplies in multiplayer matches, either by killing enemies and looting their bodies for supplies, or scavenging from supply boxes located around the maps. Just like in single player, there is a huge emphasis on survival and stealth, and it is key to making sure you maintain  a happy and healthy camp, which will constantly be growing. Cooperating with other players on your team is essential, and trying to lone wolf will almost always get you killed by better prepared opponents. As of now, there are only two modes, Supply Raid and Survivor, both of which revolve around killing the enemy team in order to win. Hopefully the community keep this multiplayer ali

ve, and Naughty Dog add some new modes that are not just based on killing, as it is a very unique concept for multiplayer and can be very fun.

The Verdict: The Last of Us is most definitely Naughty Dog's crowning achievement this generation, and has left me eagerly awaiting their next game. The game has been crafted to near perfection, and I cannot see another game this year beating it to become Game of The Year.

10/10

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BioShock: Infinite Review

BioShock: Infinite is the third game in the highly acclaimed BioShock series. Despite this, you do not need to have played the first 2 in order to understand the story for the third. This game has been highly anticipated since it was first shown at E3, but have Irrational Games managed to meet the expectations of gamers?

Story

Bioshock Infinite takes place in Columbia in 1912. However, this Columbia has one key difference to the one we know of; it is a city suspended in the air by quantum levitation. The city was lost by those on the ground, until Booker DeWitt, a disgraced ex soldier and current private investigator was tasked with the mission 'bring us the girl and wipe away the debt' with instructions on how to reach the city above. Initially, the city seems peaceful and happy, with the belief that their leader and prophet, Father Zachary Hale Comstock, the founder of Columbia has the ability to see in the future and will lead Columbia to a bright future. However, beneath the surface, civil war is brewing between the poorer working classes and the richer middle and upper classes. As you take control of Booker, you will witness both sides of Columbia, as well as discover that there is more to Bookers story than meets the eye.

Gameplay

Like the first 2 BioShock games, Infinite is a first person shooter with RPG elements. Throughout the game, you will collect special abilities called vigors, which will allow you to perform a wide array of techniques, including setting enemies on fire, summoning a murder of crows to distract and damage your opponents, and leave enemies vunerable by removing gravity's pull from around them. Vigors use up Salts, which you can replenish by eating food or at Salt stations. You will also have a unique grappling hook type weapon which can both dismember enemies at close range, and allow you to travel around the city quickly on skylines. There are also a wide variety of weapons to chose from, ranging from a basic pistol to the Hand Cannon, which will make quick work of anyone in your way. All weapons and vigors can be upgraded via vending machines found throughout the city with money you will find looting enemies and storage containers.

Once you have found the girl (Elizabeth), she will assist you by scavenging the area for ammo, health packs, Salt, and throwing them to Booker if needed. She also has the ability to open tears in time and space, allowing her to assist even further by bringing in some cover, or powerful weapons. Only one tear can be opened at a time, and the player will need to choose carefully depending on their surroundings.


Visual/Sound

The city of Columbia is beautiful, and is full of colour and life. No two areas look the same, and the developers did an amazing job of showing both the rich and blissful side of the upper city, and the poor and rough slums below. The music used in the game is equally incredible, and really helps create a great mood for the game, and an emotional link with the characters. Irrational did fantastic work in making sure gamers would get lost in the city of Columbia.

The verdict: A lot was expected of BioShock Infinite, and Irrational have definitely delivered, creating an unforgettable experience in an amazing world, topped off with a very unique story that will no doubt influence other games in the future. The only downside I found whilst playing this game were that while great, I felt there was still more of the story to tell, and all loose ends were tied up very quickly in the last hour.

8.5/10

I found this review quite difficult, as there is so much to say, but it's hard without spoiling anything. However, I feel I hit the key points. Thanks for reading, and as usual, I am open to advice and criticism for future reviews.

Thanks!

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XCOM: Enemy Unknown Review

I should say now that I have never played the original XCOM game. I have never really been a fan of turn based tactical games. I picked up Final Fantasy Tactics on PSP a few years ago and couldn't stand it. However, I decided to give the genre another go with XCOM: Enemy Unknown. And I'm very glad I did.

Story

The story takes place on Earth in 2015, which has just been invaded by aliens with far greater technological superiority than our own. Our reponse to this force is XCOM, a scientific and military organisation that is tasked with defending Earth from extra terrestrial attack. The player takes the role as commander of XCOM, and must command troops through battles in a war that humanity will never forget.


Gameplay

As mentioned before, the game gives the player the role of commander of XCOM. This will give you the ability to command your troops in combat against the alien threat. The missions are broken up by returning to the XCOM base of operations, where the player can research new technology, expand the base with new facilities, hire new soldiers, and purchase new equipment, as well as expanding XCOM's global effectiveness by launching satellites able to detect alien presence across the world. All of this will cost money and/or resources which are obtained through battles.

The battles are purely turn based and will put you in command of between 4 and 6 soldiers of varying classes (Support, Heavy, Sniper or Assault). Each battle will have its own requirement for victory. Troops that take part in battles will earn XP, and when levelled up, will earn new skills to use in future battles. However, if the soldier is killed during battle, their death is permanent. Soldiers can also be out of action for a certain amount of time if they are wounded during battle too. You can customise each soldiers loadout, including special items which can assist in battle. For example, the medkit will allow you to heal any wounds sustained. Soldiers can also take cover behind objects, with the objects size being a factor into how much protection it will offer. The special abilities include being able to take a reaction shot against an enemy when they move into a soldiers line of sight, limiting enemy vision with smoke grenades, and healing allied units. I have found myself addicted to this sort of gameplay, and despite my first playthrough being on easy, money was still very tight, and I had to plan my next move carefully, whether it was expanding the base, or launching an assault on an enemy.
Visual and Sound

It is not as visually appealing as most other games released last year, and there isn't a lot of colour. A lot of the maps also look identical to each other, and I found myself getting tired of the scenery pretty quickly. The cutscenes are very nice, but again, they don't stand up to anything else other games released offered. There isn't too much to say about the sound either, as you'll either be hearing dialogue or the beeps of computers at work. Music in the game is very limited, and will usually be drowned out by the sounds of units moving or firing. However, I don't mind this too much, as it helps set the mood for the game.

Multiplayer

The multiplayer portion of the game takes the battle part of the game online, where you can play ranked battles with strangers, or private matches with friends. There is a slight difference in regards to how you deploy soldiers. Each troop type will cost you points, and the player who has spent the least will go first. As I'm new to and not very good at turn based tactical games such as this, I do not enjoy playing against opponents who are clearly more tactically skilled than me. However, multiplayer is a great place to learn new tactics and get better at the game.

The verdict: While it will not impress visually, and the story isn't as in depth as other games dealing with extra terrestrials, XCOM: Enemy Unknown does a very good job of providing addictive gameplay and really makes you consider the choices you make before you make them.

9/10

I hope you enjoyed this review, and I am always open to feedback and criticism.

Thank you!

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