Mount & Blade: Warband

If you're looking for Warband mods, try Floris or Pendor, they are the biggest and best available.

I have yet to play a better kingdom building game than Mount & Blade. No other title can really provide the same satisfaction of starting out a campaign alone and penniless, forming your own band of mercenaries, rising in power until you're ready to try for the throne. Sure, other games try to create this experience, but none of them do it as well as Warband. As far as single player titles go, this one's top quality bueno.

Things can get a little crazy when the melee starts.

Genre: Action, Third-person, RPG, Strategy
Release Date: 30th March, 2010
Platforms: PC
Score without mods: 7/10
Score with mods: 9/10
Similar Titles: Total War, Chivalry, War of the Roses

Mount and Blade: Warband is the sequel to the original Mount and Blade. It hasn't changed much, it's the same game with buffed up features and some polish. It's not nearly as polished or pretty as it should be, in fact it still feels like a game in beta. Which is why it's strange that Warband is still one of the best games I've ever played.

Taking a hill gives you a pretty overpowered advantage.

There are two sides to Warband. The campaign map and the battlefield. Most of your time will be spent on the map, traveling from city to city looking for quests and enemies to fight. However, once you make a little progress you'll be repelling armies left and right. There is zero story whatsoever, so don't expect any until you start piling on some mods. The battlefield is the fun part of Warband. When the fight begins, you can command your soldiers around the field at the same time as controlling your character. It's essentially third-person action, combined with real-time strategy. It's a great feeling, sending your infantry into the fray whilst charging alongside your cavalry into the flank. It's far more satisfying being in the combat instead of watching it from above.

The overworld map isn't particularly pretty, but then again neither is the rest of the game.

Warband's combat really is something special. You can make use of various weapon types, including swords, crossbows, lances and even stones. Each weapon has limited functionality, so it's quite a hard decision to decide whether to keep that two-handed claymore for sweeping past people on horseback, or trade it in for a bow so you can nail enemies from afar. Moreover, dealing damage is directly related to physics. For example, if you're running at full speed on a horse and land a blow on somebody, they are going to take twice as much damage as they would if you were stationary. You can swing in 4 different directions, and if you swing in the right direction with your momentum, it will do significantly more damage. This is a unique feature that brings a new element of strategy to battle.

Upon starting your new character, fresh with your own backstory, Warband drops you into the lands of Calradia. From the beginning of the game, you are free to do whatever you want. You can try to besiege a castle at level one, if being hit by 40 arrows in the face is something on your list of things to do. Typically it's a good idea to kick off your campaign by recruiting a few peasants and searching for bandits to get early weapons and cash. Completing quests for villages and lords lands you reputation points and money, both of which become important as you progress. Once you have trained your men into competent swordsmen and archers, you become a formidable band of mercenaries prepared to fight some of the larger forces on the map.

Castle sieges can be really difficult with limited ladders to attack from.

The reason Mount & Blade: Warband is so addictive is because you can choose your route to power. If you want to become a peaceful diplomatic, you can help villages prosper by helping them with bandits and buying them grain. Then you can invest that money into various enterprises to turn a profit every week. Eventually you can join a faction and fight for them, with enough reputation your king might even reward you with a castle or city. Or, you can take the quick route to power. Loot and burn villages, ambush lords and ransom them for money. Take a castle for yourself and establish your own rogue kingdom. This is a fast way to piss off all the factions, but if you're prepared to fight them off you can create your own utopia; recruit your own lords to patrol your lands and manage your finances.

Rolling around the map outmaneuvering armies twice your size and crushing them feels like an entire game in itself. However, when you start conquering provinces and owning lands- it becomes a whole different ballgame. Suddenly you're posed with questions of state, who to appoint as a leader, how many troops to leave in the garrison, and even building upgrades to improve your cities and villages. Instead of going from country to country, you're posed with defending your lands all while keeping your own army strong and formidable enough to counter any threats.

Training peasants consists of beating them unconscious until they get stronger.

Even though Warband is definitely better than most of the medieval war games I've had the misfortune of playing, it's still inherently flawed and feels unfinished. Sometimes attacks glitch and miss or hit when they shouldn't have, and walking up hills slows your units down far more than it should. There aren't many quests and they are a chore to complete, which often makes it difficult to farm reputation with a village or person that you want on your side. It's possible to romance lords and ladies of the opposite sex, but it's time consuming and lacks benefit. Although all these features seem hastily tacked on it's justifiable due to the massive branches of options and mechanics in Warband. Even more so considering it was created by a small indie company. With a higher budget and a bigger team, there's absolutely no limit to how high the Mount & Blade franchise could reach.

