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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Aftermath The Beginning: Part 7.

"What have you done?" Crystal roared at Roy as he came back covered in blood, His knife in his hand, We had spotted other survivors, they were a sorry bunch, mostly weak and ill, we sent Roy, Kath, Bethany and Sarah to meet them, what we saw them do was unspeakable, Roy gave no warning that he was going to do it, as their leader greeted him with such happiness Roy pulled his knife and slit her throat, Kath was immediately swinging at people with her bat, Bethany and Sarah began beating people with lumps of wood that they had put spikes through, they attacked for no reason, other then to steal their supplies.

"I did what i had to do." He grinned back "Now back off away from Me or You'll be next." he growled, They rest of us looked on in shock, What had caused Him to do this? to snap? This wasn't the Roy we knew, this was a monster wearing his skin, this madness had settled over the rest of his group aswel, they looked like barely contained animals, cover head to toe in blood and other gore, Roy was pacing "change of plan, We are heading West, towards Bristol, there's a survivors enclave there, They'll be no discussing this, either you come with us or you stay here and die." Crystal shook her head "there is no survivors enclave, and none of us are coming with you, why don't you take them and go?" She said pointing to his group, he stepped forward, getting in her face, before he could say anything Skyler had hit him with her bat, sending him sprawling onto the floor, as he went to get up she pointed the bat into his face "leave, now" she growled, He scrabbled up and grabbed his bag, Bethany, Sarah and Kath followed along, all of them heading off into the night, we watched them as Roy led them through the streets, all we could see was the movement of their torches, it was then we decided to move along, just in case they returned and did something drastic, so we packed that night and moved off.....

We've been in this building for several days now, I think the shock of the situation has really settled onto us now, we lost near enough half our group in no time, even I have to admit that it's looking pretty bleak for us right now, we heard gunshots from the direction Roy and the others went about two days ago, something tells me they ran into some people who didn't like how they operate, our goal of getting to the south feels like a distant memory, now we are just clinging onto survival, apart from Wes we are back to our original number, we are lucky in many ways that none of us have died.

Myself and Crystal have been out searching for food and new routes out of the city, so far we've done a decent job leading the infected away from our place of hiding,

Aftermath the Beginning: Part 6

I just don't understand it!

Nothing makes sense in this world anymore, things are just going from bad to worse within the group, we are losing People quickly, between the deaths and the leaving of some of the others we are now down to eleven still in the Shopping Center, Everyone else left the day after what happened.

I don't even know what the day or time is anymore, all it is is Darkness and Light, it's cold everyday, something is wrong, the snow is still falling and it's been way to long to be a typical winter in this country, There has been no help, no rescue... Nothing.

We are all close to breaking point, even if we don't say as much, it's in the air, there's a certain air of doom around everyone, once we realised what was happening everyone just kind of Gave up on us surviving through this and getting back to normal lives, normal ways, We realised that the bite of these creatures isn't what kills you, it's the infection that the bite carries with it, some kind of Virus that turns whoever gets bitten into the Undead.

We Lost Katie, Nathan and Elliot, all within Hours of each other, none of us could have been prepared for what happened, how could we have been? it was sudden and a shock, Katie died of her infection three days after we got her back, She was dead for about 5 minutes before she woke up, we thought we had been mistaken but she was weird, she was not cohesive, not until Nathan got too close to her, she took off his ear, ripping it off with her teeth and growling with an inhumane manner.

Without thought Crystal smashed her bat over Katie's head, stopping the noise and cracking her skull, Katie fell limp to the floor "you have to destroy the brain" Matt said, eyeing up Nathan who was on the floor, bleeding heavily "it's the bites that do it and he was bitten!" we all looked towards Nathan, who had suddenly gone quiet and was looking towards us, bloodshot eyes filled with tears, Elliot ran to his side, grabbing him and placing himself in front "you aren't going to hurt him" he yelled at us.

pulling his knife, And placing Crystal in his sights, knowing she would be the one to do it, after several seconds Crystal lowered her bat, looking him in the eyes, Nathan had fallen quiet and was hiding as well as he could behind Elliot "he's my best friend, I'd kill each and anyone of you to protect him!" Elliot roared, a coughing and spluttering behind him made him stop and look around..

Blood seeps between Elliot's legs, Blood that Nathan had just spewed out of his mouth, the noises he was making had changed aswel, more guttural and animalistic, without a single warning he leaps forward and bites into Elliot's throat, ripping it out even as Elliot stabbed him with his Knife, making wounds that would kill an ordinary man, but still Nathan kept pushing onto him, Blood spread across the floor from both Elliot and Nathan, Matt and Crystal rushed forwards to finish off Nathan as he turned to us, if it wasn't for them we would have died that day, but it completely destroyed the group, some arguing that they should have separated Nathan from everyone else, but none of us there saw  any other way to deal with the situation, maybe we reacted too harsh? maybe we were right, I don't know, i just know that things are going to change.... and Soon..... Very soon....

