ISWT Review: Beyond: Two Souls

Let me tell you about a company called Quantic Dream. Before this mist known for their games Indigo Prophecy and Heavy Rain they make very heavily story driven games often plagued by weird controls or hilariously bad voice acting. Just do a Google search for "Press X to Jason" and you'll see what I mean by that. But when this game was announced A lot of people started taking them much more seriously Seeming to fix both the VA problem by hiring some pretty decent actors (namely Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe.) And using much more simplified and yet still very unique controls. When the game came out however it was met with a unified "meh" Due to it's weird way of storytelling and just bizzarre plot in general. What do I think? 

Well first of all let's get one thing out of the way.While I never played Indigo prophecy, Heavy Rain I have a pretty good chunk of experience with. A pretty good plot and Game play for what it was muddied by often oddly funny voice acting (again Press X to Jason) and the fact that the game worked once in a blue moon and only once in said blue moon. The game was a glitched mess. But for what it was worth it was pretty good I'd say.

This game on the other hand was a weird grab bag. I was not expecting much going into it but coming out I was quite surprised and in a pretty good way for the most part anyway. First off the game is a lot more stable then heavy rain which would freeze or bug constantly. While Beyond honestly never had any major problems that I can recall anyway. The Voice acting is also a massive improvement with namely Ellen Page and Willem Defoe playing the main two characters Jodie and Nathan Dawkins.

It's sad but a character I legitimately Love I had to look the name of up because I always just called him Willem Defoe.

 Speaking of the characters how are they? I love the hell out of the characters in this game. Seriously the characters are so likable I honestly felt incredibly bad during more then a few times during this game namely a few incident involving Dawkins. For some reason his character always got me to really feel for him. I think it's just because the first few times you see him he's just a nice and very understanding character and honestly he may be one of my favorite characters in gaming.

No Kanji Tatsumi but still.

Jodie is also a very good character but it's kind of odd seeing her speaking to her invisible friend Aiden. It's very foreign seeing someone talking to thin air or from Aiden's perspective and knowing that something actually is there and that you actually get to play as. And for someone who doesn't know the story that sentence just weirded the hell out them. Speaking of lazy segues the story is kind of the strong point and kind of the weak point. The story is told in completely diced up order jumping from childhood to adulthood randomly which works in some ways but in some you can tell it's just to keep certain things hidden and flow the plot points how they want to. Again that does work okay but it's very bizarre.

But how is the actual story? The story itself is the story of a Jodie who discovers that she has an invisible friend who can actually move things around and interact. Her friend Aiden is a spirit that got attached to her somehow and the story progresses through her life finding out she had powers joining the CIA and evidently going on the run. The plot itself is strong enough but like I said it's really the characters that drive everything not so much the actual situations. It's more how is this going to affect Jodie then how is this going to affect the world or where is this going in the long run. I personally think it does more then it's job but I wouldn't say It's a work of art by any means often being a little ham fisted though only once or twice.

Graphically speaking the game is gorgeous. A few steps below the last of us but still a very good looking game again giving a very spooky feel the first few times you see the faces of Defoe and Page considering they are real people. granted a time here or there it looks off with the odd bush or the like but it's nothing to really call home about.

The game play is remarkably basic just like it's predecessor Heavy rain except with some improvements. The game play does it's job of fading into the background making the lasting memories be of the characters and story less the game play. I was almost ready to mark that as a bad thing but the more I think about it that IS what they're trying to do here so why is underwhelming game play a bad thing here.


