Assassin's Creed 2017 Leak: My Thoughts

Hey Guys, if you didn't already know we didn't get a new Assassin's Creed game in 2016. Instead, we got the movie, which turned out to be pretty bad. Ubisoft already stated they were going to skip a year in order to have time to make the next game in the series better. Well, apparently a screenshot from the new Assassin's Creed game has been leaked on Reddit. Get this, the image is legitimate. Have a look at it yourself.

Image Provided by Imgur

I guess the question we all have what is the setting this game will take place in? It's kind of difficult to say based on this screenshot alone. It could be Egypt based on all the speculation that has been made for a while now, but that doesn't look like a desert to me.

My main concern is the fact that you're back on a boat. Don't get me wrong, I loved Assassin's Creed IV, but I think Naval combat should just not return to future games. If people really wanted it to come back, then just go back to Assassin's Creed IV. I don't mind there being a traveling system done by boat, but I don't want this to be a huge open world to the point where you're going to be spending most of your time on a boat.

Knowing how Ubisoft is like, I don't know how they are going to handle the open world elements in this new game. Please, just add side quests that aren't repetitive nor involve tailing people! I don't care if it's a carbon copy of Witcher 3, try doing something to justify the open-world gameplay.

Even though this is just a screenshot, I'm already thinking about the story. If you haven't noticed, the recent entries haven't been doing so hot in the story department especially the future storyline. What the hell happened?

After scrolling through comment sections of websites where the leak was shared, it's a mixed reaction. For the most part, I can sum it up as "wait and see". I can agree that maybe there should have been a much longer break for the series. Since the series became annual, it's clear the quality of the games had deteriorated. The original story line with Desmond was actually interesting. Imagine how great the series would be if it just ended at III?

I guess we'll have to wait until E3 to hear more about this, but I already feel like this game is going to be a rehash of Assassin's Creed IV.
Till Next Time!!

In Retrospect: Resident Evil 4

Hey Guys, it's been a long time since I did one of these. However, what better time to write a post like this while I wait for something else to talk about? In all seriousness, Resident Evil is one of favorite video game franchises of all time. Resident Evil 4 is one of the best games of all time and arguably one of the most innovative.

This screenshot isn't exactly representative of how the game looks. You have to play it for yourself to admire how good it looks for a 12 year old game...

If you didn't know this, Resident Evil 4 was one of the first games to popularize the "over the shoulder" mechanic that we see in a majority of third person shooters. Mix that with tank controls and you have the foundation of what made Resident Evil 4 so great.

When I first played the game, I was terrified of it. I was young when I first played the game, so re-playing it as an adult was so nostalgic. However, I also noticed that this game isn't as much of a masterpiece as many fans like to claim. Before I get any kind of judgement, let me say that anyone who says this is a bad game is clearly an idiot

I first played the game on PS2 and re-played it on my Xbox One. The first thing you will notice is the visuals. For a game that was made in 2005, the game still holds up. Sure the textures may not be great and the draw distance is god-awful, but the character models and the environment don't look bad in 1080p. There are a couple of cutscenes I assume were forgotten to be remastered, but for the most part the cutscenes are improved visually as well.

For the remastered version of the game, there are a couple of framerate issues, but they are pretty rare. I only ever encountered them twice in my playthrough.

One thing I haven't noticed about the original release was how long the loading was. In the remastered versions, the loading is a lot faster. Imagine dying a consecutively and having to wait for the game to load back up to start again. Those were the days.

My major issue with this game is the camera. How the remastered versions of the games couldn't offer options to adjust the cameras is beyond me, but I see why the camera was done the way it was. Having limited control of the camera adds to the tension of being surrounded by enemies especially if you can't see them coming at you from any direction. It can lead to some frustrating deaths, but if you know how to counter enemy attacks then you should be fine.

Aiming is probably the most frustrating mechanic in the game. Out of all the platforms that this game was released on, the Wii version has to be the most superior due to aiming being a lot easier. I can't tell you how terrible it feels to use a sniper in this game with a joystick. It feels stiff and uncomfortable.

The voice acting is mediocre at best. It's a Resident Evil game. Voice acting in the series isn't known to be anything extraordinary. However, it doesn't kill the likeability of the characters in the game. Leon has always been a badass and fan favorite character.