End of Part 6

Aftermath The Beginning: Part 5

I'd never been an especially lucky Person... But right then I felt like the luckiest person alive!

But now looking back on it, it was probably one of the most horrifying days ever.

I'll explain what happened...

We were checking out an abandoned market, We had just run into those monsters, Eric had just been killed, Those things had ripped His throat out, and almost did the same to Katie, We had just managed to get out of the room and were cut off by a fire door.....

"Keep pushing" Matt was yelling from the back, holding His bat at the ready, Katie was being held up by Skyler and Tara, Everyone is shoving forward as I'm smashing into the door, pushing and shoving to open it "it's no use!" Tara shouts back, We all stop as we hear a noise back the way We came, shining Our torches We see the creatures moving into the corridor, blood coats them, the noises they made was horrible, Matt shoves every one back as I move to stand next to Him with My bat, Ready to fight.

Just as the creatures reach us the door swings open and the girls pile through, Myself and Matt move as quickly as possible, the bright light blinds Us for valuable seconds, the creatures follow, almost grabbing Matt, a hand grabs His hood and pulls, with a sickening *THUNK* as the arm is cut away, the Machete that did it moving quickly to behead the creature and moving onto the next, the creatures are dispatched with haste by one person, We all blink to adjust to the whiteness of the snow, wondering who had saved Us.

Crystal stands before Us coated in blood, the Machete held tightly in Her hand, we stare in wonder "I followed You guys because I was getting stir crazy... Bet You lot love Me right now?" after several seconds We all nod "Who were those People? where's Eric? are those bite marks?" she asks as Matt and I grab Katie and haul her between Us, carrying Her while the others grab the food and everything else We had managed to scrounge together.

Some time later We were moving slowly away, still wondering what had happened to those people, saddened by the loss of Eric, and also by Katie's injuries, which seemed to make Her feel rather ill as We had to keep stopping to let Her be sick and then carrying on, by the time We were back at the shopping center it was dark, as the others set about sorting out supplies and such, Matt and Myself carried Katie to the area used for medical purposes, Nathan and Elliot begin to work on Her, Cleaning Her wounds and bandaging Her up as We head to get food and sit by the fire.

That was about eight hours ago now.. The group of Us that went out managed to grab some sleep, Katie's condition has worsened, it's like She has a major Flu or something,  Both Nathan and Elliot say They have never seen anything like this and will be watching Her closely, We have enough food for a few weeks, so We are going to buckle down and work out Who those People were.....

End of part 5...

Top Five things to have with You in a Zombie apocalypse....

Well hello there Ale-Gators!

For the first major Blog post since I'm feeling well again (for details see My last Update: Here), I have decided to go back to My Geekier beginnings! So for this Edition I have decided to create a Top Five, It's been a while since we've had on of these (the last one being Gadgets I need in My life: Here), Which was quite a long read but You guys seemed to love it, So shall we get down to it?.... Lovely!

Now then... Cast Your mind into Your darkest nightmares... Imagine this: a world dead, empty but for the moaning of the Undead, All that is left of the Human race, Except for You and Your small group of survivors, what would You do? would You hole Your team up? Travel around looking for supplies? or cry in the corner?..... Well no matter what Your choice, I'm here to give You the Five best things to take with You! (if You want to read My take on a Zombie apocalypse then click Here).

5). Food and Water.

Now this is super important! always, always, ALWAYS, Carry Food and water with You, The last thing You need is to find an awesome place to wait out the aforementioned apocalypse and then realise... You don't have access to Food or a Water source! You may say "Oh, Well We can go and find more" but remember this, every time You leave Your hiding place You risk bringing back the Undead... Which as You know isn't a good thing! I suggest finding somewhere remote that You can fortify, Say a well fenced farm or maybe a water treatment plant.... Easy to defend and You'll have plenty of space to grow food!

4). Adequate Clothing.

Picture this: You're running away from the Undead... You are tired, finding it hard to stand... Then the heel snaps on Your brand new Prada shoes! Your ankle snaps sideways, You tumble and the next thing You know You're a Human Happy Meal... Ok! so You died looking fashionable but was it really worth it? Really? well then that's Your choice, I'll enjoy survival with My combat boots! good for both running and for kicking in Zombie heads! and with the weight of Them I'm getting a free leg work out... Every day is Leg Day!

3). Weapons (and Training!).

