Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare - Ten Years On

Originally Published on Set The Tape

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare marked a turning point in the Call of Duty franchise. The first game to shift its setting away from World War Two, it would spark a change in direction that would ultimately turn the franchise into a sci-fi series. Whether or not that’s something that is a good thing, and fans are still debating that, it’s impossible not to acknowledge Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare as a literal game changer.

Set in the future, at the time, of 2011, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare sees a radical ultranationalist leader begin a conflict that would go on to span the globe, including Russia, the Middle East, and the United Kingdom. Taking on the roles of both a United States Force Reconnaissance Marine, and a British SAS commando, the player gets the opportunity to switch between these two characters, getting to see multiple parts of the conflict, as they hunt down the ultranationalist leader.

Whilst later games in the series would go on to take a frantic, almost over the top pace, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare has a slower, grounded pace to it, one that helps to give the player weight. You’re not jumping around locations or dashing about using mech suits, you’re just a simple soldier, fighting for your life.

The gameplay gives enough variety of action that it doesn’t feel like it repeats itself too much over it’s five hour camplain. Some levels have you assaulting enemy held compounds, other will see you sneaking your way into Pripyat in a level where stealth is the only way forward, and some will have you piloting massive bombers, reigning destruction down from high above the battlefield.

The game can feel frantic and faced paced, yet manages to fit in some slower moments that help to break up the pace. This is something that later games in the series would fail to do, relying on spectacle and explosions to keep players interested.

Thankfully, this variety, and some interesting characterisation, keep you interested enough to play through the game multiple times, something that the game actively encourages you to do so with the inclusion of Arcade Mode. Arcade Mode is a feature that only appeared in the Nintendo DS version of Call of Duty: Black Ops and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized outside of this game, and helps Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare to stand out amongst the other games in the franchise.

Allowing players to replay through the game with a running countdown, earning points for completing levels before time runs out, and for killing enemies in creative and accurate ways, Arcade Mode challenges you to play the game over and over, trying to beat your previous score. I lost count of the number of times that I played through Arcade Mode over the regular campaign simply because it felt more rewarding to see your points racking up on screen.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare also offered a strong multi-player element, including many features that would go on to be series staples, such as kill streak rewards, character and player ID customisation, and ‘Prestige’ mode. With multi-player levels built out of campaign maps, and some specially created just for multi-player, the online mode became a huge draw for many fans, with some even skipping the single player experience totally in order to play it.

A game that would go on to be a template for the Call of Duty games that we have today, and with some features that still let the game stand apart from other entries in the series Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is one of the stronger games in the franchise. With a new, remastered version of the game now available on XBOX One and Playstation 4, it’s still a great time to experience the game, whether as a new player, or someone that played it the first time it came out.


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Looking Back At Wolfenstein

Originally published on Set The Tape

The Wolfenstein franchise returns once again with Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, but the Wolfenstein series has a long, and at times bizarre, history. We look back on the weird and the wonderful from this World War II based video game series. Starting with…

Castle Wolfenstein (Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64)

Castle Wolfenstein is a stealth-based action game where players control an American operative during World War Two, who must infiltrate the titular castle in order to steal secret Nazi plans. The game is played in a top down perspective and requires the player to use stealth and cunning to reach their objective.

Beyond Castle Wolfenstein (Atari 8-bit, Apple II, Commodore 64, MS-DOS)

In Beyond Castle Wolfenstein the player once again takes on the role of an American spy, who this time must infiltrate a secret Nazi bunker where Hitler is in meetings with his senior staff. The player must retrieve a bomb, and place it outside the room that Hitler is in.

Wolfenstein 3D (MS-DOS)

The first game in the series to make the jump to first person shooter, Wolfenstein 3D sees the player take on the role of B.J. Blazcowicz for the first time, as he escapes from the Nazi prison Castle Wolfenstein. Wolfenstein 3D is widely considered to having helped birth the first person shooter genre as we know it.

Wolfenstein: Spear of Destiny (MS-DOS)

An expansion to Wolfenstein 3D, Wolfenstein: Spear of Destiny once again plays as B.J. Blazkowicz, though this time before the events of the previous game. This time B.J. must retrieve the mythical Spear of Destiny from the Nazis after its theft from Versailles.

Return to Castle Wolfenstein (PS2, Xbox, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS)

A loose reboot of the series, Return to Castle Wolfenstein is the first game in the series to introduce a supernatural element to the franchise. After being captured by Nazis, B.J. and another allied spy, Agent One, are imprisoned in Castle Wolfenstein, which is being used by the SS Paranormal Division to conduct experiments. Escaping from the castle, B.J. discovers that the Nazis are experimenting to resurrect their dead, and must find a way to stop them.

Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory (Linux, Mac Universal, Windows, Morph OS)

Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory is a standalone multiplayer expansion set within the Wolfenstein universe. Without a storyline or single player campaign the game purely focuses on player vs player combat.

Wolfenstein RPG (Java ME, BREW, iOS)

Wolfenstein RPG is a first person turn-based role-play game that takes on a lighter and more comical tone, replacing Nazis with mutant chickens. Once again playing as B.J. Blazkowicz, the player must escape his captors at Castle Wolfenstein and destroy the Paranormal Division before they can destroy the world.

Wolfenstein (PS3, Xbox 360, Windows)

Another reboot of the franchise, Wolfenstein sees Office of Secret Actions agent B.J. Blazkowicz discovering a piece of an ancient medallion containing supernatural powers. With the Nazis searching for more pieces of the medallion in order to access the Black Sun Dimension in order to gain powers that will give them the upper hand in the war, B.J. must find a way to stop their plans.

Wolfenstein: The New Order (PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Windows)

A sequel to Wolfenstein, with the Nazis using the powers gained from the Black Sun Dimension to shift the war in their favour, B.J. Blazkowicz is sent on a mission to eliminate General Deathshead. When the mission fails B.J. is sent into a coma for 14 years, waking to find the Nazis in control of the world. Joining forces with the resistance B.J. fights to find a way to being down the Nazi regime.

Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (PS4, Xbox One, Windows)

A prequel to Wolfenstein: The New Order, Wolfenstein: The Old Blood is a loose remake of Return to Castle Wolfenstein, which sees B.J. Blazkowicz and Agent One infiltrating Castle Wolfenstein in order to retrieve a top secret folder that contains the location of General Deathshead. The mission goes wrong and Agent One is killed, though B.J. is able to escape. Joining up with a local resistance he must track down a Nazi scientist in order to find the information that will lead him to Deathshead.


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Looking back at… South Park: The Stick of Truth

Originally published on Set The Tape

South Park: The Stick of Truth is not the first time that South Park has made the leap to the video game medium, but it’s easily the best available. With a story written by the series writing team, and an art style that seamlessly fits with the show, The Stick of Truth is like playing through a season of the show.

Using story beats established in the series most recent to the release of the game The Stick of Truth sees the children of the town playing a huge LARP game, allowing the game to intertwine traditional fantasy tropes into the South Park we all know and love.

Creating a brand new child that has just moved to town, you have the choice to join Cartman’s Humans, or Kyle’s Elves, all dressed in bad cosplay outfits. You even get to choose what class you want to play as: Fighter, Thief, Mage, or Jew. From here the game goes wildly out of control, featuring aliens, zombie Nazi’s, Underpants Gnomes, Crab People, and an 8-bit excursion to Canada.

The game’s combat plays like a typical RPG turn based game, though at times with characters reminding each other mid battle that they have to wait their turn to attack. The combat may be simple, but it’s a style that has worked well for decades within games, and it fits perfectly within this game. The usual turn based fighting tropes are all present, with class specific attacks, summons, and magic (fart attacks).

Despite a large number of attack options, classes, and quick time events the game is incredibly easy to get to grips with, though with enough differences and options available in the class systems to be able to try something different on a second, third, or even fourth playthrough. The basics are quick to learn but with enough options that you can tailor your character to your own way of playing.

The game even allows you to customise your character via unlockable armour, weapons, hairstyles, and accessories that allow you to make your character unique, though players wanting to make their character female do have to wait until a mission where you’re sent to infiltrate the girls in order to unlock female clothing and hair options.

The town of South Park itself is also well recreated within the game, allowing the player to explore iconic locations such as the school, the kids homes, and the park. Each area is lovingly recreated to look just like the show, and exploring the town is genuinely enjoyable.

A well made and surprisingly competent game, South Park: The Stick of Truth manages to recreate the look and feel of the show so well it’s a surprise that it took seventeen years to make a good game out of the franchise. The game isn’t perfect, there are some occassions where the controls don’t feel as good as they could do, but the flaws are small in comparison to everything that the game does well.

Fans of the show are sure to have a great time playing one of the most ridiculous games around.


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The Evil Within 2: 5 Other Survival Horror Games

Originally published on Set The Tape

The Evil Within 2 might be the newest kid on the block as far as survival horror games go, but the genre has been around for many years now, and has given some great horror experiences. So what games are worth playing if you enjoy survival horror? Here’s a list of five of the best.