From this point on I'm going to spoil the story a bit for the ending so you've been warned past here be spoilers

I'm predictable if anything

Throughout the story we learn of the other side. Rifts into the other side, Devices that can open portals to it and the creatures and spirits of the dead on the other side. Mr Dawkins earlier in loses his family to a car crash in one of the better emotional moments of the game. The thing is he ends up becoming a big wig in the CIA and creates a massive stable portal to the other side to study it. He reveals that he wants to De-stabilize the world in order to bring his family on this side over. This moment....is remarkably stupid and the worst part of the story. Some would say he was blinded by his wanting to bring his family back but that happened at least 20 years before he even got the portal and when he did he gained a way for his family to talk to him via a machine similar to the portals in which they flat out said "Don't merge the worlds and let us go" Since the machine they talked to him with caused them immense pain. He refuses to listen to them despite warning from his family and Jodie and it's easily the one problem I had with Dawkins. A great character who went evil for no good reason. While I do think the end is generally good with the rest of what happens and I won't spoil that part Dawkins going crazy at the end is very out of character considering and it's a big problem with the story.

END OF SPOILERS

So The progression is neat if perhaps a bit confusingly done, The end good if with a very bad twist to it, The story good but nothing that special all things considered, and littered with a cast of characters that are all very likable and enjoyable to watch. This game all in all surprised me but I will say that I don't think it's quite as good as heavy rain even considering. The story and characters are the main points of both games and the story of heavy rain is amazing and the characters are fantastic too. Beyond has amazing characters and just a good plot. I would say though This is worth the money it's up for even if it's not as good as it's predecessor. It's Something that like myself may catch you by surprise

Top 10 games of 2013.

2013 has been a damn great or at least a damn fascinating year for all gamers. The releases of both the ps4 and the xbox one. A new pokemon game. And two games people won't shut the hell up about....uh we'll get into them later. But starting off at number ten we have...!

Number ten: Guacamelee

This was an enjoyable little metroid-vania style game. A stereotypical Mexican theme alongside the pretty satisfying combat makes this game very one of a kind despite being a fairly simple and generic super metroid style game. The comedy is one thing that really kept me going on this one. for example

If you aren't at least intrigued after that screen I don't know what to say.


Number 9: DMC

While my opinion of this game may have lowered a touch during this year I will say that I still think this is the second best game in the franchise with 3 beating it. The combat is still rather enjoyable. The soundtrack fitting and again very enjoyable to me, And yes I do like most of the characters. I'll say that the dialogue can get a bit.....I'll say excessive with the whole gritty thing but I do still find everything enjoyable and I still say it's a worthy devil may cry game. also just want to say the whole Donte thing is so dumb. Think about it written it looks like it's pronounced the same as Dante. Since there is no ' So good call there internet....sorry what was I talking about?....oh yeah. the game Itself is fine and that's about it right there.

Number 8: A link between worlds

This is the second biggest surprise this year with the biggest coming later. I was never a fan of link to the past. Something about it just bored me. This game on the other hand while being in the same world and for a game that could be considered a re imagining of the first I'm stunned with how much I enjoyed this. This game is very old in style but it adds enough to the formula to become very interesting nonetheless. The new if very controversial weapon system of not getting Items in dungeons but having access after the first dungeon adds some odd life into the game. It's weird but still very enjoyable and one of my favorite 2-D style zelda games.


Number 7: The last of us

So I like DMC, I don't like link to the past and the last of us is not my favorite game of the year....I think I'm now trying to piss the internet off. But yeah this only makes number 7 for a reason. While I do think that the combat and general structure of the game is incredibly solid. the story is book ended with meh. The start was boring up to a point. And the end....Well the less I say about the end the better. but in between was quite good and as I said the game deserves a spot on a top ten list. Again not the best game this year to me and nowhere near the best game of all time.


Number 6: Bioshock infinite

When I mentioned earlier the two games people won't shut up about I was of course referring to the last of us and this game. and much like last of us I think this game has a lot of good points but I just don't get How so many people went nuts. The game play was enjoyable but was a step back from the first bioshock by removing hacking and other smaller parts and replacing with a very simple equipment system that doesn't do it for me. But unlike last of us I did get into the story and plot the whole way through and I do enjoy this game a lot. It just feels a step back from the first two games.....and yes I like bioshock 2....I think I AM trying to piss off the internet. I swear this was not intentional.


