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

BROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

BROFORCE! THIS GAME IS SO EPIC AND FILLED WITH RAGE AND TESTOSTERONE THAT IF A FEMALE PLAYS IT HER OVARIES WILL EXPLODE!!!!

I did consider doing the entire review in caps but it would blow your mind. Broforce is still in the Beta version but still amazingly good fun. It cost just over £10 on steam but definitely worth it. Broforce is done an a 8-bit/ retro way and considering everyone has a hard on (myself included) for that retro look and the amount of shit that goes on screen it makes sense to.

The object is to battle through each stage with your Bro's (or if you want the ultimate test - Bro it alone) and kill the devil at the end. Then you jump onto a CHOPPA and the levels explodes...obviously. The controls are simple enough and pretty god damn tight! Arrows keys to move (surprisingly), Z shoots, X is a special attack and C is CQC / rescue/ HIGH FIVE! Although the controls are simple, there are still many parts to master. Like riding a pig. Or flying through the air on gas canister to traverse the stage. The latter more dangerous. 

Enemies range from the puny and small, to giant beast dogs! But they all die in a mass of explosions! 

The game fucking rules. I don't think there was one point where there wasn't an explosion on screen. Maybe the start but I'd make sure that in the first...10 seconds something/someone was on fire. Everything is destructible which is both good and bad. Good because it gives you the freedom to play the level any way you want. Bad because you'll accidentally kill yourself...a lot.

Each character or Bro has a unique special and attack which changes how the levels play. To get more Bro's you have you rescue prisoners in cage that give you an extra life. After freeing so many you are rewarded with a new BRO! These include: 

Mr Anderbro - who can dodge bullets and punch through EVERYTHING. 

Bronan - armed with his trusty sword can send shock waves that mutilates anything in it's way. He also does an Arnie GGUUUUUDAAAAH when you use his special. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khWeDJP6riU)

 EXXXXPLOOOSION!!!

I could name more but I don't want to spoil too much. One play through will take 90 minutes to 2 hours but there's countless amounts of fun to be had and I found myself playing this many times over. The best way to play is multiplayer though. A high five will slow down time and make everything more epic by tenfold!
Last thing I'm going to mention is the sound. This game just bleeds awesomeness. When you move you hear the small patter of the characters feet on the ground. The explosions sound larger than life and would perforate a small child's eardrum. By far though the greatest sound...the enemies dying. The screams are hilarious. I'm sure one is a sound bite of Homer Simpson. AND a Wilhelm Scream. Even the music feels like something epic is happening AT ALL TIMES.

To sum up *ahem* (add epic voice) BROFORCE IS LIKE BEING THE ULTIMATE MAN AND STOPPING EVIL IN A HAIL OF GUNFIRE AND EXPLOSIONSSSS! DONT BE A PUSSY...BUY THIS MOTHERFUCKING GAME!!!! AND ITS NOT EVEN FINISHED!! 

Addendum: keep your eyes open for a video review coming soon chums!! 



Cheers,

O.E.G.
@TheOEGamer
http://oegamer.tumblr.com/
 

Top Ten Games with Awesome Music

The basis of this is as follows:
The theme has to be from a game first so no crossovers like Naruto or DBZ.

Only one tune from each game series.
It is a personal opinion of mine, but its probably right and better than yours.
I'm going on how memorable each tune is to me and of I can recall the majority of it. 

I'll leave a link for each one so you can have a listen.

10. Final Fantasy VII: Boss Battle Theme.

Okay so you've been whooping ass all over Migard and you've been hearing that same old music for a while. Then BAM! In your face with a giant mech robot on wheels with some killer guitars to open up the battle. This shit always got me excited to fight anyone in the game. It made the boss battles that more personal when they were accompanied by this cracking tune. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U84zAfb4b58

9. Super Mario World.
Want a happy cheery song to hum and sing when you're playing possibly the happiest and best game ever??? You do!? Good! Super Mario World's music was like chocolate for my ears. It's Happy, colourful and fun. Just like the game! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH8mQRXemuo

8. Battlefield 1942. 

You're in a trench and see the enemy 200 metres to your front. Above you a dog fight is taking place, with machine gun fire like the humming of birds. You look through your scope and take aim on the enemy. You press the trigger and down goes your target just as an explosion rattles to your left. Just before all of this was the hammering of drums and meaty bass. If Battlefield 1942's music didn't make you feel like you were about to step into a warzone...you're in the wrong game son. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq0iRO7rH_0

7. Metal Gear Solid: Sons of Liberty.

I have nothing to say except. Snake?? Snake?? SNAAAAAAAAKE????