Resident Evil VII: Biohazard (PS4, Xbox One, Windows)

Whilst Resident Evil might be one of the oldest franchises in the survival horror genre, the latest game in the series is one of the most frightening entries. Taking on a first-person perspective, Resident Evil VII shifts the focus from gunplay and action to one that focuses on sneaking through dark corridors, avoiding detection, and desperate survival.

The introduction of found-footage style sections also added an extra element of horror to the game that was missing in other recent Resident Evil titles. Resident Evil VII puts you in the shoes of Ethan, a man searching for his missing wife, who ends up stumbling across a horrific mystery that connects back to the Umbrella Corporation, one that will have him fighting for his very life.

Alien: Isolation (PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Windows)

After the disappointment of Aliens: Colonial Marines, Sega shocked gamers with an Alien game that managed to perfectly capture the aesthetic and horror of the original movie, in what is possibly the best Alien game to ever be produced.

Playing as Amanda Ripley, daughter of the Alien protagonist Ellen Ripley, you travel to the Sevestopol space station to search for clues to her mother’s disappearance. Unfortunately, the station is under siege from the same creature that hunted her mother years before.

The Pulse Rifles, Smart Guns, and other weapons iconic with the series were stripped away, changing the game from an experience where you hunt the xenomorph, to one where you must avoid the monster at all cost. Alien: Isolation reminds gamers just how frightening an enemy you can’t fight can be, and just why Alien should still be recognised as one of the best horror films.

Silent Hill 2 (PS2, Xbox, Windows)

The second entry into the Silent Hill franchise is still one of the best to date, with a big focus on character and psychological horror. Whilst other series focused on shock and moments of surprise to induce horror, Silent Hill 2 focuses on atmosphere to deliver much of its fear.

The story follows James Sunderland, a man haunted by the death of his wife, who becomes drawn to the mysterious town of Silent Hill, where he must not only face his own inner demons, but the truth of the death of his wife. Despite being an older game, Silent Hill 2 can still shock and scare as well as when it was first released. Plus, the recent HD re-release means that the game is now available on newer consoles with a glossier look.

Outlast (PS4, Xbox One, Windows)

Whilst many games in the survival horror genre will pit you against foes much stronger than you with few ways to defend yourself, Outlast gives you absolutely no way to do so. Outlast has you running and hiding instead of fighting as you investigate your way through an asylum full of terrors.

You play as a freelance journalist, armed with only a video camera, who decides to investigate the mysterious Mount Massive Asylum, and the inhumane experiments taking place there. A mixture of jump scares and atmosphere, Outlast will have you jumping out of your skin as you try to stay alive in a setting that maintains the terror between foes and jump scares.

Dead Space 2 (PS3, Xbox 360, Windows)

Dead Space 2 builds upon the solid foundation of the first game and improves upon it in almost every way. The game expands its mythology and story, gives us a bigger and scarier setting, introduces new enemies, and even allows Isaac to speak.

Following the events of the first game, Isaac awakens in an asylum on the Sprawl, a densely populated space station on one of Saturn’s moons. Unfortunately, a Necromorph outbreak has already hit the station, decimating the population. What follows is a game that explores the madness that Isaac is now experiencing, the conspiracy behind the Necromorph outbreak, and one of survival.


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The Evil Within 2: Looking Back At The Original Game

Originally published on Set The Tape

Created by the father of Resident Evil, Shinji Mikami, The Evil Within is a survival horror descent into madness following police detective Sebastian Castellanos as he’s pulled through a distorted world of nightmares and monsters. Building upon many of the survival horror tropes established by others in the genre, The Evil Within is an unforgiving fight for survival in a world that barely makes sense and tests the limits of the player’s skill.

Similar in look and style to Resident Evil 4 (Shinji Mikami’s last work on the series) The Evil Within pushes the horror elements further than most games in the genre, using the fact that the game is set within a bizarre dream world in a madman’s head to create scenarios that simply could not exist otherwise. Having been called in to investigate a brutal murder at Beacon Memorial hospital, Sebastian and his partners are suddenly thrown into twisted nightmare landscape inhabited by tortured souls.

Over the course of the game, Sebastian and the player come to learn that they are trapped within a shared Matrix-like world within the mind of the mentally unstable Ruvik, connected through brain sharing technology. The game draws upon the nightmares and fears of those trapped within the device, as well as the inner demons of Ruvik himself. The back story unfolds slowly, with small looks into Ruvik’s memories and shattered psyche rather than large revelations.

Whilst there’s a lot of mystery throughout the game, one that does add to the horror of not know what is happening and why, there are a lot of questions that will remain unanswered, with some of the bigger mysteries not solved until the very end of the game; or even until the DLC.

