Far Cry 4: 2014's King of Variety

Amidst the game breaking bugs, hilarious glitches, numerous DLC's, linear first-person shooters, and very long and involved RPG's, it's hard for a game to make an impact in November.  And this year, every developer and publisher held onto their games like newborn babies and then released them in meandering herds with various online issues, uneven gameplay, and broken stories.  Leading the problematic developer pack is Ubisoft with their nearly-broken-in-every-way AC: Unity.  But just a short seven days later that same company released another game called Far Cry 4.  Now, instead of gamers being worn out by the franchise's forth iteration, this pixelated adventure has actually helped lessen the blow Ubisoft took from the unbelievable mess that is Unity.  Why?  Why might Far Cry 4 be the somewhat savior of Ubisoft?  Because it’s a pixelated adventure that gives you unbelievable gaming diversity and more than forty hours of gameplay for $60 bucks.  Not to mention, outstanding voice acting, hilarious dialogue, and just all-around hell-raising fun.

Wild animal parties can be a good time, just don't invite the Rhinos, they ruin everything...and will 

drink your last beer.

FAR CRY's GAMEPLAY:

You'll hunt rhinos with a shotgun, fish with grenades, assassinate lieutenants, sneak through rave parties, ride angry elephants, stuff bad guys in trunks, parachute out of airplanes, repel down mountains, engage in bad drug trips, accidentally or purposely hit civilians with your car, fly helicopters into fortresses, jump off cliffs, fight naked in arenas, wrestle lions, and carry your mom's ashes all in the first ten hours of gameplay.  And all that has nothing to do with how you play.  The best thing about Far Cry 4 is you get to accomplish any of your goals in your own way.  Aside from a few campaign missions that have to be completely stealthy, you're free to finish all the other missions and side missions anyway you see fit.  Do you like shooting rockets at bad guys and watching them explode into little pieces?  Have at it.  Would you rather crawl your way through an outpost with just a silenced pistol and knife?  That form of gameplay is available too.  How about heading into the middle of a fortress with nothing but a bow and arrow like Rambo?  Yep, it's all possible.  Far Cry 4 doesn't limit your options at all.  In fact, it gives you so many, it's likely you'll become distracted.

"Dude, I told you to kill it, not wear it like a hat."

SIDE MISSIONS:

Even though the main mission and main side missions are in abundance, doesn't mean there aren't so many other things to do or try.  And if you're just wandering through the forest or snowy regions, smaller quests will become available.  In Kyrat (the fictional setting of the game) there are always people warring over right and wrong, and you have the option (nothing is required of you) to partake in any situation.  Just walking down a road you might find rebels fighting an opposing force.  Whether or not you help is your prerogative.  Or just over a hill could be local farmers struggling with a wild tiger.  Do you step in and help or standby and watch them get mauled?  Once far enough through the main campaign, you'll also have the option of stepping into Kyrat's arena.  Just like Roman times, you're placed in a circular arena and foes and wild animals are unleashed from massive doors with only you standing in their way.  But what if you don't want to help the locals or become king of the arena?  You could always spend your time trying to find the numerous collectibles in the game.  From masks to posters to special animals, there are so many things to occupy your time.  It's possible to spend an eight hour gaming session just searching for the right animal skins to upgrade your holster and various satchels.

"Oh that bear is being so cute right now...I think I'll give him a hug."

DEATHS:

Deaths are the reason why Far Cry 4 is one of the funniest games to watch streamers play.  You might tune into a gaming broadcast and find a stealthy player sneaking through bushes, only to be mauled by a bear a moment later.  Another streamer might be attempting to make their way down a mountain on an ATV, only to take six tries because they keep rolling the vehicle down the side.  Having one button decrease altitude on your tiny helicopter and another button for jumping out, makes for hilarious moments from gamers accidentally vaulting from their helicopter and plunging to their death.  But aside from all the funny deaths, there's hundreds of ways to die in Far Cry 4.  You could be blown up, pushed out of an airplane, shoved over a cliff, struck by a car, stabbed, shot, sniped, gutted, trampled by a rhino, eaten by a pack of wolves, drowned, shot with an arrow, poisoned, and many more.  It's all there for you to discover and nothing seems unachievable.

"Hey girl, after you're done killing and skinning those tigers, you wanna come back to my place 

and show me how to polish my barrel?"

CONCLUSION:

Far Cry 4 might not have the greatest story ever told or the greatest gun mechanics like COD, but the variety you get within the pixelated world is heights above any other game released this year so far.  Will it win game of the year?  Who's to say?  But it'll be one hell of a contender.  So if you're not into ninety hour RPG's or linear FPS's or you're just looking for something different, than Far Cry 4 has you covered with endless possibilities.

