Resident Evil 4 Review.... It's been a while old friend!

This year marks the 10th anniversary of this Resident Evil game.....

Has it been that long already? Ten years since this game came out! wow that's shocking, 

Not quite as shocking as the fact I was 11 when it came out.... let that sink in.... yep.... this game is still doing better then me after 10 years....

Now then, lets begin:

Six years after the events of Resident Evil 2, former Raccoon City police officer Leon S. Kennedy  is sent on a mission to rescue Ashley Graham, the U.S. President's daughter, who has been kidnapped by a mysterious cult. He travels to a nameless rural village in an unspecified part of Europe, where he encounters a group of hostile villagers who pledge their lives to Los Illuminados, the cult that kidnapped Ashley.

While in the village, Leon is captured by its chief, Bitores Mendez, and injected with a mind-controlling parasite known as Las Plagas. He finds himself held captive with Luis Sera, a former Los Illuminados researcher. The two work together to escape, but then quickly go their separate ways. Leon discovers that Ashley is being held in a church, and rescues her. They both escape from the church after Osmund Saddler, leader of the Illuminados, reveals his plan to use the Plagas they injected into Ashley to cause a disaster in the United States once she returns home. Leon and Ashley try to take refuge in a castle, but are attacked by more Illuminados under the command of Ramon Salazar, another of Saddler's henchmen, and the two become separated by Salazar's traps. Meanwhile, Luis searches for the pills to slow Leon and Ashley's infection, as well as a sample of Las Plagas. He brings the two items to Leon but is killed by Saddler, who takes the sample, while the pills to suppress the infection remain in Leon's hands. While in the castle, Leon briefly encounters Ada Wong, a woman from his past who supports him during his mission. He then battles his way through the castle before finally killing Salazar.

Afterwards, Leon travels to a nearby island research facility, where he continues the search for Ashley. He soon discovers that one of his former training comrades, Jack Krauser, who was believed to have been killed in a helicopter crash two years prior, is responsible for her kidnapping. It is eventually revealed that both Ada and Krauser are working with Albert Wesker, for whom both intend to secure a Plagas sample. Suspicious of the mercenary's intentions, Saddler orders Krauser to kill Leon, believing that no matter which one dies, he will benefit. After Krauser's defeat, Leon rescues Ashley, and they remove the Plagas from their bodies using a specialized radiotherapeutic device. Leon finally confronts Saddler, and with Ada's help, manages to kill him. However, Ada takes the sample from Leon at gunpoint before escaping in a helicopter, leaving Leon and Ashley to escape via her jet-ski as the island self-destructs..

The player controls the protagonist Leon S. Kennedy from a third-person, over-the-shoulder perspective in a mission to rescue the daughter of the President of the United States, Ashley Graham. The gameplay focuses on action and shootouts involving crowds of enemies in large open areas. The camera is focused behind Leon, and it zooms in for an over-the-shoulder view when aiming a weapon. Unlike previous games in the series, there is the addition of a laser sight that adds a new depth to the aiming, allowing the player to aim in various directions and easily change their placement at any time. Bullets affect the enemies specifically where they are shot: shots to the feet can cause enemies to stumble, while shots to the arms can cause them to drop their weapons.

Another aspect brought in with Resident Evil 4 is the inclusion of context-sensitive controls. Based on the situation, the player can interact with aspects of their environment: kicking down a ladder, jumping out of a window, or dodging an enemy attack. There are also quick time events, in which the player must press buttons indicated on-screen to execute actions such as dodging a falling boulder or wrestling an enemy to stay alive. These are often incorporated into the game's many boss battles, where the player must avoid instant kill attacks.

The main enemies are violent villagers referred to as Los Ganados. Los Ganados can dodge, wield melee and projectile weapons, and are capable of working collectively and communicating with each other. They were once simple farmers until becoming the product of an infestation of Las Plagas.

