PlayStation 4 is an amazing console and being more than we've expected. PS4 has certainly been more friendly to indie game developers, more improved with it's controller, more futuristic and slick design, more power and far superior graphics, and being the most of what hardcore gamers could want.
For power and focus, PlayStation 4 exceeds Wii U and Xbox One. While the latter goes for an all around entertainment media work, Sony focused more on gaming itself than Microsoft. While the Xbox One has great concepts, it's PlayStation 4 that has focused more on gaming and while some other media and movies can be played on all systems, PS4's structure is more focused on gaming and is less complicated than the Xbox One. Of PS4's 8GB RAM, 7GB are reserved for gaming compared to the Xbox One which although having 8GB RAM has only 5GB reserved for gaming but uses the 3GB for other media.
Features for PlayStation 4 are centered towards making gaming experience more enjoyable. What PlayStation 4 offers includes PlayStation Plus which is $49.99 for a 12 month membership. With PlayStation Plus(included for PS3, PS Vita, PS4) you will be given digital download access to certain select games which can vary depending on month. The only thing you'll need PlayStation Plus for(excluding PS3) is online multiplayer. PS Plus competitor is Xbox Live Gold which is required if you wish to access not just online multiplayer but also various other multi-media programs such as Netflix and ESPN for examples. PS Plus is $10 less than Xbox Live Gold. The PS4 is also $399, $100 less than Xbox One. The PS Camera is a $60 accessory to PS4 and is sold separately but combined still makes the price lower than Xbox One.
PlayStation 4 has a better quality than Xbox One. PS4 is lighter in weight, looks better, and is less complicated than Xbox One. The Xbox One however looks like it was recycled from a big old VCR or old DVD player. You can stream gameplay directly by pressing the share button of your controller. PS4 will not require you to have a PS Plus membership in your PSN account and will also record 15 minutes max. Xbox One on the other hand disappointingly does not have this feature at launch, does require Xbox Live Gold, and sadly has a 5 minute limit on DVR. Sony PS4 has made it easier for indie game developers and all game developers to develop games with better quality and better resolution than the more complicated Xbox One. I will concede Xbox One does have some great and innovative features that PS4 lacks such as being able to have other devices inputted via HDMI, Kinect 2.0, and multi-media machine.
As with all 8th generation consoles, I can see the difference in textures, detail, animations, and movement mechanics. Tomb Raider Definitive Edition will blow you away with enhanced color, better lighting, more detail in movements, and better and altered character models.
PlayStation 4 will eventually have a higher selection of exclusive games with some games though not exclusive to PS4 don't have Xbox One or even Wii U ports. Games like these include indie games like Don't Starve, Resogun, and Contrast. I'm looking forward to a game called Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments which takes place in Victorian London and has Detective Sherlock Holmes solving crimes will be on not only Windows, PS3, and Xbox 360 but also on PlayStation 4. This Sherlocks Holmes game won't be on any other systems.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Monday, January 13, 2014
Past Wii Games: Club Penguin Game Day
Club Penguin Game Day was released in September 2010. This game is based off the Club Penguin franchise by Disney Inc.
What is Club Penguin Game Day? The game plays with you either creating a penguin or uploading one from the Club Penguin program. The campaign mode has you selecting a team and competing in challenges that involve sack racing, bag balancing, shooting, and many more mini-games. What Club Penguin Game Day is is essentially a mini-game compilation and the mini-games play very well and this game does keep Club Penguin's cute feel to it. You will claim an area every time you complete a championship comprising of four mini-games and a final event ranging from memorizing coaches face to painting the main wall with your team's color. This game managed to keep it short and sweet and even though it is short and will not hold a very long lasting appeal. If you like the Club Penguins franchise, this game will have a longer lasting appeal for you. A championship is made like a tournament where you compete against members of rival teams and are given an overall score. The one who has the most overall points wins the championship though the goal is to beat the main rival team such as if you play the Dock tournament, you need to defeat the Blue team. You also gain coins from scoring and coins can be used for upgrades and in-game merchandise.
