The Sims. (2000-Present)

So this is one of my favourite video games and I guess that makes sense as it is more traditionally linked to female gamers. I have been playing since I was a kid and we all spent our weekends playing Sims, Sims: Bustin Out and Sims Urbz on the ps2 generally while my mother tried to actually get us to go outside(I know seriously mum, my sim goes outside, that counts right?!) No not Sims Pets, I have no interest in being with real pets let alone virtual ones! But hey if you are a animal lover, it will be worth a play.

Anyway getting back to the review. The Sims is a life simulation game developed by EA Maxis and there is a reason why it is the most successful video game series of all time. It is addictive!

The aim of the game is to create virtual people and basically live their lives, getting them jobs, getting pregnant etc. Game designer Will Wright wanted to create a virtual doll's house and that is exactly what you have. You want to keep them happy and successful until you get bored of them and try the most inventive way to get them a visit from the Grim Reaper. I prefer the locking them in a room and starting a fire myself. It is a very realistic game of real life and that is fun to play with virtual lives. It is like a developed tamagotchi.

It is now on the Sims 4 released on the PC which unbelievebly I am yet to play. We seem to break PCs in this house but judging by the reviews and videos on YouTube, it looks pretty good. So please EA release it on the PS and Xbox already!

I guess though I do miss some of the older features, the story mode mainly and the fact you could play multiplayer on the original versions of The sims on the PS2.

But still it is a great game, its a casual game there are no missions to play and battles to fight but its enjoyable and one I would suggest. For that it recieves a 9/10 GV rating. It would have recieved the 10 but I miss Story Mode.

If there are any comments you have on this view or any ideas for games to review, leave a comment.

H. 

South Park Stick Of Truth (2014)

South Park: Stick of Truth is a RPG (Role Playing Game) based on the hit television series South Park. In this game you are the new kid on the block and your quest is to become the coolest kid in South Park. The game play is very similar to RP games in Japan in which the character wanders around a free roaming world and when engaged in combat, the characters appears on a flat screen with their opponents on the opposite side.

The key features of this game is its setting and that it looks very much like a South Park episode. The storyline and writing is also that of the television show with its crude, rude and hilarious storyline and character interactions. Needless to say if you do not like the television show, you will not like the game.

However I am a South Park fan and so the game was a enjoyment. I was laughing throughout the game at the storyline and characters and their interactions. It felt like I was in a episode. I also enjoyed the old school gameplay and its strange and varied pieces of weapons and armour.

The downside of this game though is once you have played it once, it does not feel like a game you would play repeatedly. Once you have seen it once, you have seen it all.

It's a enjoyable game if you like South Park but for the fact it is not a game that is not really one you would replay again and again, I would give it a 6/10 GV rating. Not one I would advise paying full price for but for a lower price and a South Park fan it's worth a go.

If you agree or disagree or would like to suggest some games to review, please feel free to comment.

Destiny

Destiny (2014)

Destiny is a first person shooter game where you are a guardian, a soldier charged with defending and recovering the planets from aliens foes. The game is generally more based upon the online multiplier capabilities than a story, the story is only about 20 missions worth and this is not including optionional missions.

Destiny is your general FPS( First Person Shooter) in terms of gameplay but what stands out is that any friends playing may join your fire team or you can join theirs at any point which makes for easy playing with friends. The crucible is basically just competitive multiplayer as you would see on Call of Duty with free for all of captive points etc. The Vanguard is co-operative multiplayer of three players against an difficult opponent. During patrol missions each planet is an open world for exploring, where other players appear. Random events can occur in the open world in which any player can take part.

For myself, I enjoyed the multiplayer aspect rather than the storyline. The storyline mode is too short in my opinion where you can really get hooked with playing with online friends. There is also varied weapons, armour, and classes which make it more interesting.

As mentioned I did not like the short storyline. I moved through far too quickly and easily. The whole FPS genre is also not one of my favourites. When you also do the Vanguard missions, they can repeat because they are on random generated and what other players are playing which is frustrating. I have done one mission on Mars more times than I care to remember.

All in all, Destiny is a decent game so I'll give it a 7/10 GV rating being generous for the multiplayer aspect. If it was for the storyline mode alone, it would only be a 3/10. There will be more to add to this game however now the downloadable content is being released.

