Resogun review

Hi guys,
 Armageddon, that is the word that fuels Resogun, this is a game like no other I have played(bear in mind I never played any of the super stardust games) and I personally think it is brilliant. If you are unaware of the concept of Resogun, you are put in a small space ship that is tasked with saving the last humans. You can move up, down, left and right and shoot left and right but not up and down. That is it really, Resogun is one of those games where you have to play it to know what everyone is talking about.
      In any one level there are 10 humans to save, space ships called keepers come down from the top of the level and you have to shoot them all in order to release one of the humans from their cages. With me so far? I know it is quite complicated and the lack of any tutorials is a bit annoying for the first level, but after that you will know what to do well enough. The more enemy ships you defeat the higher you combo will get, the higher your difficulty the higher you combo can go, but also the faster your combo will disappear.
 

 As far as the health of your space ship goes, well it has none, you can only take one hit from anything and you will die. Thankfully you get 3 lives per level, but rest assured you will be hard pressed every time you raise the difficulty. In terms of content in the game, at first there appears to be very little(you will beat all the levels in a few hours) but then you through in the difficulty option and the constant need to beat your/your friends high score and you have a game that you can play for a very long time. Resogun is currently free with Playstation +(which is required to play online on the PS4) so you have no reason not to play this game. Be warned though it will suck you in to its addictive levels and make you want to play it for hours on end!
Time for the scores!
Length: If you only want to play it once it will only take you 2 hours but it is very fun and it is only a PSN game.                                                                                                                                                   7/10
Graphics: Not particularly noticeable but very smooth on the eye.                                                            8/10
Multiplayer: Just multiplayer versions of all of the normal levels.                                                              8/10
Sound: Satisfying as there is rarely a quite moment.                                                                                8/10
Gameplay: Really brilliant gameplay and is just a very fun game to play!                                                 9/10
 That gives us a total score of 8/10 a game I definitely recommend you play especially as it is currently free!
Thanks for reading,
Ed
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Battlefield 4 First Impressions

Hi guys,
 You may have seen in most gaming news outlets that people are saying that Battlefield 4 is a broken game and you shouldn't buy/play it. Now to some extent this is true, there are quite a lot of things in the game that need to be fixed. However that doesn't mean it isn't worth playing, so far I have only played for about 13 hours, but I can assure you that time will increase dramatically.
     This is a game that I can get lost in, a game that is worthy of many accolades, then the game crashes and you lose all your match progress(in my 13 hour play time my game has crashed about 12 times). This gets very irritating, though it takes about 30-60 seconds to get back into a match. From what I have played there hasn't been too much lag and when there has been it has been because I have been downloading a game in the background. To say that I only have 1.8 MB/s internet speed it is remarkable that I have had as little lag as I have!
     My one problem with the game(when it works) is the levelling system, every time you level up you don't get anything, every 2-3 level ups you get what is called a battlepack. With a battlepack you get a certain number of random things, they could be XP boosts, attachments, camos, knives and more! Now the problem is when you only get these every 2-3 levels you begin to feel that they are quite a low incentive for levelling up.
      The flip side to the poor levelling system is that everything is unlocked using it's own levelling system. So if you want to get a specific gun, say an assault rifle, then you have to get a certain amount of points with that section. I personally think this is a brilliant idea, as it is making me use my pistol and grenades more(to unlock more pistols and grenades). I feel this gives the game more diversity and the game is better because of it!
     They are my initial thoughts on the games Multiplayer, I haven't played all that much of the single player but that will be included in my final review. Over all I am beyond loving this game, and I can't wait for the day when it preforms as it should. Unlike most of the gaming community I have faith in EA and DICE to fix Battlefield 4, and get it to the standard it so desperately deserves. The last thing I will say on this game is, if you are a Battlefield fan then you should pick this game as you will appreciate where it has come from. However if you are thinking of picking this game up from the point of view of someone who hasn't played any previous BF games, I would advise waiting for a few months until it is in a better state to be played.
That's all for now check back soon for more exciting PS4 content!
Ed

Looking Ahead to 2014

Hi guys,
 This is my first post in 2014, I know I have been away from your screens for some time, but I am back now and I am more passionate than ever to bring you awesome content that you will enjoy. As you may be aware over Christmas I was lucky enough to get a Playstation 4, so I am now part of the next generation. I currently have Battlefield 4, CoD Ghosts, AC IV: Black Flag and LEGO Marvel. I also have the 3 PS+ games available, Contrast, Resogun and now Don't Starve. You can expect coverage of all of these games in the coming weeks and months.
      This was just a quick post to tell you what is coming your way, check back soon for more posts on all things Playstation.
For now,
Ed

Companion Apps: Here To Stay?

Hi guys TGC bringing you a new e-scroll,

This time we will be talking about the companion apps that have invaded the gaming scene over the last 6 months to a year.

