The Fall into Competitive Multiplayer Games.

As a child – when that first mighty controller was laid into my tiny hands – I knew from the moment that Nintendo jumped to life, games would play a huge part in my life. At the ripe old age of 26, I feel that as I have grown up, so has the gaming industry. The games released these days – obviously with a few more pixels – have more choice and variety to them. However, I must confess with you, dear reader... I used to detest playing competitive multi-player games.
That may seem like an alien sentence to some, but I've never been too keen on them. Let me just explain what I mean by my definition of competitive multi-player. This would be a game where you are pitted against the other team to a bloody battle to the death. Or perhaps you were flinging cards at an opponent who's deck consists entirely of Murloc's! But each time you play, it's ranked. This means that whatever the outcome, you have shown your worth to the rest of the world. Everyone can see how good (or bad) you are at the game. If you're at the top, you have to defend your honour and keep reclaiming that crown.
This to me didn't seem right. Gaming should be a way to unwind, relax or become enveloped in a whole new world or experience. Now don't get me wrong. I have enjoyed a friendly one on one in Street Fighter or caused havoc in Los Santos online, but never in a competitive mode. To me, a single player game has more to offer. You become immersed with the character you're playing. There's a deeper connection you get, and when it ends you feel like you've walked with them, through the terrors and faced each challenge in your own way. So when a friend asked me – nay, begged me- to download League of Legends, I was a little dubious.

Until August 2014, I had no idea what this League of Legends was. Never even heard of it. Impossible?! I hear you cry out. Well take my word reader, I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between a Rabaddon's deathcap or a B.O.T.R.K. But after much persistence from a friend, I snapped and downloaded the phenomenon that is. And it has thrown my gaming world into despair! As I scrolled my cursor over the application and was greeted by a cute, furry animal chasing a firefly, I must admit I was curious and wondered further into the unknown. After completing the tutorial, a few custom and AI games, I felt I was ready to enter Summoners Rift against actual people and dived head first into my first match.
To say I was terrible, is an understatement. For those that play L.o.L regularly prepare for a laugh (and maybe some rage). For those that do not I will explain as best as I can:
* Each team consists of 5 members.
* On Summoners Rift there is three lanes, a jungle and a river in the centre.
* The object of the game is to destroy the enemy teams nexus (or base) and to get there your team must destroy the turrets of a lane, then the base turrets and inhibitor, and only then can you proceed to take down the main base.
* There is always an influx of minions on each lane, which when killed give you a small amount of gold. Killing an enemy champion gives you more gold.
* The baron and dragon give buffs (or advantages in layman terms) to your team.
* Buying items for your character is important, and depending on what the enemy team buys, may be situational to that game.
* The top lane - usually would be a bruiser or a tank, who can take and deal damage.
* The mid lane - would be a mage, that does very high damage and would have C.C (or crowd control) with stuns and the like.
* The jungler – is used to ambush the lanes and support them. This role can be a variety of types, from a tank who can soak up all the damage, or an assassin who is designed to annihilate targets quickly.
* Bottom lane – where one would usually have a support (to either heal or secure kills) and a marksman (also known as the attack, damage, carry or ADC for short) – I chose Nautilus, who has a giant anchor he carries with him everywhere which he can use to grab enemies and slow them.

Now he sounds like a perfect support. Except I wasn't playing support... That's right, this slow, meandering colossus was the ADC of the team. The player, who is meant to speed around the map and cause a whole lot of damage, was I...with Nautilus. I had a death from running into a turret with no coverage from minions. I died attempting to solo the dragon. I charged head first into a one on one with a Zed (a high-burst damage champion) and died spectacularly. But not all was lost. I secured a glorious 5 kills. They may have been kill steals but regardless they were mine (sort of)! After my team secured the enemies nexus (thanks mostly to the mid and top lane) I saw what all wish to see after landing into Summoners Rift for the first time: Victory.