Club Penguin's Game Day isn't very far from being stock as it mostly relies on the Club Penguin's flash program while including Wii Remote game mechanics. This game has taken great advantage of Wii Remote motion sensing and while I do think these mini-games are also suitable for iOS and Android apps this game was made very well. The display does resemble Club Penguins best it can on Wii hardware. Just to convey to you that the main Club Penguin MMORG runs on adobe flash and can be played on any PC, tablet, or smartphone. You won't be hearing any dialog as this game is largely based off the adobe flash version of Club Penguin.
Overall, Club Penguin Game Day has fun mini-games and I really did like the environments even though this game is short on content and the mini-games in this game could be made as online flash games.
What is Club Penguin Game Day? The game plays with you either creating a penguin or uploading one from the Club Penguin program. The campaign mode has you selecting a team and competing in challenges that involve sack racing, bag balancing, shooting, and many more mini-games. What Club Penguin Game Day is is essentially a mini-game compilation and the mini-games play very well and this game does keep Club Penguin's cute feel to it. You will claim an area every time you complete a championship comprising of four mini-games and a final event ranging from memorizing coaches face to painting the main wall with your team's color. This game managed to keep it short and sweet and even though it is short and will not hold a very long lasting appeal. If you like the Club Penguins franchise, this game will have a longer lasting appeal for you. A championship is made like a tournament where you compete against members of rival teams and are given an overall score. The one who has the most overall points wins the championship though the goal is to beat the main rival team such as if you play the Dock tournament, you need to defeat the Blue team. You also gain coins from scoring and coins can be used for upgrades and in-game merchandise.
Club Penguin's Game Day isn't very far from being stock as it mostly relies on the Club Penguin's flash program while including Wii Remote game mechanics. This game has taken great advantage of Wii Remote motion sensing and while I do think these mini-games are also suitable for iOS and Android apps this game was made very well. The display does resemble Club Penguins best it can on Wii hardware. Just to convey to you that the main Club Penguin MMORG runs on adobe flash and can be played on any PC, tablet, or smartphone. You won't be hearing any dialog as this game is largely based off the adobe flash version of Club Penguin.
Overall, Club Penguin Game Day has fun mini-games and I really did like the environments even though this game is short on content and the mini-games in this game could be made as online flash games.
Past Wii Games: Baseball Blast
Baseball Blast despite it's 2009 release date is a great example of how a national pastime can be made to be more creative in gameplay. Despite it's great variety and creativity in gameplay, certain issues arise such as the design being poor, lasting appeal fading rapidly, and the short length of gameplay.
First, I want to get to how it has been made creative in terms of it's mini-games. This game has 20 mini-games which although ain't much are made to have creativity in gameplay amounts to giving players a new and innovative gameplay experience. I could not find one mini-game that was similar to another one. All mini-games do however have baseball mechanics in hand such as bat and pitch. I do criticize however that the game feels very short and is more like a casual arcade style game than anything in the Major League Baseball crowd. The lasting appeal for this game will wane after playing all the mini-games.
As for the graphics they look lazy and look more like the designers were trying to make a quick cash load. The character and environment designs look disgraceful! I know this is a Wii but c'mon! iOS and Android versions could have done better. I will give this game credit for including real life MLB teams. The awful design ruins the real life characters as the models look like poorly done cartoons rather than actual players. Backyard Sports dating back from as far as PS2 had better graphics.
I can't say this game will get you playing for long as lasting appeal is very short. I did enjoy playing some mini-games but I just didn't see any real reason to keep on playing after more than 30 minutes straight. I'd recommend MLB The Show instead, despite it being mainly for Sony consoles(PS2, PS3, PSP, PS Vita, and coming soon PS4).
