Hello internet. We've been quiet as of late and that's due to our personal lives getting in the way of our love of gaming. I believe the last review we posted was back in August and it was for Saints Row 4 which was fairly disappointing. We're still here chugging along, and hoping to get things back up and running soon. Between the three of us that write reviews and articles here there is one PlayStation 4 and no Xbox One. Our sports writer picked up a PS4 on launch day and has loved every minute of playing FIFA 14 on it.
On a side note, there have been reports of hardware issues for both consoles at launch. I've heard mostly of HDMI port problems with the PS4 and some occasional update problems. I've heard that Xbox One has had problems with the disc drive, the day one update, and some overall system stability issues. All in all, I'm of a wait and see frame of mind with both systems and will probably be reverting to my PC and 3DS for a while. That said, the PS3 and 360 still have a bit of life left in them, but they're officially members of the previous generation now.
That's all for now, we'll have more as we have time to write. Keep an eye out for a holiday buying guide in the next few days!
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Pokemon X and Y are out! Impressions (Part 1)
And wow are they awesome. I'm only about two hours into it at this point, but I've already encountered several changes that make the game fantastic. First off, the new 3D game engine is fantastic! Finally, fans have a (mostly) 3D world to explore and battle through. It's not completely 3D, there's some sections where the camera is still basically top down, but the battles are fully 3D and look great. Eight-way movement has been implemented! This seems like a small thing but it makes moving around so much easier. There are also new ways to train your Pokemon's base stats via Super Training and Core Training. Super Training has to be done in it's own event though it's launch-able at almost any time. Core Training is more of a background mini-game to be played while walking around and tapping on the touch screen.
One final note in this short post, the social features are vastly improved. When I fired up my game I received a notification in my PSS page that I had a couple friends nearby. The PSS system read my registered friends from my 3DS system and told me that they were playing nearby. I was able to offer them O-Powers and I received some in return for my gift. My wife and I then traded wirelessly to get some Pokedex data. All of this happened fairly smoothly other than my wife hitting the wrong connection buttons while we were trying to trade.
So far I'm impressed and I've only been at the game for a couple hours. I'm looking forward to what is still in store. Please stay with us as we'll be providing updates from time to time based on our gameplay experiences and will have a review ready as soon as we can.
One final note in this short post, the social features are vastly improved. When I fired up my game I received a notification in my PSS page that I had a couple friends nearby. The PSS system read my registered friends from my 3DS system and told me that they were playing nearby. I was able to offer them O-Powers and I received some in return for my gift. My wife and I then traded wirelessly to get some Pokedex data. All of this happened fairly smoothly other than my wife hitting the wrong connection buttons while we were trying to trade.
So far I'm impressed and I've only been at the game for a couple hours. I'm looking forward to what is still in store. Please stay with us as we'll be providing updates from time to time based on our gameplay experiences and will have a review ready as soon as we can.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Saints Row IV Review (PS3)
Saints Row IV is all about having as much fun as humanly possible. This is the final chapter in the story of the Third Street Saints as we've seen them develop over four three previous titles and this chapter delivers. Laughter, love, revenge, and closure are all present in Saints Row IV.
Graphically speaking, Saints Row IV looks dated to me. There is a brownish fog that covers the world, though draw distance is still pretty great, the fog is always present. Once I completed the main story the fog seemed to lift a bit and there was some sunlight and color to the world of Steelport. There is also a reddish-brown tint to the world and I never noticed a sunny or rainy day while spending my time in Steelport until I beat the main story. There was just an overcast brownish colored sky. Character models moved well, though also looked a tad on the dated side. One final note, the digitizing effect placed on the simulated version of Steelport can be incredibly distracting. This is very true when your character is just standing and admiring the scenery.
I did not have any issues with any of the sound design and was pleasantly surprised to see how many voice actors returned for the final chapter of the Saints story. The characters sounded great and there was some fun banter back and forth between the cast. There were numerous callbacks to past events and characters. Also scattered about Steelport are 39 audio logs from past and present characters to add more story to the Saints Row universe which was nice to listen to.