The inventory system of the game features a grid system, represented by an attaché case, that has each item take up a certain number of spaces. The case can be upgraded several times, allowing for more space. Weapons, ammunition and healing items are kept in the case, while key items and treasures are kept in a separate menu. Items may be bought from and sold to a merchant that appears in various locations throughout the game. He sells first aid sprays, weapons, allows for weapons to be upgraded and buys various treasures that Leon finds. The various weapons each have their own advantages and disadvantages

This is the game that most others are based on, this was the benchmark for all modern games and looking back you can see why, it's almost as perfect as a game can be!

If you are a fan of having your pants scared off then look no further then Resident Evil 4, it's honestly one of the scariest games I've played and thats saying something! this is one of my top games because it makes me jump and because it's so beautifully put together, if you haven't played it then I suggest you do!

Now I'm a huge fan of Resident Evil, Despite coming in late to the whole Zombie thing, This series has always had my attention as being great, including 4, but something seems to have been lost in the HD remake, It is exactly the same as the old game except for graphics and a couple of tweaks... but i just don't feel the same about it.... maybe I'm caught up in the past? whatever the reason I can assure you that the original version seems perfectly good enough to be playing and in my eyes didn't need the HD work over that so many other games are getting in an attempt to get people to buy them again, I believe that a games merits should get copies off the shelves and this game had loads before, it's still the game that whenever I ask anyone what their favorite Resi game is, 90% will say 4... the original 4... not the HD remake... Why's that you ask? 

Nostalgia.

We all have that one game that no matter how many versions there are of said game, We'll always love the original, I personally have all my old consoles so I can experience that nostalgia of holding a Megadrive controller, or an N64 cartridge, True gaming isn't about super graphics, it's about how a game makes you feel, whether you're a little italian plumber jumping on goomba's or a blue hedgehog with speed issues collecting rings while fighting DR, Robotnik.... it's the feeling of these games, do they need HD remakes if they already give us that feeling of completeness? Comment your thoughts below, I want to see if this is a shared opinion!

Heavy Rain..... with weather this bad... you'll think you are in Britain.

Hey there guys!

Today i'm reviewing something that has become one of my favorite games:

Yes that's right! Quantic Dream's very own Heavy Rain! Now I have written about what I can without spoiler alerts so I've had to be vague in places, but I believe this information I'm giving you will get you wanting to play the game!

Let's begin:

Heavy Rain is a cinematic psychological thriller from game developer Quantic Dream exclusively for the PlayStation 3. Dealing with a range of adult themes, the game revolves around a sophisticated plot and strong narrative threads that explore a complex moral proposition. You assume the role of multiple characters with very different backgrounds, motivations, and skills in a world where each player decision affects what will follow.

The game focuses on four different characters; Ethan Mars, a father and main protagonist; Scott Shelby, a private eye; Norman Jayden, an FBI agent and finally Madison Paige, a photojournalist. They are very different characters and do not know each other at the game's point, but are all connected in the sense that they all have interest in the game's main antagonist, the Origami Killer.

 CHARACTERS:

Ethan Mars:

Ethan Mars is one of the three main protagonists in Heavy Rain and is overall the central character of the game, and is also one of the four playable characters (the other three being Scott Shelby, Norman Jayden and Madison Paige). Up until 2009, Ethan lived an idyllic and happy life as a successful architect alongside his loving wife Grace Mars and his two sons, Jason and Shaun Mars. However, Ethan's life took the first of two tragic turns when his son Jason was killed. Heavy Rain, set two years later in 2011, focuses on Ethan during the kidnapping of his second son, Shaun Mars.

It is Shaun Mars's disappearance that causes Ethan's life to take a darker turn, and causes him to be sent into more worry. Fortunately, the kidnapper of Shaun  has not killed Shaun and is holding him captive. He is given Ethan a phone that has a hangman with various blank lines. These underlines are actually unknown letters; by completing Trials sent from the killer, Ethan will get a set number of letters. This is what shapes the game's central question, "How far are you prepared to go to save your son?" These trials become increasingly difficult and morally taxing, and Ethan logically reasons against all five of them in his thoughts.

Scott Shelby:

A former police lieutenant, Scott is now a private detective and retired cop. Over the course of the game, his primary goal is to find evidence about Origami Killer. Scott's partner throughout the game is Lauren Winter.

