Do those words sound the same to you?
I’m nearing the end of Far Cry 4, and happily playing it in co-op the oft chance I get. It’s a very fun game with lots to do, but the game does suffer, I feel, from some repetition of the side quests. They are essentially fetch or destroy quests, and don’t require a lot of thought, just more walking or driving around.
Welcome back, people. Welcome back, myself. Thanks 🙂
On to business, as there’s quite a bit of news to catch up on, but . . . new games:
Stealth Inc 2: A Game of Clones (PC, PS4, PS3, Xbox One) – The initial game was first available on Steam called Stealth Bastard, and re-released on the PS3 and Vita titled Stealth Inc. The sequel was released last year on the WiiU and has now come to the PS3, PS4, PC, and Xbox One.
Bastion (PS4) – Originally released in 2011, Bastion has been re-released on the PS4.
Dark Soul II: Scholar of the First Sin (Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4) – An updated version of Dark Souls II has been released. This is a compilation of the original game and the DLC. The PS4 and Xbox One versions have also recieved an enhanced version, with upgraded graphics, among other fixes.
I see your Dragon Age, and raise you The Witcher III
Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved – Dimensions Evolved is a free title update for Geometry Wars 3 and includes 40 new levels.
Sunset Overdrive: Dawn of the Rise of the Fallen Machines – New, and final DLC for Sunset Overdrive. Definitely a fun game filled with platforming and mayhem. The game recently received a permanent price drop, and hopefully it’ll receive a sale, so that I can pick it up.
What else is new?
The Next Gears of War Game Won’t Come to Xbox 360
Black Tusk Studios has announced that the next Gears of War game will not be available on the Xbox 360, but on the Xbox One. I have no problem with this, as there were 4 Gears games on the 360. Time for this-gen.
Battlefield Hardline Patch
Battlefield Hardline will be receiving a patch to nerf the Kill Couch (not remove it, which I’d previously assumed). Available in Dust Bowl, the couch was the fastest and strongest vehicle. However, the patch will make the strength and life of the couch very small, as it was meant for one-off use only. Killing the American Dream, bro.
Quantum Break Delayed Again
Microsoft has announced that Quantum Break will not be released before next year, due to the holiday rush of Microsoft Exclusives already being released around year end, including Rise of the Tomb Raider, Forza 6, and Halo 5 Guardians.
Tomb Raider has Sold 8.5 million copies
Speaking of Tomb Raider, Square Enix has announced that the Tomb Raider reboot has sold 8.5 million copies, which makes it the best selling Tomb Raider game. There’s a lot of hype for their follow-up later this year. Hopefully new info comes out around E3. You can find my review here: sorry, here.
Xbox’s Deals With Gold
This week, on the Xbox One, Forza Horizons 2 is on sale, in all its versions, as well as the Car Pass DLC. Coincidentally just in time for the free Fast and Furious 7 Stand-Alone demo, which encourages you to buy the full version. My review for Forza Horizons 2 and the Fast and Furious Stand Alone.
There’s a slew of games also on sale on the Xbox 360 front: Serious Sam HD, Double D XXL, 3, and DLC. F1 2014, Metal Slug 3, and some of the King of Fighters games are also on sale.
Dues EX: Mankind Divided
The sequel to the awesome 2011 Dues Ex: Human Revolution was leaked, and has been confirmed, and it’s called Dues Ex: Mankind Divided. It’s a sequel to Adam Jensen’s story, 2 years after the events of the previous game. Xbox One, PS4, and PC. Unfortunately no release window yet.
Colour me excited. I may have to replay Human Revolution. Where’s the re-mastered versions now . . .?
I’ve also added some new screenshots to Forza Horizons 2, and I started playing the updated version of Half-Life 2,so I’ve added some screen shots from that, with some more coming.
Still playing Far Cry 4 (really wanting the Upload app to get updated), and over the weekend I finally got into Call of Duty: Ghosts, which is another game I’ve been sitting on due to hard-drive space. Expect a little more of an insight tomorrow.
-iRogan
“Yeah, RIP.”
“You’re- you’re really cool… I just- I wanted you to know that.”
Title: Tales from the Borderlands – Episode 1: Zer0 Sum
Developer: Telltale Games
Platform: Android, iOS, PC, Mac, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Publisher: Telltale Games
Reviewed on: Xbox One
Me, me me.
