Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1 PC Review

Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1 PC
Developed By: Idea Factory/Compile Heart
Published By: Idea Factory
Date of Release: January 28, 2015
Price: $29.99

In the game industry of our world we have seen countless companies come and go, bringing us amazing consoles, epic games, and so much enjoyment and innovation. From the simple joysticks and clunky cartridges of the past, to the sleek disc-based consoles of today, videogaming over the ages has told a rich and and storied saga. Now imagine if you will, a world where people live and die based on the market shares of their respective game comnpanies. A world where software pirates and modchip makers are the scourge of the seas. A world ruled by digitally deified divas who symbolize the hopes and dreams of their console nations. Welcome to the digital frontier of Gamindustri!



Released last year on the Playstation Vita, Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1 has now been ported onto the PC, and is offered for sale exclusively on Steam. The entire experience is here, with all the trimmings (including plenty of DLC to buy!). Sadly it's been a little clunky so far, with many issues popping up here and there, but Idea Factory has been fast to listen to fan feedback and fix everything up! It's good to see they care about their fans at this level, some companies (COUGHSQUAREENIXCOUGH) can;t seem to take a hint about what their fans think. I'm confident though that IF knows their fanbase, as they have handled everything smoothly thus far.



Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1 marks the fourth outing for the series, and though it may be a reboot it is also the longest, most hilariously off the wall and over the top game to grace the series yet. If Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 was considered a reboot of the original, then perhaps that makes Hyperdimension Neptuinia Re:Birth1 a reboot of a reboot! This literal rebirth of the original game takes the original story, polishes it up a few notches, and sticks it on top of the gameplay system that made Hyperdimension Neptunia: Victory so great.



To be brutally honest, the original Hyperdimension Neptunia for PS3 was an absolute soul-breaking slog, with hours of grinding and frankly boring combat dragging the experience on. The only saving grace was its story, which made the most of things with its masterful console war allegory. Thankfully having been moved over to the gameplay stylings of Victory, Re:Birth1 is propelled high and above its clunky progenitor. With the far more exciting battle system on offer in this entry, traveling through the games myriad dungeons and leveling up no longer feels like such a chore. Unrestrained by the formerly boring gameplay, the story is now free to take center stage.



When it comes right down to it, Re;Birth1 is STILL a shining example of that the series can offer, and I can only hope that Re;Birth2 will follow the first entry onto Steam as soon as possible. The PC library could definitely use more JRPG experiences like these, as it's mainly been a bland morass of western RPGS until now. I for one would gladly go for every Neptunia adventure again if they were to be ported to the PC. Now get on Steam and buy this awesome game, or I'll send Iris Heart after you!

Dying Light Review

Dying Light
Developed By: Techland
Published By: Techland/WB
Date of Release: January 27, 2015
Price: $59.99

ZOMBIES! ZOMBIES EVERYWHERE! In a world that had never before seen a zombie related videogame this situation would seem quite frightening. Not in our world, where zombie-killfests are a dime a dozen, and a zombie-related game just HAS to do something to stand out from the crowd, otherwise it just becomes another brick in the wall. Dying Light is NOT just another brick in the wall, let me tell you. Fresh from releasing Dead Island 1 and 2, Techland has definitely learned from the shortcomings of their previous undead endeavors, and Dying Light is all the better for it!



Dying Light is however more than a mere Dead Island 2.0. Everything that was good about the previous games has vastly been improved on, and everything bad has pretty much been checked out the window. I know that this is a different game, in a different series, but it really just feels like a complete successor to Dead Island. If only the that series could have been this good. IMO however this is a complete redemption for any past shortcomings. Dying light is just plain meaty, and a blast to play alone or in co-op. And with one character to play as this time, things don;t feel as fragmented.



The crafting system is in full force here, but completely streamlined, much easier to craft what you need this time around. Combat feels satisfying visceral, and this time around we have guns that act like guns for a change, no dinky popgun this time. You fire a shotgun, and it FEELS like a shotgun. Just prepared to be swarmed by the undead due to the noise. Of course you can always climb to higher ground, as Dying Light has adopted a parkour system that seems to be Mirror's Edge meets Assassin's Creed. Though it's slightly clunky, it more than does it's job, and you'll save your own hide many times by taking the higher ground. In a way the clunkiness makes it that much more real, because you WILL have close calls, you're not some superhero athlete. You're a tough guy, who's taken some damage, and this just drives it home.



The co-op mode feels pretty good, with support for four players. It's a drop in/drop out affair, and you keep your gear and progress as you go. A lot of the missions in the campaign feel suited to having extra help, so it's nice to see that co-op was well thought out and not just slapped on for it's own sake. For those who would rather be an antagonist, there's also a "Be the Zombie" mode, where you play a superpowered undead badass trying to hunt down the other players, and it's pretty decent as well. When it comes right down to it, Dying Light is a very good effort, and by far one of the best zombie games to come out recently. So if you like clubbing the bajeezus out of shambling undead hordes, do yourself a favor and pick it up. Just try not to get eaten.

Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition (PS3/VITA) Review

Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition
Developed By: 3DRealms/Abstraction Games
Published By: Devolver Digital
Date of Release: January 6, 2015
Price: $9.99 (CROSS BUY!)



In a land where alien asses need to be kicked, babes need to be saved, and bubblegum needs to be chewed, there is and always will be one hero for the job: Duke Nukem. A bona-fide cigar-chomping, booze-swilling, swaggering maestro of machismo, Duke is always ready at had when alien bastards show up to give the earth a bad day. Duke Nukem 3D was by far the breakout moment for Duke's current melange of attitude and violence, and is also remembered fondly by many as his finest outing to date. Well, things just got a helluva lot finer!



True, Duke Nukem 3D is not a graphical tour-de-force by today's standards, but it sure as hell stands strong even to this day (my only complaint beign that they filtered the hell out of the graphics, no more retro pixels here sadly). The sprites are lush and detailed, and there are so many little nuances to the level designs. You can spend hours looking for secrets in the sprawling levels, and though a bit dated, there are so many awesome references and jokes strewn about. If you are a fan of the late 80s/early 90s pop culture, you are in for a treat. They even added in the ability to rewind time after you die, a-la Duke Nukem 3D on Xbox Live Arcade.



So on top of the original Atomic Edition of Duke Nukem 3D, you also have the three official expansions. They are Duke it Out In DC, where Duke has been charged with rescuing the president. The slightly lackluster Duke Nuclear Winter sees Duke on a quest to save Christmas. And my personal favorite, Duke Carribean: Life's A Beach starts with Duke taking a much deserved vacation. Everything is fine until aliens crash the party! Of course this IS Duke Nukem 3D we're talking about here, so naturally it comes with all the Dukematch you could ever handle. You can play an 8 player match on any of the games various levels, and you can even tackle the campaign in co-op if that's your thing. The multiplayer experience is smooth and lag-free, and has a convenient invite system to get your friends in on the action.



So all in all this is the total package for Duke Nukem 3D fans. With the fact that you get both the PS3 and Vita versions in one package, plus the cross-save and cross-play capabilities, there's a lot to love about this release. Hopefully the inability to switch to the unfiltered graphics was just an oversight, and they'll be able to patch it back in. Slight graphical annoyance aside, I seriously recommend Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition. Go buy it now! What are you waiting for, Christmas?

Forza Horizon 2 Review

Forza Horizon 2
Developed By: Sumo Digital/Turn 10
Published By: Microsoft Studios
Date of Release: Sept. 30, 2014
Price $49.99

Close your eyes... Take a deep breath... Now picture yourself on the open road, the sensation of hurtling through time and space, the engine revving, the feel of the asphalt under your tires... that feeling of weightlessness you get as you soar along the highway... That is the feeling of freedom. The feeling of speed. Now open your eyes. Grip the controller. DRIVE! Welcome to Forza Horizon 2!
I've spent the last hour trying to find a way to put into words just how breathtaking it feels to drive in Forza Horizon 2, and I think the above pretty much accurately sums it up.



Before I tell you about what Forza Horizon 2 is, let's start with what it's not. Forza Horizon 2 is definitely NOT a hardcore racing simulator in terms of accurately representing and defining every single aspect of tuning and racing professionally. That's not to say it isn't an amazing simulation of actually driving, have no fears on that front. Rather it is a simulation of car culture unto itself, perhaps the most definitive simulation of racing culture seen yet. Forza Horizon 2 lets you live the dream of being a part of the greatest auto show on earth, and it gives you a front row seat.



Forza Horizon 2 lets you take part in the Horizon Auto Festival, and your options for doing so are almost limitless. Every class of car is well represented here, and you can tweak out their tuning, parts, paint jobs, and decals. The sky is the limit with customization. Once you have your sweet ride, you can hit the open road and enter the competitions you choose. And boy are you in for the dive of your life. Rather than populate the competitions and game world with AI drivers, Forza Horizon instead makes a "Drivatar" profile for you based on your driving style and skills, and unleashes it into the game world for everyone else to compete with. So the opponents you face will be friends and strangers from all over the world.



As if all that wasn't enough, Forza Horizon 2 has online competitions for you and your friends to race head to head in real-as well as the ability to just cast off and go on a free-roaming online road trip with your buddies. What could be better than that? The online play is smooth and lag-free, which makes the experience that much more satisfying. So get your road crew together and hit the road! Something I should also mention are the graphics. Forza horizon 2 has got to be the most realistic looking driving game I have ever played on any console, bar none. On top of that the sound effects are top notch, every car has its signature sound. The controls are tight as well, with amazing tactile feedback coming from the impulse triggers. You can literally feel the road as you go.

