Games of E3 2014

Well, we're back here again. The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is over for another year and this year was a little underwhelming for me. There were plenty of games that captured my attention but not enough to get me too hyped about. The three main press conferences ranged from good to average at best and I did hope a few would make more of a showcase like Quantum Break for the Xbox One and Final Fantasy XV but they were pretty much a no-show which kinda disappointed me as an update on those games would have been nice but nevertheless, I like to talk about some of the games that were premiered or showcased at E3 that I'm intrigued about and will first start off with the console exclusives.

Starting off with Microsoft and the Xbox One. Which they had a solid conference of showing nothing but games.

• Sunset Overdrive - Insomniac have been crazy for many years when it comes to their games like Ratchet and Clank and Resistance but this one has a vibe of both inFamous and Jet Set Radio mixed together and it looks like something that will instantly make me buy the damn system with the level of exploration, crazy weapons, silly premise and 8-player mode. Definitely worth looking out.
• Scaleborn - While it's only a CG trailer that we saw but since it's from the mindset of Hideki Kamiya of Devil May Cry, Bayonetta and Viewtiful Joe fame with his team at Platinum Games, I can't say I have no interest in it. Has the look of DMC crossed with Monster Hunter from what I've noticed but that's all we got, hopefully we'll see more in the future.
• Phantom Dust - I never played the cult favourite original on the Xbox but if it's an little-known old gem that is remade, I have my eyes set on it. A battle arena style fighting game with trading card aspects is what made the original unique and I'm wondering if it'll catch on in this remake.
• Crackdown - I played a bit of the original on the 360 and it was a fun sandbox game where you defeat crime and learn experience points by grabbing orbs throughout the city. The sequel was more or less overpriced DLC and I hope that since the original team is back, this follow up (or reboot) will right the wrongs of the past.
• Fable Legends - I loved the first Fable on the Xbox, didn't like the 2nd one and barely played the 3rd one but I'm intrigued but this one since it's in a new direction with adding 4-player co-op and the ability to play as the villain in one mode of the game. Will it have a campaign mode though? I guess we'll wait and see.

Now onto Sony and to see what they have brought forth for the Playstation 4. Their conference was fine but still suffered from pacing issues li

• Bloodborne - A new IP from the developers that brought you Dark Souls. It's looking pretty similar but it has a new setting, some new mechanics and a more haunting and creepy atmosphere that looks more like a folklore horror tale than a dark fantasy adventure. I await to see what From Software has in store for this one, as long as it isn't too difficult which I doubt (lol).
• Infamous: Second Son - First Light - I might be cheating since this is a stand-alone DLC but it's more inFamous and I love it! Can't wait to see what the story unfolds for the character Fetch who was in the original game for the PS4. I hope Sucker Punch can succeed!
• Grim Fandango Remastered - Who would have thought that Sony would aid Tim Schafer and his team at Double Fine to remaster the cult-classic adventure game on the PC for the PS4 and PS Vita? I remember playing some of it a few years after it came out but never got too far into it. Why is this game not on GOG is beyond me but still, I'm keen to figure out what made this gem so great when I get to play it.
• Uncharted 4: A Thief's End - While I do think going over 3 is excessive for video games but if they're the ones that I enjoy, I can't deny them and Uncharted is one of those franchises. Loved the series since the beginning and hope this final tale will go out with a bang.

Now for Nintendo which they had a great presentation for their Digital Live stream but their content was rather lacking. That said, there has been a few games for the Wii U and 3DS that I feel is worth talking about, so here we go!

• Bayonetta 2 - My most anticipated for the Wii U by far. It took me around to get around to playing the first one on the 360 and when I did, I loved it despite it's overly non-sensical plot. I expect more of the same action as the original but even better with Bayo's new look, 2-player online co-op mode and the best of all, if you haven't played the original, don't worry as you get the first game packed in for free with some nifty Nintendo costumes for Bayonetta to walk around in. Marvelous!
• Super Smash Bros. - Of course, this has to be on the list. Everyone is excited for it and coming from some one who has played the series since the beginning, I'm excited to but probably not as much as I still have my reservations about it since Brawl wasn't the excellent game that was hyped up to be but still has a lot of things going for it like an amazing roster (Sonic, Mega Man and Pac-Man? Wow), playable Miis as well as being on a handheld for the first time along side it's console brother. Plenty of Smash to go around!
• Codename S.T.E.A.M - This one was a hidden surprise which is something I don't think Nintendo should do since new IPs deserve some respect but nevertheless, this is an interesting one. Developed by Intelligent Systems of Fire Emblem and Advanced Wars fame, so you know it'll be a turn-based, strategy game but instead of going grid-based, it goes for a 3rd person-shoot perspective (Valkyria Chronicles style!) with it's comic-book graphical style, set in a steampunk world with heavy metal blasting. You got me!