Soon after I began to play L.o.L regularly. After meeting some friendly (and some not so friendly) people online, they began to tell me what I should buy for each character and pointed me in the direction of certain sites which I could use to help my builds. For example: if an enemy buys all attack damage, you buy armour to counteract it. If they buy ability power/ magic damage, you get some magic resist. This may seem like common sense but when you're trying to secure kills and find you take to much damage; don't you think its time to swap that long sword for cloth amour?
By the time November came I had a full grasp of how the game worked, how to win and what not to do. The core concept may sound simplistic but this is more than just taking down turrets and steam-rolling head first. It's about out-playing your opponent, guessing their next move and being three steps ahead. Its about contesting for that next dragon which will give you a 6% advantage in team fight, which could mean life or death. For those that say gaming is just going through the motions and childish has obviously not played something like this. And this isn't the only game. There's DOTA, which is much like L.o.L (I'll be hanged for that statement). You also have Counter Strike, the FPS competitive game. I did try and play that after playing L.o.L but as it turns out, I was atrocious. I felt comfortable with the League and after the 4.20 patch, when the graphics were updated, it seemed right.

But by then it wasn't just about playing the game. I had become obsessed with it to a degree. I would watch pro-matches. I would cheer when a team gained vision control. I would scream uncontrollably when a team fight ensued and laugh when the player named “Balls” was “on that Mega-Gnar” (actual quote). Then, as the sun rose on an icy January 21st, my friends and I created our own ranked team. Since then, before each match we'd consider what our strengths and weaknesses are. Which champions to ban and when to contest for an objective. And so far, we've lost all 4 of our matches. Now, to be fair, the “Flamboyant Peanut Xpress” is a new team and we are still in the provisional matches, and two of the loses were just unlucky, but each time before a match, I'll get nervous. It's like the feeling one would get before an important interview or stepping onto the field as you play in a league for football or rugby. You want to do well. You want to win.

Anyone can log onto L.o.L and look at the stats of “FbPnut” and criticize how our performance was. And this is where – before I began playing ranked – I wasn't keen on the idea. But, this is the difference a competitive game has to a single player. You may not be as immersed, and the story may be harder to relate to. But there is more of a thrill to it. You can gain more from it because of the thought process of how to tactically win a match. I like the feeling of the nerves and attempting to solve the puzzle during the game of how to win. It's not just about playing the game any more. In a sense, it becomes part of your life. For those that play competitively – be it DOTA, CS:GO or L.o.L – I guarantee that as soon as you lost, you'd be lying in bed pondering how it could have gone better; that if you landed that hook on their Ahri, would you have won the match?



Thanks for reading.

O.E.Gamer.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcqodAYWMcdUuL77AHbvXow

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. 

Fiv... Sh*t TEN Fun Games!

After having a discussion with a housemate about how games seem to have veered away from actually being fun and turned into a graphics contest and how close to reality they can get. I've decided to make a list of recent (ish) games which I think are fun and enjoyable to play! It was initially five but then after FURTHER discussions with my other housemate (@larky1990), it's the biiig TEN! 

10. Lego Star Wars.

What better than Star Wars? Oh that's right.. Playing them as Lego. I had so much fun revisiting all the major set pieces as a Lego character and discovering new areas with each one ( buuuuuy it. Gooble gobble).

9. Fez. 

A 2D man in a 3D world. Yes it was challenging but still a whole lotta fun at the same time. It was unique with such a large depth and scale. And when you first turn the world and see a whole new world (started singing Aladdin there), and a different perspective opens before you, it was simply breathtaking. Come on Phil Fish. Make no. 2 without blowing yourself up. 

8. Skate.

OPM - heaven is a half pipe. Yes! OPM. Skate made that mechanic that appeared in Tony Hawks next gen ( project 8) and turned it into a spectacular game. I spent hours on both 1 and 2 perfecting lines with my buddy. Yeah... I have friends (statement may not actually be true). 

7. Saints Row 3.

GTA on roids and snorting cocaine whilst pooping out of a plane. I know. It's the perfect analogy for how insane this game was. They took all the crazy ideas that people had thought up and put them in one giant game. Nothing beats sucking up pedestrians in a cannon and launching them to the moon. 

6. Burnout: Paradise.

Launching a car over a jump at 160 mph on a bridge would sound dangerous. But not in Burnout Paradise. Fuck yeah! This game ruled. One of the few driving games with co-op and done well. It was always fun cruising round with Friends... and ramming them into a wall. Lol. Rofl. 

5. Broforce. 

This game. I fucking love it! I've already written about this in a previous blog saying how much fun it is to tackle a horde of enemies with your buddies and destroy the world in the process. And it's still not even finished! Which means there's more BRO's to be released and more levels! Win. Win. Win. 