Number 5: Arkham origins

While a lot of people have encountered issues with this game namely glitches and a lot of the like. I got really lucky and never really had any major problems. I found the game pretty good. While it may have not improved a great deal over arkham city I do find this game very enjoyable. I will say that while the story was maybe easy to predict being a prequel and alfred just isn't going to die no matter what happens but how everything turned out did feel really enjoyable. I was legitimately intrigued in how everything was going to fall into place. While roger craig smith was okay troy baker ran away with his role as the joker and became possibly my favorite version of the joker ever even eclipsing mark hamil. And yes I am serious. I had a lot of fun with this game....Man I'm mentioning games with troy baker a lot here.


Number 4: Ratchet and Clank. Into the nexus.

This one was a surprise. I mean I love the franchise but I did not call this one being as good as it is. It's a shorter game and a cheaper one. being half the size and price of a full price game. The atmosphere and game play is amazing. If the game was longer it would be by a long shot my favorite game in the franchise. and considering how much I love "Up your arsenal" And "A crack in time" That's saying a lot. Insomniac if you make a game this good on PS4 I may actually get one eventually. Not like I'm getting an Xbone anytime soon.



Number 3: Pokemon X and Y

This basically had to be on the list. It's a damn fine entry into the series. My only real issues being the massively craptastic post game and the fact that sans their leader team Flare are a bunch of morons. The graphics are quite good. The new game play mechanics like mega evolutions are mostly quite good though I am a bit confused as to why this happened but whatever. All in all it is a great game I just wish they took a bit more from black and white 2.


Number 2: Saints row 4

This was the world's biggest surprise to me this year. This beast is some of the most fun I've ever had playing a game in my life. This game is fun for the sake of fun and that's just genius to me. It gives you whatever the hell you want just so you can glide around using it to blow shit up and amen to that. This would be number one but it got squeaked out by a second by....

Number 1: Metal gear rising

You know I'm going to correct myself....THIS was the biggest surprise this year. I even so much as played the demo and did not like this game....and then I heard the soundtrack and immediately bought this game and goddamn that was a good call. This game is a blast and it's weird because I know some people massively dislike this game because it's a different ball game from the metal gear solid games.....these people need to widen their horizons because this is the best beat em up I've ever played. Better then any devil may cry, bayonetta, or god of war game I've ever played. This game is beautiful. Nuff said.


Oh man I hope that next year is gonna be this good because seriously these games were genius. if next year is any similar I'm going to have a ball next year.

Time of the doctor. Uh second reaction...sort of.

What the hell would I call this actually....nonetheless click here to listen to me ramble for MORE then 3 minutes

First reaction: time of the doctor sort of.

Click here to listen to me slurr for three minutes about the regen and How I so called what music they'd use.

First reaction: Day of the doctor

Click here to see why chinny, sand shoes and grandad are pretty damn fun to watch

Doctor who: The end of time Review.

Holy crap I'm actually doing it. Yes ladies and gentlemen I'm reviewing one of the more controversial and talked about episodes of doctor who. The final episode of David Tennant's era of doctor who. This episode has changed in my opinion from when I first saw it. I originally loved this episode as one of my favorites if not my favorite but something changed in the way I think especially about the ending but I'll get to that in a bit.

People knew david tennant's era as a doctor was coming to an end. The false regeneration, The first of the specials being called the next doctor and the prophecy which called for the end of his life and this was the answer. On new years eve and day these two were broadcast leading to the regenerations of the tenth and the beginning of the 11th. So is this a grand finale or going out with a wimper....uh...both?


I'll start with the story then.

The stories main focus is around the return of the master and the completion of the prophecy that fortold the doctor's end. The master returns after the obvious hint that it was going to happen at the end of the last of the time lords but he was a bit different and this is the first big thing with the story. The master is less the sarcastic joker-esque loonatic and more a rabid wolverine who can't stop eating. He goes back and forth from psychotic and again very threatening to....uh chewing the scenery among many other things. In the end I do think he did a good job with a few odd moments here and there but back to business. 