Shelby suffers from asthma as illustrated throughout the game (though is dexterous enough to cope with an armed robber at a convenience store and survive a shoot-out with several men). Depending on the player's choices, Scott has the potential to a kindle a relationship with Lauren Winter. It is also revealed when Lauren offers him a cigarette, Scott tells her, "No thanks, I quit," informing the player that he used to be a smoker.

Scott's persona consists of being quiet, organized, vigilant, and highly introverted, hardly ever talking about himself to others. Being someone who listens to others, methodical in work, straight-eyed, determined, and able to cope under pressure makes Scott Shelby an effective private investigator, allowing him to assess human behavior and perceive clues other people may miss.

His previous employment before becoming a P.I. was that of a police lieutenant for the local police force. As shown when Shelby is brought in for questioning, it seems that he once knew Carter Blake whilst working as a cop, and that they appear to have a friendly relationship because of it.

Norman Jayden:

Norman specializes in conducting forensic investigations with an experimental device called ARI (Added Reality Interface). ARI's main hardware component is a pair of sunglasses, which acts as a type of transparent display. When looking at a crime scene through ARI's interface, relevant data and analysis is superimposed on the image of the crime scene above the relevant clues. Norman uses ARI to highlight relevant clues within a specified 'pulse' radius. Norman also wears ARI's other hardware component, a glove, which allows him to interact with the virtual data displayed through the glasses. By simultaneously using these two items, ARI catalogues all the data and cross-references it with relevant databases, analyses it, and geo-locates it where applicable. ARI also has a recording feature that works as a video camera. When being worn, it records what the wearer of the sunglasses sees and stores it in it's databases for future reference. Norman constantly reviews his clues and data that he has collected via ARI.

With the local cops resentful of both his methods and his very presence, he struggles to piece together the evidence before it becomes too late for the next victim of the Origami Killer.

Norman is addicted to Triptocaine, known as Tripto, a blue substance in a vial. Triptocaine is drug Norman uses which was given to him from the distributors of his ARI glasses to combat the glasses' side effects, and it is currently unknown (and never entirely explained in the narration or otherwise) whether he is using it to counter-balance side-effects of overusing the ARI, or for some other purpose. Additionally, the true source of the symptoms (nosebleeds, paleness of complexion, internal pain, dizziness, bloodshot eyes, tremors, ect.) Norman experiences are left rather ambiguous. Whether these symptoms are caused by the ARI or triptocaine, speculation is left up to individuals. Throughout the game, the player has the choice of whether to be complicit in Norman's addiction or steer him away from it in various circumstances as he tries to solve the case of the Origami Killer. However, twice in the game Jayden will take Triptocaine without the player's decision.

Madison Paige:

Madison is a young journalist living alone in the city. Suffering from crippling insomnia and nightmares, she often finds herself checking into local motels for the night-- the only place she can relax and sleep in.

It's stated during the game that she was born on May 3rd 1984, making her 27 years old during the events of the game which is set in October 2011. She does explain to Ethan, however, that she grew up with several brothers and would always be the one to tend to their injuries whenever they got into trouble. She also states she has had insomnia since she was a little girl. If Madison goes to the warehouse alone in "The Old Warehouse" chapter, she may tell the Origami Killer (who she knew at the time to have had a troubled past with their parents) that there is nothing harder than not being loved by one's parents, suggesting she may have had a bad relationship with her father or mother.

The Origami Killer:

Prior to Shaun's abduction, eight criminal cases are suspected to have been committed by the Origami Killer between the years 2009 and 2011. All victims were young boys between 9-13 years of age, each killed in the same fashion: by being drowned in rainwater.

Each body is found on some type of wasteland, always adjacent to train tracks, between 3-5 days after they are abducted, six hours post-mortem, showing that the person who orchestrated these events did not kill his victims right after abduction. Instead, the killer waits until a set of certain criteria has been filled. Every victim was kidnapped within a public place at the time of abduction and with little or no defensive wounds on their body, implying that the victims knew or trusted the person that took them.

Like many serial killers, the Origami Killer has a certain trademark which he leaves upon his victims. All victims were found with an origami figure in the right hand, the origin of the killer's title, and an orchid on his chest. The victims also have their faces completely covered in mud, which FBI profiler, Norman Jayden suspects is evident that the killer himself has no personal hostility towards the victims. He also interprets the orchid and origami figure to be gifts.