4. Crackdown.

One of the first games I got with my Xbox 360. Crackdown lets you pick up cars and hurtle them towards unsuspecting enemies. You could jump up skyscrapers in seconds, kill the enemy atop then raise him above your head to show your kill. Theeeeen throw him off and watch his body bounce! (Mini chortle). Even collecting the orbs seemed satisfying to me and when they released the harpoon gun, I loved killing my mate then pinning him to walls. I know...I'm a bastard. 

3. Portal 1 and 2.

Portal always gets high praise and why shouldn't it. It's funny, challenging, addictive and different. Walking into a test chamber you would stare at the obstacle before you and assess how to take it on. Then in Two you could play co-op (I LOVE CO-OP). And it was always fun to make the infinity loop and fall forever! 

2. Super Mario 3D World.

I love my WiiU. Even more so with each purchase. And this purchase was no exception. Join Mario and the gang in an adventure through 8+ worlds. Each level is fun and vibrant and immerses the player in each world. The fact you can dress as a cat is just a happy positive. The music is nothing to be ignored either. It brings that happy feeling and is incredibly memorable. But my favourite part was Bowser's World. Travelling up the pipe and seeing this colourful land stand before you is something definitely worth seeing. 

1. Rayman: Legends.

Granted, you may not rate this as your number one BUT holy shit it should at least be in the top three. I'd never played a Rayman and it was my Brother who showed me this and I'm glad he did. It plays as a platformer and is definitely one of the best. The backgrounds to each stage are beauties to look at. Tight controls. The levels themselves challenging and with Ubisoft constantly releasing daily challenges, it keeps the game fresh. The best. THE BEST part though? At the end of each world is a music level where you have to run and jump in time to the music through various obstacles and enemies. It. Is. Awesome!!!! I've showed everyone who has passed by my house and each person has commented on how much fun the game is. If this game was a barrel.. It would be full of laughs (Idiom of the day). 

Cheers for reading. More soon...keep a look out for a YouTube channel! 

O.E.G

@TheOEGamer. 

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.

Return of the King

I know what you're thinking and this ain't a LOTR review. For those of you who follow me on twitter, you'll be aware I've recently got a GameCube! Literally, all my new consoles - 360, 3DS and my PC - have all be shoved to one side to make way for this hero. The rest of this month and probably next will contain reviews from the GameCube and what's going to start us off?

Super Smash Bros. Melee! Now I know that pretty much everyone in existence has played this game. But I've never owned a GameCube so this is all new to me and obviously I've played it but I've never had one to call mine. The game is a beat em up and a sequel to super smash bros. on the N64. 

Mostly a multiplayer game but it does have an arcade mode and adventure mode. It has a wide variety of playable character from throughout the nintendo world. This ranges from Donkey Kong, Link, Pikachu, and Captain Falcon to just name a few. 

Each character has their own special moves and attacks. This can make the game extremely tactical if you know how to use the character up close and at range. The aim is too damage the opponent enough to send him flying off the screen and to his speedy demise. The games can be done either on a timed basis or how many lives you have. But I'm sure EVERYONE knew that. Hahaha! 

So first thing. The music and sounds. Since this game uses characters from all over the nintendo world, you hear a variety of music, each fitting to it's stage. All seem as if they have a fully orchestrated band playing on each arena. My personal favourites are Hyrule (for the intro music being played on one or two instrument, slowly building into a masterpiece) and the Pokemon stadium (cause it's Pokemon). There is also a crowd that cheers for their favourite combatant, and gasps at close calls and near falls (unintentional rhyme!). It makes you feel as if you are on the main stage of this spectator sport. Even the small ping as someone is flung into space makes the entire game come together. I also think I could listen to the character select music for a prolonged period and not get bored. Even though this game is essentially about killing and beating up people, Nintendo still manage to make you feel happy!!

Oh Luigi...What are you DOING?!?!

Next up is the graphics. 2002 this beaut came out and it still looks good. All the models of characters look well finished, even the ones intended to look 8-bit. I personally enjoy when you collect another trophy and you can view them all in your collection, a proud moment for any gamer! Another personal favourite is just playing as Kirby solely so I can make him look like a cute Samus or D.K. Each stage, is vibrant and although beautiful and eye drawing, doesn't take the players attention too much. 

