Games I Am Looking Forward To The Most! (This year)

With no Assassin's Creed release this year, brings opportunity for other studios to show their place within the industry. I for one, am relieved and excited. While others may have found this year's E3 rather low key, I believe this gives us as the players opportunity to experience fresh game experiences. Activision's Call of Duty series and Ubisoft's beloved Assassin's Creed series are good but are in great need of new ideas. With that being said, here are my top 3 upcoming games of 2016!

1. Horizon Zero Dawn

2. Dishonoured 2

3. We Happy Few

Please check out the collector's editions for these titles. They are amazing! But what games are you guys looking forward to?

Here are some useful links below!

http://store.bethsoft.com/brands/dishonored.html

https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/games/horizon-zero-dawn-ps4/

Feel free to like, share and comment on my blog. Helps me out a lot! 

Thank you.

Child of Light Review

My Game Rating... 7.8/10

Please note that this review has spoilers!

For this months review, I fancied a change of pace, environment and game mechanics. Games such as  Child of Light are not usually high on my must play list. Despite this, I wanted to explore this area of games regardless of previous taste. Plus the curiosity got the better of me! Once completed, I found appreciation and satisfaction for this style of gameplay. So, the important question you may asking yourself is... 'Should I purchase Child of Light?'

To put it simply, absolutely! There is great potential for these types of games for they give the player the opportunity to experience new game mechanics, players learn to appreciate and observe their environments in greater detail and allows the production studio to stylise the game more illustrative and dream like as opposed to life like titles such as Battlefield.

The next question you may be asking yourself is 'What's it all about?' Imagine the storyline to Cinderella, except there's no prince charming or late night balls! In the game you play as a beautiful, red hair, little girl named Aurora whose a princess to the Duke of Austria. After the new stepmother attempted to kill Aurora, the main character wakes up from a magical alter deep in the forest near a monastery. The story is about personal character development, emphasising to the player that personal growth is possible when we are alone and vulnerable, especially while we are young and naive. Over the course of the game, the player as Aurora grows from a vulnerable young princess into a wise, strong Queen. These changes are noticed physically through-out at certain points.

'Will my child be able to play the game?'

Of-course! One of the key details I like about Child of Light is that the characters interact with one another in a rhyming context. This gives the game a more fairy tale effect. Depending on your child's age, they might be ably to read along! They would certainly be able to play as the controls are easy to master. In combat, there is no blood nor decapitation. Combat itself allows both adults and children alike to think strategically while being entertained as the same time. It's easy to bond with the side quest characters. Finn (the dwarven character) is my favourite!

What I love at Child of Light (recap)

• The art style 
• Music
• Side Quests
• Storyline
• Puzzles
• One of my favourite artists, Yoshitika Amono did the artwork for Child of Light!
• Listening to the narrator.
• Game performs smoothly.
• Combat offers players challenge and entertainment.
• The variety of enemy types.
• Stunning environments!
• Animations of flight and combat gameplay.
• It appeals to both adults and children.
• The variety of environments and interiors.
• You can play co-op. One to play Aurora and the other to play the spirit that aids her.

What could have been better (recap)

• More side quests!
• Music in combat grinds after awhile.
• I wanted all the characters to have voice acting.
• The ending seems rushed.

If you enjoyed the review and would like to ask me a question or would like further information, please don't hesitate to contact me on this blog! Feel free to like, share or leave suggestions in the comment box below! Helps me out a great deal! Thanks!

The Witcher 3 Collector's Edition Review

My Game Rating: 10/10

...

Collector's Edition Rating: 10/10

The collector's edition for The Witcher 3 was by far in my opinion, one of the best presented collector's editions of 2015. In honesty 2015 has seen better days; a year of broken games released too early on the basis of keeping up with competition release dates. One of the things I have noticed about CD Projekt Red's games is that there is much depth and attention to detail. Companies such as Naughty Dog, do well in the industry for they recognise the importance of finishing their games to an impeccable standard, full of content while ensuring their games work.

On the whole the collector's edition was beautifully made, sturdy and certainly well worth the price depending on your country's currency.  The amount of protection used for this edition will put your fears to rest if your concerned about conservation and protection. After removing the outer packaging, you'll find:

• A hefty black box with the Witcher symbol display from one end to the other. To open, simply pull sideways gently. 
• Underneath this smaller box, is a second black box, significantly larger containing the statue. Made from polystone, the quality is second to none. The skill shown is impressive. You certainly feel Geralt's presence during this captured moment. Making the Griffin's tail detachable was a wise choice as this makes it much easier to protect and package it when needed. Let's not forget that these are hand painted pieces which adds to the appreciative value. 
• The first thing you will see is the hardback art book. Excellent quality paper, brilliant finish, beautiful artwork and it smells great! If you are an artist or illustrator, you can learn a great deal from this book. Although it's not exactly a tutorial guide, it combines a mixture of painting styles with themes of mythology, cultures and history.
•  Next up is the Witcher wolf school necklace, game with compendium and soundtrack. The necklace itself is well made, has a good weight to it and comes in a secured, small black and red box with a plastic cover. The necklace is perfect to wear for cosplay conventions, everyday or if you daring - weddings! 
• If you open the game disk, you will find stickers, a paper coloured map of the Witcher world (would have preferred a cloth option,) codes, the compendium and a little card from the developers themselves thanking you for your time, money and faith in the Witcher series. I don't know about you guys but I haven't seen this touch before. It was a pleasant surprise making me feel more appreciative as a fellow artist and gamer. Simple, small touches such as this go a very long way. 
• Last in the box is the steel book casing. I'm not a huge collector of these but the cover art soon won me over, with Geralt and Ceri taking pride of place in an art nouveau sort of style.

The game...

To cut a long story short, this is to me is one of the finest
made games out there! The characters, environments, the rustic music, cutscenes, costume design, voice acting and everything between is so rich and intricate. The Witcher 3 is the sort of game that caters to a wide variety of gamers - some may like character building, some may prefer the combat elements, others the travelling aspects, quest structure, experience and storyline. And if your fortunate, you may come across gamers such as myself who love every detail and aspect of it.

In many ways the characters have become more and more human - allowing us to see times where they feel strained, how they deal with potentially lethal situations and with one another. My favourite character has always been Triss Merigold but it's very difficult to not like Geralt, Yeneffer,  Ceri etc. I believe the reason for this lies in the variety of likes and personalities these characters have. Take Triss and Yen for example. Though they differ in the types of magics used, they have profound abilities in their owns crafts, relish in courtly politics, have great diplomacy skills and are trusted as royal sorceress advisors. Whereas Geralt is more the loner character that's comfortable in his own skin, see things as they are, acts swiftly and has no interest in courtly life.

