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Silent Hill 25 Years Later: Harry Situations

Stephen Wilds — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 23:11:44 +0000

(Photo Credit: Konami)

25 years ago, Silent Hill made waves on the PlayStation and enlightened the world of video game horror, helping to shape the future classics of the genre. Long before the renaissance of heroic and caring video game dads, Harry Mason was looking for his daughter in a fog-ridden town, facing down hellish monsters while fear ran rampant, but he wouldn’t let anything stand in his way. Team Silent worked hard to make their protagonist the everyman, but he was also a complex and engaging character.

Harry is a novel writer, intelligent and practical, but willing to believe in things he may not fully understand. He’s physically capable, able to make quick decisions, and decent enough with a gun to defend himself, but he’s far from an action hero. What makes him stronger is his devotion to his adopted daughter, Cheryl, who he and his wife, Jodie, found on the side of the road. With his ward gone missing in the corrupted town after a car accident, he braves the dangers and embarks on a mission to save her, never losing focus of that goal. He doesn’t seem religious, even with some of the apparent demonic influence and black magic he encounters. He’s rationalizing what they’ve seen, opening up believing in the Otherworld, but pessimism certainly acts as a cornerstone of his beliefs. Harry worries constantly about his daughter’s safety, which leads him to give his child a stun gun when she’s older and kill a cult member to keep her a secret, but that’s later on.

“I don’t like this feeling. Like something bad will happen… No doubt, something terrible is going on.”

There are a lot of parents who say they’ll do anything for their children, but few people are asked to literally go through a nightmarish hellscape and battle a god. He’s a single father, as Jodie passed away four years prior, but at no point does Harry question his purpose or reconsider his actions for the child they took in. During his adventure, Harry encounters other residents of Silent Hill, most of them women with vastly different personalities. Potentially, these ladies remind Harry of his daughter, or at least the type of woman she could become. Not all of them have Harry’s best interest in mind, but that’s fine. They aren’t his primary concern either.

Our protagonist does have his moments where he can be despondent, blinded by his goals, and slightly caustic, especially in some of his conversations with his allies. Players see a prominent example of Harry’s coldness in his final conversation with Lisa Garland, who is really going through it at the end. She’s one of the most interesting and tragic characters in the game, but the moment Harry realizes that she might be a part of the darker world he’s seen, he refuses to embrace or comfort her, even pushing her back as she cries. He shuts her in the room, bracing against the door while Lisa bangs on it. It’s heartbreaking, but also hard to blame him, as she could have attacked Harry or become another obstacle in the way of reaching Cheryl.

We also see this in his willingness to slay Cybil Bennett, a police officer who is stuck in Silent Hill as well and becomes the victim of a parasite that forces her to attack Harry. The player can either acquire items to save her from the menace or simply murder her. I always felt that Cybil was a great character for what little time she had on screen, and I tried to help her (though I failed the first time). It turns out that canonically, she was slain by Harry, who does show remorse concerning her death and questions why it had to happen, but it feels like there had to be another way. In the end, Harry can’t save his daughter if he’s dead, and we cannot question his dedication, no matter how many other bodies are stacked up in the process.

“Cheryl is my daughter. I will save her. No matter what.”

The game has multiple endings, even one that involves Harry being abducted by aliens. In my recent replaying, I made sure to get the Good+ scenario, which sees Cybil saved, Dr. Michael Kaufmann dealt with, and a chance for Harry to raise his daughter again, but I know that’s not the real outcome. The canonical conclusion sees Harry escape with the child, with no Cybil, making it back to the highway and questioning everything he just witnessed, but that isn’t the ending I preferred for many years.

I’m actually in favor of the Bad ending, partially because it was the outcome I received the first time I ever played the game, but also it seemed the most fitting for Harry’s story and his life as a writer. In this version, the player doesn’t do Kaufmann’s sidequest and kills Cybil, which means we fight a different form of the final boss, our own daughter, who thanks us for ending her pain. Instead of running out or taking a portal, we see our hero crumble, face down, and questioning how this could have happened as the place collapses around him. Then, after the credits, we observe one final shot of Harry back in his jeep at the site of the accident from the beginning of the game. His head is bloody, and the horn is sounding, as we realize he’s died from the wreck and everything we just did was his final thoughts of trying to save his daughter, all created in his head from his hyperactive imagination or as a defense mechanism to combat the realization he was dying. It makes this line from earlier in the game hit harder.

“Was that another dream? Did I pass out again? I don’t want to think so, but maybe this is all just going on in my head. I could have had a car accident, and now I’m lying unconscious in a hospital bed… I don’t know what’s real anymore…”

I find that outcome compelling, even if it doesn’t align with later games or explain what happened to Cheryl in that version. Something about the inescapable dread and weight of the nightmare that is Silent Hill makes that ending feel right. Even if it means we failed, and Harry had no chance of making it, that’s a solid story. Harry is a good father, but he’s a complicated man who deserves an equally weighty ending. Janky combat, annoying puzzles, tank controls and all, I will always love Harry’s nightmare, even if I like to play with the outcomes a little.

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Doom Guy: Life in First Person Review: A Fascinating Look at John Romero

Stephen Wilds — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 22:00:00 +0000

Who is John Romero? It’s a question many who play video games can answer, especially those that grew up experiencing Doom, Quake, or Wolfenstein 3D. His contributions to the industry — and especially the first-person shooter genre — are almost impossible to measure, but that’s only a part of this story. Doom Guy: Life in First Person is a book that offers an in-depth look at what it was like being a rockstar programmer in the days of blood, sweat, and glory as the medium was quickly evolving. It also covers the bumps on the road and what hindsight offers for someone who never truly slowed down.

Buy Doom Guy: Life in First Person (Hardcover)

Masters of Doom by David Kushner is an excellent book that was published in 2003. As good of a look at the men behind the fabled video game empire of id Software as it was, it always felt like there might be more to tell. This is for those who want to know what Romero has been up to for the last 20 years, but more than that, there’s a more concentrated tale about his early life, which had only been lightly touched on previously. Now, in this more recent text, John Romero is telling the stories himself, which gives this book a more intimate viewpoint of those events.

Romero informs his readers early on that he has a condition known as hyperthymesia, which allows him to recall extreme levels of detail about his past — especially memories that excited him, and unfortunately, those that were harmful as well. This puts him in a unique position for telling these stories and the details shine through excellently in most parts, giving readers a better understanding of his perspective. There are moments, however, where he admits to not recollecting certain exchanges or simply quotes Masters of Doom’s version of the events for clarification. The things Romero holds back on are addressed and it makes sense to think there would still be a couple of secrets worth keeping over such an extensive career, even now.

This book explores a troubled childhood and how those experiences helped shape his career path, but that also means discussing some of the darker parts, which may be a bit harsh for some readers who just want to discuss the games. Romero talks about his family’s past with alcoholism, drugs, prostitution, abandonment, and child abuse, but also how his situation meant that many of these events couldn’t be avoided and how much his blood means to him. All of it shaped him. Some of this material can be tough to hear, but these moments are interwoven with interesting bits about the areas he grew up in and cultures that Romero embraced.

The book also goes a bit more in-detail about his early exposure to video games, how they became a form of escapism, and the efforts his parents went to in fighting against this new love. It may sound like the feel-good plot of an ’80s movie, as he eventually makes not only a career, but his own legend in the industry — but it actually happened.

Romero is also an incredibly talented video game programmer, but it was fascinating to hear him talk about approaching comics, music, and other passions as well. He probably could have made it in several fields with the way he was so quick to adapt, but coding and level design were his true areas of expertise. The man had some luck in the industry and a lot of opportunities based on his prior endeavors, but none of that took away from the hard work and long hours he put in.

People often forget that the majority of the story we know about him, John Carmack, and the others at id all happened when these guys were in their 20s, so many of the negative things that happened and bad decisions make a little more sense with that framing. Romero isn’t humble per se, but he’s definitely simple and straightforward.

This means it is nice to hear him admit that he can see a lot of the mistakes in his career were his fault or could have been handled differently. For example, they fired someone for not being in their D&D group, which, while there were other factors, is quite silly in retrospect. The latter half of his career shows even more of how he deals with failure, finds happiness being a little bit more out of the limelight, and how he and Carmack may have needed each other more than either one realized.

Life in First Person also delves into tech advancements, company blunders, and other game releases that shaped how id went forward. It’s a matter-of-fact look at how the industry was changing, even with events like the Columbine High School massacre. Romero and his cohorts were trying to be in the eye of the storm, heads down coding the next project, but it’s hard to stay that out of the chaos when almost everyone on the planet is playing your game.

Romero also reads the audio version of his book. After hearing Wil Wheaton narrate Masters of Doom excellently, it’s unclear if this is the right choice. Some of Romero’s line reads are a bit off, and the way he enunciates words like “roof” was a little strange. The delivery isn’t necessarily flat, but there is something missing. These words and the way they are projected are coming from the man who experienced it all, however, so there is something to be said for that, and a few segments are full of the passion he has tied to those memories. There should have just been more of that.

