Dragonball Xenoverse 2

Release Date: October 25, 2016

Genre: Fighting

Platforms: Xbox One, PS4, PC

Platform Reviewed On: Xbox One

Date Reviewed: November 23, 2016

       Dragonball Xenoverse 2 is the second game set in the Xenoverse universe. Xenoverse 2 offers a new player hub, improved visuals, improved mechanics overall and adds in some new types of side quests, expert missions and equipment. The major hub is much bigger than Toki Toki City from the first one with the ability to ride a hover craft around the city. As you progress futher into the game you gain the ability to fly which is much better. While exploring the major hub there are many things to explore. From random items, to mentor training, to even talking with interesting NPC's or simply delivering milk for TP Coins. TP coins are a new type of currency which can be used on special vendors only accessible on the weekends or using it as main currency.

Tons of Characters

      Although Xenoverse 2 is a good game overall the game lacks a lot of copy and paste. You will notice that a lot of the mission are actually from the first game, literally exactly the same. The customization has not really been improved from the first game with very little to offer the player to create a unique character. However, they did add more clothing options and the ability to use a new equipment slow called QQ Bang. You can use these as a way to increase your stats without having the clothes affect your stats so you can customize your outfit completely.

       The combat has been improved as well as the visuals. Although the combat may be better, the combos are not really any different. Each race has their very own combo attacks but they are the same for every person. The downside to that is the online battles. People are constantly using the same combo's to acquire quick and cheap wins. If you are not the type of person to research and practice multiple combos then the game can easily be beaten with just mashing the punch button. However, if you perform different combos they can be very rewarding and fun to pull off.

Interesting Characters.

       There is a new type of mission you can play called Expert Missions. These are 6 player co-op mission where the objective is to take down one single enemy. These enemies all have abilities to mind control other players and cause massive damage if you do not break them free. When a player is mind controlled their body is fighting against you but what the player sees is a completely new area where you have to fight yourself. If your team manages to deafest you then you come back or if you are able to defeat yourself in your mind you can also come back that was as well. Although fighting yourself might take a little bit longer.

       Overall, Xenoverse 2 is actually a very fun game just like the first one but it feels more of an expansion opposed to a sequel. If you are not really a DBZ fan then maybe wait for a price drop. But if you are a huge fan and loved the first one then try it out and if you like it, pick it up. I personally am enjoying the game very much.

Good!

7.5/10

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Overwatch

Release Date: May 24, 2016

Genre: First Person Shooter

Platforms: Xbox One, PC, PS4

Platform Reviewed On: PC

Date Reviewed: August 11, 2016

Overwatch is Blizzard's new and very different IP. Overwatch is an FPS team objective game similar to Team Fortress 2. At the time of this review there are 26 playable characters with Ana being the newest edition to the games roster. Blizzard has said they will be releases a lot more characters in the future all for free. Overwatch is one of Blizzards most anticipated game with over 15 million players worldwide and beating the top game League of Legends in Korean cafe's. First time in years.

Overwatch is a team based game where you do one of two objective modes. Capture the nodes or escort the payload. Both modes rely heavily on team communication and the right heroes for the job. The different characters in Overwatch are broken down into specific roles and each are very unique. There are attackers, defense, tanks and support. Each playing a crucial role in winning. When you join a new match you will be either attacking or defending which also changes which heroes will be good to use. At the character selection screen it will also notify you if you have to much of one type, to much of the same character, if you need a support, etc... Which is handy in picking your team with a bunch of random people. Adds some coordination to it.

There are currently 5 options to play. Quick Play which jumps you into a match right away with other people. Play with A.I allows you to play with a team of humans versus a team of A.I controlled characters. Custom Games which allows you to invite friends and create your own games. Competitive Mode which was just recently added and allows you to play a more serious version of the game. Weekly Brawls which changes every single week and is never the same (so far).