Game Review - Child of Light

Child of Light is a whimsical video game with beautiful backgrounds, sincere characters, and an elegant score. 

STORY:

Aurora is stuck in the dream-like magical kingdom of Lemuria.  The only way for her to return home to her sickly father is to vanquish the Queen of the Night and take back the stolen sun, moon, and stars.  Tiny princesses, courageous mice, dangerous creatures, and a rhyming firefly named Igniculus ensue.

"Will you please stop looking at me like I'm retarded...

I have no idea how this rhyming started...

I'm just here to fulfill a quest...

Now pack your crap and let's do our best."

THOUGHTS:

The first thing you'll notice about this short 10-12 hour RPG is its beauty.  Each backdrop and location mimics fantastical watercolor paintings that could be found in a child's fairy tale book.  Your character, Aurora, is wonderfully designed and just the act of moving her through each side-scrolling environment is worth the price of admission.  The music helps add drama or whimsy to the story, and the physics engine gives the characters a sense of weight.  (Every time Aurora takes off or lands or loses her crown, and especially when she swings her sword, you easily can feel each and every movement.)  In addition to the music and physics is the sound.  The big moments throughout your quest have their due, but it’s the subtle sounds that make playing special.  Pay close attention to when Aurora is running or landing, the sound of her footfalls add a sweet touch to the overall fairy tale theme.

"I told you not to take those downers...

We haven't got but 10 hours...

So pop a pill or maybe two...

Or I'll leave your drugged ass, sad and blue."

COMBAT & GAMEPLAY:

Most joystick fondlers won't have a problem with the game being a 2D side-scroller.  It's the battle system that'll make or break your love for Child of Light.  This isn't a hack and slash like Dragon's Crown.  The combat is turn-based, so you'll have to understand and appreciate JRPG games like Final Fantasy.  The good thing is the game doesn't fall into the trap of being overly complicated, but it does have enough weapon and character upgrading for hardcore fans to appreciate.  There's also no need to grind like in Final Fantasy and just a few simple puzzles keep the game interesting without being frustrating.

Once you spot an enemy on screen—hopefully you'll run or fly into them from behind to enable a surprise attack—you're then whisked away to the battle screen.  The battle screen roughly remains the same throughout the story, save for slightly different colors and backgrounds.  Your two party members along with the enemy (anywhere from one to three) are placed atop platforms and a turn-based striking system dictates who attacks first.  But the genius comes in the form of the time-bar at the bottom of the screen.  While in combat, a scrolling time bar will control who strikes next, giving each battle a sense of urgency and allowing the player to use everything in their arsenal to strategically cripple the opponent.  With spells that speed up the player or Igniculus slowing down the enemy and with the ability to interrupt enemy attacks, it becomes possible to win a battle without ever taking a scratch.  This necessity to think on your feet is what really deepens Child of Light's combat.  All the above may sound exhausting, but the game does a great job of slowly introducing you to each combat strategy, so you'll never feel overwhelmed.

"Listen, you fat upper class rat...

I'm trying merely to have a civilized chat...

Don't make me smack your face, unless you want to roll the dice...

Cause I'll shove my sword up your ass, not once, but probably twice."

If there is one place that you might find a little confusing, it'll be in the gem crafting department.  Throughout the game in hidden chests, you'll come across fragments and gems called oculi.  The game will take you to the crafting page and show you how to make your first gem out of the acquired fragments, but that's as far as it'll go.  There are dozens of combinations to learn and several different ways to use the oculi.  In game tutorials could have been a little more helpful, but it's nothing that can't be cured by perusing your favorite gaming site to read about what each oculi does and its secret combinations.

The object of the game is to reclaim the sun, moon, and the stars during three different boss fights.  These battles are significantly longer than most, but not much harder.  In fact the game will probably feel a little on the easy side, especially for the hard-core gamer.  The mature gamer will just enjoy the tale being told and the fun combat to be had.  There is one minor hiccup.  The last boss fight felt a little rushed.  You'll traverse whole levels, fighting many different creatures to locate two of the three bosses, but the last battle will sneak up on you when you're least expecting it.  It felt abrupt, as if the developers were out of time and just decided to end the story right there.

"Don't cry like a puss, you dirty old hag...

Your shriveled up face is starting to sag...

I'm just here for some frigging directions...

Now point the way before I add to your face, a few imperfections."

