The first person mystery game The Vanishing of Ethan Carter has made it’s way from the PC to the PS4. Is the game worth your time, or should you just let the game vanish along with Ethan?

Read our review to find out.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a game focused on exploration and discovery with little guidance or assists. Before playing, we would strongly recommend reading the prequel comic that is available online.

Click for the full prequel comic

You play the game as Paul Prospero, an occult-minded detective who receives a disturbing letter from Ethan Carter. Realizing the boy is in grave danger, Paul arrives at Ethan’s home of Red Creek Valley, where things turn out to be even worse than he imagined. Ethan has vanished in the wake of a brutal murder, which Paul quickly discerns might not be the only local murder worth looking into. With the comic tie-in, and after playing all the way to completion of the game, the story is well written and thought out. It can be confusing at times, but that really adds to the mystery of the game.

The game is played in first-person and has no real tutorial or level to really teach you how to play. You’ll have to look around for items of interest and/or dead bodies and interact accordingly once found. The game is designed so that you’ll need to explore most of the areas just to finish the story and that’s not a bad thing. On a related note, don’t worry about missing any puzzles as once you complete the story line, you’ll be shown a map that allows you to fast travel to the different puzzles in the game.

Our guy Paul has the ability to see the past, and by using items found in an area, he can discern a chain of events that led to the death of someone. The puzzles generally have two parts. One is discovering all of the pieces of the puzzle and the other is figuring out the chronological order of the chain of events that the clues have given you. Items and places of interest aren’t always out in the open glowing and waiting for you to interact. You’ll have to pay close attention to your environment so as not to miss anything or you may find yourself wandering aimlessly in search of one last clue.

Once you have all of the clues, you can then walk up to the murdered corpse and Touch it in order to start the next part of the puzzle. If you don’t have all of the clues yet, a circle will start to form around the body but will never encompass the screen. The more clues you have, the bigger the circle will get, so at least you’ll know if you are close to finding everything. The puzzles aren’t exactly mind boggling, but can be time consuming if you are missing one last clue or have something slightly out of place.

Developer The Astronauts used the Unreal 4 game engine for The Vanishing of Ethan Carter and the finished project is gorgeous. The world of Red Creek Valley, which was created with the use of revolutionary photogrammetry technology that allows for nearly photo-realistic environments, look as real as anything seen in a video game. From the pine needles on the trees to the leaves of the ferns in the woods, everything is alive and vibrant. Screenshots and videos can’t do the game justice when playing on a big screen HDTV. The level of detail, the minute animations, the way the trees and branches sway in the breeze, all add to the overall vision of beauty that the game is.

The sights and sounds of the game are impressive as well. The score of the game  is steady and relaxing, with a few ups and downs that follow the action of the game well. There is no combat involved, and only a few scenes that may startle you, so the score fits nicely with what the developer was trying to do. The music stays in the background so you can focus on the tasks at hand, and that’s a good thing.

Time of completion for the game will vary from gamer to gamer, but most will probably finish in a couple hours. For completionists out there, getting 100% of all achievements will probably add another hour or so, but still it’s a fairly short game for a price tag of $19.99 on the US PSN and $19.99/£14.99 on Steam. We would be interested to see if the developer can carry this series into a sequel or maybe throw out some free DLC to add to the playing time. Paul Prospero seems like an interesting fella and we would love to find out more about him and/or do more work with him.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a fun and interesting game that takes video game graphics to a whole new level. While the story is short, the unassisted game play will add to your game time as you figure out what needs to be done in this beautiful world.

8

Q.U.B.E. (Quick Understanding of Block Extrusion), the mind boggling Portal-like puzzler, has made the jump from the PC world and into the console world. Was it a successful transition, or should the game be boxed up and left outside? Read our review to find out.

Q.U.B.E. (Quick Understanding of Block Extrusion) is a physics-based puzzle video game developed and published by Toxic Games, with help from Indie Fund, a group of successful independent game developers. The game, an expansion of a student project by the founding members of Toxic Games, was originally released for the PC in 2011 and later for the MAC in late 2012. The latest release of the game, Q.U.B.E. Director’s Cut, includes a story mode that wasn’t in the original release.

One the game first starts, you’re told that you’ve been unconscious for two weeks and are stuck inside a giant alien structure that is hurtling towards Earth. It is now you mission to prevent this structure from slamming into our planet, and your only guidance comes from a one-way communication system linked to the International Space Station. Your suit was damaged while you were entering this structure, so no one can hear you, but you can at least hear their communications. The voice warns you that you might be suffering from amnesia and presses you to solve the puzzles inside the structure as they might be the only way to stop this huge monstrosity from crashing into earth. As  you progress through the many puzzles and levels of this structure, a second voice enters the fray and tells you that things aren’t what they seem and adds to the overall mystery of the story.

The story, while mysterious and entertaining, ended up being on the short side, and that’s sad because it had the potential of going in many directions and could have been easily stretched out from an hour and a half to several hours of game play. The dialogue from the voices in your helmet was well written and left you wondering what was coming next. It would have been great if they could have come up with more to keep us entertained longer.

In the game, the player guides their avatar through a series of levels to make their way to an exit. Our character is equipped with special gloves that can perform a number of functions on specific blocks to reach the exit. The game employs a sterile monochromatic environment that highlights the colored blocks that the player can interact with, and is comparable to the Portal series. That’s not a bad thing, as Portal was a fun game in itself.

The physics based puzzles start out pretty basic in the first couple of sectors, with each sector introducing another aspect to the puzzling system. By the time you get to the final sector, the puzzles have become exponentially harder and mind boggling, but at the same time only a few of them were as hard as we first thought they would be. Whether you are moving simple blocks around, maneuvering a ball through a tilt puzzle, or guiding laser like lights around an object, all of the puzzles were fun and entertaining, even if some of them were a little too simple. We will say that a couple of puzzles with magnets had us stumped for a little while, but we did finally work our way through them.

Once you’ve completed the story mode of Q.U.B.E. Director’s Cut, the fun and puzzling isn’t quite over yet. You can then jump into the Against the Clock mode, which just like it sounds, is a bunch of levels designed for time trials where it’s you against the clock, trying to complete levels as fast as you can. Each level has pick-ups lying around that can give you boosts to speed, can take away time from your clock, or give you a short-cut.

This mode can easily stretch your game-play from a couple hours up to four or more, depending on how competitive you are, and depending on how well you do. Each level gives stars based on your finish-time, and locked levels require a certain number of stars to be earned to unlock them, so completionists have their work cut out for them. This is a fun mode that requires memory and quick fingers, with a bit of luck and practice thrown in, in order to do well.

Q.U.B.E. Director’s Cut is a fun game that developer Toxic Games did a great job on. The puzzles ranged from too simple to mind boggling, but in the end the game left us wanting more. That’s definitely not a bad thing, and for $9.99, not a bad price for a fun afternoon of puzzling around space.

8

It’s been ten long years since Legend of Kay was released for the PlayStation 2. Can a remastered game from a decade ago stand the test of time with a remastered version or is this game best left in the past? Read our review to find out.

For many generations, the mystical land of Yenching had been inhabited by many animals, mainly cats, hares, frogs, and pandas. Because of a religious code called the Way, these four races had prospered throughout the ages in their own separate towns. But as the years passed, the younger generations began to defect from the Way. Ultimately, with no protective code to guide the races, Yenching was invaded by the Gorillas and the Rats (known as the Din), led by Gorilla Minister Shun and Tak, the Rat Alchemist. Minister Shun now rules the majority of Yenching with an iron fist, and is said to reside in the volcanic mountain of Waa-Lo.

You play as a young cat named Kay. He’s a hotheaded feline with a propensity for violence that can kick and claw his way through a variety of enemies and is his Master’s top martial arts student. Key doesn’t subscribe to the same religious views of the master, and this puts him at odds with his friend Su Ling, who decides he would head out in search of a town that shares his belief in the Way. The Gorillas decide to take over the master’s school and start a school of their own, so Kay sneaks into the master’s house while he’s drunk, steals an ancient sword, and heads out into the jungle on his own and embarks on a fun adventure.

