Firefall Beta First Impression

Firefall is an online first/third person shooter MMORPG. It is a mixture of popular genres to appeal to all audiences. The beginning of the game you are allowed to create your own custom character. The character creation is quick and simple but it doesn't have much variety. The game starts off with a standard tutorial. After learning the basic controls, you will be introduced to the 5 classes that they call Battleframes. The assault class is the damage dealer and uses his weapons and equipment to fight, while biotech is the healer class meant to keep teammates alive while dealing some damage to the enemy. Dreadnaughts are tough tanks that can hold off strong enemies as the team fights them and the Engineer can build structures to fortify the area surrounding the players, resupply ammo and create energy barriers. The 5th class is recon which are assassins that deal damage but have low health so they fight from afar with long ranged weapons. The game does not force you into deciding one role. You are allowed to change classes everytime you are near a Battleframe station.

Although the classes are a generic MMO game, the actual gameplay is play like a modern day RPG/shooter. You can buy or craft weapons, upgrade your gear, and build experience points for your specific classes. People are always interacting with each other even when they aren't in a group. Players will find themselves fighting waves of enemies side by side with other players trying to defend resources. You will get a share of the resources based on how much damage you did to enemies around the objective.

Although this game is in Beta, it is well made other than a few bugs here in there. It will bring innovation to the genres of gaming it contains. This game has great potential and there is much hope for its success. It could be the next big thing.

Evoland Review

By Jerry

Evoland is a game about games in a similar way that Super 8 or Son of Rambow are movies about movies. It is a work of passion and nostalgia, best appreciated by those who grew up playing the old role-playing games Final Fantasy or Zelda. The game was first made for Ludum Dare, an annual event challenging gamemakers of all skill levels to start and finish developing a video game in only 48 hours on their own. When Evoland was finished the fan reaction and love for the game was such that the developer, Nicolas Cannasse, decided to remake it as a longer game.

While playing Evoland you unlock game mechanics, sounds, and graphics, and have the pleasure of seeing the game change from a top-down sidescroller to a three-dimensional adventure game before your eyes. This is done from the beginning by unlocking the movement keys – right, then left, and then up and down – with full free movement down the road! Evoland explores many and parodies some of the most beloved tropes of older RPGs, along with several nods to newer titles. Evoland will have you reminiscing on the best and sometimes the most bizarre parts of your favorite old-school RPGs.

Where Evoland disappoints is in actually delivering the fun and addicting experiences of older RPGs. When the game imitates the puzzles and dungeons of a classic Zelda title it seems far too easy and short. While the game plays as a turn-based RPG the fights are sometimes unbalanced and still often too easy, lacking some more challenging enemies. They are also very simple fights by even traditional RPG standards, most apparently for the lack of a magic bar. There are only a few spells and items, a direct contrast of some of the most memorable RPGs. You meet many characters throughout the game - few of whom which are interesting and only one whom will join your player's team. Also, Evoland's gameplay reference list is not entirely inclusive, instead featuring a mostly Final Fantasy style of game with several Zelda type dungeons and one that is most like Diablo.

Evoland, regardless of its shortfalls, was a blast to experience. In some parts I laughed out loud at the great parodies or references, while in others I was awed by spot on representations of gaming tropes. Unfortunately, the game is propped up on mostly nostalgia, and does not stand well as a game in of itself. This game could be seen as proof-of-concept, with a more complete successor in the future.

Jammage's Next Gen Thoughts

With the next generation of consoles coming at the end of the year, I have to give my thoughts on what the future of gaming holds. One thing that will stay in gaming through the next few years is the average shooter. It gets the highest sales, it is easy to play and understand, and you can play with your friends cooperatively or competitively. Even though AAA shooters are thrown together and made every year, people still buy them. 

On the other hand, there is a big rise in Indie game development. That is one thing I am excited for. Indie games are not restricted to a genre in any way. people make the game, not to make money, but because it is a game they would want to play. These titles are normally unique. Even Robert Bowling, an ex developer at Infinity Ward, quit his job making CoD games to make indie games. This is a man standing up and setting a precedent. Indie games are already on the rise, with title like Minecraft, Fez, Braid, and Journey. People are starting to appreciate gaming as an art.