HOW THE STORY IS TOLD:

This by far could be the only problem you have with Child of Light.  If you're expecting this smaller game to have voice acting throughout, then you might be a tad disappointed.  The initial start of the game and a couple of the major story events have voice-over explaining the tale, but the majority of the game will be have to be read.  Every conversation, every character interaction, and every quest will be dictated through the written word.  If you don't like having to read in a game, then this might be your first turn-off.  The second turn-off could be the four line rhymes in which the story is presented.  It makes sense to tell the story as if you’re reading a child's fairy tale, but a lot of the dialogue seems forced into a rhyme, making the plot harder to decipher.  Think Shakespeare.  You know it's English, but you may have to read it a couple of times to figure out what the hell they're saying.  It's a shame, because stopping to understand what's going on will take you out of the immersion, making the nursery rhymes a bit of a distraction.  There's also the uncomplicated and very straightforward plot being told.  Twists are nonexistent and there's nothing you haven't seen or heard before, but luckily the fun combat and gameplay make up for the lack of original story.

REPLAY VALUE:

Except for a few side quests that could easily be obtained and beaten during your initial play-through, there are only the hidden confession letters that may make you replay (or at least travel back to) certain parts of the world in search of finding them all.  There is a game plus mode, allowing you to keep your upgrades and gems, and then replay the story with harder enemies, but without trophies or achievements, most gamers will probably decline another play-through.

 

"I'm wasting my time, looking for water...

Why doesn't the old man have his own frigging daughter?

Now I'm lost, is it up or is it down...

To hell with this quest, I'm better off drowned."

CONCLUSION:

Child of Light is a fantastic casual RPG that shows even small games can be just as—if not more—entertaining than their AAA brothers.  With a pleasant fairy tale theme, gorgeous art, a simplistic yet deep upgrading system, and only a 10 to 12 hour play-through, there are many reasons for a gamer to enjoy Child of Light.  If you don't like having to read through nursery rhymes or fight enemies using a turn-based battle system, then you might want to pass.  For all other gamers, Child of Light should definitely be on your "to play" list.

4 out of 5 Stars (minus a star for cliché rhyming story)

Book Review - Ready Player One

For all you Gamers and Movie-Buffs that scoff at novels, spit on bookstore windows, and remark, "Words?  We don't need no stinking words."  The gateway drug to the wonderful world of fantasy prose has been found in one lone novel.

Ready Player One takes everything you love about video games, music, movies, sitcoms, commercials, literature and the like, and throws it into a blender to create one of the most unique and original stories that even the truly die-hard book hater will love.  "That's great and all, but I hate video games."  Do you like movies?  "Actually, I hate everything you mentioned above."  Oh, well in that case, here's a shovel: start digging until you're about six feet deep, then jump in and have a friend bury you, because really...what's the sense?

"Drugs?"

"Thank you, no, I'm straight."

STORY:

Wade is your typical introvert living in the crappiest future you could imagine (probably not far off).  Instead of spending his days battling scary robots or trying to survive a deserted earth like other novels, Wade logs into Oasis: a free online world consisting of everything you ever wanted in a game and life.  Oasis allows the player to go to school, dance clubs, level-up to a powerful wizard, become a virtual arms dealer, or visit places only dreams can hold.  But the number one reason everyone uses it: anonymity.  You can be and do anything you want in Oasis, provided you have a big enough virtual bank account.  Wade, on the other hand, has nothing.  Not even a family life he can be thankful for, so he spends almost every moment of real life in a simulation. 

The fun begins when the creator of Oasis, James Halliday—the richest man in the world—dies.  With no heirs to his fortune, he leaves a Will.  It states that lying deep in Oasis is an Easter Egg—no, not the colorful crap you see during the holiday—a hidden secret that only the most ingenious Oasis player will be able to unlock.  The prize: Halliday's estate and full ownership of Oasis, making the individual who solves the puzzles the richest person in the world.  For years nobody comes close to finding the first of the three gates leading to the secret egg.  People even start to forget and give up, until one night a lone name appears at the top of Halliday's scoreboard stating someone has found the first gate.  That someone: Wade.  Overcome by excitement, he doesn't realize that some people would kill for that kind of cash in the virtual and even the real world.  Crazy gaming, 1980's pop-culture, wizard-whipping, and puzzle-solving ensues.

And with a flick of the wrist--BAM--the wizard was instantly transported to the Starship Enterprise.

THOUGHTS:

The novel itself literally reads like an MMORPG (Massive multiplayer online role playing game).  If you like the idea of a low-level broke virtual wizard becoming famous overnight, and battling against greedy killers…then this is your novel.  If you spend countless hours without food and water, nursing blood-shot eyes, and getting no sleep, because you just have to level up before you call it a night…then do yourself a favor and pick this book up.  You'll love it.

