Can You Dig It?

Waaaaaaarrrriorrs... Come out to plllllaaaaayyy!!! 

The Warriors is a great PS2 title. Developed by Rockstar, it captures the violence, the gritty feel and accompanied by an epic soundtrack. It was released last year on the playstation network and I ended up buying it on my trusty PS Vita. 

The game takes places some months before the meeting with Cyrus. You play as all the Warriors throughout the game but start as Rambrant during his initiation. This phase is solely a tutorial of how to bop some heads. It has co-op and a rumble mode, but I never really played that mode. As a Warrior, you'll face off against The Turnbull A.C's, The Orphans (who are the worst gang in existence) and obviously... the 5-0! Can you survive the onslaught and make it all the way back to Coney Island? 

PLOT. 

If you don't know the plot to this...then you are a sheltered child. The game follows the Warriors on how they are invited to the meeting with the Gramacy Riffs. There's also historic mission on how each of the main members of the gang joined which helps the to give the game more layers and depth. The game also has side missions in each level which is usually to tag over that gangs colours. There is also bonus missions at the Warriors HQ which help boost stats.

GAMEPLAY.

The controls don't change much from the console to handheld, the only difference is to move the camera you have to hold a shoulder button and the left analog. I'm adamant it was the right analog for the consoles! X and Square attack, circle grabs, triangle picks up weapons and jumps and the left shoulder button lets you run. You can mix up the attacks to create different combinations. 

Each of the Warriors has their own strengths and weaknesses. For example, Fox attacks aren't to powerful but he has a larger rage meter. The rage meter gets filled after landing so many attacks and allows the player to have stronger attacks. If you grab the enemy and use square and X together, the player will put together an head smashing combo. Ajax will gut punch, pick up and slam AND - as if that wasn't enough - stomps on their head! 

The health bar is shown by a small circle round the players feet and can be replenished by purchasing Flash - the quick fixer-upper. It's good that it doesn't cover the screen and is in view enough to see when your health is low. You can also use weapons which break after (roughly) 5 shots. 

The combat is some of the best I've seen for a beat-em up. Then Rockstar made it co-op. And blew my mind. There's something special about holding a Moonrunner as your mate throws a knee that would send a chimp into space! 

To give the game more depth and to add to your high score, you can rob people and steal radios you earn money. The money helps buy the Flash and spray paint. The game mechanic's for stealing or breaking into a shop are simple enough but still provide a challenge to the player. 

PRESENTATION.

Not much to say here and that isn't a bad thing. It's a PS2 title so think of Manhunt or San Andreas and you're on the right track. The frames and animation for the fighting have very few problems. I don't think I ever played this and seen it glitch. The presentation is always dark though but it's understandable considering this is a game about the armies of the night...

SOUND.

The classic songs and sounds from the film have been used. They even used some of the actors to re-record lines and to do additional ones also. It certainly captures the feel of the time and helps create the atmosphere. 

CONCLUSION.

For those that haven't played or seen The Warriors. You must. A free area beat-em up that works is rare and there is more to this game that meets the eye. Even after you complete the story, Rockstar added a side scroller - much like Streets Of Rage - and kept all the controls. It works. Incredibly well. The music from the 79' classic, transport the player into the shoes of one of The Warriors and some of the mission are memorable. The Warriors gets a 9/10. 


Cheers for Reading, 


O.E.G. 
@TheOEGamer
Follow me on Twitter and leave a comment. 

Who Thought Fishing Could Be So Much Fun.

I've never been much of a fan of fishing. It has never appealed to me, although I've tried it. But Ridiculous Fishing is (excuse the pun) a different kettle of fish. Its a simple enough game but very addictive none the less.

PLOT.
You're a fisherman...

GAMEPLAY.
The object is to catch as many fish as possible to make money. Each species of fish is worth a different amount and after catching so many you unlock a new area. So, the player casts his line by tapping the screen and attempts to avoid fish as the line descends. You move the line by tilting the phone left and right. Easy right? WRONG. It's not as easy as it sounds. The screen is littered with fish and if you've just start and hit one, the line begins to ascend. It's one of those games that annoys you but you feel compelled to attempt it again. When the line reaches its max (or you reach the lowest depth) the line begins to retract and this is where the player must catch as many fish as possible. Also at the maximum depth is a special prized fish which is worth biiiiig bucks! Playing R.F around anyone who doesn't know you/ know what you're doing, you kinda look mental throwing your phone left and right making girly noises avoiding le fish.