The story itself has an imaginative and interesting plot with a decent length but the voice acting and dialogue is borderline childish. The game feels aimed at a younger crowd with its middle school voice acting, even with the violence our cat seems to enjoy. Depending on your choice of difficulty, the game can easily be played by younger gamers, so the voice acting isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Gameplay is old school platforming at its best with a hack and slash fighting style, with bad guys at every turn and boss battles where they should be. Add in puzzling and jumping from place to place, timed maneuvering, timed switches, and a little mind work, and you have all of the elements of what has always made platformers fun. Level and puzzle design is done nicely. Puzzles are pretty straightforward and require some thought, but again nothing too taxing for most gamers. Hidden areas and switches might take a little extra time to find, but the upgrades they give you are worth it and the level design seems fairly linear, until you walk behind a tree, a bush, or maybe a waterfall.

The graphics for the game were probably the most surprising aspect of all, as the game looks pretty good on the PS4 and made the transition from the PS2 well. Nordic Games did an excellent job prettying it up and giving it a great make-over. It’s really hard to believe that the game didn’t come from the PS3 as the graphics look better than most remasters from the last gen console, not to mention the ones from before that.

Developer Nordic Games did a great job remastering a ten year old game and making it look and run nicely in this next gen world. While the price is a little high for our liking (PS4 $29.99/PS3 & WiiU $24.99/PC $19.99/, it is still a fun game and a nice throwback to the days of the Gecko, Banjo Kazooie and even Mario 64. Your younger kids will love it, and you might just like the throwback yourself.

7

The steampunk sneaker The Swindle has made it’s way to a PC or console near you. Is it worth your game time or should it just sneak off into a corner and disappear? Read on to find out.

A thief’s life isn’t always easy, but a good thief knows how to make it easier. In 1849 London, it’s Scotland Yard’s job to try to make your occupation even harder, and in one hundred days, they will have a new artificial intelligence device, codenamed “The Devil’s basilisk”, that has the ability to make your occupation impossible, deadly even. It is your task, nay duty, to steal this device and stop these dastardly Bobbies from ruining your fine career as a master burglar. You only have one hundred days to complete this task and if you fail, you’ll need to either find a new line of work or be prepared to spend your days in a cage.

The Swindle is an interesting take on a 2D side-scroller that gives you the opportunity to play the game however you wish to play it. As a master burglar, your home base is actually a dirigible in the sky and holds upgrades that will require you to steal cash via heists in order to purchase them. Heists consist of you working your way through a randomly generated level, choosing to either be sneaky and quiet, or going full out violent and smacking your way through the guards. Starting out with nothing but a club made us lean towards the sneaky/violent mix where we would sneak up behind a guy and then proceed to smash his brains in.

Upgrades are a must with the game and you’ll need to the computer hacking skill purchased as quickly as possible in order to start raking in the big bucks and to be able to actually complete a heist. As you progress through the different levels of the game, they not only get increasingly harder, but the complexity of them will require more and more upgrades to successfully complete each heist. Every time one of your burglars gets hammered, another randomly generated name takes their place and your upgrades get carried over. Hacking doors, mines and PC’s are the key to being successful in the game, and one’s upgrade focus should lean towards that.

Every level is randomly generated, so there’s really no telling what you may encounter on any given level. This makes the game immensely replayable and one can rack up some cash in a hurry if they are quick on their feet and have the right upgrades. Level design can even alter the flow of the game from left-to-right and reverse, giving the game almost a new feel to it when it does. For PlayStation gamers, the $14.99 price tag ($11.99 for PS+) gives you the game across all platforms and, with the game’s built in cloud save feature, you can pick up where you left off on one of your other consoles. The game is also available on Steam for £11.99 / $15 / €15, the Xbox One for $14.99, and coming soon for the Wii U.

Developer Size Five’s The Swindle is a fun and exciting game that constantly changes and morphs into even  more dastardly fun every time you load a level.

8

Be the bread in our I am Bread Review.

From the studio that brought you Surgeon Simulator, comes an epic adventure filled with jam, butter and above all bread. Bossa Studios latest title I am Bread is the story of a piece of bread whose goal is to become toast, and it is up to you to get him there. So make sure to check out our review to find out if this tale of broken jars and dirty carpets just might be worth picking up.

To understand what I am Bread has to offer, you really need to understand that this is a simple title that is designed specifically around its difficult control mechanics and your ability to utilize them to accomplish various tasks. For some, the controls will be a complete deal breaker, but for those who are willing to come to terms with them, they will find that the challenge offered here is what gives the game its charm. To simply move your piece of bread you will need to anchor down a corner, each of it which is tied to a specific shoulder button. By holding down one of the buttons or any combination of the buttons, you can then use the left analog stick to flip the bread over from its non-tethered side and cause it to tumble in a desired direction.

While this concept can seem a bit elaborate for such a simple task, that is exactly the point of I am Bread. By being able to anchor any point down on any object, you are able to climb walls, knock over chairs, go up steps and even fling yourself across gaps by creating momentum. This allows for almost an endless number of possibilities, but depending on which mode you are playing, you will find a number of restrictions that keep things tense and challenging from beginning to end.

In the story mode, the goal of the level is to get your piece of bread toasted and this means getting yourself to a heat source. In general, this is usually acquired by finding something akin to a toaster or heater, but if you are crafty enough, you can create your own place to kick breakfast off. But, given that you are a piece of bread, this also means that you have to retain some level of edibility as you venture from one area to the next. This where things become more complex, as each of the eight levels rate your time, remaining health (edibility) and even your deliciousness. As your slice flops around you are able to break jars of jam and even cover yourself in butter, all of which determines just how tasty your toast is at the end.

The problem is that from where you start and where you need to be is generally an array of things that you will have to avoid, otherwise your slice of bread could become covered in dirt, potato chips or an array of other oddities. Moving slowly does allow you to avoid certain things, and moving along the walls will keep you alive longer as the floor will almost always ruin your score, but you are limited in your ability to grip onto objects, so you can only climb across areas for so long before plummeting into something that could taint your bread.

I am Bread does offer a few other modes to keep you occupied, with each offering their own set of rules. Bagel Race is a time-attack mode that changes the mechanic of the game slightly since bagels do not have corners. Instead it restricts your grappling to only two of the sides, which can be used to get it to roll forward if you can balance its movement. This is actually a bit of simple fun, but does exemplify that the game does suffer from a number of issues. The first and foremost is its camera. As a piece of toast it is easy to navigate around and adjust the camera angle with only a few challenges here and there, but when rapidly moving across the terrain you can find yourself having to blindly jump into the unknown or even unstick the camera when it somehow gets lodged against items in the world.

Rampage mode allows you to play as a baguette that acts as baseball bat more than anything else, which works fine for the modes premise which tasks the player with racking up points by destroying objects. Each time an object is destroyed, you are able to build up a multiplier and continue your rampant destruction. Cheese Hunt is about finding a set number of cheeses hidden around the area, and while some are easy to locate, others may require a bit more thinking to reach. Zero G mode is interesting but almost slightly too gimmicky to be of much fun. Instead of just using your ability to flop or roll to move, your piece of bread has a jetpack strapped to it while floating around in zero gravity. Items in the area are floating around and do become obstacles , but the mode’s departure away from its core mechanics takes a bit of the fun out of the experience.

Overall, I am Bread offers a decent number of things that will keep it interesting for those that want something that isn’t quite as serious as the latest first-person shooter or  RPG. So if you are looking for something that is light on the pallet that can be played by gamers of all skill levels, this is a great addition, but if you want something with some substance, sadly this breakfast food may be a bit too light of a meal.

7

NIS America is set to release Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance on October 6th but lucky for us, we were sent an early copy to mess around with. Check out our sneak peak preview, plus a few new screenshots, after the jump.

Revenge, dood. That’s what Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance is all about. The evil demon emperor Void Dark devastates numerous Netherworlds after coming to power, with the help of an army of over one million soldiers known as The Lost. Following this, the Overlords of the Netherworlds under Void Dark’s rule attempt to rise up and take revenge against him.

The sixth home console entry to the legendary Disgaea series tells a tale of revenge, and of rebellion. As a new and terrible Overlord named Void Dark seeks to enslave the countless Netherworlds, one young demon has stood to end his reign— Killia. In Disgaea5, lead Killia and his tenacious army of rebels on their dark and dangerous path to vengeance. Filled with more over-the-top action and hilarious writing than ever before, Disgaea5’s damage numbers are surely headed for the record books.