Saints Row IV played fairly well, though I did have a number of glitches. The super power mechanic replaces grenades and not being able to use your powers outside of the simulated world without having grenades to back myself up with was kind of a downer. That said, the super powers are a lot of fun to play around with. Combining them brought some pretty great outcomes and offered some creative ways to eliminate my enemies. Combat has been adjusted slightly as well. Health no longer regenerates quickly, it takes a while for it to start coming back. To offset this, there are now health drops that fall from dead enemies. This does make combat a bit more tough and I noticed myself dying a bit more than I did in Saints Row: The Third. Shooting feels relatively tight and control-wise the game is fairly responsive. I did have a few glitches pop up while playing. Framerate drops happened several times, usually while using the UFO or in heavy combat. I had several freezes during missions where I had to reboot my PS3 completely so I have two saves and usually save every 20ish minutes. I also ran into some issues while trying to jump and get in vehicles. Occasionally, and I'm not sure if this was by design or by glitch, character models in the environment would stretch out, or have some weird sort of ultra long legs or huge eyes. This happened a few times while I was wandering the streets not doing anything.
The same customization options that were available to your character and gang in Saints Row: The Third are available here. There are a few more options for clothing and outfits but it's largely the same character editor that we've seen and used before. The city of Steelport is pretty much unchanged from the last game as well. Minus removing any influences of the Saints gang from Saints Row: The Third. Many of the vehicles are the same from the previous game as well. There are still many customization options for your cars, but with the super sprint and flight super powers there really isn't a point in driving unless it's forced. Weapons are still fully upgradeable and now have customizable skins to add some fun touches to them. While outside of Steelport players can run around in the spaceship. There are no customization options for the ship. However there are options to talk to and romance every member of the crew, minus romancing Keith David because to quote him "I'm not into that sort of thing".
Going through the story of Saints Row IV is a decent experience. It was fairly predictable sci-fi story but it was a lot of fun and meshed with the game well. There were several times while playing that I was laughing to the point that it effected my playing ability. The story itself feels fairly short and including all side missions, finding a majority of the collectables, completing all of the activities, and a couple hours of random running around causing chaos I had the game beat in around 21 hours. I'm still hunting for a few collectables (There's close to 1300 total) and I'm considering a second playthrough with the "Nolan North" voice, but all in all, I was a little disappointed in the length of the game. There are some co-op only activities I have yet to play through, but 21 hours feels kinda short for an open world game like this.
Overall, I enjoyed Saints Row IV. I can overlook some of its flaws, and find the diamond shining beneath. The game is far from perfect, but if you'd prefer an alternative to Grand Theft Auto, and are looking for something that is just dumb fun, I suggest picking this one up. We're awarding Saints Row IV a 7/10.
Graphically speaking, Saints Row IV looks dated to me. There is a brownish fog that covers the world, though draw distance is still pretty great, the fog is always present. Once I completed the main story the fog seemed to lift a bit and there was some sunlight and color to the world of Steelport. There is also a reddish-brown tint to the world and I never noticed a sunny or rainy day while spending my time in Steelport until I beat the main story. There was just an overcast brownish colored sky. Character models moved well, though also looked a tad on the dated side. One final note, the digitizing effect placed on the simulated version of Steelport can be incredibly distracting. This is very true when your character is just standing and admiring the scenery.
I did not have any issues with any of the sound design and was pleasantly surprised to see how many voice actors returned for the final chapter of the Saints story. The characters sounded great and there was some fun banter back and forth between the cast. There were numerous callbacks to past events and characters. Also scattered about Steelport are 39 audio logs from past and present characters to add more story to the Saints Row universe which was nice to listen to.
Saints Row IV played fairly well, though I did have a number of glitches. The super power mechanic replaces grenades and not being able to use your powers outside of the simulated world without having grenades to back myself up with was kind of a downer. That said, the super powers are a lot of fun to play around with. Combining them brought some pretty great outcomes and offered some creative ways to eliminate my enemies. Combat has been adjusted slightly as well. Health no longer regenerates quickly, it takes a while for it to start coming back. To offset this, there are now health drops that fall from dead enemies. This does make combat a bit more tough and I noticed myself dying a bit more than I did in Saints Row: The Third. Shooting feels relatively tight and control-wise the game is fairly responsive. I did have a few glitches pop up while playing. Framerate drops happened several times, usually while using the UFO or in heavy combat. I had several freezes during missions where I had to reboot my PS3 completely so I have two saves and usually save every 20ish minutes. I also ran into some issues while trying to jump and get in vehicles. Occasionally, and I'm not sure if this was by design or by glitch, character models in the environment would stretch out, or have some weird sort of ultra long legs or huge eyes. This happened a few times while I was wandering the streets not doing anything.