Bottom line: If you are in any way a fan of cars, whether it's a love of how they look, how they sound, or how they feel, Forza Horizon 2 is the game you've been waiting for!

Killer Instinct Review

Killer Instinct
Developed By: Double Helix/Iron Galaxy/Rare
Published By: Microsoft
Date of Release: S1: November 22, 2013/S2:October 15, 2014
Price: $39.99 per season for Ultra Edition, $19.99 per season for Combo Breaker

"It's the way you move... to the Killer Groove..."

The year was 1994, and in arcades all over the world the fighting genre ruled with an iron fist. People lined up all over with a fistful of quarters and a burning desire to pummel their opponents into submission. There were the Mortal Kombats, the Street Fighters... and they were good. But then Rare dropped a bomb on the fighting scene, blowing away the competition with Killer Instinct. Featuring fluid CGI animation rendered on the most powerful SGI workstations, and a pulse-poundign CD-quality soundtrack, the production values alone trounced the competition, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. The sheer playability that Killer Instinct had made it easy for people who had never played a fighter to pick it up and play, but on the other hand the deep combo system allowed those who practiced to rack up insanely staggering numbers of hits. And then in 1996 Killer Instinct 2 was released, and the fighting world was turned upside-down yet again.



Now here we are in 2014, two decades past the launch of the original Killer Instinct. Rare has moved on and become part of Microsoft, and just last year they worked with Double helix to make the amazing sequel to KI2, simply titled Killer Instinct: Season One. Now this year they have followed it up with Season Two, and things just keep getting better and better. Everything that makes a Killer Instinct game whole is here: Slick graphics, badass characters, flawless gameplay, a driving soundtrack, and a wicked-ass combo system to tie it all together. And with the awesome D-PAD on the Xbox One controller, you're not gonna break your thumbs pulling off combos.



If all that wasn't enough you get wicked lag-free online multiplayer, which has leaderboards and ranking to boot. Plus if you spring for the ultra editions you get the corresponding classic arcade versions, Killer Instinct for season one, and Killer Instinct 2 for season two. On top of that you get a set of retro costumes for the characters, which make them look like their original selves from the arcade versions. Good heaping piles of nostalgia there! Sure, $80 is a lot of money, but you get two seasons of the game, lots of extras, and two more insanely impressive games on top of that. The old arcade versions hold up THAT WELL. What are you waiting for? get out there and move to the killer groove!

Halo: The Master Chief Collection Review

Halo: The Master Chief Collection
Developed By: 343 Industries
Published By: Microsoft Studios
Date of Release: November 11, 2014
Price: $59.99

The year was 2001. The PC software giant Microsoft broke into the console gaming market in a massive way, with the launch of its Xbox console. Alongside that particular console they launched what would become it's killer app, Halo: Combat Evolved. Starring the heroic supersoldier Master Chief, it led payers on an epic journey as they waged war against a fanatical religious collective of alien races known as the covenant. Winning countless Game of The Year awards for it's massive single player campaign, as well as it's explosive split-screen multiplayer, Halo would go on to become THE flagship series for Microsoft in the years to come. Ever since the launch of the first game, every Halo release ever since, be it sequel or spinoff, has been quite an event. And now 343 Studios has taken the four mainline Halo titles, and crammed them together into one sweet package that is bursting at the seams with action.



When you start up the Master Chief Collection, you are immediately able to dive in to ANY point in all four campaigns through the unified menu system that ties the whole experience together. Got a favorite mission? Feel free to play it to your heart's content! Everything is unlocked for you right off the bat,which is perfect for series veterans who want to relive their favorite moments. On top of that there are a new set of playlists that spice up the campaign in very interesting ways. there's even a LASO (Legendary, All Skulls On) playlist for each game, which presents the ULTIMATE CHALLENGE for hardcore gamers. Prepare to die. A lot. I'm not kidding.



The Halo: Master Chief Collection goodies start off with the fabulous Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary from the Xbox 360 in all it's glory, upgraded to run in full 1080p at 60FPS. Then we have the meat of the collection, Halo 2 Anniversary. Built from the ground up for the Xbox One, it brings Halo 2 screaming forward into current gen with all new graphics, a fully remastered soundtrack courtesy of Skywalker Studios, and GORGEOUS new cinematics made by the wonderful folks at Blur. And just as with the original Halo Anniversary you can at any time press the View button to toggle between the remastered graphics and the originals, making for one hell of a shocking comparison. Last but not least we have the wonderful journeys of Halo 3 and 4 in their entirety, again running at 60fps 1080p.