Despite some aspects of the story remaining unresolved, or simply unexplained, the gameplay itself is incredibly solid. The environments are are varied, ranging from gothic mansions, factories, mines, and even a ruined city, yet all manage to feel connected through the solid design that permeates the whole game. There are lots of different areas, some of which feel completely unconnected, yet all feel natural to the game because of the art style and attention to detail that is put into each location.

The combat mechanic will be very similar to those who have played survival horror games previously, with a small but varied selection of weapons to use. You begin your adventure with your police issue revolver before going on to find a shotgun, sniper rifle, and even a crossbow. The crossbow is one of the more interesting additions to the game due to its varied ammunition, such as harpoons, electrified bolts, freezing arrows, and explosive rounds.

Unfortunately, the game will make you count your bullets often as you come across little ammunition during your adventure, instead forcing you to rely on close quarters combat, sneak attacks, and traps. The lack of ammunition and addition of other means of combatting your enemies does add the option of a stealth playthrough that is missing from many survival horror games, meaning that there’s more replay options as you can try different techniques in the same level.

With collectables and upgrades scattered throughout levels, there’s incentive to stick with it even when things get difficult, building your character up slowly until you can beat the game fully.

If you’ve not played The Evil Within you should definitely take the time to explore the first game before jumping into the sequel.


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Looking back at… Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor

Originally published on Set The Tape

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor managed to surprise a number of gamers when it was released back in 2014. Up until that point games based upon the Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit were often disappointing and lacklustre, but then Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor arrived and showed just how amazing J.R.R. Tolkien’s world can be in this medium.

Taking place between the events of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor follows Talion, a ranger from Gondor, who is defending an outpost near Mordor when the forces of Sauron return and murder him and his family. After his death Talion becomes merged with the wraith of the elf Celebrimbor, the man who forged the rings of power. Together, the two of them return to the land of the living and set out to avenge the death of Talions family.

What follows is an open world action adventure across the land of Mordor. You can choose to take on specific missions and tasks, explore the environment, or collect items scattered across the landscape that will give you additional abilities. Playing like a combination of an Assassin’s Creed game and Batman: Arkham City, Shadows of Mordor allows players to fight the forces of Sauron through stealth and fear, or through vicious combat.

The game’s combat is incredibly fluid, allowing you to have Talion fighting Orcs one on one, or in groups of a dozen or more. Whilst the game does borrow from the combat of the Batman games it adds its own feel with buckets of gore and messy killing moves that sever limb and impale enemies.

The game very much embraces its setting, with even the tiniest detail steeped in the style of the cinematic Lord of the Rings universe. Costumes, characters, ruined buildings, and weapons, all of it looks like it was taken out of the Peter Jackson films. Whilst the game itself isn’t really an official tie-in to the films this similar design does help to ground the game into a universe that many people will be familiar with.

One of the features of Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor that makes the game stand out from similar experiences is the Nemesis System. The Nemeses are random enemies in Saurons army that uniquely generated for each playthrough of the game. Each of these Nemeses has their own personality, and will move through the ranks of the enemy army.

These enemies will each react to Talion and his actions in their own way, whether to fight against him, to flee, or to enact some other plan. The Nemeses will also have relationships to each other, some of which work together – others you can make challenge each other until one is killed.

By defeating the enemies in the Nemesis System, or even by dying at their hands, you will have an affect on the web of enemies and alter your gameplay experience. Not only does this system make the game stand out from other open world adventure games, but means that your gameplay experience will be different each time you play the game.

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor stands out amongst other action games with its unique gameplay additions and its stand-out setting. The unpredictable nature of the Nemesis system delivers a game that offers more memorable and unique battles than other games that are more scripted. Fun combat and exploration of an iconic location adds to a game that is incredibly fun and challenging.


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Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2 Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2 is the sequel to the popular 1995 game Star Wars: Dark Forces. The game once again lets you take on the role of Kyle Katarn, former Imperial officer turned mercenary, who has now learnt that he is force sensitive and begin to train as a Jedi. Unfortunately, Kyle’s father is murdered by the Dark Jedi, Jerec, who wants to know the location of the mythic Valley of the Jedi.

Whilst the first game in the series was very much a Doom clone set within the Star Wars universe, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2 introduces improvements and variety to the gameplay, chiefly with the introduction of The Force as a playable element, along with lightsaber combat. Setting the style of gameplay that would be used by Star Wars games for decades, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces allows the player to choose how they will learn the ways of The Force, allowing you the option to customise and upgrade your abilities as you see fit.