Done with the exclusives and now time for the Multiplats, PC included!

• Mortal Kombat X - I haven't been the biggest fan of the MK franchise but I have enjoyed the hell out of the last iteration of the franchise which itself was a big comeback to it's former glory (even if Shao Kahn is a pain to beat), this new entry seems to combine a lot of it's predecessor's best aspects (as well as taken a few cues from Injustice, another game by NetherRealm Studios) and enhancing it with better graphics, new fight styles, new characters and a more darker tone as well as more brutal fatalities that makes your skin crawl. Time to unfreeze Sub-Zero once again.
• Far Cry 4 - Loved the last Far Cry and it's downloadable spin-off Blood Dragon so this is a no brainer. Although I was skeptical at first, thinking it was all too soon but a new setting, new animals, new mechanics, a drop-in/out co-op feature and a new villain voiced by Troy Baker. Ubisoft, you have my attention.
• Hotline Miami 2 - The original was an indie smash-hit and for good reasons with it's unique pixelated look with simple yet challenging gameplay revolved around a mind-twisting story. I hope the same for this new installment where you play as 4 characters in a gang as well as the PC version getting a nifty level editor. Nice!
• Oddworld: New 'n Tasty - I have vague memories of the classic Abe's Oddyssey back on the PS1, it was indeed a unique and creative game back in the day as well as along with it's successors that followed. So I'm happy to return to this remake, done by the original creators and save them mudokans from Rupture Farms.
• Hunt: Horrors of the Guilded Age - A Resident Evil 4-style co-op shooter centered around American horror folklore, developed with the Cry Engine from Crytek USA (originally known as Vigil games of Darksiders fame). Looks great and while it's familiar, it's different enough to have me intrigued.
• Dying Light - I've mentioned this game before in a previous blog but sadly, the game has been pushed to 2015 but still, I'm interested on how this new IP from the developers behind the original Dead Island games can fare up. Hopefully not as buggy.
• Lords of the Fallen - It's certainly inspired by Dark Souls but that's not a bad thing as it's visually impressive with a Diablo-esque look to it as well as it's meant to be a bit more accessible. I'm keen!

So there are my most interested games of E3 2014 but here is a small list of honourable mentions!

• Batman: Arkham Knight - I might be growing tired of Batman but that doesn't mean I enjoyed the Arkham games and this one is proving to be a bit bigger than expected.
• Xenoblade Chronicles X - Haven't played much of the original but this one looks amazing.
• Dead Island 2 - How can Yeager follow this one up? At least their debut trailer was honest.
• Star Fox - Wanted to put it on the list but we haven't seen anything about it, Dammit Miyamoto!
• Zelda Wii U - The footage was pretty but left me with a vague impression.
• Kingdom Under Fire 2 - Been nearly 8 years since it was announced, sadly it's a free-to-play title.
• Mass Effect 4 - I'm in for a new Mass Effect but concepts alone isn't enough to get me hyped.
• Rise of the Tomb Raider - I enjoyed the reboot so it's a no brainer but that title is stupid >.<
• Rainbow Six: Siege - Not expecting it but I liked the Vegas installments of the series, so why not?
• No Man's Sky - Doesn't seem to be the kind of game that I would play but it has promise.
• Splatoon - If priced right, I can see this inventive spin on the 3rd-person shooter genre for the Wii U being fun.

There were plenty more that I could have mentioned but I didn't have much to say about them to be honest. So that's pretty much it for E3 of 2014. Hopefully next year will be more exciting but I'm keeping my expectations low for it, but at least a lot of great titles are coming later this year and the next.

Thanks for reading and I'll see you all in the future!

Top 5 Gaming Guilty Pleasures

Guilty Pleasures. No matter how much we think some things are bad, we can't help but enjoy them for some reason. Bad movies, bad TV shows, bad songs, you name it!