If you didn't already know, but the story is essentially an escort mission. I'm sorry, but I had to say it. The story isn't anything special, but that's okay because the gameplay more than makes up for it. Seriously, the events in this game really have no impact on the main storyline other than the introduction to parasites. We see these fuckers again in Resident Evil 5.

Nonetheless, Resident Evil 4 is still a damn good game. If you haven't played the game before, then what are you waiting for? It's literally on almost every platform available. Want it on PS3? It's there. Xbox 360? Yep. Wii? Hell yes! PS2 or Gamecube? Don't know why, but sure! PS4 or Xbox One? Yes, mate. You get the idea.

Sure, Resident Evil 4 may have been the first game in the series to implement action in it. However, it still at a core a survival horror game. Please, go back and play this game if you can.
Till Next Time!!

The State of Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3

Hey Guys, before I actually share my thoughts on this particular topic I have to mention that I have never played any of the Sniper: Ghost Warrior games before. While I may be seen as unreliable due to my lack of experience on the games, I still can have an option based on the number of issues being reported. Anyways, let's get this going.

Image Provided by GameSpot

Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 is the first AAA game from CI Games. Well, in the sense of having a much bigger budget. The other games were obviously very linear and the gameplay itself was relatively simple due to not having much of a budget.

Both of the previous games were pretty much ravaged by critics, but it somehow sold well. According to CI Games, the series sold around 5.5 million copies. I don't know if this number is right, but I'm guessing the games have gained a cult following despite critics not liking the series as a whole. Hell, I'm surprised that the whole series did sell this much despite there being a lack of promotion for the games.

Anyways, you'd expect with a bigger budget that Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 would be the best game in the franchise. Right? Oh boy.

While the game is generally getting mixed reviews from bigger gaming news outlets, a lot of small YouTubers are giving honest reviews about the game especially around its technical performance. Just looking at gameplay videos of the game makes you want to cringe because of the amount of framerate drops, bugs, and glitches.

What the hell did CI Games do with the budget? Did they spend most of it on the visuals and open-world environments? Did they even playtest this shit!? Seriously, where are the testers at? Either they're not using them or didn't bother hiring some for this game.

Even when you get past all the technical stuff, all you get is a generic story as well as subjective gameplay. By that I mean that the gameplay has potential, but it's going to depend on the player's preferences. Actually, it's heartbreaking to think that this game did have potential, but this game was clearly rushed out the door due to its poor performance. This is happening on PC as well, so imagine how bad this game must run on consoles.

Do I have any intention of playing this game? Probably not. Imagine how much better this game would be if the developers took the time to polish it.

Battlefield 4 and Assassin's Creed Unity were already prime example of what happens when they are rushed out the door way too early. However, this shit is still happening. Not on a grand scale, but it's still happening. Will it ever stop? No. These publishers especially are the ones to blame. Keep in mind that the publishers are the ones to make these deadlines, so it's mostly their fault that games are not given enough time to be polished.

Before I end this, I just watched the Call of Duty WWII trailer and will post my thoughts tomorrow. Right now, I just want people to takeaway the lesson here. Publishers are to blame for all these buggy launches.
Till Next Time!!

Xbox Live: Free Games of May 2017- Not for everyone...

Hey Guys, I know this news is late, but I guess it's better late than never. I know there was a lot of important news in the gaming industry like the discontinuation of the NES Classic Edition and the announcement of the new Call of Duty. I'll be giving my thoughts on the new Call of Duty game once the world premiere occurs. Anyways, let's continue with my worthless opinion.

Image Provided by Major Nelson's Blog.

It's been a while since I played any Tomb Raider game. The last one I played was Rise of the Tomb Raider and I have yet to complete that. I think I got stuck on one of the optional tombs and haven't returned to it. Maybe I'll check out this Lara Croft game, but I'm not a fan of the gameplay style of this particular game.

I seriously hate when games people have never heard of are made for free. What the hell is Gianna Sisters? Why not make another game for free that is around the same price!?