... Cool tune bro. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiPon8lr48U

6. Halo: Combat Evolved.

I love the halo music. When the London Philharmonic Orchestra did this, I listened to it intently for about a week. It manages to capture that feel of being in space and fighting for survival. It genuinely is a great piece of music. Listen and you'll know what I mean.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sjvo0SPAOiQ

5. Elder Scroll V: Skyrim.

Skyrim was an epic quest, delving into the deepest parts of fantasy. Dragons. Trolls. Wolf men. So when I saw the trailer and heard,"in his tongue he is dovakin....dragon born!" accompanied with the music. All I wanted to do was pick up my shield and sword and go and slaughter the troll king...and dragons! And explore all that Skyrim had to offer. Obviously though the first thing I did was scream "Fus-Ro-Dah!" At everything in sight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clcHxg9l5Bk

4. Megaman II.

Fast paced and constantly on the edge of your seat. The Megaman game and music has always been a personal favourite of mine. I'm not going to explain... Okay maybe a little. The developers -only using 8-bit bearing in mind - still manage to give the feeling of a faced paced game solely by the music. Also... look how funny the box art is! Hahahah! He doesn't look remotely like that!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiGbAC7f4Ro

3. Pokemon. 

I wasn't going to add this but remembered that this came before the anime so it counts! Every person who's played pokemon can remember this tune. Everyone. It's just so...cool! A big part of my - and many others - childhood. Definitely deserves a top spot!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvKoBnv96PM

2. Donkey Kong Country.

This could be a nostalgic thing but I don't care. It's cooool. To those that have read my previous blogs will know I love this. My favourite tune is definitely against King. K. Rool. But even the opening song, as the intro - played on a phonograph - reminds us of old school sound and  is interrupted by fresh new beats from a boombox! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA5Wc1_Zghk

1. Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past.

Here it is. This game. This fuuuuucking game! Its just perfect for me. And the music is nothing short of a masterpiece. Even though made with 32-bit sounds still manages to (here's the word of the day) convey (sexy ain't it?) of fantasy, peril and some hardcore questing! UGH. Take it Zelda!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkH2zETKqws

Okaaaaay. There's a top ten of musical epicness. I'm sure a lot of you will agree and thanks for reading. If you don't...leave a comment, and tell me YOUR top ten!

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

Oh Luigi!

Since I'm still loving my GameCube at the moment, I have thought of a new game to ramble on about.

Luigi's Mansion! Let me level with you here reader. I actually played this for the first time last week when I acquired said GameCube. I had only seen this briefly on adverts so everything I say about this is fresh and not from memory, unlike the former twelve posts. The game follows (if you hadn't realised) Luigi for a change instead of Mario. It turns out this lucky chap has won a mansion in the arse-end of nowhere! Scam you say? Probably. But an excited Luigi can't tell the difference and goes to rub it in his brother's small face, and asks him at the same time to come celebrate...Oh Luigi...that's low. Anyways, Luigi arrives at the mansion only to find its haunted by ghosts! And they've taken Mario! Enter the player to capture ghosts and solve the mystery of where the hell Mario actually is.

So the first thing I noticed and probably fell in love with is the music. Nintendo I don't know how you do it but keep pumping these tunes out! O.K. So Luigi's Mansion's main theme isn't exactly raising the roof but it manages to be quirky and creepy. This is done by just having Luigi - and only Luigi - whistle the tune when there's nothing going on or you are exploring the mansion.
Until you meet a spoooky ghost and the bass kicks in followed by the violins. This gives the sense that the player truly is alone in this gigantic house. Even the noise of the creaking floorboards, Luigi's footsteps and the occasional lightning strike manage to keep the game dark...for a Nintendo/ Mario game. Oh and another little cool thing is if you press A Luigi will call out for his brother. I think its cool!

 Who ya gunna call????