At E3 2013 we saw the beginning of a new trend that would eventually consume a lot of the games we are now playing. If we take a look at some of the games that are selling really well at the moment, CoD Ghosts, Battlefield 4(still selling well regardless), Assassins Creed IV. These are just the apps that will effect the games that I will be playing, there are more out there but too many to cover here! So let's talk about each of those games:

Call of Duty Ghosts: Get it free here for Android. Or get it through the App Store. For the Ghosts companion app you will be able to customise all of you squad, as well as changing your classes, you can also access a map of the Clan Wars. Over all I would say this is a very useful app to track stats and do customisation.

Battlefield 4: Get the two available app free here for Android (Battlelog) and Android (BF4 Commander). Or you can gets both of these apps through the IOS app store. The first of these apps(Battlelog) is your standard stat tracker, though this time with the ability to customise your load out and if you are on PS4, PC or XB1 you can use the app to select you server and use the screen as your mini map. If you are using the BF4 Commander app, you will be the commander of that game, you can call in UAVs, EMPs missile strikes and more. Through this you will earn XP will will contribute to your character, the only problem is you need to be level 10 before you can be the commander, so don't expect to go from level 1 to level 110 just by being a commander.

Assassins Creed IV Black Flag: You can get it for free here on Android. Or through the app store, also for free. This app we let you use an interactive map of your game, so you can see what is around you and set destination, you can also view all your treasure maps, and deploy your ships to do battle on your behalf!

I would say that all four apps are well worth downloading, I would say that they all add a decent amount of depth to the game, not saying that you have to get them to enjoy your experience with the game, they are just nice additions. Looking ahead to the future and we already know that both Watch Dogs and The Division will have companion apps, we are sure to be in for a treat in the next year.

Thanks for reading,

Ed

Top 5 Things I Am Looking Forward To With The Playstation 4

Hi guys,
 Now that the Playstation 4 has been released world wide(sorry Japan) I thought I would give you a run down of the top 5 things I am looking forward to with the PS4. The show must go on!
 1)Share features:
                         If you aren't aware in replace of the start and select buttons on the Dualshock 3, the Dualshock 4 has a share button and a options button. The share lets you take a screen shot of what ever is on your screen at the time. This feature will for me personally be really amazing, you can expect many more gaming diary's with screen shots in them to come in the future!
2)Naughty Dog:
                       Naughty Dog are a development company who have been the creators of(among others) the Uncharted series and The Last of Us. Both of which set a new bench mark for what a gorgeous games looks like. On top of that they have made storys that will encapsulate you until the credits role. With the teaser of Unhcarted 4 at the launch of the PS4 in NA, and then this teaser from Todd Stashwick who narrated the teaser.

 We are sure to be in for a treat when we get more details of Uncharted which will more than likely be at E3 2014!!
3)Dualshock 4:
                   

                     The Dualshock 4 is the single biggest aesthetic change to the PS4, as you can see above the size has changed dramatically, with the Dualshock 4 being considerably larger, also with the addition of the touch pad, we are sure to get some unique gameplay features!
4)Better graphics:
                         Obviously this goes without saying but the PS4 will be able to put out far, far better graphics compared to the PS3. The PS4 has a whopping 8GBs of RAM, where as the PS3 had a meagre 512 MB of RAM, that means the PS4 has 16 times the amount of RAM the PS3 had!! I don't know a thing about the in depth workings of the PS4 but rest assured, you eyes are in for a feast with the PS4.
5) PC Master race:
                           You will only have to spend a few minutes looking though the comments of a gaming video on You Tube to see that everybody is arguing that the PC has better graphics and general higher quality. The key word wrong in that statement is has, no no no it HAD better graphics and a HAD a higher quality, but as we console gamers walk into the next generation of gaming, no more can they hold anything over our heads, we are for the first time in history; truly equal.

That brings me to the end of all the things I am looking forward to with the PS4, and no matter your console preference the coming years are going to be the most exciting time there has ever been for a gamer!
Thank you for reading,
Ed

Interview: Tim Browne(N1tch)

Hi guys,
I am very excited and pleased to bring you all an exclusive with the lead game designer  on Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag multiplayer, Tim Browne! I do hope you all enjoy the insight into the multiplayer of one of the biggest games of 2013, without further ado here it is:

1) What is it like to develop the multiplayer for a game with a fan base the size of which AC has?

In a word ‘Awesome!’. We have such a great community who are very supportive makes things really great. That said when I first started it was a little daunting. Fans and players have very high expectations so we know we have to make a game that lives up to these.

2) What was the biggest problem you faced whilst developing Black Flag's multiplayer?
This year we were very ambitious. Partly on some of the technical obstacles we wanted to overcome and partly on some of the new features we wanted to give to the players. Developing on the Next Generation of consoles also came with its challenges but the 1^st parties have given us huge amounts of support to allow us to be part of their fantastic launch titles.

3) What academic route did you take to end up in your current position?
I didn’t know I was going to be a game designer back when I was finishing high school. I actually wanted to be a Paramedic at the time so the route I took when I went to college was more focus on Health and Social care. That said I did do a course in computer programming (not that I remember so much of it now). I spent a lot of time modding maps in several games and when I was 18 I sent out examples to lots of companies. One of them loved my work and offered me a job as a level designer so you can see things have changed since 15 years ago!

