Your 2016 Gaming Diary

I simply can't play the game due to there being no option to change the horizontal camera controls. It spins the wrong way and I just can't deal with it after playing games for a couple generations that do it the way I prefer.

 

It baffles me that we didn't get a HD version of this on the Wii U. Sunshine is a game that could do with some tweaks and a lot more polish. Instead we got 2 Zelda games.

The camera issue bugged me as well the last time I tried to play it! I know I'd get used to it again but it'll probably muck me up in a lot of other games.. so is it worth the pain..?

I'm not sure, yet

To be honest, I've had much stronger urges to play both of the Super Mario Galaxy games again. It feels like a long since I last navigated my way across Luigi for purple coins!

Yesterday I done a trophy mop up, getting the remaining trophies on Shutshimi and nabbing the platinum on Bully.

This morning I cracked on with God of War 3 Remastered (PS4) and the credits have just rolled. It will require another play through on Titan difficulty for the trophy. I'm not sure whether to start it straight away of take a break from it.

Brilliant stuff. The game is absolutely gorgeous but then it was always an amazing looking game. Despite knowing the story already it still had me gripped and the ending was as satisfying as always.

Crazy to think the visual detail that Santa Monica pulled off with this game on the PS3. Their PS4 AAA game should look insane.

Thanks to a couple of glitches/exploits I managed to finish God of War 3 on Titan mode in an hour or so. Platinum GET!

Hmmmm...not sure what to play now.

@Fierce_LiNk how goes Darksiders? You still liking it? I noticed you were playing it quite a bit yesterday.

Thanks to a couple of glitches/exploits I managed to finish God of War 3 on Titan mode in an hour or so. Platinum GET!

 

Hmmmm...not sure what to play now.

 

@Fierce_LiNk how goes Darksiders? You still liking it? I noticed you were playing it quite a bit yesterday.

I'm determined to get to the end of the game. :p

For some reason, I was really short-tempered/pissed off yesterday afternoon. Think I didn't enjoy the game as much because of this. That Tiamat boss fight pushed me over the edge, haha. It's quite a fiddly fight and I've gone off boss fights in general. I thought the gun-fight that takes place not too long afterwards when you go looking for the Black Hammer was a bit too long for my liking. I thought I'd cleared the section and then there just seemed to be like another 10 minutes more, when I really just wanted to get back to the puzzle bits.

The actual puzzles and combat in this game are really fun, though.

Managed to beat the first boss in Dark Cloud. Not sure if he was supposed to be that difficult but I had to use up all my healing and repair items (which were quite a lot) and still came close to dying in the end...

Persona 4 Golden...this game...16 hours in, still waiting for the one I rescued to recover. Levelled up some Social Links and now I entered the TV world to do some grinding. I love it Put on some old GameGrumps or AVGN episodes, boot up the Vita and just spend the evening with the grind : peace:

Still, at the rate I'm playing this game it might take me until Christmas before I beat it

I'm in the mood for a platformer so I looked through my Vita library and found that I have Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time. I'll give this a go later this week.

Very slow month so far for me when it comes to gaming. I've spend much more time with friends and my girlfriend and will probably keep doing that. I'm not complaining, though. It's just weird after the first three months of 2016.

So managed to fire up Uncharted 3 Remastered on Thursday evening and finished it up yesterday lunch time. First time finishing this up after I only got as far as Chapter 8 on the PS3 before it decided to die so was interested to get back to it and see how the game progressed beyond what I'd played.

I felt that the story this time around wasn't as tight as it was put together in the second game. Some of it just seemed like it was loosely tied together and there were elements which either didn't make sense,were left unexplained (at least that's what I took away from it, maybe I missed them explaining the "black magic" why Saleem decided to help Drake and why nothing came of what happened at the end when they're looking on and he's shaking his head) or they just dangled something in front of your and left it there (the whole bit with Marlowe calling out Drake in the market place on the name front. Either way, I felt that the story didn't have the chops to match the first 2 games. A bit more exposition could've helped put it up there but it just feel a bit short.

