Tag: videogames

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Amnesia The Dark Descent – The Gamer in me GL-13

Another great addition from PS Plus

If you like horror genre video games then The Dark Descent is definitely for you.  Currently Free to Playstation Plus Subscribers as part of the Amnesia Collection.  This game is unlike any other horror survival game I’ve ever played.  You are unsure of what your goal is at the beginning.  This is in keeping with the Amnesiac theme.  You are unarmed, although you can pick up a bottle or chair in a pinch and hope that helps.  Helpful hint here, it won’t!  You’re wondering around a dilapidated mansion without any sort of detailed map.  You’re even unsure of how much health your character has because it only tells you things like you are currently bruised.  The beauty of it is that the less you know, the scarier it is.

A surround sound system masterpiece

The game actually suggests that you should play it while wearing headphones for the greatest affect.  When you have a surround sound system like mine though, headphones aren’t necessary.  Just the sound effects are enough to freak most people out.  The Designers have done an excellent job of setting the mood through sound and lighting.  I should say the lack of lighting because like the title implies, The Dark Descent is definitely dark.  Thankfully you can light the occasional candle, or carry a lantern around with you to light the way.  Of course the brighter things get in the Mansion.  The more likely something undescribably horrible might find you, and viciously rip you a new one.

Defeating the Demons

In the event that you come across something menacing, or horrific.  Don’t immediately despair.  Play it right, and you can still make it out alive.

Option 1- find a dark place like in a closet or under some stairs, curl up into a little ball, and pray that whatever that thing was doesn’t find you.

Option 2- turn away from the freakish thing that you just saw, and run like your life depended on it, cause it does.  Keep running until you think you have escaped.  Then proceed to use Option 1.

Will you be frightened?

Yes you will.  Some people will try to argue with me about this.  There’s always that one person who claims to be totally unafraid.  What The Dark Descent succeeds in doing to everyone that plays it is make you incredibly nervous.  It achieves this in a number of ways.  I’m not going to tell you about each way because that would ruin the surprise.  What I will tell you is that it makes you doubt your characters sanity.  This isn’t a spoiler because one of your characters key stats is Sanity.  Of course like your character’s Health it isn’t represented by a quantifiable score.  There are times during the game where you may begin to wonder if what you are seeing is real or imagined.  That alone can be very disconcerting.  Then there’s the constant creaks, footsteps, opening and closing doors, and everything else that doesn’t feel right about the Mansion.  As soon as you think you have a feel for how the game operates.  That’s when things will suddenly get very different.

The more the merrier

Although you would think that The Dark Descent is probably best played on your own.  Like one of my other favourite games Until Dawn, it’s actually a blast to play with a few friends.  How each one of you is affected by the gameplay can actually increase the tension in the room.  Also the game can be so mentally, and psychologically taxing for some people.  That way somebody else can take over playing while they give themselves a rest.  I would definitely suggest that any fans of the horror genre download the Amnesia Collection.  Even people who don’t normally play horror games, but can appreciate a very well designed exploration game will like it.  Also if you have invested in a serious surround sound system like myself.  Then you would be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t own this game.

 

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A sad reality. The Gamer in me GL-12

I didn’t want to believe it

For the last two months I’ve used my free time at home to play XCOM2 on the PS4.  The game is a year old now, but I never got around to finishing it when it was first released.  I’ve always loved the XCOM games, and this one is no exception.  What brought me back to it was the lack of interesting games that have been released this year.  I’m a bit picky with the games I choose to purchase.  I usually find something of interest every couple of months, but not this year.  Actually the next game I’m interested in purchasing is Hidden Agenda by the makers of Until Dawn.   Hopefully it doesn’t run into some last minute issues and get pushed back.  Not having anything new of interest for so long has had me feeling disappointed with my PS4.  I haven’t bothered discussing it because I felt like it was just me that felt this way.  Keep in mind that there have been some big game releases this year.  They’ve just been games that felt too much like games I’ve played before.  Injustice 2 and Tekken 7 we’re welcomed by fight game fans.  The Witcher 3 set the modern Open World Fantasy game standard.  Horizon: Zero Dawn, Nioh, and Resident Evil 7 are just a few others that made quite a few gamers happy.  Still none of these titles had me waiting for the game store to open on release day.  So obviously it had to be me right?