And this also applies to video games, games that we're ashamed to enjoy but someone is bound to find out sooner or later. This can also apply to games that a generally good or bad but not the type that you'd usually play because you don't want many people knowing that you play that sort of game because you're not a fan of it but happen to make one exception.

So with the explanation in tact, I now start off with my Top 5 Gaming Guilty Pleasures!

5. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003

I've had my fair share of playing sports games as I grew up playing Wrestling games, Skateboarding games and even a few tennis games here and there (Rockstar Presents Table Tennis was going to be on this list but instead chose this one) but golf games is something that I wouldn't expect to play as some of the older ones before this one were pretty tricky but had a level of fun to it.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 is the only golf game I've put so much time into back on the original Xbox as it was accessible with using the right analog stick to move the club back and forth to adjust the power with all of the depth of a usual golf-sim but not so much that it alienates those who aren't really into a high level of realism.

It's campaign mode is nicely done as you can play your own golfer, the courses you play are beautiful and each tournament you go into is always a challenge with moments that have a heart-beat when you hit a long ball to the green. I consider this as a guilty pleasure because I never really invested into any of EA's sports titles with the exception of the EA BIG brand with games like SSX.

So having a standard golf sim like Tiger Woods is unusual but with the level of simplicity and ease of control in this game (as opposed to the later installments which they went a bit too real), this one is one of the more fun golf titles that I've had a look at.

4. Deadly Premontion

I already talked about this game on my previous posts which was a review of the game, so if you haven't looked at it, I suggest you do so as I really don't have much to say.

I put this game low on the list because while I'm guilty of playing this game because of the low quality it represents, it's been praised by a ton of other gamers and has been well-received by critics (or as well received as a B-grade movie). Not as well received like The Last of Us but decent enough to warrant a look at.

While I still stand on what I say about the games poor quality in terms of controls, visuals, map and other bugs. The story and characters is what drove the game by involving the player into something completely bizarre but magnificent at the same time and that alone is quite of an accomplishment by Swery 65 and his development studio Access Games.

Not including the hilarious moments that happen, whenever they're intentional or not. This is a game that only the very curious can dare themselves to look into and I did so with grace and haven't looked back. Guilty as charged but no regrets.

3. Too Human

Probably one of the most controversial games on the Xbox 360 (or as controversial as a small-town convenience store robbery) as Too Human has had a troubled and long development history. Originally started as a 4-disc epic on the PS1 before shifting to Gamecube and then finally having it's place on Microsoft's console, using the Unreal 3 Engine.

While many may have forgotten about this game, was it worth the wait? Probably not because despite it's long time to fine-tune the game, it is riddled with problems that would make a lot of players put the game down in frustration. I was not one of those people surprisingly.

But how can I like a game like this? The game's combat is clunky as you use the right analog stick to attack with swords or guns, the uncontrollable camera doesn't help either (as you can only reset it), the enemies can overpower you and kill you instantly if you're not well equipped, the game over screens are annoying as you can't skip them as you watch your character get carried away by a Valkyrie, there's not much in terms of side quests as the game feels too linear and the story doesn't get interesting until the end which leaves on a cliffhanger.

So why do I like this game?! Well...I guess it has to go with the creative ambition the game had, even with it's near-decade long development history, the concept is very interesting as it takes Norse Mythology into a sci-fi setting, the amount of loot you get is quite cool, some of the visual design is neat, the sound design is excellent in terms of voice and music and it does set up for something bigger at the end.

But that sequel will probably never see the light of day as developer Silicon Knights lost their stupid lawsuit against Epic Games over the Unreal Engine, claiming it wasn't what they were given wasn't user friendly enough and as a result, Epic Games counter-sued and they won, resulting nearly $10 million in damages which forced SK to recall all copies of Too Human as well as the critically abysmal X-Men: Destiny.

The end of Silicon Knights? Probably and sadly, which is why I'm relieved that I was able to get Too Human before it gets taken away.

3. Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers

Contrary to belief, this game has a bit of a following in Japan (so much so as it has it's own movie) as the Onechanbara series started off on the PS2 in Japan (as well as Europe if I'm not mistaken) as budget games and they clearly show and when D3Publisher decided it was a neat idea to bring the Xbox 360 remake subtitled Bikini Samurai Squad as well as it's new installment on the Wii subtitled Bikini Zombie Slayers, I strangely had a small amount of interest in this.

The reviews and some gamers are to expecting this game to be crap and they're probably right as this game is repetitive, convoluted, shallow and just not worth the full price. But in spite of all of that, I kind of enjoyed this game.