Competitive Mode allows you to increase your ranking, earn competitive points which can be used for golden weapons, and to show off your true skill. In Competitive you are only able to select one of each character which makes it so you won't be up against a team of Winstons. The matches in competitive mode are a little bit longer due to the scoring system which makes it that much more competitive.

Weekly Brawls are special modes that changes every Tuesday. This could be Hanzo and Genji's only. Tanks only. Support only. Special rules, over the top regeneration, etc... During the Summe Olympics in Rio, Overwatch introduced a new set of loot crates and a new type of game mode in the weekly brawl called Lucio Ball. The point of Lucia Ball is exactly like Rocket League where you need to get the ball into the opposite goal to score points.

Overwatch does have a leveling system where every level you receive a loot crate. These loot crates have a chance to drop commons, rares, epics, and legendaries. These may include emblems, coins, skins, character intros, etc... There is also an option to purchase loot crates with real money. Loot crates do not effect the gameplay whatsoever, it's purely cosmetic. As soon as you hit a certain level the XP caps at 22,000. The max level in Overwatch is 1890 and every 10 or so levels you unlock a brand new portrait. Every 100 levels you unlock a "prestige" like star.

Blizzard has done something truly special with Overwatch. Deep hidden story, amazing cinematics, fast paced FPS, etc.... Overwatch will only get bigger and better from here on out. The really only negative thing I have to say about Overwatch is it's price point. $60 for a full game or the basic version on PC for $40. At the time there just wasn't enough content to justify that price point. But no with all of these updates it certainly will be worth it. Even now, it's a great ton of fun.

Great!

9.5/10

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DOOM

Release Date: May 13, 2016

Genre: First Person Shooter

Platforms: Xbox One, PS4, PC

Platform Reviewed On: Xbox One, PC

Date Reviewed: August 8, 2016

Doom is finally out after all of these years since DOOM 3. I've been a DOOM fan since I was 7 years old in 1996 and was excited to buy this physically on Day One. Let me tell you, it was worth the long wait. DOOM is a franchise which takes place on Mars and Hell. You play as the notorious DOOM guy who is just badass all around.

You start the game waking up which looks like to be some sort of tomb or crypt. As soon as you get up your put on the suit and all hell breaks loose. The story is a basic but decent story, you usually do not play DOOM for the story though. It's all about feeling like a god and destroying hundreds and hundreds of demons. This game is no different. Besides the beautiful visuals this game is fast paced and plays a lot like the classic DOOM. You even have the option to changing your field of view like in the original DOOM. This version of the game introduces some nice mechanics including the rune trials, access to classic DOOM maps, a skill and gun upgrade system.

Each level you play has secrets. Within these secrets you might fine some collectibles or even some suit upgrades. You can use these suit upgrades for many different things. One example is reducing the damage you receive from exploding barrels. Each level also introduces you to combat skill points which a rewarded by completed in game tasks which is different on every level and by slaughtering demons. You use these skill points to power up your many guns and unlocking their masteries. Unlocking the masteries are not unlocked with your skill points but by performing other tasks. It's a pretty good system overall.

On top of that there are collectibles to find in each level. Every level has little figurines of DOOM guy in different suits. Whenever you grab one it plays the classic DOOM sound as you're looking at it. It makes it feel like DOOM is an open world game when in fact it is not. But it makes the game much more explorable with it's HUGE maps. On top of that you  are also able to collect codex's and learn more about the story.

Glory kills is also an excellent new mechanic in DOOM which is very useful on the higher difficulties. Whenever you weaken a demon you will notice it glows red and blue. That is the indication that you are able to press the melee button and perform a glory execution. When doing so the demons will drop health and sometimes ammo. Another good way of getting health and ammo back is killing demons with your chainsaw. The chainsaw has very limited ammo but it's a great way to get back your weapon ammo if you're running low during a battle.

The boss battles are a ton of fun! Without spoiling who they are (should be obvious) let's just say they are huge and some require some time and strategy to take down. There are a total of three bosses in the campaign all with badass music and fun ways to take them down.