The game involves the player traveling across different Netherworlds in an attempt to bring the Overlords and heirs of each different world to join forces together to fight against Void Dark. The game features new systems not seen within prior titles in the Disgaea series. In addition, the number of characters displayable on-screen has increased to 100, compared to 10 characters on the earlier PlayStation 3 titles.

Disgaea fans everywhere will truly enjoy this next gen installment, with a recognizable battle system that veterans will remember and newbies can easily learn. The new features to the battle system marry nicely with the game play and give your characters much more oomph on the battlefield, but more on that when we get closer to release.

With an always entertaining dialogue, and fun and wacky characters, the Disgaea series never disappoints their fans, and Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance continues that awesome trend.

Pre-order your copy today and get the Launch Day Edition so you can get in on the fun as soon as possible.

We go put The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited‘s new DLC Imperial City to the test.

When it comes to any updates or expansions to something the scale of an MMO, it will always be difficult to be able to offer something that will make everyone happy as well as have enough content to keep people busy till the next release. The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited‘s new Imperial City DLC is a great example of this, in that it offers a significant amount of content, but its player versus player focus can make it more difficult for those who aren’t as competitive. On top of this, the long awaited update 7 released at the same time, making a number of significant changes to the foundation of the game’s mechanics. Both of these additions make for a significant amount of content for new and returning players, but for this review, only the content added by the Imperial City DLC will be taken into account.

Having spent a significant amount of time with Imperial City, I think it is a great offering for those who are comfortable with all of the mechanics that the base game has to offer. If you are a user who is only interested doing PVE content, you may find the integrated mechanics of PVP a bit difficult to grasp as they are almost impossible to avoid outside of the two new dungeons. Imperial City Prison and White-Gold Tower as both play out very much like the original set of dungeons, each with their own bosses, required strategies and loot.

While the dungeons are both balanced and well designed, the main draw for Imperial City is actually its integration of PVP and PVE. Taking place in the Imperial City, a topside location consisting of six different districts that sit in the center of Cyrodiil. This is an interesting design in that it forces each of the three factions to fight over control over neighboring keeps as to try and cut off players from accessing the city. If you are interested in the ebb and flow of the faction war, this is fantastic, but if you are simply trying to achieve your own goals, this can become a major pain. This is also only amplified by the ability for opposing sides to try and cut off access to the area, making it difficult to reach the actual content you paid for.

This is also exemplified inside the city as Imperial City‘s newest currency Tell Var Stones are lost upon death. If a player is killed by an enemy, they lose 10% of their stones, but if they killed by another player, that player will take 80% of the Stones they have on them. This can feel like a daunting penalty, especially considering the more stones you carry, the more you earn. Thankfully, this ultimately works out incredibly well, as long as you stay in a group and don’t wander too far into enemy territory. At times this will not be an option, as you will have to fight to gain access to certain areas just so you can open one of the chests for gear corresponding to each stat type.

Gear is ultimately the biggest reason to be doing anything in the Imperial City, as it is the only way to obtain the new veteran 16 gear, as well as reach the new crafting locations. This of course does mean that most of the original armor sets are becoming obsolete, but with over a dozen new options added, players will find a significant amount of new options to choose from. But, this does mean players will have to grind, and grind a lot.

Anyone not picking up the DLC will still be able to pick up the new gear, but only when it is listed by guild traders and won’t be able to access the bound drops. But, given the number of changes from update 7, and that many of the new sets are designed to work with some of these changes, many users are going to want to at least keep an eye on what has been added. Players with the DLC who are looking to craft the vet 16 gear, they are going to need 130 materials of the new tier per item and those are only obtained by either deconstructing gear or purchasing them with Stones. On top of the new crafting items, there are new items for alchemy and enchanting, so regardless of which side role you want, there is new content out there.

While players who aren’t interested in taking on the opposing factions may find the delivery method of this new content a bit off putting, I think there is a great amount of content here for just about everyone. While on the conflicted servers may mean you run into more than hostile players than wanted, there is always the option of playing on a faction controlled server that can mitigate the interaction and guarantee that help is only around the corner. So, if you want to take on players, or just fight one of the numerous new bosses wandering around, Imperial City offers something for everyone, as long as you know where to look.

7

Developer Yeah Us has brought their mobile BMX trickster over to a console near you. Did it make a nice transition or did it fall flat on its face? Read on to find out.

Pumped BMX + sees players ride their way through increasingly challenging levels while pulling off crazy and impressive trick combinations. The game lets players choose their rider style and throw down their best stunts whilst racing through more than 500 challenges to reach the top of the leaderboards.

Developer Yeah Us has had huge success on mobile platforms with the Pumped BMX series for quite some time so it’s no surprise to see the series ported over to other devices. With the PlayStation brand, you can play the game on all three consoles with one purchase, and with built-in cross save functionality you can carry your progress across all three devices as well. The question is, though, will you want to?

The Trials series has had huge success on consoles with this same style of play, and Pumped BMX+ mimics that same well balanced physics from that series. The gameplay is fun and trying to land a double backflip + 360 + Decade for that 15,000 point trick, while frustrating, is awesome when you pull it off. Nose grinds, manuals, toothpicks, bar spins…. so many real world tricks to pull off and so little air time on some of those jumps equals a nice little face plant at times.

Track design will lead to some serious frustrations when you realize that the awesome trick you just pulled off killed most of your speed and you’ll have to restart the level since you just crashed due to that lack of speed. Just finishing some of these levels will be tricky for most, but to finish all of the challenges as well will be very hard for almost everyone. This isn’t a bad thing, as you’ll have fun figuring out when to pump that bike and when to lay back a little in order to hit the next ramp just right.

The graphics for the game are top notch, with smooth animations and great looking tricks. The levels range from wooded areas to sand dunes to snow covered tracks. You can change up the appearance of your character by swapping t-shirts, pants and helmet. You can choose between a bunch of cool looking bikes as well, but no brand names and all bikes are equal when it comes to performance. Would have been cool if you started with a Huffy and worked your way up to a Haro Carbon for ultimate performance. As a real world BMX fan, throwing some brand names in there would have been cool, but costly as well so we can understand not wanting to have to license anything.

Developer Yeah Us did a great job recreating the world of trick riding BMX for the Pumped BMX series and this translated well onto consoles. The physics are what make or break this type of game and they hit that nail on the head.

8

We were invited to get some hands-on time with a build of WWE 2K16 that was 90% complete but 100% improved over its last iteration.

While WWE 2K15 was an ok game and fun to play, it didn’t bring much new to the ring over its predecessor and felt more like a mandatory annual roster update than anything else. Luckily for wrestling fans everywhere, the same can’t be said about WWE 2K16.

Wanting to check the game out as quickly as possible, another member of the press and I sat down and started a head-to-head match. While I was watching the entrances of our selected fighters, my opponents fighter decided to attack me before I even made it to the ring. The new dynamic entrance allows for the match to begin before the folks even make it all the way to the ring and can ramp up the action in a hurry. One second I’m watching the video screens and admiring Andre the Giant’s swagger as he walks toward the ring, and the next I’m seeing The Macho Man beat down on him relentlessly, and the bell hadn’t even rang yet. Once I got a few shots in on Savage’s head I was able to toss him over the ropes and into the ring so the match could start properly.

The first thing I noticed was the revamped reversal system. Where before you could use the reversal feature endlessly, causing what felt like more of a button mashing reversal fest, you are now limited on your reversals so you’ll have to be more selective and strategic when using them. There are two types of reversals, minor and major, with the major using more of your reversal stamina than the minor, but also is more effective against your opponent. R2 (PS4) executes a reversal but timing is key, so just mashing that R2 button like crazy will probably get you pounded into the mat.

Locking up with an opponent got reworked a bit as well and now uses a rock-paper-scissors style of gameplay. When locked up you’ll have a small window of time to choose between three buttons, where let’s say circle beats triangle and triangle beats square but square beats circle, with the winner getting an advantage in the outcome of the hold.  It’s a pretty cool take on Ro Sham Bo and an interesting way to decide who gets the upper hand in a given situation.

Once you have been beaten down and your opponent decided to try and pin you, the pin system was reworked a bit to make it flow a little better. You’ll have three chances to kick-out by using a circular meter where you’ll have to time your button press by hitting it when your cursor lands in the blue area of the meter. How fast that cursor moves and the size of the area is determined by your health and stamina, but if one is fast enough, they could make a match last a long time.

