E3 is here again and with 2017 already a stellar year for gaming the show should be excellent. So who’s first to start? EA of course. How did they do? Well here’s my summary of their E3 presentation.
This just in (Or not): New Hero Reveal
Time for a little monkey business in ‘This just in’ today. Find out who’s the newest character coming to Paragon , you’ll go ape! Last prime ape joke, promise.
Let’s Watch: Sony E3 Press Conference of 2016
Sony & the PlayStation 4. The winner of the last year’s E3 thanks to cunning exclusive titles (timed or otherwise) and no spread sheets (see 2014’s E3 to see what I’m talking about). Since then they’ve been riding high with popularity and profits not seen since the PS2 era. So will the storied run of Sony 4th generation console continue on at E3, or will their successes make them complacent at the show? Watch on and find out – we’re almost done!
Gameroween 2015: Video Game Characters that make good costumes (Cole MacGrath)
There are reluctant heroes, there are emo anti-heroes, and then there’s Cole MacGrath. Cole was as painfully average as a person can be, a content parcel deliverer and I guess amateur parkour guy. Well most of that changed when a package he was delivering exploded in his hands. No, he didn’t die, but was galvanized with the ability to wield and weaponize electricity. Now most would be scared sure, for about a minute, but when they realize they can shoot lightening out their fingers then things aren’t so bad after all. Cole is just so mopey about that fact it’s really sad, unless he’s trying to be an evil then he’s an emo try hard. So why make him a costume choice if his character is so ‘Cole MacGrath’? Because Infamous 1 & 2 were awesome (Second Son wasn’t bad either), lightening powers are boss, and everyone else in the game other than Cole were just fine (even his future self was a more interesting (uh, spoilers)). In fact I’m changing the choice, be Kessler instead: cooler look, more powerful, better back story, triple ‘A’ choice right there. Dodged a bullet people, dodge a bullet.
Armada’s E3 picks: Shenmue 3 (TBA)
I never played but I know a lot of you did, now that it’s funded, I can see what the hub-bub is… Sooner to later.
Gift Guide for Great Gamers: Infamous – Second Son
Super heroes are big right now and unfortunately there aren’t a lot of offline super heroes’ games out there that don’t suck or get stuck with a next year release date. Well good news people! Infamous – Second Son is one such superhero/anti-hero title that will tie you over til the next year. It has it all: open world city, awesome powers (some of which you get to steal), side missions, drama, next-gen power, and stickin it to da man. The game even has a DLC ready to go to expand the adventure and provide some back story. This PS4 exclusive is a gem for people just getting the system and wants to know what the hub-bub is all about. So make that person’s Christmas Day and buy it, it’s no Arkham Knight but playing as an anarchist version of Rogue and Nightcrawller ain’t bad either.
Armada’s E3 picks: BroForce (PS4-2015)
Ah the 8 bit era – a magical time in gaming where story only existed in the instruction manual, graphics were more a kin to abstract art, and you only needed two buttons to win: fight and jump. Well good news people those days are coming back to the consoles; Shovel Knight is already out for Wii U & 3DS, and BroForce is coming to PlayStation 4 (and maybe Xbox One) next year. The Story: kill & blow things up – that’s it really. Oh, and your characters, the most famous ‘Bros’ of the 80’s, 90’s, and today like Brommando, Bro Dredd, Brochete and more. This game is still in Beta, which you can pay to play on Steam or Humble, but you can also play the demo for free on their website. Me? I’m going to wait until the game official release before I play because their list of Bros is still too meager and I know it’s only a matter of time before they add the Brock, Bro Lee, J.C. Bro Damme, and 00 Bro to the party.
Game Review – Infamous: Second Son
Titanfall, despite being a fun multiplayer romp with mecha and parkour, didn’t quite measure up to the qualities of next gen. However the Infamous series is known for being bigger and better with every new game, so can this flagship title prove its case to the masses on PS4 superiority?