The stories here taught me a lot about the man himself, but it’s also full of valuable lessons about level design and how he approaches these projects to present certain aspects to the players. It retreads portions of Masters of Doom, but this takes its time, fills in a few more gaps, and talks so much more about his youth and recent years in way that makes it a fantastic read. And while some of the basics are widely known, Doom Guy: Life in First Person is an insightful read by one of the most influential figures in the industry.

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How the AEW Fight Forever Roster Stands Out

Stephen Wilds — Thu, 06 Jul 2023 22:00:00 +0000

The wrestling world is dominated by the WWE, so it isn’t surprising that its video games have a headlock on that category, as well. Other passionate contenders have stepped into the ring — Fire Pro Wrestling World deserves some praise — but not many can compete with the production value, budget, and hilarious glitches of the WWE 2K games. AEW, however, can and has stepped up with AEW: Fight Forever, which has a large pool of talent that’s still somewhat new to the digital world. And this fresh roster is a big part of the game’s appeal, so here’s how each of them stacks up.

Anna Jay

This Georgia girl has a fat ass and a bad attitude, which translates to a rotten time for most of her opponents. The Queenslayer is fierce and not afraid to drop some serious offense in the ring or use foreign objects when the situation calls for it. Formerly of the Dark Order, Anna Jay A.S. has more recently allied herself with the Jericho Appreciation Society and tag partner Tay Melo, but it isn’t hard to imagine there’s ambition there for her own path. Her gear looks great and some people have announced publicly that they think she’s, “the hottest bitch in this place.” Gold is most likely in Anna’s future, but with a savvy player backing her, that’ll be sooner rather than later.

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John Silver

The Dark Order has had a lot of ups and downs since its debut, but one of the standouts in their ranks as faces or heels has been John Silver. The muscular mound may be of smaller stature than most wrestling icons, but he can certainly go in the ring and has always felt like somewhat of an underdog, which makes it fun to play him against larger opponents or in matches with seemingly impossible odds. Johnny Hungiee may not be one of the most-picked characters in the game at first, but his charisma spills through even in this digital form. This student of Mikey Whipwreck’s is pro-meat, all beef, and purely entertaining.

Hikaru Shida

She isn’t just a former AEW Women’s World Champion, but the person to hold that belt the longest at this time, so let’s put a little respect on the name. Hikaru Shida is a woman of few words, a samurai on a mission, and as of late that has seen her facing off against The Outcasts. She’s a stylish person anywhere she goes, so it makes sense that her in-game model looks excellent, moves are fluid, and this Japanese warrior is a site to behold in action, especially when using her trademark kendo stick.

Powerhouse Hobbs

Will Hobbs lives up to the name Powerhouse. Everything he does is executed with raw strength and willpower. He is a dominant heel and his moves feel like any one of them could end a conflict right in the middle of the ring. The bigger guys aren’t usually my preferred combatants, but Powerhouse moves decently and I get a kick out of doing his Oklahoma Stampede finisher every time. Hobbs is a former member of Team Taz, associates with QTV, and held the TNT Championship, but his goal is to be the first African American AEW World Champion, and it seems like that chapter is already written in the Book of Hobbs, it’s just waiting to happen.

Jade Cargill

Her dominant reign may have hit a snag recently, but that doesn’t mean that Jade Cargill isn’t still that bitch. Cargill started out strong in the company, debuting in a feud involving Shaquille O’Neal, as well as Cody and Brandi Rhodes, and she’s continued to conquer the brand with the baddies and showed off her strength with an impressive TBS title run. She’s an imposing figure who sells the shit out of her moves, and it’s great how crisp that Jaded finisher looks in the game. Every piece of her assault feels like it’s going to hurt. Cargill has shown improvement over her time in the company and she’s the type to do stylish and nerdy entrances (Mortal Kombat, X-Men, and Thundercats – her gear looks good, but those would have been great to see here), leaving quite the impression. Jade is the brand of heel this game needs.

Nyla Rose

As a wrestler, it took a little time for Nyla Rose to grow on me. I was way more interested in her life as an actress, her work with Marvel Comics, and the path she is taking as a transgender athlete. Over the years, however, I came to respect the former champ’s in-ring work more and enjoy Rose’s matches, especially from a presentation standpoint. The Native Beast is a vicious heel and even in a loss, she comes across as a threat. Her model in the game isn’t perfect, but Nyla’s entrance with the mask and that song works very well. I was a bit surprised at how much I enjoy playing as Rose, as her moves can be a bit unruly at times and not connect. There’s just something satisfying about destroying opponents with that Beast Bomb.

Orange Cassidy

Whatever.

Penta El Zero M and Rey Fenix

I was first exposed to this duo in a fantastic promotion known as Lucha Underground and these two have never ceased to impress me since then. The Lucha Brothers are champions whether they’re currently holding belts or not, whether it’s AEW, ROH, or AAA, whether it’s together or in singles competition, both of these men are kings of the wrestling business. They have the look, moves, and off-the-charts showmanship even though they barely speak. This pair is also two-thirds of the dangerous Death Triangle group, which along with Pac, might be the most overall talented stable in the company.

Ricky Starks

The man who refers to himself as Absolute Ricky Starks is full of confidence, charisma, and interesting poses. He made his debut in an open challenge against Cody Rhodes and went on to join Team Taz, but everyone who took note of his NWA run knows that his path as a singles competitor is destined to be paved with more gold than just the FTW title. And his revolution will be televised. It’s just a shame that we don’t get to hear Starks more in the game.

Thunder Rosa

This is a wrestler who has made a name for herself in other companies and stands out for a multitude of reasons, but the face paint certainly helps. Thunder Rosa has an excellent look, but she’s definitely had some better gear than what we see here — at least she gets her flag. This ferocious fighter from the graveyards of Tijuana has been a part of some brutal matches, especially against Britt Baker, and being able to recreate those encounters is a thrill. The former Women’s World Champion can be a force of nature, but she has sadly been dealing with injuries as of late. However, her absence may just inspire players to pick the unstoppable warrior in this game even more.

Sammy Guevara

Sammy Guevara was one of the fresh faces in AEW that stuck out. He was a part of the first match to ever take place on Dynamite and as I read up on his training with Booker T, I was sure Guevara was someone to keep an eye on. Now, as one of the pillars of the company and a couple of titles under his belt, the ceiling for the Spanish God seems incredibly high. Playing someone with such spectacular aerial offense is exciting, especially since missing one or two high-risk maneuvers doesn’t take the player completely out of the match. And for those matches, I don’t want to feel like a daredevil I just hit that GTH, because it has such a satisfying crack when it connects.

MJF

He’s better than you (and me too).

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Enter the Matrix Remains an Ambitious Movie Tie-in Game 20 Years Later

Stephen Wilds — Mon, 15 May 2023 21:00:00 +0000

(Photo Credit: Infogrames)

It’s time to jack back in and re-experience the movie tie-in game that tried to be more than just a slick advertisement. There was a time when the attempt to secure a pipeline straight from blockbuster films to video game releases was huge, but few reached the ambitious level of Enter the Matrix. This simulation is far from perfect, but as Cypher so potently said, “Ignorance is bliss.”

It was the first game based on the iconic films, but that was only because a bad decision had been made. The Wachowskis knew they wanted a game for their visionary project set to release in 1999 and approached Shiny Entertainment, but founder David Perry believed The Matrix would be “another hacker flick.” Something that Perry would later tell Polygon was one of his worst career mistakes. Thankfully, the company would receive a second chance and another opportunity to play in this computerized world.

Instead of simply acting out scenes from The Matrix Reloaded in an overblown gamified form, there was an original story written by the Wachowskis, who were heavily involved in the development of games using their world. The creators were hands-on when it came to overseeing these types of projects and wanted those fans that were deep into their lore to not only see the film, but watch The Animatrix, read the comics, and play the game, all in an effort to get as many details about the story as they could. It was cross-promotional synergy at its finest, and The Matrix franchise may remain unbeaten in that regard.

Enter the Matrix put players in the role of two characters outside of the main action, but in an assignment that still felt vital to the heroes’ success. Selecting between Niobe (Jada Pinkett) or Ghost (Anthony Wong) offered a set of stages with different paths. The duo fights the same enemies, but in various parts, the details change, and selecting one over the other does determine whether the player handles more driving or shooting. Some fans were upset they didn’t get to play as Neo, but there’s something cool about being in on the ground level and seeing how other parties were helping behind the scenes.

There’s a large amount of live-action footage, and over an hour of it is new to the game, shot while they were working on the films and using a lot of the same actors and crew, which makes the game more enticing. With all of this being canon, however, it can make the story feel a tad more convoluted, and it definitely means new players need to have seen the movies to truly benefit from the plot. Everyone is welcome to enter The Matrix, but for diehard fans, the game does add some important story additions worth noting.

This is a game that got a little wild, in a good way, loosening the belt from the movies and allowing players to explore some of the dirtier work from what they had previously seen. The second film saw a good bit of the ghost twins, while the game allowed fans to play with the vampires and werewolves more, as well as explore action sequences that Reloaded didn’t take the time to show.