Next is the presentation. Let me tell you. It looks great. All the different coloured ghosts are neatly drawn. The backgrounds to each room are well filled. Obviously Luigi looks amazing. Seriously; Nintendo know how to make a game stand out. The best part of the presentation though seems to be the shadows. When you go into one of the rooms with the mini-bosses and see its shadow slowly floating on the wall, its creepy. BUT its the good kind of creepy where you can appreciate what the developers have done. The worst (not worst as in bad mind you!) is the baby though. With the combination of the quiet jingle of a creche, a calm wind blowing against the drapes AND a floating baby shadow...Yeah, freaked me out.

Trick Doors are uuuuuurvvvywhere!

 

Also for an old school game its has some good mechanics for gameplay. To my knowledge, this is one of the very few games (of 2002) that uses a vacuum/ hoover, where you can suck up sheets or balls. They integrate well into the game making the player use it at certain points to complete an objective. Or to use it to uncover a BOO! Now combine this awesome hoover sucking/blowing (phrasing) ability with a torch system...baby you got yourself a game! The player uses the torch to shine onto a ghost which will stun them, then uses the vacuum to suck the blighters up! Sounds simple yes. But trying running round a room sucking up ghosts when more appear...yeah. Like herding cats...with a hoover. When a room is cleared, the lights come on and give the player the sense of security, because lets be honest, when you were a kid and you couldn't sleep you either; a) had a night light or b) but the landing light on...just me?

Lastly there's a few things a missed which I think deserve some mention:
1. The trick doors are a clever way to make sure the player is using the map to navigate. Smart Nintendo.
2. The Way Luigi moves in the game is priceless. He walks on his tiptoes, he's constantly bricking it! And when you find a key/object his little spin is awesome (accompanied by some awesome music once again).
3. Using the Gameboy "Horror" as a Boo finder, coin counter, map and a plethora of others, is an extremely nice touch. 


Now I haven't played this all the way through but its definitely deserves a mention. This is one of the few games I've picked up and instantly enjoyed. From the music, to the gameplay and even the quirky comments made throughout. Nintendo surely know how to make an interesting yet addictive game. Its even fun to watch someone play this game as I find out when my buddy just sat and watched me play the first hour or so without moving. Or maybe he was watching me and planning to kill me??!!?


O.E.G.
@theOEGamer


P.S.
Comments would be appreciated and I'll get back to you all...you might even get a kiss.

My Top Five Games I Hate...With Additional Swearing

So I know I call myself optimistic and I suppose I am. But sometimes I lose my shit with games...like completely. Just to make you aware I am gunna be swearing my tits off here solely for the fact I'll wind myself up about each game. This was also a ball ache and took me ages because I was trying to rack my brain so I had to search EVERY game on the PS2 (yes every title AND I couldn't even find one!). Also you'll have to bear with me on some of them, I will explain! So... here we go. Hold on tight. (Warning: Spoilers).


5. James Bond 007: Nightfire - GameCube/ PS2/ Xbox.

This is only being placed at no. five because it came with the GameCube I acquired and I don't like trying to rate something without seeing/playing it all the way through...however. This game sucks. I could only withstand 15 minutes- TOPS - before I turned it off in a rage. The graphics are fucking awful! I've seen better Playstation games! And for that matter a SNES games! The cars look like literal squares. And the sounds....the FUCK!!!!! I'm done.

To sum up. It is awful.








4. Deus Ex. Human Revolution - Xbox360/ PC/ PS3.

Right. So Deus Ex. Its an awesome game. I loved upgrading my character into a stealthy dealer of death, and attempting to just ruin everyone's day by playing as a complete bastard. Whats that? You've been promoted to "crummy desk Sergeant?" GIVE A FUCK! So like I said its awesome. What isn't awesome and actually changed my entire perspective on the game was the ending. Eidos you cheap bastards. Instead of some brilliant cut scene where I thought I'd see Jensen killing himself or choosing whatever, I'm "treated" with black and white footage of Earth???? No no no. I play games to get away from this shit, not to be dropped right back in it during the fucking game!!!!!!
Ruined.







3. Rise of the Robots - SNES.

If you haven't seen any footage of this, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYUeO_yk9To
Continue sum this up perfectly, "nothing about this game was entertaining or fun at all". Yup. I remember my dad getting me and brother this. The title screen had me super excited! We then had a fight and my smiling face went straight to a "da fuq is this??" The game uses pre-rendered C.G.I sprites rather than pixel art or digitized sprites. Essentially it just looks buals (balls!). There is limited moves and even then it feels super slow. My problem with this game is....why was it made?