When you go onto the main menu of the game there is another mode on the right side of the campaign. This is called Snapmap and it's great. Snapmap is kind of like forge from Halo but with this you have a lot more customization when building your own map. With snapmap creators have the opportunity to create their own maps, modes, events, and decide to make it online, co-op or even just a solo map. Some can vary to demon waves, park our, music makers, etc... The list never ends. ID Software is also constantly adding updates to this feature as well.

Lastly, I want to talk about the multiplayer. I personally love the multiplayer in this game and cannot get enough of it for the simple reason of it feeling exactly like Unreal Tournament and Quake. A lot of people have their complaints over the multiplayer but I don't see any reason not to like it. The only frustrating situation about the multiplayer are DLC packs mainly. At the time of writing up this review, the first DLC pack Unto the Evil came on on Friday, August 5th, 2016. Season pass holders for Xbox One have not been able to play because it will not unlock the content and Bethesda has stated they are working on it.....4 days ago and during double XP weekend which people including myself were unable to participate in with the new DLC. Besides the technical difficulties with the multiplayer, it's pretty solid overall.

Overall, DOOM is an amazing game and highly recommend it to anyone on any platform. Full of easter eggs, beautiful visuals, an amazing sound track, demons, action, guns, etc.... There is something for everyone in this title. I just hope they figure out this DLC content fast because people are getting very impatient including myself.

GREAT!

9.5/10

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Fallout 4

Platform: Xbox One, PS4, PC

Platform Reviewed on: Xbox One

Genre: Open World FPS RPG

Release Date: November 10, 2015

Date Reviewed: February 10, 2016

        The long awaited fourth entry in the Fallout series has finally arrived for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Fallout 4, you return to the wastelands 200 years after being asleep in Vault 111 for reasons unknown. Shortly after you signed the form for securing your families safety if a nuclear war were to happen.......a nuclear war happens. You and your family quickly rush over to vault 111 where you are presumed to be safe. You wake up, cryogenically frozen only to discover your son is gone. Shortly after leaving the vault into the wasteland you quickly discover you have been in the vault for 200 years. You are now on a quest to find your missing son.

         Fallout 4 is an interesting game to say the least. I do appreciate the fact you have a somewhat massive open world to explore with hundreds of side quests and many stories to be told. Fallout 4 also introduces a new mechanic to the series. The ability to build your own outposts. You can almost literally build anything you'd like, that's if you have enough supplies, electricity, food and water. From fortresses of dooms, to simple housing, you can build it all. Sometimes these play an important roll when defending your outposts. You are able to build defenses so if your outposts are getting attacked, you have a fighting chance to fend them off.

         The guns are a plenty in Fallout 4. Several guns to be found, created and modified to your liking and play style. There are many different perks which you earn by gaining levels, and the beauty is that there is no level cap so feel free to pick and choose your perks. The character customization is wonderful because you are able to alter your characters feature to whatever you'd like. Some people have even re-created celebrities such as John Cena! Overall, Fallout 4 does have a lot to offer for anyone, even if you have never played a Fallout game before. But...

         Personally I could not get into this game myself and had to force myself just to beat this game. The engine is very out of date and you can tell as soon as you load up the game for the first time. The textures are bland, the models on some of these characters are brutal and look like early last gen. The controls are sluggish, the voice overs on some of the characters are horrible. The outdated system has had a huge toll on this game and it shows. I am not sure why they were using such an old engine on "next" gen. It is a bit more tolerable on PC but not by much.

         One of my biggest pet peeves with Fallout 4 was the dialog. All previous Fallout games had some form of dialog for your character to respond with which what made Fallout so great in the first place! They have completely removed it in Fallout 4. The dialog options are abysmal with simple answers such as "Yes, and No". It just made the game feel so shallow and empty, even in a huge open world. Very disappointing.

         Overall Fallout 4 was a huge let down. Don't get me wrong, I did have some fun with it but not from the main parts of the game. I enjoyed the side quests because some of them had a better story than the main game! But for what it's worth I do not recommend this game. Please try it before you buy it and save yourself some money. I hope overtime with the free updates they improve this game immensely. We waiting so long for this game.

