Monday, August 18, 2014

5 Games That Should Get Sequels

If you're a gamer, you most likely have come across a game that you really loved, got to the end and thought, "Boy, I can't wait for the sequel!" Only to never have it happen. Well, we've put together a small list of a few games we would like a sequel to, but haven't had any luck so far (we'll try to keep these as spoiler free as possible, but some things may be unavoidable)


Honorable Mentions


This is one of those games that is either 'love it', or 'hate it' and I can understand why those who hate it do. Heavy Rain isn't so much a game as it is an interactive drama (there's even a trophy referencing it as such). You control the character and all that, but it isn't heavily oriented on action, run and gun, jumping and the like, just small input from you.

For those who do enjoy the game, it is very rewarding story wise, it's very emotional and enthralling, even more so if you are a parent. The story starts with Ethan, a typical parent who is celebrating his sons birthday. However, things take a dramatic turn that flip his life upside down, and it only gets worse.

While some may say the game isn't one that would warrant a sequel based on the ending, it really depends, as there are several possible endings, one involving the prime person of interest never being seen again. So it's up for debate.

Don't forget, press X to 'Jason'


5. Too Human


I'm probably one of the few who enjoyed this game, which is understandable, the controls were a bit tough to master, but once you did, it was an amazing game.

The story, well, imagine, if you will, the Norse mythology set in a cyber future, where the Gods' protect the few remaining humans from the onslaught of the machines (aka the 'Children of Ymir'). These Gods' aren't what we think of when we think of Norse, Thor isn't giant (well, he is big as hell, but not a GIANT giant), Loki doesn't wear a jester type outfit and ODIN isn't what we would think of when we think 'Odin'. An endless war for survival, where the Gods' themselves partake.

The game ends with a rather open ending, the game COULD continue, however it is unlikely since it sold poorly, and the devs, Silicon Knights, no longer is in business. Still, someone could purchase the rights, I suppose. Finding a new version of the game could prove difficult and costly, as Knights was ordered to destroy all unsold retail copies after a court case vs. Epic Studios.

You can read the full review here.


4. Resonance of Fate


This was a widely missed RPG, which saddens me as it was pretty unique in how it executed combat and moving around the environment. The over-world is a gird basically, "That's nothing new." You say, this is true, but in order to move, you needed pieces to 'unlock' spaces to move about. Combat was fun too, it was turn based and timed, much like FFVII or Eternal Sonata, however the WAY you fought was the kicker, it generally consisted of Matrix like movements, erratic and dodgy, quick and ruthless, over all just crazy.

Another fun component of this game is the weapons. There are only a handful of them, but the fun part is customizing them to max out damage potential. Instead of throwing hundreds of weapons at you like most RPG's, this one gives you add-ons to your weapons which can make them more deadly, firing faster, charging faster, etc.

The story is convoluted and your better off reading the full review, which can be found here.


3. Journey


Journey was.... a unique game. There was no story, it was one of those, "let the player decide" type of games, and it was actually very excellently executed. You can go with what is presented, which is a spiritual quest about perseverance and faith, or make up your own (my friend and I somehow came up with a story about a giraffe-scarf war, where the giraffes imprisoned the scarves land, destroyed their corn and built a death machine).

This was one of my first PS3 games and it was a very fun and enjoyable one. The graphics alone are pretty damn good, better than most I've seen on any of the last gen systems, which is funny to me since this was basically a demo of sorts.

Journey comes as a bundle, you'll get this, as well as flOw and Flower, for one cheap price, so buy the bundle if you find it (or just buy this on the PS Store by itself).


2. Half-Life 2 Ep. 3 (or Half-Life 3)


I got in to the series with Half-Life 2, so I don't know much about the series prior, minus what I read on Wikipedia. If you managed to get through HL2E2, you are probably eagerly awaiting the next installment of the franchise to exact REVENGE on Breen, the pupa thing and/or the Combine as a whole.

If you are not familiar, Half-Life is an FPS based in a world where a sole man, Dr. Breen, is leader. Aliens have invaded Earth and have seized control and use humans as slaves, all thanks to Gordon Freeman's earlier exploits, which opened a doorway to allow said aliens to our peaceful little planet. While he did cause all the problems, he is also the only person who can seemingly stop the enslavement of the human race (with the help of Eli and Alex, a couple of scientists (well Eli is, Alex is more of a badass sidekick to Gordon)).