The Force powers are split into three separate categories; Light Side powers, which allow you to heal yourself, make yourself undetectable to enemies, and to protect yourself from damage; Dark Side powers, which allow you to throw objects at enemies, choke them from a distance, or fire lightning at them; and Neutral powers, which focus on enhanced speed, agility, and other physical traits.

The different Force abilities are separated fairly rigidly, more so in the rest of the Star Wars universe, where throwing things with The Force was never seen as a Dark Side ability, and Jedi’s used the power all the time. It’s a stricter line between light and dark as the game wants you to think about the path that you’ll be guiding Kyle down, whether the abilities that you’re teaching him are leading him towards the Dark Side, or if he can remain a hero.

At the time of release the game was promoting these choices between Light and Dark as being significant for how the game would play out, yet this isn’t as stark a difference in the game as the developers led people to believe. The biggest difference to the story comes at the end of the game, where players are allowed to choose a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ ending, having Kyle join Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Academy, or having him absorb the power of the Valley of the Jedi and becoming the new Emperor respectively.

Despite this lack of diversity in the story the game still manages to be exciting and engaging, with a number of huge set pieces for the player to enjoy, such as running through a crashing cargo ship, or dodging attacks from TIE Fighters whilst on top of a space station.

The level designs help with this sense of scope and hugeness of story, as it quickly becomes clear that they are much bigger than the previous game, taking full advantage of the extra movement and agility that comes with having a character that can use The Force. Whilst not the biggest levels you’ll ever play in a video game, there is enough of a sense of freedom to them that they feel new and exciting compared to Star Wars: Dark Forces.

One of the features that makes the game stand out, and is definitely a product of the time that it was made in, is the use of full-motion video cutscenes. Whilst the prospect of live action video cut scenes set within the Star Wars universe may at first seem like an exciting idea, please bear in mind that this is mid-90’s video game acting and effects.

At the very best the acting in the cutscenes are mediocre, thoug more often than not it’s just plain bad. The actors don’t quite look right for the role, with Kyle Katarn looking more like a daytime soap character than a grizzled warrior. Despite this, there is something rather charming about these poorly acted moments that will endear them to you in a ‘so bad they’re good’ way.

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2 is an improvement over its predecessor in a lot of ways, with a better story, bigger levels, and improved game design. By introducing The Force to Kyle Katarn, however, the game sets the series on a new course, one that leads to some amazing games such as Star Wars Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast, and Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, as well as establishing Kyle as one of the most beloved characters in the old expanded universe.


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Halo 3 Retrospective

As originally published at Set The Tape

The Halo franchise is arguably one of the most important Xbox game series, with the original game making the Xbox a must have console. Whilst the series may not be as prominent today as it once was, it’s hard to ignore the impact that Halo had. With the 10th anniversary of the release of Halo 3, the first Halo game on the Xbox 360, now is a good time to look back at what made this game such a success.

I purchased an original Xbox not long after Halo 3 was released, purely as an impulse purchase. Two of the games that came with the console were Halo and Halo 2, and after completing Halo 2 I walked into the town centre and purchased an Xbox 360 and Halo 3 that very same day. The reason for this: I wanted to know how the story was going to end. In a move that I describe as being evil but genius, Bungie ended the second game on a cliffhanger, meaning that people would need to play the third game just to get a satisfying conclusion. And boy did that tactic work.

Whilst not the end of the series as originally intended, Halo 3 definitely felt like the end of a trilogy, the end of a story, and that made its single player campaign stand out as something special. The story picked up with the Covenant occupation of Earth, Master Chiefs fight to destroy the flood, the alliance with the Elites, and the rescue of Cortana, all before a conclusion of galactic proportions that brought an end to the Covenant War.

Halo 3 managed to cram masses of story into its campaign without it feeling too bloated, or overly long. The pacing worked well at letting the story unfold at a natural and managed pace, making it more enjoyable than some other first person shooters at the time. Whilst the games graphics are somewhat more dated by today’s standards, at the time it looked phenomenal, with grand cinematic cut scene sequences that gave the game a sense of scale and awe, and helped the story to blast along.

The game also managed to improve upon the series gameplay, though without the need to try and reinvent anything. Whilst the game did introduce some new weapons, vehicles, and power-ups, it all felt like a natural progression, and fitted into an already well established universe and game-play style.

Halo 3 even continued to allow players what felt like some degree of freedom, giving players the option to go on foot, or use a number of land or air based vehicles. Whilst the game itself was still scripted and you had certain objectives that had to be completed, it at least felt like you had a number of ways in which you could attempt this and it encouraged you to try something a little different on subsequent playthroughs.