Game-play:

So... I've been playing this game for like a week nonstop trying to get all the endings possible from the game, now i was lucky to get the super nice ending on the first play through so it made up for the 12 hours of pain, heartbreak and sadness, most people would have stopped there but not me.... I seem to like the emotional pain that comes from psychological thrillers, I must get that from my mum, well here i am so far, I've been playing this game as the Playstation Move edition, with it's normal controller interface so you have to do the movements with the sticks which is actually a really interesting idea and I've been enjoying it, you have to move the sticks in the corresponding directions to do things like pick up cups or view case files, it's quite engaging rather then having constant button pressing, I'd suggest the Move version to people who enjoy the idea of deeper gameplay.

Now the graphics are amazing and the rain really helps with building the atmosphere, after a short time you forget that it's a game, you feel for the characters and the story-line, which is rich and very well written thanks to David Cage, who is an actual genius, he creates this living, breathing world that teems with tiny details that can help to make the game a success or a failure, some games forget that sometimes, they pass over small details for climatic endings, not Heavy Rain... the team behind the game should just take a few minutes... that's right guys, just take some time to bask in the glory of your game! 

Out of all the games that i have ever played, Heavy Rain takes the crown on everything from story-line to soundtrack, I would recommend this to anyone who wants to see what gaming is all about! sometimes it's not about nonstop action or witty one liners, Heavy Rain plays more like an interactive Noir film, and that's what gaming should be, an amazingly in-depth experience, with compelling characters and a story-line that hits you right in the feels...

I hope you have enjoyed the review guys! I will be reviewing more in-depth via game-play videos over on the YouTube page when i have a new computer, as always thank you for reading guys and i'll see you next time!

Alex xx

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Upcoming Projects with friends

Hey there Ale-Gators!

I know it's been a little while since I posted (A whole month!) but I have been super busy with projects! I hate not writing and keeping you guys up to date but in the coming weeks I'll be restarting the YouTube page and publishing more blog posts!

I'll also be starting a podcast which will be published on YouTube and Soundcloud which will be with the lovely BelovedJaine herself Miss Aimee Carney, We'll be talking about all the important things in our lives and yours, we'll be discussing all kinds of news topics and will be doing a special "ask the team" section where you send us a question and we'll answer it as best we can!

Also included in our podcast will be music and interviews so make sure you keep up with it, this will also be supported with a video podcast with the whole team so you know who we all are and what we do within the group!

Aswel as the Podcast I will be making short films with local talent and written by Myself and the team, these could be anything from a documentary to a horror film, so we'll be having a lovely spread of shows, podcast and films!

I also am currently working on several short stories for you all aswel as the closing chapters of the Aftermath series, I have so many reviews in the works and quite a few lifestyle posts also in draft so there is a lot more content to come from Myself and the team, hopefully soon we'll have some guest writers gracing these very pages with their presence, which i am really looking forward to!

A lot of planning is going into this new era of Dark Noble, so much so that we will be changing a lot of things that i have been unhappy about with the blog and the YouTube page, I promise you guys that as soon as it's up and running i will be going full throttle to bring you fantastically fun videos and entertainment, The coming weeks are looking good on all sides for the Blog and now we are at 7500 followers I'm amazed and gobsmacked by how many of you have enjoyed it so far!

I hope you continue to enjoy the blog and Youtube, I enjoy doing this so much and would love to make this a full time thing rather then just my hobby so you guys are making this dream happen for me! Thank you all and know that no matter what I love you, you make my writing worthwhile and give me a sense of belonging, you are amazing guys!

Anyway, I'm off to go write up a review of Heavy Rain that is calling for my attention,  Remember to check all the links below for full details on Dark Noble, Catch you later guys! xx

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Returning to the buisiness

Hey Ale-Gators...

As You all know I've been taking some time out and have been doing a couple of posts to keep You tided over... Well now I'm really getting to work on this blog, I thought I was working hard before but now I'm going into over drive! I will be posting every day that I can, because I promised to give You the best that I can do so I'm going to fully live up to that.