Enter the Matrix tried to raise the bar for movie games

Enter the Matrix was trying to start a trend, set a new bar for where movies and video games could be married, at least within the realms of character, story, and experience. Players use martial arts, guns, and the Focus ability to slow down time and watch bullets fly by, all while dressed in fashionable hacker attire. The world mimics the movies while Agents feel like a real threat (at first anyway), and the drive to see more of the story and cutscenes moves us forward. The most memorable feature though may be the hacking-based cheat system, where users can access the mostly-forgotten multiplayer and utilize DOS commands for various effects.

No matter what stuck out the most, the game was incredibly welcomed upon release, selling quite well and making way for another installment later on. Enter the Matrix would be rereleased as a budget title, and some versions were even slightly revamped with new mini-games. Each version of the game had issues and interesting bugs, but none of the releases escaped without some form of performance problem. For most, however, the PS2 offering seemed to provide the best overall experience.

As enjoyable and creative as Enter the Matrix was, there were a lot of problems. The normal controls work fine and look solid in many instances, but they can be sluggish and attacks are not snappy when dealing with multiple opponents, which is made worse by generally horrible AI, causing the enemies to either be too easy to defeat or ridiculous to hit. Driving and on-rail shootings sections can be frustrating and feel tacked on while melee encounters are lacking and level design comes across as uninspired other than looking the part. It does offer various modes in the gameplay, which required multiple engines, and this is one case where a more streamlined experience was most likely needed. Even Perry said the team, “bit off a little more than we could chew,” and in some cases were developing for platforms they weren’t exactly familiar with.

Though the game apparently spent over two years in development, the release date was set in stone to coincide with the film. Enter the Matrix had positives for sure, where the whole package still managed to come together even if several aspects fall short, but a lot of those successes hinged on the IP it represented, and this batch of code could have used some more time in production. Lead Programmer for the game, Michael “Saxs” Persson, said to Polygon, “No matter who you ask, Enter the Matrix was like Dante’s seven levels of Hell,” which seems a little harsh, but it sounds like this wasn’t an easy production period, no matter how much enjoyment players may have gotten out of it.

Some critics felt that the game cheapened the movie, but I don’t see that at all. In fact, Enter the Matrix may have suffered slightly for having to make the story fit in with the movies when that was the strongest aspect of the whole package. The game isn’t quite equal in its parts, some elements are epic, others are awkward, but its strength lies in what it was, an ambitious program that sought to give major fans another chance to enter the simulation.

The post Enter the Matrix Remains an Ambitious Movie Tie-in Game 20 Years Later appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Story & Ending Is Better for Being Depressing

Stephen Wilds — Thu, 04 May 2023 21:00:00 +0000

(Photo Credit: EA)

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor‘s story and ending is more Revenge of the Sith than Return of the Jedi. But while some players might have been looking for a more hopeful chapter in Respawn Entertainment’s lightsaber-swinging series, as someone who’s not necessarily a Star Wars fan, this sequel hit the mark.

Star Wars has never gripped me, force or otherwise. Not sure why. It’s a classic, and I’m a big fan of the genre, but it’s always felt like if I didn’t imprint on it as a kid, then I missed the sail barge. The series has often delved into grim waters, but in the end, we know the heroes will win, and there’ll be a ceremony where the Wookie gets nothing. That feeling after the climax of The Empire Strikes Back is temporary because we know Return of the Jedi is right around the corner, but for a moment, it’s so sweetly bleak. However, when experiencing the Star Wars Jedi: Survivor story, the bad vibes are there from the beginning and rarely let up, creating a world that feels darker, more mature, and inviting for someone like me.

Warning: story spoilers for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor follow!

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s story isn’t optimistic

Cal Kestis is failing again in this follow-up to Fallen Order. The previous adventure saw the hero learning about who he really is, acquiring a ship, assembling his crew, and trying to make a difference in the universe, but at the beginning of this game, most of that seems to have fallen by the wayside. Five years have passed, and we see Cal on Coruscant, running with a new crew and still attempting to oppose an even stronger Empire.

This situation immediately feels different, like the playfulness and banter between these new characters is a thin veneer, ready to be demolished for our amusement. The laughs don’t last; even though the plan seems to be working out for the team, things take a sharp turn when the real threat — an old enemy — shows up, and the killings begin.

All but one of these new allies is slain in front of us. It happens so quickly, and they never had a chance. We knew them just long enough to get a sense of their personalities and goals, to hear a few of their inside jokes, watch them relax on a liberated yacht, and realize their deaths would affect Cal.

He had stories about all of them — “Remind me to tell you about the Carida job sometime” — their training, the chance encounters that brought these individuals together, and reasons to trust each one. That’s something Survivor does quite well, giving small bits of dialog to lower-level NPCs so they feel more alive and worn. Most of it isn’t just needless banter as much as something that hints at deeper characteristics.

Even the enemy peons have lines about where they are, if they like being there, and sometimes what they’re looking forward to. Stormtroopers bemoan their current assignment, while droids think there’s a chance of winning or point out their bad luck. Then we murder them with varying degrees of mercy. In the long run, however, it makes the world feel more lived in and helps spread the doom and gloom. The galaxy is at war and is not a fun place right now.

This makes it easier to slip into the worlds, especially Koboh, where Cal reunites with Greez, and we hang out for a bit at a saloon. It’s the point in the game where things feel somewhat relaxed, assuming we aren’t reminded about our slain comrades too much. This area is full of side quests, giving us a reprieve from the greater threat that awaits, but even during these smaller errands, we encounter echoes of the past that show how tough life can be on the planet.

So many are dead, and several of them for stupid reasons, adding some flavor to the sadness pie we’re already experiencing. Everyone in the bar is also depressed, living under the tyranny of the Bedlam Raiders. Most of them don’t want to be there but don’t have the resources to leave, so they warn Cal to do so instead. When he proves himself capable, the residents ask for help because everyone has a friend who is either in danger or needs to be avenged. It’s tough out on the rim, and there doesn’t seem to be much hope around the corner.

While on this new planet, a discovery offers more threats and at least one opportunity, but that glimmer of hope won’t linger. A quick trip to Jedha provides a fun distraction, but it’s easy to see that all of this is ripe to be burned down and Merrin, the girl who likes Cal, won’t even leave with him, at first anyway. His old friends aren’t particularly ecstatic upon seeing him again, but there is a tiny bit of warmth felt. Most of them have moved on, however, they have new purposes or are just old and want to retire. Everyone is standing against the Empire in their own way now and the reunion is brief.

Things with the promised land look shaky and Cal is the one who released Dagan, the person who seems like the big threat for the game, so he’s brooding about that. It feels like the temporary alliance of members from both teams can’t catch a break at first, but in what looks like a final confrontation, there’s a small victory.

There are only two moments of the game where it seems like the hero genuinely stops for a second and forgets about his trials, the daunting tasks ahead, and the many looming enemies. The first is a kiss, a joyous moment stolen in the fleeting calm before combat with a giant robot ensues. Jedi don’t seek companionship or whatever though, so we get the whole ‘life is precious’ speech later, to remind everyone to take some time to love, because they could be dead soon. The kiss felt passionate and like the only thing that mattered at that time.

What happens during the Star Wars Jedi: Survivor ending

The other moment near the end of the Star Wars Jedi: Survivor story, after we believe the villains are all defeated, involves tea and a cozy campfire. Everyone is looking forward to a new safe home and there’s even another kiss, but all of that is right before an obvious, and yet, still heartbreaking betrayal.

That character was too cool to be good. The final confrontation is already tough because it is clear what has to and will happen. There’s a kid involved, and if it already wasn’t bad enough, they had her sing to make sure we realized that our actions, though justified, were going to break up a loving family and ruin her life in the same way two of our main characters had experienced also. These events messed Cal up badly, showed him visions of his friends suffering because they followed his lead, pushed the Jedi closer to the dark side, and the multiple-person funeral at the end drives home how much this adventure has cost.

The outcome isn’t positive, even the final scene has foreboding music over something that should have felt inspiring – and I loved it. I’m never sure when I dive into something based on Star Wars, but this is the way to pull me in more. Not necessarily saying that everything needs to be morbid all of the time, but seeing what Cal is going through endeared me to him, impassioned his reasons for fighting, and I find myself cherishing the survivors even more. I want another, and I may even check out one of those movies or TV shows they do for these games while I wait. It can’t be bleak all the time, but we need some of that for sure.

The post Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Story & Ending Is Better for Being Depressing appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

The Best Rockstar Games You Probably Haven’t Played

Stephen Wilds — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 18:00:54 +0000

Grand Theft Auto is my favorite game series of all time. That sounds like a basic answer to a tough question, but I’ve put a lot of thought into it, almost as much time as I’ve given to the series. Not only have I played through all of the single-player games multiple times, but I am also still quite addicted to Grand Theft Auto Online. Rockstar has other IPs obviously, as we prepare for the release of Red Dead Redemption 2, another good series with a few less entries, and the Max Payne trilogy, which is so much fun. The company has become known for their sprawling open worlds, attention to detail, and tons to do in these rich environments, but they have also produced a ton of racing games, a music tie-in title with Timberland, and even did Table Tennis.