One aspect that really made Halo 3 stand out, and added to its level of success, was it’s online multi-player. Whilst not a new concept Halo 3 managed to create an incredibly well crafted and competitive multi-player experience, one that it would go on to use as a standard template for the rest of the series’ life. The Halo multi-player has gone on to be one of the most competitive and beloved online games in recent years, with players dedicating hundreds of hours, and possibly more, to perfecting their skills and increasing their rank.

Halo 3 may not be the best game when looked at beside recent first person shooters; it’s graphics aren’t the best, and some of its gameplay may not feel as intuitive as it could, but it still holds up incredibly well. Despite these slight nit-picks Halo 3 is still a very competent game, and one that was incredibly important at the time for helping push the Xbox 360 to become one of the best consoles of its generation.


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Pharaonic - 5 Games Set In Ancient Locations

As originally published on Set The Tape

With set pieces that films can still only hope to replicate, video games are a medium that can make the most of any location or time period. With so many games set in the modern world, or highly futuristic environments, it’s easy to forget just how amazing our own ancient history can be, and how well they work in the gaming medium.

As the brand new, ancient Egypt set Pharaonic gets a release, we take a look back at some of the best games set in ancient locations.

Far Cry Primal
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, Windows

The most ancient game on this list, Far Cry Primal takes everything good about their first person shooter series and turns the dial back to 10,000 BC. The guns are gone, replaced with clubs and spears, grenades are a thing of the past (or future, I guess) and vehicles have been replaced by saber-toothed tigers.

Far Cry Primal has you play as Takkar, a member of the Wenja tribe who is fighting not only for survival against other predators, but rival tribes of cannibals and fire worshippers.

Many of the series mechanics remain, with rival outposts to conquer, bosses to kill, and items to unlock to make your missions easier. Shifting the setting back in time actually makes a lot more sense over previous games, with the setting actually enhancing the game play. Far Cry Primal may have been overlooked upon its release by many, but is easily on of the best of the series.

God Of War
Platform: PS2, PS3, PS4, PSP, PS Vita

The God of War series takes some big liberties with its ancient history by mixing a lot of mythology (okay, it’s mostly mythology), but it’s easily the best game set in ancient Greece.

God of War follows Kratos, the permanently angry Spartan warrior, as he battles through ancient cities, the underworld, and the realm of the Gods in his quest for revenge for the death of his family.

The series gives us over the top and insane action sequences that are simply impossible for other games (where else can you ride a Titan up the side of Mount Olympus?), a competent fighting mechanic, and a genuinely engrossing story. With the latest game in the series due out early 2018, now is a good time to look into the rest of the series.

Onimusha
Platform: GameBoy Advance, PS2, PS3, Xbox, Windows

Onimusha began as a very simple concept, mixing Resident Evil with samurais and ninjas; and it’s an absolutely perfect combination. Whilst the series does develop over their four entries to become more of an action series, it never stopped being enjoyable.

The series follows a number of protagonists as they fight against the forces of hell throughout the Sengoku period in Japan. Onimusha 3 mixed the formula up slightly as it split action between ancient Japan and modern day Paris (including an appearance by french actor Jean Reno as a playable character) before returning to its roots for the final game in the series.

Whilst it’s been several years since an Onimusha game, it’s still one of the highest selling and best reviewed Capcom franchise, outdoing many that are still being produced. If you can track down Onimusha it’s definitely worth the effort.

Eternal Darkness
Platform: GameCube

Eternal Darkness is a headfuck of a game. A survival horror that doesn’t just mess with the character, but the player too. The game will make you think that it’s crashed, it’ll reverse your controls, and will pretend to delete your save file. Getting through this is a challenge as you never know what’s real.

The game itself follows Alexandra Roivas, who is investigating the murder of her grandfather. What she uncovers is a story that includes a Roman Centurion, a Khmer slave girl, a Persian monk, and a World War 1 reporter to name but a few. The game spans multiple locations and times as it reveals a story of ancient Gods, dark magic and insanity.

With messed up game play, a globe spanning story, and a cast of amazing voice talent, Eternal Darkness is one of the best games ever released on the GameCube.

Prince of Persia
Platform: Atari, Dreamcast, Gameboy, Gameboy Colour, GameCube, iOS, Nintendo DS, PS2, PS3, PSP, Genesis, Master System, SNES, Xbox, Xbox 360, Wii

The longest running series on this list, Prince of Persia spans multiple iterations and re-imaginings, but at its core it gives the player the chance to adventure through ancient Persia as The Prince, an acrobatic warrior on his quest to save the realm from evil.