When I take a step back and look at the overall composition of Warband, it's nothing less than fantastic. There are dozens of cities and keeps owned by different factions, all with their own economy. With some memory and a little perseverance, you can make money by transporting the right goods from town to town. Lords recruit armies and trawl across the map, picking off bandits and fighting their enemies. Over the space of a couple of months in game time, factions go to war and try to conquer territory. If you're not careful, you can indirectly help a faction by defeating their enemies, and then they will spiral out of control and take half the map. Dozens of companions can be found in taverns, who level up just like your main character. You can even throw some epic gear their way, if you want them to be a monstrous killing machine. My point being, every individual feature of Mount & Blade: Warband needs work, polish or an overhaul. However, when all those single pieces come together as a whole; it forms a beautiful game worthy of every fanatic collection.

Tournaments are a good way to rack up some cash, if you win anyway.

What's funny is, this is all just the core Warband game. You still don't know about the best part. Mods. Mount & Blade has one of the finest modding communities in existence, rivaling that of the Elder Scrolls and Total War. From small to complete overhaul, if there's something you want- you can find it. You can change the size of battles, add in story elements and even monsters. You can download packs with dozens of new units, or even entirely new maps. Don't like playing games with sub-par graphics? Download some HD textures and voila! Pretty. There are overhaul packs that make Warband feel like an entirely new game.

It's gotten to the point where I physically cannot stand playing the core Mount & Blade. It's a brilliant game, but it reaches near perfect with some of the mods you can download. If you're looking for an overhaul to make Warband so much more; try Floris or Prophecy of Pendor.

Bleach: Versus Crusade

Bleach is an anime that has made several forays into the video game arena, with a reasonable amount of success. However, some of the best Bleach titles never even make it out of Japan. After playing the disappointing Shattered Blade on the Wii, I wasn't very eager to play another game that might ruin the reputation of my favorite anime. However, after a bottle of vodka and some wine, I made the happy mistake of attempting to emulate Bleach: Versus Crusade. Surprisingly, it's actually a fun and entertaining game. With Dolphin emulator and a reasonable internet connection, it's a very quick and easy process to obtain and get it running too.

Byakuya is hard to play but rewarding.

The first thing you need to know about Versus Crusade is that it's all in Japanese. There's no English patch, so it takes a little research on Google or knowledge of the language to get started. If anything, I'm happy that I don't have to listen to Ichigo and Rukia's voice actors speaking in English. Don't let this barrier deter you; you can find menu translations all over the internet, created by avid fans.

Ichigo is pretty overpowered, but he can be beaten.

The second thing you need to know, is that instead of the 2D Tekken style battles are gone. Instead, Bleach: Versus Crusade adopts a combat style that can only be compared to the Dragonball Z: Budokai franchise. This is a very welcome change, bringing a more free-roaming approach to the action, which befits a franchise of Bleach's caliber. Being able to Shunpo around the battlefield dodging blasts of Reiatsu is deeper and more fitting than the 2D arcade style of beating eachother senseless on a single plane.

Melee attacks are the bread and butter, to build up your Bankai.

Although the story is very short, it takes place during the Hueco Mundo arc. Which means Ichigo can go Visored mode and put on his mask in battle. The plot follows canon and in between battles the dialogue is unveiled upon a simple backdrop. The lines are all voiced by the actors from the show. It's pretty basic really, and is in no way special. The only real redeeming quality of this game as a whole is that it's basically Dragonball Z Budokai's battle system with beloved Bleach characters. Albeit with a lot less content.

The dialogue is essentially quoting the Bleach manga.

As I have mentioned already, the combat is drastically better than the other Bleach titles on the market. Each arena you fight in is large enough for you to move around freely. You can chain together several flashsteps to cover distances quickly. Each character can strike in melee, landing a hit allows you to chain together several blows. There are also four special attacks that are unique to each character. For example, Ichigo can fire off small or big Getsuga Tenshou projectiles, and Ishida can use dangerous long range Quincy arrows. All characters can Bankai, which increases their damage considerably. It's not too badly balanced, no matter who you pick you have varying strengths and weaknesses.

Not unlike most of the games on the Wii, the graphics aren't spectacular. The maps are pretty awful too, but they do depict all the scenes from the anime and manga accurately. What I do like, is the fairly comprehensive roster of characters you can choose from. You can play survival or arcade mode when you've finished the campaign, which utilize tag team battles. Overall, I'm disappointed in the lack of content, but it's definitely a step in the right direction for future Bleach games.