However, they only seem to be remembered for the mainstays. This means many people have missed out on the rest of their works, older games that laid the foundation for these newer titles, and those great projects that just went under the radar. Those gems outside of their main series are what I want to speak about today, in hopes that someone will pick them back up and see the genius of the company’s secondary library.

The Best Rockstar Games, Ranked

How would you rank Rockstar’s secondary library for the PlayStation? Let us know in the comments below!

Essential Reading:

Rockstar Library Rankings

Rockstar's Secondary Library Ranked
1. LA Noire (2011)

It feels weird playing a cop in a Rockstar game, but this is a chance to clean up the streets of Los Angeles and rise through the ranks of the police department from beat cop to various divisions as a detective, and experience some fascinating cases that are all a deep look into the darkest parts of human nature. This crime thriller embodies so many of the classic elements and stories of noire, while its use of flashbacks and tone drive a wonderfully fresh feeling tale. It focuses on an unlikable character, Cole Phelps, but the captivating interrogations, excellent attention to detail in the environments, and recreation of 1947 L.A. construct a world that is hard to ignore. Team Bondi developed this title, and Rockstar supposedly took interest in publishing it due to the advanced facial motion scan technology, which is still incredible to look at.

Reading suspects expressions is the key, but sometimes choosing which answer can be tricky, as the character’s responses don’t always match. The game is slow paced, requiring the player’s attention, and is possibly the most linear open world game with the company’s logo on it. This drama guides the audience through the narrative to a perfectly noire ending that doesn’t allow the player to interact with it much. Though I have some problems with the title, it’s different and inspiring, and Rockstar keeps saying L.A. Noire is important as a franchise to the company, so where is that sequel?
2. Oni (2001)

An attempt at a unique title that blends third-person shooting and a heavy dose of the beat-em-up genre, this is a forgotten piece from the PS2 library made by Bungie (West) and brought to consoles by Rockstar. It’s flush with bullets and a fluid melee system that makes the combat quite enjoyable and the game worth playing. Oni itself pulls many in with the gameplay, but it can be quite difficult due to being overwhelmed by enemies and a lack of saves. The other winning part of this title is its story, following Konoko in this dystopian future where most of Earth is uninhabitable and there is an oppressive police force that needs to be taken down.

The game’s anime aesthetic is heavily influenced by Ghost in the Shell, giving it an intriguing look to go along with the world it attempts to build. The animations were smooth because of a specially built engine that helped make combat flow even better visually, but it couldn’t quite handle too much action on screen. It often dropped frames when the real brawls started. The rest of the visuals were unfortunately bland, and the level design was poor but intriguing, as Bungie hired two actual architects to help with the building layouts. Many things had to be cut, including the promised multiplayer, even after the project missed its first release window. It’s a versatile game and a fun experience, but could have been even better with the right touches.
3. Midnight Club II (2003)

Rockstar has tried their hand in the racing genre with several titles, from The Italian Job and Monster Truck Madness to the slightly entertaining Smuggler’s Run series, but their best effort comes in the form of the Midnight Club games. I find that the second entry could easily be considered the peak of the series, but Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition is also worth giving a shot for sure. Developed by Rockstar San Diego, this feels like a better version of Burnout Paradise, with a free mode that lets players explore before selecting their race opponent. The gameplay itself is fine-tuned as it embraces speed and sharpened reflexes. Midnight Club II doesn’t block off roads during a race, which means learning various routes and shortcuts is important, as well as strategy about where to make use of the nitrous oxide for the best result. The roads can be quite tricky, facing off against other racers and aggressive traffic, but earning new cars and motorcycles is incredibly rewarding and the customization of those vehicles may be the best part. There are fun characters full of personality to challenge—even if they lean too heavily on their stereotypes—a great soundtrack, and potentially hours of fun for the player to explore and challenge themselves. All of that combined with the excellent gameplay makes this title a benefit to the genre.

“Make sure your brakes are ready to bleed!”
4. Thrasher Presents Skate and Destroy (1999)

Ignore the Skate or Die knockoff part of the title. This Rockstar Published game is from Z-Axis, and had the unfortunate luck of coming out too close to the first Tony Hawk game, being completely overshadowed by it, except by critics and diehard fans of the sport. Skate and Destroy is seen as the more difficult game in the genre with tougher controls that focuses on simple technique, but that can still be fun and is incredibly rewarding.

Many remember this game for being chased by police officers and dogs once time runs out, or having to bail without breaking a board and maybe a few bones. The level design is really on point, mimicking visions of real locations, and the hip hop soundtrack is spectacular and helps make the game with a wonderful track list that encapsulates previous and current hits of the genre. This is a fun overlooked challenge, all to try and make the cover of Thrasher magazine. It’s a shame that the Game Boy Color version was canceled and fans never got a follow-up, but if the company can make a game out of Table Tennis, maybe there is still hope for a sequel. Until then, why can’t I get a skateboard in GTA Online?
5. Bully (2006)

The premise for this title almost feels like Rockstar parodying their own work, where players take control of young Jimmy Hopkins as he attempts to rise through the ranks and climb the social ladder of Bullworth Academy and its various social groups while running rough shot over the surrounding town. Rockstar Vancouver crafted a fascinating narrative on a much different scale than fans were used to with a higher focus on societal aspects, romantic relationships, and where attending classes is actually important.

The school has a gothic aesthetic and is populated by fleshed-out characters. While offering various activities, the world simply feels clever and deep, well worth exploring. Gameplay is fun, minus some of the minigames or temperamental camera, but has a solid targeting system and never feels too hard. Being from Rockstar, the game had a good bit of controversy surrounding it, even though no one had actually played the title, it was thought to be overly violent and sexual. Bully was scary enough to draw out the famed video game opponent Jack Thompson and be banned in Brazil, but continued on to sell well and proved to subvert the expectations of many. It’s certainly worth playing, and rumors still swirl about a possible sequel with the recent casting news, as well all hope to head back to school.
6. The Warriors (2005)

I had to try a game based on one of my favorite movies, and had no clue that Rockstar Toronto would be able to capture the spirit of the film so well, but I was pleasantly surprised. The Warriors film is psychological in some ways, thrilling to see what will happen to these overwhelmed heroes as they try to make it back to their home turf after being blamed for a crime they didn’t commit. However, the game also makes it a fun action-adventure beat-em-up title. This was Rockstar’s first game to appear in HD, and it showed off some nice dark visuals and character models, while many of the original voice actors from the 1979 movie returned to give it some excellent audio.

The Warriors game is a prequel that then goes through the events of the movie, adding some fun details and interactions, but it worries more about keeping the tone than doing anything too creative. The gameplay is excellent, even if a bit heavy on the button mashing, while evolving these characters is fun. Main story missions feel gripping, but the side activities are a bit too abundant and will eventually seem repetitive, like busy work from the man. It's a rare good movie-licensed game, but if fans want the full licensed soundtrack, they will have to pick up an original copy of the game, as some tracks were removed from later editions due to copyright issues, but that is no reason to miss out on this fun brawl.

“Can you dig it!?”
7. Manhunt (2003)

Potentially the company’s darkest and most violent title, Rockstar North’s Manhunt has left a lasting impression, for better or worse. This dark tale of death row inmate James Earl Cash being forced to create snuff films or be killed is a harrowing adventure seemingly inspired by stories like The Running Man. It’s a stealth game with a survival horror setting that requires the player to use weapons of opportunity to perform different levels of gruesome executions. Players are encouraged to stick to the shadows, as gameplay outside of the stealth mechanics feels like it loses something. It heavily encourages the silent and deadly approach, making guns harder to use as well as tough to aim with.

There are some great moments in the game, an excellent boss fight with Piggsy, and a stellar performance by Brian Cox as Starkweather, but I particularly loved that players could use the mic to distract enemies, which felt inventive. The title strikes a great tone, but it only hits that one note. There is a sequel that tries to do more with the concepts and new characters, but I’m not sure that one is worth anyone’s time.

This is one of Rockstar’s most controversial games, having been banned in several countries, and even falsely implicated in a murder that took place in the United Kingdom. The trouble wasn’t just outside of the company though, as employees inside Rockstar had threatened to mutiny over decisions made with the title, and several team members felt like they went too far. Manhunt pushed the line for violence, but it is also visually intriguing and a lot of fun for mature players.

The post The Best Rockstar Games You Probably Haven’t Played appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Ghost of Tsushima Inspiration: Samurai From Film to Controller

Stephen Wilds — Fri, 27 Jul 2018 18:30:14 +0000

Visual presentations are so important, not just for first impressions, but to set a theme and tone. The demo for Ghost of Tsushima stuck out to me this E3, especially with a few truly breathtaking moments as the scenes flowed like art in motion, combining color, nature, and human movements into something inspired. The team at Sucker Punch took some time to break down the demo and discuss where their inspiration came from not long after.

“As Cinematics Director I was most excited to work on this shot. When I was a kid, while everyone else was watching The Magnificent Seven and A Fistful of Dollars, I was watching Yojimbo and Seven Samurai. So many of the cinematics in our game are a love letter to Akira Kurosawa,” Billy Harper said.