It has been a very hectic time this last month and the blog has kind of been ignored which I hate having to do, I am currently working on many projects, including really getting My YouTube channel off the ground, Writing my novel and also working on pre production for two YouTube horror series I am writing, directing and possibly being in... If I have time that is! One of which starts shooting this summer!

Those of You that follow My Twitter and Facebook pages will have realised that I am restarting My old band the Rise, the only other returning member is Mister Wesley Webb (Check him out Here) who I am very glad to have at my side again, so stay tuned to the Youtube page for further info on that!

Now I have loads of new reviews and stories in the works including the last four parts of the aftermath: The beginning series and then the start of my newest series, FULL MOON: Hysteria. The first part of which is already on the Blog Here.

I also have some plans for charity work coming up after filming has finished! I will be raising money for various charities as part of My "Giving back to the world" campaign where Every month I will be doing something for a charity of YOUR choice! So get on it guys! I'll be hoping for some participation from you guys via social media platforms how ever You wish to help.

I will also hopefully doing a few Vlogs in the coming weeks so check out the YouTube page Here.

These will be fun and random Vlogs with some of My friends who You will be seeing a lot of in the future!

See You soon guys!!!!

xx

Chasing Ink part 2: In the Chair.

Well Hello there Ale-Gators.

It seems a long time ago now that i sat down to write Chasing Ink, A post focused around the history of Tattooing and a Tattoo artist Shazza Bean, A superbly brilliant artist from Kent who has done some of the greatest work i have ever seen on peoples skin!

Well i finally took my place in the Tattoo Chair! after much hard thought and time i decided on a design of my own creation, a design that incorporates my love of Gaming and my love of flourish!

Now seeing as i am a HUGE Assassins Creed fan it's kind of obvious i would go for something like this, slightly geeky but looks awesome!

So i went along to the studio and after a nice catch up with Shazza i was in the chair, now I've heard alot about how much the first one hurts and that i probably wouldn't enjoy it too much, Well i absolutely loved it! i found it comfortable rather then painful, it was kind of like the beginning of pins and needles, so with that and the awesome conversation i was really comfortable and happy! 

the whole thing took about two and a half hours (including two ten minute breaks) which amazingly flew by! it felt more like twenty minutes then two and a half hours, Shazza made the experience enjoyable as she kept me talking and laughing, Dan (who also works at the Studio) was talking to me about warhammer for quite a while also, the whole studio was welcoming and it was a lovely atmosphere which was great for my first Tattoo!!

Well for those of you who want to see the finished product here it is:

Thanks go out to the Amazingly talented Shazza Bean! who helped me feel at ease and happy with the whole thing!

I hope you have enjoyed this post as it's my first one since coming back from the south! here's a special pic for you all!

Thanks for reading Guys! catch you later!!

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Review: Assassins Creed: Rogue

Hey there Ale-Gators!

 So I've been in talks with some people over at Ubisoft about My blog and what They think of it and I was then told that I was being sent a special package from the team, now They didn't tell me what it was and I've been waiting with bated breath for a week now and Yesterday it turned up, And let me tell you! I am one happy man!

So the Lovely People at Ubisoft sent Me a copy of Rogue and told Me they look forward to seeing a review! so here it is!!

The main character of the game is Shay Patrick Cormac, a twenty-one year-old recruit to the Assassins who grows disillusioned with their methods and their cause just as his career as an Assassin begins. He eventually betrays and abandons the Assassins after an assignment ends in disaster, and is later accepted into the Templar Order, offering his services as an Assassin Hunter after seeing some of the Assassins groups used as allies have taken to terrorizing New York. Given access to near-limitless resources, Cormac sets out against his former companions, with his actions having dire consequences for the future of the Brotherhood. Cormac has ties to the events that occur in Assassin's Creed Unity. Appearances from previous Assassin's Creed characters include: Haytham Kenway, Achilles Davenport (Conner Kenways mentor), and Adewale, (Edward Kenway's quartermaster in Black Flag).