Tales from the Borderlands is an episodic adventure comedy, typical to Telltale Games, only this time around, based on the Borderlands series. Like The Walking Dead or The Wolf Among Us series previously, Tales from the Borderlands uses the 5 episode formula, 6 chapters per episode, where the player’s choices and actions affect the story later on. As the player, you get to move around and interact with the environments, and initiate conversations with the other story’s non-playable characters. These conversations lead the story the way you see fit, and this is where your comments and replies may impact a certain character’s views of you. The game also utilizes quick-time sequences for the action parts.
Me too.
You play the game from two different perspectives; the first as Rhys, who is a Hyperion employee – the company man – trying to make it up the ranks. The problem with Hyperion, besides being a soulless corporation, is there’s no apparent HR department, so Rhys (or we the player) quickly finds out that his previous boss has been murdered and replaced by a new boss, and nemesis, in Vasquez. And subsequently, Rhys has been demoted to janitor.
We overhear Vasquez making a deal for a Vault Key; a deal which will take place on Pandora. We meet up with our friend Vaughn who’s the resident accountant, and make a plan to meet the dealers and make the trade for the Vault Key before Vasquez.
On the other side of the coin, we also play as Fiona, who, with her sister Sasha, work with Felix, and as partners, are a bunch of con artists. They are the ones responsible for this deal, and we quickly learn that the Vault Key is actually a fake.
During the transaction, everything gets interrupted by the resident boss, Bossanova, who steals the money, and Zer0, the resident Vault Hunter, trying to take down Bossanova.
The two groups, now forced to work together to recover the money, track down Bossanova to his base, where the episode comes to a head. At the base, a huge bandit race is taking place, with the winner to receive the prize money – the money which was originally brought to Pandora by Rhys and Vaugh for a fake Vault Key make by Fiona, Sasha and Felix, remember?.
At the end of Episode One we see the first appearance of Handsome Jack, and are left with a cliff-hanger to his intentions with the group.
“This is why people play these types of games a few times through, to get different outcomes.”
Throughout the game the choices you make will affect the story elements going forward through the remainder of this and future episodes. Understandably, this is why people play these types of games a few times through, to get different outcomes. Luckily each episode is only a couple hours from start to finish.
As you play through, some of the choices you make, or are about to make, are unexpected, while others a little more obvious. They will not impact your ability to beat the game, or that episode per se, but the results might not be entirely favourable in your eye. At this point, we don’t know how our choices will impact our game in later episodes. Something I’m excited to find out.
This is my first attempt at playing a Telltale game since The Walking Dead Episode 1, and this is by far a huge improvement. The game moves by at a quick pace. There’s less puzzles, and quicker quick-time events. My change of opinion may also solely rest on the source material as I’ve always been a big fan of the Borderlands world. It has, however, put Telltale Games into my good books, and luckily I have the Xbox One bundle to jump into once Borderlands wraps up Season One.
“The humour is here, in droves, and this works well in Telltales favour.”
The Borderlands world suits itself well to the Telltale visual style, if not it’s gameplay. The models are designed nicely and suit the world, however the animations are a little stiff. That being said, the Borderlands series has always been hilarious, and luckily, the humour is here, in droves, and this works well in Telltales favour. Its also nice to see some familiar faces show up.
I found The Walking Dead to be too slow and methodical (again maybe due to the source material), and luckily Borderlands is quick and concise, eager to move ahead, but tells an interesting tale. The finale of Episode One takes place during a large bandit race, and this sequence, primarily done with quick time events, has a lot of moving parts all pulled off very well.
This first episode has me hopeful for the future of this series, and has piqued my interest to the other Telltale properties in The Wolf Among Us and Game of Thrones.
– For those who like Borderlands, Telltale Games, and humour.
(Only downside is you can’t miss any achievements, so none are notable 😦 )
-iRogan
Far Cry 4
As I had mentioned in the past couple posts, I’ve been playing Far Cry 4 a lot. The game is a lot of fun and so random at times. It also caters to the creative types who want to have fun. Lately I’ve been playing in Co-op, but upon switching roles, I’ve noticed there are some limitations.
Co-Op Glory
For starters, it runs off the hosts’s game, therefore the host will retain any of the map progress that the pair unlock: Bell Towers, Forts, Outposts. The joining partner only retains the XP, loot, and and unlocked perks. Loading up their own game will see the Map progress returned to their previous single-player campaign progress. This is kind of unfortunate. It still fun though as there are a lot of activities the two can take part in.