One of the things that makes The Witcher 3 a pleasure to play is the amount of choice you can make and the fact that each choice will have its pros and consequences. Being able to play Gwent, collect rare cards from defeated opponents, acquire normal decks for your card collection, challenge other NPC's characters was an added bonus to an already realistic feeling atmosphere. Combat was brutal, fast and strategic. The crossbow I felt was somewhat of a letdown due to the very little damage it dealt to my target. Looking back now, I believe the crossbow was a tool to perhaps disorientate and disrupt enemy attacks rather than dealing sufficient damage.

Another aspect I liked was the variety of voice acting i.e. young & old voices recorded in a range of different accents. Welsh for one! With the possible exception of other Witcher titles, I don't recall these sorts of accents featuring in other games which is a great disappointment given how much richer it made the gameplay experience. Ideally, I would like to disclose favourite scenes from the game. However, I wouldn't wish to spoil it for my viewers. Instead, I will share my favourite city... Novigrad.

Noviagrad is the sort of city where we as the players, could ever hope to get close to imagine of what it was like in medieval times - brothels, docks, rich and poor districts, large markets, beautiful architecture, quirky characters,  a congregation of different races, huge crowds, the occasional burning at the stake, relaxing indoor baths, coloured glass, street and interiors full of colour and character. If you want more information please see the link below this image from the Witcher wiki.

http://witcher.wikia.com/wiki/Novigrad



Thats my review on the game and the collector's edition! It may seem short. If that's the case, my reason for this is simply the following; I want you to play the game and experience what it has to offer. I cannot disclose spoilers for those reasons. As I said earlier, the amount of content for the price you pay is so worth it. And I simply can't condense all that it has to offer in one review. Therefore I would heavily recommend this game. If you guys have any further questions on the game or the review, please don't hesitate to ask!

Here are some links for more information about The Witcher Franchise. Please check out the official website for CD Projekt Red and the toy fair 2016 video from IGN. Enjoy!

http://en.cdprojektred.com

Fallout 4 Review PS4 (Main Story Spoiler free)

My Game Rating - 9 . 5 / 10 ...

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/fallout/images/1/12/Fallout4_Concept_Garage.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20150615123206

Since BETHESDA's release of Fallout 3, gamers internationally were left wondering as to what they could expect from Fallout 4's concepts. Development was done so in secret, with certain questions being dodged during interviews. Despite this, fans knew such a project was already in development, heightening the hype as a result. Since the release of the next generation consoles, this has opened an array of opportunities for graphical enhancements as well as improving performance generally. Certainly, you'd think that Fallout 4 would make the perfect candidate, to really see if such big game RPG's could successfully be supported on larger consoles.

For several years of work, I believe the game in general, has been created to a very high standard. This is evident in many factors from performance to graphics and gameplay - to which I shall discuss in just a moment. To start, I'd like to express how interesting it was to have a taste of pre-war Fallout. Environments are rich, yet they held aspects of historical influences from Witchcraft to the American war of Independence.

Things that I liked:

• The construction and customisation of weapons, settlements and power and other armour types.
• The personality of companions and NPC'S.
• The opportunity to build levels of friendship and romance with companions.
• Combat - enemy AI.
• Stealth System
• Exploring various types of environments, swamps, seas, quarries, forests, pre-war Chinese submarine etc.
• The aesthetic of the 'Glowing Sea.'
• Voice Acting
• Significantly less glitches and tedious loading screens.
• Side quest story lines, opportunities and content.
• A wide range of allies and enemies.
• Weather systems - rain storms, fog, sunshine etc.
• Music for the radio, pip boy. 
• Armour System
• Being able to join various factions - The Brotherhood, Pillar of the Community, The Railroad, The Minute Men and The Institute. 
• Plenty of opportunities to hoard! 
• Collecting junk is finally seen as a crucial part of customisation elements.

Google image Screen shot from BlackLagoonGaming88 - youtube.

Things that I didn't like:

• The building system - not being able to create walls on uneven ground, clear rubble,  difficulty in blending defence walls into another to create a more solid, organised structure.
• Not having the ability too send followers to Sanctuary Hills (That could be a bug on my end.)
• Conversation system - Context is hit and miss.

Compared to fallout 3, being somewhat of a evil character is difficult. While conversing with NPC's, the 'evil' response is seen as not so. Although adding a sarcastic element to the game and having NPC's give it back to you (Nick Valentine for example,) is a refreshing aspect to gameplay. You are forced in a sense to be good. Fallout 4's review score would have been higher if we had the freedom to act as we please with the consequences and rewards to boot. That's not to say Fallout 4 shouldn't be credited for the progress since the third game. Rather than in this regard, Fallout 3 would be better by default. In previous titles, we were able to choose between saving a town and blowing it up. Rewards for both options were somewhat similar yet different depending on your morality and aesthetic style. 

All in all, I'd say that Fallout 4 is not as good or worse than Fallout 3. Both are excellent in most aspects but the few things that separate them is moral choice and game performance and graphics. 

That was my review of Fallout 4! If you like the review please leave a like or comment as this helps me to improve and such. Thank you for taking the time to read it. 

Update and ideas.

Hey everyone!

It's been awhile since I have released reviews and being generally active online. For that, I am very sorry. In honesty, I have lacked inspiration mainly because I have been informed by family of a family member being seriously ill. As a result, my blogging and Master's work had to be put on hold until further notice. As I said, I want to apologise to those of you who enjoy reading my work and for the lack of presence.

Now that things are much better, I would like you give you guys control as to which game you would like for me to review for this month... and for March!

Also, I was contemplating setting up another blog illustrating drawings, second book ideas etc. What do you guys think?

Please leave your suggestions in the box below, along with any questions or ideas!
Thank you so much for understanding.

All the best,
Sophie.

Mad Max Review - Halloween Special - (No Story Spoiler's)

My Game Rating: 6.8 / 10

As a heads up, there will be no spoiler's in relation to story. The review will consist of gameplay, weapons, customisation opinions etc. These opinions are my own and I take full responsibility for them. I hope you've all had a great Halloween! Without further ado, here's the review to Mad Max...

Fans of Max Max: Fury Road or the series in general weren't surprised when they heard that a game based on the film franchise was to be released weeks after Fury Road's viewing. With acrobatic stunts taking place on moving cars via tricky terrain along with the general feel of the environment and people accompanying or attempting to kill the main character, the same aspects were expected in the upcoming video game.