Bleach: Versus Crusade isn't really a great game. It's fun, and will kill a few hours of your time. But it lacks depth and there's not much for you to do. If you do like Bleach, then it's worth playing. If not, you can probably find something better to do.

Dust: An Elysion Tail

For a project that initially intended to span the space of several months, it's amazing that Dust actually took 3 and a half years to come out of development. It was clearly worth the wait though, because Dust: An Elysion Tail is a brilliant platforming game with some intriguing elements to it. This is one of those games that just has absolutely everything it needs to sit on that throne of the gods. It's all so well put together, that there's no particular feature in the game that bogs it down.

It's hard to call a game pretty when it's sporting 2D graphics, but Dust looks fantastic.

Dust is one of those indie games that I came across on steam whilst having a search around for a new title to play. So I bought it with the simple expectation of it being an acceptable way to kill some time. After playing it for 5 minutes, I could tell it was worth the purchase. The action is fluid and addictive, combined with glorious side-scrolling and some tacked on RPG aspects. It's fun, it's polished, and very memorable.

When you get used to the game, you will probably spend more time in the air than on the ground.

The game is about an amnesiac soldier who is struggling to come to grips with his controversial past. Upon waking up in a glade to meet the talking sword of Ahrah, our protagonist is quickly named Dust by the wise sword and it's impudent guardian Fidget. With no memory of anything and a legendary blade, what is one to do? Set out on an epic quest to save the world and defeat your former allies; certainly. Yes, the plot is undeniably cliched and it's been done a thousand times. However, the delivery is something remarkably unique. The voice actors are convincing, and the dialogue is just fantastic. From the subtle comments that break the fourth wall and the hilariously wacky characters will make you laugh. Reed and his precious box anyone?

This is one hell of a party trick. It's hella fun being able to summon a storm of bolts whenever you feel like it.

Dust plays like any old iconic platform game with a few twists. Think Mario, Sonic, Rayman. Typically you will be navigating levels from left to right, jumping across gaps and slinging together enemies with brutal sword and spell combinations. What separates Dust from the other games is the style of combat. Aside from being able to hack and slash your way through opponents with the sword of Ahrah, you can kick up a Dust Storm by spinning your weapon at incredible speeds. On top of that, your pet companion Fidget can shoot out various magical bolts that you can amplify by using it in tandem with Dust Storm. It's hard to describe, but you get a very satisfying feeling from performing a perfect barrage of sword and sorcery attacks.

Some parts of Dust require you to navigate troublesome terrain, but with your insane maneuverability it's quite easy.

The many other great features of Dust include an inventory and crafting system, which is basic at best, but gives you a nice degree of customization and the instinct to go out and find the materials you need. Killing enough baddies will level you up and grant you new abilities and attributes. It's possible to massively increase your experience intake by keeping your combo going for longer without taking any damage. There are also shops scattered throughout each zone but their only real use is to stock up health potions before going into a dangerous area. The RPG elements to Dust aren't very prevalent, but they are a nice touch that really adds flavor and addiction.

Since you can spin your sword fast enough to create a tornado, I don't really understand why he didn't put this out.

The art style is adorable, and it's nice to see such crisp 2D graphics in high resolution. The characters and the animations are lovingly designed, and the gameplay is a pleasure because of it. It's one thing when a platformer is well designed and smooth, but when the animations are awesome to watch it becomes something else entirely. Instead of just smashing all the bad guys and heading for the next area, every player gets the urge to look cool at the same time. Dust allows you to do just that, you can sail across the screen with a cascade of missiles to barrage you opponent, and with a little practice you can string together devastating combo attacks that make you feel like a champion.

Enemies attacking your caravan? Dust storm! People throwing trash on your lawn? Dust storm! Wife nagging you? Dust storm!

What impressed me was how this title is a solid performance all the way through. It reminded me of playing Crash Bandicoot and Rayman. But if I were to compare all of these games together, Dust would come out on top. Why? Because it brings back all the great features of platforming that generations grew up on, and blends them together with modern techniques and mechanics. For example, save points are plentiful so you don't have to spend an hour scourging the map just so you can take a break. Quests are managed in the log, so you don't have to sit there and think about what you're supposed to be doing. The story is surprisingly immersive, yet doesn't take itself seriously. At no point during my playthrough did Dust, Ahrah and Fidget get on my nerves. I had a lot of fun playing an Elysion Tail, and I value it above the majority of the money-grubbing trash I've bought in the last 5 years.

Moonbloods are a race that are being exterminated by the General Gaius, the antagonist.