So you've caught countless fish and you think you're finished??? Oh you small minded knave! You must now pull out your weapon of choice (mini-gun anyone?) and blow them away as they rain down from the heavens! This is not like shooting fish in a barrel though...oh no! By tapping on the screen the fish will cease to live...BUT you do get cash money! Silver linings and all that! There are also jellyfish (look left. Or up if you're using the all...there's one!) that if you shoot, gives you a negative score, so avoid them as you pull the line back!
 The player can spend the money on upgrades for the line so it can descend faster, weapons, and longer lines to reach the depths of the various stages.









PRESENTATION.
 Not much to say on this if I'm honest. The pixel art is good and the different types of fish are mostly different colours. The backgrounds are colourful though and vary on each stage. Not to say I don't like it though... That's my thoughts... Deal with it!

SOUND.
The sounds are done retro style. Each stage has a different sound - my favourite being the home waters stage - and are pleasant and easy to listen to. It's only about 30 - 40 seconds played on a loop but its nice enough and gives off a relaxed sort of atmosphere as the line dwells deeper into the abyss. As the line is retrieved, the music plays backwards and quicker with another small, jaunty tune to accompany it. Then as you fling the fish to the skies the music takes a turn again to a deeper and evvvvvviiiiilllllll sound as you kill all the fishy's! When you catch fish there is a sound but my vocabulary doesn't have the correct word to describe a low "whoop" sound and make it sound smart and fancy.















SUMMARY.
Ridiculous Fishing is one of those games you have to buy if you have a spare 2 quid (and I'm sure you all do!) and have a spare five minutes on your hands. Careful though. This small amount of procrastination can turn into hours as I found out attempting to unlock everything! An enjoyable little game, and a soundtrack you'll be hooked on! Definitely worth the money. Internet...Go buy. Do my bidding! Or end up like the thousands of fish I have slaughtered in the dreary night sky.


+Greg Wohlwend
@Vlambeer
Well done on the game! Certainly the cream of the crop...or some fish pun!

Cheers,

O.E.G
@TheOEGamer

Home: A Unique Horror Adventure

Now just to make you all aware I recently bought a new iPhone. I can hear the applause already! And since my wifi is down and I'm working away from home I can't play any retro or my GameCube. But fear not! For I have bought games on the App Store! What games?? Well I'll give you a hint...the title maybe. 

                  "I hope that's jam."

Yes Home! After perusing many sites on which games work well on the iPhone, this gem kept on making the lists. So I decided to take it upon myself to check it out. Home takes place (oddly enough) in a house where the player wakes up, unable to determine how he got there. So it's up to you to search the house and other areas - from factories, forests and sewers - find clues and ultimately escape. So the game mechanics are simple enough. To walk left, touch the left side of the screen. To walk right, touch right. Double tap to interact and up makes you...yup...look up. 

It's done in an 8-bit fashion, so to all you retro fans, this is already definitely worth the buy (I mean come on its only 2 British pounds...less than a pint!). The developers have made it so you just have a flashlight which gives off a small radius of light, so you must delve into the darkness to understand and solve the mystery!

Now at the start of the game it tells you to put in headphones and turn the lights off. So like any decent gamer, I obliged. It was the middle of the day though, so I just sat in a cupboard for two hours. 

"But O.E.G! Can a 8-bit game really be classed as a horror game?? And seriously you sat in a cupboard?" 

            ...I don't wanna play anymore! 

...Yes! I seriously did. And yes. It totally can! I'm not going to lie. I jumped a lot and felt genuinely nervous about walking anywhere! The sound of wooden doors creaking open. The wail of rusted steel. The echoing footsteps down a hall. All these things add to the tension in the game. As you near the end of this nightmare, there's a constant rattle of bass, booming in the background, making everything feel more ominous. Simple yet effective. 

I've been told it has three endings, and on my play through I think I missed a few bits so I'm definitely going to play it again. It's intriguing and draws the player in. It makes you want to find out what's happened. This game is like if dead space and monkey's island had an 8-bit baby. I definitely recommend this to all. See if you can solve the mystery!! And try not to shit your pants. 

P.S. Here's the link to it on iTunes. 

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/home-unique-horror-adventure/id656723874?mt=8

Cheers. 

O.E.G 

@theOEGamer