2. Rage - Xbox360/ PC/ PS3.

 This follows the same trend as Deus Ex but it wound me up even more, if its even possible (hence why its no. 2). Same applies, this game is a sexy looking game and they even got some decent folk to do some of the voices (like John Goodman!) and considering it was sold as a similar game to Fallout and boasted about Mad Max style world, which it did. But in my eyes it fell short. Super short. Yes, there was opens worlds but they seemed linear. How do you manage to make something openly linear??? HOW? The game was put onto two discs which I expected to make the game huge, and it did. But wait, the player wants to go back and explore the first area? Na fuck that, limited freedom is where its at! Like I said, the game is amazing but like @mattaconda (https://twitter.com/Mattaconda) said,"there's only so much lipstick you can put on a pig."
When I finished it I just stared at the credits and genuinely thought,"well that was a fucking waste, think I'll go outside." And it didn't even take that long and I was attempting to make it last...Fuck you Rage. I'll show you some RAGE!!!!!





1. Red Faction: Armageddon - Xbox360/ PC/ PS3.

Here it is. Possibly my most hated game. THIS FUCKING GAME! I don't think I've ever been so disappointed at a game. This is probably because I was, and maybe still am, a huge fan of the first two on the PS2 and Guerrilla on the 360. The first two for the ability to smash the environment and getting the rail gun to shoot through walls and kill enemies. Guerrilla because they took the destroying environments to the next level. They gave you all of Mars to go crazy with. Here's a giant hammer. See that building? You can flatten it! One of my favourite things was just wielding this super hammer and just fucking shit up. Then they released this one in 2011. And ruined everything!!!! Why the fuck would you decide to put the player back in the ground on a linear path after giving them the freedom of the world?! I know the first two where underground but they worked because they probably didn't have the capacity on the PS2 to attempt what they did with Guerrilla. But seriously. Even at the start they give the player a little teaser. "Oh remember all that cool shit like blowing up buildings and smashing pipelines with hammers? Yeah none of that anymore." If I had to compare this to anything it would be a stripper. They both had me super excited when they started but at the end I'm left disappointed. And all alone...again.

Addendum: If you haven't notice I do like open games, so when a games is labelled as such, I will probably try it out. But when it undersells like the above, I tend to lose it.

Now I know the majority of the games on the list are from the "next-gen" era, but it's because I couldn't find many from the retro era that I hated. Maybe because there wasn't as much choice and the developers had to make sure the game was perfect so they could make a profit. Or maybe because back when I was a young'n, I thought everything was amazing and colourful (except Rise of the Robots). And now I'm older and wiser and can see more faults and I'm more skeptical. Or its that the game developers don't seem to spend as much time on certain games. Whatever it is these games above...pissed me off massively. 

If you have any different or agree with me let me know!

Cheers,

 

O.E.G.

@theOEGamer.

Oo There Goes Chicken Chaser!

So with the release of Fable Anniversary I thought it was only fitting to do a review/ blog/ ramble about how much I love this game. I'll mention the changes that I've noticed first then finish with some gameplay and story, considering not much has changed in those aspects.

Fable Anniversary is a reboot of the 2004 release of Fable: The Lost Chapters. Not much has been changed from the original in the way of gameplay but the graphics and sounds have all been upgraded. The story follows you, starting off as a young boy and slowly growing into a hero, either for better or for worse. The phase as a young boy gives you a feel for the game and what to expect (a tutorial if you will!) but the consequences of your actions do still appear later on in the game. 

From the get go one of the big stand outs of this game is the voice. It's clear, even back in 2004, that LionheadStudios spent time on perfecting the voices. And obviously they sound much clearer on Fable Anniversary. Even the villagers who mock or cheer for you as you walk past sound genuine. When you first hear the Guildmaster speak to you through the Guild Seal, the small reverb and echo makes it sound magical! He does still ramble though. I know my health is low, I'm aware of the blood loss! 

The music as well compliments each area as you'd expect. If it's a village or town the music is happy and joyous. A battle, the sound of a deep bass rumbles throughout. An eerie house, creepy violins. These little things helps make the game complete. 

Even the creatures sound larger than life. When I first heard the Balverine howl, it sent shivers down my spine! The squabbling of Hobbes in the caves is both humourous and terrifying! (N.B: I haaaaate Hobbes). But one of my favourite sounds is the torque of a bow being held. It just sounds right, and just as the shot is released, something is gunna die. 