Final verdict needs to be a 6.5/10
First, I want to get to how it has been made creative in terms of it's mini-games. This game has 20 mini-games which although ain't much are made to have creativity in gameplay amounts to giving players a new and innovative gameplay experience. I could not find one mini-game that was similar to another one. All mini-games do however have baseball mechanics in hand such as bat and pitch. I do criticize however that the game feels very short and is more like a casual arcade style game than anything in the Major League Baseball crowd. The lasting appeal for this game will wane after playing all the mini-games.
As for the graphics they look lazy and look more like the designers were trying to make a quick cash load. The character and environment designs look disgraceful! I know this is a Wii but c'mon! iOS and Android versions could have done better. I will give this game credit for including real life MLB teams. The awful design ruins the real life characters as the models look like poorly done cartoons rather than actual players. Backyard Sports dating back from as far as PS2 had better graphics.
I can't say this game will get you playing for long as lasting appeal is very short. I did enjoy playing some mini-games but I just didn't see any real reason to keep on playing after more than 30 minutes straight. I'd recommend MLB The Show instead, despite it being mainly for Sony consoles(PS2, PS3, PSP, PS Vita, and coming soon PS4).
Final verdict needs to be a 6.5/10
Friday, January 10, 2014
Past Games: Carnival Mini-Golf
I played this Wii game and have to say that while this game is pretty average, it does have negatives. I like how this mini-golf style game was made to have some innovations such as a mini-game for each adventure hole and great animatronic animations for challenge holes and trick shots.
Gameplay for this game is centered around traditional mini-golf and gameplay mechanics have you lining up your golf club and ball while swinging the Wii Remote to swing the golf club. You also can collect coins from each course but can also lose five coins for every skull coin unfortunately collected. The gameplay mechanics greatly resemble what you're suppose to do in mini-golf. There are three types of mini-golf holes for each course being Adventure, Challenge, and Trick Shots. There are several different courses from themes ranging from Fairytale, Dinosaurs, Wild West, Pirates, Barnyard, Mayan, and Egyptian for examples, though there maybe another one or two of these left that I did not list. For adventure course if you happen to come across a closed structure you will be thrown into a mini-game in which victory will result in an automatic hole in one. Each mini-game is different and well connected to it's theme but can be very challenging. I appreciate the use of Wii Remote but sometimes the controls for mini-games can feel slippery.
I can't say graphics are the best but seeing as this is a Wii game I can't complain too much though the textures look somewhat outdated, even for a Wii game.
This game is part of the Carnival games franchise with Barker the ring master as mascot. You can instantly recognize that this is a Carnival franchise game just by looking at the mascot. I'm not saying all Carnival games are of good quality but at least Carnival Mini-Golf is consistent with it's theme and is playable, adding some interesting twists to the mini-golf gameplay.
Gameplay for this game is centered around traditional mini-golf and gameplay mechanics have you lining up your golf club and ball while swinging the Wii Remote to swing the golf club. You also can collect coins from each course but can also lose five coins for every skull coin unfortunately collected. The gameplay mechanics greatly resemble what you're suppose to do in mini-golf. There are three types of mini-golf holes for each course being Adventure, Challenge, and Trick Shots. There are several different courses from themes ranging from Fairytale, Dinosaurs, Wild West, Pirates, Barnyard, Mayan, and Egyptian for examples, though there maybe another one or two of these left that I did not list. For adventure course if you happen to come across a closed structure you will be thrown into a mini-game in which victory will result in an automatic hole in one. Each mini-game is different and well connected to it's theme but can be very challenging. I appreciate the use of Wii Remote but sometimes the controls for mini-games can feel slippery.
I can't say graphics are the best but seeing as this is a Wii game I can't complain too much though the textures look somewhat outdated, even for a Wii game.
This game is part of the Carnival games franchise with Barker the ring master as mascot. You can instantly recognize that this is a Carnival franchise game just by looking at the mascot. I'm not saying all Carnival games are of good quality but at least Carnival Mini-Golf is consistent with it's theme and is playable, adding some interesting twists to the mini-golf gameplay.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
To Commemorate Tomb Raider's Definitive Edition: Tomb Raider Underworld
I am commemorating on the upcoming release of Tomb Raider Definitive Edition for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One by reviewing a previous Tomb Raider game from 2008. Tomb Raider Underworld was produced for Windows, OS X, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 with altered and more watered down versions made for mobile phones, N-Gage 2.0, DS, PlayStation 2, and Wii.
