Before I get stuck in to the main part of the article i owe you guys an apology, it’s been quite some time since I last posted anything on here! The main reason being that I’ve started a Youtube channel and that’s been taking up a lot more time than I had originally anticipated (Who knew editing was co complicated?!) Now I’m starting to get the hang of it a bit more though so I should be able to start posting more regularly again. Feel free to check my channel out, it’s NidgePlays (Shameful advertising) But anyway, let’s get into the article!
I’m not quite sure why, but i’m always a sucker for these wrestling type games. I think it goes back to my younger days when i was a big fan of the WWE, but even now, about 10 years on, i still really enjoy the games, whether it be the WWE titles, or in this case, UFC. I didn’t get the last couple UFC games that came out on the Xbox 360, but i did get the original, so i was expecting the game to have moved on quite a lot from then. Continue reading One Week On- EA Sports UFC→
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→
So here it is, after a lot of whittling down we have finally reached UWGs number one game, Mass Effect 2, it’s a giant of a game and one that really made me fall in love with the whole Mass Effect series. When the original Mass Effect was launched it was a game that I liked a lot, but by no means would I have put it in my top ten, but when the second instalment came out in 2010 I was absolutely blown away. I remember always liking the concept a lot from the original, the idea of what is pretty much a free roam RPG set in space always had fantastic potential but in Mass Effect 2 they turned that potential into a masterpiece and really pushed the series forward a lot.
So over the weekend EGX Rezzed was held at the NEC in Birmingham and i was lucky enough to be able to get myself down to it on the Friday. For those who are unaware of what Rezzed is the way i describe it is like a more indie based Eurogamer, although this year for the first time they did showcase some more ‘Mainstream’ console games, I thought as a little summary of the event i’d talk about a few games that impressed me, and just my general impressions of the event.
The first game that i got to see in action was Hotline Miami 2, a game which is very hard to describe, in it’s most basic form it is a retro shooter which sees you going into buildings and flushing out the bad guys, and by flushing out i mean killing. There were a couple of things that made this game stand out a lot for me, firstly how simple the game was, it’s nice to know that the days of basic gaming aren’t over, there is nothing complicated here, just move around and attack, that’s all there really is to it. The next thing that i liked was the games ‘vibe’ they really have nailed the retro feel and the music matches this, i really did feel like i could have been in an arcade from 25 years ago, and that’s a good thing! The last thing that stood out to me was the unforgiving nature of the game, one shot and you’re dead, although this can be a bit frustrating it’s part of the games charm, and it means that when you do clear a zone it feels very satisfying. After the show when i got home i actually downloaded the first Hotline Miami and i can say that it also has all these qualities, if you’re looking for some old school, fun gaming this may well be a good shout.
Thief is one of those games that over the years i’ve heard plenty about, but never actually played, predominantly because it’s been exclusive to PC, until now, so when it was announced that it’s fourth installment was coming to Xbox One i was quite excited! I think it was a great choice of release date by Eidos, two weeks before Titanfall and three before Infamous hit the shelves here in the UK. i’m almost seeing it as something of a filler, something that can keep me busy until Titanfall launches on the 14th, because as we all know, there’s not a lot of choice on the next gen consoles right now, but hopefully in the next couple of months that will change with Titanfall and Infamous Second Son both imminent on their respective consoles, nevertheless until then Thief is a very welcome break from the consoles launch titles, don’t let that mislead you though, Thief is still a top game in it’s on right.
Thief, as the name suggests, follows the story of Garrett as he pickpockets and steals his way through a dark, wet, grim looking city which it seems is based around London at the time of the plague, or as it’s referred to in the game, the “Gloom” A time when the people on the streets are struggling to survive, i think Thief gets this across really well, you almost feel like a part of their struggle. The tone of the game matches this, the game is dark, the City is a pretty miserable place to behold, but take nothing away from the graphics, they’re very good, and the lighting effects are fantastic, the shadow casting is superb, something you’d expect though as the game involves a lot of sneaking around in them. Continue reading You’ve Got To Pick A Pocket Or Two- Thief Review→
He’s probably the most iconic video games character of all time, having now appeared in over 200 games, and sold over 240 million copies in his time, Mario is a plumber that hasn’t done too bad for himself! This week the United We Game bloggers are going to each be discussing the levels behind the legend, what makes them so good, standout levels and how an Italian plumber, ran, jumped and dropped in their favourite games.
My experiences with Mario started at a young age, i was bought a Nintendo 64 for Christmas and fell in love with Super Mario 64 and MarioKart, in my mind still 2 of the finest games he has appeared in to date, but to be honest, since those days i’ve not played many more, when i started playing Playstation and Xbox i never really looked back, but this doesn’t mean i’ve not played any of the more recent titles, i think Super Mario Galaxy was a great game and on the DS Super Mario World is always a great play. Continue reading Community Post: The World’s Most Talented Plumber→