And that's how I feel more or less about the whole game really. Though there were additions to the gameplay over the second game, such as being able to throw back grenades and such, it all felt inconsequential and didn't really seem to add much. It all felt a bit stop/start more often here, with more waves of enemies thrown at you and too many of them being bullet sponges. And don't even get me started on the Djinn stuff later in the game, that really irritated me to the point where I contemplated turning off as it was just so annoying.

I didn't feel like there were any particularly great moments like in the second one and some, like the wandering the desert bit, felt like padding. The ending in particular really hit a bum note compared to both of the previous games. There was no real showdown (not even going to count that "fight" as one as it was just a poor way to end the game. Yes, the boss fight at the end of the second one was a bit stupid but it was at least something more exciting and a way to conclude what the game was building up to) and really, the whole back end of the game felt flat.

The game still looks spectacular now compared to some of the titles being released but the remaster had some weird glitches in my playthrough. At one point in the scrapyard/boat yard, I got hit with an explosive and ended up inside the hull of one of the boats in the water, swimming, and couldn't get out. There were other bits where the character models would freak out and jerk around (even happened in the final cutscene with Sully's cigar going mental). So not the smoothest remaster it would seem.

In the end, I enjoyed some of it but as I said, the latter half of the game was disappointing. I think if I was ranking the 3 main games, it'd be 2 > 1 >>>> 3. At least I've not fully played the original trilogy and wait to see how the fourth entry will play. Hopefully more like 1 and 2 than 3, and has the narrative chops of those titles (or even The Last of Us) to carry it.

Recently decided to branch out and expand my gaming tastes somewhat by playing through classic Playstation and Playstation 2 titles. First on my list was Metal Gear Solid. I'd tried the Metal Gear 3D demo on the 3DS but wasn't too impressed, my only other taste of the Metal Gear franchise was when my brother bought MGS2 on launch because of the reviews but after playing it for a couple of hours, he decided to take it back. So my opinion of Metal Gear was pretty low before I embarked on my first play through of the PS1 classic, but my interest in the series had been piqued by the enthusiasm for the series shown by Kyle Bosman, so I decided to give it a chance and acquired a copy of the PS1 version.

Over the weekend I made my way through the majority of the game, before finishing it earlier tonight. I was really impressed by the scope and ambition of the game, it must have felt so new and ahead of its time upon it's initial release. The voice acting for the most part is pretty good and the dialogue, although hammy, has a charm about it that is enough to forgive how poorly written it might be at times. In terms of the telling a captivating, cinematic story the game works wonders, but providing gameplay to match that is something the game sometimes struggles to do.

The controls are often infuriating, being limited to use of the D-pad for movement and aiming in a three-dimensional environment is it's main problem, but I also ran into issues when trying to move around corners quickly, but Snake would sneak against the wall instead of walking as normal. The problems make some moments more difficult than they might otherwise be, especially when trying the escape from guards in the communications tower and definitely marred my enjoyment of the game.

Overall though I felt it was an enjoyable and tense experience, if relying a little too heavily on cutscenes at times. I look forward to playing MGS2 and hope that the enhanced controls and graphics enable the gameplay to improve.

Anyone who has played through the franchise, which are the definitive versions? Should I buy the PS2 versions of 2 & 3 or invest in the HD collection? Is it much of an improvement?

Just get the HD Collection (preferably on PS3, since the 360 version had to have the controls rejigged to get around the lack of pressure sensitive buttons on the PS2/PS3 controller). There's some minor content missing from it compared to the PS2 versions (like Snakeboarding), but it's just a better experience all round.

I've started Stories: The Path of Destinies. Finished the prologue and chapter 1.

As I've mentioned in the PS4 thread I didn't know anything about the game. So far it seems to be a game about choices (which probably won't determine the outcome of the game but rather what path you take or areas you visit).

The game has an isometric view and a beautiful art style. It's narrated by one guy. He does a good job.

There's combat which is a simplified Assassin's Creed-system. I like it, especially the counter. In Stories: The Path of Destinies you have to aim at the enemy who's about to attack (an "!" appears over it) and then press square. It's a bit more engaging than pressing only one button like in AC.

A skill tree, several weapons to craft (there are 4, not sure if there will be more) and gems to unlock several stat bonuses make the RPG freak in me happy

So far it's not that bad. The humour is sometimes a bit forced but other than that I'm enjoying it

I decided to revisit some older PS+ titles recently, ended up playing a couple of games that had technical issues when they were originally released but have since been patched.