The game, Half-Life 2 as well as the episodes, can all be played in The Orange Box, so if you've not played it, you should totally do so, the physics alone are worth a playthrough.

"We don't go to Ravenholm."


1. Psychonauts


If playing as a psychic power wielding, acrobatic circus kid doesn't stike your fancy, maybe you'd think differently when you hear the game comes from creative mind Tim Schafer, the guy behind many other hits in the past (and future, if you're going off of when Psychonauts was released).

The game features Raz, the aforementioned psychic, who jumps into other characters minds to fight their demons while at Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp and stop a mad scientist from taking over the world with the brains of the kids staying their.

The game is a twisted platformer, but manages to stay fresh and unique.

"Who is the Milk Man?"

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Norman Reedus to be Main Character in upcoming Kojima Game

If you were to ask me, "Andrew, what are two of the most horror related things you enjoy?" I could give you a few answers, like the thought of Warner Bros bringing back The Matrix, love the triology, but would be hesitant about its revival, or the idea of another Resident Evil movie (or game that's NOT a remake), fun to think about how they would destroy the series even more.

Eventually, though, we'd come to The Walking Dead and Silent Hill.

Both series' are pretty damn fun (yes, even Downpour), so what if you combined them? Well, this may be the closest we'll get.

Norman Reedus.... except it's not....
The above picture comes from the interactive demo titled 'PT'. As you can see, that IS Norman Reedus (aka Daryl, from The Walking Dead), if he was rendered and put into a game/CG movie.

The interactive demo is short and in first person, never giving you a look at who you are (for obvious reasons now, it's much funner to find out at the very end). As Norman looks at us with his very attractive man face, a title card fades in, "Silent Hills". If you are observant, you noticed the 's' in that, what exactly that means, I know not.

"How can you say this is Silent Hill then?" You ask. Good question.

The game is the result of Hideo Kojima (yes of Metal Gear fame) who has long been suspected of being in charge of the next Silent Hill game. He, along with Hellboy Guillermo Del Toro, are working together to create a suspenseful horror game, plus I'm sure there would be legal action against Kojima using 'Silent Hills' if it weren't okay with Keiichiro Toyama.


There have been no announcements as to which consoles it will be avaailble on, it is safe to assume PS4, as that is where the demo made its debut, and as the game is running the Fox engine, I'd suspect the Xbox One as well. Other than that, not much is yet known, so stay tuned for more Daryl/Silent Hill goodness.

EDIT: This has actually been confirmed to be the next Silent Hill game. So huzzahs are in order!!!!

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Resident Evil ReReMake Screens

If you haven't already read the article, you can do so here: Resident Evil ReReMake coming to Xbox One, PS4 and last gen consoles

Some screenshots have emerged that show off the beautiful environments and changes, click them to see the goodness.




While I haven't played the NGC remake in 10+ years, these are looking very beautiful. I cannot wait for this remake to actually launch.

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

August Games with Gold

That time again, here are the free games available for Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

Xbox 360
From August 1st through the 15th, Gold members can download Motocross Madness.
From August 16th through the end of the month, Gold members can download Dishonored.



Xbox One
Gold members can download Crimson Dragon and Strike Suit Zero until the end of the month.



I've only played Dishonored, which I thought was a pretty good game, full of stealth, action and fun Bioshock like powers. If you've played the others, what were your thoguhts?

Resident Evil: ReReMake coming to PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One



Remember back in 2002 when Capcom remade the original Resident Evil? It was pretty sweet, a great move by Capcom and Nintendo, I ran out and bought that on day one, seeing as how I never beat the original. Well, now Capcom will be doing it again, bringing one of the greatest RE (RE3 being the best, in my opinion) games back from the dead.... again.

RE:ReReM (short for Resident Evil: ReReMake) will be given a nice new coat of paint, a boost to 1080p for both the Xbox One and PS4, it will also support 5.1 surround sound, 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios as well as include the god awful original control scheme (not to be confused with the camera scheme) as well as the modern scheme. It will NOT be making it's way over to the Wii U.

In producer Hirabyashi's own words:
"We have been very careful to preserve the original atmosphere of the game and are ensuring that no unnecessary changes will be made. The tempo and flow of the original game are an inherent part of its scary atmosphere so we have made the decision not to disrupt this tempo." 
The glorious re(re)make will be available early 2015.