After coming back in a rather jarring funny moment after the soul crushing end to waters of mars. (Seriously stop doing that it's mood whiplash) He finds out from the ood that the master is returning and with him the end of time. He returns to find Donna's grandfather wilfred trying to find him. And might I say Bernard Cribbins does an amazing job during this special and I'd even say the best acting in the episode.

However he also finds the master as well who has gained some new powers after his resurrection went wrong but is also draining his life. The two meet and the doctor discovers that the drums in the master's head are in fact a real thing and not just insanity and I am skipping ahead here but this is something I want to talk about. It's found out later that the drum beat is in fact a time lord signal meant to let them break out of the time war. This is kind of iffy. A while back there was a big ruckus over the fact that it was believed the doctor's name would be revealed. Now while that didn't happen I am glad it didn't Because the master's drums being revealed as a signal is a bit of a joy kill to me. it feels very wrong knowing what they are but It does make for a good story if I can give it anything.

Nonetheless the master is taken by a man named Joshua Naismith and made to build a gate to make his daughter immortal. Suffice to say he turns it into a device to turn the whole human race into clones of him cause you know.

He's the master.

The first episode ends with the human race being the now the master race ( see what he did there ) Donna starting to remember the doctor (which as you may recall will cause her to die. I'll talk about that later) And the revalation that the time lords are coming back.

Part two starts off with donna being fine and evantually firing off what I think is regeneration energy to knock out the master's near her. Okay I need to bring this up. when donna first had that happen to her and her mind was wiped the doctor spoke to her then left. So was it safe at first? Now that the energy wave passed is it okay now? Was that the whole thing some weird defence mechanism? Or was it actually like he said and he just can't now? It raises a few too many questions if you ask me.

We also come back to a few helpful cactus people helping the doctor escape....uh don't ask alien race. and going to a spaceship to plan out while the master tries to trace the signal in the drums. It's here I realize that these two episodes don't have all that much going on in them. seriously In maybe 4 paragraphs or so I just described an episode and a half in pretty decent detail but again I digress.

When the doctor realizes that the time lords are coming back and planning to use the ultimate weapon the end of time. I'm not sure what that entails or how they'd do it but I'm being tangential again. They would have during the time war but have decided to use it now instead of going to modern galifrey and rebuilding they decide to so screw everything anyway cause...

 They're the time lords.

The Doctor believes that his only choice is to kill one of them to stop the link and send the time lords and gallifrey which also returned back into the time war. So they wouldn't have to even rebuild the modern Gallifrey they could just use their own and still they wanted to end time. Something gives me the idea Rassilon was the time lord who took his ball and went home when he lost.

Nonetheless of course he shoots the machine causing the link and the master beats the tar out of Rassilon and they both end up in the time war. While the doctor believes he escaped the knock four times prophecy and will live until he hears wilfred knock four times on the glass control box and realizes he's as good as dead. What's funny is that It's both a tragic moment and a bit funny seeing as you can clearly hear Nelson from the simpsons laughing after you hear the knocks. Seriously give it a listen. Anyway this is where the ending kicks in and where some problems and some good things come in.

The doctor immediately begins arguing with himself. He knows that if he rescues Wilfred from the rad chamber he went in while the master and Rassilon were fighting he will die or at least regenerate. I have to say I always loved this part. He knows he could do a lot more for the universe then wilfred ever could and live longer then him. But he can't let him die. It's a very interesting scene to watch all in all but of course he ends up saving him cause..

Well you know.

He starts off finding his old companions and doing favors and whatnot for them as a final gift to them as well as seeing they are okay. To quote him "His reward". Again a bit over dramatized maybe but good. But after he meets with rose the year before she ever went on their adventures it begins as he heads to the Tardis. Here is where we have a good meeting with bad situation. The song playing vale decem is gorgeous and near the end incorporates the tenth doctor theme in it. it is a gorgeous theme. that being said as he takes his last lap around the tardis he places it in orbit around the planet and says four words that became infamous.