First up was Broforce.

This used to have some weird lag at the start of each level, which has now been fixed. However, the frame rate can still take a big hit, and there are some inexplicably long load times with nothing but a black screen!

As for the game itself though, it's pretty good fun. I like how the destructible stages can make for multiple routes and strategies. It's also a lot of fun unlocking and playing as all of the different bros.

Unfortunately the game gets a bit too mental, and drags on for far too long in the final stage. Was glad when it was finally over.

Then I turned my attention to Grow Home.

This game suffered from some horrendous screen tearing when it first came out, but that seems to have been sorted now. The frame rate is still pretty iffy though, especially as the vine increases in height/complexity.

Slowdown aside though, the game is really enjoyable once you get used to controlling BUD. I found it to be an incredibly relaxing experience, it's nice just wandering about, collecting crystals, growing the vine and gliding through the sky.

Enjoyed it so much that I kept playing until I found all the items and reached 100%!

Here's a screenshot I snapped while gliding (gave me SM64 vibes ):

Lovely game.

Finally got enough free time spare to plug into something so decided that I'd start up and see Republique to its ending and I have to say, I really enjoyed the experience.

The story in particular I thought was a very intriguing one and the way in which it is slowly revealed to you, either through exposition/cutscenes or through collecting cassette tapes (as well as other collectibles), I feel helped to build that oppressive setting and made the reveal of what is actually going on that bit more impactful.

It centres around a character called 390-H, otherwise known as Hope, a Pre-Cal who, along with other citizens young and old, live in a dystopian society hidden away from the world under the pretense that the world above has been destroyed. In particular, you live in a section of this unnamed society referred to as Metamorphosis where you go about your life being "calibrated" to the cultural and political manifesto of a megalomaniac who oversees the entire facility. The story picks up after a former member of Metamorphosis, known as Zager, has been sending round doctored versions of the manifesto, as well as other contraband such as books, cassette tapes, etc., "poisoning" the minds of the Pre-Cals, and you pick up with Hope being caught with such a manifesto in her room and being taken for interrogation.

Much of the overarching narrative there isn't given up front, rather it is drip feed to you over the course of the game's 5 episodes and while that sounds a little slow paced, it felt well paced to me and you were always gleaming enough information to keep things interesting and have you questioning the characters in play.

The gameplay kicks in when you answer a phone call from an anonymous source, contacting Hope on a stolen phone, and aid in her escape from the holding cells, with the intensions of helping her escape Metamorphosis completely. To do this, you control both Hope and the anonymous source, who has hacked into the camera systems and can unlock/lock doors, access computers and other equipment. It's a heavily based stealth game where you'll move Hope behind some cover, scout ahead with the cameras to look for guards, and then make your move. Confrontation is not the name of the game here, although you do pick up pepper sprays and tasers as you go along to help you out of binds, though these are limited in supply so a more stealthed approach is the optimal choice.

Along the way, you'll encounter a handful of puzzles to change things up and, specifically to one episode, getting caught will result in instant death. The stealth is handled extremely well, mainly because the guards are predictable in their routes, but when things do change up, as in the episode where insta-death is possible, it becomes a little harder so tact and small movements win out over running from cover to cover.

You've also got a slew of collectible to pick up along the way, should you be inclined to do so (and for those looking for the Platinum, it's necessary. Though I thought I found everything in my playthrough, there seems to be a lot more hidden away). There's video game carts to pickpocket off of the guards that are part of a characters collection (all of which are indie games such as flOw, Broken Age, Nuclear Throne and the like), banned books (like The Catcher in the Rye, 1984, and many others) and audio cassette tapes to pick up so plenty to keep the completionists going.

You can tell that it's origins are as an iOS game as visually, it looks as though it is a pre-rendered game (though that doesn't stop it from setting an appropriately oppressed mood with the locations) and the character models are a little on the basic side of things but it never really detracts from the game. There's also a couple of long-ish load time between switching cameras (a couple of seconds or so) which isn't much but it should be slightly more instantaneous than that. The soundtrack, however, is superb. Nice mix of strings and synths.