Not so fast

Last night I had a few friends over to my place for a birthday get together.  Ironically part of what made this party a success was playing That’s You on my PS4.  Even though I haven’t rushed out to the video game store that often this year.  I have taken advantage of the monthly releases PS Plus offers.  That’s You was one such release that has been worth downloading.  While playing the game one of my friends asked me if I use my PS4 very much anymore?  The question surprised me, but I answered quickly.  “Not really” I said.  “The only game I’ve been playing lately is XCOM2” I told him.  He wasn’t surprised at all.  He hadn’t played a game on his PS4 for months.  Another one of my friends decided to join the conversation, and he felt the same way.  The last game he bought on release day was Resident Evil 7.

He absolutely loved the game, but unfortunately beat the game in a single weekend.  All of us agreed that the majority of games that have been released this year are pretty generic.  They felt the same way as me.  Keep in mind that all of us are casual gamers.  We don’t play video games every day.  We will binge play a game we really like until it’s completed.  That just doesn’t happen all that often anymore.

What does it all mean?

Now that I know that it isn’t just me.  I have to wonder how this has negatively affected the video game market.  If more and more people are disinterested about the types of games being released these days.  Then the number of games sold must be decreasing.  If you have read my previous gaming posts.  Then you’ll know that I believe that the large video game production companies are releasing too many games each year.  A reduced interest could actually be the reason why.  If you don’t expect to sell a huge number of copies of a single game.  Then why not just attempt to sell an average number of copies of many games.  As long as you divide your development budget between all the games.  That way your expected profits will remain same.  All you really require is for the hardcore Gamers to blindly buy whatever you release.  Trust me,  more people buy every hyped game that comes out than you think.

All the recent talk about PS5 development.  The Ultra HD upgrade consoles that are already on the market.  The introduction of Playlink to allow more people to play in a party atmosphere.  All of this is beginning to feel like an industry that’s getting desperate for our attention.

The problem with peaking

What really caused all of this to happen?  I’ll tell you what did it.  Technology has peaked.  It wasn’t all that long ago that a major Game release meant that the quality of video games was about to take a step forward.  We couldn’t wait to see the improved graphics, or amazing attention to detail.  Even if the game wasn’t great.  Experiencing the newest technology at work for the first time made it worthwhile.

I just hope that Hidden Agenda doesn’t disappoint.  It’s the follow up to Until Dawn, which was the last game I purchased that really impressed me.  It is taking advantage of the Playlink system which adds to my interest.  Sony does deserve some credit for looking ahead to where video games are going.  Playlink and Playstation VR could be what keeps them on top for the foreseeable future.

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The Gamer in me GL-8 That’s You

A Happy alternative

So I celebrated my birthday a week ago.  Unfortunately the actual day landed on a Tuesday so I waited until the following weekend to party.  Now usually my birthday celebrations involve a bunch of friends, a bar, too many drinks to count, and a lot of very bad choices.

Well this year I decided to do something different.  I wanted to avoid the embarrassing moments, and subsequent hangover.  Instead of going out, I invited a select group of friends over to my place.  In place of a dance floor and bar.  We had a living room and kitchen.  Instead of a DJ we had my PS4.  Sure there was still plenty of beer and wine in the fridge.  The drinks were going to happen no matter what I decided.  What really made this birthday special was the addition of a specific game.

That’s You

If you have a PS4 and haven’t played this yet?  Then you are doing yourself a serious disservice.  If you are a PS Plus member?  Log into the PlayStation Store and download it now for free.  Go ahead and do it now, I’ll wait….

Once you have the game loaded on your PS4. You will also need to download the companion App on your smartphone to play.  The way the game is played is simple. The game asks the group of Players a question.  Then each Player decides which one of them is the most appropriate answer.  The game might ask you which one of you is always late?  Then through the Application on your phone you select your answer.  The more Players that agree with you.  The more points you will receive.  The Player with the most points at the end wins.  There are also a few mini-games  that include sketching with your fingers, or taking a selfie.  They add additional elements to the game, but the real enjoyment is in the questions.

It might surprise you what some of your friends think about you.  Of course it’s all in good fun.  You won’t lose any friendships because of That’s You.  Well at least I hope you wouldn’t.  I’d be surprised if you aren’t laughing out loud by the third question.  Up to six people can play at once.  It makes for a very competitive game.  Keep the number of Players in mind though if you plan on having a That’s You party.

The game had me so enthralled that even though my fridge was full of beer.  I woke up the next day, and for the first time in about as long as I can remember.  I wasn’t severely hungover the day after my birthday.  I was so focused on the game that I forgot to drink.  That’s all the proof you need to know that it’s a great game.