Eagerly awaiting players who want to explore these themes or better understand the tone will find direction in that quote. They will revisit classic films, thus getting a stronger insight into the characters and world, while hopefully seeing some timeless cinema. I have a few suggestions that could help, other than the two Harper mentioned, and I figured series like Lone Wolf and Cub or Zatoichi would be easy to find, as each have multiple films. The selections below, though, could share something new and should also keep the anticipation for the game strong.

The Hidden Fortress

Kurosawa is a name repeated a lot in a discussion like this, for good reason, and this was one of his most successful films, something not to be missed by movie buffs. It’s a visually stunning film with solid camera work that produces good action scenes. It is the acting that helps a witty script flourish, as the story focuses on a comedic duo of greedy buffoons as they bumble through war and come up with harebrained plans. I loved Princess Yuki in the end, even though she spent the entire movie yelling, but that added to the lightheartedness. On another note, fans of Star Wars should view this movie for the influence it had on George Lucas and that franchise, even though the film is so much more than what it pawned. Though Hidden Fortress may not be considered one of Kurosawa’s best critically, it is probably the most entertaining and certainly easy to watch.

Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto

This is a true epic based on the real life story of Musashi Miyamoto—or at least his account of it, as told in the tale he wrote, The Book of Five Rings. It’s the beginning of a great trilogy, an origin story that shows the quest of an ambitious man, but put on a path that leads him to becoming a samurai. It isn’t a simple journey, featuring a flawed character that lets his ambition and desire drive him through tumultuous part of Japanese history, beginning with the end of a civil war. This film has an intriguing love triangle, shows the protagonist’s growth, and paces itself well to cover the around ninety minute runtime. It is light on the fighting in comparison to others in the genre, but when it happens, each swing feels important. The movie is considered a cornerstone and was also received well in America, winning an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Ninja Scroll

I’m breaking the mold in a couple of different ways here, by adding an anime—though there are several good samurai anime series, like Samurai Champloo—and something with ninja clearly in the title, but trust me when I say it fits. The lead character Jubei is more like a samurai in many ways, loosely an homage to a particular samurai folk hero: a ronin warrior who has his own goals, but does good deeds when stumbling into bad situations. This leads the hero into a dangerous world of magic and treachery with unconventional allies, showing audiences many incredible creative fights and hands down some of the best animation from that time.

Ninja Scroll is highly regarded and has been cited as inspiration for many films that followed it. Although it is mostly remembered for its unsettling sexual scenes and graphic violence, I think the film holds up, because it’s simply a captivating experience all around. Though it’s a darker tone from what we’ve seen so far in Ghosts of Tsushima, many of the scenes seem relatable and potentially show a similar story that leans more towards the supernatural.

Ran

As an English major, the idea of taking one of Shakespeare’s works, like King Lear, and giving it a Japanese setting seemed intriguing, but I got so much more the first time I watched it for one of my college classes. It is considered Kurosawa’s last great epic film, and reading about the struggles behind him making it, the personal heartache he faced, and learning how the world of film was changing at the time, makes the movie mean even more in some ways.

It’s a tale about land, power, bloodthirsty men, and the women behind them, with some incredible acting that covers various styles. Characters stand out in personality and flare, while it even won an Academy Award for costuming. It’s the visuals that fascinated me originally, with incredible imagery, varied shots, and a stunning sense of color that are in line with the epic battle scenes that have their own spectacular scope and depth. Visuals, tight traditional storytelling, and operatic performances are why Ran is worth viewing.

Kill Bill

I wanted to throw something a bit more modern on this list, so why not a film that references—and almost copies in many ways—many of the aforementioned classics and uses their elements to tell a basic but effective revenge story. Quentin Tarantino is quite the student of samurai films, so watching a project from him that was supposed to reflect the genre, is a real treat. The focus on artistic style while trying to capture the motif is an experience, and the great characters with their one-on-one duels as well as excellent anime flashbacks is worth revisiting often. There is a focus on the swords as well, talking about craftsmanship and the importance of the weapon, while having the excellent Sonny Chiba as Hanzo.

All of these elements are mixed with an incredible soundtrack and tossed inside a classic revenge tale to display how truly epic The Bride’s quest is. Though I prefer the first volume for some great action and brutal slaughter, the second installment is more similar to other movies on this list in some ways, showing more of the tradition it mimics.

Rashomon

For something different with a style that many Japanese critics referred to as “too Western,” many have come to regard it as one of Kurosawa’s most interesting films. Rashomon is about a trial of sorts, where the story is told from multiple perspectives, all of which are unreliable narrators. The different accounts all cover one event, and have just enough in common to make each version believable, causing the audience to believe and doubt everything at once. Each of the characters is played well and has compelling moments, helping to push the story’s overall themes of human nature. One of the best readings of the film I’ve seen simply asks, “What if there are no good people?”

There are also some amazing shots in this, with good cinematography and superb lighting. Most people seem to ignore these things when discussing black and white films, but here it is hard not to appreciate the natural splendor and produced nature effects like the rain to set the mood.

Samurai Fiction

It may be in black and white with only splashes of color, but this film actually came out in 1998. Unlike anything else on this list, Samurai Fiction is a comedy. That certainly may not feel like it will fit the tone that Ghosts of Tsushima is trying to establish, but the film in many ways is an homage to the classics while showing the true core of tradition and still managing to be something different.

The movie’s main character goes through a coming of age story, on a mission with two goofy sidekicks, while other characters have plenty of their own backstory and motivation to shine, making for an intriguing tale. Though this is less about the action, the writing is clever and the levity is well-placed, providing the experience with its own unique charm. The rock soundtrack helps the film stand out and its flow as well while still requiring knowledge of the genre to get all of the jokes. As such, it has been billed as a samurai movie for the MTV generation. It may be a satire piece, but there is a serious, straight-faced approach that is gripping.

The Sword of Doom

This movie was a must, as it has an intriguing protagonist and feels different from so many other films. Some would call this samurai an anti-hero, but those around him use the word savage—a great swordsman, but hated man, who is slowly falling into a bloody madness. There is a powerful performance from the lead actor, Tatsuya Nakadai, who sells the role and carries intensity with simple expressions and glares.

Several lines of great concise dialogue helps this also, but the story can be a bit hard to follow, as it takes chunks from larger texts yet feels like it skips around. It even ends abruptly on a freeze frame, a bit surprisingly in the midst of a cool scene. In addition, the intended sequels never released. Some said this was because the shoot had been considered too violent.

The fights are brutal, accented by stunt work and screams that sell the ferocity. One thing that stuck with me was the discussion about the main character’s fighting style, making him standout even further among his peers.

This was a fun article to research and a chance to revisit so many great films, but the timing is bittersweet. I just read that Shinobu Hashimoto, the screenwriter responsible for so many of Kurosawa’s epics like Seven Samurai and Rashomon, as well as other classic tales, passed away recently at the age of 100. So, now seems like a good to admire the mastery.

Essential Reading:

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A Bad Egg: Blemishes on an Otherwise Great Series

Stephen Wilds — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 17:00:15 +0000

The new God of War came out recently to a standing ovation of top scores. I found myself wanting to play it, especially since I enjoyed the first two games, but then I remembered I never actually finished the third installment, even after multiple attempts. The game just never clicked with me. I’m not saying that entry is bad, just that something never clicked with me. There are certainly some series though with titles that stop the momentum cold, or have gained a reputation as the black sheep of the franchise after some time, but either way they are the installments that should be skipped by anyone who isn’t a die-hard fan.

This is a list of some of the worst offenders in my opinion. We may not all agree—even I couldn’t decide between Metal Gear Solid 2 or MGS4, and I know at least one of you is shouting Survive at the screen right now—but there is a reason each of these games stand out from their brethren. My only requirements were that the series have at least three entries, and that two of those be considered good by the majority, while trying to stick to main entries in the series.

Resident Evil 6

Franchises need to evolve, which is why I have given almost every iteration of Resident Evil—one of my favorite series of games—a shot, but this is the one that failed the hardest to me. It was the entry that saw the series go full force into trying to fully mix the action and zombie genres. There are some fun parts, like most of Leon’s campaign, some wonderful visuals and cutscenes, and an attempt to further the story and expand the threat on a worldwide scale, which creates some of the problems.

The plot is literally all over the place while suffering from boring characters, overload of mechanics, and disjointed storytelling, to start. It feels crowded while repeating elements in each campaign, but attempts to add on painful vehicle sections, as well as clunky and annoying QTE parts, all before an underwhelming set of boss fights. The controls feel awkward while aiming, dodging, doing limited hand-to-hand fighting, and all of the general movement, especially when asked to do stealth or run away without being able to see too far ahead (horrible camera setup), like the character has no full range of movement. Most of the skills feel useless, there is an annoying inventory system, which I would forgive if the game paused while searching through it, and cutscenes don’t stop enemies from moving up on the characters in some parts either. This was such a big project and stretched itself too thin, failing to capture the feeling of the franchise, or do much memorable in a positive light. Instead of playing this title, just go back to RE5, since that one is only polarizing at worst (and way more fun on co-op).

