Review: "Bioshock Infinte" (2013) "The Skies The Limit AND Some."

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Bioshock Infinite is the third installment to the very well received Bioshock games. Based on the critical acclaimed series System Shock, a pc game series that lead. These game series lead to the inspiration of Bioshock. This game is a

By: Tyler Comp

prequel to the first two taking place in 1912 while the other Bioshock games took place in the 1960s. 

 You play as Booker Dewitt a man who has seen his fair share of violence and horror. He seems to have found himself between a rock and a hard place. Booker is in financial debt and he is tasked with only one option to get out of it, find the girl Elizabeth and bring her to New York. 

 The Game starts off with a wonderful throw back to the first game with Booker traveling to what looks like the lighthouse in the first Bioshock and getting rocketed up into Columbia in one of the few most epic and beautiful moments I have seen in a game. 

 The thing that stands out in this game more so than in the other Bioshocks is the sense that people once lived there. In Bioshock one and two you stumble upon Rapture after this horrible event has befallen it. In Infinite you live it; you get to see people and children going about their everyday lives in one of the most beautiful game cities I have ever seen. This gives what happens here more weight and immersion as you see civilians running away boarding airships trying their best to escape the chaos making the city feel alive even after the city is deserted.

 Another edition to the game that has never been in a Bioshock game is your AI companion Elizabeth who will travel with you throughout Columbia, and save your life more times than you can count. She is a wonderful edition to the game and her intelligence is on par with Elena and Chloe from the Uncharted games. 

What makes her so amazing is that like Elena and Chloe you do not have to watch out for her and that she is not a hindrance but an asset. Elizabeth has the ability to scavenge around the battle field refilling your magic, health, and ammo. A side note you can collect alcohol and cigarettes to recover health this game really sticks to the roots of the time period. Especailly for racial tensions even in a Utopia such as Columbia. 

She can also open tears in the world which are turrets, cover, grappling hooks, or friendly robots. Elizabeth is also never just a side character in fact she even steals the show a couple of times. 

While Elizabeth is young and naive, Booker has experienced the horrors of the world and the first time you have to defend Elizabeth from attackers it shows how different their two worlds really are. Also without Elizabeth, Booker’s character would be well rather bland we aren’t playing as a Booker in his early years before he becomes the cold hardened killer that he is rather we are playing his redemption.   

These two characters feed off each other and grow because of the time they spend together, Booker begins to see Elizabeth as more than just a pay check and begins to care about her safety and happiness, while Elizabeth begins to learn just what she has to do to stop the Prophet from carrying out his evil plans.  

Now time to get away from the characters and story I don’t want to spoil all the amazing moments you will share with her now onto the gameplay. I never thought a controller would need more buttons while the controls are not bad they loaded too much onto the controllers. 

Your firearms are tagged on to R1 to fire and R2 to switch while your magic is tagged to L1 and L2 to switch. While this is fine when the enemies are up close and personal once you have to take them out from a distance you have to click in the right analog stick R3 to look down your sights and well it is rather clunky and in fact you will never use it because it is better to spray and pray than to try and relearn what every fps has taught us over the years.This is a minor issue with the game which is surprising that it's not on the Wii U, using the game tablet would have made the massive amounts of controls easier.

Other than that everything else is amazing and it has never felt so good to ride around on those rails using your sky hook knocking people off and performing brutal melee kills on the foes below you. 

 Another edition to this game are a few very interesting and brutally hard new enemies that you have to find creative ways to deal with.  These new enemies range from fellow magic users who you have to use their opposite to stun lock them while you shoot them. To robot George Washingtons with miniguns to the Handymen and last are the Silent Boys who alert enemies to your location. This game has a strong resemblance to Dishonored in terms of fighting and choices on how to play the game.