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The Gamer in me GL-6 Until Dawn

Until Dawn

If you are a Playstation Plus member, and haven’t played Until Dawn before you need to download it now.  This is one of the few games that I had no reservations about preordering.  I absolutely love choice and consequence style games.  Heavy Rain is still one of my favourite PS3 games.  Until Dawn takes the Heavy Rain system, and improves on it in every way.

Until Dawn puts you in charge of deciding the fate of a number of interesting characters.  In classic 80s slasher movie style.  The characters find themselves in an old house in the woods being pursued by some unknown evil.  It’s your job to get them through a night filled with incredible danger.  Each character is well represented, and their personalities are quickly identifiable.  How each character is connected to one another plays an important role in the development of the story as well.  While playing the game, you will begin to develop favourite characters quickly.  This is one of the more interesting aspects of the game.  As potentially sacrificing one character to insure the safety of another can become an option.  Do you sacrifice a physically strong character you have grown to hate?  Just to save another character you like, but freezes up at the first sign of trouble?  These are questions you will ask yourself during the course of a game.

The graphics for Until Dawn are excellent.  It makes watching the game just as much fun as playing it.  Actually one of my favourite ways to play this game is with three other friends.  Each of us pick two of the eight characters to play.  We have a mini draft and pick characters one by one.  Whichever character is in control of the situation.  That determines which Player gets the remote at that time.  You’ll learn a lot about your friends over the course of a game of Until Dawn if you play it that way.  If there’s ever a Zombie apocalypse.  I know which friends of mine I wouldn’t want to be trapped with.  You might be surprised how many of your friends wouldn’t take the smallest risk to save both of you.  They’d rather sacrifice you to guarantee their own safety.

Once I completed my first play through.  Everyone and their dog was asking me the same question.  Is it scary?  This game is based on classic horror films after all.  Until Dawn does have it’s moments.  It depends on the individual of course, but I’m sure it will catch everyone off guard a few times.  Play it at night with the lights off, and the volume up to get the most out of it.  I’ve seen people watch me play Until Dawn while clutching a blanket.  Just in case they needed to cover their eyes at a particularly suspenseful moment.

Another appealing aspect of the game that I wasn’t expecting, is the mystery surrounding what occurs.  If you are like me you will find yourself trying to figure things out all the way through the game.  I expected a straight up Jason Voorhees slasher style game, but it was so much more than that.  Real attention was given to the development of the story, and motivation of it’s antagonist.

Obviously I absolutely love this game, but like the majority of choice and consequence games it suffers from the same pitfalls.  The most obvious of which is replay value.  Once you’ve completed Until Dawn once.  The appeal of the game is significantly diminished.  The unexpected moments, and sudden scares are gone.  The mystery behind the story, and it’s antagonist is already known.  The only motivation you will have is to finish the game without allowing any character to die.  Alternatively you could also play it to see how quickly you can get them all killed as well.  😈

That being said, replay value isn’t as much of an issue when you can download the game for Free! I paid full pop, and I wasn’t disappointed.  I promise you, if you set aside a day to play Until Dawn with a few friends.  You won’t be disappointed.

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GAMING

The Gamer in me GL-4 Video game releases

The benefits of being patient.

New console video games are released every month.  I used to purchase at least one of those new releases each month.  I’d read every preview, watch every trailer, and gather every snippet of news that was released about every game of interest.  Then when release day came I’d be first in line to pick up my copy.  There are two problems that come with buying new games the second they are released every month.

The first problem is not having enough time to finish some of the longer open world games.  Before you are even halfway done.  A new game is released that you can’t wait to try.  Then the game you were currently playing gets put on the back burner.  By the time you get back to playing it.  You might have already forgotten key elements of the game.  You could be totally lost of where you are in the story, or confused about the game controls.  In some cases it’s easier to just start over.  Then before you know it.  Another game you’ve been anticipating comes out.

And so on…and so on…

The second issue with purchasing too many games at release, I touched on in a previous post.  Quite a few of the games released each year are total crap.   The majority of them are actually.   I’ve learned to be very wary of glowing previews.  You know who gets to preview a game?  Someone who’s written glowing reviews, or previews for games released by that Developer before.  Try writing a review about how you think a particular Game is garbage.  Then send that Developer a request to preview their next game.  Good luck with that buddy.  If I represented that Developer I wouldn’t send you a preview copy either.    You need to be skeptical of early test versions of games being demoed at E3 also.  Half of the time these demos are being presented on state of the art gaming computers.  The image quality, and frame rate could far exceed the capability of your consoles.