Mortal Kombat 4

As a big Nintendo 64 fan, this was one of the few fighting games on the system I had access to, so I needed it to be good, especially after it was so easy to love the arcade version, which made its fall from grace to the consoles even worse. It felt new as a 3D fighter, but there were several other games out there doing this a lot better. The switch from digitized graphics wasn’t jarring, but made some of its flaws more noticeable. It was a product of the team splitting and trying to do multiple games at once, and having trouble with their engine. Several new characters were added, which is good, but the story does not do much with them and most are forgotten for the rest of the series. One of the biggest additions is the weapons, something that looks silly, takes a good while to master, and are dropped when the player is hit once, making them feel annoying and cheap when the computer rolls up with one. All of the advertisements focused on the new armory, but I spent most of my time throwing them. The fatalities are one of the main draws of the series, but here they felt weak or that they were just recycled old ones. Each character only has two anyway—but Quan Chi’s leg finisher is still incredible. Character endings suffer the same fate, boasting some of the worst in franchise history, and a large amount of God awful dialog. Even if someone is a Mortal Kombat lore enthusiast, this is a title that is easily skipped, and what were they thinking with Meat?

Dino Crisis 3

This one may be a bit more personal, as I was huge fan of the first two Dino Crisis titles and couldn’t wait for another follow-up. In an effort to stop hearing that they were just Resident Evil with dinosaurs, this time they threw those dinosaurs into space and came up with a weak and contrived story about a shapeshifting vessel. Some fans had fun with the jetpack and shooting action, but this has to be more with random gameplay than actually trying to progress in the game, as that is repetitive and frustrating in most cases. The game is plagued by a horrific camera system that makes movement and jumping puzzles tiresome, causing several issues with depth perception. There is no manual control, causing some hair pulling and several deaths that should have been easily avoided. There are no real variations in enemies or design, and a lot of time will be spent fighting them off screen. Dodging is sometimes about timing, but more often guessing. I never beat it, but I’ve heard from those that have, there is no real satisfaction upon completion. It’s a series of neat ideas that was so close to not only looking great, but actually being good, and that kind of letdown is a fair enough answer to the question of why there were never any more Dino Crisis games.

Burnout Paradise

I’m not a big racing game fan, but I do feel the adrenaline offered from totaling enemy cars and causing hellacious wrecks to generate a new high score. This was the series to give the audience all that and more, until they decided to stretch the action across an entire city. The game sets speed demons lose in an open world with absolutely no direction or goal to reach, making the first few hours amusing, but incredibly shallow feeling. Having to drive all the way back to the physical starting marker of a race always annoyed me, as there is no easy way to just replay from the beginning, meaning that any amount of failure costs the player a huge portion of time. While racing, it is incredibly hard to know where to go if the other cars are out of sight, meaning the driver will constantly have to pause and look at the map for directions, slowing down the gameplay, or risk it all in a dangerous guessing game. One of the biggest offenses here was the changes to Crash Mode, taking away a lot of the fun in an effort to allow the player to attempt this challenge anywhere, losing so much of the charm from previous iterations. This isn’t a bad game by any means, but it watered down so many of the core elements that brought fans in at the cost of making things bigger and trying to cram in more, which makes me wonder how it, out of all the entries, got the remaster treatment.

Assassin’s Creed III

What an amazing idea for a setting, historical cast, and what should have been a phenomenal follow-up to one of the best entries, Assassin’s Creed II. I know that some will say Revelations is even worse, but I don’t agree, and I think there were more expectations from a main title. Like many, I truly disliked Desmond and his (thankfully short) sections, as well, what should have been his swan song in the story is only good for the father drama and has one of the most unsatisfying endings. Connor starts off looking to be a cool character, but he soon becomes a humorless and inflectionless blank slate, who unfortunately had to follow Ezio’s awesome performance. Developers increased the amount of fighting, but didn’t improve the systems for it, other than better kill animations.

The battlefield combat, which was heavily promoted in the trailers, was quite disappointing. All of the missions felt like this actually, wasting time following NPCs or barely participating in repetitious activities. There was the pivot system at the end that felt tacked on, and most of the side activities, crafting, and even the Homestead itself felt pointless. Here was where I began encountering glitches in the series, and several friends ran into problems of their own, but no one was missing a face. Somehow, it still felt more rushed than Unity. The coolest aspect of the game was the twist at the beginning. I would say to play this one for anyone who thinks they’d really be into the naval missions, but Black Flag does all of this way better.

Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex

Crash Bandicoot is a great series with a few duds, but nothing stands out more amongst fans than the fourth main installment, which was the first attempt for the anamorphic mascot without the original creators, Naughty Dog. This was an attempt to recapture the glory of the previously successful games by taking all of those elements and simply giving more of that. Though that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it does mean that the formula needs to be recreated almost exactly to ensure success. However, it tries to give fans almost too much variety and what they loved, resulting in overload and a lack of core gameplay. The use of space and enemy placement in several sections feels untested, like mistakes from early 3D games, making a few parts of the game too easy or seemingly unneeded.

The vehicle stages aren’t horrible, but feel slow and weaker overall, with only the jetpack sections actually improved on, while the mech suits were almost a hindrance. There was only one real boss, just with different uninteresting mechanics, while a slew of former bosses are poorly underused. The game has positives, from the controls to some excellent music, but the gameplay has a lot of trouble matching those successes. It doesn’t help that the mood is thrown off at the beginning with a long boring cutscene and some of the PlayStation 2 loading times were quite long, but it was also pretty buggy on that version as well. If that wasn’t enough to cut down on replay value though, the secret levels were almost aggressively annoying and there was no way I was going back through to collect everything just for the good ending. Figured Cortex had put me through enough torture already.

Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness

There are a couple of games in this series that are arguably bad, and some of them don’t hold up well to fresh faces, but no one can deny that Tomb Raider has been well revived in the wake of its most recent reboot. For most fans though, Angel of Darkness is easily the roughest entry with little to make it worth anyone’s time. It’s a set of decent ideas that were never pushed forward or realized in full, in what feels like an unfinished weekend project. The premise and story could also have used some more detail, but they are by far the most appealing aspects found within, at least until they bring in Kurtis and his random psychic abilities in—what?

The controls are simply cruel, where I could complain about the jumping and horrible close-quarters combat for quite a while, but that requires getting past how annoying basic movements, the auto-grab, or simply lining up the character is, on top of just being stiff and unresponsive. I almost forgot that the player has to do physical activities with Lara to increase her strength enough to perform certain activities, which is kind of dumb and kills the momentum. If that isn’t enough to scare someone away, there are glitches, constant crashes, and a likely risk of corrupted save data to make everyone feel welcome. The game should have been called Angel of Death, because there will be plenty of those, in what should be menial tasks. I understand that the game was rushed, even after two delays, but it was in development for three years, and still so bad that it caused an entire trilogy to be scrapped, because this angel brings death, boredom, and disappointment.

Far Cry: Primal

I enjoyed every entry in this series, no matter how odd Far Cry 2 felt in its need to try for more substance in punishing ways, or how similar the journey was in recent iterations, but it was when Ubisoft tried to take their winning formula and put it in the most outrageous setting that I was left questioning why I had spent money on the game. Primal isn’t a main series entry, but it stands out because all of the hype and materials for it had me defending it, wanting to give this unique time and setting a real chance—and I paid for that. This is a series that worked so well taking good graphics, gunplay, and a bit of the mystical in easy to digest stories to make some money, while leaving players with fun memories, and decided to go fully into the survival and supernatural aspects with little to back it up. I tried so hard to keep pushing on, but the weapons and animals weren’t interesting after the first couple of hours, the scenery blurred together with no landmarks or really notable points, and the story felt hollow and meaningless, trying to put a tribe back together that I feel nothing for, in control of an even duller protagonist than before. I can’t comment much on the voice acting and missed chunks of the dialog because it all has to be read, and as much as I appreciate them going all in on the gimmick, this was too much and interrupted enjoyment.

After the amount of hours I poured into the previous titles, this was an extreme letdown. The few strengths it has are found in the wacky side character the series is known for and base elements of gameplay, but every other entry before and after it managed to pull off those aspects and more so much better. Leave this one in the past.

They can’t all be winners. A few of these titles could be argued for, but there is no denying that they each fall short in some ways—spectacularly in most cases. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t a few reasons to play them. Even a bad game can provide some joy, but these will leave some yolk on your face.

The post A Bad Egg: Blemishes on an Otherwise Great Series appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Blasto: Pulling the Trigger on an Old Hero

Stephen Wilds — Sat, 31 Mar 2018 18:18:33 +0000

[Editor’s Note: Blasto celebrates its 20th anniversary today! As such, we had retro writer extraordinaire Stephen Wilds take a look back at the game.]

They say never meet your heroes, and Captain Blasto is a potent example of that. It has been twenty years and yet, he hasn’t grown up at all. Looking like a mound of muscles who forgets the gym has leg day, this dim-witted blowhard fancies himself a Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers type when he’s a lot closer to Zapp Brannigan from Futurama or Duck Dodgers. I can’t say he isn’t a hero though, since no one else is out here doing anything about extraterrestrial threats. Someone has to step up, because Bosc has escaped from the 5^th dimension and took over Uranus—because of course he did. Left unchecked though, he is not only going to destroy Earth, but have his minions kidnap all of the Space Babes as well, which we just cannot let stand. It sounds like a cool adventure with some classic themes, right?

