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: Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon

Luigi's Mansion
Action Adventure
3DS

I recently picked up a 3DS and one of the first games I picked up, by recommendation, was Luigi's Mansion a game featuring Mario's brother. Luigi as a ghostbuster. Professor Elvin Gadd tasks Luigi with removing poltergeists from various mansions, tackling puzzles, and collecting coins.

While I enjoyed playing Luigi's Mansion for several hours, the controller scheme made the game less enjoyable. In each room of the mansion there are hidden coins and items and the single joystick made for a bit of frustration and took some of the enjoyment out of the game. The constant manipulations in order to capture all the items really took me out of the game.

The graphics are top notch considering the game came out so long ago (2001) and the puzzles are a lot of fun to solve. The ghost catching, while fun in the beginning gets a little monotonous very early on. The basic strategy is to weaken the ghost by using your light and then sucking them up with the vacuum cleaner. In order to suck up the ghosts you need to move your controller in a certain direction and then hit a button. While it seems simple, the ghosts put up a fight and create a challenge.



Luigi's Mansion is an entertaining title but the wonky controls and repetitive gameplay really tired me out and took some of the fun out of it. While it is perfect for younger gamers, older games may grow tired of it quicker. I know that it is a highly regarded game but for me it was a quick game that didn't have a whole lot of lasting appeal.

Overall 6.5/10

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REVIEW: Crimson Dragon

Crimson Dragon
Rail Shooter, Multiplayer
Xbox One

Crimson Dragon is a long awaited sequel to Panzer Dragoon, a game I never played but since the game is currently free with Games with Gold, I decided to try it out. I remember when it originally came out that it was one of the first games released for the system. I never got around to playing it until it became free and I am glad that I waited as it isn't much fun to play.

The graphics feel dated even though the game is only a few years old. Not sure if it is intentional but if you are one of the first games out of the gate on a new system, I would expect much more impressive and colorful graphics. The soundtrack is also sub par.

As a dragon rider capable of communicating with dragons, you take on various missions riding your dragon as you attempt to uncover a mysterious virus that is threatening the population of your new planet. As you enter the level you are on a preplanned route as you shoot down enemy dragons, missiles, and other threatening items. While that may sound fun, this game does a horrible job and takes the enjoyment out of a simple idea.



Making it worse is all of the micro-transactions. While the game is free, the ability to level up and attain an advantage in the game will cost you money. While you can level up normally, you are also able to do it through real money transfers. Something I avoided at all cost.

If you are looking for something new and won't cost you anything Crimson Dragon is a good choice; however, if you want something that will keep you interested and playing far longer than a few hours I would look elsewhere. Crimson Dragon is mediocre at best.

Overall 5/10

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REVIEW: Mind Zero PS Vita

Mind Zero
RPG, Dungeon Crawler
PS Vita

In the wake of Persona 4 Golden there are a few games that try to use the same winning formula, Mind Zero takes the real world where a few teenagers have found themselves in the middle of a battle between the police and entities known as MINDs and their plot to open a portal from their world to ours. The teens gain the ability to call upon spirits to help them in battle to help curb the tide of negative emotions that allow the MINDs to enter our world.

The game does a great job with the voice talent and the combat. The game uses turned-based combat and the teens can use spirits to help them in combat. Through the use unique combat cards that you can swap in and out gives the player several options during battles. One feature that I enjoyed was the ability to save the game during dungeons, I would play the game in short bursts so this feature was huge for me.



The weak point of Mind Zero is the plot. The story is mundane at best and it plods along as if it is walking in a bog. Slow and drawn out is a good way to describe the story. However, once you get past the cutscenes in the beginning things do pick up and the game is off to the races.



VERDICT

Mind Zero is said to be a Persona clone and in my opinion it is, but it is one of the best out there if you are looking for a new dungeon crawler this is a strong contender.

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REVIEW: Middle Earth Shadow of Mordor

Middle Earth Shadow of Mordor
PS4, PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC
Third Person, Action Role-Playing, Sandbox

Set in the Lord of the Rings universe some time between The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring, you play Talion, a Ranger of Gondor, who was slain along with his family by Sauron's army only to return thanks to the wraith spirit of an elf who is also seeking revenge agains Sauron.