The specifics of the games change with each new version, with some allowing for magic powers and time bending, but the core mechanics have remained fairly consistent over the series’ thirty year shelf-life, making Prince of Persia a series that is sure to be around for many more years to come.


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Marvel Vs Capcom Infinite - 5 Of The Best Recent Fighting Games

As originally published on Set The Tape

The fighting video game has always been successful, with its simple formula of one to two players fighting in an enclosed arena, making it a series that works well in the arcade, the home, and online.

As such, the beat-em-up is a genre that continues to be popular even after 40 years; but with the genre having been around for so long, what are some of the best games of recent years? Let’s take a look.

Mortal Kombat

Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, PS VITA, Windows

The 2011 release of Mortal Kombat was a game that not only revamped the MK series, but also showed a lot of other fighting games just how the genre could be expanded and built upon.

The NetherRealm Studios fighter retold the stories of the first three Mortal Kombat games, though this time there was a major emphasis on story, with cut scenes and fights that made sense as part of the larger narrative. This was one of the first times that a beat-em-up had put serious effort into telling an actual story, and the game benefited from this immensely.

The addition of the battle tower and a series of unlockable bonuses and rewards made sure that there was plenty of content to the game, content that meant that you’d keep playing long after you’d completed the story and mastered the online multi-player.

Street Fighter 4

Platform: Arcade, PS3, Xbox 360, Windows, 3DS, iOS, Android, PS4, Xbox One

Street Fighter may not be the original fighting game, but it is the series that will come to most people’s minds when you mention the genre. Street Fighter 2 was one of the most popular and successful games of the genre, and Street Fighter 4 did its best to replicate that same popularity.

Street Fighter 4 is an immensely enjoyable game, with a number of new additions to the combat mechanics and character roster that made the entry stand out. It also has an art style that makes it stand out from a number of the more realistic games in the genre.

As with previous entries of the Street Fighter series, there would go on to be multiple versions of Street Fighter 4, such as Ultimate and Super, but the first is possibly the most challenging, as they had yet to lower the difficulty of what is one of the most frustrating final bosses ever.

Injustice 2

Platform: PS4, Xbox One, Android, iOS

Injustice was a fighting game that few expected to be good, so its success was a welcome surprise, and Injustice 2 builds on the positives of the first game in spades. It gives us a better story than the previous entry, a more diverse variety of characters, and a new online challenge system and reward mechanic that provides a hugely enjoyable replay value.

The game also features customisable character level-ups, along with upgrades and equipment. This not only gives you something to work towards, but means that you can create your own versions of your favourite DC characters.

Super Smash Bros.

Platform: 3DS, Wii U

Nintendo have access to some of the most colourful and family friendly characters in video games, and seeing them beat the hell out of each other is surprisingly fun. Super Smash Bros. gives players the opportunity to pit classic characters such as Mario, Link, Pikachu, Samus and Pac-Man against each other in crazy combat.

Whilst it’s not as serious a game as others on this list, it’s one of the most eclectic, with characters, arenas, and power-ups drawn from the whole of Nintendo history that really shouldn’t work together, but does in magnificent style.

The additional use of Amiibo’s as a way of storing character data and unlockables means that it’s never been easy to take your character with you to fight your opponents without using online connections. A system that even worked on the handheld 3DS version of the game; a version which may be the best portable fighting game ever.

Mortal Kombat X

Platform: PS4, Xbox One, iOS, Android, Windows

Is it a cheat to have two Mortal Kombat games in this list? Maybe, but it does go to show just how good the series has become.

Building upon their innovations from their previous entry, Mortal Kombat X gives players more of what’s come before, but this time with a whole new original story and a host of new characters.

The game also gave players some great horror themed DLC characters, including Jason Voorhees, Leatherface, and both the Alien and Predator, all of which they managed to seamlessly fit in, in game-play, style and tone.

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Pokemon Gold and Silver Review

As originally published on Set The Tape

Originally released in Japan in 1999, with releases in the rest of the world a year later, Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver are the first entries in the second generation of Pokemon games. Set in the Johto region, the games introduce a new story, new characters, and one-hundred brand new Pokemon to collect.

Much like the previous games, Pokemon Red, Pokemon Blue, and Pokemon Yellow, Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver are played in a top down third-person perspective, with players navigating around the land of Johto. The player is given their first Pokemon by Professor Elm, a choice between Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile, before being sent on an adventure to find every Pokemon in the world and become the Pokemon champion.

Just as with previous Pokemon games you can search for new Pokemon in the long grass, caves, and water, though Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver introduces a new ‘headbutt’ mechanic, where you can headbutt certain trees to knock Pokemon out into the open.