“And remember, Uranus is on the line!”

I played it first at a friend’s house for a bit, but seeing the commercial convinced me to go out and rent it from Blockbuster to get some more time in. Take a look at the commercial below and tell me you wouldn’t have done the same:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGnchUbHJtc&index=3&list=WL

Other than an enticing setup for fans of something a little goofy and fun, the game starts off with a cool visual style. Although it feels unfinished in some parts, and the audio was solid with a few subtle but energetic tracks and some appropriate sound effects for someone in space with a blaster. The real draw though, and a big part of why the game became so anticipated, was the involvement of Phil Hartman. The comedian had made quite the name for himself appearing on shows like News Radio—a personal favorite of mine—SNL, and several voices on the Simpsons to cover the big stuff, so his name being attached to the lead role was significant. His performance gave Blasto life, and players a few memorable quotes out of the bunch, but watching footage of him in the sound studio showed that he was all in on the role. Many know that this was his last big project before his death, as the game debuted weeks before he was murdered. It’s sad, and I honestly wish his swansong was able to hit a better note.

It was a 1998 release, not only published, but also developed by Sony. An ambitious title that seemed meaningful to them, one that had to be delayed—perhaps due to losing key team members—in an attempt to fit everything in the creators wanted, and still came out lacking polish in some areas.

“The team and I really tried to put a lot of new and interesting ideas into that game,” said Lead Programmer Dylan Cuthbert. “But in the end, the schedule was just too harsh for us all, and we burnt ourselves out, resulting in something that definitely had potential, but ultimately failed to hit the mark.”

For as much shooting as the player does in Blasto, the mark had been missed, but its potential hadn’t gone unnoticed, as a sequel was already being discussed and would have likely happened, were it not for Harman’s untimely death, which most likely made the franchise’s future as a whole unappealing to Sony after its mixed reception. It is a shame, because a lot of effort had been put in and the project tried hard to capture a desirable style, where a sequel could have improved on many of the mistakes the original made.

“I’m a laser-toten’ love magnet!”

Blasto is a standard third-person action shooter, with inconsistent platforming, annoying puzzles, and lackluster power-ups for the Blast-O-Matic signature weapon, making it an easily forgettable title in the gameplay department (and maybe overall). It’s an experience that gets tough quickly, made harder by a few unfair obstacles and shaky jumps that suffer from extreme clipping. The controls are stiff with analog movements that feel too jerky, making simple movements and actions more challenging, and the quick sidestep functions are dangerous, as trying to dodge caused me to leap to my death off of a platform more than a few times. Enemies are plentiful and guaranteed to land a few shots, but their spawn patterns are set, so a player who has been through the game enough can memorize and overcome, but that doesn’t mean it makes things easy, especially when the weapon upgrades aren’t helpful and some of the environments lend getting hit. This all results in what feels like banging my head against a wall to beat a few stages and a lack of desire to push forward.

I suppose the wackiness and vulgarity was what kept me going for a while. The game almost survives off of its quotes and random lines, like in the intro when Bosc mentions something about raping Earth’s cattle. It is incredibly fun to blow the heads off of these aliens, relishing in a silly violence. The raunchy nature was there, and the creators were embracing it behind the scenes, as a nude photo of a Japanese model was used for a placeholder during development, in that section where you can view the babes (Babe O’ Rama), which might explain the slight touch of misogyny that rears its head, perhaps to fit the motif. I don’t know, that part is pretty bad.

“Ladies, there’s no need to be like that. If you just pass me my pants, I’ll be on my way.”

Stepping back for a moment though, this is a game best remembered, not re-experienced. The flash and sizzle hit right, but the meat of the experience needed more time to cook. I do wonder if this self-proclaimed protector of the galaxy could have been more. If tragedy hadn’t struck, would the fans have held on? My previous comments may seem a bit harsh, but they are to make sure we aren’t hanging this just on Hartman. There were some good ideas here, a drive, but the finished product wasn’t stable and the years have shed even more light onto that. I’m not sure what is in store for Captain Blasto, if he has any sort of future, but for now I think it’s best we just let the legend rest.

The post Blasto: Pulling the Trigger on an Old Hero appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Heroes Wanted: The Marvel Video Games That Need to Happen

Stephen Wilds — Fri, 30 Mar 2018 23:22:43 +0000

The wait for Spider-Man is unbearable. I’ve been reading up on and writing a lot about that game in the past few months, but the recent news that Insomniac picked ol’ web-head instead of being assigned him was interesting. It made me feel better about their approach to the character. They had free reign, though, able to pick whomever they wanted from an incredible catalog of characters, and that has me thinking. Wracking my extensive reservoir of useless comic knowledge, I wanted to think up some characters who need their own games, some that have been out of the spotlight for a generation or two, but most importantly that could generate interesting ideas and opportunities. I would be shocked if Black Panther didn’t have his own game soon after its success. As much as I would love an updated version of Hulk: Ultimate Destruction or the Punisher to get another game like he had back on the original Xbox, I think those types of games will happen eventually, so they aren’t a priority here.

Silver Surfer

The former Herald of Galactus has had a movie appearance already, a decently fun cartoon in the late 90s, and was even involved in some Infinity War rumors recently, but when it comes to video games his only real starring roles were back on the NES. That game is primarily known for being so hard that it feels like the player is being trolled. Even with having an impressive energetic soundtrack, I’m not sure it helped him be considered for any other leading roles. As much as that original outing wasn’t a disservice to the character, he has been relegated to guest spots in ensemble games or cameos, so it is time to let the Rider of the Spaceways free again. The element of space opens up a ton of visual and story possibilities and new, often unused, characters for the developers, even if they didn’t want to throw in a Guardians of the Galaxy appearance. Surfer is extremely powerful, but one meeting with Galactus could change that so that there is no risk of Superman syndrome, making him as weak or powerful as needed for the plot. This should be a trippy adventure though, with creative destructible environments, and late 70s-styled tunes to rip up the cosmos to.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

I doubt we will ever see a game based solely on this property, but it certainly seems like an easy cash-in with the current show and a cameo from Clark Gregg (Coulson) or maybe even Samuel L. Jackson (Fury), but I guess anyone from the cast would be beneficial. If this game had been made in the past when the MCU was still underway, it would have been an on-rails shooter with the player controlling a blank slate of a protagonist that would barely be remembered, but now Marvel could make something more like an MMO, allowing players to create their own customized agents, going on missions with guest star heroes, and doing missions for gear and other unlockables.

Think Marvel Heroes, but with a lot more money and ambition behind it. Rather than having raids in the normal sense there would be large battleground scenarios, but instead of against other players (the Hydra expansion as a playable faction would come later) it would be an instance of Doctor Doom and an army of Doombots or the Skrulls invading, with special events being new scenarios that don’t fit within the timeline, like Civil War, World War Hulk, and House of M. Developers could have a field day with small references, tons of Marvel locations for players to play in, and a slew of costumes, vehicles, and weapons inspired by the comic pages. Wonder if we’ll be able to fly the helicarrier?

Squirrel Girl

There are plenty of gritty comics characters out there that will get a title, so this one should go E for everyone and bring in a different audience that may not usually gravitate to comic based-games. Squirrel Girl’s popularity isn’t what I would call consistent, but there is certainly something endearing about her, as Doreen Green finds herself in some truly odd situations and her books can be genuinely funny. Her appearances so far have best cameos or small playable roles in stuff like Marvel Heroes, mobile games, or the Lego titles. I actually think that LEGO dev Traveller’s Tales would be a good team to handle her first adventure in the spotlight. That engine would work well, having something a bit open with her enhanced movement and speed, jumping through trees or the city and using the mechanic of controlling her many squirrels—like Tippy-Toe—to accomplish tasks and overwhelm enemies.

Her “Iron Man vs. Series battle cards” could be just that within the game, meant to give information on people or new moves. Set it during the time when Doreen was the babysitter for Jessica Jones and Luke Cage, where the conflict will center on baby Danielle being kidnapped. For anyone who thinks this mutant sounds weak though and they wouldn’t want to try this out, just remember that Squirrel Girl has beaten villains like Doctor Doom, Thanos, and even heroes the caliber of Wolverine and Deadpool. She’s adorable.

Colossus and Shadowcat

I know dual character mechanics can be difficult to do, but I have always loved Peter and Kitty as a couple in the X-Men comics and I think their powers complement each other in a lot of ways. It would have been easy to just throw two mutants together with this, but these two have history, and their abilities lean towards players being able to choose if they prefer a stealthier or tank approach to handling missions, whether they are on the screen at the same time or not.

Colossus was always one of my favorites to play in the X-Men arcade game, and as long as they keep his yell from that, we are good. He would have a smaller move set but more available upgrades for his strength, armor, and various weapons of opportunity, like throwing trucks at enemies. For Pryde though, her powers lend themselves towards infiltration through phasing (with a meter based off of breath) and stealth takedowns, only using her hand-to-hand training when necessary. Her computer skills and ability to phase through electronics and short them out would make good ways to proceed through barriers that may be resistant to phasing, things that Colossus would just smash.