Okay
6.5/10


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Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows

Platform: Nintendo Wii U

Platform Reviewed: Nintendo Wii U

Genre: Creative Platformer

Release Date: September 11, 2015

Date Reviewed: September 18, 2015    

   

       Plague of Shadows is free DLC content for the game Shovel Knight where you get to play as the character Plague Knight. This free DLC pack comes with the ability to do a challenge mode where you can complete many different challenges for each knight. This will be unlockable when you beat the game once with Shovel Knight and Plague Knight. That isn't everything that came with this great DLC content. If you've beaten the normal game with Shovel Knight you will unlock the ability to play as Plague Knight. The levels and map layout are all still the same but it is very much a different game. You step in the shoes of Plague Knight where you have abilities such as throwing bombs. Just like with Shovel Knight, Plague Knight can also gather special items and customize his attacks. Each bomb has a certain fuse and certain explosive style that you can choose from which is needed to overcome certain obstacles.

Each boss, each level are played differently with Plague Knight.

       Plague Knight in a nutshell is very different from Shovel Knight. You can gather potions in order to increase your health, you need to gather coins in order to upgrade the shop and buy new attack items and Plague Knight has to move throw each level very different heavily relying on his exploding jumps. Plague Knight has no shovel to bounce off certain obstacles. Instead if you hold down the jump button and let go he will launch himself straight up or side ways. Plague Knight also has a double jump but doesn't jump as high as Shovel Knight does. Plague Knight even has his own armor sets as well which each have their own unique effects.

       The level design is of coarse flawless as ever. There is a bunch of new music scrolls you are able to collect and unlock. Playing as Plague Knight feels completely different and more of a challenge than Shovel Knight. Plague Knight is also as long if not longer than the original game and it is FREE. Plague Knight's story is very unique from Shovel Knight's but both have to do with love overall. Overall Plague Knight is a fantastic addon and is something that most developers need to do with their games. I look forward to the next piece of DLC they release.

Fantastic DLC!

9.5/10

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Dying Light

Platform: Xbox One, PS4, PC.

Platform Reviewed: Xbox One

Genre: Open World Zombie RPG

Release Date: January 27, 2015

Date Reviewed: July 3rd, 2015

       Dying like is an open world Zombie RPG game from some of the creators of the Dead Island series. It is honestly almost exactly like Dead island but with a bit more of a serious feeling to the story and atmosphere, updates visuals and parkour....yes parkour. Without giving out to much of the story you are basically an agent who is trying to find a doctors research to a potential "cure" for the virus. It turns out they did not want the cure to actually help people but to use it as a weapon which is discovered fairly early on in the game.

Huge Open World.

       Dying Light has some interesting game mechanics that keep the game from going stale to fast. You can craft unique weapons, items, explosives and other useful tools in order to get passed the hordes of zombies. During your exploration you will come by Safe Zones which are always filled with zombies. Safe zones are all the same where you clear the area of zombies and turn on all the power to the safe zone. You can now use that safe zone as a fast travel or resting area. One thing that would have been useful in some of the safe zones would be the ability to repair your weapons you are currently using or a way to buy parts to repair the weapons. To many times my weapons would break and I would have to struggle to a safe zone. Another interesting mechanic is night time. When the sun goes down you will get a warning on your radio to seek cover or to make it back to the home base. At night time the zombies become more active and these super zombies come out to play. If they see you walking around they will attract other zombies in the area and chase you done. These are very fast and will catch up to you if you are not careful. Interesting mechanic but the day and night cycle last to long making me wait or walk very slow in this massive open world so I am not discovered.

These guys suck!