Your best strategy to insure that the majority of games you purchase don’t totally suck.  Is to wait at least one week after it’s been released.  Then read the reviews posted by actual players.  Are there any server issues?  You’ll find out in the reviews.  Is the game plagued by glitches?  You’ll find out in the reviews.  Does it suffer from frame rate problems?  You’ll find out in the reviews.  Does the game just fail to deliver what you expected?  You’ll find out… Well you know where this is going.

Now some of you are worried about missing out on all that release day swag.  Those special character skins, bonus equipment, or extra downloadable content.  Truth be told, most of those release day bonuses are still available one week later.  If it isn’t.  Are you really going to be devastated about missing out on a character skin that everyone is using?  I know I’m not.  I get bored of having the same outfit, equipment, or vehicle that everyone else has right quick.  Don’t you?

Trust me if you remain patient, and only buy the highest rated reviewed games.  You will enjoy your game system that much more.  You’ll also have the necessary time to fully explore those fantastically realized open worlds.

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The Gamer in me GL-3 Rec Room Toronto

First impressions of the Cineplex Toronto Rec Room

Cineplex Rec Room just opened up in Toronto.  They took over the space that used to be the Leon’s Roundhouse Location.  It’s on Bremner across from the Ripley’s aquarium and Skydome.  Yes I still call it the Skydome.  Shit most people I know still do.

When approaching the Rec Room, you can be forgiven for mistaking it as a night club, or strip joint.  The first thing you’ll see is two guys that look like bouncers.  They are fully decked out in the typical tuxedo style garb, waiting to greet you from behind the rope line.  My first thought at 3:20pm on a Friday was am I dressed too casual for this place?

Now I know a little bit about the Cineplex Rec Room.  From my understanding it is just another version of a Dave & Buster’s.  So really their shouldn’t be anything wrong with wearing shorts and a collared T-shirt.  Still for just a moment I thought I might be denied entry.  Thankfully I wasn’t.

Once inside my suspicions were correct.  What I had expected to see was all there.  There were a lot of interesting games.  Many of the titles were familiar to me, but they had quite a few new games as well.  They had a pretty even mix of Video games, and games of chance or skill that earn you “tickets”.  Similar to Dave & Buster’s you need to purchase credits in order to play any of the games.  The more you buy, the better the value.  So my buddy Weber and I just pooled our money and purchased a single reloadable game card.   They have taken full advantage of the newest technology.  Instead of receiving a magnetic strip swipe card.  You are instead provided with a small tap card.  Not only does it transfer credits to play games.  It also keeps track of the number of tickets you win.  I’m torn between loving the simplicity of it, and missing the satisfaction of watching machines slowly spit out ticket after ticket when you win big.  Another point of concern with the tap card is it’s ability to pay for a game without you even realizing it.  Depending on your height, if you keep the tap card in your pocket and lean against a machine.  You could accidentally pay for a game.  I witnessed the same guy do it twice while watching his friend play one game, as he leaned against another.  Of course I helped out the best way possible.  In order to keep those credits from going to waste.  I stepped up and played each game so that he wouldn’t be disturbed, and could continue watching his friend play.  You’re welcome.

The main area has a long bar which serves an indoor lounge, as well as an outdoor patio.  Having that outdoor space is a huge bonus in my book.

Rec Room bar

There are two restaurants, one fast food casual, and one for dining in.  The first thing that really caught my eye when I walked in was a 6ft Pac-Man machine that two players can actually play simultaneously!

Playing together to clear each level actually required a fair amount of teamwork.  Shouting orders to one another to keep ourselves alive, and splitting the level into his section and mine was absolutely key to winning.

Giant Pac-Man

There are quite a few competitive games at the Rec Room.  The most popular of which was Super Mario kart.  It was so popular in fact that we didn’t actually get an opportunity to play it.  This was the first issue I had with Rec Room.  In comparison to a Dave & Buster’s, the Games area is much smaller.  It won’t take too many people before it’s packed.  Now it was opening week so you would expect a slightly larger crowd.  Still 4:00pm on a Friday shouldn’t have you waiting to play every popular game.