Lego games are actually pretty fun. However, not everyone is going to like the Lego games even if is Star Wars themed. I might check this out once it releases, but I don't know anybody who is willing to play it with me. Believe me, the Lego games are so much fun when you are playing with someone else.

I never played any of the Force Unleashed games. I heard the second one was a mixed bag. I'm not sure if I'm going to touch it since I didn't play the first one when it was free. Could be that I'm not a big Star Wars guy or I just don't have as much time as I like to be playing video games.

Before I leave, just know that Xbox One owners got scarred for May. One of them looks decent enough, but this is really divisive. Some people are going to like the gameplay others are not. I'll see you guys next time when the new Call of Duty game is revealed.
Till Next Time!!

Star Wars Battlefront II: My Thoughts

Hey Guys, the gaming community as well as Star Wars fan are buzzing about the recent announcement of Star Wars Battlefront II, which will be released on November 17th, 2017.

Image Provided by Den of Geek

I'm going to start off with the positive. It's a cool idea that pretty much every character from both the new and old Star Wars films will be appearing in the game. How they'll be balanced is beyond me, but fans are going to be happy about this nonetheless.

The visuals just capture the Star Wars feeling. This is just a game that looks and feels like Star Wars much like the original game.

Additionally, no Season Pass! I was surprised to even hear this especially when it's coming from EA. However, they want to try something "different". Who the hell knows what that means? Honestly, the DLC should be free and the game's longevity would be prolonged. The original game's playerbase dropped significantly around the three months it originally released.

What disappointing me was the amount of players that could be on one server, which is 40. This is Battlefront! Why couldn't we get 64 players?

However, this game is going to be class based, so it's possible this is going to a lot less causal than the original game where a lot of the criticism was drawn at. While I prefer to not see a Call of Duty approach to it, I don't want this to be a reskin of Battlefield.

The one thing that has to be mentioned is the inclusion of a campaign mode! Finally! Even though DICE is the developer, it's great that EA is giving them time to actually work on both. I do hope the campaign is actually good.

Before I go, I just want to give a PSA to NOT PRE-ORDER. Even though it looks like DICE is doing what they can to improve the game, this is still being published by EA, so anything could happen.
Till Next Time!!

Update: RIP Wallet, Xbox Scorpio, and Stuff

Hey Guys, just wanted to make an update post since it's been a while. Today, I'm going to talk about the Xbox Spring Sale, the price of the Xbox Scorpio and something unplanned.

Xbox Spring Sale
Anyways, the Xbox Spring Sale starts tomorrow and I really can't buy anything at the moment since part of my tuition bill is due next week, so I'm incredibly pissed about that. I would have loved to catch Watch Dogs 2 on sale as I beat the first one about a month ago. Maybe I'll get one game that is less than $20, but I can't be spending anything more than that.

Xbox Scorpio
With the specs finally revealed for the Xbox Scorpio, I see a lot of negative feedback about it mostly from PC elitist. Look, it's a console. A very powerful console. It's not going to compete with a PC that is installed with a GTX 1080. However, it is impressive that the console is going to be running games at native 4K at 60fps. I thought that would be a stretch, but I guess Microsoft is going to pull it off.

I'm not a graphics whore or anything, but 4K at 60fps is just erection worthy. I don't think every game will run like that, but it's still impressive nonetheless from a console.

A lot of speculations are being made about the price. I've seen price predictions from $400 to $900. Keep in mind that when the Xbox One initially released with the Kinect it was $500. The PlayStation 4 Pro is only $400. Assuming that the Xbox Scorpio is being released without a bundle, I would imagine that $500 is a fair price point. If that son of a bitch is going to be $400 or $450, then you bet it's going to sell like hotcakes.

Persona 5 Streaming Situation
This has got to be one of the most controversial moves that Atlus or any game developer has made so far this year. To make a long story short, Atlus worked their asses off on Persona 5 and don't want Western players to be spoiled on the game's plot, so they are going hard on people who stream Persona 5 story gameplay.

You can show certain parts of the story, but not much else. If you do stream more of Persona 5's story, you're going to get hit with copyright issues.

Fair use is literally being ignored by the world. However, a lot of scumbags in the world are going to try to find a loophole in the system, so they can abuse content creators for this kind of bullshit.