The same customization options that were available to your character and gang in Saints Row: The Third are available here. There are a few more options for clothing and outfits but it's largely the same character editor that we've seen and used before. The city of Steelport is pretty much unchanged from the last game as well. Minus removing any influences of the Saints gang from Saints Row: The Third. Many of the vehicles are the same from the previous game as well. There are still many customization options for your cars, but with the super sprint and flight super powers there really isn't a point in driving unless it's forced. Weapons are still fully upgradeable and now have customizable skins to add some fun touches to them. While outside of Steelport players can run around in the spaceship. There are no customization options for the ship. However there are options to talk to and romance every member of the crew, minus romancing Keith David because to quote him "I'm not into that sort of thing".
Going through the story of Saints Row IV is a decent experience. It was fairly predictable sci-fi story but it was a lot of fun and meshed with the game well. There were several times while playing that I was laughing to the point that it effected my playing ability. The story itself feels fairly short and including all side missions, finding a majority of the collectables, completing all of the activities, and a couple hours of random running around causing chaos I had the game beat in around 21 hours. I'm still hunting for a few collectables (There's close to 1300 total) and I'm considering a second playthrough with the "Nolan North" voice, but all in all, I was a little disappointed in the length of the game. There are some co-op only activities I have yet to play through, but 21 hours feels kinda short for an open world game like this.
Overall, I enjoyed Saints Row IV. I can overlook some of its flaws, and find the diamond shining beneath. The game is far from perfect, but if you'd prefer an alternative to Grand Theft Auto, and are looking for something that is just dumb fun, I suggest picking this one up. We're awarding Saints Row IV a 7/10.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Xbox One and PS4 Release Dates!
So, at Gamescom Sony announced that the PlayStation 4 will be available in North America (minus Mexico) on November 15th. Europe, Central and South America, and Australia/New Zealand will get the PS4 on November 29th. Today Microsoft announced that the Xbox One will be available on November 22nd to it's thirteen territories that are being launched in including USA, Western Europe, and Australia. I've still not preordered an Xbox One, but I will watch it cautiously as most of the policies that I was against are now reversed. I have my PlayStation 4 preordered with Killzone Shadow Fall and an extra controller coming. I am also saving some cash back to upgrade my PC to handle more advanced graphics and games.
Also, we'll have a review up for Saints Row IV in the near future. I'm almost done with the game.
Also, we'll have a review up for Saints Row IV in the near future. I'm almost done with the game.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Xbox One Update
So yesterday Microsoft surprised everyone by reversing a majority of their restrictions on the Xbox One. Claiming that they listened to their consumers and decided to do what we wanted they committed what was one of the biggest flip-flops we've seen in the gaming industry.
The changes are as follows:
No 24 hour online check in
No Used Games restrictions
No Region Lock
Internet is required for console SETUP only, afterwards, it can stay offline for eternity unless playing a game that requires an internet connection.
The Kinect was mentioned, but only that they are still requiring it to be connected to make the device function. So, other than requiring the Kinect and the $100 difference in price, the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 are basically on the same ground now. It will be interesting to see the systems compete now that the field is leveled. If you've got thoughts on the matter, please share them with us in the comments below!
The changes are as follows:
No 24 hour online check in
No Used Games restrictions
No Region Lock
Internet is required for console SETUP only, afterwards, it can stay offline for eternity unless playing a game that requires an internet connection.
The Kinect was mentioned, but only that they are still requiring it to be connected to make the device function. So, other than requiring the Kinect and the $100 difference in price, the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 are basically on the same ground now. It will be interesting to see the systems compete now that the field is leveled. If you've got thoughts on the matter, please share them with us in the comments below!
Friday, June 14, 2013
Xbox One and PlayStation 4
After spending some time watching both conferences and thinking about the systems I feel that I've got enough information to weigh in on my take on the systems.
Sony definitely had the stronger press conference in terms of what gamers want. That said, Microsoft had some better games but the issues with the Xbox One are going to hinder people's like for the system.
