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!