Ultimately, Dust: An Elysion Tail is THE best game I have played designed by one brilliant individual. The only pitfall I can honestly complain about is the distinct lack of difficulty. Even the bosses don't provide a shred of a challenge. Once you have the finesse to perform some of the lethal combos, the only time you will die is if you refuse to use any food to restore your health. Other than that, the last thing I can complain about is that it's too short. By no means is it short, you can probably get a good 20 hours out of the game if you go for 100%. Unfortunately, a third of the game had to be cut short due to a lack of time. If that third is released as DLC, god help me I'll buy it. Even though I hate DLC. I will pay cash money to play it.

Star Ocean: First Departure

Taking a franchise back to its roots is rarely a bad thing. The most recent Star Ocean games on the Playstation 2 and 3 were good, but they were more linear and lacked some of that charm gamers loved from the initial titles. You couldn't recruit a different party on your second playthrough. However, Star Ocean: First Departure brings back the love. It has adorable 2D graphics backed up by cutesy anime cutscenes; and all the other wonderful quirks that we've missed since Star Ocean made its debut on the Famicom.

The local defense force, Millie, Roddick, and Dorne.

Genre: Action, JRPG
Release Date: 27th December 2007
Platforms: PSP
Score: 7/10
Similar Titles: Grandia, Final Fantasy, Tales of Phantasia

Roddick, Millie, and Dorne are teenagers working as a local defense force for their small town, Kratus. They undertake tasks such as repelling bandits and rescuing cats from trees. When visiting the nearest village they discover a mysterious plague has begun spreading among the populace; turning everyone who comes into contact with it into stone. When no cure can be found to stop the illness, Roddick and company venture up the nearby mountain to find a rare herb as their last hope. What they don't realize, is that their journey will take them through time and space to reveal the truth because the virus and the history of their planet.

The combat is really fun.

If you weren't already aware, Star Ocean: First Departure is a replica of the original game on the Famicom. Many of the features have been enhanced to accommodate the modern era of gaming, the graphics and the engine have essentially been updated to Playstation quality. There are a few new characters and scenes, but it's mostly the same as the original. The lore from the Star Ocean universe is rich and filled with unique stories, and this game marks the beginning of it.

I really enjoyed playing First Departure, the combat is different from your typical JRPG. Instead of being turn based, you control your character on the field. Four team members can chosen for battle. You decide which party member to play as, and each character works a little differently. Symbology is the Star Ocean version of magic, which can be used for healing or damage. Not everybody can use magic, but every character learns a plethora of various skills as they level up. Skills can vary, such as a long range nuke, or an AoE knockback. 2 skills can be assigned at any one time, and the more frequently you use them the more powerful they become. I found fighting monsters and other enemies addictive, and intentionally sought out battles. However, the random battle mechanic doesn't kick in frequently; so if you want to progress through the game quickly it's entirely possible.

Roddick and company meet people from Earth.

As for the story, it covers many things. It starts out like your typical RPG, except the characters have tails. However, it quickly gets confusing and even a little overwhelming. Time and space travel, galactic wars, and even demon lords. For a very old game, it's actually original. My favorite part was being able to recruit different characters each time you play it through. On top of that, there's a relationship system in the game that changes the ending based on which allies you favor more. Another unique and very intriguing feature in Star Ocean: First Departure is the item system. Each shop has countless stuff to buy, and it can all be fused to create new weapons, or armor.

Roddick is the main character, and compared to everyone else he's a little boring. Personally, I thought the dialogue was a little lacking. But the plot itself is good. Every so often after you make a fair bit of progress you get to watch an anime cutscene, which looks good but feels like it's tacked on as an afterthought.

Out of all the games you can get on the PSP, First Departure is easily one of the best. You can easily sink 30+ hours into it, and enjoy every second. If you ever feel like revisiting the game, you can do it with a new party and experience a new ending. Star Ocean: The Second Story has also managed to port itself onto the portable as well. Certainly a title worth purchasing, especially since it's cheap.

Check out the top 5 PSP RPG titles here!

Game of Thrones

I bet there's quite a few of you out there who didn't even know the Game of Thrones (GoT) RPG existed. Well, it does. Unfortunately, by gaming standards it doesn't hold a candle to other titanic and better developed RPGs. Fortunately, it's GoT. When a game has inherently bad mechanics but an untapped well of lore from one of the greatest book franchises in existence, it's really difficult to see how it will all turn out in the end.

Mors and his fellow watchmen at the wall.