 Out of all these new enemies your will face and crush under your boot no one got the blood pumping like the Handymen these guys are truly a force to be reckoned with, with the speed and agility of Spiderman, and the power of a Big Daddy. They bring certain exhilaration and yes frustration to the battlefield as you dip and weave trying to dodge their attacks as these tortured souls try their best to kill you.  

Our Honest View gives Bioshock Infinite 10/10. This is probably one of the most enjoyable and impressive Bioshock games I have played proving that you can revitalize a series and bring new life into it. With the excellent story and the wonderful interaction between Booker and Elizabeth creating a great masterpiece that everyone should be playing right now! Be sure not to rush through this game but to take it slow and enjoy every moment as the attention to detail will blow you away.

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SIMILAR GAMES:

Dishonored

Bioshock

System Shock 2

 

Review: "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14" (2013) "Tiger’s Back With Less Than A Roar, But Far More Than A Whimper"

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By: Adam Zimmerman

Tiger returns with another solid effort in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14. The first thing I should say is that you do not need to be a golf aficionado to enjoy this game. It helps to know a bit about the game, but my wife and I have enjoyed playing this game together for years and she knows next to nothing about the actual sport.
On the course, Tiger remains largely unchanged. Almost all the gameplay mechanics remain unchanged.

 There are only a few differences. Hitting out of the rough in more challenging now. There used to be a percentage telling you how much your ball was buried in the sand or rough which helped you determine how much further you needed to hit the ball to get it where you wanted it to go. That percentage meter appears to be gone unless the option in now hidden away in some secret menu that I’m not finding, which is a bit disappointing because that was very helpful.

Also changing is how you swing for draw and fade shots. For those that don’t know a draw or fade shot is when you pull or push the ball in a left or right curve, depending on whether you shoot lefty or righty. In previous games you just altered your stance and swung away like normal. In this years game you have to actually change the angle of your short left or right depending on how you’re trying to curve your shot. The strike meter has also changed a bit, you now need to see how your ball is lying and adjust where you strike the ball accordingly, such as hitting lower on the ball if you are in the rough to get it out.


Almost all of the game modes are unchanged. Career mode is still the same, starting you out as an amateur who needs to earn their PGA Tour card, though this year you don’t have to play in as many amateur events before you can do so. All the exhibition modes of previous games return, including versus, four ball, etc.

 There is one notable exception though.


In last years game you got to experience Tiger’s journey from tiny child prodigy to arguably the greatest golfer that’s ever lived. In Tiger 14, they are focusing not on the history of one player, but the history of the entire sport. Replacing Tiger Legacy mode is the new Legends of the Majors mode. This mode goes all the way to the 1800’s.

You play as and against the legends of the sports, trying to match their feats. You don’t just play as those golfers; you also wear the same clothes and use the same equipment that they used back in their respective days. That may not seem like a big deal, but it will seem bigger when instead of hitting it 300 yards down the fairway with your driver you are now barely cracking 200 yards. Theirs a big difference between wood and titanium alloys.

Online gets a bit of a boost. All the same modes are still in place, but now when playing on online tournament you can seem the flight trajectory of 24 of your opponents shots so you can compare yourself to the competition. There are also new weekly challenges such as beat player X when tied entering the back 9 of the final round of the tournament. The Country Clubs, which were introduced last year, has now increased in size from 25 players to 100. On a side note, if there are any Tiger players out there for PS3 reading this, I’m looking for a good country club (in game) to join.


The weather also gets a boost in this year’s game. In last year’s game you could get live weather updates if you were connected to the Internet and play in the exact same conditions the course was experiencing in real life, except that it was always daytime. This year’s version goes a step further and lets you play in the dark, and rain now has more of an effect. The only real difference rain used to make is it would shorten how far balls would roll. Now the rain effects you like you think it would. The ball doesn’t fly as far or roll as far.


Women finally get in on the action this year. You have always had the ability to make a female golfer, but she could only play in challenges and exhibitions. This year they can finally play in the career mode with the addition of the LPGA.


