Review: Assassins Creed

Ah, Assassins Creed. The ever-so popular series about murder. And don't we all love a good murder game?

The answer is yes, but the real question here is: IS this a good murder game?

Weeeellll...I'll tell you.

A few months ago I got this game in preparation for AC3, which I thought would be an awesome game. I mean, did you see those trailers? HOLY CRAP! They looked amazing. And me being me, I wanted to play the first one to see if I liked it. So I got it and was anxious to play.

If any of you read "GameLog: Assassins Creed, I" then you know I wasn't very successful at first. Not at all. I couldn't figure out what I was supposed to do and couldn't get anywhere. The map was very difficult for me to read. (In games, I'm awful with maps. Go figure.) The world is HUGE back in this medieval land, and getting to Damascus is hard work! Especially when it's super easy to tick off guards...Oh...My...Word...You can't run without being attacked. Do you know how hard it is not to run in a video game where you can run? DO YOU KNOW?

...Yeah...

Moving on. The controls. Ergh. Those aren't good. Even before Assassins Creed 3, they were bad. You had to hold five million buttons to sprint. And climbing buildings (A key thing in these games) was just difficult. I give them a strong grade of D. They would be F, except that after you FINALLY get used to them, they're decent.

But I didn't get to that point. Nope, I bailed after playing it two times. TWO. I wasn't impressed. I couldn't bring myself to enjoy the confusing pain. I'm sorry. But the graphics, although crappy compared to this-gen games, were okay and good for their time. And the storyline? AWESOME! I'm really appreciative of the fact each game has two storylines, basically. The storyline of the ancestor which is fully played out in the game, and then the main storyline of Desmond and his fiascos outside of the Animus which connect all the games together. I love storylines, and this storyline is great. It's depthy enough, but isn't confusing. So that's swell.

I couldn't get into this game, I just couldn't. The controls were the main issue here. If you want to read of my first time playing the game, here's the link to GameLog: Assassins Creed, I: http://ablogforgamers.blogspot.com/2012/12/gamelog-assassins-creed-i.html

Do I dislike the Assassins Creed franchise? HECK to the NO! (Lame, I know) The characters are truly well-done and lovable, the worlds are AMAZING and extremely detailed, the extras (Such as assassination contracts) are really fun, and it's somehow rewarding to kill someone with a knife and watch blood spew out of them. Heh.

My next review will be of Assassins Creed II, where I have some nicer things to say. So stay tuned.

Gauntlet: Dark Legacy (Throwback Thursday)

This week, I threw it back with my dad. Yup, Dad Gamer and I decided to conquer the realms and defeat Skorne the demon by collecting runestones together; all while throwing axes, shooting arrows and running away from Death. Such great bonding.

In the beginning of the game you're faced with the challenge of who you're going to be. Luckily, they give you the stats of each character. They rank speed, strength, armor and magic. Dark Legacy is an expansion form of Gauntlet: Legends, so they give you better character types. In this addition you get Sorceress, Knight, Dwarf and Jester. Of course, in Round One me and my father weren't any of those new characters. Apparently we kept it boring because I was an Archer and Dad was a Warrior. Archers have superior speed and above-average magic. Warriors have superior strength...And not much else. At least I was able to run faster and use magic better; take that, Dad. 

But I must admit that Warriors have impressive HP, and Archers do not. Of course with the enhancing in levels your HP escalates, but if you have awful HP (*cough* Archers *cough*) and cherries, meat, and other various fruits that lay around the levels WHICH ARE THERE TO GIVE YOU LIFE only give you, I don't know, five health points, you're pretty much put in a hard place. So, you die. And you have to go to the stupid TOWER and WAIT until the level is COMPLETED and you have to watch your better-at-video-games-than-you father throw his axes, go up in levels, and beat the level while you go back to level one IN THE TOWER.

Yes, I'm just the slightest bit bitter. And did I mention that this totally fair game only refills your HP less than a fourth of the way? So every time I died, I came back not only weaker, but with not enough HP to get me through the level...Note to self: Don't play as an Archer.

Even though playing as an Archer makes the fighting and battling really fun. Well, battling in this game is really fun no matter what. The Atari version of Gauntlet was described as a hack-and-slash arcade game, and that description still stands for Dark Legacy. While playing, me and Dad were trying to figure out a way to describe it, and things like "arcade rpg" came to mind.

The battling is fun, yeah, but I would say that if you can't throw or shoot things the game would get a whole lot harder. Multiple times Dad (who could throw axes) and I (who can shoot arrows) would just stand still and take-out the dozens of on-coming enemies by throwing our weapons of choice at them. But considering there are so many things, like targets you have to hit/shoot at, which you need to hit to progress, probably everyone can throw something. Therefore, I'm not too worried.