So I've been playing the game for about ten hours now and I've finally completed the story, some of you may say that "it's too short and easy" I will point out now that i just did the story, nothing else outside of that, looking at the percentage chart for the game I am about %30 done..... yeah... %30... Hopefully I'll have it %100 by the time I post this Review!

Now this game plays alot like AC3 and Black Flag,but instead of feeling samey it feels pretty good! they've finally gotten rid of a lot of the bugs that have plagued the game since they introduced the sea fairing part of the game, it's now rather smooth and after a while you'll want to be a captain forever, I've been searching for all the unlockable armors and such... my hint to you is to play the campaign till the end and then do the unlockables as it's a lot more time consuming and actually gives you a reason to play after the credits have rolled!!

Right then, there are ofcourse some drawbacks to the game... namely Shay's voice actor, he's fantastic during the cutscenes and such... when you are collecting stuff? not so much, he has a tendency to sound like a stereotypical leprechaun. otherwise I love all of the voice acting in this! it feels real and lively, not scripted, it sounds like a game should! 

The graphics have been overhauled from Black flag, I'm still trying to work out why as it's the same anvilnext engine from AC3 (which only came out in 2012...) but they've done a good job with it, the sea feels like it could rip your ship apart in storms and the jungles feel alive, teeming with creatures (and Assassins), who really want to kill you!

The naval battles have been completely overhauled with the Morrigan, she's faster, sleeker and deadlier then either the Aquila or the Jackdaw, and carries enough fire power to destroy them both easily, so much so that half way through the game I was taking on Man O' Wars and just about defeating them, once I'd unlocked more upgrades I was unstoppable, a pure Assassin killing machine, I'd happily spend hours sailing the seas taking on French ships!

The only real niggles i have with this game are small ones, like the inclusion of an Native American Assassins called Kesegowaase, which is all well and good but Conner Kenway was the first Native American to join the Assassins order according to Achilles and yet rogue (which is set before AC3) has a Native American Assassin, that's the only real oversight I have spotted in the game so far which can be forgiven seeing as they have got everything else just right!

I'm just going to leave the Trailer here for you all to watch!

Why was i ever an Assassin? being a Templar is the most Bad-Ass thing ever!

Now you can argue that this is a rehash of the last few Assassins Creed games and a lot of people would agree with you, I on the other hand don't, I feel that it's the pinnacle of the Games on the last generation of consoles (xbox360/ps3) and I think that this is the last hurrah of the Assassins creed games on these consoles, the culmination of all those years of planning, from the release of the first to now, these games are a defining series for these consoles, lets hope that the series continues to grow now that the new Gen of consoles are here, if Rogue is the best of this Gen, then Unity will be the tester for the future, a future of Assassins and Templar's, a world of hidden items and journeys to far off lands...  A war and a revolution have ended, and another is about to begin. May the Father of Understanding guide us all, And remember, Nothing is True, Everything is Permitted...

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Catch you later guys!! xx

Dead space 3..... OH GOD....wait....this...isn't that bad..... ok... dry pants for me.... OH MY GOD THEY ARE COMING OUT THE WALLS!!!!

For gamers only interested in chasing spine-tingling scares, Dead Space 3 is not for you.

But what it lacks in fright factor, it makes up for in breathless entertainment, with an enthralling campaign that grabs hold of you and won't let go until the closing credits roll.

Once again, you're thrust into the boots of engineer Isaac Clarke, who's being hunted by Marker-worshiping Unitologists. Living in hiding, Isaac is paid a visit by Captain Robert Norton and Segeant John Carver who want his help to destroy the Necromorph origin, a Marker, on an icy planet called Tau Volantis.

After the duo tell him that Ellie Langford (Isaac's now ex-girlfriend from Dead Space 2) is in trouble, Isaac reluctantly agrees to help them on their quest.

Thankfully, before you start, the game makes a decent attempt of filling in the back story through a medley of cinematics and narration.

At its core, this remains a Dead Space game, with well-thought out shooting mechanics and a focus on strategic dismemberment of your Necromorph foes.

However, levels are much more open than in the original - shifting the focus away from inducing pant-wetting suspense, and more on action. The abundance of high-quality cinematic, too, suggests a greater move towards a big-budget blockbuster which may jar with Dead Space purists.