Character customization takes a few steps forward and a few steps backwards in this year’s game. On one hand, there are less clothing options, and less options as far as body type go. All the created golfers in this year’s game are either lean, or have a big beer belly. Unlike in previous years versions, you pretty much can’t make a heavy-set person. I guess they didn’t want thousands of John Daly clones running around.

There also seems to be fewer choices for what you can have your golfer wear and they no longer boost your stats. On the other hand, to make up for the lesser options in other areas, you can now change your golfers swing style in meaningful ways and the style of golfer you are. For swing style you can choose whether your shots have a low, medium, or high arc. That may not sound like much but it makes a big difference when there’s wind and it also affects distance and your ability to stop the ball where you want.

You can also now choose whether you are a power player or a control player. Power golfers can obviously hit it farther, but their shots are much more sensitive to over/under swings and off-line shots. Control golfers are what they sound like; they sacrifice power for accuracy. They may not hit it as far, but their shots are much more likely to end up exactly where they want.


There is one thing that I need to take EA to task for. I am a big fan of adding courses through DLC. I will also defend companies for having day 1 DLC if they made the DLC after they finished working on the main game. Tiger 14 however, has 18 courses available for download on day 1. If they were brand new courses that would be one thing.

 However, they are essentially the same courses that were downloadable last year. Adding to my frustration is that some of them are my absolute favorite courses to play, including Wolf Creek and Emerald Dragon. To make matters worse, except for the 4 fantasy courses, they are built into career mode so if you don’t get them then you are forced to skip have the tournaments which hurts your ranking and is just generally annoying.

 Last year they did something cool and made it so that you could unlock every single DLC course through regular off line play, but that feature was taken out of this years version so it is pay to play. So basically, if you want the full experience in career mode, you need to shell out a minimum of $110. That is made up of as 60 for the game, 40 for one of the downloadable course packs, and 10 for the other. It’s an incredibly crappy move by EA in my opinion.


Our Honest View gives Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 and 8 out of 10. Overall, as I said at the beginning of this, this is a solid game. There were a few steps forward and a few steps back. If you are a fan of golf this your only option for realistic golf, but even if you aren’t a big fan of the sport it is still a very fun game to play, especially with friends.

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Replay Value: Moderately High (Campaign) Infinite (Multiplayer)  

Similar Games:

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2013

NES Open Tournament

Hot Shots Golf World Invitational

Preview: Battlefield 4 & Metal Gear Soild V: The Phanton Pain

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WHOA! Why can't next gen consoles come out now? Or at least these games? Battlefield 4 is slated for October 15th, 2013. And with no presence of another Call of Duty game besides Activison's Destiny, it looks like Battlefield may finally get the respect it deserves.

EA has promised that this game will be the MOST realistic war game visually, mechanically, and of course for playing. So far in this 60 second trailer they haven't dissapointed. For a second I thought this was fake and some trailer for another war movie.

EA is definitely taking a step in the right direction. With companies producing games like Last of Us, Beyond: Two Souls and Metal Gear V that are the most realistic and anticipated game, Battlefield 4 can now join the list.

Also they've promising the best maps and online experiencing without lacking in campaign either. Battlefield 4 has the potential to be a grand slam for video games! With a huge online map as realistic as ever and campaign hard to deny why this game can't surpass Call of Duty.

This picture just proves my point, this is actually game play. Where we've seen this kind of style only in cut scenes. With Battlefield 4's new frostbite 3 engine, they're skipping past PC graphics and going for realism!

Get ready for the ride of a life with the most realistic war game ever! If this is what Ps3 and Xbox 360 are going to look like I can't wait to SEE the next gen consoles graphics for this. Will we actually be in the game at that point? Probably but pretty darn close.


Pre-order now @ your local GameStop and recieve limited edition dog tags and codes for future items. Including the first map just like Back to Kirkland in Battlefield 3.




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 After playing Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance I was a little disgruntled on another game. But with Frostbite engine 3, Konami is utilizing Fox Engine MAKING this game look so real it looks like a movie.