I really enjoyed the experience. I'm not usually one for stealth based games but I found this one very intriguing from start to finish. The price may put some off, considering that you can probably get it on iOS and PC cheaper, but I definitely recommend giving the game a go. If the asking price (£24.99) seems a bit steep, wait for a sale but definitely worth a go.

Also managed to clear Shutshimi on normal. Love a good shmup now and again and this one was rather simplistic but enjoyable. Don't think I'll bother with a run on Boss Rush or anything else but a nice little download to mix things up after finishing up Republique and before I head on to whats next.

Finished Broforce yesterday

I really enjoyed it, I loved unlocking all the 80/90s action heroes.

I lost it when Brobocop and Brominator appeared.

Indiana Brones sucks so bad though. He does nothing!

An enjoyable if a little repetitive game with some really good retro boss battles.

The last boss fight just goes on and on though.

Finished and gained platinum on Uncharted 2 Remastered. Great game, aside from the overpowered ape section at the end. Slightly easier than the first, think I finished with 250 deaths this time, compared to the 300 in the first game. Platinum #60.

Continued with Uncharted 3 Remastered. Got to chapter 14, the ballroom when I finally got fed up with playing this series on crushing. Hated that section when I played it on normal difficulty on ps3 version, and it's definitivily not any less frustrating on crushing. I have already finished the game on PS3, so for now I'm putting the rest of the game on hold. It will be a while before I continue as I don't want to be frustrated of the game too close to Uncharted 4, so maybe later this year I will finish it.

Achieved 100% on Mousecraft. Puzzle game like this isn't really my thing, but I found out that the levels and solutions are all fixed, so I used a video guide for all 80 levels.

Still playing Star Wars Battlefront. Lv 60 and 120 hours+. Pretty much only played Walker Assault the past days. The mode is a lot of fun when you have a decent team. Not fun when you don't.

Bought a few dlc on the sale. First up was Far Cry 4: Valley of the Yeti. It was pretty fun. Enjoyed the base defending.

Then I completed AC: Syndicate - The Mahajara missions. Unlike Jack the Ripper this is just a mission pack and nothing more. But the missions were on most part fun to do. Took the opportunity to collect all helix glitches in London(got some free helix points to get the maps for free) then used a video guide to get all the stuff in WW1 London(since you can't maps for them at all) to get the game to 100% complete.

Last is Watch Dogs: Bad Blood which I'm still playing through. It seems ok so far, though I think completing all those similar side missions looks a little bit grindy. One of the dlc trophies requiered co op play, so I took the oppurtinity to boost one of the main game trophies to get the platinum on the main game. Platinum #61

Also continued on Witcher 3: Hearts and Stone. Without going onto details, I quit the game halfway through the dlc last year. Picked it up before the wedding quest and now at end of the heist quest. Plan is to complete the dlc and get all associated trophies, and then maybe, just maybe give another try at beating the final boss on death march for the platinum.

Last is Rune Factory 4. Got married, and started the 3rd and final story arch. Currently at the end of winter, year 2. Levelled all crops and flowers to lv 10, levelled one field to max values in all stats and made 31 million gold on pineapples and giant golden potatoes. Plan is to complete the final arch and complete the shipping list, that is too ship every freaking item in the game. Before doing that though I need to get my head around the crafting stuff. Can't get very far in the current dungeon without better equipment. I've read a lot about the crafting business so far and understand very little. Think I'll finish up Watch Dogs and Witcher first.

Achieved 100% on Mousecraft. Puzzle game like this isn't really my thing, but I found out that the levels and solutions are all fixed, so I used a video guide for all 80 levels.

Why even bother playing the game at that point?

It's been a strange few weeks/months. Compared to last year, i've not played many games this year. It's a combination of Witcher 3 taking it out of me in January, and the fact i started dating again after so many years. And that i now have a girlfriend.

Most of my gaming is on the Vita at the moment, got the Assassin's Creed Chronicles to play as well as Ratchet and Clank. Can play these games on my commute to and from work.

Completed Arkham Knight on New Game + yesterday, sending Scarecrow back behind bars where he belongs.

I think I appreciated it more the second time and after almost a year as well; a really engaging story and, as you'd expect, some incredible voice work from all of the cast.