Graphics are a big thing when it comes to next gen consoles. Unfortunately the consoles will never compare to a high performance PC. But, with the improved power of the new consoles, developers will start making games with better graphics that will also come out for PC with higher quality graphics. Although graphics aren't what make a game fun to play, it is pretty cool to see how far we can go to make a virtual world as realistic as possible.

Those are my thoughts on the future of gaming. Feel free to comment your own opinions such as what you want to see in future games or what you think of what has been shown so far.

Mass Effect 3 Citdal DLC Review by PrvMalone

                In my opinion, Bioware’s Mass Effect series tops the charts for this generation of gaming.   Mass Effect was the only game that ever made me a fan boy, and it is the only universe I know as much about as the Star Wars Universe.  Now that the tale of our mighty hero Commander Shepard has drawn to an end, it seems almost useless to purchase any of the DLC that Bioware has been pumping out.  I’m here to tell you that is not the case.

                Bioware recently released their sendoff DLC titled Citadel, and though it is priced at a whopping fifteen dollars, I would still be willing to cough up the dough just to join the final adventures of my Shepard.  After all the controversy of just about all of Bioware’s actions, I was glad to see that, for the most part, Bioware lived up to what we have come to expect from them.

                Basically, Citadel is a cheesy action movie starring all of your favorite squad mates from Mass Effect 3 and a few from the two previous games in the series. The missions are chock full of jokes and, in one special case, even Star Wars references make their way into the mix.  If you hated all the Romance options in ME3, you may just get a chance to reconnect with your lost love.  If the relationships of your Shepard really did not interest you, there is still the great story and addition combat to enjoy.

                The main quest line of this DLC allows players the opportunity to take a bit of shore leave and rest from the battle against the Reapers.  So, there is no combat in this DLC…Ha, like that’s possible.  The player has to uncover a plot to kill Shepard, and each mission brings a new twist to keep the player emotionally and mentally engaged with the plot. After the main quest line is complete there is still much to do in the new areas in the Citadel that become available. Most notable of the additions is the Armax Arsenal Arena, where you can convene with all your living squad mates, new and old, to compete in simulated battles against virtual opponents.  If you missed the sound of a Krogan blasting his way through Geth synthetic flesh you will be most pleased with this addition.

                Overall, this DLC will not disappoint Mass Effect fans, and this addition was a perfect send-off for our beloved Commander Shepard. The only let down for me is that we never see a romance between Shepard and Shiala, the green Asari who appeared in both ME and ME2.  She was totally into Shepard and you know it!  Anyways, wherever Bioware goes next with the series (First Contact War please) and whatever our new hero may be (space smuggler or assassin please) I am certain Bioware will keep players invested into the story.

Bioshock Infinite Preview

Bioshock Infinite is a single player RPG set to come out on March 26, 2013. The past two games have had an intricate satiric storyline that keeps the players wondering what will happen next. The original Bioshock even had a plot twist that blew gamers minds.  This Bioshock takes place in 1912 in a city in the sky called Columbia. Created by the ideas of a man named Zachary Comstock, Columbia was originally part of the United States but seceded. Unlike its predecessors, the protagonist in this game, Booker DeWitt, is audible. He has a charming voice and personality. He is accompanied by Elizabeth. She was imprisoned on Columbia since the age of 5 and Booker was sent to Columbia to rescue her and bring her to New York. She has abilities to create “tears” through the fabric of time. Sometimes you can use these tears to provide cover, ammunition, or other advantages against enemies. Booker, along with the player, develops a relationship with Elizabeth, causing them to care about her and wanting to save her. The Songbird is a mechanical beast with the job of keeping Elizabeth trapped in the city. The gameplay seems much like the past games.

You progress through the game finding new power ups and leveling them up. Gameplay has shown many power ups you can get such as Murder of Crows, which stuns the enemy and does damage over time. Some environments allow the players to use their powers to their advantage. There are plenty of enemies to face and different ways to approach them. There are the regular human enemies that attack you with whatever weapon they have. There are also the Boys of Silence who act as security alarms. You can either chose to sneak past them, or attack a wave of enemies. The Handymen play a role as the Big Daddy from the original Bioshocks. They are big, fast moving creatures that do a lot of damage to the player. He can throw enemies closer to the player to allow them to attack him easier.