The story will be a big part. I’m thinking Date Night, plus an Arcade (the villain) kidnapping with some lesser-known mutant villains, which sounds like the perfect 90s-inspired scenario for the game.

Elektra

This list needs a strong and sexy female lead, and Elektra is still making up for that one horrific film, so she volunteered. Most people don’t know that she was supposed to get a game based off of that movie, but it was never released, and the closest thing Frank Miller’s creation has had to her own title was a mobile game. I think Ms. Natchios deserves better; she is a badass ninja after all. I cannot think of a better genre for her to invade than that of a stealth action game, much like that of Tenchu: Stealth Assassins, but something that would rely more on shadows and strategy.

Elektra is an amazing fighter, but it is rare that she doesn’t follow her ninja training, using it to an advantage, which means not fighting fair, so there would need to be some balancing. Her signature sais are perfect for complex close combat and combos, but she will have other tricks to help her dispatch targets as well as a mixture of a grappling hook and some slick parkour moves will help players rule the rooftops. This game could see some interesting choices on killing from the player, since Elektra is a more dubious individual at times, perhaps even rewarding those who take the non-lethal route or spare a life. I’m sure The Hand and their war would be involved somehow, but there are many characters who could be players as well, and she could finally get some video game revenge on Bullseye for murdering her.

Moon Knight

I often forget that the character has been around since 1975, but he still hasn’t managed a major role in any other media. I remember getting excited when he was referenced in the Blade television show and even more anxious when that rumor about a Netflix series surfaced, because he’s someone I have always been interested in, yet only read a handful of his stories. I know he is often compared to Batman and other characters, but he has his attitude, deep-seated issues, and his own set of unique villains. He gets to fight werewolves!

For some reason I thought about this being a Nightmare Creatures type of game—a scenario where most of the city has been turned into hairy beasts and Marc Spector is their last hope. We can have it last over several weeks in the storyline, since his strength is determined by the phase of the moon. The combat system would be important, as Moon Knight is a skilled combatant in several different arts and uses a slew of moon-shaped weapons, especially thrown ones. He’s also the type of guy who chooses to get hit and take it, hoping to be given a better opening for his attack, then trying to dodge—I blame his background as a boxer. Seems crazy, right? This hero also happens to be mentally unstable, with multiple personalities swirling around in his mind, and an Egyptian god, Khonshu (making religion a big theme, especially with his dad being Jewish), who could act as narrator or useful banter. The only thing we don’t need here is the Mooncopter.

Thunderbolts

Since I mentioned having an E-rated game earlier, it’s only fair we do something more mature, where players would be able to take control of Marvel’s most notorious reformed baddies. Thunderbolts are the team of former villains who are kept in line and used to take on the missions other heroes won’t do or that need to be kept quiet, and they are quite disposable, with no need to pardon their actions if things get out of hand. I know it sounds a lot like Suicide Squad, but I don’t see DC Comics and WB putting out a good game for them.

At the risk of promoting too much grit though, the story would follow a lot of similar themes: violence, death, betrayal, and learning to trust the teammates they’ve been thrown together with. But if there was ever a time to put in some really tough choices with known characters or a really crazy ending, it is here. The cast of characters would be the big thing, five or six somewhat known names (like how the comic uses D-list characters at times) with multiple costumes and all having different weapons and abilities, perhaps having their own levels that work to their unique mechanics best. I would love to see Taskmaster as a playable character with a Mega Man style mechanic, getting new fighting styles after he beats opponents. So many people have been in or worked with this team at one point in time, that there are a lot to choose from, but my personal team is easy: Zemo, Madame Masque, Venom, Juggernaut, Songbird, Mister X, and Radioactive Man.

Ant-Man

I’ve never been a Hank Pym fan, and Scott Lang’s criminal past and daughter give him a ton of simple motivation. He may be the second man to have taken the mantle, but Scott has served as an Avenger in the comics and now the movies to show fans he might be the one true Ant-Man (and I don’t think they could be convinced to do Eric O’Grady). I certainly like Wasp as a character and think it would be fun to have her along for the ride, but there are a ton of opportunities to bring in other heroes and villains, weak as The Grizzly or powerful as Ultron.

The real reason anyone should want this game though is the versatility it could offer. Lang is a wiz with computers and electronics, offering an array of gadgets, hacking, or creative ways to take down enemies. There is his control of ants, using them as spies and transportation. More obvious though, his ability to shrink and take on situations virtually undetected, or grow to play a Godzilla-style game against some of Marvel’s (literal) biggest foes, not to mention changing stature during combat for the advantage. Thinking about how the size alteration would work actually makes me realize why this may be a tough challenge for a team of developers, and why we haven’t seen one yet, but it would be a ton of fun. Shrinking small enough would also give players a few sections in the subatomic, down into a completely different and creative world where the normal rules of science don’t apply. There’s so much potential here.

Hawkeye

Okay, so Hawkeye is mostly on this list because I have wanted a Green Arrow game since the television show came out, and Clint Barton is almost as cool as Oliver Queen. I am honestly scared, though, that a quick attempt or cash-in at something like this would end up as a tap-fest for mobile or another Link’s Crossbow Training game. That would suck, because I’m a huge fan of using the bow as a weapon in most games, and titles like the newer Tomb Raider entries and Horizon: Zero Dawn have shown me that archery combat with some small flurries of melee can be done quite well.

I would imagine this game could play like those, with a few elements from the Arkham games thrown in for some fulfilling combat, on top of a wide arsenal of trick arrows for various situations. Clint has a long history to be pulled from and has fought all of the key players at one point or another, and that means that he can do missions as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., Avenger, or just on his own to settle a score or two (give me one with him as Ronin, please). I was trying to think who I would get to do the voice acting for Hawkeye and couldn’t come up with anything I liked, and I know some people don’t like Jeremy Renner’s version. This is a character that can go from extremely serious to sarcastic with expert comedic timing seamlessly, at least when he had his own series, and that is a hero I think players would fall in love with.

Heroes for Hire

Daredevil almost had his own game (no, I don’t count the GBA title based off of the Ben Affleck movie) that would have seen him rail-grinding for movement, so maybe it is better that didn’t happen. Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Jessica Jones join their Netflix compatriots as appearing in several Marvel game titles, sometimes playable, but never getting a chance to flex some actual muscle on the street. It would be easy to set these heroes up in an intricate, layered storyline involving a little mystery and mysticism across the different levels of the criminal underworld, especially since they are “for hire” to anyone who needs help.

With all four personalities, the game should utilize each for their powers and personality traits, all playing differently of course. I see Daredevil as the best all around character with good movement through his billy club and parkour while using his senses to scout and find targets, Jessica Jones as the powerhouse with high damage and low defense (maybe even give her flight back), Luke Cage will be the tank with lower damage while able to take on more enemies, and Iron Fist will be the versatile character, being able to change his play style with various chi maneuvers. That would be a lot to work out, but it’d be fun.

More importantly, I’m thinking an open world city like in Sleeping Dogs, compact but full, with a ton of activities. Crime scenes to investigate and cases to prosecute for Matt Murdock, fight clubs and random acts of violence to stop for Luke and Iron Fist, as well as new clients and investigations for Jessica, assuming she ever leaves the bar. Sure Rand is rich, but it would be neat to build up the Heroes for Hire business as well, granting upgrades are access to more areas of town, while switching characters would work like GTA V. The shows are a hit, but a game could bring everyone together better than Defenders did.

Honorable Mentions:

Blade

I know he had a few adventures in the past on the PlayStation, PS2, and Game Boy Color, but those were all quite forgettable and I need Wesley Snipes to do the voice so I can get a substitute for a fourth movie. Vampires may not be quite as popular as they were in recent years, but I think this title could give players a reason to hunt again.

Howard the Duck

Don’t focus on the movie! It wasn’t as bad as people say anyway. Howard’s adventure could be a zany one, similar to the Deadpool game. He did have his own title, on the Commodore 64 back when the movie released, but the master of quack-fu deserves so much more. Just hand him a rocket launcher and keep the duck tits out of it so he can get a bigger role in the next Guardians of the Galaxy sequel.

The post Heroes Wanted: The Marvel Video Games That Need to Happen appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Stephen Wilds - PlayStation LifeStyle

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Essential Reading:

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1. LA Noire (2011)

2. Oni (2001)

3. Midnight Club II (2003)

4. Thrasher Presents Skate and Destroy (1999)

5. Bully (2006)

6. The Warriors (2005)

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Kill Bill

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Resident Evil 6

Mortal Kombat 4

Dino Crisis 3

Burnout Paradise

Assassin’s Creed III

Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex

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Blasto: Pulling the Trigger on an Old Hero

“And remember, Uranus is on the line!”

“I’m a laser-toten’ love magnet!”

“Ladies, there’s no need to be like that. If you just pass me my pants, I’ll be on my way.”

Heroes Wanted: The Marvel Video Games That Need to Happen

Silver Surfer

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Squirrel Girl

Colossus and Shadowcat

Elektra

Moon Knight

Thunderbolts

Ant-Man

Hawkeye

Heroes for Hire

Honorable Mentions:

Blade

Howard the Duck