First off, the look of the environments were visually stunning! The towering cliffs, the haze coming from makeshift roads, dunes and cars, colourful sky's and so on. An interesting feature I'd like to point out was the ability to capture 'photographs' or wallpapers using the in game system. This allows you to alter the contrast, scale, lighting and many other features. If your someone that likes to take photographs using the in game system, this might be of great interest to you. Admittedly, I have used this feature to look round corners, look for a ladder while climbing huge scale buildings and items or features that give me that extra bit of information about the area and the world of Mad Max in general.

Some of you will know by now of how much I love to buy/acquire strongholds in dire need of repair, fix them up and make the place my own. Though not a crucial feature for most games nowadays - this  generally gives the player the feeling that they've left a permeant mark on the worlds and it's people. Making it your own not only adds more hours of gameplay but if you have an in game system to take photographs, this'll enable you to share online or even draw from what's in front of you. The upgrades and items necessary for the updates in my opinion made sense - the maggot farm, scrap metal for repairing, clean up screws etc. Personally, it would have been nice if Max had his own hideout that he can customise and upgrade - from there you would be able to display the history relics collected all around the map in either a metal box or framed on a wall, a mini armoury displaying previous and current armours with a list of what activities you accomplished while wearing a certain piece of armour, building your own upgradable exterior defences, a kitchen area or in this case a maggot farm or a storage area full of tinned food. Upgrading this would enable you to grow mushrooms or herbs to add further nutrition (boosting Max's perks and skills for a period of time.) A journal that featured Max's thoughts, previous exploits even artwork. From this hideout, you could have the option of owing a small bike collection to use for navigating difficult terrain and avoiding pursuing enemies.

The customisation options for Max and the car were excellent - engaging in encouraging the player to gather the necessary materials. I'm relived to find that guns don't play a major factor in this game- adding a breathe of fresh air. It's nice to get up and close to the enemy for once! The driving aspect was fun, though it would have been beneficial to add more ramps for the player to navigate and have more fun as well as acrobatic combat as featured in Fury Road.

My complaints for Mad Max revolve around:

• Not being able to customise weapons picked up to grant us that extra edge in combat.
• Pieces of scraps glitching into the environment, occasionally trapping the player.
• No personal hideout.
• Quest structure tends to be rather Ping Pong and repetitive after awhile. 
• Lack of acrobatic combat between cars.
• No stealth system outside the car!
• Not much variation in quest structure.
• Not being able to use or own bikes or trucks.
• More items to collect!

Things I liked!

• The driving was brutal and fast!
• The customisation options
• Video game graphics
• Building/repairing strongholds
• Infiltrating enemy strongholds.
• A.I animations, dialogue and character.
• Using the sniper rifle on the back of the car while driving.
• Lore
• Varying environments.
• Collecting History relics.
• The open World.
• Max's character upgrades

All in all, I would recommend this game. If you enjoyed the movies, then you'll enjoy the game alternative. Despite aspects of the film not featuring in the game, if you have a spare 15 minutes or so then look no further. Personally, I'm more a fan of RPG's such as the Dragon Age franchise, Skyrim and that. I'm rather new to the lore of Mad Max. Despite this, I enjoyed ramming enemy cars, sniping and generally, exploring and experiencing a new feel of video game. 

Thank you for reading my review for Mad Max, please leave a comment or like! Have a nice day and look at my page or blog for further reviews in the future!

Fallout 4 Trailer - Gameplay review.

My Game Trailer Rating ... 9 / 10

With Fallout 4's release just round the corner, I thought a recap and review would maintain that level of excitement, which I'm sure wouldn't go unappreciated. For me, I was getting concerned with comments made from people on YouTube slating the graphical content of the trailers, made usually after 6 seconds into the demo. I feel as though I must remind those of you out there with high expectations; making games is harder than you think. Artists, testers, animators, coders, actors and so on have spent years creating a game for you to play and enjoy. Why criticise a demo after seconds rather than watch a full presentation? The matter of the fact is that neither of us will know how the game performs until it's released. The graphics are constantly upgraded as development progresses, meaning that the overall product will appear better than the trailers. When a company usually publish a demo, it means that the actual game is being tested over and over again. However; this is often over looked by some companies to meet deadlines. 

Fallout 4's development and production was done in relative secrecy (despite we all knowing otherwise) and now that the next generation consoles are here, this provides ample of opportunity to improve a classic and make it into something new that gains admiration and respect. Let's be honest, there are a number of next gen video games out there who have in some way or another - damaged a game's reputation via rushed releases, development, lack of communication from the developers and so on. 

Take Assassin's Creed Unity for example. Many of you who read my work are fans of the early games within the franchise. Unity's release was seen as a reboot to the old, placing us in a stunning environment backed by a dark period of history, combat redone, new characters and so on. However; the titles biggest flaw occurred just after release. Glitches plagued the game -  NPC's going array, texture meshes not performing, invisible walls, sound effects not playing etc. 

What I'm trying to say, is that a treasured game franchise such as Fallout 4 must perform well. As well all know, the development of our beloved games are rushed in a desperate attempt to compete with other major game companies. And yet, BETHESDA have done a wise thing here. Remember how I mentioned in previous posts that 'a game shouldn't be released until it's ready not when the developers are happy?' It's been five years or so since Fallout 3, to which I'm sure there'll be a few of you out there telling me that Fallout 3 had annoying glitches and horrible graphics. BETHESDA have used that time to perfect the game - strengthening conceptual work, mechanics, the aesthetic, coding, animations, the general necessities. Once you have those elements in place, this will allow you to be more creative, add new features or create a new look. I am confident that Fallout 4 will not become yet another broken game. Naturally, there will be a few expected bugs. Not to mention Bethesda developers are fully aware as to how beloved the Fallout series is, making it less likely that they'll intentionally sabotage heir own work. 

But enough about my concerns for glitches! Why did I like from the trailers? Well for one thing, VATS are back! The vast types of environments, excellent weather systems, music, a stunning sky to gaze upon every now and then, the customisation options for building your own weapons, houses (settlement,) power armour, the sculpting options for creating your own character, voice acting, pip boy mechanics, new enemy types, improved special effects, interesting locations and much more! If you guys would like to watch the full presentation, please see the video link just above.

In general, I was impressed by the demo and I can't wait for it's release. A full review on Fallout 4 will be made. From there, I will explore the game's mechanics in further detail. But what did you guys think of the presentation? Do you have the same concerns as me? Or was there something I forgot to discuss? I hope you enjoyed the review for Fallout 4 gameplay trailer. Stay tuned for further reviews and information about Fallout 4.

Take care!

Fallout Shelter Game Review

http://www.tictactown.com/Upload/Haber/fallout-shelter-wallpaper2222.jpg

My Game Rating: 7. 5 / 10 ...