Genre: Action, RPG
Release Date: 15th May 2012
Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Score: 4/10
Similar Titles: Star Wars: KotoR, Neverwinter Nights, Risen

The Force Unleashed 2

I've always had a special place in my heart reserved for Star Wars. Despite the recent sale of the franchise to Disney, I still retain hope for the Sith and Jedi alike. Throughout the years Star Wars has made many attempts to implement themselves into the gaming industry; some of which were very successful. On the other hand, many Star Wars games have been a total flop. If you love the franchise, you can find fun in almost every title Lucasarts have released.

Explosions are Starkiller's best friend.

Genre: Adventure, Action
Release Date: 26th October, 2010
Platforms: PC, Xbox 360, PS3
Score: 7/10
Similar Titles: Jedi Academy, KotoR, Lego Star Wars

Winning Dissidia: Hints and Tips

After putting dozens of hours into perfecting my Final Fantasy: Dissidia play it has come to my attention that once you reach the final chapters, it can become unbelievably challenging and frustrating to make progress. Some enemies with a high CPU level are just downright godlike. This article will provide a few hints and tips dedicated to helping you beat them all. If you're having trouble defeating some of the hardest bad guys, I hope this helps you.

Cosmos and Squall.

A review on Dissidia can be found here.

Final Fantasy: Dissidia hints and tips
- Something you learn early on is dodging is a very easy tool to utilize. Spamming dodge can be used to avoid most attacks, maneuver around the battlefield, and even gain height. However, when you start to get to the dangerous opponents, overusing blocks is just asking the AI to come and beat your face in. Learn to dodge to avoid the enemy attacks, don't just spam dodge and hope they miss.
- Blocking is much harder than dodge to use effectively, or even use at all. If you can successfully block an attack, it grants you a huge opening. Learn what attacks the computer likes to use against you. Make sure you know which attacks cannot be blocked. If it's easier to dodge you should do that instead. But remember it is better to block if you can.
-  When you pick a character, stick to it until you perfect your strengths and weaknesses. For example, Terra is very potent at spamming bravery attacks from a distance and then closes in for the kill. She is very weak against people who can close the gap and hit her before she can activate Tornado. Or Squall, who has a variety of dangerous attacks and is lethal in mid and close combat. If he uses the right attack for the right situation, he's nearly impossible to defeat. However, once he activates a move he usually has a wide opening. It's best to force him to use an attack you know how to avoid, then beat him down. My point is; once you play a character you will know what works best against him/her. Use that advantage.
- Landing attacks becomes increasingly hard the further you get. Therefore when you actually hit your opponent you must continue the chain as long as possible. Some characters can chain together numerous bravery attacks and sometimes even combo it into a HP attack. Practice combos on low level opponents and see if you can manage to put together more than 3 abilities. When you fight a hard opponent you want to be able to make the most out of every opportunity you get.
- Dissidia can be a very frustrating game. If you're retrying the same battle and losing too much, take a break! Believe me, you can come back after 10 minutes and win on your first try with ease. I've done it on more than one occasion.
- The AI usually has an attack pattern. Remember, you're only fighting a computer. If you can analyze the smallest factor; for example your enemy always dodges after using a particular ability, you can use that against them. Be observant, because it's likely they will repeat the same mistakes.
- If you have an attack that can break through a block, use it. It's common for your opponent to try and block an attack instead of dodging it. Also, if you find an attack that works well against an enemy: abuse it. Sometimes a certain move completely counters the enemy AI and they can't figure out how to avoid it.
- Repeating the earlier campaigns and chapters for extra rewards and levels is not a waste of time. You will often get the chance to fight rare enemies, pick up a summon and grab some loot. If you're higher level than the enemy, it gives you a lot more room to make mistakes.
- Buy new gear. Gear is very important. If you have the best equipment you will do a lot more damage, and take a lot less. Trust me on this one, if you can upgrade more than a couple of pieces it's definitely worth it.
-  Ex-mode is amazing. There's a reason Ex-cores exist. Grab them as fast as you can, because you can beat unbeatable opponents with a well placed burst. I've one shotted opponents I never stood a chance against by landing a lucky Ex-burst. Remember, it also restores your health points so you can use it defensively if needed.
- Getting Ex-cores is not only important for getting yourself closer to Ex-mode, but also to deny your opponent getting his. Always go for them because even if you don't need it; it's better you have it instead of your enemy getting it. If the situation arises where you cannot stop your enemy from getting an Ex-core, then try to punish them for it. If your adversary is rushing straight for the core, then they are vulnerable to attack.
- Each character has a unique approach to victory. For example, Zidane is better in the air than on the ground. However, his ground abilities are designed to force your opponent into the air, so take control of the battlefield and force your enemy into a position where you want him. Tidus is a monster in close range, his abilities can evade the bulk of damage and counterattack easily, but you have to know when to go on the offensive because spamming attacks will get you killed.
- Keeping your distance at the beginning of a battle is vital. It gives you time to analyze the AI, and learn what pattern they are using. If you have a long range ability, it's much easier to strike from a distance; because it's easy to dodge most attacks from far away. At low levels you can keep up a barrage of attacks, but when the going gets tough, play safe and be observant.
- I've had a battle go on for up to 20 minutes in some cases. If you're against an enemy that is just too hard to defeat, playing for the long haul can be your only chance. Bravery attacks can be pretty much useless against someone higher level than you, so hit them with a HP attack and then wait for your bravery to reset and repeat.
- Before you fight a hard enemy, make sure you are on full health. It's also possible to start a battle with Ex-mode already prepared. Fight a weak opponent and collect Ex-cores until you have burst ready. Opening on a challenging AI with Ex-mode can give you the upper hand. 
- Breaking an enemy will win you a lot of fights. Reducing your enemies bravery to 0 will grant you the stage bravery which can give you an unbelievable advantage. If your opponent lands a HP attack on you, their bravery resets to nothing temporarily. You have a short window to break them, so launch a full offensive. Your goal should always be to break your enemy at every opportunity.
- When you learn a new ability, test it out. Some moves are just plain overpowered against the AI. If you are losing against a particular enemy, sometimes changing your move pool can win you the battle.
- The stage you are fighting on should affect your playstyle. In a closed arena, such as Ultimecia's castle; you can often trick an enemy into a corner. If you force the enemy into a bad position, they won't be able to dodge effectively. In an open battlefield, keep your distance.
- If you are determined to win a hard battle, be cheap. Spamming your best attack may make you feel like a cheater, but if it wins you the fight who cares?