So You found a gun, Wow! Now You will become a Zombie killing Bad-ass! so You get one in Your sights, taking careful aim... You squeeze the trigger... BANG!! The kick back of the gun smashes into Your nose, Breaking it, causing You searing pain and blindness.... Meanwhile the bullet has missed the Zombie.. Which is now about an inch from You, and oh look.... You now have no throat! You died all because You decided to hold the gun "gangsta" in one hand at a stupid angle!

Play it smart Guys! if You don't know how to use it then don't bother, if You find a rifle use it as a club! also the sound of the gunshot would only serve to bring more Undead to Your position! how many bullets You got punk?... Take a bat instead, or maybe a sword... If You find one... Be careful if You do because You'll be as much a danger to Yourself and Your team as You are to the Undead!

2). Mobility.

This one is really dependent on Your survival plan.... if You plan on staying where You know then by all means ignore this one, if You plan on keeping on the move then pay attention.... Don't go for a fast car! go for something built to last, like a Lorry or a Bus, something You can carry plenty of supplies on aswel as other People, and if you have someone with the know how, have Them create a ram on the front to clear the roads ahead of You, fortify the windows with metal and You have a Undead killing machine!

1). Team Work.

If You thought You could do this all alone then You were wrong! Whose gonna have Your back in the thickest of problems, Whose going to help You plan scouting missions? Going it alone might be Cool and Mysterious but it's also the quickest way of getting Yourself killed unless You have army training!

I hope You guys have enjoyed this Top Five of the Zombie Apocalypse, I shall be posting more now I am back on My feet! Hopefully I will have some awesome things for You as of next week as Ubisoft Montreal have decided to send Me a mystery package! Remember to follow the links below to see all things I'm up to and to follow the Blog! I shall tell You what the package is as soon as I know! 

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                                                              See You later Ale-Gators! xx

Aftermath The Beginning part 4..

February 11th 2015.

The Dead Walk..

I wish i was joking about this but something horrific happened, we have had a quiet few weeks while being at the shopping centre, so much so that we've only just started journeying out to look for food and drink that's not ruined.

 Luckily it's been so cold that most the food we find has been preserved by the cold, so now the weather is warming up we decided to take the chance to find as much food as possible now the snow is melting, Unfortunate for us... That wasn't the only thing Thawing out..

We were in the East end, we'd walked for hours, Eventually finding ourselves near a group of promising looking shopping markets, We had been hearing odd noises all day, almost like a moaning on the wind, we paid it no heed, thinking it was the noise of the wind through the buildings.

We entered the Market in two's: Myself and Skyler, Tara and Eric, Matt and Katie bringing up the rear, we all split off in separate directions, Tara and Eric going left, Myself and Sky going down the middle and the others going right, we headed straight to the back end of the shop, where we could find medicines and other needed things like razors and washing supplies, while the others searched for food for the people back at base.

All was quiet until we had passed into the warehouse area behind the store, that's when we started hearing shuffling and moaning, unearthly sounds that spooked both of us, we decided to fetch the others before going to find out, after everyone was back together we headed towards the noises, weapons at the ready, Eric went on at the front of the group, pushing through the door to the main warehouse, the smell was horrific, that's what hit us first, so much so that Myself and Tara retched, Katie rushed back the way we had come to throw up, Eric slowed "is it Me or have the noises stopped?" he muttered, pulling his weapon closer, He pushed further into the darkness.

What happened next will haunt me forever...

As soon as we entered the room thee stench tripled, the moaning began again and the shuffling moved towards us, the darkness pressing in, Eric clicked on his torch and we all followed suit, shapes moved behind racks of products, the noises growing into a frenzy, a noise right next to Eric causes him to spin around.

the thing heading towards him is terrifying, it must have been a human once, but all traces of humanity had been lost, the skin was green mottled with brown, apart from where large chunks of skin had been ripped away, leaving muscle and bone exposed, it's eyes snow white and vacant, as it moved towards Eric it's bones cracked at its sudden speed, almost leaping onto Eric and sinking it's teeth into his neck, ripping out his throat in a torrent of blood and gore, the rest of us stumble back in shock and focus our torches on the scene before we notice that the creatures are heading towards us, before we can react another grabs Katie, two others helping to bring her down, teeth already buried into her, luckily I managed to grab her and between Skyler, Myself and Tara we got her out, she had suffered many bites, Matt was hitting them back with his Bat, yelling at them to back up, We dragged Katie from the room, rushing towards the outside world and freedom the noise of the creatures was close and as we rushed towards the doorway we realised it was a fire exit leading one way.... We were trapped......