Tomb Raider Underworld gameplay plays like a third person shooter. The game also has puzzles for Lara Croft to solve which helps you progress through the game. The combat for this game includes a new melee mechanic and targeting feature allowing you to double target when using the pistols. The environments actually are Lara Croft's enemy in which she must go through challenging and dangerous environments which were made very active. The elements of climbing, shooting, and puzzles have been integrated and reformed for a better gameplay experience. Lara can also use pick-ups available throughout the environment such as health packs. The grappling hook also has more feel to it as you use it to pull heavy objects from ledges and doors open and swing over ledges. This game also gives you the impression that Lara Croft can do anything you expect she can do. I do feel the gameplay can make you feel stuck at times if you're not careful in what you're doing such as the axles used for the underwater part and opening ancient stone gates. The puzzles are very consistent in this game given the Tomb Raider series is about exploring lost civilizations. I've even heard of this game having bugs and glitches.
The story follows Lara Croft escaping her burning and crumbling manor with the game flashing back to the week before and after the events of Tomb Raider: Legends where Lara Croft is on a mission to find out what happened to her mother. Croft travels to several different places such as Mexico, Arctic Sea, Mediterranean Sea, England, Scandinavia, and the East Indies near Thailand. Tomb Raider Underworld has variety of locations which is something great for any game as you don't want it to feel repetitive.
How does the game look. For 2008, I can expect graphics like these to be average and looking at other games this game could have put more effort into their display. This is one of those games that looks average for the Wii. Graphics for this game look average in between PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, exceeding PS2 while falling behind Xbox 360. How could Eidos Studios mess that up with consoles released just 2-3 years before this game's release date?
Tomb Raider got a reboot in the 2010's starting with the 2010 download game Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light before the real reboot game of Tomb Raider was released in 2013. It was with the 2013 reboot of Tomb Raider that made it more next-generation and more enjoyable and the Definitive Edition coming to PS4 and Xbox One will make the game even more enjoyable with the best 1080p graphics any PS4 and Xbox One game can have. While Tomb Raider 2013 isn't quite perfect, it brings a new direction as ever single new generation in Tomb Raider manages to give Lara Croft more detail. Looking back at previous Tomb Raider games, the reboot makes past games look outdated. I know the reboot takes place only in Japan and I haven't played it yet but the reboot gives gaming experience an enhanced view and experience.
Tomb Raider Underworld gameplay plays like a third person shooter. The game also has puzzles for Lara Croft to solve which helps you progress through the game. The combat for this game includes a new melee mechanic and targeting feature allowing you to double target when using the pistols. The environments actually are Lara Croft's enemy in which she must go through challenging and dangerous environments which were made very active. The elements of climbing, shooting, and puzzles have been integrated and reformed for a better gameplay experience. Lara can also use pick-ups available throughout the environment such as health packs. The grappling hook also has more feel to it as you use it to pull heavy objects from ledges and doors open and swing over ledges. This game also gives you the impression that Lara Croft can do anything you expect she can do. I do feel the gameplay can make you feel stuck at times if you're not careful in what you're doing such as the axles used for the underwater part and opening ancient stone gates. The puzzles are very consistent in this game given the Tomb Raider series is about exploring lost civilizations. I've even heard of this game having bugs and glitches.
The story follows Lara Croft escaping her burning and crumbling manor with the game flashing back to the week before and after the events of Tomb Raider: Legends where Lara Croft is on a mission to find out what happened to her mother. Croft travels to several different places such as Mexico, Arctic Sea, Mediterranean Sea, England, Scandinavia, and the East Indies near Thailand. Tomb Raider Underworld has variety of locations which is something great for any game as you don't want it to feel repetitive.