" I don't wanna go"

Where do I begin?

Let me get my feelings in total about the tenth here. I like him in general quite a bit sans two things but I'll get to those. He is quite charismatic and a lot of which is due to the actor David Tennant who does a damn good job. See the satan pit in season two for details there. He's likable he's fun to watch and he's full of energy and that's to me what makes a good doctor. The one thing is though he almost seems too human. Too normal. For me at least it doesn't make him as interesting to watch. That's not really a massive problem but to me it's just something that girks me a little.

But the two issues I have Are near the start and near the end. First off near the start. Rose. I don't dislike rose or the tenth but I have to say their relationship feels very weird. I don't mind sexual tension between the doctor and companions but flat out relationships feel very weird and I won't lie it just felt forced to me. Again I don't blame either actors it's just it felt too obvious and yet again forced. Plus after she left Donna and Martha both had to put up with her shadow. When the ponds both left the 11th and died he had one episode being depressed about it and it was never brought up afterwards. That just bothers me and it places this one massive Shadow over the tenth. The other problem is his last words.


While Not as bad I feel this makes him seem really weak in the end and instead of going out with dignity he goes out with a whimper. A desire of regret and unlike the ninth who went out proud of himself and rose a very weak end to a fairly strong character.

But after the regeneration comes matt smith's first scene and it's something. It Shows him as a much more comical and random then the tenth. Cartoony if you will. And I won't lie you got me interested quick. I don't really have much else to say other then not a bad first scene.


 Hoo boy this is an interesting one. On one side The master is excellent as he was before if maybe a bit overacty this time but nothing horrible sans one scene. Rassilon played by Timothy Dalton was incredible and as usual the regulars like Bernard Cribbons and David do an excellent job. But again some issues drag it down the hard headed time lord strategy and david's final words namely. But all in all there is a reason this was my favorite episode for a while. It's rather enjoyable if you turn your mind off a bit during a few parts.

But on the eve(ish) of Matt smith's regeneration the next season is matt's first and I'll get to that.....hopefully before I turn 80.

ISWT Review: Saints row 4

When it comes down to it I never really saw the appeal of the early saints row games. They just looked like GTA but not actually being GTA. I heard the second game took itself a bit less seriously and the third much less seriously but I still never really saw the point even when they did change it up. The humor and style never really grabbed me but when I started seeing trailers and news about the fourth game my eyebrow was raised with the declaration of making it a Science fiction GTA game with the story being based on an alien invasion and the main character being the president of the united states because he was just so awesome as the leader of a gang and later high style crime syndicate.

As you can tell this game takes nothing seriously sans a few bits here and there in the story but at that point it's more just giving enough to chew on then having a deep and meaningful story. Though that's not really what they're going for in this game regardless. But let's start off with the story.

As I said you become the president after the single most random opening with one of the funnier moments in the game which I dare not spoil. Quickly you end up in a fight for your life after the planet is invaded by a race known as the Zin. You end up unconscious and wake up in a very strange world in once again one of the funnier moments and find out you're in a simulation and basically you spend the game getting back your friends and messing up the Zin leader Zinyak's simulation by causing chaos....and that's about it. There are some twists and turns but it's again just the game giving you something to chew on less then trying to make an incredible story. Granted the story isn't terrible but it's more because it knows what it is.


The graphics....Are at best presentable. It takes a more exaggerated and almost cartoon like appearance and it fits but it's not exactly aiming for good graphics. Don't get me wrong it looks okay just...

Okay and not much beyond that.

The soundtrack is part of the humor and effect to this game. Anywhere from "Insane in the brain" by Cypress hill to "Lump" by The presidents of the united states. "Night on bald mountain" to "The Touch" by.....it's from the 80's Transformers movie. Most people know it better by that anyway. It's random goodness and it does it's job and then some I'd say. Plus some tracks are used rather well during scenes. "The Touch" for instance is used during the rush towards the final boss. I don't consider that a spoiler since well I think we all thought they would do it by that point in the game.