The next big change is the graphics (obviously). All the character models are crisp. The armour, especially the bright and dark varieties, look magical! I mean look above at the small intricacies on the shoulder pauldrons! The green cloth even has patterns running through it! Another big change is the demons doors. They now look part of the wall and, dare I say it (DARE!) some sort of real. The environment as well has had a massive face lift! The shimmering water does look real, the ivy and moss actually seem like they've been there for years growing! Last thing I want to mention is the magic. My favourite is the force push. Remember that scene in Matrix where the helicopter crashed into the building? It reminds me of a sped up version of that when I use it! I could rattle on but as the old saying goes, a picture paints a thousand words. It is safe to say though, all the models, be it the water, a Balverine or a fireball, look fantastic! 

 "Bandit...Meet Death!"

 

 "Pants...Filled!"

 So lets get down to it. The gameplay. Like mentioned, not much has changed. And honestly...thank Christ! It didn't need changing. X is attack, and the player holds it for a strong attack. Y is your bow. B is magic. The player can cycle through his magic by holding RT and unleash some destruction! For each type of kill you'll get additional XP which you spend to upgrade your character and make him a muscle bound freak. Because, if I'm honest, I wouldn't want some skinny little pushover arriving at my village if it's getting overrun by Balverine's! Get your ass to the gym and come back once your benching 220 (although...everyone would be dead...). When your not out saving the world you can do other things like; buy a house, get married, massacre an encampment. The list goes on!

I want to mention the story and tell you all how amazing it is! And that some of the choices make you put down the controller and phone a friend (no 50:50 I'm afraid). Or that some of the set pieces will leave you gobsmacked! But alas, I'm not going to. It would ruin the surprise and the story and I hate doing that! All I'll say though, out of all the Fable's, this is by far the best one, in my opinion. I like the second (third...not so much) but I don't think it'll give me the same amount of joy that this one has given me!


Comment and follow me a twitter and give me some love, @TheOEGamer.
Cheers.

O.E.G.

Guns? Big Guns? I'm More of a Pinata Man!

In the gaming world today, many things revolve around blowing the shit into something (I'm looking at you Call of Dooty and BertleField), but don't you just sometimes wanna step back from it all and play something with less violence and objectives?


Yes you do! This isn't to say I don't like running around and chopping people in half or cruising around Los Santos knocking foo's out! Sometimes its just nice to sort out your garden and raise some pinata's.

Viva Fudgin' Whackin' Pinata! Look at those sexy colours! This game only breeds happy thoughts! I picked this up for about 2 quid and I'm super happy I did! It's a sandbox like harvest moon. Story??? Not to sure. Do you need one?! Sort out your garden and get some piñata's, which in this game are like wild animals.
So it starts out you inherit this land but it's a proper shithole, and as you progress you get different equipment which can be upgraded. The piñata's are caught by meeting certain requirements, so obviously the first ones you meet are simple ones. For example for a worm you need to have decent grass. All the wild piñata's are black and white and when they become part of your garden they become bright and vivid. (Addendum: all the piñata's have super cute names!)

You need to buy habitat's on top of the requirements and then you can breed them. The breeding game is the only bit I wasn't to keen on if I'm honest. You have to navigate the pinata through an "obstacle" course (I use that term loosely) and then an egg is dropped off by a stalk like chick.  

You can decorate the garden however you want. Putting in fire lamps attracts moths. Make a pond and then in comes frogs. Simple, easy stuff. Your garden expands after a while so you can fit in more and more stuuuff! 

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

The characters in the game can help you in certain ways. There's this bloke who just looooves nuts (phrasing)! And he'll just give you them if you talk to him. You can have some chick come and look after your seeds and fruit. I never used her just so I didn't have to spend money. I'm a tight ass. Then there's the evil dude who makes sour piñata's which try to come and ruin your day. You can either kill them or even better, make them transform into a pinata for your garden!
You also get tasks where you earn money (and achievements) if you finish them. It's usually someone needs a specific type of pinata, so the player needs to put them in a crate and send them off. Easy enough, but it's not forced upon you (one is but its a tutorial) so you can choose to do what you want within the game essentially, or when to take the tasks. 

This guy looooves nuts...ladies...stand back.