With the much anticipated news delivered at the E3 showcase some weeks back in relation to Fallout 4, players and fans of the franchise did not expect BETHESDA to throw in an extra surprise!

Despite BETHESDA having it's hands full with the developments and publications of Dishonoured 2 and Fallout 4, fans were delighted to hear a game was to be released prior to the November launch of Fallout 4. To make things even better, the mini game was to be published to the general public after the Fallout showcase - for free. And with no internet connection required.

The hypnosis of which is simple: you are the Vault Overseer. It is your job to run the vault and construct rooms for your residences while making sure that everyone is happy and healthy. As you can imagine - not everything can go smoothly! Others duties also include: fighting off raiders, controlling fire outbreaks, fighting Radroach infestations, sending vault dwellers into the Wasteland, getting your vault dwellers to pop-create and then name them once they're born! These coatic events can happen depending on how you run the vault. Three bars are displayed at the top of the screen, each representing the basic and most important requirements for everyone to survive. These are power, food and water. The rooms you construct contribute to these factors. However!

Overal production widely depends on the stats of each vault dweller and which room that you assign them to. The more productive each room is, the faster you will receive supplies for one of your basic requirements. By paying attention to your dweller's stats, you will easily able to identify what they're not so good at. Thankfully, the game includes extra rooms where you can train your dwellers. Remember these extra rooms only train your resident's on a specific trait e.g. gym for endurance, classroom for intelligence and the bar for Charisma. Once you start meeting the requirements and complete mini missions, you will be rewarded with lunch boxes which offer random loot such as bottle caps, weapons, armour, unique vault/Wasteland dwellers and so on. These will enable you to upgrade you vault, it's rooms and those who are assigned to each room. Once again weapons and armours come with their own stats so be wise as to which Vault dweller you assign them to!

Mechanics and story wise - they're simple. BUT effective and addictive to say the least. The whole package is a breath of fresh air compared to most games out there today. Being able to look inside each room, observing my dwellers performance and checking stats and armours etc were a fun edition and makes the experience more organised. In a sense naturally preparing your for future calamities within the game. A good edition was having your performance reviewed every so often to which adds to the business theme and provides sufficient feedback to the player.

The gameplay for me was very enjoyable. The design work, sound effects, lighting, animations all came together very well. To me the game has an "every action has consequences" sort of mechanic to which as I've said previously was a welcomed part. (If you rush a room for supplies, there's a risk of either fire or infestations, that's why it's essential to assign the right vault dweller to a room!) Having the option of buying extra lunch boxes for extra loot was a pretty neat idea too! Although it made gameplay less challenging and satisfied the need to hoard! And lastly, being able to track your exploring Vault dwellers in the Wasteland further made the experience for me more in-depth and realistic. Player feedback throughout was sufficient as well as engaging.

For a simple yet fun and in-depth game, I would like to rate with a high score. However there were issues that I need to raise. The first, more room types! Secondly, I feel if there were mini missions or situations to solve for when your dwellers ventured into the Wasteland, I believe this would have made gameplay more unpredictable and rewarding. I would also like to see more enemy types (raids) such as Super Mutants, Deathclaws, Cannibals, the Enclave etc. This would enable the player to asses weaponry and armours more efficiently and with care. To support this recommendation - a trading room where you can exchange a number of items that you don't want for better loot (frees space in your armoury room) but your can only use this room for a certain number of times to avoid over use and easier gameplay.

Lastly, the most annoying and troublesome issue for myself was the running of the game. Glitches and constant freezing made this game quite frustrating to play. Many times, you couldn't get past the loading screen for the main menu! And when you eventually get into the game, it crashes after 2 minutes. For a well thought out game - this is devastating. An update was released mid July which didn't do much good sadly. I will keep an eye out for any improvements/ technical updates and will let you guys know if they improve the gameplay somewhat.


But what do you guys think? Are you having the same issues as I am? Did you like the review? And what will you be looking forward to the most for the november release of Fallout 4? 

Please note that the Pip boy editions are sold out on GAME - I shall let you know if I hear re-orders of stock or other editions. Please leave a like or comment if you like and have a great summer!

My First Book!

After three years of study at university, I wanted to kick start my practice and celebrate my achievements by publishing my very first book! The book has been two years into the making - the stress and hard work has paid off. Thank you to you all for being patient and understanding my commitments.

The book evolves around the fictional worlds and how past experiences, whether glorious or tragic can better the mind through traditional and modern formats. If you guys would like to buy your own copy of my book, please see the link below! Any purchases made will be greatly appreciated.

http://www.blurb.co.uk/b/6174022-imaginary-worlds-vol-1

Thank you for all of your support! Have a wonderful day!

Assassin's Creed: Unity Review

My game rating: 9 . 3 / 10

NOTE: Storyline spoilers are not included in this review.

UBISOFT'S latest release promised elements of previous Assassin's Creed characteristics to be emerged into a familiar yet different environment. The French Revolution was an extraordinary time in history, a period where the nobility and royalty were forced to acknowledge that their corruptions were answerable to the people. Thus rose, the first stages of democracy. Despite this being such a pivotal moment for the common people, the texts books reveal much horror during the revolution days - murder, mass political quarrels, friends and family turned on one another etc. In many ways, the French Revolution was the perfect time period to host and explore and more importantly, to allow
the players to immerse themselves in.

                                                       http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1365/13658182/2680142-assassins_creed_unity_sp_notredamestealth.jpg

Black Flag showed elements of this atmosphere during naval gameplay but lacked this component on land. Whereas Unity offers this wary, corrupted and rather dark undertone through-out. Atmosphere is a powerful ingredient to any game - if your players don't feel connected to the game's characters or environments then it's not likely they will connect with your concept altogether and won't replay/continue the game.

And let's not forget the platforms we were able to play on: next generation. I understand completely why next generation was the main priority for released formats; stunning graphics, smoother lip sinc and animations etc. However, I can't help but feel disappointed that the older consoles wouldn't feature unity. Yet at the same time, it depends on the personal gaming preferences of the player's themselves.

