Halloween E-Book Giveaway!

 
Starting next week, I’m going to be running a Spooktober E-Book Giveaway on Amazon! For five days you’ll have the opportunity to claim your FREE copy of HIGH STRANGENESS and WAIT FOR THE DAWN. Offer begins 27/10 and ends 31/10.

Now Playing: Halo 3

I played Halo 3 on its original release in 2007, but it’s been at least 10 years since I replayed it, so I was curious to see how it would stack up today compared to Halo 1 & 2. It’s generally regarded as one of – if not the best – Halo campaign and overall, that’s an assessment I’m inclined to agree with.

Halo 3 gets off to a somewhat slower start than Halo 2, but it soon ramps up into one of the most exciting and fun shooter campaigns you’ll ever play. Unlike Halo 2, which became more linear and restrictive as you progressed, Halo 3 plays to the key strength of the series – open, sandbox combat environments.

Playing either in solo or co-op is a blast as you navigate these open maps. And Halo 3, acting as the conclusion of the Human / Covenant war, includes plenty of large scale, vehicle based combat missions with plenty of friendly and enemy characters. Halo 3 took all of the best aspects of 1 & 2 and combined them into a thoroughly entertaining campaign from beginning to end – and one which wraps up this particular Halo story to a satisfying degree.

The combat is as smooth and enjoyable as ever – although noticeably easier than I recall, even on Legendary. The lack of shielded elites certainly makes a big difference, the checkpoints are more lenient than in Halo 2, and the co-op re-spawn system is also far more forgiving.

Somewhat disappointingly, this PC release hasn’t received much in the way of a visual overhaul, unlike Halo 1 & 2. I guess you could argue Halo 3 wasn’t in such a great need of visual improvement compared to those games – Halo 2 in particular – but it’s a shame more attention wasn’t given to the perfectly acceptable but obviously dated visuals.

The sound and music are as excellent as ever, with the classic Halo theme kicking in at all the right moments. The enemy AI continues to impress, although fighting the dim-witted brutes is never quite as challenging as fighting the sneaky elites.

Halo 3 also marks the end of the Halo games I had previously played so the next releases as part of the MCC – ODST and Halo 4 – will be my first time. I am curious to see where the story goes because Halo 3 does a pretty good job of wrapping things up. Like the others, Halo 3 also has plenty of collectibles to discover and score / time challenges to test your skills.

If I had to rate the Halo games I’ve played in some kind of order it would probably be Halo 3 = Halo 1 > Halo: Reach > Halo 2. I don’t know how the series progresses from here or what the future holds, but these four games provide a fantastic experience and really shouldn’t be missed if you’re a fan of engaging, first person shooter campaigns.

8/10

PS5 -vs- X-Box: Let Them Fight

We’re approaching the release of the next generation of consoles – the PlayStation 5 and the X-Box Series X (and S) so I figured I’d put up a post outlining my own thoughts on each platform. PC has been my primary gaming platform for going on 20 years now, but I’ve always had one console or another to play alongside it. Most recently, that console is the Switch, but am I tempted to pick up a PS5 and /or an X-Box series console too?

Before we really knew anything about these new platforms, I was much more interested in the PS5. Given that the PC is my preferred platform, that shouldn’t really come as a surprise, not when pretty much everything available on the X-Box ‘ecosystem’ is also available on PC either through Steam or via Game Pass. The Series X console, in terms of hardware, is pretty great value, and I do like the compact design, but as a platform, it doesn’t really offer me anything I can’t or won’t get on the PC.

But I don’t think Microsoft really care about that. They’re really focusing on their Game Pass subscription model and they don’t really care where you play. And if I didn’t own or couldn’t afford a decent PC, then the combination of a Series X or S console plus a Game Pass subscription would be an easy choice to make – the value that offers is pretty insane.

But I do have a decent PC and so I don’t really need either of the new X-Box models. And that’s why I was more interested in the PS5. I didn’t pick up a PS4 but there are several games on that platform I’d like to play and I was waiting to see if those games would be backwards compatible with the PS5 and / or offer free ‘enhanced’ versions at a higher frame rate or even paid remastered versions that take advantage of the upgraded hardware.