This game looks awesome watch the trailer, it's a little long yes but deserves every minute of it. Not only does it utilize realistic properties like when Snake's start loosing focus it happens just like one of us would when having head trauma.

Also you can see the damn hairs and sweat on snake which was impossible in most games! This game promises much potential especially after the success of Patriot Guns.

I have two concerns with the game. One I hope Konami doesn't make promises they can't keep. As in don't keep us exciting for years like with Revengeance and take out all the stuff that we actually cared about especially length. And my second concern is that this game will be on everything!

But more importantly next gen consoles, so were does that leave current gen? I don't want to loose graphical importances because next gen consoles aren't out yet!

Little is still known on this game especially the time gap between the two games. Also we don't know the release date yet, however this 6 minute preview can hold me over a little longer. Perhaps E3 will be the stage for more release info?

Hell, if this game is all preliminary than we may be shocked to see what a finished prodcut can be. Plus I really want to know what the title of the game means! I know Snake is the most tactical, shadow hiding, take you out badass so is the title about him? Or something worse?

With engines like Frostbite 3 and Fox this game that you would not except are bringing and upping the competition of what a game should like. Realsim is key to a great game, and it looks like games like these and Last of Us and Beyond Two: Souls will do just that. Whether it be on current gen consoles or next, these companies have promised us the moon and more for gaming.

That's ONE small step for companies ONE giant step for gaming.

Remember to check back here for more updates and info on Battlefield 4 AND Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain.

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By: Gabriel Roderick

Review: "Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon" (2013) "If You're Gonna Save Mario You Can't Always Be Scared."

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I remember playing Luigi's Mansion for Gamecube when it first came and saying to myself "Maybe he can make it on his own." Well he may have for the predecessor but Luigi has a tough time making the hero in the sequel.

Unlike most reviewers I did not like this game. Well let me rephrase that, there was more stuff I didn't like in this game than did like.

It's easier to start off listing the stuff I did like.

The 3D for one is great in this game and probably the best 3D for the 3D since Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time. However the game constantly wants you to "tilt" your 3DS to angle the Poltergust 5000. To me this was a turn off because it changed how the 3D looked and started to give me a headache. Graphically it is far better than it's predecessor that was on a console. And for the Mario & Luigi franchise this is the best looking game.

I find it amazing how far Nintendo has come, seeing as 3D graphics were the initial plan to the original game but then scraped.

BAM!

You make a sequel that looks better than it's original on a HANDHELD and HAS 3D graphics.

I loved the Poltergust 5000, one weapon to rule the game. It is a all in one that also freezes the ghosts so Luigi can suck them up! This leaves the game simplistic with controls. I mean you use the system itself, the r button, x button and a button to adjust what angle you need.

The story of the game is as amazing as the graphics once again you have the fate of the world depending on Luigi. You must collect 5 pieces of the Dark Moon when your asked upon by Professor E. Gadd. Like I said 5 pieces of the Moon and there are 5 Mansions to go through this time.

With 5 mansions this game is literally 5 times longer than the original. I clocked in about 16 hours to beat the game, and if I remember correctly the original only took me about 5. I however like to find everything which took me so long to beat the game. 

Not to go much into plot but once you find the fourth piece of the moon you are intercepted by King Boo who by no surprised has captured your brother.....MARIO! I thought Peach was suppose to be captured?

Now let me get back to more stuff I didn't like about this game.... The major thing in my eyes is the difficulty. Since the game has no real structure it's hard to collect everything for a level or mansion your in. Don't get me wrong I like the variety of enemies and their difficulty but if I'm in a haunted mansion with someone that is petrified I DON'T WANNA have to think about everything.

I also had to remember this is LUIGI NOT MARIO. So it's not a side scroller that takes a hour to beat with a high replay value. It's a action adventure game with a game. BUT the difference between the two brothers is Mario has more structure when side scrolling which is surprising.

