One Week On- Watch Dogs

Screenshot from Flickr User: Gieson Cacho
Screenshot from Flickr User: Gieson Cacho

Watch Dogs is a game that i had been really looking forward too for quite some time now, in my eyes it’s one of the few games to have been released on next gen consoles that actually offers something new, and by that i mean it’s probably the first big new franchise to hit the shelves since the consoles launched at the end of last year, so now it’s been one week since it’s launch i thought i’d talk about how i’m finding the game.
As you’d imagine the first part of Watch Dogs is an introduction to the future Chicago as well as the games main protagonist, Aiden Pearce, a very serious, dark character who has a voice so husky that it rivals Batman. Aiden, dressed in his long coat and cap looks like a classic badass, but seems to show very little emotion, and as a player i think he’s very difficult to get attached to, this does take a certain something from the game, something that you find in games like Mass Effect with Commander Shepard, in Splinter Cell with Sam Fisher, it’s that X Factor that makes the main character special, thankfully though the game does have a fantastic supporting cast for Aiden, with his accomplices Jordi, a slightly psychotic man who wouldn’t look out of place as a James Bond villain, and Clara, a tech wizard who seems to find herself in too deep in Aidens crazy world, these characters both bring plenty of personality to the table and i found myself more attached to them more than Aiden.
Watch Dogs is set in the city of Chicago in the future, where everything is connected, a city where if you have the right skills, as Aiden does, you can use the city itself as a weapon. This is Watch Dogs’ strongest asset, not only is Chicago absolutely breathtaking to look at, but it also provides endless possibilities to ambush your enemies, whether it be overloading electric boxes, bursting steam pipes, or even just changing the traffic lights, it really is fantastic, and surprisingly simple. I think this may actually be not only the best looking city i’ve ever seen in a game, but i think it may also be the most alive, a great example of this is the rain, not only does Chicago look breathtaking during a storm, but you see all the civilians start popping up their umbrellas and taking cover under ledges and canopies, something so simple but it really impressed me. Continue reading One Week On- Watch Dogs

The Far Too Realistic Traveling of Quest 64

Image by Flickr User: Rolo Tanedo Jr.
Image by Flickr User: Rolo Tanedo Jr.

Many of us probably have a game that we keep, even if we, well, kind of really don’t enjoy playing it in the slightest.  Or not.  I don’t know.  But, I do, and that game is “Quest 64”, a game that certainly has its fans, while the rest of the world’s population either steers clear of it (for good reason) or has never even heard of it to begin with.  You might be asking, then, why in the world do I keep this game if I don’t like playing it?  Well, I kind of like playing it.  Sometimes.  A little.  But, not that much…  I guess the main reason I keep this game is because it’s different.

But, first, a little summary of what the game is…  Okay, I think the story had to do with the main character, Brian (I always spell that name as Brain…), looking for his father.  I think.  But, I could be wrong.  There are barely any characters to speak of in this game (aside from townsfolk), and it also appears to lack a villain, the final boss being a creature that I don’t see how it relates to anything in the game whatsoever.  The graphics are rather depressing, and characters and creatures look kind of like the chunky people of “Final Fantasy VII”.  (Though, speaking of that vastly superior game, “Quest 64” has a battle theme that sounds suspiciously similar to that of “FFVII”….  Hmm, do I smell a little bit of thievery perhaps?)  And worst of all, the game is just a pain to play.  For one thing, items are limited, since you can find them, but not buy them, so once you eat all your loaves of bread, you’re doomed, as apparently people don’t like to bake anymore than necessary in this game.  And the random battles involve your character standing within this bizarre octagon shape, and you must use your turns inching closer and closer to your enemies until you finally get close enough to actually whack them.  Yeah, it’s weird.

Continue reading The Far Too Realistic Traveling of Quest 64

Finishing Final Fantasy VII

Image by Flickr User: Borgs Dalisay (CC)

Final Fantasy VII is one of my absolute favorite games from the good ol’ PSOne, probably number…4 after Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage, Spyro 3: Year of the Dragon, Crash Bandicoot 2: Wrath of Cortex, and Crash Bandicoot: Warped. (What can I say? I like my classic platformers!) I love almost everything about this game: the story, the world, and the diverse characters, not to mention the secrets (oh those lovely, lovely secrets!). Final Fantasy VII‘s music is a particular favorite. There’s just something about it that immediately sucks me into its world, the Mako Reactor theme in particular.  With all this excellence crammed into just 3 CDs, it’s no wonder this game ranks among the favorites of myself and a great many others. Here’s the thing though: I haven’t yet managed to finish it. Continue reading Finishing Final Fantasy VII