Sony were really knocking it out of the park towards the end of the PS4 cycle with one big exclusive hit after another. And it appears that strategy of exclusive first party games and exclusive third party content is something they intend to continue with the PS5. But the question is, will that strategy continue to work in a market that is evolving more towards subscription based services?

And it does kind of feel like Sony shot their entire load towards the end of the PS4 cycle, leaving them a little short on the release of the PS5. And the more I’ve heard and seen of the PS5, the less inclined I am to pick one up, at least in the short term. The console, in terms of design, isn’t really to my taste. And the pricing of the games – £70 – is pretty damn steep.

Then you have the cost of online play to consider, the fact that (at the time of writing) we still don’t know exactly how backwards compatibility will work for PS4 games and hell, we still haven’t really seen the console ‘in the flesh’ so to speak. It’s almost like Sony are trying to hide how big and bulky it looks outside of flattering renders.

The digital version, despite the reduced price, feels like a trap when you’re relying on online sales that might never come or be as generous as physical reductions. Sony, with the PS4 library behind it, certainly has the games to interest me, even though the platform looks, frankly, inferior to the new X-Box Series models. If I was picking a platform based purely on design, hardware and value, the X-Box Series would win quite comfortably.

But I don’t need an X-Box because I already have a PC. I was looking to get a PS5 in order to play all those tasty PS4 exclusives I’ve missed out on, but I’m not going to do that until I know exactly what I’m getting. It feels like Sony have been pretty shy at revealing details – I don’t know if it’s a marketing strategy (if it is, it’s not a very good one) or just plain incompetence. They should be making me want to buy their platform, but I can’t say they’ve succeeded. At all. Microsoft’s strategy is clear, but Sony seems to be all over the place and unable to give straight answers on anything. They really need to get their act together.

Between the two platforms, I’m obviously still more interested in the PS5, but that’s purely for the games I hope to be able to play on it, not for the platform itself. The platform, based on design and value, just isn’t an attractive purchase right now. So I guess I’ll take a wait and see approach, and maybe wait for a ‘slim’ model redesign that might come out in the future.

Now Playing: Horizon Zero Dawn

It took me around 65 hours to complete Horizon and the included Frozen Wilds DLC. I finished every main, side and errand quest. I explored every corner of the map. I tracked down every collectible. I did all of this because I wanted to see and experience everything Horizon had to offer.

Despite the many technical problems reported with this PC version, I only suffered a single crash whilst playing and my frame rate was rock solid. Visually, Horizon looks fantastic with a varied range of environments and some impressive character models – it’s just a shame the facial animations can be rather stiff, to say the least. 

It’s not just how the world looks that’s impressive, but how it’s constructed. The map has very distinct environmental types ranging from forest, to snow, to jungle, to barren plains. These all connect and flow from one to the next in a way that feels natural and alive. The sense of scale and distance, the fact that Meridian – the main ‘city’ in Horizon actually feels like a large, lived in city, all contributes to build one of the best open worlds you’ll ever play.

 

And this is a world full of history, a new world built upon the ruins of the old. As you explore the world and progress through the excellent story you’ll learn more about the past and the people who lived during that time. The pacing of the plot is nearly perfect as solving one mystery leads onto the next. You’re always learning, always uncovering a new piece of puzzle, and you’re always just one step away from the next.

I loved the story and characters of Horizon. I won’t spoil any of the plot here because it’s the kind of game you really need to play and experience for yourself. Aloy is a wonderful protagonist and she’s supported by a wide range of excellent side characters. The only really weak character is that of the main (human) villain who’s just an evil prick and that’s about as complex as he gets.

The story, like the world of Horizon, is perfectly constructed. You’re always engaged, always wanting to learn more, to see more and explore more to discover the truth of the past, of the machines and of Aloy herself. Horizon tells a very personal story and although it doesn’t feature a branching narrative with alternative paths or endings, it does feature various dialogue options that allow you to shape how Aloy reacts to the people she encounters and the challenges she faces.

But as great as the world and the story of Horizon are, what really keeps you playing and enjoying your time spent exploring the world is the combat. The combat against the machines, at least. Horizon does feature some combat against human (bandit) enemies, but this is another weak aspect of the game. Fighting primitive humans wielding spears and bows just isn’t as engaging or fun as tangling with mechanical beasts that shoot laser beams and spit fire.