Also the game is hard to find what your looking for. You'll watch a ghost run off with what you need and find yourself stuck in a room for 25 minutes to realize you can use your Poltergust to get out and go find the ghost THEN return. Granted the maps are small I don't particularity want to be traveling back and forth.

Back to difficulty, since there is no real targeting besides when you blind them with light, it is sometimes difficult to change a ghost and stop then when your Poltergust goes in a range motion.

And with no real checkpoints you can spend hours on a puzzle trying to solve something and HAVE to do it again. Sorry but if I'm investing this much time in a game I want to get one solid play through and not do it several times.

This game unlike most has one special feature which redeemed it in my eyes and it's the concept of MULTIPLAYER!!!!

I'd never thought that I would play a game just for the multiplayer but I did in Luigi's Manson. It is so much fun playing with other Luigis. You even have a command options to shout out at the others. You can play through different mansions clearing out of ghosts, or collecting items. There are bonus missions and time trails and other fun extras. For example they have a free for all to find 4 red coins at the end of each mansion when collecting ghosts. You have 10 seconds to go after them. So oblivious one player per coin. This adds up your total score at the end too.

It's truly Mario Party on steroids. The only thing I didn't like about the game is the clumsiness of it. Your playing on the same small maps with 3 other people, there's bumping into each other, stealing prices and keys and other course just sometimes a cluster. Sometimes you can suck up a item that another friend threw because your going after a ghost which is kind of annoying.  A ironic part about multiplayer is when you go to open a door it physcially opens and you walk through. However when a friend does, they phase through...

I'm confused here.

Who am I after then??

The game includes local, online and even a download mode for multiplayer. So even if your around a friend who doesn't have the game it stays true to the multiplayer Mario games. I was hoping however with the multiplayer you could play co-op that would help make this game a little less challenging and a little more exciting.

This new idea with the multiplayer though is the closest thing you'll get to Ghostbusters in 3D.

Our Honest View gives Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon 7.5/10. We've waited for almost 3 years for this game. With the hype that it would be the best 3ds game it is and it isn't. Graphically and story wise it's the best game in the Mario & Luigi I've played. Difficultly wise it was rather disappointed with no set structure. However multiplayer in a Nintendo game will always be redeeming for us!

Replay Value: Moderately (Campaign) Moderately High (Multiplayer)

Similar Games:

By: Gabriel Roderick

• Super Mario Land 3D
• Luigi's Mansion  
• Mario Party DS

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Review: "G.I. Joe Retaliation" (2013) "I've Seen This Before, Did Michael Bay Direct This?"

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Our Honest View

 

Let me start off my review with two sentences. First, I walked in not expecting a great movie at all especially after the first. And second at least it had good previews?

The new G.I Joe sequel was definitely flawed in many many ways but it also had some great points which in my eyes was a huge improvement from the first movie. It's biggest thing that impacted it positive for at least fans was the delay. The movie was delayed nearly a year for two main reasons which happen to be my two favorite things about this movie!

The movie was delayed so it could be post converted into 3D. Which all movies seem to be 3D these days and this was a smart move. The movie looked so crisp and I found myself jumping a few times when Firefly's little firefly bombs flew past me at the Joes. Also the scene (Not a spoiler alert it's in the trailers) of Snakeyes' fighting in the mountains was amazing. The snow, bodies and swords oh my, where flying at us as the villains fell to their deaths.

The other reason for the delay was to build a stronger relationship between The Rock's character Roadblock and Channing Tatum's character Duke. Originally there wasn't going to be much build up between the two but with the rising popularity of Tatum and Rock's never dying stardom this seemed wise to build. Plus there is no mention of Rock's character in the first movie, this helps the audience fill in such gaps through the movies instead of just throwing characters into the fray.

Very wise move because this is where I found myself laughing the most through the movie though it's only for maybe the first 20 minutes. Then sadly the laughter is over and some bad things happen. Not to give anything away but Duke's and Roadblock's relationship is barley important after this point.