If you agree or disagree with this review or feel like I have left something out, please do comment. Likewise comment if you have any ideas on future games for me to review.

Heavy Rain Review (2010). Interactive Drama

Heavy Rain is a RPG(role playing game) released only on PS3 where you take on a character Ethan. Ethan starts the game with a loving wife, 2 children and a successful career. One day however his life is turned upside down when his oldest son Jason is tragically hit by a car and dies. Fast forward a year and Ethan's life is in a pitiful state. His wife has left him and he is a distant weekend father to his other son Shaun. His son Shaun is kidnapped by the origami child killer.

When you play Heavy Rain you play as four main characters:

1. Ethan- taking on challenges set by the origami killer in order to find the location of his son before it's too late.
2.  Scott Shelby, a private investigator hired by a parent of a previous victim to discover the killer and bring them to justice.
3.Norman Jayden-FBI agent sent down to the local police department in charge of the case, using the latest technology of the FBI.
4. Madison Paige-a journalist suffering from insomnia who tries to aide Ethan in his quest to save his son.

The main positives of this game is its engaging and fantastic character development. The game also stands out for its immersive graphics. The graphics almost make you feel you are watching a film. The controls for Heavy Rain use all the PS3 has to offer, including tilting the remote, it has the move ability etc. The game has both basic and complicated combinations which makes a very different way to use the controller than what you would be used to. The main standout feature however is the many twists and turns in the storyline which makes it a engaging and great game with different outcomes to the characters based on your decisions while playing.

The main disadvantages on the other hand is although the story has several different endings, it is only at certain fixed points the player can change the outcome of the story. The controls can also frustrating. The instructions can be at times difficult to follow and allows for little error, so you may have to repeat them once or twice.

Although this game does have its ups and downs, I would still give this game a 7/10 GV Rating if for its storyline if not anything else. It's the first of its kind and I hope there will be more like it with some improvements.

If you agree or disagree with my rating, if I missed anything you would have added please feel free to comment. Likewise comment if you have any suggestions of any games you would suggest for a review.

Xcom UFO defence (1994) review


Xcom UFO defence is a turn based strategy which has a simple but extremely effective story, aliens have invaded earth! The government have agreed to activate XCom as their defence. Xcom represents the best the human race has to offer and it is the player's job to command Xcom. Your roles are to repel the alien invasion, discover the enemy, their weapons and find out their motives and home base so you can achieve victory for the human race. The game play is split into three sections that coinside with the different sections. The geo-scape is a waiting game, the base scape is for base management and the battle scape is the turn based strategy of the game.

What makes Xcom Ufo Defence stand out for me is the various functions of the game. The unforgiving and relentless nature of the game, the game challenges the player from the very first alien contact to the last. The permanent death function really adds to the game, nothing compared to seeing your soldier rise the ranks, survive the the most gruelling and brutal of battles to suddenly die from a green bullet from the fog of war.

The game has plenty of challenging features. To complete the game you have to research the enemy and develop your weapons and base. You also battle a wide range of aliens which adds to the variety of the game. Each player discovers their favourite alien, but for me it was the chriyssalid, simply because of the terror you feel from the moment they start their attack. It kills your soldier, then to your horror the recently decreased soldier rises and attacks before the soldier splits and turns into the enemy.

There is not a lot I dislike about this game, here are my top 3 personal favourite features:

• The soldier's individual nature with their generated names and stats, which increase with every rank. You really get to know your soldiers.

• The random maps generated, I can not remember playing the same map twice which really adds to the variety and helps keep interest.

• The aliens. They have great art work and have individual ranks and occupation. It creates this realistic scenerio of different developed aliens threatening the Earth rather than the one type.

There are however some things about the game that I feel could be improved. The game has levels from beginner to superhuman but I could not tell much difference between the two. Both were challenging. The game can be frustrating at times, you could go into a mission and all your soldiers can die. However this means when you do win a mission, it is so much more rewarding.

As you can tell I really do love playing this game, I would recommend it even though it is a relatively old game released in 1994. But for me this game is a classic, which I plan to introduce my son to.

I would give it a full 10/10 GV rating.

If you agree or disagree, if you have a favourite feature I have not mentioned or if you feel there is something wrong with Xcom, please do comment. Likewise comment if you have any suggestions of games to review on this blog in the future.