What about the original tracks? Well they do their job but sans the Zinyak theme ( which is pretty good surprisingly ) Most are rather forgettable.

Alright let's get to the real purpose of this game. The gameplay. Oh mercy me is this game fun. This game gives you whatever you want and says have fun with this. Super speed, Super jump, A number of offensive powers including Telekinesis, and Cryo Blasts. Now you may be wondering what about the gang stuff like calling in back up? Well at first you may think it's useless and there really is no point since again super powers but after a while they start getting a bit tougher and it doesn't hurt to at least have another target for them to shoot at. "But they don't have super powers so if you move they won't catch up forever" You say? Well yes and no. I have seen them teleport if worse comes to worse and not to mention they evantually get loyalty missions and gain super powers of their own so at first they aren't that useful but as things go on they become more useful.

To be fair though cars are still useless when you can go mach 6 on the ground.

The missions range from the story missions being simple introductory to Activity types to rather varied and often awesome genre shifts. There is a streets of rage style side scrolling beat 'em up level. there is a top down tank style mission. It's well done stuff too for what they're making a parody of. Saints of rage was pretty good for a minor segment.

 Admittedly a touch ironic in hindsight.

The side missions are a mix of different activities done one after another. A touch repetitive maybe but not bad all in all. The activities themselves range from simple combat missions to race missions. The basic stuff. And then we have the ragdoll missions. Where you fling yourself at stuff using speed and jumping powers and press a button to go limp and see how much you can hurt yourself. This may be one of the most entertaining side mission in any sand box game I think I've ever played. It's ragdoll physics the mini game. 

So the powers and missions are good. What about the weaponry? Basic guns are simple enough and have a pretty nice array of customization options. From paint to different versions of  the gun which function slightly different. Upgrades are about the same each having a unique upgrade which can come very much in handy. And then they silly weapons. You know what my favorite weapon in this game is? The dub step gun. Yes you read that right. It fires dub step. Between that the Inflato ray, the abduction gun and the like this game has both very simple weapons and very ridiculous weapons. And I think the shooting controls are pretty damn good.

Let's get to the main two things people talk about with this game; The main positive and the main negative. The one thing people always say as a negative to this game is it's identity. Coming off of the first two games (again to my knowledge) Which were much more serious comparatively speaking the third game took a lot of guff from people and this one took a lot too but less because of the sense of humor and more because of the powers and how much it changes things. A lot of people have said it has no identity and certain aspects carried over from previous games are made pointless by the powers. I will say only really cars have become useless. I still think that backup has some uses. But if you were a fan of the first style of saints row then I can't blame you for being upset about the new changes. It's not what you got into. I can speak for someone who wasn't a fan of those and I really enjoy the new style being more of a comical and parody style of games like grand theft auto because If I wanted straight up GTA I'll play GTA. But as I've said if you preferred the old style I can understand your dislike and I can't recommend this.

Seriously though I hear GTA 5 is awesome. Haven't played it myself but that's what I hear anyway.

What works though is the utter devotion to fun. Saints row 4 does everything it can to make this game fun. Every power up or mode of transportation starts off simple and any add ons to them you want pretty well come at some point. I wished you could run instead of jumping up buildings. Done. I wanted to be able to glide. Done. I wanted to be able to do a stomp move mid air to precisely land. Done and almost done twice with the stomp and death from above powers. Hell with enough money for upgrades you can get infinite ammo for any weapon types. And while the difficulty suffers a bit. On normal it can still get a bit crowded with enemies which can be tricky. Unless you have the black hole gun with infinite ammo Then the games enemies become a massive joke.

Long story short (way too late) This game is stupid fun. Some people would say it's just not the same with the massive changes to the franchise but my god it's so damn fun. If you want to give this a chance please do. I fully recommend this game.

 And yes....black hole gun.