The delay did cause some huge problems for Hasbro though because they had to delay selling the toys for almost a year! But with Hasbro's name on the movie credits I'm sure they'll recoup their losses. 

I lied however there are 3 points of this movie that I greatly enjoyed. Besides the delay to build up the 3D and relationships, I also enjoyed the title of the movie, Retaliation. I thought like the first movie the title would pertain only to the Cobra. 

BUT!

The title however pertains not only to Cobra but the surviving Joe's after a near fatal destruction of them. 

Now that we have the good lets get to the bad.

 

This truly wasn't the worse movie I've ever seen but it was a typical action movie wearing the name of a dynasty. This movie pulls a Spiderman 3 on us, lots of villains, jumping around and of course not much plot development.  

Like I said the beginning of this movie had such potential BUT then bam nothing. We then get to see Cobra again who has changed and now looks like the real Commander Cobra from the comics and show. Corba himself has a VERY minor role. Isn't the point of the movie Commander Corba's revenge? 

 

Barley.

 

It's mostly Zartan's uncanny obsession of being not only president but ruler of the world.

 

Thankful they kept the cast from first movie that were good who still duke out their problems from the first.

I wasn't a huge fan of the fight scenes either. The first part of the movie was hard to follow with the quick moving camera angles and epic 3D. This was something they may have overlooked while doing post conversion which differently hurts the film do to it moving to quickly.

This movie jumps around constantly so I truly stopped paying attention to a point which I then had to ask a friend why they we're doing some of the things they we're doing.

The cast also included Flint and Lady Jaye (D.J. Cotrona  and Adrianna Palicki respectively) she of course being very attractive has more film time than Flint. My major complaint with this is why not utilize them properly. You bring in three new Joes and NO development how do you progress to a sequel this way?

 

The Rock's character in this movie is so bad. Ever see the movie the Marine with John Cena? That's what his character reminded me off, a block of a character with no development hell bent on being a badass. He fights Firefly (Ray Stevenson) in the movie which looks like one of Rock's wrestling matches a train wreck! 

Bruce Willis' character is General Joseph Colton, who like most Willis film adds some humor to the film. I was surprised they used him in the movie but it makes sense because he adds some light to the darkness and cloudiness of the film. Like Tatum he doesn't have much film time which hurts the Joes more than helps them.

 Our Honest View gives, G.I. Joe Retaliation 5.5 / 10. Don't get me wrong my negative comments on the movie don't make it the worse movie on the planet. It's just not a overall good movie, but it does the trick for your run of the mill action movie.  Granted the lack of their biggest assets hurt them, this movie is HUGE improvement from the first movie.

Verdict:

1. If you like corny action movies - SEE THIS MOVIE
2. If you like Michael Bay explosion type movies - SEE THIS MOVIE
3. If your a Rock Fan - SEE THIS MOVIE
4. If you like 3D - SEE THIS MOVIE 
5. If your a G.I. Joe - DON'T SEE THIS MOVIE
6. If you like plot and character development - DON'T SEE THIS MOVIE 
7. If you like Channing Tatum - DON'T SEE THIS MOVIE
8. If you like Fight scenes - DON'T SEE THIS MOVIE

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Our Honest View

 

 

 

By: Gabriel Roderick

 

Special: What Being A Gamer Means TO US!

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Our Honest View

When my good friend Tre first approached me about being a video game article
writer I was first and foremost surprised, second honored that he and other good folks and
friends at “ourhonestview.com” would consider me and of course being a rabid video
gamer I was totally stoked as well!

But where to start off for a first article?

Mario?

Pacman?


PONG?

Although I had a few good choices in mind, it seemed logical to start with a question
few actually ask or even consider and that is (as the articles title implies)… What is a
gamer?