I did all of the most wanted missions on my normal play through and got the full Knightfall Protocol ending, have done all the Season of Infamy DLC missions and have little interest in the AR missions apart from the Batmobile missions which I've already done!

Think I'll trade it in for some eshop/live credit in the next few days, really great game though and a great conclusion to the Arkham Trilogy.

Hm, I might be burnt out on finishing games for a while...sounds weird but it's true...

Not sure what's "wrong" but the only two games I keep playing these days are Call of Duty: Black Ops III Multiplayer and Persona 4 Golden.

It's not like other games I own are bad...heck, I've recently bought Stories: The Path of Destinies and love it, but I'm not in the mood to play it.

With CoD it's just so much fun playing some matches and talking with a mate. And Persona...I mean it's Persona. This time it has me hooked and I will finish it. However, I only play this for one hour every other day or so and currently it only involves grinding und fusing personas (which is great fun, by the way).

I actually wanted to get Invisible Inc. on PS4, but I can't see myself playing this any time soon...money saved, at least for now.

Here's hoping I'll be in the mood for some "proper" gaming when Uncharted 4 arrives.

And after that I'll probably get Dark Souls III. : peace:

It has been a good gaming month so far, though. Haven't had that much fun with an online shooter since Counter Strike 1.6 and Persona is scratching that JRPG itch in all the right ways

Yes! Finally did it. Witcher 3 beaten on Death March

Started the game on new game plus, thinking that carrying over all the gear would make the mode easier. For the most part it was I think(started it a long time ago), until the last two boss battles. People are saying the final boss is even harder on ng+, probably because of the enemy level increase. Despite that, it took me only four attempts today to beat him, after only a two hours of remembering the controls on Hearts of Stone. It's amazing how walking away from a game and then return later can do to help with whatever you're struggling on.

Don't have the plat yet, got a couple misc battle trophies to do, but they'll be done quickly.

While I wait to buy a PS3 so I can play through the Metal Gear Solid franchise and some other classics - and a TV so I can play through Metroid Prime in the comfort of my own room - I've decided to play through some of the SNES classics I've overlooked on the Virtual Console.

First up is the original F-Zero. I've played it in fits and spurts over the last couple of years after picking it up for 30p towards the start of the Wii U's life but I've never sat down and properly played through it. I've done a similar thing with the first GBA F-Zero game Maximum Velocity, disappointed that it wasn't the same gameplay as F-Zero X, I never gave either enough time to understand their intricacies, so I've made a real effort to play through the original this week. It's not a perfect experience by any means, but its a fun little challenge. One thing I didn't realise was that it was a launch game for the Super Famicom in 1990, so it must have seemed like a real leap forward to gamers back in the day.

I'm going to try and play through Silent Hill on the PS1 before Star Fox Zero arrives and I spend the weekend playing that.

I'm going to try and play through Silent Hill on the PS1 before Star Fox Zero arrives and I spend the weekend playing that.

Nice one

I played through Silent Hill a few years ago and really enjoyed it! It was great to see how the original compared to Shattered Memories on Wii but I personally feel like it holds up pretty well

Managed to finish up another 2 games over the last couple of days. First up, Teslagrad. I started playing this a while back but hadn't touched it for months for no particular reason and after finishing up Republique, was looking through my library on the PS4 and reminded of it. So I fired it up and got stuck in to try and finish it off.

Despite a few hiccups here and there, particularly getting reacquainted with the mechanics after some time and a boss battle (the giant eye thing), I sailed through it pretty swiftly and thought it was a rather enjoyable experience. A shame that I got distracted by other games as it perhaps ruined the flow of the game (I didn't really care much for anything going on or know/care for the purpose of what I was doing) but it was a good little game.

I liked the whole polarity thing that it played with and that in itself lended to some nifty puzzles. In particular, I liked the rooms with the ball you were inside, using the different polarities to speed up and dodge the electricity traps. Some of it did end up irritating me a little with how fiddly it was and it's why in the end, I only grabbed 16 of the scrolls because some of them were just too fiddly to get hold of (the one in the upper part of the tower where you have to float up while dashing through the electricity barriers as one particularly annoying example). I guess it's something that if I'd been playing continually from the start, rather than the stop/start fashion I played through it in, it might have made some of it easier.