Choose your battles wisely.

Most of this advice is common sense. In battle it can be hard to keep your wits about you. Try to remember some of these hints during a fight and you will certainly gain an advantage. Sometimes playing like a cheap bastard is the only way. Personally, I hate abusing one overpowered ability. On Dissidia, sometimes it is necessary to win. Don't be proud, be a winner.

When you have no bravery, a HP attack can restore you to normal.

I truly do hope some of these tips will help you in beating Dissidia. It is a great game, just don't put stock in the story. Good luck Final Fantasy fans!

My review on Final Fantasy: Dissidia.

The Witcher 2: Enhanced Edition

It has been a long time since I've touched the Witcher. I always thought it was a lacking finish, with clunky mechanics. However, that does not change the fact that it was a brilliant game. Spend five minutes on it, and you can tell almost immediately that it is a rich environment with plenty of lore. The combat is smooth and requires a satisfying amount of finesse to master. To start you may have to push yourself to get invested into the Witcher 2, just like in the first game. Eventually it will just pull you in (here is my initial review).

The graphics are really something special.

Genre: RPG, Action
Release Date: May 17th 2011
Platforms: PC, Xbox 360
Score: 8/10
Similar Titles: Dragon Age, The Elder Scrolls, Mass Effect

Mark of the Ninja

I always find that in recent years, indie games with a low budget are the ones that make the most progress in the gaming industry. Mark of the Ninja is one such game. With brilliant sneaky action and a great degree of variety and tactics for approaching each objective, this stealth action game is a feat of excellence and  innovation that you won't often find in games as of late.

Vents are usually a good way to navigate the path ahead.

Genre: Stealth, Action
Release Date: 7th September, 2012
Platforms: PC, Xbox 360
Score: 9/10
Similar Titles: Assassin's creed, Splinter cell

Lord of the Rings: War in the North

This game is quite difficult for me to review. I have a great love for Lord of the Rings, yet I have a strong aversion to mediocre games. War in the North is definitely a mediocre title at its best. It has a lackluster skill tree that's less diverse than any game I can remember playing. The combat is fun, for 10 minutes. Oh, and the graphics aren't anything special either. Well, they are special- just not the kind of special you want in a game.

I think the grain effect is intentional.

Genre: RPG, Adventure, Action
Release Date: 25th November, 2011
Platforms: PC, Xbox 360, PS3
Score: 4/10
Similar Titles: Borderlands, Dead Island, Lord of the Rings

Divinity 2

Divinity II is an under-appreciated game that never really stood out among other instant hit titles of the time like Dragon Age or Oblivion. Whilst it may deserve a spot in the sun, its lack of polish earned it a lonely bench in the shade. Even the hardiest of RPG connoisseurs can overlook or miss out on playing the Divinity games, which is a real shame. Just because the franchise was out shined by better publicized and better funded companies, doesn't change the fact that at its greatest moments; Divinity can easily compete and even beat its more popular rivals.