Are they going to censor websites that discuss the game too? What about Wikipedia where you can literally read the game's plot? This kind of thing will literally make you want to give up hope in humanity because of how little respect we have for one another.

Now that I have my ramblings out of the way, I'm done for today. Not sure what else is going to be new for this week, but I'm going to try to have six posts this month.
Till Next Time!!

Should we get another Witcher game?

Hey Guys, I don't believe I ever mentioned this, but the Witcher 3 is one of my favorite games of all time. Hell, I've been a fan of the franchise ever since I played the Witcher 2 on the Xbox 360. Just last week I "completed" the Blood and Wine DLC for Witcher 3 and now have a feeling of emptiness ever since I finished it. Anyways, I stumbled upon an article on how the Witcher developers are considering another Witcher game.

                                                                       If you have The Witcher 3, please play both the DLC

Before I say anything, it's important to know that Geralt of Rivia's story was meant to be a trilogy, so it's impossible for him to have any other game in the franchise that continues his story. Witcher 3 was a satisfying conclusion to his story, so I really don't see where his story could go if there is another entry.

In addition, how could Witcher 4 top Witcher 3? Yeah, there are plenty of ways Witcher 4 could improve upon the mistakes of Witcher 3, especially when it comes to the gameplay, but what about the story and characters? We've been with Geralt for the longest time, so could we get a compelling character whose as interesting as Geralt?

To answer the question, I do believe there should be another Witcher game, but I want to see it release years from now. I want CD Projekt RED to work on Cyberpunk 2077 before they even try to come up with ideas for another Witcher game.

Personally, I think CD Projekt Red deserves a break from The Witcher. If you haven't played Witcher 3, please do yourself a favor and get the complete edition. You will spend hundreds of hours in the game trying to do side quests and collecting things. The game is literally overflowing with content. Of course, if you don't have the time then this game may not be for you. It's obvious that CD Projeckt Red worked their asses off on the game, so why not have a break?

While it will be a bit depressing that we won't see Geralt anymore should there be another Witcher game, but I guess it's time for a fresh start with a new character and story.
Till Next Time!!

Video Breakdown:" 5 years + $40M = Mass Effect Andromeda"

Hey Guys, Crowbcat has recently made a montage pertaining to the controversy of Mass Effect: Andromeda ranging from its facial animations to its glitches. I posted the video below, so you could check it out. I have quite a bit to say about the video.



The original Mass Effect Trilogy was just amazing. To be honest, I started off with Mass Effect 3 and started the series backwards from there. Nonetheless, I put in hundreds of hours into Mass Effect 3 alone. I just loved the game so much. Sure, the ending was seriously garbage before the extended ending was added into the game, but the game was still good in my opinion.

Anyways, with the way Mass Effect ended where could the series possibly go? Just ask yourself that. Did we really need another Mass Effect game? I'd prefer the franchise to just stay a trilogy and that would be it. There isn't a need for a spin-off, sequel, or prequel.

If you didn't already know, EA's tight schedule for the release of Mass Effect 3 led to its god awful ending as well as cut content.

What I'm trying to get at is that this just stinks of EA's corporate bullshit. They are trying to milk one of their most successful franchises of all time. Even though it's been 5 years, there is no doubt that this game was still released way too early based on all its current problems. The fact that there was no day one patch from the get go to fix the facial animations is inexcusable. Hell, it shouldn't have released in its current state.

It may not be as bad as Assassin's Creed Unity since the game was almost unplayable when it initially released, but this is a close second.

I hear the game itself isn't so bad, but I don't believe people should be paying full price for a game with lousy animations and a shit ton of bugs. It's going to kill the experience for people who were invested into the original trilogy.

The only solution I could see to this is if EA puts Mass Effect to rest. The original trilogy was near a masterpiece and still holds up to this day. Please, just go back and play the original trilogy then play this spin-off. I refuse to call this a part of the main series.
Till Next Time!!

Xbox Live: Free Games of April 2017- Good enough...

Hey Guys, yesterday the free games for Xbox Live members have been announced. Of course, I'll be giving my opinions on the games even though I've played two of them.