The game also prevents the two of you from getting too far apart from one another. At a certain point, the other player will be forced to spawn closer.
Keep an eye out for Screenshots once the Xbox Upload app gets updated, and a proper review around the corner.
Forza Horizons 2 Presents Fast and Furious
I recently wrote a quite review of this game, and wrapped it up today. Easy 1000G achievements, and maybe 2hrs of gameplay. It really is just a glorified demo as it only has 11 driveable cars, and 1/4 of the Forza Horizons 2 map. At the end it encourages you to buy the real game. Which you should. Forza Horizons 2 review here.
The Handsome Collection
I picked this up today, and I’m excited to start in the Pre-Sequel. When the Pre-Sequel was announced and released for the Xbox 360 last year, I really hoped that a current-gen version would be released. I didn’t even need it to be re-mastered. Luckily I got more than I wanted. Borderlands 2 (including DLC) and the Pre-Sequel (including DLC), all remastered and combined into one package.
The only issue I’ve seen so far is the games are separated. Nothing transfers over, and they actually install as two different games. So if you want to switch, you need to quit one and launch the other. Just lazy complaints.
So Handsome
Keep an eye out for Tales From the Borderlands Episode 1 – Sum Zero review tomorrow. All borderlands all the time it seems.
Sunset Overdrive Price Drop
Insomniac’s Sunset Overdrive has received a price drop, down to $40. This isn’t a deal, but a permanent drop. i’ll pick this up when it goes on sale, though. I tried it during the 24hr free period, and it was fun. But it’s a playground game, where I typically prefer more of a narrative to drive me. 😉
Kojima’s Role in Silent Hills
Kojima’s role in Silent Hills is, at this point, still a mystery. His name, and Kojima Productions is continuing to be removed from all Konami products and websites as Konami focuses their company into a concise direction. Unknown, is if Kojima will still have a role in Silent Hills, or if it will be made by Kojima Productions. I guess we’ll have to continue to wait and see. 😦
Assassin Creed Chronicles
Ubisoft has announced the 2.5D trilogy in Assassin’s Creed Chronicle.
I watched a bit of footage from the first iteration in China and it looks pretty cool, with an interesting art style. Gameplay very much like Rayman Legends, Deadlight or early Prince of Persia games. Its a linear 2.5D platformer where you spend a lot of time running from left to right, up ladders and down buildings, slicing and dicing the whole way. Seems neat but I’m not sure where the story ties into.
We’ll see as more info gets released.
Excited for a games filled Easter Long Weekend. Stick around, but don’t forget to go outside.
-iRogan
Let’s get this quiet day going with some new releases, which there are few.
Yup…nope.
Yup. See?
The Witcher III is Looong
CD Projekt RED has announced today that that The Witcher III is going to be a lengthy game is you wish to do Everything. Approx 200+ hours. It’s a game where the designers wanted to make an open-world game without boundries. No wonder the game will be a 50GB install.
These creatures are probably tougher than the Honey Badger in Far Cry 3. Fire is always a sound tactic though.
Star Wars: Battlefront
DICE will debut the Star Wars: Battlefront official reveal trailer during its Star Wars Celebration panel on April 17th. Very excited about this news.
Playstation Plus April Games
Following up the Games with Gold for April, Playstation’s Plus subscribers will get Tower of Guns,and Aaru’s Awakening on both PS3 and PS4. Never Alone, which I’ve Reviewed on the Xbox One is available on the PS4, and Dishonored is available on the PS3.
Mortal Kombat X Still Wont Cross Some Lines
Mortal Kombat creator Ed Boon has revealed, contrary to popular belief, there are certain things the team consider too violent to put into the finished product. After watching some of the fatalities from the up-coming game, I’d beg to differ. Some of those are pretty nasty. Maybe in some cases they’ve gone to far already.
Which Lines Won’t They Cross, I Wonder?
Xbox Deals with Gold Weekly Discounts
Dragon Age: Inquisition has been given a 50% discount. This game seems discounted weekly, in some form or another. Diablo III Reaper of Souls Ultimate Evil Edition is discounted, as well as FIFA 15. Several LEGO games are on sale as well.
All for this evening. See you tomorrow. I’ll have lots to talk about in Far Cry 4.
Go Outside.
-iRogan
Idly Playing the Waiting Game 