Yeah, I forgot what happened here. Let's just say magic stuff.

Genre: RPG, Adventure, Action
Release Date: 20th November, 2009
Platforms: PC, Xbox 360
Score: 8/10
Similar Titles: Dragon Age, Kingdoms of Amalur, Oblivion

Prototype 2

Out of all the sandbox games ever made, the Prototype franchise may not be in the top 5. But it's definitely one of the most fun. With brutal execution moves and truly terrifying powers, James Heller is one of the most soulless and badass protagonists in a game to date. The plot is shit, the quests are stupid, the characters aren't interesting, and the graphics are mediocre at best. But damn, the gameplay is wonderful.

That's probably really painful.

Genre: Action, Sandbox, Adventure
Release Date: 24th April 2012
Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Score: 7/10
Similar Titles: Assassins creed, Spiderman, Just cause

You know that evil antagonist in every film, game, or book? The one that seems unstoppable, with powers that can corrupt, or destroy anyone on a whim? It takes every hero working together to even put a dent in his armor? James Heller is that guy. He's a monster amid a war between humanity and the zombie mercer virus. What's more, both sides are trying to kill him. And James Heller sure as Hell isn't losing (bad pun, but so easy. I'm sorry!). I think the story could have really been something. The setting is compelling, everything is there to make it an immersive and nail-biting tale. It's just not delivered well enough.

Tendrils are so fun to use, best attack in the game.

Blackwatch are a company fighting for humanity, albeit with questionable intentions. The Mercer virus infects the entire of New York city and threatens to encompass the world. It's too late to eradicate the Zombies entirely, they have spread too far to be stopped without nuking the city. Alex Mercer, the protagonist from the first Prototype has gone completely darkside. His conscience no longer exists, and his goal is to eradicate the human race. Thinking James Heller would be a good soldier, Mercer infects him with powers similar to his own. Luckily for us, Heller has no such intentions.

Nothing to see here gentlemen, move along.

Gameplay is addictive and exactly what you want in any game. Intuitive and easy controls, with a degree of depth for the more advanced players. The combat is satisfying to say the least. Attaching four cars to a helicopter at high velocity with tendrils is just plain awesome. Gliding above a military post and slamming literal hammer fists into explosive barrels to send the base sky high is effective and deadly. Kicking ass as James Heller is just a pleasure. As you progress you unlock new abilities, all of which are cool and overpowered. Mutations may also be unlocked for these abilities, powering them up in whichever way you choose. The system is simple, and it works.

Consuming people is done to access their memories and unlock inaccessible areas.

Another side of Prototype 2 is the stealth/shapeshifting segment. You can switch between Heller and a single disguise at will. Picking camouflage is done by absorbing a helpless human, and is often a good way to escape large amounts of enemies at the end of a quest or when you're too lazy to kill the scourge. This mechanic is largely useless, I rarely spent any time in Heller's body. It's easier to just stay in whichever poor sod you absorbed last.

Strike teams are like annoying flies.

The game isn't hard, it's more about choosing how to kill your enemies as opposed to having one path to victory. Tanks after you? Tear one in half, use it to blow the rest into smithereens. Helicopters? Rip off the missiles and go to town on everything in sight. There is clutter everywhere and it's all a potential weapon. James Heller is one overpowered motherfucker, and it feels good to go on a rampage with nothing to slow you down. In fact, the only things that can really kill you are the huge scary beasties we call bosses.

Helicopter, meet James Heller.

Quests are nothing special. Your typical objective consists of Hulking out and smashing up whatever target Heller sets his eyes on. Which is fine, that's what you do best and it's also the most fun. It's refreshing to play a game that doesn't try to be more than it is by breaking the mold. Prototype is about playing with your awesome power set and blowing stuff up. Every now and again you'll be asked to absorb a particular individual or hack into a certain terminal- but other than that you get free reign to be as destructive as you please. For the more demanding player, there are challenges and collectibles scattered across the city. Some of them can actually be very difficult if you're looking to get frustrated.

I wasn't expecting much from Prototype 2. If you've played the first game, then the second is almost exactly the same. It's a big sandbox for you to swing around in. Nobody expects you to finish it, it just wants you to have fun. Whether that's laughing at Radical Entertainment and their attempts to make you sympathize with the cold blooded James Heller, or just killing everything in sight. It's flawed in many ways, and has countless limitations outside of combat. Just enjoy it. Surprisingly, it's one of the rare games I actually managed to finish. Maybe you will too.