Aftermath The Beginning: Part 3

January 18th 2015:


We woke up this morning and looked outside, the landscape is white, it must have been a snow storm during the night, all we know is that we are freezing cold, Crystal told us that she had found a food place that actually wasn't too bad, at least the freezer had power via its own generator, so the food still tasted good.

After we had eaten we found a way onto the roof, and sat watching the sun rise, Skyler had been watching something in the distance for quite a while before she said "there seems to be someone over there" with that she pointed into the distance, we all looked over to where she was pointing, and then we saw it, someone was moving though the snow.

Turns out it was a lot of someones, all we could really see was the furrows in the snow, slowly lengthening, heading towards the Thames, we counted about fifteen lines in all, so that means fifteen others that are heading the same direction as us, we began shouting to them, our voices easily echoing through the city, the lines stopped and after Wes managed to find some binoculars we managed to see them.

We took turns looking at the people heading back towards were we were, after that we started a fire with a barbecue so they could follow the smoke to us, Myself and Skyler went out to meet them, we always carry our weapons with us in case, mainly because of all the things we had heard from films and books about the end of the world.

So leaden down by two bats, aswel as our other gear we headed out into the snow, it took us almost an hour to find them as just after we left a snowstorm kicked up, the wind blew us this way and that, the visibility was virtually none and we kept walking into things like lamp posts and bollards, after about forty five minutes the storm began to die down and that's when we found them.

Out of no where these guys appeared out of the snow, twenty people in all, all cold and miserable, two people shouted our names from the back of the group, Rushing forwards to meet us, We couldn't believe our eyes when we saw Matt and Tara! after we shared hugs and words of relief we began leading them back to the shopping center.

Amazingly it didn't take as long as we had expected, though there were some really weird noises carrying on the wind, like a moaning and the sound of cracking, in the end though we got everyone inside and sat around a large campfire that the others had got running, Crystal and Lilla were ecstatic to see Matt and Tara again and asked them all about what had happened on there journey and where they were heading.

After a little once everyone was fed and had a fresh change of warm clothes, we settled back around the fire, i counted five children, three girls and two boys, and out of the adults there were six women and nine men, Matt and Tara had found them all and lead them south, in the hopes of finding warmer weather, all anyone cared about was that others had been found and that we weren't alone.

After we settled the new comers down Tara and Matt sat with us and told us what had happened to them:

December 21st 2014.

NORTHAMPTON: Tara and Matt had left two hours earlier, heading into the cold in the hopes of finding some place with more people, they headed towards Cambridge, their path taking them almost a day to get there, it was there that they found some more survivors, four to be exact, Katie, Eric, Nathan and Elliot, who soon joined them as they then began to head towards London.

As they moved down for town to town more people joined them, Abby and Carrie, John and Jaime, both Ben's, Bethany, Terry, Kath and Sarah, The kids were all found with Kath and Sarah in a nursery, they had found the children there on the second day and hidden from the rioting.

They had eventually gotten to twenty four people but four had left to go back to their home towns, in the hopes of finding family and friends, so far everyone else had decided to stay, as a tight knit group they moved their way down south.

And so they were slowly picking up survivors along the way, they explained how they found their way into London by pure luck as the storm began to hit, and how they thought they would die in the cold because they couldn't access the buildings, until they heard our shouting, they didn't realise it was us until they got here...

As Matt and Tara filled us in Lilla and Crystal were listening in rapt silence, leaning forward and eagerly awaiting more, Wes and Roy nodded and asked the occasional questions while looking over our ration supply, Skyler and Myself were writing, i about what they said and Skyler about our future plans, without realising it we had all started to follow her, She is the smartest and bravest out of all of us, so it was natural that she would take the rains, no one had a problem with it, well.... not that they voiced.

So here we are, it's something like four in the morning and we are all resting around the fire, Lilla and Skyler started drawing on a huge blank wall earlier to brighten the place up, we've decided to stay here until after the winter so tomorrow Crystal, Roy, John, Both Ben's, Wes and myself are going out to look for more supplies and things to help make some comfort for us all, it's like we are building a community in a three story shopping center, so it's best we get some rest....

END OF PART 3.....


For this entry i wanted to open it up to slightly longer entries while still building the characters, i'm trying to do it in a way that you won't find boring, i've always felt that you feel more for the characters if you leave the story to build into what it will become, to build on the human factor before introducing anything that will not allow that to build in such a way! i hope you are enjoying the series so far as i will be doing one more part before the new year and then two every month after that, as i have other projects that i wish to work on aswel as this, i'd love to hear your feedback on the story so far below, feel free to drop a comment and contact me via my Facebook page! Thanks guys, it means a lot that you've been following it! - Alex Tiltman...

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!