Never the less, a nice little game and happy to have seen it through to the end.

Next up, I finished up Volume. I put this on hold as my save file corrupted at the tail end of last year and couldn't bring myself to start over but having gone through and deleted the corrupted save, I was happy to see that the backup loaded me right where I was so I was able to continue from about half way.

It's another stealth style game, very much like the Metal Gear VR missions in a way. The objective is to move through the environment, collect little crystal things and make your way to the exit all while not getting caught by the guards. Pretty straight forward on the surface but the amount of variety to the missions was surprising and the gentle allowance of items to aid you helped keep things resoundingly fresh towards the end.

Guards generally have a cone of vision which you can see and if you stray within that, you'll need to duck back into cover or move quickly to lose them. This starts to change up when the guards have full 360 degree vision meaning a more tactful approach is needed. Ducking into cover, whistling to grab attention and jumping over certain bits of cover are the moves at your disposal but you'll be greeted not only with the guards but guard dogs, turrets, electric floors, laser alarms and noise panels, all of which will alert the guards to your presence.

Thankfully, a small but handy selection of items at your disposal level the playing field. A bugle item allows you to throw a sound to attract attention, the figment item lets you project a version of yourself to similarly draw attention away from where you are and the blackjack momentarily allows you to paralyse guards. There a couple more items, eked out over the course of the 100 core levels and the use of them is vital in many cases to completion.

It all plays extremely well and despite a couple of weirdly difficult levels in the middle of things, you never really feel like you're hitting a wall in terms of progress. There's a narrative going on in the background, something akin to Robin Hood but the game doesn't really benefit from it and to be honest, it could've been left out for all I care as the gameplay was what made it interesting.

So yeah, really enjoyable game this one and definitely worth a look in. Just need to go back and mop up a couple of lingering trophies to nab that Platinum then all done.

Right, I'm sure you've all read the review by @Dcubed.

And while I haven't played it quite as much as him, I still reached the credits before him.

But that won't stop me from writing up my thoughts.

What's up with that stupid little smirk?

Star Fox Zero is a WiiU game that released in... tomorrow...

Huh... That doesn't happen very often for me.

First things first. I really dislike the traditional Star Fox games.

You want proof? My favourite game was Star Fox Adventures. No kidding.

Lylat Wars just bores me to tears.

So naturally, when DCubed got his review copy, I was a bit apprehensive. But, being one of the first to play a big release like this was too appealing.

Star Fox Zero is an arcade space shooter game. You fly an Arwing (Or Landmaster, or Gyrowing) through a number of stages and shoot things in an attempt to not blow up.

Sounds simple enough, but this game became quite controversial once the control scheme was revealed.

I'm sure there was absolutely no hyperbole thrown at the game after this!

The game provides two viewpoints. A traditional outside-the-vehicle view on the TV and a cockpit view on the Gamepad.

Along with that, aiming is done via the Gamepad's gyro controls.

And while I'll always maintain that Gyro controls are a million times easier to aim with than a control stick. The purists out there mostly disagreed.

But are they any good? Especially for a guy like me?

Well, yes! At least, they were after some practice. There's a steep learning curve, that's for sure. No matter how good you are at Star Fox, you're not going to master the controls without paying attention to that tutorial and fumbling around for the first few stages.

But it was around the halfway mark that the controls started to click for me.

The trick was to know when to look at the Gamepad.

If you look at the Gamepad everytime you want to shoot stuff, you'll never get those high scores. I started only looking at the Gamepad for hitting weak points on bigger enemies or for hitting off-screen ships.

And by the end of my first playthrough, I was firing homing shots at off-screen enemies without even looking at the Gamepad! It felt so natural and really gave me the impression that my hard work in learning the controls had paid off. Like DCubed said, this game demands a lot from the player but gives a lot in return.

It's a real shame that some people will no doubt dismiss the game because of it's unorthodox controls.

The game isn't perfect, of course. There was one particular mission involving the new Gyrowing that had a bit of enforced stealth in it.

Nothing provides an Anti-Glen repellent better than enforced stealth.

Thankfully, it was just one level, and I was quickly back to blowing stuff up.

I'm truly amazed at how much I enjoyed this game. The controls truly make it so much more fun than the other Star Fox games.

The action is unrelenting and the game wouldn't be what it is without the motion controls.

Give it time and you'll be well rewarded! And really, if I can get my head around the gyro controls, you Star Fox diehards have no excuse.

And with that...

I finished Star Fox Zero ( Wii U ) yesterday. Yeah, i'm pretty disappointed with the game as a whole and can see why many have given it an average review.

The controls just hamper the experience, rather than adding or enhancing it. The fact that the game opens with a lengthy tutorial about how the game needs to be played speaks volumes about the control scheme. Listening to the guys on NVC the other week they said that the controls only hinder the game and don't help it out at all. I have to agree with them.

For me, Star Fox is at it's best when its fast, fluid and there's plenty of stuff going on all around you. The moments of greatness within the game are few and far between, with many levels slowing the action down to a crawl.

The length of the game is another issue. Yes, you can replay levels and go for higher scores but in todays market how many people are going to feel short changed by this experience? A game of this length is seen more as a downloadable title at a budget price and maybe this is how the game should have been launched. If you aren't in it for the high scores ( I never play SF games in that way ) then the game will be over in a couple of hours, possibly less if the controls click for you.

What I would have liked is for Nintendo to just concentrate on what makes the earlier SF games so great and give us a more meatier experience. Considering how long its been I would have thought Nintendo would have figured a way to lengthen the gameplay other than trying to get medals.

After such a long wait for a return to the Arwing, I leave very disappointed.

I finished Bloodborne (PS4) last night. Absolutely amazing game, that requires patience and skill. Most of my thoughts are in the thread but I loved it to bits. It was my first Souls game and i'll happily have a crack at the other games in the series now.

Not to sound like an arrogant tool but I will say that the difficulty of the game has been greatly exaggerated. There's only one boss that gave me any kind of trouble ( Kos ) and a lot of them I actually took down on my first try. As long as you look for openings and learn how to doge and parry then it's not that difficult.

I was talking to a lad at work about it and he was saying that the game may seem hard to many just because how easy and forgiving games have become. Things like infinite lives, crazy amount of checkpoints have become the norm, so when gamers are faced with something that has consequences for dying, they are baffled and struggle a bit.

I've still got a couple of trophies to get. I need to do a few more chalice dungeons and take on the last boss again. Hopefully i'll crack on with this over the weekend but I may start Ratchet & Clank (PS4) as that arrived yesterday.

I finished Star Fox Zero ( Wii U ) yesterday. Yeah, i'm pretty disappointed with the game as a whole and can see why many have given it an average review.

 

The controls just hamper the experience, rather than adding or enhancing it. The fact that the game opens with a lengthy tutorial about how the game needs to be played speaks volumes about the control scheme. Listening to the guys on NVC the other week they said that the controls only hinder the game and don't help it out at all. I have to agree with them.

 

For me, Star Fox is at it's best when its fast, fluid and there's plenty of stuff going on all around you. The moments of greatness within the game are few and far between, with many levels slowing the action down to a crawl.

 

The length of the game is another issue. Yes, you can replay levels and go for higher scores but in todays market how many people are going to feel short changed by this experience? A game of this length is seen more as a downloadable title at a budget price and maybe this is how the game should have been launched. If you aren't in it for the high scores ( I never play SF games in that way ) then the game will be over in a couple of hours, possibly less if the controls click for you.

 

What I would have liked is for Nintendo to just concentrate on what makes the earlier SF games so great and give us a more meatier experience. Considering how long its been I would have thought Nintendo would have figured a way to lengthen the gameplay other than trying to get medals.

 

After such a long wait for a return to the Arwing, I leave very disappointed

Not to rag on about SF Zero (I've done that enough this past week!), but I'd just like to point out that SFZero IS exactly like the first two games. What makes the first two games so great is that they're short and sweet, arcade style experiences that you play through over and over again for better scores. It's basically a 3D Shmup. You wouldn't want Gradius or Life Force to last for 40 hours and Star Fox is certainly in that same category.

But yeah, if you're not interested in playing them for score, then this game isn't for you. That's kind of the whole point of Starfox, Starfox 64 and Starfox Zero (not so much the other SF games though).