There’s a lot of different machine types, from small and fast to large and lumbering, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Your ‘base’ damage against these machines, regardless of level, isn’t particularly effective. Instead, every machine has either an elemental weakness – fire, frost or electrical and/or specific weak points that when targeted with the appropriate ammo type will cause heavy damage.

Horizon is a game that gives the player a great deal of combat options through its variety of weapons, traps and ammo types. There’s not a single way to take down a machine. The game encourages you to be creative and experiment with all of the tools at your disposal. Some machines may seem incredibly tough the first time you encounter them, but by learning their attack patterns and studying each machine with your Focus to highlight their strengths and weaknesses, you’ll soon learn how to take down each machine both quickly and efficiently.

There’s nothing quite as enjoyable as using a ‘tearblast’ arrow to detach a machine’s primary weapon from its back, picking it up and then using it to rip the machine to pieces. Or you could lay a series of traps and tripcast wires and lure the machine into a deadly (and explosive) ambush. Or you could freeze the machine and use your slow to fire, but heavy damage bow to inflict maximum damage by targeting a weak point. Or you could use a ropecaster to bind the machine, preventing it from moving as you use a blast sling to bomb it into pieces.

So many options, so many tools. I never got tired of fighting machines in Horizon. The visual feedback is what makes it so satisfying – watching as pieces of the machine are shed by your attacks. You whittle them down, one component at a time. And once the fight is done, you strip the parts to sell or to use in crafting. The animations of the machines is also impressive as they charge, leap or collapse to the earth when they finally fall.

The crafting system is decent. I was worried it might get tiresome gathering parts but everything is fairly streamlined and merchants sell bundles of all the key components so you’ll never need to worry too much about gathering wood for crafting arrows. There is a modifications system in Horizon for both weapons and armour. It’s a little simple, but it does the job and this is one area that a sequel could certainly improve upon.

The Frozen Wilds DLC, which was included in this PC package, is an excellent expansion offering a new location to explore, new machines to fight and new weapons to add to your already extensive arsenal. It will give you another 10-15 hours of play on top of the core game and like the core game it’s content you’ll want to thoroughly explore.

Overall, Horizon Zero Dawn was excellent from start to finish. The few weak points – the human enemies / villain and the rather simplistic upgrades / modifications – don’t detract from what is one of the best games I’ve played this year. The main quest is engaging, the side content (beyond a handful of exceptions) is all worth your time with unique narratives, characters and encounters. The combat is great with a variety of tools and enemies with a welcome focus on player creativity and tactics.

I’m still a little wary of recommending Horizon at the time of writing because, whilst I didn’t have any real technical problems, a lot of people obviously are, but if the developers can roll out some more patches and fixes, it’s most certainly worth picking up in the future. It’s an exceptional game that I’ll certainly return to again and has me excited for the recently announced sequel. It’s another strong contender for my personal GOTY.

9/10

Gallery: Fallen Order

Now Playing: DOOM Eternal

I really wanted to take more screenshots of Doom Eternal. The game is a veritable visual feast, with gorgeous environments and stunning backdrops. Unfortunately, taking screenshots proved to be the one technical hitch I experienced with Eternal – every time I tried to take a screenshot, the game would crash.

I wasn’t alone with this problem and I tried various fixes suggested online, but nothing would stick and nothing would work, regardless of which screenshot utility I tried. So the screenshots you see accompanying this review are all I was able to get and all I have to work with. It’s a damn shame because Eternal is a beautiful game and none of these shots really do it justice.

They also include elements of the UI I later switched off or scaled down because they’re far too intrusive. The UI in Eternal is, thankfully, fully customisable and you’ll likely want to turn much of it off because the default settings are far too cluttered. Despite this one irritating issue, I had no other technical problems with Doom Eternal. The game ran smooth as butter regardless of how crazy things would get on screen – and things can get pretty damn crazy.

If you’ve played Doom 2016 then you’ll feel immediately at home in Eternal – it doesn’t seek to reinvent the wheel and many of the systems and mechanics of that game continue here. The weapon selection is practically identical, with each weapon possessing two alternative fire mods, each with combat challenges to complete.