The graphics were flawless despite my reservations! Surprisingly I spent a considerable amount of time staring at the stained glass in Notre Dame's interior (my god were the interiors through the game beautiful) and the wet cobbled roads in the streets. It sounds odd but is it not worthwhile to admire beauty? My frame of mind has always believed that if a company has made something that makes me stop and admire it for long periods of time, does this not reflect their level of eye and dedication? For Unity; I'd say that the company's passion and their direction has returned. This was indeed a project that they enjoyed participating in - the proof is in the product! But... despite the potential in the next generation platforms, there were occasions were NPC's were floating around Arno, paper and horse carts glitching through the floor. I was surprised by this - until a game is ready, it should not be released! It doesn't matter if your competition is releasing their game on a specific day, if your game doesn't work then, you will lose profit and customers will turn their backs on you. Therefore game testing should occur earlier before release.

let's briefly look at my two leading favourite characters - Arno and Elise du la Sairre. As a duet, they are comical and very cunning despite their obvious differences (she's a templar you see) and yet they show their common goals and meet them in their own unique styles and techniques while sharing mutual respect towards one another. Apart, they are just as deadly and resourceful. You could say that that they both show many qualities that modern young men and women have to this day - a rare factor. Modern minds in a still medieval like world. Their costumes show beautiful uniquenesses and contrasts while keeping to historical accuracy and practicalities.

Combat was a welcomed factor - satisfying yet keeping the player on their toes compared to older titles where you had to wait for the enemy to attack you which could be easily countered, disabled and quickly killed. Whereas, for Unity it breaks the repeatitveness altogether. The side missions were a joy to play, solving murders, killings thugs while offering a varied narrative structures. Scaling buildings was also fun yet there was an occasional glitch annoyance when jumping to get to a certain part of a building and scaling through a window.



The Cafe theatre player home was a stunning building with beautiful rustic touches and earthly environments. Beautifully decorated rooms, wonderful architecture, homely items, music and delicate, intricate paintings situated through-out the building. My only complaint relates to the armoury room situated in the attic - it's disappointing that you can access most of the armours online only. This issue is a concern for the gaming industry as a whole. Discussions and ideas have been raised as to having a way in which the player can access online content offline. How far this process is coming along, I'm not sure. Nevertheless, this issue needs to be addressed. In-depth customisations were a welcomed feature that added more depth and new layers of practicalities when it came to playing missions and sharing your experiences with friends/other players. Each option is specifically designed to get the players to think about what kind of Assassin do they want to be - stealth orientated or showy and aggressive?

Overal, Unity has come along way!

If there are things I have missed out during the review, please feel free to get in touch and I shall update the review.

All the best!

Dragon Age: Inquisition December Review

My game rating - 10 / 10...

 "Bioware has created another masterpiece to the games industry, outstanding performance and attention to detail through-out"

Images from Game-informer.

For those of you who are new to Dragon Age games, allow me to give you the simplified version of events. You are a customisable character situated in Thedas, a country where blights and mage/templar conflicts occur. In the first game, you were a Grey Warden whose purpose was to protect the world and innocent people from the evils in the world while defeating dark spawn and avenging the fallen king of Ferelden. Wardens are unique; when they drink the blood of the dark-spawn, this allows them to see the movements and visions from the dark-spawn, revealing who was responsible for creating the blight while making them immune from becoming something bizarre all together - these Wardens however are instruments of sacrifice and the visions they have, become steadily worse while they are alive. Mages are greatly feared and restricted in their movements (due to their connection to the fade, the place where good and evil spirits and demons roam) as many people believe they were the cause of the first blight. Their corruption led to the loss of many lives and the corruption soon spread, those desperate enough used blood magic - eventually turning themselves into abominations. From then on, Templars were assigned to police the mages behaviour and confined them to "the circle of magi" where they were heavily supervised and could practice their abilities in relative safety.

Dragon Age 2 events occurred in the city of kirkwall; where the situation between the Templars and the Mages become progressively worse and precarious. It is the end of the fifth blight. Instead, the Qunari are the quiet threat to the city, while dealing with conflicts within the Chantry.

The Current game places the player into a situation where they are a prisoner that rises through the ranks. Your objective is to seal the breaches/rifts in the sky that have allowed demons to pass through, attacking the population while uncovering who is responsible for these events. Here is where I shall not speak more about Inquisition's main storyline as I know there are those of you out there who have yet to play it.

One of the areas I wish to address is the graphic content on the consoles. This is game is out currently on: PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3 and Playstation 4. As an experiment, I played the beginning of the game on the Xbox 360 and the PS4: by far the graphics are in favour of the next generation of consoles. It's no surprise considering what affects are used i.e. environments, glacial ice, smoke, snow. Older consoles offer a more... let's say a disappointing basic colour which give next to no overlay. Character appearance is also affected - a more blocky and less well defined of features. As much as it would be expensive, I would highly reccommend that if you love graphics and believe they contribute towards story; buy the game for either the PS4 or the Xbox One.

(Dailymotion.com - image reference)

Through-out the game, you are given the choice to select either: Viviene (first enchanter and a member of the imperial court), Dorian (A mage seeking to right the mistakes of his people,) Solas (a knowledgable elven mage with experiences that dwell into the fade and spirits,) Iron Bull (a Qunari leader of a mercenary group and spy,) Cole (a spirit who wishes to help people,) Sera (a cheeky elven girl who embodies the values of Robin Hood) previous favourite Varric, Blackwall (a Grey Warden, haunted by the past,) and Cassandra (a brash warrior and member of the seekers.) Each one of these companions has their own area of expertise and skills. The approval system has also been improved to offer much better feedback to the player. The voice-acting provided extra feel, atmosphere, performance and story to the game swell - so much so that it feels ... real to some degree. Interaction among NPC'S and your character flow beautifully.

Players are also given the opportunity to pursue romances (mine was Cullen: advisor and leader of the Inquisition forces XD) You can romance all of your companions with the exception of Varric, Cole, Viviene, Morrigan and Leliana. Each romance has it's own special diversity and requirements. For example, take Cassandra: who is a traditional romantic - poetry, flowers, books and spontaneousness. Whereas; Iron Bull is attracted by braveness in combat and Blackwall... well - he's too modest!

Another important aspect of the game was the weather systems and size of the maps - to see my character's armour covered in rain and blowing in the wind in deserts was breath taking. It may seem simple, but these simple factors offer story to story as well as feel, reality and demonstrate to us; the customers that small details such as these should have prominent place in the world. It's actions speak louder than words. The environments themselves were breathtaking! Sound effects complimented visuals very well, adding need overlay and an extra layer of intrigue and storytelling through seeing and sound.

Selecting a certain style of throne and judging prisoners of war was also a special feature where the player can exert their power and make use out of the prisoners. There were certain number of rooms that in appearance didn't seem to serve much use i.e. the old library near the kitchens, a gallery - I felt that these rooms could have had more practical use; such as housing the heads of defeated dragons, collecting certain objects/ books and displaying them in cases as well as works of art, offering information and cinematics to impressed lovers, visitors or companions. It would also have been nice if the player could have chosen the use of each room - particularly the Inquisitor's quarters i.e. you could convert the gallery into a private ballroom, dining room, display gallery and update the library so that people are seen to be using it and the player can gather continuous information, manage a diary of sorts and write letters or an area of reflection. So much potential for such a vast space!