The game introduces other new elements, including a day and night cycle, with certain Pokemon only coming out at certain times of the day, as well as genders for the Pokemon, introducing the ability to breed Pokemon for the first time. These new features change the game in huge ways, though they don’t feel jarring to the gameplay experience, or forced into the game, but rather feel like a natural progression to the series.

Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver also introduce audiences to the first group of new Pokemon, with a hundred new monsters added to the franchise. Some of these Pokemon are added evolutions to existing creatures, including pre-evolution ‘baby’ Pokemon, whilst others are brand new species.

Many of the new Pokemon introduced for Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver are still some of the best that the series has given us, and played an important part of shaping the series for the future by introducing three new ‘types’ to the game.

The game also expands upon the standard story of a Pokemon game in exciting ways. Yes, you still explore your region, fight an evil organisation, challenge the gyms and eventually become the champion, but this time once you have become the champion in Johto you are able to travel back to the Kanto region from the first set of games to fight your way through their gym leaders.

Despite being almost 20 year old, this hasn’t been repeated since, and Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver remain the only games that contain more than one region, something that fans have wanted in every generation since.

Yes, Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver are fairly simple compared to some of the later games; there’s no battle tree, secret bases, or Pokemon contests to take part in. However, having expanded upon the original generation and fixing many of the issues that plagued those games, Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver are still some of the best Pokemon games because of how simple they are.

The re-released games haven’t been touched or altered in any way, the graphics are the same as when they were first released, and the bugs that players found in the original will still be here, but this doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of the game at all.

The one addition to the game is the ability to transfer Pokemon from Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver to the Nintendo 3DS Pokemon Bank, enabling players to transfer their Pokemon into later games. Once a Pokemon has been removed from the game into Bank, however, it cannot be returned, so make sure that you really want to transfer it before you do so.


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Mario & Rabbids Kingdom Battle Review

As originally published on Set The Tape

Mario & Rabbids Kingdom Battle is the first Super Mario game to arrive on the Nintendo Switch, and it’s brought the characters of the Ubisoft Rabbids franchise.

After a scientist creates a device known as the ‘SuperMerge’, technology that can combine two separate objects into one new creation, the Rabbids arrive and get their hands on the device. Chaos then ensues as the Rabbids enter the Mushroom Kingdom, using the ‘SuperMerge’ to create hilarious fusions. When one of the Rabbids merges with the device, becoming ‘Spawny’, Mario and the rest of the Mushroom heroes must team up with a group of good Rabbids in order to stop him.

What plays out from there is an amusing, though somewhat challenging combat game, a mixture of Worms/XCOM style turn based combat, and a Mario title. Whilst at first this might seems like a strange blend, it’s actually one that works brilliantly well.

The bright and colourful environments of the Mario series are used to create some varied and interesting combat arenas, with items like pipes allowing from different travel options and tactics, and Bow Wow’s creating deadly hazards that can affect both sides in a battle.

The enemy teams themselves are made up from a combination of Rabbids of varying types, including some that have been merged with recognisable Mario characters, such as Rabbid Kong. Meanwhile, the heroes are a group of four, with the player able to choose from Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, or the Rabbid versions of them.

The interactions between the Mushroom heroes and their Rabbid counterparts are often amusing, and help to build a shared universe. The way that Rabbid Peach inspects the real Princess Peach and judges her appearance with evil glares is a particular highlight.

The gameplay is very enjoyable, with beautiful environments to explore between combat sections, many of which are filled with easter eggs and hidden jokes.

Combat itself makes use of the varied weapons and abilities of each character to create a playstyle that makes it stand out from other turn based combat games. Whilst some titles such as XCOM will have you keeping your squad close together, Mario & Rabbids Kingdom Battles encourages you to split your team up whilst using them to enhance each other with combat and movement boosts.

Whilst the smaller arena and team size makes the combat simpler than other games of this particular genre the difficulty curve is quite steep, making later combat something that can be incredibly challenging, even after unlocking new weapons and upgrading abilities. The game does allow you to tackle the combat on ‘Easy Mode’, which gives you extra health with which to tackle the fight, unfortunately there’s no normal or medium difficulty, leading to some hard decisions on how you intend to approach fights.

Unlockable abilities and extra challenges also means that there’s a lot of replay value in the game, with players able to go back to retry missions once they’ve progressed further in order to get a better ranking and unlock more rewards.

Mario & Rabbids Kingdom Battle offers players a variety of combat and encourages dedication and replay in order to hone your skills. Whilst some gamers that are veterans of the genre may find the game on the simple side there’s enough content to keep people entertained for hours.


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