How does the game look. For 2008, I can expect graphics like these to be average and looking at other games this game could have put more effort into their display. This is one of those games that looks average for the Wii. Graphics for this game look average in between PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, exceeding PS2 while falling behind Xbox 360. How could Eidos Studios mess that up with consoles released just 2-3 years before this game's release date?
Tomb Raider got a reboot in the 2010's starting with the 2010 download game Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light before the real reboot game of Tomb Raider was released in 2013. It was with the 2013 reboot of Tomb Raider that made it more next-generation and more enjoyable and the Definitive Edition coming to PS4 and Xbox One will make the game even more enjoyable with the best 1080p graphics any PS4 and Xbox One game can have. While Tomb Raider 2013 isn't quite perfect, it brings a new direction as ever single new generation in Tomb Raider manages to give Lara Croft more detail. Looking back at previous Tomb Raider games, the reboot makes past games look outdated. I know the reboot takes place only in Japan and I haven't played it yet but the reboot gives gaming experience an enhanced view and experience.
Don't Starve review
Originally released for Windows, OS X and Linux in April of 2013, Don't Starve has a version of this game on PlayStation 4 which for January 2014 is free for PlayStation Plus Members. What Don't Starve is is an Action-Adventure and Survival Horror game.
Don't Starve has you playing as a gentleman scientist named Wilson who is whisked away to a remote land that's completely away from civilization and Wilson must now live off the land avoiding starvation, insanity, and loss of health. Enemies in this game exist such as wildlife creatures such as bees, buffalos, birds, and more. This game includes the ability to craft items such as an ax for example from trees and rocks for example. Don't forget about eating as berries and animals for example provide nourishment. The goal of the game is to survive for as long as possible which are calculated in days. There's a daytime, sunset, and nighttime portion of each day. The daytime portion is the longest, taking up approx. 60% of day with the nighttime being literally pitch dark. To be honest, the nighttime portion can feel impossible without looking for guides from the internet.
I know I'm repeating this but the objective for this game is to survive as long as possible in an open-world wilderness, completely void of civilization. This game also features permanent death as when you die, the game is over and you are judged based on the length of survival. I must mention Adventure mode which is the game's campaign mode which the player must work through the story and take on the deranged demon Maxwell, who is responsible for bringing the protagonist to the civilization-less wilderness. The Gentleman Scientist isn't the only character you can play as in this game though you'll have to complete goals to unlock more characters. This game also has a great themed visual for it as it looks a lot like a Tim Burton production with graphics looking so HD.
I do however feel that Don't Starve can get repetitive after a while unless you come across new abilities and new places such as going from grasslands to big forests. This world is your oyster and you can travel as far as you want in this world, knowing no bounds other than those prescribed by the game's design. You won't be disappointed as you advance through the game. Keep in mind this is an indie game that sells for $14.99 but is free should you be a PS Plus member.
I have to give this game a final verdict of 8.5/10
Don't Starve has you playing as a gentleman scientist named Wilson who is whisked away to a remote land that's completely away from civilization and Wilson must now live off the land avoiding starvation, insanity, and loss of health. Enemies in this game exist such as wildlife creatures such as bees, buffalos, birds, and more. This game includes the ability to craft items such as an ax for example from trees and rocks for example. Don't forget about eating as berries and animals for example provide nourishment. The goal of the game is to survive for as long as possible which are calculated in days. There's a daytime, sunset, and nighttime portion of each day. The daytime portion is the longest, taking up approx. 60% of day with the nighttime being literally pitch dark. To be honest, the nighttime portion can feel impossible without looking for guides from the internet.
I know I'm repeating this but the objective for this game is to survive as long as possible in an open-world wilderness, completely void of civilization. This game also features permanent death as when you die, the game is over and you are judged based on the length of survival. I must mention Adventure mode which is the game's campaign mode which the player must work through the story and take on the deranged demon Maxwell, who is responsible for bringing the protagonist to the civilization-less wilderness. The Gentleman Scientist isn't the only character you can play as in this game though you'll have to complete goals to unlock more characters. This game also has a great themed visual for it as it looks a lot like a Tim Burton production with graphics looking so HD.