Combat has been given a much needed make over; DA2's combat was criticised for being too hack and slash whereas in Origins's; combat was more strategic yet the animations were more slower and didn't meet the statures of genders. Alternatively; current combat is a lot more smoother, flowing, with the appropriate animations and body language to match. Inventory systems are much more easier to use - allowing the player to create special armours and weapons either for themselves or companions. Customisations have also played a huge enjoyable part in Inquisition - there are a few occasions where the player can customise the base (choosing either an infirmary or practise area or choosing from a templar tower to building your own circle of magi). For future improvements; I would love to see more customisable building features as well as quest options after the player chooses a specific upgrade. For example, if the player chooses to build a mage tower at Skyhold, the player could receive the opportunity to manage the guild itself while completing quests to rebuild the reputation of that specific group etc.

As I have adored the accomplishments of Dragon Age: Inquisition; there was very little if not, none that they could have been done to improve. My only criticism is that I wanted to learn and see more!

Architecture, lighting and composition firmly co-exists with many elements in Inquisition. It takes true master's of their craft to understand this and apply it to another format such as this. What we see is a work of art on our screens - with Inquisition features new areas of potential, and I hope Bioware continue to show their love and skill in future DragonAge games. Please get in touch if I have missed any areas in my review, or would simply like to share your opinions about the game, I would love to hear it!


All the best and Happy new year to you all!

Loot Crate "FEAR" Review

Loot crate "FEAR" Rating: 9.0 / 10

Hello all! I hope that you all enjoyed the Halloween festivities. As part of a new edition to my game review blog, I thought it would be interesting if I reviewed Loot Crate boxes every month. For those guys who aren't sure what Loot Crate is: it's a monthly subscription where the buyer will receive 8 items in relation to a randomly chosen theme within games and such! In my opinion, the service is value for money, items are of high quality and well thought of. I highly recommend this service to everyone, it's brilliant! And if your struggling what to get someone for a gift, this is perfect!

There are two types of boxes; one that is narrow but wider at the width means that you will mostly likely get a t-shirt and a graphic novel. The other type of box is thicker, so most likely, you will get a couple of rare figurines etc. This month's Loot Carte box is Narrow and wide. The inside of every box is custom according to the theme every month.

The box itself is durable, distinct, simple and surprising. The first item in the box is a black shirt with a collection of kittens that form a skull. I have to admit, the shirt gave me the giggles, good fun! The second item is a limited lithograph featuring a scene from the Walking Dead (Spoiler Alert!) Underneath the lithograph is a book called "How to Survive a Sharknado: And other natural Disasters" By Andrew Shaffer. The book is full of interesting tips, nice illustrations and on the whole a well made book of fun. On the right side of the box, is a Loot Crate exclusive: a DeadRising 3 limited edition pen. Well packaged- high quality, good colour and generally awesome. My only complaint, is that for my pen, it's abit tricky to separate the pen from the saw cover. Next we have the classic magazine with 3D glasses. If you put them on, the book becomes 3D and the box art comes to life!

Next we have bite stickers, one toxic waste sweet, the custom badge and lastly, possibly one of my favourite items: A Walking dead Comic book. Number: 132 Happiness. Pretty cool front cover with the Loot Crate sign on the zombie's T-shirt.

All in all my favourite item(s) were: the Cat/skull T-shirt, the survival book, the Walking Dead lithograph and the Walking Dead Comic book. They are stunning items, each has a distinct humour about them. It's a shame that the DeadRising 3 pen didn't work so well with me. If I could change or add anything to this month's Loot Crate, it would be to either a spooky lolly pop instead of Toxic Waste or maybe a spooky accessory or necklace.

Having said that, this is one of my favourite Loot Crates, the Crate has given us very well considered items, that invoke imaginativeness, laughter and spookiness what with Halloween and that. Please let me know what you think of this month's Crate! I hope you guys enjoyed this review, if you have any questions or if I have missed something out please let me know!

                         

                    I have subscribed to Loot Crate for 3/4 months now, and I don't regret it!

Infamous: Second Son Review

                                                    My game rating: 9 . 2 out of 10 ...


                                   

WARNING: Review may contain spoilers.

Sucker Punches previous game titles: Infamous and Infamous 2 proved so successful from not only experience, to combat and the colourful characters amount surroundings. Within these previous game titles, you played as the fan favourite, Cole McGrath. In the first game, the story was heavily focused upon the discovery and development of your powers and the consequential decisions you have to make along your journey within the heavily populated and apocoliptical city. Infamous 2 differed greatly from it's predesessor: for the first time in the Infamous franchise, players had to opportunity to  traverse swamps, small forests, converse with much more colourful and constrasting characters, use new elemental abilities and a much more colourful and less concrete city to play in, New Orleans. The second game title heavily influenced the player to focus on their decision making and gaining power. Character types and voice acting, new enemy types and collapsable building were amoung the much needed new features and visual effects.

From there, Second Son brought together what made the previous games so enjoyable to play. Without further ado, let's get into the review for Infamous: Second Son!

Set in the tribal village, you play as Delsin Rowe, a care free young man with an eye for art and holds the attitude of a typical teenage boy. After obtaining the smoke power from an escaped convict, Delsin learns that he is one of the 'freaks' now and begins his long journey. His attitude may come from the difficult relationship he has with his brother, who is a police officer and firmly believes that conduits are the ills of the world and therefore deserve everything they get coming to them. Upon discovering his powers, Delsin shows his excitement towards his brother, telling him of the things he could achieve .... The ending to which only provokes his brothers dis-approval and anguish.

After the sibling disagreements, Delsin realises in order to save his tribe, he must leave home and venture into the heart of the DUP forces and to the area of Austustine's headquarters.

For the player, Second Son proves to be a welcome edition from Sucker Punch studios. Instead of the lore and characters being set in a typical superhero comic book or movie, Second Son has been given a much needed face life, an upgraded, fresh look - stepping foot into the modern world.

Much of the good points surrounding Second Son relate to character performance, game graphics, lip sinc via actor and their character, sound, light affects, weather affects, graffiti side missions, secondary character profiles, storyline, combat, enemy types, facial animations and lastly the choice system. My favourite mission sequence was identifying the murderer - full of surprises along with great attention to detail and displays a welcome change of creativity.

The only areas I feel should have occurred more often, were the choice options and more interaction with Fetch and other friends to Delsin. The option to either corrupt or aid an alley was an enjoyable feature, one that could have played more of a role.