Lastly but not least is the best part of the game, it's presentation. It. Is. AMAZING! When you start getting more and more pinata's in your garden it's nice to sit back and admire it's beauty. Seriously. I absolutely hate that word but there isn't any other word to describe it. The different colours of the pinata's just complement the whole screen perfectly. The music is just small background noise which is fine but the game shines with its looks and presentation. 

Right well in conclusion if you can find this game cheap and fancy a break from all the violence of games today you should definitely do it. It is a gorgeous thing to look at and the colours will probably cheer you up. And if you're tripping balls it'll probably be amazing. 

O.E.G.

Naughty Dogs and Evil Weasels.

Last year I bought a PS Vita. It's a really good bit of kit and I enjoy playing and its design...oh and the games are pretty decent. So far I own four games for that system. I own two games from downloads. Now the problem with this is I prefer the games that I've downloaded. One being Final Fantasy 7 (http://theoptimisticenglishgamer.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/memorable-memories.html ,mentioned in last month's blog) and the other being Jak and Daxter.
If you've noticed, I have a running theme with these blogs. Its that I love old school games. I do like new games as well, don't get me wrong. G.T.A. V and Red Dead are fucking awesome games. As well as Sleeping Dogs and XCOM: Enemy Unknown. But at the moment I'm stuck in this loop of playing older games. So without further adieu!

 Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy! Released in 2001 by Naughty Dogs and one of the first games I bought/ got with my PS2. It gives me that same sense of innocence that games give you at a young age, as well as the exploration factor that comes with these open world games. Jak and Daxter opens with Jak (crazy haired boy) and his buddy Daxter traveling to the mysterious Misty Island, despite warnings from this old dude with clogs. They end up seeing an army of Lurkers (bad looking gremlin fuckers) and attempt to escape the place. But not before some plot happens! Jak's buddy gets knocked into some dark eco which transforms him into... da da da daaaaaaaa... a ferret with a mouth on him. Or weasel, whatever.
The player takes over after the duo get a bollocking from Clogs McGee (old man), and are told to collect power cells to advance and help the old man. From the get go the player gets a sense of how big the world actually is. Even the first area - where you're told there is more places to explore - is still pretty big. A little thing I like is if you try and swim off the island a giant fish comes and eats you. This idea is used in Banjo Kazooie and is much better than the invisible wall bullshit!
You can speak to the locals who have some fantastic accents and witty dialog, which I still find funny to this day (I am a big kid though...not fat. I meant in the mind). The locals give you tasks to do and in return give you a power cell. This can be anything from rounding up sheep, to bringing them 50 orbs (the egg thing on the box art).

Da Fuq is that Brah!!?!!?

The controls feel quite tight as well and has the usual controls you'd expect on a platformer. Jump, two types of attacks, sprint and you can launch objects during certain areas with the shoulder button. There is also a power up station, where you are able to run faster and do more damage to enemies. There's some boss battles as well which are well thought out and good fun. There's even a build up to them which makes it that more special! The main focus of the game is to collect things though. Now you may think this sounds a bit boring, but I enjoy it! Even playing it now I find a compelling urge to collect everything in an area.
In certain areas you have to ride a hover bike whilst attempting to collect orbs and not die (I suck at these parts and find some of them difficult or maybe its just me). This ranges from the grassy plains to skimming over lava and trying to keep the engine cooled at the same time by flying through water balloons...yeah...It's legit. You even ride a giant bird like thing (sort of ostrich-esque) which is epic fun!

"DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNKKKKKK!"

Lastly is the graphics and how the game looks. Once again I have to mention the scale of the game. The vast green on the plains looks stunning. The vibrant blue and yellow of Jak stands out in all the backgrounds, even the underwater level. And the strong reds of the volcanic areas are lush. Essentially a good looking game, especially for its time. I don't remember thinking at any part that this game looks shitty and I was literally playing it five minutes ago (it was on the remastered edition though).
I have to admit I don't really pay attention to the soundtrack on this game so I can't comment. Maybe I'm too engrossed in the game. Or maybe I turned the music off, I can't remember.

For those that haven't played Jak and Daxter (any of them) you should! They just re-released it on the PS network. They're good fun and remind me of the old school bests like Mario 64 and Crash Bandicoot! And I think they're up the top with them!

Like and comment and tell your friends!
Cheers.

O.E.G.