Obvious shameless sex-appeal aside (trying to out-do Dead or Alive, are we?), this game is indeed repetitive as Dynasty Warriors and Sengoku Basara. Two game franchises which I'm not a fan of because as hack-n-slash games, they're pretty dull with large scale battles against brain-dead AI which makes me think of other games like Ninja Gaiden instead because I prefer that series over them.

That said however, Onechanbara doesn't really have much of a large scaled as the areas are small and linear which I'm okay with because I feel they don't drag on for too long but that said the game is still repetitive as you have to waggle your arm a lot with the Wii-remote to attack instead of button mashing (like the cult gem No More Heroes), you have to clean your blade off once in a while to make it sharp again, your move sets are a bit limited, the other playable characters don't add much to the experience but only minor as one of them does use a gun, the story is convoluted and the visuals aren't that great.

Although, I still enjoyed from what I played of it because while it is a waggle-fest, the controls work fine, the levels are brief and don't drag out so you can take breaks between them if you get bored quickly and while it is silly, it has a small sense of personality even if it isn't anything too special. So while I do think it's tailored towards the Dynasty Warriors crowd in terms of gameplay, it is in fact a decent time-waster if you lower your expectations, play it at short bursts and just enjoy it.

I really don't know what else to say as this game is indeed pretty bad but I can't help but like it.

2. Def Jam Vendetta

As I mentioned earlier that I grew up playing a lot of wrestling games, mainly the WCW and WWF (now WWE) games on the N64, PS1 and a bit of PS2. But I am not a fan of Rap/Hip-Hop music, I don't hate the genre as I do enjoy some performers or songs but it's not my go-to choice of music as I mainly prefer guitars and drum kits.

So why do I have an interest in this? I looked into it via videos on DVDs and demo discs when magazines had them packed in back in the day (before downloading demos became a thing) and I was strangely intrigued until eventually I gave in and got it on the Gamecube.

As I said, I'm not a fan of Rap/Hip-Hop music but this had it's level of charm as combing that with wrestling strangely worked, especially since this was co-developed by the AKI Corporation, the same developers behind the WCW/WWF games on the N64 and they knew their stuff. Sure the game was lacking a few modes as well as a create a player but the main campaign was fun and once you're against famous rappers like Ludacris or DMX, it gets rather challenging. It's the one odd wrestling game that I never thought I would play and here it is.

The game did follow up with two sequels but I never bothered with them and judging by the 3rd one, it seems that we'll never see another fighting/wrestling game affiliated with Def Jam Records again.

1. Kingdom Hearts: 3D - Dream Drop Distance

...Where do I begin?

If I was going to do a top list of games that I never want to play, the original Kingdom Hearts games on the PS2 (and the upcoming 3rd one on the new-gen systems) would be on that list for one particular reason and that reason is...the pairing of both Square and Disney characters don't mix well with me.

I'm sorry but the whole concept just sounds like something a 3rd-rate crossover fanfic writer would do because they don't really have anything in common at all. If it was a game with Disney and Studio Ghibli or Warner Bros. cartoon characters, then maybe that can work better or something like Final Fantasy crossed with Fire Emblem or Phantasy Star or even Dragon Quest.

So why did I even play this 3DS spin-off you may ask? Because of the appearance of characters from one of my favourite DS games of all time, The World Ends with You. Neku, Josh, Shiki, Beat and Rhyme were in it and I was thrilled to see them even if it was a brief moment at the start and lead to believe that Square still had confidence in the cult favourite RPG, which lead to a mobile version of the DS game (which that reveal still kinda upsets me to this day as I was hoping for a sequel).

But aside from that, the rest of the game was my first proper experience to the world of Kingdom Hearts and to my surprise, I really liked it. The worlds you go are detailed and faithful to the Disney classic films or more recent ones like Tron Legacy which looked amazing and even the character designs looked remarkably faithful. The combat was surprisingly fun even though the camera can be a little obnoxious at times and overall, it was a very enjoyable game.

I shouldn't feel guilty since a lot of people like this game as well as critics but I do because of my lack of interest for this franchise for those reasons (which can also be taken as a vow). But you know what they say...If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

And that concludes my Top 5 Gaming Guilty Pleasures, please comment and tell me what games are you guilty of liking and with that said, thanks for reading and have a nice day!