Infamous: Second Son stars not Cole McGrath, because he’s dead, but a next generation of Condit named Delsin Rowe – young rapscallion whose wants to fight against the man, man; even though he’s a rebel without a cause. That’s ok because the game will properly give him something to rage against in the form the D.U.P. Now I really don’t want to give away any more plot details because half the brilliance of the game is its story telling; let’s just say it’s way better than what TV is churning out lately. Anyway Second Son, like all Infamous game to date is sandbox style; players can run, jump, climb, fight and explore the non-fictional city of Seattle (the other cities in previous games were creative facsimiles). The DUP controls all of it and if any trooper or camera catches you being awesome (using your powers) they’ll be on you like the plague. However you can change that by causing little chaos; tagging buildings, breaking security cameras, taking out their check points, and of course cause lots n’ lots DUP property damage. Now before you go crazy I must tell you that the Karma system is back as well. Meaning, if you don’t mind the wrestling jargon here for the moment, depending how baby-faced (good) or heel (bad) you act in the game the more you affect the city and your powers. Speaking of powers; Cole’s Lightening maybe iconic (technically ionic… because lightning is made from a mass of ionization of the air… nm) but Delsin’s smoke powers are versatile and powerful. However throughout the story Delsin will be able to ‘acquire’ powers that make throwing bolts look boring. And now, the rating:
Rating
You know after getting PS4 there wasn’t much for the system to play on, no backwards compatibility, really boring and/or confusing downloadable games (I’m looking at you Playstation Plus games), and the PS4 wasn’t even the my first of the next gen consoles to get. However life has a way of flipping the script on you; as thanks to Infamous: Second Son my faith in the PS4 has been restored. The game is a masterwork of storytelling, gameplay, digital artistry. Delsin is great change of protagonist for the series as he’s young but realistic guy who would act like many of us if we suddenly got superpowers; Cole was a descent enough guy but sometimes a bit to stoic. The world is also incredibly alive with activity from DUP patrols to those guys spinning signs on the street corner, and all of it at the whims of the player. Use your power to reach new heights and explore Seattle like a guy who can turn into smoke only can. Your enemies range from the conventional to the otherworldly, each with their own tactics and abilities that can push you to the limit. I could go on all day – in fact there is so much that this game does right that nitpicks are the only negatives: can’t skip cut scenes, no real choice in karma (either good or bad – no middle road), no weapon wheel for powers selection, things like that. They’re non-factors in the overall enjoyment of Second Son; in which I couldn’t be any more pleased. After Titanfall (again a fun game overall, but nothing I call groundbreaking) I was worry that Second Son might go down the same path of ‘second verse/same as the first’, just creating Infamous 2.5. While they kept the familiar elements they didn’t rely on them, they enhanced them, added new ideas, and crafted a title that is truly next gen. So to answer my own question at the beginning of the post, yes this is the flagship title PS4 owners have been waiting for. It is also the herald to things to come; right now many other PS4 exclusive titles are in the works and the success of Sucker Punch will spur them forward. Will they make the next big hit in the time to come, hard to say, but today it belongs to Infamous.
Games & Gear of 2014 – The Order: 1886 (12/30/2014)
Hey people, so when your playing Gears of War do you say to yourself: “This is great! But I wish there was more near immortal Englishman knights using steam-punk weapons to fight terrorists and half man-half beast mutations.” Well I got great news for you, your friends at Ready At Dawn are creating in interesting new 3rd person shooter called ‘The Order: 1886’. Where it asks the question, what would happen if the human genome went alter beast on some people and they started slaughtering the rest. The answer, drink black goo that makes you live hundreds of years to kill them all. Not only that but be around when weapons technology is upgraded so you’ll get to use neat weapons like lightening guns and phosphorus launchers (that shoot explosive clouds of death at enemies). Add to the table squad base tactics, unique characters, and a mysterious story and you got a game that will spawn many sequels over the next few years – but it begins with The Order.
Games & Gear of 2014 – Infamous: Second Son (3/21/2014)
Infamous, both one & two, were shinning jewel of the PS3 line-up; the story – a simple bike courier Cole MacGrath was forced to become a Conduit, a person with extraordinary abilities and powers. Depending on how players decided his fate; Cole could become the self-sacrificing hero of the world or the progenitor of humanity next stage of evolution. It was a hoot! Sand box cities full of challenges, exploration, enemies to lay the smack on, and of course choices players make to affect the world around them. So when the PS4 was announced and Infamous: Second Son, the third game in the Infamous series, was one of the launch titles (sort of) the excitement was electric for all the fans. Now with a new cast, new city, new enemies, and new powers, Second Son will be the first title to show the world the full potential of Sony’s new system – if you’re going to buy one PS4 game this year, make it this one people.
Video Game Armada 