We decided to try our luck at a few of the ticket games while waiting for some of the more popular games to clear.  Something I noticed right away is the large number of Progressive jackpot games.  The highest of which was over 3000 tickets!  The temptation to try and hit the jackpot was very high.  With all those tickets you can have a swag buying spree in the swag shop right after.  I couldn’t help myself so I gave it a few tries.  On my third attempt, wouldn’t you know it, I timed that game absolutely perfect.  Well almost perfect, and walked away with squat.  Whoever wins Zombie arm owes me 24 credits.

One of the attractions I was most interested in was their virtual reality experience The Void.  The opportunity to experience what it’s like to be a Ghostbuster zapping ghosts is just too good to pass up.  Well unfortunately I did.  First of all it isn’t easy to find when you first enter.  Weber and I got so caught up with downing beers, and playing the newest version of Cruisin U.S.A. that by the time we were done.  The line up at The Void was just too long for us to wait.

Now would I recommend that you visit the Rec Room and experience it for yourself?  Definitely.  I’ll be back soon and next time the first thing I’ll do is try out The Void.  If you plan on going I would suggest picking an off peak time, or planning on staying for quite a while.  Bring a few friends along, and if you find a game you like.  Stick with it until you’ve had your fill.  You might not get back on it again if you leave.

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GAMING

The Gamer in me GL-2 Console Video games

Is it just me, or has the quality of video games gotten worse as the capability of consoles has gotten better?

I’ve owned a lot of systems over the years, and would qualify as an early adopter of my favourites.  I waited in line on release day for Playstation 2, Playstation 3,  XBOX 360, and Playstation 4.  The anticipation of what’s capable with a more powerful system along with the release title hype that goes with it gets me amped.  More often than not though I’m left sorely disappointed.  PS4 was one of my greatest letdowns.  For a year leading up to it’s release I absorbed as much information as I could like a sponge.  I was especially interested in the launch title The Division by Ubisoft.  I figured that game alone would make waiting in line to purchase it on opening day worthwhile.  The PS4 release date was November 15, 2013.  The Division got pushed back due to development issues, and was eventually released on March 7, 2016.  The harsh part was that the delay wasn’t advertised, and then to make matters worse it kept getting pushed back for years.  Was it even a good game when it finally did launch?  In my opinion it was.  It’s one of my favourite games on the PS4 to play cooperatively online.  Actually the two games I planned on purchasing on PS4 release day we’re both pushed back.  I settled for a couple others that are so forgettable they aren’t worthy of a mention.  Month after month I’d buy new games.  Just hoping that there would be something that begins to rival my favourite PS3, and XBOX 360 games.  There wasn’t.  At least not until September 30, 2014 when Warner Bros Interactive released Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor.  Till this day it remains as one of my favourite games.

I’ve seen it on the PS3, and the difference is significant.  I’ve never actually completed the game.  If you hadn’t noticed by now, I have a lot of hobbies.  I’ve started and restarted Shadow of Mordor 3 times.  Only to be interrupted by something else before I complete it.  I will finish it though.  Especially now that the sequel has been announced.

My point of all this is, whether I will wait in line for the next generation of consoles when they ultimately release.  To be honest, I seriously doubt it.  No matter how much hype, incentives, or new technology goes into them.  The reality is that next generation consoles require on average a year of software development before you actually begin to realize their potential.  Even then you need to be careful about which titles you choose to invest in because even the larger developers release a fair amount of crap. Game developers will sometimes tease  5 or 6 new titles to be released in the following year.  Be very wary of that.  No matter how amazing their teaser trailer might look.  Chances are extremely slim that they will be able to release 5 Marquee titles.  Realistically they would be lucky to release 2 great games.

I used to play absolutely everything that showed even the slightest promise.  At one point I operated my own store that held PS3, and XBOX 360 tournaments.  Those days are no longer.  The prices have gone up, while the average length of games have gone down.  Most Developers used to release only one or two games a year.  Now it’s unusual for a major Game Developer to release less than one per season.  Increased competition from Application based cellphone games has meant that maintaining a reasonably active online presence for some games is difficult.

Has this soured my love for video games?  Maybe just a little.  Not enough to keep me from being excited about finally beating Shadow of Mordor.  I remember when laserdisc games first appeared in Video Game Arcades.  Dragon’s Lair was so unlike anything before it.  I was one of those guys that people would stop whatever they were doing to watch me play it.  I was one of the first guys at my local Arcade that memorized the moves required to beat it.  So many of today’s games borrow from that original fairytale style of game.  Some day there will be another Game Developer that takes games another giant leap forward.  I’ll definitely be ready to play it.

I just won’t be first in line.