MyCareer mode got reworked a bit as well and is probably the mode I’m most looking forward to. The game does have a face scan feature but we couldn’t test out how well the characters might resemble us yet. The level of customization for your character is insane. You can target specific body parts or just choose between a generalized fat, buff or skinny character. Clothes make the man (or Diva) and your clothing options are pretty vast.

MyCareer will have you starting out as a rookie and working your way up the ranks to bigger and better matches, and possibly all the way to the Hall of fame. Post fight interviews will give you an option to respond to questions with your choices determining how the world sees your fighter. Make a douche bag comment and the world will see you as a heel, but be a nice guy, saying the right things, and the world will see you as a face. The depth of your character will be determined by this as well over time so you’ll want to keep that in mind. You could be seen as a treacherous, back stabbing coward or as a loyal and bold counter-part worth having on a tag-team.

The graphics and animations for the game are much sharper and are much improved over the last release, and with the game not even 100% finished yet, we can’t wait to get our hands on the final release. The roster is huge, with two versions of the Terminator, the action is fast paced and well balanced, and the game can’t get here soon enough.

The game hits the store shelves on October 27 for PS4, Xbox One, PS3, and Xbox 360. Pre-order your copy now so you can play as the aforementioned Terminator.

The NBA season is rapidly approaching and what better way to tip-off then to jump into a virtual basketball game. Did NBA Live 16 improve upon it’s gains from last season, or did it fall flat on its face? Read our review to find out.

The NBA Live series goes back a long ways and started out as an annually released and top rated NBA game. After taking a few years off, the mess that was NBA Live 14 did not go over well with gamers. It had more than its share of faults and fails and really hurt the NBA Live brand name. EA took this harsh, but warranted, criticism to heart and retooled the game starting with a series of patches that were released during NBA Live 14‘s run that addressed quite a few of the concerns that gamers were more than happy to tell them about. Through the course of the ’14 season, the game improved to a playable level. In the end, ‘14 felt more like a beta than an actual game release. NBA Live 15 released prior to the next NBA season and all of the behind the scenes work done on ’14 helped make it a much better game and gave EA a solid platform to build upon with future releases.

Before even jumping into the game, we downloaded the free NBA Live 16 Companion App (iTunes/Google) featuring GameFaceHD. This app works in conjunction with NBA Live 16‘s Rising Star, Summer Circuit and Live Run modes and gives you a level of player customization not found in most other sorts titles. The face scan feature worked flawlessly for us and it’s uncanny watching yourself playing in a virtual NBA game. Character creation also lets you customize body size, hair and add tattoos and such, giving you the ability to create a unique character that is all you. You’ll get to choose your position, with a subset of options depending on that position such as height and weight, with your physical stats being affected by these numbers. A seven foot center will never have a speed of ninety nine while a six foot one point guard will never have ninety nine strength.

I wish I still had that hair

One thing that EA does better than other games in this genre is its gameplay presentation, player animations and graphics. This is the best looking NBA game on the market and its obvious that a lot of work has gone into player scans in an attempt to fully replicate players on the court. There were a few players that hadn’t been scanned yet, and if you’re a fan of the NBA you’ll probably spot them pretty easily, but for the most part the players looked exceptionally like their real life counterparts. If your favorite player looks a little off, don’t worry too much as EA continues to scan players throughout the season and adds them in with game updates once the scan is ready for prime time.

Rising Star mode starts you out with a rookie showcase to  see how you match up against other players available in the draft. Once completed, you’ll earn a player grade and then be drafted into the NBA. We ran through this scenario a couple times, and we were one-for-two on ending up on our team of choice. Once drafted, you’ll start out as a role player on the bench, with minimal playing time. How you spend those minutes, and how well you play, will determine your progression as a player. The game uses a dynamic grading system that starts you out at fifty and then moves up or down according to your choices on the floor. An assist will move you up a notch the same amount as driving to the hoop for a lay-up, so you don’t have to be Kobe the Points machine or Steve Nash the assist master, but can fall somewhere in between and still end up with more playing time.

Upon completion of each quarter of play, where you got any court time, you are given an overall grade based on your playing time. Throughout all of your minutes you’ll also be earning Skill Points. Skill points are used to upgrade your custom character, and this really is the key to having the most NBA like experience regardless of which mode you decide to play. We strongly encourage you to play through a season of Rising Star with your character before taking them online as this will give you the boosts in skill you’ll need to be a decent online player. Upgrades come at different intervals and not at one small step at a time, with special gear unlocks and bonuses as well, so taking you custom character to the next level won’t take too long. Sticking to your man on defense becomes much easier once you have upgraded the defensive skills of your player, so keep that in mind if you are having a hard time on defense.

While playing with AI on the floor, you’ll probably find yourself a little disheartened at times when the guy your covering fakes you out and a team mate just watches him take it to the hoop when he should have at least tried to defend the basket. We’ve seen this go both ways, where sometimes the AI makes a move to defend and other times just enjoys the show, but in real life you would think he would defend the hoop every time. That has really been one of our main issues with gameplay as the AI, regardless of what their name is, can sometimes seem less skilled than they should have been. EA has been pretty good about addressing past concerns with simple issues like this so hopefully its something they can address with a patch.

The physics of the game were upgraded and polished from ’15 and added in more than a few new items. Shot feedback is a welcome addition to help you time that release better and make you an overall better shooter. Whether it’s a free throw or a defended jumper, knowing how close you were to that sweet 100% release point will give you an idea of what the proper timing should be. Don’t expect to drain those threes at will if your shooting skill needs work though as that is still a determining factor on shot success. Your skills go a long ways in determining how the game plays so don’t expect to be able to just hold L2/LT on defense and just stick to your guy. Until your skills are upgraded, the guy can get away fairly easily. His skill level is a determining factor as well so don’t expect to be able to stop someone like Damian Lillard with a low rated rookie.

Playcalling and running the called play was made considerably easier this time around, with graphics and directional cues being added to the floor to assist you in that endeavor. As a point guard, you are given the option of either quick selecting a suggested play or selecting a play you want from the playbook. You can target specific plays that are designed for a given player or a play designed for that last second, game winning shot. Whatever you select, the play will be assisted with those dynamic graphics on the floor to help you run it successfully. No need to memorize each and every play and that is a definite plus. If the play doesn’t work out, you can always call for a pick to get an open look or open a lane to the hoop (hold L2/LT) and the pick graphic will show you which way to roll once your pick gets set.

This year NBA LIVE 16 introduces LIVE Pro-Am, featuring the return of LIVE Run (5-on-5 matches) and the brand-new Summer Circuit. LIVE Pro-Am provides both competitive and cooperative online modes, giving you a chance to get in a run with friends on some of North America’s most iconic courts. Take in the sun and sand of Venice Beach, or head to the hallowed grounds of Rucker Park, or one of five other well known venues. LIVE Pro-Am games are designed to be fast-paced, so rather than playing a full four quarters all games go to 21, just like you’d see in pick-up gyms or out on the playgrounds. You’ll also earn RP and SP during these games, so you’ll be able to continue to make your guy look and play better.

Summer Circuit is designed as a cooperative online experience and really is best played with a group of guys that know each others tendencies and play styles. As you travel throughout Summer Circuit you’ll face off against NBA talent that have called each court home or otherwise have a special connection to the region. Each series of games culminates in a boss battle against some of each court’s most notable alums. For instance, the last game at Rucker Park sees you squaring off against a team led by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and the Venice Beach finale pits players against Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant and the NBA LIVE 16 cover athlete himself, Russell Westbrook.

As you play games in Live Pro-Am and Rising Star you’ll also earn Reward Points that can be used in The Live Spot to unlock new shirts, shorts, sneakers and more to customize your player. The Live Spot features thousands of pieces of licensed gear from all of the NBA brands in use, including Jordan, NIKE, Adidas, Under Armour, Reebok, Converse and more. The options here seem endless with throwbacks to cool attire and enough stuff to make just about everyone happy. EA paid attention to detail here the same as everywhere else and these items all look great.