Detractors, however, will be few and far between because of how well this latest Dead Space incarnation is executed.

With a large portion of the game set in a snowy wilderness rather than claustrophobic corridors and hanger bays, Visceral Games have still managed to capture a wonderful sense of atmosphere. 

The more expansive environment gives an even greater sense of impossible odds, and the game's Visceral Engine performs admirably. 

There's plenty of colour and variation, too - ranging from the bustling cityscape of a lunar colony to abandoned vessels floating amidst a sea of space debris.

Not all environments look as good as they should do, though, with the lunar colony being particularly underwhelming, resembling a hodge-podge of blocky rectangles with minimal detail.

Gameplay, too, is not without its faults – with Dead Space 3 suffering somewhat from an identity crisis. 

Although Isaac can now roll out of the way of attacks, the abundance of monster closets coupled with an inability to shoot from the hip, often results in cheap shots from behind. With a greater focus on action, it’s surprising that a shoot-from-the-hip function was not first on Dead Space 3’s agenda.

Thankfully, there is a much more detailed weapon management mechanic, with a focus on crafting new weapons rather than simply upgrading them. 

Each weapon can be customised with different tips and attachments, although in the early stages of the game, the plasma cutter tool is really all you need. 

There is an issue with weapon balancing as some can be made so powerful that even the hardest foes can be quashed with ease.

But perhaps the most blatant statement of Visceral’s intent to focus on action comes in the inclusion of a cooperative mode.

You play as hardened military man Carver. It’s entertaining enough, and co-op is seamlessly integrated into the main story. 

Unfortunately, you have to wait for a game to start or until a player reaches a checkpoint to join. This, coupled with cut-scenes that can't be skipped can be frustrating. 

Dead Space 3 isn’t perfect by any means, but look past the minor gripes and you’ll be rewarded with a sci-fi shooter that’s out of this world.

UKGMN

I am now a part of the UK Gaming Media Network, We are a group of UK based bloggers and podcasters who have joined forces to make the world a better place. Our aim is to unite the UK Gaming Scene under one banner, to help desperate gamers find places to play and people to play with. We want to help UK based enterprises with free advertising on the site and links to their stores. 



Through our blogging, podcasting and videocasting we aim to draw attention to the best games on the market and through our links with Friendly Local Professional Game Stores show you where you can get them. Through our live streaming events we hope to offer you a glimpse behind the curtain of the gaming industry as we meet with designers and publishers. Check out the website for more info! 

http://www.ukgmn.co.uk/

Thanks guys!

Dead space 2..... Silent wetting myself continues.....

Some games elicit fear in their player through ambiance: the hollow grumble of a cello, a mortal cry for help daubed in blood on a wall, a rocking horse swaying in an unfamiliar breeze as an unseen child sings a nursery rhyme.

Other games engender fear through brute shocks: sudden power failures that rob you of a sense, floorboards which give way in showers of splinters, monsters who burst through walls you had ticked off as safe in your subconscious.

Then there are those games which unsettle the player by restraining their reach into the world. There's a limit to the amount of ammunition or health packs which can be carried at any given time. Save points are spread out between long tightropes of danger. Walls close in, creating a sense of claustrophobia and panic when trying to line up a headshot in a confined space.

Dead Space 2 does all of this.

If you fear the unknown, you can approach the sequel to Visceral Games' galactic survival horror with some confidence. We may be three years from the events experienced on board the USG Ishimura but in most meaningful ways, Dead Space 2 picks up at the moment its predecessor ended.

Once again you step into the shoes of engineer Isaac Clarke. Having chased the promise of his  girlfriend in the first game, he is now chased by her ghost. As She invades your consciousness, eyes swapped out for white beams of light, ghoulish hands as cloying as her melancholy dialogue.

Her presence in the game not only enables the game's designers to shock you with quiet-quiet-LOUD interruptions every 15 minutes or so. It also serves to indicate the decaying state of Isaac's mind.

The game opens in a psychiatric ward on space station The Sprawl. As you break free from the leather straps of your bed, struggling against the restraints of your strait jacket and your own sense of imbalance, you find that yours is an avatar robbed of most ability.