I do however feel that Don't Starve can get repetitive after a while unless you come across new abilities and new places such as going from grasslands to big forests. This world is your oyster and you can travel as far as you want in this world, knowing no bounds other than those prescribed by the game's design. You won't be disappointed as you advance through the game. Keep in mind this is an indie game that sells for $14.99 but is free should you be a PS Plus member.
I have to give this game a final verdict of 8.5/10
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Pinball Palooza: Zen Pinball 2 and Pinball Arcade
Zen Pinball 2 was released originally for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita on September 4, 2012, then Wii U months later and Zen Pinball 2 was freshly released for PlayStation 4 on December 24, 2013. This is digital download only and pinball boards are paid for separately. There are many great pinball tables to choose from, one of them being free of charge.
The gameplay has you playing like you would with pinball. Goal is to get a high score and use the flippers to flip the pinball back up away from it falling. There are some great pinball tables to play from such as Star Wars and Marvel themed pinball machines. Graphics for this game look amazing and it actually looks like more life was made into these pinball machines. What attracts me to board games made into video games is 3D models bring life to them, such as Monopoly Streets(2010). Zen Pinball 2 doesn't disappoint when it comes to enhancing it's base on themes. Just look at how well the Marvel's Avenger's pinball table was made. Great sound effects and model, especially the designer pinballs. Zen Pinball 2 makes pinball playing more real and fun.
Pinball Arcade is another Pinball Arcade game released in 2012 for Android, iOS, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, OS X, Kindle Fire, Ouya, Windows, PlayStation 4. Wii U, Linux, and 3DS versions not yet released. The Pinball Arcade emulates the classic arcade pinball games we loved for decades. There are dozens of pinball tables to choose from, which can be purchased in packs digitally online via either Xbox Marketplace, PlayStation Store, Apple App Store, Google Play, and Steam. How does this game work? It may not have the same spice as Zen Pinball 2 but the former does work like any pinball machine and many famous pinball machines are included. The Pinball Arcade simply emulates many classic pinball machines manufactured and played in arcades throughout time. Pinball Arcade focuses more on bringing classic nostalgia to pinball gameplay, differing from the new approach brought by Zen Pinball 1-2. Pinball Arcade surely brings out the classic nostalgia of many great pinball machines from as far back as the 1970's.
The gameplay has you playing like you would with pinball. Goal is to get a high score and use the flippers to flip the pinball back up away from it falling. There are some great pinball tables to play from such as Star Wars and Marvel themed pinball machines. Graphics for this game look amazing and it actually looks like more life was made into these pinball machines. What attracts me to board games made into video games is 3D models bring life to them, such as Monopoly Streets(2010). Zen Pinball 2 doesn't disappoint when it comes to enhancing it's base on themes. Just look at how well the Marvel's Avenger's pinball table was made. Great sound effects and model, especially the designer pinballs. Zen Pinball 2 makes pinball playing more real and fun.
Pinball Arcade is another Pinball Arcade game released in 2012 for Android, iOS, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, OS X, Kindle Fire, Ouya, Windows, PlayStation 4. Wii U, Linux, and 3DS versions not yet released. The Pinball Arcade emulates the classic arcade pinball games we loved for decades. There are dozens of pinball tables to choose from, which can be purchased in packs digitally online via either Xbox Marketplace, PlayStation Store, Apple App Store, Google Play, and Steam. How does this game work? It may not have the same spice as Zen Pinball 2 but the former does work like any pinball machine and many famous pinball machines are included. The Pinball Arcade simply emulates many classic pinball machines manufactured and played in arcades throughout time. Pinball Arcade focuses more on bringing classic nostalgia to pinball gameplay, differing from the new approach brought by Zen Pinball 1-2. Pinball Arcade surely brings out the classic nostalgia of many great pinball machines from as far back as the 1970's.
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