       I do appreciate the fact that Dying Light's open world is very big with lots of events, side quests, and Easter eggs to discover. Another issue I had was some of the quests felt very repetitive making you go through areas and tunnels that you've visited multiple times before which made it get boring real fast actually making me want to complete the game that much faster. The story is rather dull to be honest and doesn't do that great of a job with developing your emotions towards any of the players. There were maybe two instances where I felt a bit of emotion and one time where it was an adrenaline rush to escape but it didn't last to long. The co-op is a nice feature where you are able to open the game to anyone or your friends. I enjoy the drop in and out system where you can join your friends or other people whenever you'd like and you get to keep all experience and items earned during the co-op session.

Skill Tree. Lots of different skills.

       In conclusion Dying Light feels the same as Dead Island but with a couple of small thing added in to make it feel fresh and with a bit more of a serious atmosphere. If you are a fan of Dead Island then you will probably enjoy this game as well. I personally was not thrilled for Dying Light and stopped playing immediately after i completed the game. About up until half way through the game I actually did explore everything and do as much side quests as I could but it got boring and repetitive really fast. Good attempt but it could have been way better.

Overall Score:
6.5/10

Okay game.

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Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor.

Platform: Xbox One, Playstation 4, PC

Genre: Open World RPG

Release Date: September 30th, 2014

Date Reviewed: November 30th, 2014

       Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor is another game that takes place in the Lord of the Rings series. You play as Talion, a valiant ranger whose family is slain in front of him. This takes place the night Sauron and his army return to Mordor just moments before his own life is taken from him. Talion gets resurrected by a Spirit of Vengeance and is empowered with wraith abilities. Talion ventures into Mordor and promises to destroy those who have caused him this pain. Through the course of his vendetta. Talion uncovers the truth of the Spirit that compels him, learns the origins of the Rings of Power and confronts his true nemesis.

Huge Open World.

       Shadow of Mordor has a great story line filled with a lot of emotions which really lets you feel how the main character feels and gives him a very important motive to seek out vengeance. In fact, it makes you the player feel like you have to slaughter every orc in sight! Shadow of Mordor plays a lot like Assassins Creed II but it does the controls very well. Shadow of Mordor is for the most part an open world environment. There are only two areas you are able to explore. You unlock the second area after you complete a certain main mission. There have been times where I did so much side quests and collecting everything where I didn't even touch the story missions at all and by the time I did I had more than enough xp and resources to continue on. and even killed all of the warlords. At some point after completing all of the side stuff it forces you to go back to the main mission, which is okay because it just means there is a lot to do.

Nemesis System works well.

       The nemesis system is a fantastic new system that they have added to Shadow of Mordor. Talion is able to gather intel on certain orcs who are unknown, you can then mark those orc captains or warlords and take them out. But be careful if any orc kills you they will get a power increase as well as a promotion. You let a warlord kill you and he becomes much more powerful. So if you fail, it gets harder if you succeed it becomes easier and you get the reap the rewards. You are able to control captain and warlords making them turn on other captains or warlords which can be very interesting and is fantastic! Your goal is to take them all out. On top of this new system you are able to associate quests with it as well. For example if you control one of the warlords or captains you can unlock a mission where they attack the opposing captain or warlord of your choice and you have different objectives. One may be to keep the captain you control alive.

Crazy Action!

       Shadow of Mordor has some beautiful visuals on the next gen consoles and especially the PC version. The world is wide open which gives you some great visuals and with the recent update you care able to take in game screen shots or shorts and capture the great moments you may experience. The audio side of things sound great as well. Great sound track, great voice acting for the most part, and great sound effects. These greatly add to the open world experience in Shadow of Mordor.

       Overall Shadow of Mordor is a great fast-paced open world game that a lot of people are surely going to enjoy. If you are a fan of the Lord of the Rings series or not there is something in here for everyone to enjoy and experience. On top of that the game also offers free DLC as well as some paid ones. Both are great values and highly recommended.

Overall Score:

9.0/10

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Wolfenstein: The New Order

Console: Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3, PC

Genre: First-Person Shooter

Release Date: May 20, 2014

Date Reviewed: June 5, 2014

Wolfenstein has always been a huge part of my life. I have played every single one including Wolfenstein 3D. I have always held this series close to my heart and always found each game in the series to suck me into the action and story. This is my review on the newest edition to the Wolfenstein series. Wolfenstein: The New Order. I am reviewing this for the Xbox One version.