Talk about writing what you know and in this case, what you love, because this book literally found a way to massage an entire decade into coherent paragraphs.  Ernest Cline (author) turns the 1980's into the greatest ten years of this planet's culture.  And he does so through a thrilling ride about a young man with nothing, whose sole purpose in life is to become the first one to find Halliday's Egg.

The writing in the novel is top notch and will keep you pinned to the pages no matter where you are in the story.  The setting is original and fully developed, so you never find plot holes or problems with character motivations.  And the amount of research that had to go into putting this epic tale together is unfathomable.  The story throws espionage, corporate theft, assassinations, school problems, love, bad parenting, a crappy future, and sitcom puzzles in your face, and you'll want more.  It might even be a sad moment, when you turn the last page and see no more words.

"Can't you see I'm in the middle of Xbox One's day-one download?"

WHAT IF I HATE GAMES AND MOVIES?

Then what the hell are you doing on P&P?  Seriously?  If you really find sci-fi, fantasy, video games and movies repulsive, then don't even attempt this book.  The story does tackle harder concepts like relationships, family trouble, love and greed, but they're not the core of the book.  Most of the story involves the main character retracing certain 80's pop culture (mainly old video games and sitcoms), to try and tie it in with the current puzzle at hand.  So if literary feats like The Great Gatsby are your cup of tea, then maybe you should head to a bookstore and test out the first couple chapters of Ready Player One, before diving in.

"What?  At least he's comfortable."

WHAT IF I HATE THE 1980's?

Some people look at the 1980's tremendous hair styles and wacky color coordination and shun the whole decade.  Others think the music was as good as jamming a fork in your ear and then jumping off the nearest cliff.  But there's so much more in the novel then just the music or hair styles or clothing.  The sitcoms and movies and commercials and books all factor into the story too.  And let's not forget about great games like Joust for Atari.  Or Pacman.  Who in their right mind doesn't like Pacman?  Okay…maybe the Nazis, but that's it.

"Oh!  You got a problem with my bird, you got a problem with me."

CONCLUSION:

If you’re a 60th level wizard who has never read a novel in their life, this may be the gateway drug you've been looking for.  It may open up all kinds of magical worlds built on words.  Or you might just go right back to playing GTA5 (who doesn't like hitting hookers with their car, right?).  With fantasy, sci-fi, games, movies, sitcoms, commercials, Japanese anime, cartoons, and the kitchen sink, how can you not find something you love about this story?  Think Tron meets World of Warcraft meets The Firm.  It's a story about chasing your dreams, even if everyone tells you they're unreachable.  And who can't get behind that theme?

5 out of 5 stars (Remember, that’s only if you like video games, movies, books, or the 1980’s)

Why does "Gamer" = No Love?

I carry around a stigma that makes most people my age and older, gaze upon me like I’m a leper. It's a word that makes all others stare at you like you’re the kid in school that doesn't take baths and spends countless hours with his finger up his nose. It's a word that makes parents cringe and think their child is throwing away their future one button press at a time. Of course the word I'm talking about is: Gamer.

Let's not confuse the term with Casual-gamer.  How most of the world is categorized today, thanks to the iPhone and iPad.

People play this?

Unlike that group of people, I have the ability to work more than just one button/finger at a time. I'm able to customize characters; manage multiple minions in real time at the same time; actually keep track of a story; decide who lives and who dies; and I do all this while leading a somewhat normal life that contains: kids, a job, a wife and friends. That is what I consider a real gamer.

The funny thing is: casual gamers are making life as a real gamer, almost socially acceptable, one nerd at a time. And no matter how much AAA game titles suffer (because of social gaming) in sales, the casual gamer is here to stay.

So why do hardcore gamers get no love?  Why is it, when people hear you play Mass Effect or Skyrim or Bioshock, do they look at you like you have three heads?

Yep, that about sums it up.

It’s because of that.  Like any group, there's always going to be radicals. Now you’re asking: Are “radicals” bad people?  Of course not, they’re just die-hard fans of the genre.  Do they scare the living crap out of non-gamer society?  Unfortunately, yes…most of the time they do.  I say, you love something that much, why not promote for it.

The problem is which stereotype do you think the movies and media depict?  You got it—the radicals.  Are there gamers that stay in their respected gaming-chairs and have their mothers wipe them after they've just crapped in a bed pan?  Maybe. (How else are you supposed to level up?) 

Can you pass the catheter?

Does that mean we're all like that?  No.  There are men out there who masturbate while wearing women's shoes or people who find anime porn hot (seriously, tentacles?)  And in today’s society that might be considered normal, but a person who plays Company of Heroes might need an intervention.  Why?  Console/PC games challenge all parts of your brain.  If you don’t believe me, give Quantum Conundrum a try, and see if that doesn’t make you think.

Do you know how difficult some titles are to play today?  Here's a challenge: take any casual gamer and sit them down to play Xcom: Enemy Unknown or Dark Souls.  See if they can hack it.  I tried to get my wife to play Plants vs. Zombies and couldn't do it.  "There's too much I have to do," she said.  And then went back to playing Happy Jump on the iPad.  If you don't know what Happy Jump is, and you want to laugh, check it out.

Umm...how about no?

Console/PC games are more social than ever.  I like the person who says, “You need to get out and make friends.”  Where else can you trade quips with people from around the world, who share in your hobbies?  Can I go down to the corner and start taking about Gears of War and how many kills I have?  I wouldn’t, if you do that, you might just end up getting mugged and possibly raped.  It’s much safer to stay on the couch and pretend to be a wizard, than going outside with a cape and pointy hat.

I’m a gamer.  But I’m also an artist, writer, musician, engineer, bookworm, and husband.  So yes, I actually might have some intelligence.  It makes me laugh when we're depicted as stupid. Think about it for a second.  Most gamers are the social inept (at least that’s how society views us), and we all know the weird and quiet ones we never talked to in school were always the smartest—right?

Do you know what goes into creating the code that these games use to do basic things, like running forward when we push the thumb-stick up or hit the “W” key?  No, well neither do I, but I hear it’s friggin’ difficult to write.  So these game developers, who love gaming just as much, are what—stupid?  I always wondered if the developers get the same grief we do, when they tell older members of their families they create games.  Because we all know that our parent’s generation and older still think games look like this.

Look at those graphics--top of the line!

Which brings me to my next point: Our games can be very entertaining…just to watch.  You can’t tell me if your friend is playing Hitman: Absolution that you’re not watching.  You want to see just how he handles the same situations you encountered during the way.  Again, try watching someone play Happy Jump.  I give it a few minutes and you'll want to pull out your eyeballs, trying to remove the horrible memories.  Or angry birds, there's a phenomenon I just don't get at all.  You pull the bird back in its sling-shot and release...and people pay to play this?  Really?

But they do.  Most girls play it because it’s simple and fun.  Guys play it to have a conversation with the girls who play it just for fun.  Most men…most, play those games just so they can get next to a girl who’s playing it.  And most of the time ladies, the boy or man considering how you view him, is just sitting there wondering what you look like naked.  He’s not watching you play Angry Birds.

The good thing is the casual gaming girl sparked another cultural phenomenon.  The Cosplay girl.  And if there is ever an angle a gamer-guy should chase in hopes of gaining access to the stairway to heaven, it’s these wonderful ladies.

Your breasts are awesome...hair, I meant hair! Come back.

I wish this was around when I was courting females.  You guys have no idea how lucky you are.  All you have to do is put down your controller/keyboards for a few hours and go introduce yourselves.  You already have a conversation starter—these women are walking/talking/breathing gamers.  The problem is most gamers, since there vocabulary doesn’t extend much further than “Pwned” or “Frag”, turn into bumbling idiots when they’re around these beauties.  Here’s a tip:  just ask them what they like.  You’ll get to remain quiet and not screw it up and they (women in general) get to talk about themselves.  It’s a win-win, situation.  No need to thank me, you’re welcome.  Just every once in a while send a pic to this blog’s email, okay?

Getting back on track: Being a gamer allows me to engage in the simpler stuff in life, like gunning down hoards of enemies with a gun that seems to never run out of bullets or tackling difficult puzzles, all while forgetting the real problems in life.  That’s really the true reason I play: to have a bit of fun and get absorbed into the game, before I have to get back to real life aggravation.

Even though most of us do not except the casual-gamer, and look upon them as the people that are going to destroy console/PC gaming, they are still the people who might one day get you laid.  So don’t we want to keep them around for just a little longer?  (The die-hard WoW & Diablo gamers are looking at this article right now and are debating)

In reality, I know that there are cool gamers out there—male and female—that get on with society and its rules just fine.  This article was written with nothing but fun and humor in mind.  So now that you’ve met your reading quota for today, you can go run and pick up your keyboard/controller and knock yourself out.  Everybody needs love—even gamers.


If you like this article, check out:

The 3 Stages of Gamer Maturity