REVIEW: Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

Call of Duty
First person Shooter, Multiplayer
Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, PC

Every year we receive a new Call of Duty, this time publisher Activision has handed the reins to Sledgehammer for their latest entry. Advanced Warfare is set in the future where private military contractor and CEO of Atlas, Jonathan Irons, has the largest army in the world and has some of the most lucrative contracts around the world. Jack Mitchell is a Marine who served with Iron's son, Will Irons, when they push back the North Korean invasion of Seoul, South Korea when Will Iron's is Killed in Action. Mitchell loses an arm in the process and is given a second chance by Iron's Sr. to return to duty and finish what he started. Jack is given a prosthetic arm that enhances his combat effectiveness. As the story progresses, you learn more about Jonathan Irons, Atlas and the terrorist organization known as the KVA and their ringleader, Hades, that is threatening the world.

The campaign is short, which seems to be the norm for the series. It shouldn't take much longer than 6 hours to complete the game. There are very few twists and turns and within the first couple of missions the overall story arc is laid out in front of you and you should have things figured out. I knew immediately how the story was going to end and sure enough, it came to fruition just as expected. The biggest disappointment is that there is level that stands out. In previous installments you are the gunner in a SPECTRE gunship (Modern Warfare) or the ghillie suit. Advanced Warfare never had a mission or level where I wanted to replay it. The overall campaign is a flash in the pan.

The last entry in the Call of Duty series, Call of Duty Ghosts, left a sour taste in my mouth. The multiplayer would constantly have me respawn directly in front of the enemy causing me to respawn again in dangerous territory, creating a vicious cycle of unfortunate deaths. While not the best in multiplayers to begin with, the constant dying with little chance to turn the tide made for a very unsatisfactory game experience.  Advanced Warfare does a better job on respawn locations and very rarely do I find myself quickly dead. However, the game still hasn't found a way to limit the amount of campers and quick scoping that plague the series. The balance has improved but they are still very far away from making it perfect. The addition of exo suits give the game a little bit of a Titanfall feel to the game that does enhance the play ability but also feels more like a gimmick than anything else. Not every game requires a double or super jump.



I will say that graphically, Call of Duty Advanced Warfare is outstanding. Aside from Jonathan Iron's strangely dead eyes, the game is amazing and impressive. The guns are a bit lackluster but the addition of care packages that give you new weapons and items is interesting but not as exciting as I think the developers were hoping for. After roughly 5 days of multiplayer, I still have yet to receive anything that has me jumping from excitement in a care package. However, with that said Call of Duty doesn't do much to bring anything new to the table. It is a obvious improvement from Ghosts but that isn't all that hard to do as Ghosts was awful.

Overall, Call of Duty Advanced Warfare is an improvement from Ghosts but if you are stuck deciding between this title and something else that is coming out this holiday season, I would recommend grabbing something else. There just aren't enough improvements or changes to warrant the upgrade. Unless the next Call of Duty has some outrageous or ground breaking changes, I don't see myself picking it up. While I don't feel burned on this purchase, I am just getting tired of more of the same.

VERDICT

7.5/10

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REVIEW: Velocity

Velocity
Puzzle, Shooter
PS4, PS Vita, PS3

Velocity is a scrolling game that involves navigating a Quarp Jet, a spacecraft that can teleport while it avoiding and defeating aliens. The main goal of the game is to rescue stranded ships. In order to do that you must shoot down shields and obstacles in order to reach stranded ships and rescue their crews. The puzzle portion comes when you must deactivate the shields in a specific order as well as other challenges.

Velocity is a cross buy, which means that it is available for both the PS4, PS3 and the PS Vita. I had a chance to play it on both the PS4 and the Vita and both are great ports. The Vita version feels natural, with the bombs using the the right joystick. The graphics are amazing as they use a variety of colors and the game is quite challenging as the levels ramp up the difficulty once you get a feel for the game.

The game also adds a side scrolling section that puts our heroine on foot and dashing through barriers, solving puzzles that advance the game. While most games that take you out of the main game would feel disjointed, the on foot action feels like a natural extension to the game.

With all the triple a titles vying for your attention, Velocity is a game that shouldn't be missed as it is a new twist on an old theme and it is done exceptionally well. Velocity is free until 7 October when October's Playstation Plus games switch. So act fast if you want to experience it.

VERDICT

7/10

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REVIEW: Diablo 3 Ultimate Evil Edition PS4

Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition
Action Role player, Dungeon Crawler, Online Multiplayer, Single player
PS3, PS4, 360, XB1, PC, Mac

Diablo III Ultimate Evil Edition has finally hit shelves for the consoles. I played Diablo III when it first came to computers and enjoyed it even with its lackluster launch. When it came to the Xbox 360, I gave it another go and loved it on the system and now it is available for the new current gen platforms with the first expansion Reaper of Souls.

The game is centered around the demons of the world and the angels and other guardians that safeguard the walls against them. In Diablo 3 the demons are once again on the rise and attempting to take over the world. You are the chosen one to return the demons to their realm and set things back on track.

As the player there are several classes to choose from:

The Barbarian, the staple melee character.

The Witch Doctor, the successor to the previous Diablo's Necromancer.

The Wizard, the hard-hitting damage dealer from afar. The successor to the Sorcerer.

The Monk, a quicker melee character.

The Demon Hunter, a ranged power house.

New for the Reaper of Souls expansion, The Crusader, a mid-range class that relies on shields, flails and spells.

Regardless of you class choice characters are able to use almost all of the weapons that drop from your enemies.

