Onimusha - The Little Known Gem

Onimusha - The Little Known Gem

By Unknown   22:47   No comments:

Whenever I mention Onimusha to any of my friends, their first reaction is 'what?' Not many seem to know about it, despite it being one of Capcoms highest grossing game series. Starting with Onimusha Warlords, it sprouted three sequels and a couple of spin offs, bringing with it Action-Adventure gameplay in an ancient Japanese Setting. The story also uses historical figures from throughout history, but with a supernatural twist along the way.

The main enemies in the game come from the Genma, demons from another world invading ours with the help of Nobunaga Oda. For the first three games, Nobunaga is the leader of the Genma, despite not being fought in Onimusha Warlords he is still considered the main antagonist. The story initially begins with Samonosuke Akechi and his battle to save Princess Yuki after she is captured by the Genma to assist in Nobunagas ascension to power. He is soon granted the power of the Oni to fight against the demons and save the princess, pretty cliche but it was an early game on the Playstation 2 (which was also originally meant to be for the PS1).

Samonosuke fights through the hordes of demons before coming head to head with the Demon King Fortinbras, saving Yuki in the process. We now wouldn't hear of him until Onimusha 3, as we were introduced to a new Oni in Onimusha: Samurai's Destiny. This time the power fell in to the hands of Jubei Yagyu, a skilled swordsman who's village was attacked by demons leaving him to come back to find his people killed. This game took a detour away from the original, introducing shops and a more adventure feel to it, where you would be able to explore various different areas, gain new skills and earn trust from team members who you would encounter along the story. You would do this by giving them gifts which you would find in chests or purchase from the shops.

In my personal opinion this was by far the weakest entry in the series but Capcom would soon learn from this and introduce us back to Samonosuke in Onimusha 3. This brought about another Oni to team up alongside the original, in an adventure throughout time. Our new Oni Jacques Blanc would be thrown back in time to Feudal Japan, using his Oni Whip to fight the demons and Nobunaga, whilst a young samonosuke would be thrown forward to modern day Paris to fight the onslaught of Genma. He would also come face to face with an old enemy from Onimusha Warlords and finally put him to rest.

This brings us up to the latest entry (and by latest I mean last released back at the end of the PS2 era) Onimusha: Dawn Of Dreams. Nearly a total departure from the original but still one of the most impressive games on the PS2, this brought about one of the only two disc games I am aware of on the PS2. Soki fights with two massive blades and collects many more along the way upgrading them however he sees fit. It also introduces us to various characters who are descendants of those previously, like Jubei, who is the granddaughter of Jubei from Onimusha 2. This game was never planned as was a bit of a risk for Capcom, as it was released just as the PS3 entered in to the market, meaning this one didn't do too well in sales. However this brought about over the top gameplay in a way I hope they HD remaster or bring in a sequel one day. Onimusha will always lay as one of my favourite series from the PS2 and if you get the chance, I highly recommend you play it. If you've played Onimusha, let us know your memories of the series below.

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Resident Evil - Then & Now

Resident Evil - Then & Now

By Unknown   15:31   No comments:

Back in 1996, we were introduced to the survival horror genre, which was made popular by Resident Evil. The original numbered entries in the series brought us true horror, with limited stock of ammo to find, zombies soaking up bullets like sponges and enemies jumping at you when you least expect it. Resident Evil truly defined the Survival Horror genre of its day, and this peaked (in my personal opinion) at Resident Evil 2, featuring Claire Redfield and Leon S. Kennedy as its main protagonists. That's not to say after this the game stagnated, there were some further great entries in the series including Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, Code Veronica X and Outbreak File 1/2. As Resident Evil 4 came along, this brought in a massive change in the series as a whole.

Resident Evil 4 introduced us to a new style of over the shoulder gameplay and more action heavy sequences. This is where I feel the series changed forever. With the loss of the survival horror element, the series continued down this road, with RE5 and 6 following suit, but RE6 gave us an utter action-explosion fest that we hadn't seen in the series before. This entry gave us four storylines to follow, that all intertwined with each other, giving us different types of infected before grouping the story together at the end with a different boss fight for each. Whilst I enjoyed Resident Evil 6, I believe this is where it truly lost what it was before.