Sony announced that the PlayStation 4 will support used games without restrictions placed by Sony. The publisher must decide if they want to allow a gamer to buy a used copy of their game. PlayStation also seems to be supporting the indie game developers much more, bringing several indie games to the console first, and allowing the developers to self publish over the PlayStation Network. There is also no online check in for the PS4, and players are allowed to swap games with their friends at will. Also, the system was revealed and I think that it looks more aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. The PlayStation Eye is also not a requirement for the system to function.
Xbox showed some more of their exclusive titles, but seemed to be more focused on announcing that DLC for several games was coming to the Xbox first. Not that it was exclusive, but that it was coming first. There were several great looking exclusives, like Titanfall and Quantum Break. Xbox One has placed a one time use license code in their games, and only allows you to gift your games to one of your friends once, providing they have been on your friends list for at least thirty days. There is also a once every twenty-four hour check in online while playing games on your own console. If you are playing your content on another Xbox you have to check in online every hour or the games stop functioning. Xbox does also support a much more robust suite of entertainment features than the PS4, but that comes at the cost of freedom for playing your games.
Both systems have pros and cons, as is with all systems. The thing is, Xbox says that they are for the gamers, but are being extremely restrictive on how the players are allowed to play. Sony has placed it into the hands of the publishers to decide how restrictive they want to be. At this point, I think that is I were to buy an Xbox One it would be for the entertainment aspects, not the games. That said, I do have a preorder placed on the PlayStation 4, but not for the Xbox One. I want to see how things play out over the first year or so with Xbox before I decide to join in.
Sony definitely had the stronger press conference in terms of what gamers want. That said, Microsoft had some better games but the issues with the Xbox One are going to hinder people's like for the system.
Sony announced that the PlayStation 4 will support used games without restrictions placed by Sony. The publisher must decide if they want to allow a gamer to buy a used copy of their game. PlayStation also seems to be supporting the indie game developers much more, bringing several indie games to the console first, and allowing the developers to self publish over the PlayStation Network. There is also no online check in for the PS4, and players are allowed to swap games with their friends at will. Also, the system was revealed and I think that it looks more aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. The PlayStation Eye is also not a requirement for the system to function.
Xbox showed some more of their exclusive titles, but seemed to be more focused on announcing that DLC for several games was coming to the Xbox first. Not that it was exclusive, but that it was coming first. There were several great looking exclusives, like Titanfall and Quantum Break. Xbox One has placed a one time use license code in their games, and only allows you to gift your games to one of your friends once, providing they have been on your friends list for at least thirty days. There is also a once every twenty-four hour check in online while playing games on your own console. If you are playing your content on another Xbox you have to check in online every hour or the games stop functioning. Xbox does also support a much more robust suite of entertainment features than the PS4, but that comes at the cost of freedom for playing your games.
Both systems have pros and cons, as is with all systems. The thing is, Xbox says that they are for the gamers, but are being extremely restrictive on how the players are allowed to play. Sony has placed it into the hands of the publishers to decide how restrictive they want to be. At this point, I think that is I were to buy an Xbox One it would be for the entertainment aspects, not the games. That said, I do have a preorder placed on the PlayStation 4, but not for the Xbox One. I want to see how things play out over the first year or so with Xbox before I decide to join in.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
We are still here.
I swear we haven't fallen off the side of the planet or anything. Just had a lot going on and haven't bought any new games lately. We all apologize sincerely for that, and I'm hoping I'm going to be getting "The Last of Us" when it comes out. We'll also be watching the news outlets to see what's going on at E3 and have that for you guys so bear with us a little longer. Brighter things are on the horizon!
Also, Scorpion is the next DLC character for Injustice: Gods Among Us... I don't like that very much. What is a Mortal Kombat fighter doing in a DC Universe game!? Oh well, at least they got Jim Lee to redesign his look and he does look pretty cool.
So to recap: Scorpion is in Injustice and we are not dead.
Thanks for reading our blog!
Also, Scorpion is the next DLC character for Injustice: Gods Among Us... I don't like that very much. What is a Mortal Kombat fighter doing in a DC Universe game!? Oh well, at least they got Jim Lee to redesign his look and he does look pretty cool.
So to recap: Scorpion is in Injustice and we are not dead.
Thanks for reading our blog!
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