For those who love multiplayer, are you in for a treat. EVERY SINGLE MULTIPLAYER MAP EVER is included. Even the exclusives from Halo Combat Evolved on PC. The "virtual couch" is back, and better than ever. Not only that, but six of the greatest Halo 2 maps have been given the Anniversary Edition treatment. The detail added to these maps is nothing short of amazing, and in no way does it ever interfere with the playability. Plus now you get Gungooses(Gungeese? Gungeeses? QUAD BIKES THAT GO SHOOTY!). F**K YES, GUNGOOSE! Now you can gun down your foes, and roll over their corpses while pulling sick stunts! OOH RAH!



Sadly though not everything can be perfect in Halo-land... Unfortunately, be it by licensing issues or just a darn strange design choice, the absolutely awesome rock-epic Blow me Away by Breaking Benjamin has been replaced in Halo 2 anniversary by... well, it's a really odd bit of buttrock riffs strung together somewhat dissonantly. It kinda kills the feel of the end of the Gravemind mission, let me tell you that. But seriously that is the only negative thing that I can possibly say about Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Here we have the Chief's entire saga in one package, all running at 60FPS in 1080p. PLUS you get the entirety of Ridley Scott's Halo Nightfall TV series when it launches. How can it get any better than that? I don't normally assign a numerical score to my reviews, but today I'll break tradition and give Halo: The Master Chief Collection a whopping 11/10 Halo Rings. Get thee to a gamery, and buy it!

Sunset Overdrive Review

Sunset Overdrive
Developed By: Insomniac
Published By: Insomniac
Kangaroo Codpiece By: Insomniac
Date of Release: October 28, 2014
Price: $59.99

Ok, I'm gonna admit right off the bat that I went into Sunset Overdrive cautiously, worried that at best I'd find a cliched mix of "EXTREME!" attitude and overused pop culture references wrapped around a mediocre shooter, or at worst a disaster along the proportions of Insomniac's last venture, FUSE (proof that you should NEVER let the publisher f**k with your product!). I am quite happy to say that Sunset Overdrive is NEITHER OF THE ABOVE! Sunset Overdrive is the freshest, hippest, and quite frankly BEST gaming experience I've had in a long time. I'm serious, this game managed to take the mechanics from some of my all-time favorites, and combine them with witty, non-cliche humor in a way that has to be seen to be believed. Now before we go any further, I have something that i absolutely have to get off my chest(crotch!?).

KANGAROO CODPIECE.


Yep. Let that sink in. Go on, I'll wait for you.

You good now? So yeah, you can use the decapitated head of a green kangaroo to cover your bits. That alone is worth the price of admission right there.

Ok seriously, this game is frigging badass. Take the typical run and gun with a dash of melee formula, add in the grind mechanics from Jet Set Radio, utterly bats**t insane weapons, and decently un-cliche humor. Add 3 quarts of vodka, shake (don't stir), and be sure to drink before the contents settle. You'll probably have one helluva hangover in the morning, but hey that's the cost of living large!



So the story of Sunset overdrive can pretty much be summarized as such: Multinational beverage corporation Fizzco launches a new energy drink called OverCharge Delerium XT. Due to market competition they rushed it to market with ABSOLUTELY NO PRODUCT TESTING, which could have helped avoid this whole freakin' mess. But instead, the drink turned countless people into freaky-ass mutants (known as OverCharge Drinkers, ODs), causing an apocaly-- sorry, an AWESOME-POCALYPSE(thanks Floyd) of massive proportions. It's up to you as the player to clean up the town, armed with the weirdest assortment of weapons ever before seen in a videogame. Of course with Insomniac at the helm, you KNOW you're gonna get some awesome guns. Seriously, there's a bowling ball launcher called The Dude. Sorry, fancy rug and White Russian not included.



The main portion of the game sees you grinding about the city on various missions, running errands, stuff like that. But sometimes the going gets tough, and you need to upgrade your powers, or Amps as they are referred to ingame. During these upgrade sessions you need to return to your base, and prepare to defend your amp-cooking vat. The game mode will switch to a very well executed tower-defense mode, where you have to protect your vat from waves of incoming ODs. Loose too much OverCharge from your vat, and you have to start over. I'm nto normally a fan of tower defense games, but the mechanic is REALLY well used here. Color me impressed.



And then there's the multiplayer. So far I have only managed to get into one session, but it was sweet. Seems to be a mixed bag of different mission types from the campaign, only played cooperatively, with competitive scoring on the side. Top notch stuff, and the whole time it was lag free. It did take me 10 minutes to find a session though, but that should pick up as time goes on and more people get playing. So now a quick recap: Sweet graphics - check. Rockin' soundtrack - check. Great gameplay - check. Awesomely non-cliche humor - check. Kangaroo codpiece - uhh, check please!

Bottom line: get out there and buy Sunset Overdrive. You won't regret it.

No marsupials were harmed in the making of this review.