The gameplay is a mash up of a couple of other successful games. The biggest comparison is the Assassin's Creed series. Throughout Talion's adventure he can unlock towers that allow him to fast travel to various locations on the map and shows where various collectibles and challenges are in the area, he also parkours around the various crumbling buildings and structures. Bushes also provide cover that work as long as the Uruks don't walk into them.



The other franchise it emulates is the Batman Arkham series, you slice and dice the enemies and see the parry icon above the enemies head letting you know that you need to push the button or your combo multiplier will be reset to zero. Through upgrades, your special takedown (assassination) will take less and less combos for it to be activated. I upgraded it to the point where once I had it, I was able to use it twice once it was available, which allowed me to mow down the enemies regardless of how many there were around me.

One feature that is all Shadow of Mordor is the Nemesis System, a system that affects the way you play the game. As you go against Captains and Warchiefs the game reacts to your outcomes. If you die or run away in the process of eliminating the Uruk, they advance in stature and may take over a higher position that you left open in the chain of command. The Uruk grows in power and the next time you meet they will harass you and mock you. However, if you use some of the intelligence gathered on your target, you might be able to turn the tide of battle before it even begins. Even random Uruk's that where a nameless enemy can become powerful if they kill you. In the later stages of the game you have the option to turn them to your cause and as you take out other Uruks to make space for your new troop leaders they can worm their way into even higher ranks and eventually become Warchiefs. At one point, I went back to the first map and turned every captain and Warchief to my side just because I loved the idea of having all of them under my command. When you dominate your captains you can have them send death threats to other commanders, giving you the opportunity to earn epic runes that are used to upgrade your weapons.

The collectibles are rarely something that I tend to go after in most games but the ability to earn points, which are used to upgrade your weapons made me search high and low for them. There are also weapons challenges for your bow, sword and dagger, which also give you the opportunity to earn points to upgrade weapons. The one downside to the collectibles is there is no real reward for unlocking the doorway glyphs. I felt that after scouring the countryside for them, it should have unlocked some reward beyond a trophy on PSN, achievements mean very little to me as I don't care how many trophies I have or how many points I earn on Xbox. However, for the completionist it should keep them going for quite a while.

Shadow of Mordor is a great game that keeps you playing until your controller's battery dies. There are plenty of ways to tackle the enemies and play your own play style. Regardless of your love or dislike of the classic books or movies, it should keep you entertained for hours and hours. It has quickly become one of my favorites and that was unexpected.

Verdict  9/10

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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: AirMech Arena

AirMech Arena
Arcade, Multiplayer,
PC, Steam, XBox 360, Android

One of the best free to play games on the Xbox 360 is AirMech Area, a game that has you piloting a large pantheon of aircraft that can transform into a giant robot as you fight for control over a map. The graphics really remind me of the 80's Saturday morning cartoons as the maps are colorful and the units are drawn well, but simple.

When you first start AirMech Arena you are to choose between three pilots, all with a positive and a negative ability/stat. (IE: speed but no armor, or armor but no speed). After choosing a pilot you are subject to a long tutorial, which does gets a little long in the tooth, which teaches you how to take over a control point and order various units from your base.

Your Mech is able to carry your bases troops and other units and drop them all over the map and you can issue orders to your troops as they are being generated at your base or you can create them, pick them up, and send them into the fray.

The action is quick and the game is fun as there are over 60 units to choose from to help you conquer your enemies. I found the best option is to defend your base first by building turrets, once you have adequately set up your defense, you can then set out conquering the rest of the map without worrying about being over ran. I also took over other bases to expand my empire before going for the heart of the enemy. A lot of preparation goes a long way and makes for quicker matches.



While the game is free to play, there is an option to visit the publisher's store where you can purchase upgrades and new skins; however, as you play through the game you earn points called Kudos, which will help you along the way and allow you to purchase new pilots and units without spending any money, unless you are impatient, in which case you will head straight for the store.

VERDICT

AirMech Arena is one of those games that will make the top ten list every time as it is a unique game that pairs real time strategy with tower defense games all wrapped up in the feel of a cartoon.

Overall 9/10

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