 

The ‘glory kill’ system also returns, as enemies enter a weakened state in which you can ‘rip and tear’ them apart in a gloriously gory animation and spawn additional health – but only health. Unlike 2016, you now need to use two other specific abilities to spawn additional ammunition and armour – the chainsaw for ammo (which requires fuel) and the flame belch for armour (which requires a period of cool down). You do, of course, still find regular ammo, health and armour pick ups scattered throughout each level, but you’ll also need to juggle these abilities as you fight in order to keep yourself stocked and alive.

Whereas 2016 ramped up the action more as it progressed, Eternal kicks off in high gear and never lets up for a single moment. The visuals, as I’ve already mentioned, are fantastic, and the music is absolutely perfect. Purely in terms of moment to moment gameplay, Doom Eternal is very nearly perfect. The combat is exceptional with a wide variety of weapons, mods and abilities in addition to a strong, if mostly familiar selection of enemy types. Like 2016, Eternal allows the player to be creative in how they approach every fight – you can switch weapon mods on the fly, mixing up your style of play depending upon what the situation requires.

And every weapon and every mod, although always useful in a pinch, also has an optimal use against particular enemies. The combat is fast and frantic, but you always feel in control and you soon learn to make split second decisions as to what weapon or mod will be most effective as you string a chain of kills together, one demon to the next. 

If there’s one aspect of the combat I wasn’t totally enamoured with it was the inclusion of the ‘empowered totems’. These boost the health and attack power of demons in a combat arena and continually re-spawns them until the totem is destroyed. It creates a silly situation in which you charge about the arena, attempting to locate the totem because fighting the demons in this situation is a waste of time until it’s been destroyed.

Thankfully, there’s only a handful of areas that do this. The game does introduce an enemy later on which has the same abilities as the totem – boosts demon stats and spawns new enemies. But this is a target you have to track and fight, not just an annoying little totem you have to hunt down because it’s tucked away in some small corner of the map.

Another minor annoyance is the ‘sticky floor’ type which, as part of a larger arena as a hazard to avoid I’m totally okay with, but there are a few moments when you’re forced to trudge your way through this shit and fight enemies at the same time. One of the joys of combat in Doom Eternal is how mobile you are, so when that’s taken away from you, it becomes a lot less fun.

In terms of campaign length, Eternal is fairly comparable to 2016, so you’re looking at about 15-18 hours to complete if you also want to scratch off all of the challenges and discover all of the collectibles. The maps are varied in terms of environmental design and thanks to the expanded movement options, now offer a basic, but fun range of platform style puzzles. You can now swing from bars to reach higher points and grip certain walls to climb. It is, admittedly, a little weird at first, but you soon get used to these new abilities as you traverse the maps and seek out the various secret areas.

There are a handful of boss fights in the game, although this is one area I was a little disappointed by. I really wanted a few more, including some mini-boss style encounters to help mix things up. The game relies very heavily on a repetitive rotation of demon spawns in later combat encounters, so you always know what’s coming next.

 

And that lack of surprise also extends to the maps in general which helpfully mark every combat arena before you’ve even encountered it – including the handful of boss fights. It seems a strange design decision to warn the player of every fight that’s coming. As a result, the game never really takes you by surprise and forces you to think fast to survive – you’ll always be prepared.

I don’t want to sound too nitpicky about Eternal because the game is, overall, pretty damn fantastic and one of the best shooters you’ll ever play. There were just these little annoying design choices that sadly hold the game back from being pretty much perfect. 

There’s a new Multiplayer component in Eternal, but I really have no interest in it, just as I had no interest in the pretty bad MP of Doom 2016. I guess they think it’s a way of keeping the game active and the player base engaged, but I can’t say I care for it. I am pretty interested in future single player expansions, though.

Overall, Doom Eternal is an absolute blast of a game and those few minor annoyances don’t detract too much from what is easily one of the best shooters you’ll play. Compared to 2016, I’d say Eternal is a more refined game with more variety to explore. The story delves more deeply into the lore of the slayer which is neat for those who care, but never intrusive for those who don’t. It’s a great sequel but you certainly don’t need to play 2016 to enjoy it. If you enjoy first person shooters, it’s a must buy.

9/10