Game play:

Wolfenstein: New Order is not your ordinary FPS. It has two campaigns, mostly very similar to one another but different outcomes. Without spoilers you basically choose a campaign for one of two characters. At the beginning you do not have that option. You have to select which character is part of your campaign right off the first mission. Once the game has been beaten you are able to go back and choose the other character for you campaign. Wolfenstein has stealth mechanics and well as full blown action packed mechanics. Depending on which difficulty you choose you will be using more stealth the harder it is and more running and gunning on the easier difficulties. Wolfenstein is a very challenging game. If you're looking for a real challenge then go and try the Uber difficulty. You may throw a controller or two. Wolfenstein has a mixture of good FPS action, movie like cinematics, stealth gameplay, a perk system, and a fantastic story that action made me use some of my emotions.

The Perk System is great!

The perk system is a fantastic way to customize your play style. Whether it be stealth, demolitions, run and gun, etc... Each tier of perks has it's own prerequisites you need to do in order to unlock that perk. One example is you have to kill 5 guards while being stealthed with throwing knives. Once you do this challenge you unlock a new perk allowing you to carry more throwing knives with you. If you're a completionist then you will want to try and get all of the perks. But that is not all there is too do for you completionists out there just like in the other Wolfenstein games in the series.

In New Order, there are a ton of things to collect. Some of them are harder to find then others due to them hiding in secret locations. Sticking to the old Wolfenstein system you are able to find secret doors and switches to open up secret areas to add to your collectables. One set of collectables that I really enjoyed finding are the golden items. They are scattered everywhere and most of them are tough to find on your own. They can be hidden behind the smallest cracks and you will walk past them. Besides golden items you can also find encryptions. When you find all of the encryptions you can go into the main menu under extras and try to encrypt the codes to unlock cheats and funny little additions to your campaign. There are also things like models, letters, and audio files to collect which make exploring much more enjoyable.

The gameplay overall is very fun and addicting. If you rush through the game you will complete it in roughly 5-6 hours. But if you spend the time exploring and collecting everything it will take you 10+ hours. Keep in mind that there are two campaigns you can play. The cinematics and cut scenes pulled myself into the game even deeper. Some characters make you hate their guts and want to hunt them down while other events and characters make you want to sob and weep. Each character has their own unique

story and some of them you really get to know. Finally, there is a wonderful easter egg hidden in the game. When you are in your hide out go to the very top floor. You will see a mattress with pictures above it. Look at the mattress and it will show an icon to examine called "Nightmare". Hold X to sleep on the mattress. When you fall asleep you will be in the very first Wolfenstein game and you have to fight your way out of it.

Duel Wielding guns!

Graphics/Visuals:

This review was done on the current gen consoles. It was reviewed on the Xbox One so it will be graphically superior to the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions although it still does look great on the last generation.

The graphics in Wolfenstein are overall very well done. I wouldn't say exceptional due to it being on Xbox One. It doesn't look "next gen." The cut scenes are very beautiful and cinematics are great and really get you involved in what's going on as well. The gameplay visuals are good but like previously stated, doesn't feel "next gen". Overall I was still impressed with the visuals in the game. There is a lot of gore in the game and some people may feel uneasy. In one cut scene after you escape the labour camp there is a cut scene that happens and it was even making me somewhat uneasy. But it added great effect to the game overall.

Soundtrack/Music:

The audio in the game was really great. The soundtrack really impressed me overall. I have always been a fan of heavier music. As soon as you enter the main menu you hear this wonderful soundtrack. It has a "Wolfenstein" feel to it. The music in game and music in the cinematics and cut scenes were all very well done and added to the already great experience of the story and action within the game. Overall it was fantastic!!

The Main Menu music.

Overall Rating: 9/10

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