4) Where did the inspiration come from to put Game Lab into the game?
This came about partly from the community and their discussions on the forums and twitter. Often there are abilities in the game that get discussed and players would talk about how they would change it or how some would just outright ban some of them. We started discussing ‘what if we could allow players to ban certain abilities’ and this is where the initial idea came from. After we though more about it we said ‘why stop at just banning an ability, why not allow players to make their very own modes’ and so Game Lab as it is today was born from that.

5) Did you ever consider holding a beta for Black Flag?
We do have a beta program but this is known as a closed beta. We use this to do stress tests on servers and check aspects like the match making of the game. We also used it to stress test the clan system. To make a beta that is open for the public would take a great deal of time and we currently work on roughly a yearly iteration. If we did a beta like that we wouldn’t have the resources to be able to have as many great features we have in Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag multiplayer.

6) What are your thoughts on the next generation of consoles?
I’m very excited about the next generation of consoles. I have both pre-ordered and I know I’m going to have a hard time deciding which one to play on and which game!

7) Would you like to see a competitive scene form around AC games?
I think there already is a competitive scene around the AC games but its not very big at the moment. Oh amazing community however have made it grow year on year and I’d love to see it get much bigger. I’d actively encourage people to run their own tournaments and leagues which I know some of the community already so. Also with the addition of Game Lab this allows players to create their own modes to run tournaments on so I think we’re going to see an even more competitive scene developing over time.

8) Ubisoft is known for having passionate workers. What is it like to work in such an enviroment?
Having been in the industry for 15 years now I can say that this environment is one of the most exciting, challenging and rewards I’ve worked in. The drive and passion that I see from my co-workers is fantastic and we have a great team spirit here.

9) What games have you worked on the past?
Assassin’s Creed III, Operation Flashpoint Red River, Operation Flashpoint Dragon Rising, Pirate of the Caribbean: At Worlds End, Batman Begins, Predator: Concrete Jungle, DJ Decks and FX, Rogue Ops and Blade. That covers PC and consoles from Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo all the way back to the original PlayStation.

10) How did you feel when you started reading the reviews for Black Flag?
Similar to previous game launches. I was nervous, excited and curious. The reviews have been great and some high praise has come through for multiplayer and in particular, Game Lab and the improvements we did on Wolfpack.

11) What games did you play as a child that inspired you to enter the gaming industry?
A lot! I’d say one of the earliest games I remember played was Chuckie Egg on the Acorn Electron which I still occasionally play on online emulators. Growing up I had both Atari and Amiga machines and then progressed on to consles. Other games I remember fondly from a long time ago are Road Rash, Bomberman and Worms.

12) What inspires you in your day to day work?

There is a lot that I get inspiration from. Things like TV shows, movies, other games. This will sound a little cheesy but comments on twitter from fans are very inspirational and they can really spurn you on. Also because Assassin’s Creed is such a big internationally known game I get them at random through day and night which is really cool.

 

Thank you very much for reading, and a special thanks to Tim for doing the interview with me.

Ed

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My thoughts of the week

Hi guys,
Firsly I recently surpassed 5,000 views on my blog, and I would like to thank each and every one of you who has come onto my blog and read even the smallest of articles. I hope to continue producing articles that interest you are provoke thoughts of your own! Anyway enough of the soppy rubbish the show must go on!
    To mark the special occasion of passing 5K views, I thought is was high time to start a new series of articles! So I welcome you to my thoughts of the week, in these posts, I will be talking about many different ideas or thoughts I have had about gaming that don't really deserve their own post! Let's get on with it:
 Current and Next gen multiplayers: Due to that fact that this year particularly a lot of people will be upgrading to a next gen console, and many people will be staying with their current consoles. That will mean that multiplayer lobbys will be considerably lower in population than last year. Last year there were 3 platforms that most game could be on: the PS3, the PC and the Xbox 360, however this year there are 5 platforms to play a game on: PS3, PC, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One. Does it concern you that current gen multiplayers may be considerably under populated in comparison to last year?
 User Created content in more games: I know it is a stupid thought, but just imagine if every game you bought has the ability to create your own content!  Now the main problem from the developers point of view, is money, the commodity that is rumoured to keep the world going! As it stands dev's make a lot of money from DLC and micro-transactions(which are technically DLC but anyway!) so if they were to introduce UCG into every game, they would have to sell the game for considerably more money in the first place. You would be looking at around £100 just for the game! I can dream though.
Developer's working on the same project: A project that would see at least 2 major developing company's join arms and create one super awesome game, this is more realistic that my above thought, but still unlikely. Just because a game has been made by two company's doesn't mean the game will sell more copies than if it had been made my just one company. So each company would more than likely make a loss due to the same size team being used, but only half the profits coming it. Just think of it though a game that saw both Activision and DICE teaming up to create one mega shooting game!
     Once you have finished drooling over my last thought I have the unfortunate news of telling you that this post in now over! I do hope you have enjoyed if you have, you can click here to tweet about it!
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Thanks for reading
Ed