The card based Ultimate Team mode has returned for this go round and is always a fun way to build a dream team or recreate a current roster of players. New Specialist players, short-term players, throwbacks and more will give you plenty of squad options, and a helpful GM checklist will get you started on the right foot. Specialists can be used to shut down an opponent and the GM checklist is a must to complete for anyone new to Ultimate Team. Player packs are unlocked for completing different challenges within the game itself, so you can play UT and unlock new players at the same time.

The NBA Live series has had its ups and downs over the past few years, and while NBA Live 16 isn’t without its flaws, it is a good looking game with a slick presentation that sets the bar in that regard. With only a few minor complaints, the other developers in this genre batter watch out because NBA Live 16 is is a real contender.

8

The past can sometimes come back to bite you. Find out why FPS history takes a bite out of Christopher Brookmyre’s Bedlam.

Based off of the novel by Christopher Brookmyre, Bedlam sets players in the shoes of Heather Quinn, a programmer who finds herself stuck going through the history of FPS video games. Using commentary on the evolution of shooters, Bedlam shows a bit of depth through its use of introspection, but its reliance on mimicking a variety of tropes puts it up to a task it sadly cannot keep up with.

From the very beginning, players are placed in a representation of the origins of the shooter genre, but its bypassing of the 2D Doom or Wolfenstein era puts it on a path that the game never seems to be able to get past. This is only exasperated by Bedlams inability to meet the same level of quality of mechanics or visuals of the series it is trying to mimic, which ultimately makes the whole experience feel overly ambitious with more than a few opportunities missed and corners cut.

While games from the 90’s were a bit more constrained than games of the modern era, the good ones always had a level of polish that made its controls feel worthwhile and deep regardless of when it was developed. That is why many of them have become timeless classics. Bedlam is sadly unable to really create that same sensation to give players any nostalgia, and in parts, many of the touched upon eras feel so vague that you cannot tell what year it is trying to recreate.

Given that the story is based off of a novel, one of the best aspects of Bedlam is its narrative and self awareness of how it approaches itself. But, much like I have already stated, getting through the gameplay aspect of it is simply not worth the effort. Even after you move into more modern takes of shooters, Bedlam still feels like the same underdeveloped project but with improving textures and character models.

Sadly there isn’t much to really say about Bedlam that is positive and that is mainly because it is an interesting concept that failed on a fundamental level. While I don’t think anyone could expect a AAA experience out of an indie title like this, it being as such still doesn’t give it a pass on it not being a well made product. While it can try to excuse its lack of polish as being retro at times, it still can’t escape the reality that those were titles being developed to be the best they could be at the time, Bedlam simply isn’t.

2

WWE 2K15 left a lot to be desired for wrestling fans expecting great things for the first appearance of WWE on NextGen Platforms. Does WWE 2K16 meet those expectations, or is it best left to linger in a neutral corner?

WWE 2K15 wasn’t a bad game, but at the same time it wasn’t a great game either. Being reworked for the next gen platforms had its pluses, with improved graphics and animations, but it felt like most of the focus was on the that and very little focus was spent on actual gameplay improvements. In the long run, it turns out that they laid the groundwork for what is the best WWE game released, like ever, with WWE 2K16.

Real life pile drivers can kill so…..yeah

The best place to start with the game is in career mode as this will introduce you to the new aspects of the game and has the only real tutorials to be found. Player creation is pretty in-depth, and you can even try to add your own face onto your character using the new Logo system, but we didn’t have much luck making our character look like us. Instead of using a system like EA does with their NBA Live and FIFA series, that scans your face and does all the work for you, you’ll have to import your image, slap it on your character’s face, and then adjust the facial features to fit the image. It takes a lot of work and we never did quite get it right, but at least it’s an option. If you’re going to add something like that, though, why not have a somewhat automated system that at least gets you going in the right direction? 2K had a great idea here, as we would all love to get our own likeness into the ring, but the execution is terrible. I’m not saying they should copy EA’s capture app, but really, they should at least try to mimic it.

The player creation tools go well beyond just facial features, as you can create a base character in a given weight class, and then adjust him or her however you want them to look physically. Buff, fat, skinny, short, tall, massive, it’s all up top you and you can make them look oddballish or perfectly asymmetrical, with muscles in all the right places and all the right sizes. Body art options are many, and you have a ton of tattoos to choose from for almost every area of the body. Once you have the face and body the way you like them, clothing options are deep as well. You could easily spend an hour or more creating your perfect and totally unique superstar with all of the options available to you.

Once you are happy with your superstar, head over to the W Performance Center and you’ll learn some of the new aspects of gameplay. Where WWE 2K15 had unlimited reversals and tended to turn every match into a battle of timing, but WWE 2K16 limits those reversals and makes you learn how to be more strategic with them. Timing is still a huge key to being successful with them, but since you are limited in your reversals, you can’t just try to reverse every attack. Sometimes it’s better to take a body slam and wait for your opponents stamina to drop, and then return the favor with your own attack. The flow of the matches mimics real-life situations now, and getting slammed is just one of things that’s going to happen to wrestlers, so you might as well embrace the pain.

During your first match you’ll also be introduced to the new submission system. No more button mashing for submissions as it now uses the analog stick to move your area inside a circle either trying to stay on top of your opponent’s area if you are the aggressor, or trying to stay away from their area if you are the one being held down. You can boost your movement with a shoulder button press, but this system is very difficult to master and seems to benefit the AI unevenly. Even if you’ve beat the crap out of the guy, the AI is still very hard to counter using this system and it could definitely use some post release tweaks. The hold system uses the analog stick as well but feels much more balanced overall than the submission system.

Locking up with an opponent got reworked a bit as well and now uses a rock-paper-scissors style of gameplay. When locked up you’ll have a small window of time to choose between three buttons, where let’s say circle beats triangle and triangle beats square but square beats circle, with the winner getting an advantage in the outcome of the hold.  It’s a pretty cool take on Ro Sham Bo and an interesting way to decide who gets the upper hand in a given situation.

Once you have been beaten down and your opponent decides to try and pin you, the pin system was reworked a bit to make it flow a little better. You’ll have three chances to kick-out by using a circular meter where you’ll have to time your button press by hitting it when your cursor lands in the blue area of the meter. How fast that cursor moves and the size of the area is determined by your health and stamina, but if one is fast enough, they could make a match last a long time.

Career mode starts out slow but picks up speed as you get a tag team partner and end up with a rival. Your career starts you out as a rookie working towards the NXT Championship. You’ll start out as being ranked ten and will slwoly work your way up the ranks, until you finally get your shot at your first belt. Before jumping into that first match, you’ll want to check out your character’s move set, and pick moves that you’ll feel comfortable pulling off in a match. You can spen a lot of time here finding a set that works for you, but really this is the bread-and-butter of the game, as this move-set is what you’ll need to learn in order to be successful. You can come back and change it later if need be, and i really wish there was a free practice mode to try out all of the different moves for your character.

Once you are involved in a match, you will be rated on your performance on a five star scale. The more varied and successful your attacks, the more stars you’ll earn and the more skill points and virtual currency you’ll earn. VC and SP are the key to making your character be the best possible wrestler he or she can be. Use these to upgrade your skills, abilities and attributes. You can also add a manager to aid you ring side by distracting the ref at key moments in a match to maybe give you a window of opportunity to do some not-so-legal moves. The career will be a bit of a grind if you run the entire fifteen years and work your way into the Hall of Fame, but it’s a fun grind with plenty of excitement.

After matches you’ll be interviewed where your responses will help determine the path your career will take. After each question by the interviewer you are given multiple choice answers to pick from. Answer respectfully and nicely and you’ll earn a Face rating, but be a total butthead and you’ll be marked a Heel. The questions can also work towards creating tension between you and a rival, with that rival eventually ambushing you while you are walking into a separate match. You are later tasked with returning the favor and ambushing him as he enter his own match, and the rivalry goes up a few notches. Once a rivalry has ended, you can then choose to run-in on any fighter on a given fight card and start another rivalry, with interview questions after to help stoke the fires.

Gameplay works extremely well in one-on-one matches, with very smooth and realistic animations that go great with the solid graphics on par with any other sports title around. Throw several folks into the ring at once, though and you may find yourself smacking the wrong guy around. The targeting system never really locks you onto an opponent so if you’re in the middle of a tag team match and your buddy is getting beat down, jumping into the ring and smacking the opponent around can get interesting and can hinder more than help if you accidentally smack your buddy around instead. This really gets interesting in a Battle Royal where you have a dozen guys fighting each other. This area could use some post release tweaks as well.