If you guys have any questions, or noticed anything I missed, please get let me know and I shall try to answer. I hope you enjoyed the review.

Murdered Soul Suspect Review

My Game Rating… 6.5 / 10 
The concept was there, but missed out critical areas that made similar games, such as La Noire a masterpiece.

Murdered Soul Suspect marks a very similar resemblance to that of La Noire where facial animations and crucial detective evidence gathering was the main objective to be had. Set in a dark, gothic small settlement, you play as detective Ronan: a man whose past was clouded by years of law breaking who ends up being over powered and shot several times in the chest by a immensely strong male known as the "Bell Killer."

After failing to apprehend the Bell Killer, the transformation began from living to dying. Ronan is horrified upon seeing his own body being brutally attacked with the killer walking away, scott free. Eventually, you get acquainted with a ghost girl (named, Abigail Williams) whose been wandering the streets as a ghost for a very long time making Ronan believe she knows "the way things work around here."

The overall concept of the game was pretty well thought of, if not too short in game duration. I say this because you can't interact with weapons or use a gun whereas most games nowadays seems to copy the same old objective. So instead on relying on weaponry, you use your head and skills as a former detective to find out who murdered you. Refereeing to the conversation you have with Abigail William previously; she states that the talents you have had in life, become powers in death. Graphics were a stunning feature, especially the ghost drawings featured on walls scattered across the city and the transparency of the main character. Yet there was the occasional glitch on the Xbox 360 (I wanted to compare next generation graphics to an older console to which the next generation console won in this experiment.)

Combat was a fresh air but lacked that spark that could have made it a pleasure to play. As previously

  mentioned earlier in the review, the player cannot touch or pick up objects. Instead you can inspect and search for clues. Guns aren't a playable feature, so combat mainly consists of hiding in ghost memory spots, avoiding demon sight lines and eventually creeping up behind demons, destroying them in the process. By adding more creative ways of killing demons, I believe most uncertainties 

about MSS would be solved. The historical and mythological research that went into the game was a brilliant experience, the theories of the killer were quite philosophical yet haunting to read and take in. And Let's not forget the cinematics! Character facial expressions and body language really added to the haunting atmosphere practically when you solve a murder. One of the features I found very enjoyable was the chance to solve other ghosts deaths, sending them to heaven after success. To improve the game, I would like to have had more interaction with ghosts, solving more aspects of their troubled lives and generally comforting them. 

As a ghost, you can possess, peek, influence, read minds, walk through walls and teleport short distances etc. While I believe these abilities gave you the upper hand in detective situations, there wasn't much of a fun factor. I believe that making objects move or smash, adopting the characteristics of a poltergeist character would have added more pleasurable game experience and would have created a more in depth sense of power to the main character.

From the list of character's which featured, I particually enjoy Joy's character. A reluctant medium who commits petty crimes in search of her mother, both of which are targeted by the killer and have been hiding separately to avoid detection. As a medium, joy can hear and see other entities and is able to decode her mother's cryptic journal. Her transformation from solely wanting to work alone and answer back to Ronan becomes more of an intelligent thinker and team player. 

Should a sequal be in mind, as a player, I would like the game which allows us to get to know the character's individually as well as adding more puzzles to solve, more items to collect, a game which has a pro longed storyline, larger explorable areas, and more interesting and unconventional ways to complete objectives. 

If I have at any point missed areas during the review, this is because I do not wish to spoil what happens for those players who have yet to play the game. 

AVATAR: The Game Review

… My game rating: 7 / 10 ...

First of all, It's awesome to get into game reviews once again where occasional illnesses and university won't bother me for five months! So to get back in the swing of things; I would like to start things off by reviewing a game that's one of my favourites yet has great room for future improvements.

The game was released around the same time as the movie. This review is a means of which we can make find out if game's based off a movie are good or are they a way for companies to gain more profit via other forms of media. Here you play as Ryder: a signal specialist who works for the RDA corp on Pandora. As a soldier; you execute orders to the letter… mending gates, interacting with your fellow soldiers, defending base camps, intercepting a mole. Eventually, you learn that what you have done at the beginning of the game brought devastation onto the Na'vai people. As you progress, you will face the ultimate choice: will you join the Na'vai or remain with the NDA and kill the mole?

Naturally, if you choose the Na'vai you will come across some stunning environments, ride the dangerous creatures on Pandora while revolting against the RDA, killing it's leaders on the battlefield, ambushing few soldiers and being knee deep in Na,via culture. Meanwhile, if you choose the RDA… let's face it, it's the evil badass choice to make so gameplay will be extermination on larger scales, while taking on their leaders single hand-idly. This being an evil path to take, means you get several opportunities to redeem yourself and change sides. However; you cannot change your human form. This will make combat with your now enemy, RDA a tad more challenging.

Combat on both sides are very over balanced. Naturally the Na'vai are not soldiers, these are hunters who know the way of their lands like the back of their hands. The Na'vai are mostly up close and attack  and yet their bows match greatly out weighs the RDA ranged weaponry. While RDA, are mostly orientated on range, making them weak up close but they have armour whereas the other side has bone and ceremonial armour. Overall, combat is on the RDA's advantage especially if they attack in groups.

Let's take a look at the environments… Let's face it, the use of colour and light as well as texture and depth real adds to the general atmosphere of being in this very surreal and potentially hostile environment. The environments at night are jaw dropping to say the least and the ability to right banshees; is also a brilliant idea yet at  times fiddly to control. As a Na'vai, these lands are sacred whereas the RDA see them as gold mines to benefit themselves. Character animations are also a highlight: the way the tail moves, the bags attached to your waist while running, and general character behaviour when your character action remains motionless. The weapons are also a well done feature: each has it's own uniqueness, especially the AVATAR weaponry where curves are prominent and colour gives a more ceremonial appearance. The use of lighting has been very impressive, especially the lighting to which surrounds hometree and night time surroundings. Another enjoyable factor, was seeing sprits floating in the air as the player walks past, this make the environment appear more in-depth and pure.

There is a deep and a beautiful sense of culture as well as history which surrounds Pandora and it's people which is part of the reason why I am so absorbed and in love with it! And while the game offers a breath of fresh air in terms of atmospheric environments, moral choices, the chance to revive yourself and collect samples, colourful weaponry, the ability to ride banshees, dire horses and thanators and strong NPC character's... Unfortunately; this wasn't enough in my opinion to rank it higher out of ten.