Is a gamer just somebody who plays video games? Well no, I don’t believe so. that’s
like saying an artist is just someone who paints a pretty picture, or a musician is just
someone who strums a guitar. No, there’s more to it than that. A musician will tell you that
it’s not just a matter of playing notes, you have to feel the music and let it move you, while
the artist will tell you that at times you have to let the art take shape and see what
develops.

Like these examples there is more to being a gamer. Video games and video gaming is a
crazy culture all its own and one that crosses over into many other cultures as well. It’s
one that has grown, spread, and evolved over time. One that is vast and varied with lingo,
jargon and terminology to match, with more than a few inside jokes and references that
only gamers will get. Anyone that has seen Wreck it Ralph will know what I’m talking
about.
But it’s not only that, like the musician or artist will tell you, it’s a form of expression
and trust me folks, gamers LOVE to express themselves as surely as villains love a good
monologue, or people in survival horror movies love to split up to cover more ground! Just
ask Bioware about Mass effect 3’s fan feedback if you don’t believe me.

Seriously, there are few ways to strike up a conversation with people of all different walks
of life and cultural backgrounds faster than a speeding death by head shot in halo 4 on
legendry than to bring up video games except for politics or religion, but that’s a whole
different issue. I should point out that video game conversations will also oftentimes
descend into some pretty hysterical and side splitting banter and/or debates.

The point is is that there is so much more to it all than just the playing the video games
themselves, although there’s a lot to of playing video games too. There are the stories they
tell and the experience of being drawn into them much like a reader gets drawn into a good
book. A few of my most memorable video game stories include Breath of Fire 3 on the Ps1,
Final Fantasy X on the PS2, Skies of Arcadia on the GameCube, and of course Mass Effect
12&3 on Xbox 360.

Other times it’s just the zany fun of a good party game with friends like Mario Kart,
Smash Bros, Twisted Metal 1 or 2, or Mortal Kombat. And of course there’s the memories and laughs you get from such get togethers.


Also, for many gamers there’s the feeling of nostalgia from playing old-school games on retro systems like the original Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Genesis, or even Atari. And let’s face it, who doesn’t like playing old-school Pacman, Mario, Sonic, etc.

Now there are some who say video are a bad influence.

 Can it be?

Well, in much the same way that movies or music can be, yes it can. Please note I said CAN, because games, just like movies, have a rating system. Movies are rated G, PG, PG13, R, and NC17, while
video games are rated E, E10+, T, and M. So what does any of that mean? Well parents, let
me ask you something; would you let your kids go see an R rated movie at the theaters by
themselves? No? Well it’s kind of the same thing with video games, so parents please stop
buying games like Saints Row the 3rd for your 1st graders…. “PLEASE!!”

But I digress a bit; yes video games can be a bad influence (I know I’m a traitor now
right), though no more or less so then other forms of media, and video games can be a form
of escape for some people. Don’t get me wrong; I love video games. I’ve been playing them
since the 1980’s and it can be easy to lose yourself in them. That being said, parents need to
be actively involved in and know what their kids are playing, as well as knowing what’s
really in them. Also, older players need to use some self-disciple and discretion. Again,
while video games are fun they’re no substitute for human interaction.

Alright that’s enough of the heavy stuff for now. So what else can we say about the
video game culture? Well, it’s come a surprisingly long way since they first debuted a few
decades back. For instance, video games now have an effect on many other forms of media
from movies, comics, novels, and anime, and that doesn’t even include the plethora of T-
shirts, energy drinks, toys, clothing, artwork, fan fictions, and music..... sweet, sweet, kick-
butt video game music tracks. Sorry, I got nostalgic for a second there, although video game
music scores are among some of the most unique and truly amazing music there is. Some of
my own favorite game soundtracks include the soundtracks from Double Dragons 2 the
Revenge, TNMT4-Turtules in Time, StarFox64, Final Fantasy X, any of the games in the
Mass Effect series, Skyrim, and I’ll give an honorable mention to Tiny Tina’s intro song from
Borderlands 2. What can I say; I love that song.