The franchise’s popular story-based mode, 2K Showcase, returns in WWE 2K16. This gives you the chance to relive iconic matches and moments in WWE history, starting with Austin 3:16 as you fight as Stone Cold against several other classic opponents.. Along the way, there’s video packages featuring classic WWE footage and complete objectives to unlock legendary characters, entrance and ring gear, match types and other unlockable content.

Online play hasn’t exactly been flawless for us, as we have had a few connections issues, but once connected it is just as much fun as playing against a buddy on the couch. While waiting for a match, you’ll even get a chance at some free-practice time (why not have this available offline just to practice and perfect your moves?). We pitted Arnold Schwarzenegger and Andre the Giant in a match that seemed to last forever. The kick-outs and rope grabs, coupled with the no-rules match made for a lot of fun.

The WWE series of video games have been around for some time but never before has any of them had this many different wrestlers to choose from. Never before have the animations, attack positions, and realism been recreated in a virtual world with such emphasis on them. While WWE 2K16 isn’t without its flaws, it is the best WWE game to date.

8

The highly anticipated sequel to Call of Duty: Black ops 2 is finally upon us. Does it live up to the hype or should you leave this one on the battlefield?

Call of Duty: Black Ops III takes place forty years after the events of Black Ops II, in the year 2065. Several countries around the world have developed high-tech air defenses that render air assaults useless. As such, most of the warfare between countries is done by covert operatives fighting behind enemy lines. Science and technology have radically changed both the landscape as well as the future of the human race, with society violently protesting and attempting to halt further advancements touted by scientists as progress. Military technology has progressed to the point where robotics play a main role in combat, and supersoldiers have been developed to fight in the battlefield. Humans have reached the point where they are considered to be more machine than flesh and blood. As a result, there is speculation and fear about an eventual robotic takeover. Call of Duty: Black Ops III follows a team of black ops soldiers, like previous installments in the Black Ops series, with supersoldier capabilities.

The story for the game is well written, with all the twists and turns we have come to expect from the series, but the story length leaves a lot to be desired. The campaign is pretty short, but with each of the eleven chapters having a long list of accolades to achieve, one can easily stretch it out as the replayability of the game is huge. New to the series is separated leveling systems, one for the campaign, one for multiplayer and one for Zombie mode. Moving up the campaign leveling system is key to unlocking your character’s full potential and their full arsenal. As you play through the story, you’ll earn XP based upon the difficulty you choose and how well you fare in battle. The more XP you earn, the quicker you’ll rank up and the more fabrication points you’ll earn.

As a newly augmented super soldier, you are outfitted with a Control Core that will allow you to have special perks on the battlefield. Your control core is divided into three categories, each with their own set of abilities. Until you reach level twenty, you’ll have to choose one of these schemes with your loadout and you’ll be locked into that core until you change loadouts at a later time. Mobile armories are available in-game from time to time so you may not always be locked into any one core throughout a given level. Knowing which core to use when selecting a level is key to maximizing your overall score. as well as your survival, so pay close attention to the information available to you in your Mission Detail area.

Your loadout also includes a selection for your tactical rig set-up. This is a secondary type of rig for your suit that gives you two more perks. These perks vary from the ability to wall run (parkour anyone?) to being able to repel grenades and rockets automatically. Our favorite has to be the copy-cat perk, though, as the idea of being able to pick up any weapon on the battlefield went away when weapons were locked into the user’s biometrics. The days of picking up a guys LMG after blasting him are long gone without this perk, so keep that in mind. The upgrade, perks, and core systems are spread out into different areas and not exactly pointed out to you as well as they could have been. We were able to find all of them, but only after a little digging. Once you reach level twenty, earning fabrication points for unlocking things gets harder as well, so try not to spend too many of them on weapons at first and focus more on perks and cores until they are all unlocked.

The Call of Duty series has always had a varying selection of difficulties and Call of Duty: Black Ops III brings an even harder one with it. Veteran difficulty has always been the top of the list, and is usually not a cake walk by no means, but it pales in comparison to the new Realistic difficulty. Where as Veteran will allow you to eat a few bullets before succumbing on the battlefield, Realistic is set so that one bullet, regardless of where it hits you, means death. Doesn’t matter if it hits you in the toe or the head, one shot and you’re dead. This takes playing tactically to a whole new level.

Also new to the series, and quite possibly the key to finishing the game on Realistic, is being able to play the campaign with friends, offline or online. Co-op campaign is something we wanted personally for some time, so to be able to play with friends online and/or offline is a definite plus. Having several players gives you the ability to have all three cores available at any given time if so desired, but most importantly, allows you to play more strategically and can help you move through a level without getting shot. Remotely hijacking attack bots, and having several players using them in a level,  can lead to clearing a level not only without anyone being shot, but without anyone even being seen.

Zombie mode returns and with its own leveling system, takes on a life of its own. The game also has another mode that only becomes available once you beat the campaign where you’ll have the option to play the campaign again, but this time with zombies. This new mode is called Nightmares and adds an entirely new dimension to the series by mixing zombies, robots and regular guys, all wanting to take you out. All of these modes can be played with friends so all you co-op folks out there looking for a new challenge, maybe away from the world of Destiny, just might have a new game to play.

The multiplayer introduces a new momentum-based movement system, which utilizes thruster packs to allow players to perform slow boosts into the air, as well as perform wall running and sliding, all the while giving players complete gun control. In addition to the Pick 10 class system from Black Ops II, Treyarch implemented a character system called “Specialists”, where players can pick from 9 different soldiers, each with either a special weapon or ability unique to them. A new “Gunsmith” feature offers aesthetic variations in weapon attachments, allowing various weapon customization combinations. The Paintshop feature allows players to create their own custom prints onto specific portions of a gun, further emphasizing the depth of customization in the game.

At first glance, Call of Duty: Black Ops III looks a little thin on the campaign front, with a seemingly short story that can be ran through fairly quick. Upon further inspection, you’ll find more than enough game play to keep you and your friends busy for quite some time. Toss in the zombies and the Nightmare modes, and you have not only one of the deepest and best looking games in the series, but quite possibly the best Call of Duty: Black Ops games to hit the battlefield.

Well done Treyarch.

9

We took on the challenge that is the Hitman Beta. Find out what we thought about it, and check out a bunch of new screenshots, after the jump.

It’s a cold and dark day as your chopper glides through the cold and snowy air, taking you to a remote location somewhere in the side of a mountain, to a top secret training facility for the International Contract Agency. You know what your abilities are, but these folks want to know if you are fully capable of assisting them with certain tasks that require a certain skillset. What they want to know is, can you eliminate targets with extreme prejudice, without anyone knowing you were there, and maybe even without anyone knowing the deceased was a target to begin with.

It doesn’t take much to point and shoot at another human being, snuffing out a life like a zippo in a snowstorm, but true assassination is an art that requires finesse, proper planning, and flawless execution. Knowing your options beforehand is a plus, but a true assassin knows that missions are fluid and ever changing and must be able to make adjustments on the fly. Keeping an ear open at all times just might let you in on some useful intel and alternate methods of extermination.

A true assassin also knows that there are many ways to conceal oneself, and hiding in plain sight and blending in within the confines of an environment has not only a tactical advantage, but can give you a front row seat to conversations as they play out around you. Wearing the right threads is also a useful tool in the life of an assassin, so knowing what disguise to borrow from someone is paramount to success. If you’re wanting to blend in at a cocktail party, becoming  a bartender is a great trick, and who really pays attention to the bartender?

Gameplay for Hitman opens up a huge array of possibilities on how to play each level by giving you multiple elimination methods to choose from and a set of challenges to complete during each mission. Completionists are going to have a field day trying to get that elusive 100% completion for each mission, and will have to eliminate targets in a variety of ways to beat all of the challenges. While a garrote is a handy tool for any assassin, rat poison might be a less revealing method that gives you a better chance at escaping without alerting anyone.

The Hitman series has been around for a long time, but it has also been MIA for a while. The beta really sold us on the game and we can’t wait to take on the full game.

Check out a whole mess of screenshots below and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask in the comments below.