As this is an eccentric and dangerous world, I would have liked to have seen more effort placed on creating alot more side missions that link with the main storyline. For example, as a Na'vai you will come across a few AVATAR NPC's who insult and threaten to kill you, claiming that you will never be one of the people and as you level up you will gain new armours, powers and skills, there is a very brief description and story of each item. I feel as though this process was meaningless: considering that you betrayed your human, race you should have to win the people's trust by proving you are their friend. I believe side quests would have been really useful here, it would have offered the player a greater reward and appreciation towards the Na'vai customs.

Another aspect I felt needed changing was certain parts of populated environments. There are huts and buildings which sit there and offer no sense of purpose or interaction with the surroundings, player and NPC's in mind. These parts you will
need to pay attention to noticing. However; I can present an example as to the huts I am referring to. In the first Na'vai settlement you are positioned in after you choose the Na'vai side, you will be surrounded by climbable structures that offer little to no reward for climbing them in the first place. In the corners of these settlements, is often where you will take note of the structures I speak of. There was even a cave full of water and crystals located nearby but was offered no intel or background information as to what's it's purposes was.

Player voices were quite tiresome at times. I would have hope voice overs and the scripts were softer in accent plus I wanted to player to properly interact with the natives instead of the occasional typical and unnecessary remarks.

To summarise, my game rating would have been much higher had there have been more interactive and rewarding environments, better voice acting, larger maps,  a larger and in-depth encyclopaedia, ceremonies after reaching levelling up instead of the items magically appearing out of no where, improved conversation scripts, a great deal of side missions that offer you the chance to get to know your new allies, train to hunt, ambush the RDA patrols, create arty objects for home-tree, create your own weapons, learn the basic of the language, interact with families, craft and build your own lands and houses that steadily come to life with Na'vai and plant life the more you prove yourself and become a member etc. There was a great deal of potential here, and I feel there have been large parts that have been missed out, much to our mis-benefit.

Having said that; this is a good time. And if the changes I have enlisted are applied to the next game title in the AVATAR franchise, I think we will have a great game. This would offer players a deeper and rewarding sense of a different world that has different rules and cultures and more importantly… how we learn and fit into these places to find our own identities and make and break fate.

THIEF Review

My game rating 8 out of 10 …

http://dominus.ttlg.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/t4w3.jpg

THIEF's  release has been long awaited for the past year or so. Looking from the trailers, we were promised a aesthetically pleasing, dark genre fun stealth packed game available to the current consoles and next generation. Fortunately to say, we were not disappointed.

Lets get the bad stuff out of the way! The biggest killer for me was the jagged colour glitches which occurred everywhere across the screen. As I have been working on this review, readers and friends from my blog and university have admitted that they suffered the same problem. These glitches got so bad that they had to stop playing immediately. Another issue was the audio overlapping other NPC's while in conversation with Garett.  During cutscenes, Garett's lines cut every know and again, leaving only his lip sinc to stare at.

 http://www.primagames.com/games/thief/guides/thief-eguide/introduction - Character Profiles

The brash but deadly Erin, a nice change in character where an equally strong character leads her self astray and a return of the anti hero becoming one. Costume design has really taken shape here. Erin here (pictured above) comes across between a biker chick, assassin and thief. Her use of jewellery and the rustic manner of which she wears her clothing is quite unique. 

While these issues may have been arduous at times, that's not to say that THIEF wasn't a success. For those who aren't familiar with previous games and such: you currently play as master thief Garett, whose a rather anti-social character, preferring his own company compared with everyone else. He is intelligent and cat like in stature, climbing and combat. In this game title, you have an apprentice named Erin who is rather similar in character to Garett but she is alot more careless ad over confident. After losing your protege during a failed heist, you have no recollection as to what happened you and Erin. After spending one year away from the city, you return to find it in the rather corrupt hands of the Baron who believes industrial progress is the number one priority above anything else. Upon your arrival thanks to some discreet allies, you find yourself in the middle of the city where sickness, anger and riots plague the streets while the rich live comfortably in their homes while the poor struggle and starve in poverty. This is where the gameplay begins … Will you be a stealthy cat or an aggressor? Your call.

file://localhost/Users/sophiestelfox/Desktop/Thief-4-Game-Wallpaper.jpg

Favourite levels? Well mine would be the Madam Xao Xao's brothel and the mental asylum. Between the two levels, you will see and experience warm and exotic environments to cold, tenuous, potentially heart wrenching ones. For artists and game developers to go from one style and feel of environment to another is greatly admirable and I believe it truly adds more worth and depth to any game. Sound track takes less of a priority but maintains the overall theme and feeling of each scene. There are elements of rustic, classical and mixed elements which if you consider refer to similar patterns to Tomb Raider: Reboot and Bioshock: Infinite.

As for combat, it was enjoyable but not perfect. Dodging is a little fiddly and the only way to gain a real advantage in fighting a group of enemies is to invest in focus points. Despite this, the bow is an incredibly useful and powerful tool to use. And the variety of arrows made it all the better! Pickpocketing is an awkward and also a fun little thing to do that is further improved by focusing your points on this skills set. Another loveable factor is the abstract story… I like it because situations like this are not mean't to understand quickly. I tire of how most games spoon feed their gamers with a simple, unimaginative stories to which I find insulting. The gamers are not stupid, we crave for intelligent plots that give us inspiration and encourage us to ask questions.

http://www.therpf.com/attachments/f9/thief-4-costume-wip-first-post-theif-arrows.jpg-180593d1367812518

The side mission were very enjoyable. In some way it made feels as though I was getting to know someone through their house … plus their valuables of course! Exploring houses and solving their owners traps while listening to the cracks and spitting fires reflects the attention the developers displayed towards the project. Earlier I discussed the negatives of the game, I believe the game could be further improved if the player had more secret areas to explore, more interaction with the clock tower hideout, more collectables, and increased length of story or game hours. Also, I was troubled by how little the Queen of the Beggars had in the game. I believe there should have been some exploration and further interaction with this character alot more.

Overall, THIEF offers great voice acting, stunning graphical environments, a great array of character personalities, good combat and so on. I just wish that the game was longer so that the issues listed can be addressed and the character's throughly explored via side missions or extended main levels. Having said that however; after what I have seen and played so far, I can tell that this studio deeply cared about this project. That and fine artists have been a great source of help and visionary here. If only other studios could follow their example and standard of art produced.

http://titanbooks.com/the-art-of-thief-limited-edition-7594/

Before I conclude this review, I would like to recommend the art book for THIEF 4. There is a great amount of stunning conceptual images. If you are interested in modelling, they have pages in there too! If your a fine artist such as myself, then the book will be a valuable asset to any book reference collection. In the conceptual studies, you can see how the artists added animal characteristics i.e. how Garett looked cat like in combat and stature. You can buy this book from Ebay, amazon and Waterstones.