However it seemed Capcom has heard the message from the players in that they missed the survival horror, because along came the Revelations side entries. Revelations 1 was a brilliantly claustrophobic iteration, taking place mostly on board the Queen Zenobia cruise ship, riddled with a new breed of infected. Now sure, there have been far too many viruses and this one gave a really loose ending as to what we can expect to come but the game itself was brilliant. The Atmosphere was perfect, the battle system was good (and improved upon in the PS3 version) and really brought back some of the scares from the originals. Then along came Revelations 2, which blew me out of the water. Again it brought about a new virus, but this time it was based on fear.

This infection was different from the others completely and again the atmosphere was brilliant. Sure there were parts which were completely over the top, but isn't that Resident Evil's whole base for their game? It wasn't shy to poke fun at some of it's previous entries either, with Claire making comments about Barry with his now infamous 'Jill Sandwich' line from RE1. The ammo wasn't as scarce as the originals, but with some of the enemies needing a lot of handgun bullets to take down, you were sure wishing you had of held on to those shotgun rounds to take them down. The puzzles are back in this entry as well, with you having to escape areas quickly and solve different button combinations also. This really was a brilliant entry in what was becoming a slowly stagnant series.

This brings us up to the upcoming entries in the series, starting with Resident Evil 2 remake. I want to start with this because I AM BLOODY EXCITED. As I mentioned above RE2 was the best in the series to me, with Claire and Leon becoming my favourite characters (except for Albert Wesker). Since they have been re-issuing the original entries after giving them a much needed HD Remaster, they have announced they are remaking Resident Evil 2. That's right, not a HD Remaster, an entire new remake from the ground up. What's to come with this, we have no idea as there has been nothing more announced about it yet. However if it sticks to the storylines of the original version (let's just not talk the Umbrella Chronicles version) along with the survival horror, but still manages to keep the over the shoulder and movement shooting, I am all for that. Even if it is a perfect replication of the original I would not care, they can milk me for all the money to get that game remade.

Now we talk Umbrella Corps, the Call Of Duty of this series. This iteration looks to bring a multiplayer shoot out to the RE universe. Set in 2015, years after the downfall of Umbrella, there are corporations around the world looking to take the research on Bio weapons and use them for themselves. Set among areas from previous Resident Evil games, teams will fight against each other, in with the hordes of the undead to get hold of the research. It'll feature many of the usual guns you find in FPS games along with some interesting melee weapons. However they may want to take a look at their movement animations, which don't seem ready for release just yet:

So with this coming up soon and no further information on a numbered entry in the series, where do you think Resident Evil will go from here? Do you think the remade Resident Evil 2 will completely refresh the series, or do you think Umbrella Corps is going to kill it? Let us know in the comments below!

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Ratchet and Clank Reboot - Am I excited, YEAH I AM

Ratchet and Clank Reboot - Am I excited, YEAH I AM

By Unknown   22:43   2 comments:

Let's throwback to 2002 when the PS2 was in its prime, just about the time a furry Lombax and his robot sidekick came on to the scene. This game quickly became popular and certainly grabbed my heart, eventually turning in to a series that spanned across to the PS3 with multiple games following. Sure it didn't grab the excitement of some others with its portable versions (Secret Agent Clank anyone?) but Ratchet and Clank became a staple in my game collection. Now it seems the last Ratchet and Clank on PS3 (Into the Nexus) was to be the last.

That's not all true however as the series is being revitalized and brought back with a brand new beginning. In April this year (2016) we're being gifted a movie about the duo's origins, but also a game about the movie of the game. Confusing? This game is set right back at the beginning, but instead of being a simple HD rehash of the original, they're rebuilding it from the ground up. This will no doubt give the original game a massive new life ahead of it.