Hitman GO takes the franchise to the land of digital boardgames. Is it worth your time or should it have stayed in the true realm of console and PC assassins?

The Hitman series had its first release back in the year 2000 and introduced gamers to the stealthy assassination action by one of the best in the business, Agent 47. The series had always been a third person action game designed for consoles and the PC, but Square Enix decided to create a title for mobile platforms. With the tens of millions of smart phones and tablets in circulation, that definitely wasn’t a bad idea, and in 2014 the mobile based puzzle game was released for both Android and iOS. For those of you that have yet to play the game, it has now been released for the PS4 and the PS Vita, with updated graphics, and we have taken it for a spin on both.

Hitman GO is a turn based puzzle game that is set within the confines of a board game. It is your task to guide Agent 47 through a series of grid-based levels. Levels are composed of nodes and lines, and presented like a board game with characters modeled as miniature figures. Enemy characters can be dispatched by moving onto the node they occupy during a turn, similar to chess. Most levels have several routes available for completion.

Levels become more complex as the player progresses, introducing different mechanics and new types of enemies. Each enemy type is dressed in a unique color, allowing the player to recognize their movement patterns. Some enemies remain static or rotate on a single node, while others will patrol the board along a specific route. Later stages may require the player to collect keys located on the board and unlock doors that block access to the level objective. Trapdoors connect one location on the board to another and allow the player to move between them during a turn. Some nodes contain potted plants, the player will not be detected while occupying these nodes. Colored disguises can be found and equipped to let the player walk past an enemy type of that colour without being detected. There are throwable objects that are used to disrupt and change enemy behavior patterns. Firearms can also be found on certain levels, they are used to shoot targets or obstacles from a distance.

Most levels have bonus objectives such as collecting a briefcase or finishing the level without killing anyone, and completing these will reward the player with stars, which in turn go towards unlocking the next chapter of levels. As fans of the Hitman series, we found it a little odd that not every level can be completed without killing someone and some levels require death to someone that isn’t the target. Agent 47 has always had the ability to leave non-targets alive, or at the worst incapacitated, so this was a little disheartening. While Agent 47 is a cold blooded killer, he always had the choice of compassion for those he wasn’t specifically paid to kill.

The original mobile title released with five levels, with two DLC packs coming later that were inspired by Hitman: Blood Money and Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, but Hitman GO: Definitive Edition comes with all seven chapters ready for you play, with a grand total of ninety-one puzzles. If you own both a PS4 and a PS Vita, the cross save function will allow you to pick up where you left off with whichever console you have time for.

When we first heard about a mobile, turn based version of Hitman, we weren’t exactly hyped about it. To us, Agent 47 was an assassin best played in a third person world without being confined to turn based gameplay. What we found with Hitman GO: Definitive Edition was a relaxing and entertaining entry into the series that has given us hours of fun and enjoyment.

The game’s low price of $7.99, and even a Platinum trophy for you folks that are into that, means this is a game you’ll be happy have in their library.

8

Telltale Games has just released The Walking Dead Michonne. Does it live up to the rest of the series or is it dead on arrival?

Back in 2012 Telltale Games released their first entry into The Walking Dead franchise, an episodic title that sparked a multi-seasoned take on the world created by Robert Kirkman. While the series has always been set in the same universe, the main characters and events have always been unique to themselves, creating a story that gave fans a whole new set of protagonists to care for, and worry about. Now, Telltale Games have sidestepped that story arc for a mini-series based off of the fan favorite character Michonne in The Walking Dead Michonne: A Telltale Miniseries.

As an avid reader of the comic series and viewer of the TV-show, it is both an interesting and slightly concerning decision that they based this mini-series based off of an already established character whose future is already set in stone. This level of knowledge sadly does creep in during tense moments, as one of the biggest draws for the franchise as a whole is the unknown. Each character, even a loved protagonist, generally has the potential to have their story cut at any point, or at the culmination of the story, but we know what the future entails. This makes it difficult to always feel the full weight of the situations that play out in episode one, In Too Deep.

Of course, this is also something that might be a bit too early to state as this is only the first act of a three part mini-series that could take things in directions we may never see coming. This is the biggest issue when it comes to reviewing episodic content before the culmination, as sometimes the path taken is more important the destination you arrive in and Telltale Games have yet to disappoint me when it comes to making the journey a memorable one.

Having gone through the first act in just around an hour and a half I do feel that there is enough content here to set the stage for the upcoming episodes, but this short time frame in-which the game unfolds does treat many of the supporting cast as blips. As there simply isn’t enough time to know why you should care about them, making them seem almost like casualties of a world you were just dropped in, with little to no responsibility. This, of course, will differ between each player as some gamers may connect faster than others, but in my case, I felt like a this act could have benefited from a tad more exposition from the start. Hopefully as the series goes on, we have the time to really connect with those around us and the game understands that we these people around us are complete strangers to the player.

None of this is to say that In Too Deep as a first act falls flat, as it is filled with a number of difficult decisions and a cast that leaves you second guessing every decision you make. The voice work is stupendous across the board, and Samira Wiley does a fantastic job filling the shoes of Michonne. She is a fighter, a character pushing out demons, someone whose past fuels her to momentum, not the forced faux swordsman from the show. This is the comic Michonne, and I could not be happier about it.

On a production standpoint, Telltale Games have been knocking games out of the park over the last few years and they don’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. In Too Deep is another fine example of how the Quick-Time Event (QTE) mechanic can really help drive cinematic experiences forward while never removing players from the drivers seat. Icons are easily understood and responsive, while also never feeling like they pull the player outside of the experience to remind them that this is a video game. It simply works and does it, very, very well.

As I have already stated, a review for the first act in a three part episodic series needs to be taken with a bit of salt, as it works off of only a fragment of understanding of the events that are sure to unfold. But, as a start, In Too Deep is an OK beginning to a trilogy that had a number of hurdles to overcome before getting out of the gate. While it could easily have benefited from a bit more introduction to the supporting cast, it does set a pace that keeps players interested in the whirlwind of chaos that is expected from The Walking Dead franchise. So, I will be definitely interested to see how things move forward from here.

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We spent some time in the dark and dreary world of Layers of Fear. The question now is, should you?

One of the main aspects of the horror genre is its ability to put the viewer or player into a situation where they feel like they could lose something, as it is that potential that induces a level of stress or fear of consequence that makes things personal. Sadly, Bloober Team’s latest title Layers of Fear seems to have completely missed the boat on what it takes to connect a player with the virtual world they are trying to make their way through.

Layers of Fear, while an interesting concept, fails to actually add any weight to its gameplay, since it lacks just about any form of consequence. While not all horror titles need to have a brooding monster, they do need to give the player a reason to mind their own steps. Irregardless of what happens in Layers of Fear the player cannot die, nor is there anything to really lose. This fundamental concept already voids anything it can throw at you, and makes the game on par with walking through a spooky wax museum. While you may not see very pleasant things, you don’t really have any repercussions for getting too close or wandering around.

This is why I would have liked to see this pushed as more of a psychological thriller, as the game does have a great deal to do with the psyche and how perception grounds us in reality. But, ultimately Layers of Fear even flounders on this aspect as it incisively keeps trying to remind the player to be scared by using never ending jump scares and cliche tropes like melting paintings. If only it ever decided to personify any true emotional state, it could have been successful, but it never humanizes any of its protagonists. The only bits and pieces of who these characters are, is unfolded throughout the game, and even more detrimentally so, most of this takes place near the end.

To say much about the story and what it is actually about would potentially give the whole story away, not because it has some major twist, but because of its hollowed nature that it pins itself on. As it is more grotesque than heartbreaking or emotionally taxing. On a basic level, the story of Layers of Fear places the player in the shoes of a painter, who experiences a mental break and this sparks the turbulent world that sets the stage for Layers of Fear and possibly its most (read: only) interesting concept.

Portraying a decaying mind is difficult in a video game, as the player itself is still capable of maintaining a logical thought process, so the challenge is breaking their perception on what they understand and can expect. Layers of Fear does this by continually shifting the environment off screen. Coming down an empty hall way to find a door locked at the end, only to turn around and see yourself at the top of a stairwell does throw off your senses and is perceptually striking. But, over time, as you learn that the world never takes off its kid gloves, you find yourself going through the motions of simply exploring one hellish moment to the next, negating any real weight to its design. There simply is nothing to be truly scared of.