Bioshock Infinite is highly anticipated. The developers are using all their time and resources to perfect this game, even missing E3 of 2012 to spend more time working on the game. Hopefully they will not disappoint us. Only the future will tell.

Antichamber Review

Steve from Sporadic Gaming, here to review Antichamber!

Antichamber is a puzzle game made by Alexander Bruce. In some ways it reminds me of the puzzle aspect of the Portal series. However, Antichamber uses non-Euclidian geometry, which means that the spaces are constantly changing. Some areas loop in on themselves, connect to areas that are far away, and change when you look away.

Another mechanic the game uses is a type of gun that picks up and dispenses blocks. As the game progresses, you get new types of blocks, which have more abilities each time. You use these blocks to fill in puzzles, get around, and hold open doors.

Overall these puzzles were fairly difficult. There were some parts where I just plain didn't know what to do. Also the fact that the blocks gain new abilities means that sometimes there will be parts that you won't be able to pass yet and will have to come back to. This can be frustrating because you won't always know that you aren't able to pass a particular part yet.

The average time of completions is about 4 hours, which is approximately what it took me. It certainly can vary from person to person though.

Personally, there were a few times where I had to look up what to do, but a very smart person might be able to do it on their own. Sometimes the solutions to the puzzles were less than obvious. It was very rewarding to figure out some of the puzzles on my own. If you are looking for a difficult puzzle game that will challenge you mentally, then this is the game for you.

Sony's PS4 Press Conference

Graphics:

The PS4 will have characters with as much as 30,000 polygons. Facial animations will be more detailed, showing the most subtle emotions.

Controller:

First thing they showed was their new controller. As the rumors had been, the controller will have the same look as the Dualshock controller but with a touch screen in the middle and a share button. The back will have an Light that also acts as a motion sensor.

Downloading:

The PlayStation 4 will have a chip that allows you to upload, download, or update a game at the same time as you are doing other things or even when the power is off. It will also allow you to stream a game as it downloads.

It will be able to predict what game you will most likely buy and download next and will already have it saved and ready for you to play as soon as you purchase it. It will also show news stories on games you play or games that are similar to your likes. It will try to understand your personal preferences in gaming to help you enjoy your gaming experience.

Using remote play, you will be able to transfer a game you are currently playing from console to device and vice versa. One of their goals are to make any game made for a Sony gaming system, such as Playstion One and Two, available for all future systems through the cloud.

Online Communication: 

You will be able to use the Share button on the controller to watch the last 15 minutes of gameplay and upload the video while you continue to play the game. You will also be able to watch your friends play a game live and spectate pro players. They can even allow you to take over your friend's the game from your console to help them through difficult parts of the game. You will be able to comment in spectator mode to anyone else who is watching. Friends will also be able to assist you in game by sending control commands and giving you items.

Knack:

Knack was announced. Humans and Goblins are at war with each other. A scientist created an experiement named Knack who can transform with the items around him. From the trailer it shows combat and hints at puzzles you must overcome through the game. 

Killzone Shadow Fall:

Killzone Shadow Fall was announced and it looks beautiful. The graphical presentation is top notch. The combat seems smooth even getting in and out of cover looks so fluid including the free running to get to different places on the map. From this trailer i saw that there was a secret way of defeating the boss if you explore a little.

Drive Club:

Drive Club is a racing game all about detail and challenges. The cars are detailed to the very fiber of the seats inside. The developers really focused on the graphics of the car to make it as realistic as possible. Also, this game allows people to challenge each other in tournaments that can last a few hours or maybe a few days, even months. You can set up a challenge for anyone to do. You can create your own club with your friends to compete against other clubs as well.

Infamous Second Son:

The Witness:

This game is open world but it is on a small scale. The developers focused more on making the world compact and easy to get around instead of a huge open area. The whole world has different puzzles you must solve to complete the game. Jonathan Blow says "the game is about epiphany." Each area has a different theme.

Deep Down:

Watch Dogs:

This game is freaking awesome.

Diablo 3 will be coming out for PS3 and PS4

Destiny: