Games

Darkest Dungeon is a game that I like a lot. Well, more specifically it’s a game I like a lot of things about. It looks fantastic, it plays well, technically it has no issues, the sound is great and the gameplay systems speak to each other really well. The game is a 2D rogue like dungeon crawler where you and your team progress to complete challenges and unlock permanent upgrades (or downgrades) for both your heroes and the town you come from.

The downgrades are part of the problem. I have no issue with challenging games; in fact games on the whole are far too easy. But Darkest Dungeon’s difficulty comes from randomly generated things, or from a random number generator (RNG.) When you enter combat there’s a chance to surprise the enemy, or be surprised yourself, then with every attack there are chances to miss, hit or critical hit. It feels as though the game is constantly weighing these decisions against you in the name of “difficulty.”

There might be myriad things that games do poorly, but there are some things that they do exceptionally well, and some that they excel at beyond any other medium. One of those areas is visually, games excel at realising beautiful and imaginative worlds with intricate and precise details. Ori and the Blind Forest is one such game. While it is not a game that strives for photo realism like many others do, Ori and the Blind Forest instead opts for a two dimensional look, one that is realised in an extremely beautiful watercolour world.

The game itself is a metroidvania; that is it comprises elements from both the Catlevania and Metroid series. Predominantly they place you in an enormous world with several areas blocked off to you from the beginning. As you progress you unlock abilities that allow you to access those previously sealed areas. The game is both beautiful and a joy to play, one of the finest of the year so far.

Occasionally there is a piece of gaming news so bizarre, so random, and so unexpected that we have to sit up and take notice of it. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was released four years ago in 2011. It was obviously a massive success, selling millions across the PC, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. Console game sales tend to slow down though, as players move onto the next big, shiny thing. PC gamers remain interested though and the developer, Bethesda, made one decision that cemented Skyrim’s success forever. They allowed the game to be modded by players.

This decision has meant that Skyrim remains popular with people across the globe; with new mods being created, added and downloaded by players every single day. By allowing that option, along with some aggressive price cuts at the right times, they have ensured that Skyrim’s sales life is maintained for a long time.

From the Valve stable there have been many great games. In 2005 Valve released The Orange Box; a videogame package with unprecedented value. The box contained Half Life 2, Half Life 2: Episode One, Half Life 2: Episode 2, Team Fortress 2 and the cult classic Portal. Based on a puzzle game created by students, the game sees you navigating various puzzle and challenge rooms using the portal gun. A weapon that allows you to fire two portals; one in, and one out.

You traverse these rooms, solving puzzles while the ominous, imposing and often hilarious voice of gLaDoS mocks and berates you through the game. The game drew plaudits for the intelligent, humourous writing and excellent performances from the minimal cast of actors. The combination of skilled gameplay, allowing players to perfect runs through the game, great writing and voice work have pushed Portal to the front of The Orange Box, an instant classic.

Christmas is an expensive time of the year; presents, dinners, work evenings out, catching up with friends and family all have their costs. Children can be the most expensive to buy for as well; the latest fads are growing ever more expensive and gone are the days when children could be easily amused with a yoyo or a simple, homemade toy. Children have access to the internet, they have smart phones and tablets, and they know what toys are cool in this shopping season.

Skylanders are all the rage, and have been since they were introduced by Activision a few years ago. These toys, ranging from three to seven inches in height, are used on the videogame Skylanders: The Legend of Spyro and the subsequent Skylander games since. You place each toy onto the portal of power to see that character appear in the game. It combines the popularity of videogames with the collect them all nature that so many people have; as a result the series, and the toys, have become increasingly popular over the years, with some rare figures costing hundreds or even thousands of pounds on eBay or from collectors.

Luckily most will only set you back about £10 or $15!

Escape Dead Island is set to be released next month and it’s a game that will have many people waiting eagerly with anticipation. This game is basically a survival mystery game and it’s up to you, Cliff Calo to unravel the puzzle of the zombie outbreak.

There are many disturbing scenes in this Dead Island universe, and it’s up to you to take down the zombies figure out what went wrong and return home safely. The game can be deemed an action-puzzle game and that’s because you need to be able to protect yourself and kill zombies, whilst figuring out the next move, operating strategically.

Escape Dead Island is packed with different surprises, and the storyline will have you hooked in the first 5 minutes, we’re sure of it!

Watch dogs is one of those games that just seems to ‘have everything’. There’s a wonderfully written storyline, tremendous visuals and it’s packed with action.

You are the notorious hacker Aiden Pierce, and it’s up to you to use your techno genius to avenge your family. You’re not just a bit of a pro when it comes to cyber attacks though, and you may often find yourself with a phone in one hand and a pistol in the other.

The game is set in Chicago, and you can carry out your journey to each mission on foot, or by car, and there are plenty of models to choose between. This game really is a bit of an all rounder, and it’s definitely the best open world adventure game on the market, and the charts have proved that.

In October 2014 you can expect to take another venture into the world of Middle Earth. A new instalment in the series of games following on from The Lord of the Rings popularisation is Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. Set between the time of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, you take the role of the ranger, Talion. You can customize your character and create new ones using the new Nemesis System. This takes into account all your interactions with other characters or events throughout the game. Talion is responsible for guarding the Black Gate to Mordor where both he and his family are killed by Sauron’s armies. Talion is revived with wraith-like abilities and pursues his revenge. Expect cameo appearances from original characters from both stories and enjoy what is becoming one of the most anticipated games of 2014. We can only hope that this game does us proud!

Shovel knight has been making waves recently within the gaming community, to a large enough extent that it has made its way on to a number of “best games of the year” lists throughout the internet.

“Why is this so surprising?”, you might ask. Well, first of all, this game is made with 2d graphics, where you side scroll through the map in the same way that you would play original Super Mario games, or other similar ones during the 80’s and 90’s. For some people this is too far of a regression, but for those who remember this type of gameplay fondly, this game will certainly make its mark. This isn’t its only attempt at creating a retro game in today’s world; it also uses the original colour pallet of Nintendo Entertainment Systems.

The game itself follows the story of Shovel Knight, who was originally part of a duo, with his partner Shield Knight, only they were separated by a curse, leaving Shovel Knight with the impression that Shield Knight was trapped in a sealed tower. With no way to get his partner out, he secludes himself for years, only to one day hear of how the Enchantress has broken through the seal of the tower. Join Shovel Knight in his expedition to the tower, as he battles monsters, the evil Enchantress’s minions, and breaks through barriers with his sharpened shovel.

With many games enjoying success on the next gen consoles, rumours have begun once more about Red Dead Redemption 2. There is absolutely no doubt that this game will bring in sales, while the Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said the game is going to be part of a “permanent franchise”.

Red Dead Redemption (RDR) is often considered to be the type of game that can attract a following like GTA, and we may see the same developing length of time between RDR and Grand Theft Auto, and it’s pretty much guaranteed there will be a number 2 but the question is when?

It’s unlikely that any work has been carried out, however storylines may well have been worked on, and 2016 could be the earliest that the game returns but that would mean work will need to be started soon, and that may not be the case. Rockstar has many different projects and while Red Dead Redemption may be on the list, it is not the top priority for now.