Another element of the game is magic. You get potions you can use to kill enemies in different ways, but usually you hoard them in case Death comes alive. (Think about it) Of course Wizards are the best with magic, so unless you're a Wizard, you never use it. (Unless, like I said, for Death.)

In Round Two I played as a Jester and Dad played as a Minotaur. Minotaur's are pretty awesome, I must say. They look just as you'd expect them to and they're tough. They have similar stats to the Warrior, being that they have sweet strength and not-so-sweet magic and speed. And the Jester is very similar to the Archer, except has better armor. Wow, we picked almost the exact same characters. Way to go, us. The Jester is way better than the Archer, however. I really enjoyed this character. Of course throughout the game you collect crystals and treasure that allow you to buy things that increase armor, speed, and strength, so as you go on you can increase whatever you lack. Which is a definite plus.

The storyline isn't really there during this game. You get the point of going through the levels, collecting crystals and runestones and killing people, but all that stuff about Skorne escaping from the evil mage Garm is only mentioned in the beginning scene, otherwise it's nonexistent. Plus the whole  thing with the evil president of the eight realms I didn't know of until I visited Wiki. So if you're looking for a storyline, maybe this game isn't for you.

I had a good time playing this game. It's not too easy, yet it's not too hard. (Although it all depends on the character you choose, apparently. Or else you'll spend way too much in the tower, weeping in the corner, slipping into insanity and depression, all because your dad is a meat and fruit hogger. Thanks, Dad.)

This game is somewhat relaxing, too. And very enjoyable. It's an arcade hack-and-slash, what's not to like?! This game gets a good four out of five towers of insanity and depression, because even though it's not as depthy and lengthy as one might like, it's a good arcade game. It wasn't made to be over-the-top amazing, and that's exactly why it's very close.

Jak 3 (Throwback Thursday)

Today I played some Jak 3, the conclusion of the Jak and Daxter trilogy. We join our favorite spunky pair once again, this time in the Wastelands.

Much like the sequel you're thrown into a new atmosphere, this time desert. The first one was more jungly beach and then some, the second one was in the city, and this one is just banishment lands. I think that's cool, that they give you a new atmosphere every time.

So you guessed it, Jak and Daxter were finally banned from Haven City. I mean come on, all the ruckus they caused on their own was enough; stealing and crashing hovering vehicles, getting into multiple, multiple fights, and doing a ton of illegal things. Not to mention being a part of the underground rebels...They were quite the troublemakers. Anyways, they were left out there to die, when they were found by a secret organization that survives out there in their own city. Pretty cool little setup there. Naughty Dog never disappoints.

The storyline flows right, which is nice. It eases my previous fear of the storyline not continuing. Like Jak II you get gnarly weapons and vehicles. And dinosaurs! In the wasteland there are Leapers, who are the cutest and my personal favorite mode of transportation. It makes me feel like I'm in The Land Before Time (Throwback) whenever I ride one, and it's awesome. Oh the nostalgia.

One of the biggest parts of the game is the vehicles, as briefly mentioned earlier. As you improve your driving skills, mostly by racing and things of the like, you unlock more of these four-wheeler type cars you can have the best time in. Whether you're chasing down metalheads or simply racing, it's fun. Quite hard, but fun nonetheless.

I don't want to spoil much considering it's the conclusion, so I'll end with the one-word summarization: Spunky. The humor, which I love, still holds the same spunkiness. Apart from that, the missions are very upbeat and keeps you on your toes. It's just very...Spunky. The second one, somehow, is still the best of the three. I can't put my finger on exactly why, but they just hit a home-run with that one. The gameplay, storyline, characterization...All great. The gameplay in this one was almost exactly the same, so I can't complain there, but the storyline was off. Barely, but it made a difference. Characters were lacking, too. They weren't the best. It just had a lot to stand up to, I guess. Even from my childhood I remember playing Jak II the most. In fact, I have hardly any memories of this game. There isn't as much of a draw.

I could be wrong. It might be because I didn't play enough of it, who knows? But as of now, I'm giving it a two and a half star out of five stars. Worth a look if you played the other games, because it is the finale, but if not...Just pass this one up.

Stay excellent.

PG: Fanfiction Update!

Hey guys!

So I wanted to let you cool people know that my Fanfiction hasn't died! Believe it or not I'm a very busy and lazy lady, those two traits don't go well together so you can imagine the pure chaos of my life. I do have chapter eight of Snake Eyes written, I'm just waiting to get nine done. I'm trying!