Like a drunk driver you manoeuvre Isaac through dark corridors, ducking explosions and sidestepping the lunges of the long-limbed Necromorph monsters that tear at your clothes. For the first 15 minutes of the game there is no way to fight back, creating a sense of helplessness backed up by a steely desire for revenge.

The decision not to drip feed weapons and abilities from early on in the game is a wise one. An extensive range of tactical combat options is open from the start, teaching you the importance of conserving ammo by using telekinesis to turn objects lying around the environment into projectile weapons. You also learn the value of using statis shots to slow-motion enemies mid air, inches from your face, giving you a moment to breathe before you squeeze the trigger.But by the end of the first half-hour you have full access to those abilities with which Isaac finished the fight in the first game: the plasma cutter, used to shoot the limbs from the Necromorphs, and the power of telekinesis, used to suspend those limbs in air and fire them back through their torsos.

Once again Visceral shifts the focus of gunplay away from headshots, asking that you incapacitate enemies by precision-shooting their limbs. Blast the legs off a Necromorph and it'll pull its grotesque body along the ground towards you, a nightmare reanimated. On anything other than the easiest difficulty, you'll need to stomp on what remains with a heavy boot to ensure it doesn't crawl back to life minutes later.

While the horror ambience building routinely lacks subtlety and nuance ("I don't want to die" scrawled on the wall in blood is such a cliché it has the opposite of the intended effect), the AI design of Dead Space 2's enemies is nothing short of frightful.

The stalkers stand out as particularly fearsome creatures. These jaundiced quadrupeds dart from pillar to post, peering at you around a corner with one feral eye before leaping at breakneck speed to break your neck. In these moments Isaac's non-weapon based abilities become keys to survival, lending combat a distinguished, thoughtful edge.

Once again Dead Space 2's style benefits from a HUD integrated into the world. Isaac's health bar is rendered in lights on the back of his suit. Guns display their ammo total in blue holograms beamed from the shaft of the weapon, eliminating the need for on-screen furniture.

Nevertheless, the move from space ship to space station for this sequel has had less of an effect on the experience than you might expect. The game primarily consists of a series of dark rooms, interconnected by dingy corridors or shafts through which you must crawl.

The Sprawl allows Visceral's environment artists chance to explore new types of area, from the stained glass walls of a high ceilinged church and the warm breeziness of a tube station to the Mass Effect-esque space vistas seen through the occasional window. However, the ambience is consistent with what has gone before.

Two economies exist within Dead Space 2's world. Currency is used to purchase new weapons (added to the shops' inventory when you stomp the relevant schematic from a crate), ammo and med packs. Nodes, meanwhile, are used to upgrade your equipment or gain access to item-rich 'secure unit' side-rooms.

Each weapon has its own tech tree, a set of upgrade nodes to improve reload times, ammo capacity, or damage efficiency, which can be advanced at a cost of one node per upgrade. The choice then, is whether to spend all of your nodes on a single gun to create a super weapon early on, or to spread your nodes evenly across your inventory - increasing your power at a slow but universal rate.

The game is at its best during the set-piece moments, when you're jumping into zero gravity from one carriage to the next as a train breaks apart, or taking down a roomful of Necromorphs while hanging upside down from the ceiling. A battle against a Tormentor that spills out from the spacestation into the crushing silence of space and back again is effortlessly memorable. Visceral strings together just enough of these set-piece moments to sustain the plod of moving from corridor to corridor.

Nevertheless, this is an exemplary game. The sound design is second to none, the gurgle of unseen enemies raising the tempo of fear. Isaac himself now enjoys his own dialogue and has become a more knowable protagonist, with cutaways revealing the face under the helmet on multiple occasions.The horror, is more involved then the first.

Meanwhile, the mental visions invading his consciousness on top of the horror of his reality lend the game a Jacob's Ladder feel. These add depth and sit well alongside the one-note Scream-style shocks elsewhere.

In closing i have found this game utterly terrifying to the point i had to pause the game several times, put the controller down and just breath in deeply! definitely better then the first in almost every way..... Bring on the third..... and a new set of underwear!

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