This is also true of the game’s puzzles, as you come up to a three digit lock and simply look on the wall or painting near it to see three numbers clearly written, making the whole task a bit pointless. The only real challenging aspect of the game is trying to determine how to obtain its other endings, as you are never given any set of clear rules about interacting with the world and how it plays a role in which ending you will get. Some actions will have differing results, but knowing when you have the option isn’t clear and at best offers a mildly interesting change to how the game ends.

Some gamers may find some enjoyment in having things spook them with its creepy nature, or the random pop in of something freakish, but anyone old enough to find the content of a campfire story a bit dull will see the seams of this tale far long before it ends. This makes me feel like Layers of Fear is designed for gamers who are either too young, or sensitive to play horror games with real weight. Making this an odd title that seems more approachable to an audience that doesn’t fit its mature ESRB rating.

4

Hitman has returned in an episodic adventure and is heading to Paris in Episode 1. Should you go with him? Read our review to find out.We recently went hands-on with the Hitman Beta and were fully in favor of it. The first installment of Hitman takes you through the training process and teaches you not only the many ways available to kill, but allows you to choose your method of death. Your handlers are more than impressed with your abilities, but also come to realize that, if they cross you, you could take them out just as easily as you eliminate targets for them at the International Contract Agency. My advice, don’t cross Agent 47. Ever.

Your first real assignment for the ICA is a pair of targets in Paris that have a list of MI6 agents for sale to the highest bidder. You need to eliminate both, with extreme prejudice, and can use any of the many methods available to you. The location for the contract is a fashion show being held at a high end location, with a very open layout that gives you multiple opportunities and methods of execution.

Level design is perfect for this type of game play. Not only does it look great, but it’s also open enough to allow you to follow your targets as needed, and gives you enough disguise options to stay blended within the crowd. The tuxedo you start out with might be some sharp looking threads, but it will only get you through the door. Getting to the other needed areas will require “borrowing” clothes from someone else, and you can’t just leave half-naked folks lying around in your wake, so be sure to stuff that corpse/body out of the way somewhere. You don’t have to kill someone to take their clothes, so there’s no need to go medieval and kill everyone you come in contact with.

Hitman Episode 1 can be played rather quickly if one wants, but that’s not where typically how you want to experience the world of Hitman. Taking your time, exploring as many options as possible, and then  executing a flawless plan, gives this game quite a bit more meat to it. The replayability factor for the episode is very high as well as there are quite a few challenges available for you to try to fulfill. Completionists are in for some serious work if they want to complete everything available, so don’t expect a cake walk.

For even more challenging gameplay, you can enter Contract Mode, where you can create a variety of missions that targets any non-playable character in the game. You can even choose method of execution for an even harder task. Contracts are also available for you to take a stab at, with user generated and developer contracts ready and waiting. How well can you stack up against folks on your friends list or folks from around the world? Can you be stealthy and fast, or will you just take your time? The choice is up to you. The developer will also be dropping in live updates that will add new targets in Escalation mode that will get harder and harder as you progress along.

The Hitman series has been around for a long time, and the wait for a new title is finally over. Longtime fans of the series won’t be disappointed, and those of you new to the series are in for a welcome treat.

Hitman Episode 1 might be short on story, but it’s long on action and choices and we can’t wait until the next episode drops.

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Sébastien Loeb Rally Evo has made it to a console near you. Should you race out and get it, or just leave it by the roadside?

Read our review to find out.

Developer Milestone should know its way around the video game world of the World Rally Championship, seeing as how they have created multiple titles in the series and have had decent success with them. They are also well known for their motorcycle titles, so this is a developer that knows and understands racing titles. This title is their first with input from one of the rally greats in Sébastien Loeb, and it’s a partnership that pays off.

Sébastien Loeb Rally Evo gives you a wide variety of race types to take-on, from single-stage to rally cross to Pike’s Peak, and keeps you moving through a career mode that will see you climbing up the world rankings. The great racing cars aren’t cheap, so you may have to rent a few before you can plop down half a million on a souped up Subaru or Ford, but even the rentals are well equipped and capable of competing, so don’t fret.

The actual handling of the cars in the game can be hit-or-miss depending on your skill level and your difficulty settings. Playing on the Rookie setting gives the game an almost arcade feel but, if you set it to Pro, it can be an unforgiving sim that will have you lying in a ditch in no time. Experienced racers that played WRC 5 will have an immediate advantage as the game handles very similarly. Whatever control scheme you go for, the cars may seem a little heavy and mudded down at times, while feeling a little too light and perky at other times, but overall the game’s driving physics is pretty spot on.

The graphics for the game are pretty spectacular on the PS4 and the cars look like they are right off of the WRC lot. The level of detail, shading, reflections, and lighting on the cars exteriors and interiors are nicely done. Attention to detail is key and the developer understood that. Track replication and level of detail is also spot-on. The game features 300 Kilometers of real roads and has eight different rallies, sixty four special stages, five Rallycross circuits, and the Official Pikes Peak Hill Climb track. Toss in the sixteen car manufacturers and fifty eight car models and you have quite a bit of fun ready and waiting.

Developer Milestone has a long history with racing titles, and with the WRC series in general. All of this history has went a long ways in helping them create a decent racing game in Sébastien Loeb Rally Evo that should keep enthusiasts happy, while bringing in some new fans as well.

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Developers Camouflaj and Logan Games have introduced us to the mysterious world of Republique. Was it worthy of our time or was it a mystery best left unsolved?

Read our review to find out.

When it comes to the different ways that users are able to consume games it makes sense that different markets deliver experiences in different ways, but when the those products cross over, it can be difficult for things to not feel out of place. Enter Republique, funded through Kickstarter as a game for iOS/Android and now brought over to PC and the PlayStation 4. Taking place in a dystopian world, where you must use cameras to guide a mysterious girl named Hope around a mysterious facility called Metamorphosis, in hopes to keep her out of the hands of mysterious group, who have a mysterious interest in her.

As you can see, the story surrounding Republique is a series of dark and shadowing figures posturing for unknown reasons. To some users this may seem like an interesting plot, one full of questions just waiting to be answered, but to me it felt almost overly ambiguous and hollow. Great stories require a level of connection that can only be achieved by establishing a world, not by sidestepping content under the premise of future revelations. While the story does eventually get to where it needs to be for the characters to become personified, it asks far to much from the user for them to reach that point, with little to no real effort from Republique’s passive narrative design.

Besides the opening and ending moments of each of the game’s five episodes, Republique doesn’t contain any significant cutscenes. This leaves most of its story to be told through out voice overs and your ability to piece together events using fragments of information around you. Hacking emails, listening to voice mails, finding tapes and even pick-pocketing guards offers you bits here and there that you can use to decipher who many of the main characters are and what is going on in this strange facility. Given the game’s roots as a mobile title, it makes sense to not lock the user into cutscenes, and allow them to digest the story in their own time, but as a console or PC title, having a significant amount of the game’s background tucked away feels cheap.

Originally the game was created around a touch interface where the player could simply touch the screen to guide Hope from location to location, but with the shift over to the bigger screen, player now switch to directly controlling her movements. This switch does work fine, but not without removing the player as the person guiding Hope. While seemingly a marginal change, it does have a significant effect on the distinction that Hope is supposed to be a separate character you are trying to help, not the character you are playing.

Republique‘s take on the Metal Gear Solid hide-and-go-seek gameplay does work well, but with little variation and a low budget design it is difficult to give it much credit when it is outshined by an almost 20 year old game. Moving from cover to cover is simple enough, but the game’s AI and the way you interact with it feels dated and overly simplified. Using a taser or pepper spray to stun enemies, or watching their paths so you can sneak around are mechanics that we have seen multiple times, but done better.

Thankfully while some of the core aspects of the game do feel rooted in a mobile experience or a bit dated, don’t mistake Republique as a cheap experience. The voice work in the game is fantastic, and that is to be expected due to its all-star voice over cast. The visuals, while varying quite a bit, hold their own well enough when compared to other indie titles on the market. Sadly the asking price of $24.99 is a bit high given the level of competition players will find on the bigger platforms. Some gamers will enjoy what content there is here, as it does have an interesting atmosphere, but most gamers looking for a memorable stealth experience will be best be served looking else where.

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