Image Provided by Major Nelson's Blog

I heard Ryse: Son of Rome was more of a tech demo rather than a video game. Seriously, I remember just looking at the game in awe. However, the gameplay just seems too monotonous. Maybe I'll give it try, but I'm probably going to forget about it.

The Walking Dead: Season 2 is a great game. If you have not played it, please do yourself a favor and download it as soon as it becomes free. If you loved the first season, you're going to love the second season. Season 3 is available as well, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to buy it.

I couldn't get into Darksiders II. It's just not for me. I don't think it's a bad game by any means, but I'm sure I'm not going to be playing Darksiders.

Assassin's Creed: Revelations is one of my least favorite games in the franchise. While it was satisfying in ending the story of Ezio, I just didn't like the setting and the gameplay was ripped right out of Assassin's Creed Brotherhood. I would say play it if you haven't, but only if you have played the previous games in the series. Otherwise, you're going to be lost as to what's going on.

Overall, it's a solid month for Games with Gold. Will I be playing them? Maybe. Now, if you'll excuse me I'm going to go play some Overwatch.
Till Next Time!!

NeoGaf Responses: #1

Hey Guys, I know it's been two weeks since I've put up a post, but I'm not dead. I've been playing some Ghost Recon: Wildlands over the weekend, so I didn't get a chance to make a post. In order to make more content, I'm going to make responses to discussion threads from NeoGaf.

1) Games where the final boss is actually the most difficult required boss
I've played a lot of video games in my day. Coming up with one is already hard enough, but let me at least mention the final boss in Super Smash Bros Brawl. I swear that I spent hours trying to beat that tough son of a bitch. It was one of the most unexpectedly hard bosses that I had to endure. I want to mention Witcher 3, but a lot of people have not played the game on Death March on New Game+.

2) Mass Effect Andromeda Graphical Downgrade
After looking at the screenshots, it's pretty easy to tell that there was a downgrade in the graphics department. To be honest, I don't think this should come as some surprise. I've never been much into graphics, but even with the downgrade the game still looks pretty good to me. Besides, it's not like there is a major graphical overhaul, but even then it shouldn't be a cause for concern except if it causes a delay.

3) I was wrong about Ghost Recon Wildlands and you probably are too.
Okay, I made sure to read what this particular user had to say. For the most part, I see where they were coming from as to why they liked the game, but I don't share the same opinions. I did pick up Ghost Recon Wildlands, but I don't plan on making a review for it, so I'll make a somewhat review here from what I have played so far.

The customization in this game isn't great, but it's much better from The Division. Honestly, I wish there were more options and didn't have to buy in-game currencey to get a good looking outfit.

Little bit of a rant, but the costume packs are way too overpriced. Currently, I am interested in getting the costume pack that comes with a bomber jacket, but I have to pay $20 in order to even have it. Why would I want to pay $20 for a couple of guns and a costume!?

The missions themselves get repetitive quickly. Additionally, don't expect to see a good story or voice acting. For a game like this, I really wasn't surprised the story isn't very good.

The best parts of the game comes from the level of details and the co-op. Seriously, this has to be one of the best looking and expansive worlds I have ever seen. However, the world itself doesn't really have anything meaningful compared to games like The Witcher 3.

Please, don't play this game by yourself. I do recommend you play this game, but do so after a major price drop as this isn't a game for everybody.

4) The Last of Us 2 needs to transition to full RPG gameplay
While I do understand where the user is coming from, I would like to respectfully disagree. Sure, The Witcher 3 may have pulled off RPG elements and a strong narrative. However, The Witcher was already an established RPG. The Last of Us was meant for a strong, linear story. While the gameplay isn't anything special, people really cared about the relationship between Joel and Ellie.

The Last of Us isn't meant to be an RPG. Besides, how many games are becoming RPGs nowadays? We don't need anymore RPGs or open world games in general. It's becoming a crowded market much like the Zombie genre.

Honestly, I feel like The Last of Us 2 should have a longer story or maybe having a branching storyline if we're looking for replay value. Even then, I don't want the game's future to be hampered by a branching storyline or unnecessary filler.

I want to apologize for the lack of posts. I'll be sure to make it all up for this month as I'm way behind schedule. I'll be sure to have six posts up by the end of this month.
Till Next Time!!