This new version of the story is set to bring new events and massive worlds along with it. From the trailers that have been released, it looks like they have learnt a lot from the more recent games in the series and pooled all of this in to make the original as good as the newer entries. The combat has been brought up to scratch as from what I can see, it's more like the recent iterations. If you recall back to the original game, the combat was by today's standards, quite poor.

If you take a look at the gameplay from PAX above, you can also see just how far the visuals have come along. It also showcases just how much the worlds have changed and storyline from the original. The main point sticking out for me is Clank having crashed and being taken to the garage. In the original Clank was found by Ratchet after escaping a factory.

Overall I think this is going to be one killer game and bring about a new life cycle for one of my most beloved franchises, along with it's movie released on the same day. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.


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Are we really ready for VR?

Are we really ready for VR?

By Unknown   21:23   No comments:

Virtual reality is coming and there's not much we can do to stop it. With the oncoming storm of the different headsets for different platforms, along with their controllers, I find myself wondering 'are we really reading for VR?' 

You don't have to go far to find reasons for Virtual Reality. From the experience of being even further involved in any first person view game, but the ability to leave our reality and delve in to another is what many dream of. However that same point could be used against VR. As humans, do we really lead such a stress filled lifestyle, that our only escape is to leave in to another reality? Take a quick look on YouTube for VR fails, you'll find plenty, this particular one being my favourite:

So in the case of the video above, the young lad becomes so disconnected with life around him, that he pretty much ends up in a spasm by the end that seems to cause him to panic an awful lot. Now I know people who panic and become anxious just watching a 3D Film just due to some images coming towards them, so will VR really be the big hit that many are hoping it will be? Will developers put time in to developing VR games, or will they just stick to what they know is going to work and be accessible to more people?

What I'm worrying about is will this bring about a group of people so disconnected with the reality outside of their game, will we see a rise in people wanting to escape reality and just leave everything behind? I guess only time will tell but if you have an opinion on VR and what might happen, let us know in the comments below.

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Deadpool brings the Chimichanga's!

Deadpool brings the Chimichanga's!

By Unknown   18:33   No comments:

Last night I went to see Deadpool for the second time. Why? Cause it's brilliant and if you haven't been to see it yet, stop whatever you're doing and go to your closest cinema and demand tickets. Don't even ask, DEMAND them. The film starts with action right from the go, and as is with Deadpool, a great deal of comedy. 

I'll say I wasn't expecting too much from the film as it seemed to become a little over hyped when I initially went to see it and as someone who doesn't read too much, I didn't really know the comics. So I guess I kind of went in to the film blind to what could be in it to the most part. I was not disappointed in what came along either.

***SPOILERS TO FOLLOW***

There were a tonne of references in the film, poking fun at different people, but by far my favourite were Ryan Reynolds digging at himself. Within the opening credits you can already see a dig at him as Green Lantern, which he continues to mock throughout the film by saying 'just don't make my supersuit green...or animated'. There are also numerous references to Wolverine/Hugh Jackman and a mock aimed at Ryan Reynolds stint as Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

It's all of the little things that make this film what it is, and that is nothing short of brilliant. There is only one thing which bothered me about this film, and that was Vanessa. Now I know they needed to create a story, but I just think it could of been a bit better than her, as from what I am aware, she is a very brief romance in the comics. Plus after the actresses appearance on Gotham, I can't help but just know how irritating she is in that TV series.

Overall Deadpool is an action filled, comedy packed film from start to finish. If you ignore the annoying love story line that's threaded in between, then it is an incredibly strong contender for the film of 2016. Let's not forget on a little side note that Ryan Reynolds penis is in view in this as well, during a fight scene as he is being mutated. Just icing on the cake really.

Pros:

- Hilarious

- Action Packed

- Ryan Reynolds PEEN

Cons:

- Vanessa

Overall: 9/10

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Fallout 4 - A Big Nuke In My Spare Time

Fallout 4 - A Big Nuke In My Spare Time

By Unknown   20:59   No comments:

It's been a while since Fallout 4's been released now so I feel it's time to do a review on what I thought of the vanilla game. I want to start by saying I was not a massive fan of Fallout 3. I know that may be an unpopular opinion but whilst I enjoyed the first play through, I tried again and just could not enjoy it one bit. So I went in to Fallout 4 with a bit of a bias opinion that it wasn't going to be brilliant but I wanted to give it a shot. I was VERY wrong...to an extent.