Link to Snake Eyes: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9112314/1/Snake-Eyes

Also, for those of you who like awesome Pokémon and Zelda fics, here's a link to Espeonage Espeon profile: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/2321095/Espeonage-Espeon His fics are the only ones I'm currently reading, so he deserves a shout-out. What are you waiting for? CLICK

Jak II (Throwback Thursday)

I'm very sorry for the late Throwback, I actually wrote one on Thursday, not one I was going to post this week, so I completely forgot that I needed to write one to post...I'm stupid. This whole blog thing can get stressful sometimes, okay?! Okay.

Anyways, this week I decided to follow-up last weeks (Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy) Throwback and play the awesome sequel, Jak II. I know you're all wondering "Where's Daxter?" Well, never fear, because Daxter is in this sequel and he is still just as witty. But why has the title changed so drastically?

Not only is Daxter left out, but there's just a wimpy II, not something epic like The Precursor Legacy. Well, I have a theory. The game is so different than the original that they might have just wanted people to be able to distinguish it better. Does that make sense? I hope so.

On the back of the case they sure sound a bit humble as they explain the game...

"Something BIG is about to unfold in a ground-breaking action-packed adventure from Naughty Dog, creators of the multi-million seller, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy." "A deep and involving storyline with fully integrated gameplay." And other self-compliments that slap you in the face while glancing at this cover.

That's a lot to live up to, in my opinion. If you're going to hype like that, I'm expecting everything to be true and possibly better than you make it seem. So I was ready to beat on this game. Not only for that, but I was also expecting it to be completely different than J&D and not to even possess the qualities of a sequel.

So let's get to it.

My main fear, being that this sequel doesn't connect with the first one, was washed away in the beginning cut-scene. You're back in your home village with Kiera and Uncle, trying to go into a portal (Not really sure what for, though.) and they accidently release this eco monster thing, so while trying to get it back in the portal, Jak and Daxter get sucked in with it. They end up in a fancy pants city, and they get thrown in jail. Daxter escapes, but Jak gets caught. Two years later, Daxter finds Jak, after two years of Jak getting eco pumped into his system, (Eco being the somewhat bad substance of the game, since most monsters are made up of the stuff) So, Jak can Go Hulk and turn into Dark Jak (See picture of disk) when he collects enough eco. So that's new.

Also, arguably the most awesome part of the whole game is when Daxter first finds Jak on some kind of table, and he grabs Daxter by the neck, pulls him close, and yells "I'm gonna kill Praxis!" Did I mention that's the first time Jak has ever talked? Yeah, he was mute beforehand. That gave me chills. EPIC.

One thing that bothers me is this: If Daxter was in the jail looking for Jak the whole time, how the heck did it take two years for him to find Jak? And, if he left the jail to, I dunno, eat, wouldn't it be the smart thing to find a home? Of course, he does borderline rodent, so he could have just lived in the dumpster outside the jail. But still, it bugs me.

After that epic moment, we get to play the game and escape the jail. With no help from Daxter. In fact, Dax hasn't helped at all so far...But whatever. He's comic relief.

The gameplay is pretty well-done, the movement is fluid and just plain nice. A good addition is the giant jump and the tuck-and-roll jump. It's cool and very helpful. Since you're in the city and not in the country, there are hover cars you can steal and ride around. That's such a good addition. It's awful walking everywhere, and driving is super fun. I'm not that good at driving, though, so I wreak them pretty bad and just steal another one. The trick is not to hit a cop or accidently steal a cop car...That causes unneeded trouble.

So yes, the gameplay does live up to the hype in the box.

As for the storyline...It's pretty awesome. Deep and involving? Kinda. It is deeper than you'd think, impressively so, but it's not that involving. I didn't get too sucked in, honestly. It's no Kingdom Hearts, but the storyline is better than most and it actually makes sense. And yes, it connects with J&D: The Precursor Legacy.

But it is so different than the first one. The city atmosphere is a huge change from the "country" atmosphere. Seriously, very different. I can't stress that enough. And the biggest addition is you get guns. Yep, it got all Black Ops up in here real quick. Also, you get to join this secret underground organization whose against Praxis, and that's just super cool.

One word to describe this game: Cool.

The new additions and atmospheres just make it cool. Not to mention fun and awesome.

Naughty Dog is at it again with a good sequel and an even better game. I would recommend this game no question to anyone who likes shooting people, joining underground rebellious organizations, riding around being awesome on a hover board, and being and angry jail-breaker on a mission to murder the guy who got him in jail and turned him into a dark werewolf-like Hulky thing. Yeah, it's worth a second look.

See you guys next week when I play the finale of this awesome trilogy, Jak 3.

Nuzlocke Challenge! Episode 2

 

 

And you all thought I quit, HAH.