I am trying to think of something I don't like about this game but I honestly can't. This is one of those games that manages to do everything right from the get go. It's fun and enjoyable. The music is well orchestrated. I could go on and on but I fear no one would actually read it to the end! Nintendo have managed to have everything going on all at once but not clutter the screen. I know I haven't mentioned much on gameplay so I'm just going to list my three favourite things: 

Kirby...Just eating bros.

1. Having a Pokemon battle where you just put on Poke ball drops. 

2. Managing to slowly make my way back on the platform only to roll and smash the opponent into oblivion and win! 

3. Making Game vs Game matches. E.g. Mario and Bowser vs Link and Ganondorf. 

If anyone has any comments please leave some! Let me know your favourite Super Smash Bros. Moments! 

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.

Back to the Murder.

So after playing Viva Pinata and the past few reviews/ blogs I've been doing have been about happy happy games, I've decided to get back to my manly routes and play a game full of shooting, and killing. And chainsaw guns!

Gears...of...WAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Everyone's played this right? Unless: a) You're a Playstation fan boy b) You've been living under a rock  c) You're dead. G.O.W came out in 2006 a year after the release of the Xbox360 and this was solely the reason I (and I assume many others) bought a 360. The game is a sci-fi shooter for those of you that don't know...you know what? I'm pretty sure you all know the fucking plot! Made by Epic games it was, in my opinion, the first decent next gen game.

The story can be played singularly, local and online co-op. The game starts with Marcus Fenix (played by the great John DiMaggio...he did Bender as well!) in a prison cell being busted out by his long time buddy Dom. They are part of these nails mo' fuckas called the Gears. Kinda like the Special Forces of this universe. And then it's up to the player to control Marcus through the world stopping the Locust (sci-fi orcs?) using a wide array of weapons. The set pieces in the game were amazing. The combination of the over the shoulder camera, the sound effects and the areas just made me genuinely feel nervous! All I was thinking when getting chased is," I can't turn round to look because you have to stop to do that...so fuck that."

                 "Surprise! Cock fag!"

Presentation wise the game was, and still is sound. Sure there's a few frame drop issues but apart from that I can't complain. This ruined world, surrounded by death and war was beautiful to look at. Every time you fought in an area it felt like truly daunting, due to the seer size and scale of the place. I enjoyed the parts where the game slowed down for the plot and to show off the designs of certain areas. The character models were all unique and the Locust characters, especially the grenadiers, were fucking terrifying! But when you're controlling a dude wearing power armour wielding a chainsaw gun and you've cut that brute in half? That fear gets replaced with excitement (errrrrection!). And when you do it for the first time...you feel unstoppable. 

So with that in mind we shall delve into the combat. It's cover system was awesome. Simple to use. Hard to master. If there were two of you on co-op, you could have constant fire barraging the enemy. Obviously Epic covered the recoil of each weapon, so on extreme difficulty, your shots had to count! They developed a reload system that if you pressed at certain point, you would reload faster and have a small damage boost, which could be the decider in a multiplayer match. Then the best part. The fucking melee!!!!

                  "DOOOOOOOMMM!"

I know I already mentioned this but only briefly. In G.O.W's you can shoot the enemies legs to cripple them so you're able to get close (story and multiplayer) then, depending on the weapon, you can kill them in a sort of fatalility. Clearly the best was cutting someone in half with a chainsaw. Or you could equip a shotgun and smash their head in with a golf swing! Or attach a frag grenade to them and watch them blow up! OR execute them up close with a bolt pistol which made their head explode! 

Now if you aren't aware (but I'm sure the last paragraph has made it clear) the game was brutal. Limbs flying all over using grenades or the hammer of dawn (sorta like a light beam weapon from the sky). Heads left in pieces from a headshot from a sniper rifle or bolt pistol. It made playing online that more sweeter when you won, watching your foes explode or collapse from gunfire. 

So Playstation fan boys, and dead people/ ghosts/ zombies, with the release of the Xbox One the first Gears should be relatively cheap to pick up. Go out and get it and play through an Epic (no pun intended). I should also mention this is one of the very few games I played online so I highly recommend it to anyone! 

Hope you enjoyed! 

Leave me a comment! 

O.E.G.