Fallout 4 starts brilliantly, you create your character (in an incredibly powerful character creator) and you start your story in your quaint family home with your recently born son. Not much happens to begin with, you walk around, talk to your wife, play with your son, then BAM. There's a news report on the TV saying that everything is pretty much (and literally) about to blow up in your face. At this point you're raced to Vault 111 and dragged underground. 

It doesn't take long before shit hits the fan and you're thrown right in to the main portion of the game. Everything is dead, everyone you know is gone and we're soon introduced to the most annoying character in the game, Preston Garvey. This is unfortunately the first point I found incredibly annoying about this game, the quests he gives you never change. It is always 'I've got word of a settlement that needs our help' which in turn just ends up with you killing some raiders for little to no reward. I found a lot of the side missions to be in a same vain.

Now let's talk graphics which aren't the best on the PS4, now that being said I also completely understand that this is a massive open world so takes a lot of power to do what they have done. It doesn't detract from the overall experience of the game however. Which leads me to the best point of the game, the world space. Now this is impressive, the shear size and time it takes to walk somewhere and the environment being so vast and different is amazing. From barren wastelands filled with radiation, to areas that are covered in foliage is what really brings this world to life. That, along with some of its residents really makes this game shine.

The story also is brilliant, it takes you from twist to turn all in search of your son. You meet different people along the way and how you play the game and which faction you join can change the ending even if only slightly. That's what is so captivating about the story, the fact there are different groups with different views, all thinking that what they are doing is for the best. The world is incredibly immersive minus just a few minor hiccups (minus Preston Garvey, I'll never forgive them for him).


Pros:
- Vast, filled world
- Impressive Story
- Graphics hold up in such a large open world

Cons:
- Some repetitive features
- Hard to come across materials
- PRESTON GARVEY

Overall: 8/10

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Until Dawn - Full of Punches

Until Dawn - Full of Punches

By Unknown   22:18   No comments:

Slashers have always been a brilliant Genre in the Film industry, but what happens when you try to bring that genre, in to the gaming world? Until Dawn just does that by starting the way many in the film genre do, with a bunch of teenagers in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. It doesn't take long either before things really get going...

***Beware, spoilers GALORE past this point***

Within minutes of the games opening cinematics, we find ourselves playing as one of the characters in search of their sister. We pretty soon find her as they are approached by someone who we have no identifying characteristics of. All we see are their feet, but as they slowly approach, both characters fall to their death, smashing their head off of rocks. Pretty gory right? Nahh not gory enough for this game.

That's the brilliant thing about this game, it really captures the Slasher genre, with a hint of modern horrors in their too. In the events that occured in my timeline, Josh (the brother of the previous two sisters) eventually finds himself in a room tied up with a buzzsaw mowing its way towards him and another character. You get to choose which gets killed and I chose Josh thinking he had been the killer. I was wrong and his guts got torn out of him and splattered across the place. This brings me to one of the points about this game, the story and it's multiple choice story branches. They really make you feel like you're in control of the story and with the Totems placed around, it also shows you the different ways the story could turn.

One downside which is entirely just due to my personal preference is the lack of action in the game. Now I know it's meant to be an interactive story, but most of what you as a player do is walk around and participate in Quicktime events. I feel if you had more control of the character and what they do, the game could be quite different. Then again, that would probably remove a lot of the intensity of what the story and quicktime brings. 

Graphics wise, the game stands up but not as good as I would of hoped with a very story driven game. When you don't do too much in game, there really isn't much reason to have graphics that aren't outstanding. Originally the game was being made for PS3, so this could be a good reason for the not so perfect graphics, but they in now way detract from the overall game.

Pros:
- Good story
- Stays true to Slasher genre

Cons:
- Slow in places
- Lacking behind in graphics

Overall: 7/10

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