GAMEPLAY

It seems as if Diablo III was designed for the console as the game works really well. The combat system works exceptionally well and attempting to go for slaughtering large groups of enemies is satisfying. While the equipment management can be daunting at times, it only takes a little bit of time to get the basics down and start really making a dent in the enemy hordes.

Aside from combat and loot management, there are plenty of other skills to learn. Teaching your blacksmith new skills and patterns, leveling up your gem crafter to help augment your loot, and with the expansion you can also level up the artisan, who will change an items augmentation allowing you to pick and choose what qualities your kit contains.

What makes Diablo III Ultimate Evil Edition so great is that it has been released 2 years after the initial release and all the patches and hit or miss tweaking to the game have already been done so it is as polished as much as it can be and it is impressive.

I have been playing the game almost non-stop whether it is going at it solo or with friends. The addition of Adventure Mode has you traveling to different acts within the game to gather bounties. Some of the bounties range from killing a certain number of enemies to going after certain bosses. Completion of the list of bounties allow for a large collection of loot that can be worth it.

Another added mode is Rifts, in order to open up the rifts you are required to have 5 rift keys, which are obtained through bounties. The monsters in Rift Mode are varied and have a higher chance of dropping legendary loot.

There is also a Hardcore Mode that you can select after leveling a character to level 10. In Hardcore Mode the player is unable to resurrect so if the created player dies, that is it.



GRAPHICS

The game runs at 1080p on PS4 and Xbox One with a staggering 60 FPS (frames per second), which is absolutely gorgeous on any TV you are playing on. The colors are rich and the atmosphere palpable.

AUDIO

The voice acting is impressive, many of the characters have deep resonating voices that are absolutely perfect for the game. The mood is also set with the music in the game.

VERDICT

Diablo III Ultimate Evil Edition is nearly perfect. It takes everything that was perfect with the game and adds to it. The ability to jump in and out of friends games is great and now that level 70 is no longer the zenith of your career the game has a long lasting appeal. Even if you don't get addicted to it like I have, it is still the perfect game to hold onto and play intermittently as it is very engaging.

Overall 9.5/10

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REVIEW: Infamous Second Son

Infamous Second Son
Action-Adventure, Third-person
PS4

I have enjoyed the Infamous series since it first came out on the PS3. When the Playstation 4 was announced I was happy to see that the series was going to continue. Unfortunately, it was the only game I really wanted when the console was announced and that game alone wasn't enough for me to go out and pick the PS4 up on day one.

However, I recently picked up the PS4 console and it was an instant buy before all other games were considered. Second Son takes place in my hometown of Seattle. We have left Cole McGrath behind and are introduced to a young Native American from the Akomish tribe named Delsin Rowe, he is a bit of a troublemaker and a constant pain to his brother Reggie, the reservation's sheriff. As the government's DUP organization is transporting a few Conduits that are deemed bio-terrorists, when their vehicle crashes and they escape. Delsin and Reggie see the events unfold and go to offer their assistance. One of the Conduits attacks and in the melee Delsin's powers are unlocked. Delsin has the power to absorb other powers. The DUP's commander arrives on the scene and confronts Delsin who refuses to tell the truth as to what transpired and the reservation is encased in concrete using her powers. Some of the tribe members are injured and dying. Reggie and Delsin choose to go to Seattle to confront the DUP head and hope to restore their home town and save their townspeople by having Delsin learn the power to control concrete.

Gameplay

The game is a sandbox type game and you can tackle many of the challenges in any order you choose, although there are linear levels that you need to complete in order to advance the story.  I found myself removing the DUP checkpoints from downtown Seattle giving myself breathing room while I found all of the power ups before taking on the story.

The combat system is similar to the previous games, only the type of power has changed. Instead of electricity, Delsin starts out with smoke manipulation and soon learns to use Neon and finally Video and finally concrete. Through the course of the game, I found myself still enjoying the smoke power best but enjoyed all of them for each of their own uniqueness.

There are various types of enemies and the DUP soldiers are all able to manipulate concrete to one degree or another allowing for more challenging combat compared to the previous games. The soldiers can hit like a ton of bricks or use the concrete to launch into the air and create perches to gain an advantage and snipe Delsin from above.

The game still uses a morality aspect and as you advance into the game you gain a area clearing power that you can use when you fill up the good/evil meter. With each new power you learn a new area of effect power. If you choose to be good, the citizens will cheer you on and take your picture as you walk or run by. If you choose the evil path they make rude comments as you pass them by. During certain levels you will also have opportunities to make choices that will affect the game.

Whichever side you choose to play you should find yourself enjoying your powers and abilities. Which helps as the combat seems to be flawless as you glide from place to place and never seem to lose your bearings.



Graphics

Being that the game takes place in Seattle, there is a lot of rain featured in the game and it allows the neon found throughout the game to reflect off the pavement. Other than that the graphics are quite clear and obviously next generation (current gen?) but it is not that far removed from where the series left off on the PS3. While everything has been boosted and enhanced it isn't a major leap forward.

Audio

The audio is amazing. it sounds like you are in the streets of the northwest. My only complaint is that when you pick up fragments the controller dings. A ding that isn't subtle by any means. I found it was rather unnecessary and did nothing to enhance the game.

Verdict

Infamous Second Son is a worthy successor to the franchise but the quick campaign is a disappointment. The new powers are an improvement and fans of the previous games should find themselves on familiar ground. Newcomers won't be disappointed either as story is new and they won't get lost. It is a title worth picking up and giving it a play through.

Overall 7/10

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