Indeed, video games and the video game culture have come a long ways, especially
considering that the first real console game, if memory serves correctly, was created by
accident with of all things electronic diagnostic equipment. So yup, there’s a lot to video
games and video gaming. So much so that if the contents of this article and the views
expressed here do not give you a suitable idea of what it means to be a gamer, well then I
am sorry to tell you this but: your princess is in another castle!

P.S. Thank you readers for… well reading this article. If you have any comments please feel
free to post them on our Facebook page. They are welcomed and appreciated.

Andrew Desrosiers

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Our Honest View

Preview: "The Wolverine" (2013) "Stop Teasing ME Hugh Jackman!"

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TRAILER HERE INTERNATIONAL VERSION: 

 

Our first impressions of this movie are HOLY CRAP!!!

This movie looks amazing. Hugh Jackman has never looked better and it's great to see the Samurai series come to life.

Hugh Jackman is the only recognizable member in the cast, but they are strictly following the comic book on this one. And we're seen success with that recipe by looking at the new Amazing Spiderman.

To me the movie feels like a combination of Kill Bill and Inception. Kill Bill having the whole samurai training idea and killing Yakuza. And Inception for the with the background and overall scenes. 

The trailer gives little detail BUT shows so much. This is obvious taking place after the Last Stand, which has been confirmed and also by the amount of updated technology in the trailer. 

Leaving the big question to what happens after Wolverine defeats Magneto in Last Stand?

Why is he going to Japan?

Didn't he go there before? At the end of Origins of Wolverine we see him in a bar in Japan, "drinking to remember". So I'm sure some gaps of the X-men timeline will be filmed in with time.

This movie is also going to be in 3D like ALL movies. So I'm guessing those claws and swords will be coming right at us?

Below you'll find some shots so far of the film. 

With another year of super hero movies like; Iron Man 3, Man of Steel, Thor 2. Wolverine is looking to be in good shape like Jackman himself for providing yet another good sequel to the franchise.

Stay tune for more details as they become available.

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Our Honest View

By: Gabriel Roderick

 

Review: "LEGO City: Undercover" (2013) "Grand Theft Lego"

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Our Honest View

When this game was announced I was very excited for it's release and unlike the game itself I'll keep the review short and sweet so I can keep playing.

And now that I've played it, I can truly say it is an exploratory game. The Lego games have always had a certain charm to them and undercover retains that and more. It stars super cop Chase McCain as he returns to Lego City after learning Rex Futy has escaped from jail.

The game easily coaxes you into the world with it's tutorial missions! The game's controls are tight and after 20 minutes or I was a pro at navigating the enormous city. To call the game world "massive"

is still an understatement! There are more than 17 districts to the world where the story takes place. Each area is FULL of side objectives that all unlock characters or vehicles that Chase can then purchase and use in the city.

All Lego games are known for having many characters to use, and with Chase's disguise system you can play as more than 200 people from the game world!

You can also create your own Lego disguise character to choose from just like the Scribbernaunts series. Each disguise you unlock gives Chase new abilities that allow you to access more of Lego city.

The missions of the story mode remind me of GTA's structure. The story moves forward by going to a mission point and completing objectives like arrests and free run segmants.

The missions are varied and introduce new characters and skills at a solid pace. However the game physics sometimes get in the way of trying to complete a simple objective. Nevertheless, after my time in the city, I left wanting more. Even though the campagin is well over 20 hours long I still wished for more.

Our Honest View gives Lego City: Undercover 9.5/10. This game is the defining reason on the list of reasons to buy a Wii U. Like all Lego games it lives up to the Lego Name and pushes the bar to higher levels at the same time. With a game like this nothing is impossible for Lego games in the future.

Replay Value: Infinte

Similar Games:

• Lego Anything
• Grand Theft Auto (Mature Rated)
• Scribblenaunts Umlimited

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Our Honest View

By: David Howard