 

 

 

Day THREE:

 

 

Not much excitement happened. I trained a lot, and caught yet another Zubat. That makes three caught, two lost. This Zubat is officially named Please Don't Die, I Love You. It dominates at a whopping level FIVE. YEAH!!!!! ...This challenge is going to be harder than I originally thought.

 

Day FOUR:

 

 

On my journey from Jubilife to Floaroma, I not only caught PDDILY (P Dilly) I almost caught It's About Time Shinx! Through this challenge I've wanted a Shinx so bad but hadn't been lucky enough to have one as my first seen Pokémon in a new area...Until now! Hurrah!

 

AND, I had my first run-ins with Team Galactic. Through a battle of wits and passions...Or something of the like, I came out victorious always. But I lost a good man during the process. Not As Nifty Starly fought hard, but wasn't successful. DANG IT, he was one of my tough guys...Currently I have Ponytail Ponyta at level twelve, Mofo Magikarp at level ten, It's About Time Shinx at level nine, Prinplup at level seventeen, and P Dilly Zubat at level six but quickly escalating. Yeah, you could say I'm pretty snazzy. Just kidding...

 

Star Captain (opponent):

 

Day TWO:

 

Nothing to report yet. TO BE CONTINUED

 

My apologies for the late post...At least I got it close to Monday. See you people next week, check back in the next few days for SC's updates. Over and out

 

 

Review: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

From what I understand Metal Gear Rising is the sequel to Metal Gear Solid, featuring the all-famous Solid Snake. I never played any Metal Gear Solid, but I looked up the ever-so-winding storyline so I could understand where this was coming from. Metal Gear Rising features Raiden, a past teammate of Solid, who has these really awesome weapons that he uses to defeat cyborgs...Amongst other things.

The first thing that stuck out at me was the graphics. I swear, graphics these days never cease to amaze me. It's average for this gen video games, but the animations is really pretty that it almost gives you chills...Well, maybe it was just me.

After a pleasantly short beginning cut-scene you get to start training. Of course like any video game the beginning tutorials are annoying, and in this case they're not all that helpful. You learn how to use your snazzy sword, which you can slice things in slow motion...Which is epic, but it's pretty difficult to slice things. Then you learn there's an easier way which they didn't teach you. Very helpful? I think not.

That's probably one of the downfalls. The fighting is a bit difficult to get used to. At least it was for me. If you can get used to it and become a master, kudos to you, my friend.

One thing that was somewhat disappointing was the lack of stealth. MGS games were known for the fun stealthiness, I Mean c'mon, you know that whenever you're sneaking around you call yourself Snake in your head. If you're like me you picture him in Super Smash Bros. Brawl when he first makes his appearance. That's just cool. And for the most part, being a ninja assassin isn't needed, and in fact makes things harder if you attempt such things. The makers even intended for stealth not being used all that much in-game. WELL THEN, I'll just have to be a ninja assassin in real life.

Something that's both refreshing and aggravating is the difficulty level. The first boss was so hard to beat...It was insane. And I wasn't the one beating (or lack there of) that boss, so you can't blame it on me being a noobish gamer. (Which I am not, thank you.) A very experienced gamer was playing and having a hard time. Of course this goes with getting used to the controls, and later on you get better weapons and sub-weapons (Heck, we didn't even know how to throw our grenade...) so this may be enigmatic. On the other hand, some games are way too easy, hence the refreshing part.

Going back to the storyline, I love storyline games. Anyone who knows me knows that. So of course I was excited for this. I love huge, winding and confusing storylines. Which is exactly what this is. If you like that, this is the game for you (You will need to explore Wiki for all the backstory, though...), if you hate storyline, this isn't for you, go play Call of Duty. If you ignore the storyline all together because you don't give a crap and you just want to slice off cyborgs heads in slow motion, then HECK YES this is for you!

I had fun for the short time I played this game, but I could truly see myself playing it a little more than dropping it forever. Probably rage quitting because I couldn't figure out how to throw a stupid grenade. I could be wrong, something in the storyline could get me forever engrossed, but I don't see that happening. It's not really my kinda game. I love blood and gore, but constant (Repeat: CONSTANT) fighting and battling doesn't sink my ship. Because of that, I give this game the grading of D+. The plus is because of the pretty pictures including lots of blood, and because the fighting is fun. Just not constantly. Think of it this way: When playing Pokémon, is it really fun to have battle after battle after battle? No! Talk about repetitive. That's kinda what it's like in MGR: Revengeance. Go download the free demo and tell me I'm wrong in the comments below, if I am. Or agree with me, that would be swell.

It's awesome in the same sense that every game with cool graphics is awesome. But it's no The Last of Us or Kingdom Hearts. (I haven't played The Last of Us, because I lack a PS3, but one day my life will be made...One day...)

Oh, and Happy National Video Game Day! Be proud of your gamerality.