Rayman Origins

Out of all the new games I've played in the last year- not a single one has surprised me as much as Rayman Origins. At a brief inspection it looks like the good old 2D platformer that we all played in our childhood. To a degree, it is. The Rayman formula is not only intact; it's better. With multiplayer support and what can only be called immaculate polish, Ubisoft have revived an essentially dead franchise with tremendous brilliance.

Globox swinging on a beard. Are you going to buy it now?

Genre: Platform, Action
Release Date: 15th November, 2011
Platforms: PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, PSvita, 3DS, PC
Score: 9/10
Similar Titles:  Mario, Sonic, Crash Bandicoot
Worth Playing: Rayman Origins is definitely worth playing, whether you're a fan of the series or not it's the authentic experience. Keep the music turned up, the soundtrack is amazing!

Final Fantasy: Dissidia

I do enjoy playing my PSP. So far, the game I've played the most is Dissidia. It's a very unique game for Square-Enix. The usual turn based action is instead replaced by a good old beat em up with a few interesting quirks. Super Smash Brothers or Soul Calibur are easily comparable to this combo based fighting game. It's also just as good.

Tidus destroying the low level AI.

Dishonored

 So here's that game everyone loves and praises. It shouldn't be a surprise to you that I will tell you Dishonored is a damn good game. In fact, I struggle to point out a single flaw in this game. You will find plenty of bloody action, endless opportunities to utilize stealth or brutal force, and to top it off a brilliantly polished engine with that trademark that just makes it so Bethesda.

Lord Pendleton and Admiral Havelock, your wonderful co-conspirators.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

Genre: RPG, Action, Adventure
Release Date: February 12th, 2012
Platforms: PC, PS3
Score: 9/10
Similar Titles: Mass effect, Skyrim, Dragon Age, Witcher

Title cover.

After briefly reading about Kingdoms of Amalur and discovering none of my friends knew anything about it, I decided to take a chance. Big Huge games and 38 Studios didn't let me down. Although Amalur doesn't introduce anything particularly groundbreaking or original, it successfully implements some of the best mechanics of all your favourite RPG games.

Magicka

Genre: Action, Adventure, HacknSlash
Release Date: January 25th 2011
Platforms: PC
Score: 7/10
Similar Titles: Renegade Ops, Realm of the Mad God

Starting up a level is as easy as pie.

Magicka was recently a summer deal on Steam, so I bought it for next to nothing. Obviously me and my friends weren't expecting much from this 1-4 player RPG/action game. However, I found myself pleasantly surprised upon starting up Magicka in all its glitchy gloriness. Despite constant crashes and annoying bugs, this game is freaking awesome. Don't let the images fool you, it will entertain you.

Creating the right spell combination unleashes devastating effects.

You may heal yourself, but healing your friends is far more effective.

My friends and I had our fun separated into short periods of time by constant issues and having to alt + f4 and restart the level. When you encounter so many problems and still want to play, you know it's a something special.

The fire element is handy for setting groups of enemies aflame.

Freezing an enemy opens them up to being shattered by rocks.

The most prominent feature of Magicka is the spell system. By using different elements, you can combine and create new spells. While this doesn't sound too crazy, when you and three friends are testing combinations, you are bound to accidentally blow yourselves up rather frequently.  Don't play this game alone, I beg you.

Combining spells with your friends will really cause damage.

Cruising around with a couple of buddies makes combat incredibly entertaining, hitting eachother for bonus points and ressurecting eachother on the fly. Blast enemies to bits in the challenge modes with crudely mixed magic using every tool at your disposal to survive. There are even new PVP modes so you can explode your friends in an arena designed for it!

Don't buy this game expecting diamonds because it will let you down. But in my eyes, this game will always be a great way to kill some time with my mates.

Dawn of War 2: Retribution

Genre: RTS, Strategy, Action
Release Date: March 1st 2011
Platforms: PC
Score: 7/10
Similar Titles: Command and Conquer, Warcraft 3, X-men: Legends

Gotta love the style of 40k.

Todays review isn't what you'd call a traditional RPG. Unlike the single player games I usually cover, Dawn of War is an RTS franchise. However, the second game in the series, Retribution plays like an RPG more than anything else. Relic entertainment have sacrificed a lot of what was good in Dawn of War, and replaced it with an arcadey playstyle similar to that penguin flash game where you just keep trying to fly further and further.

Loads of the badass weaponry from Warhammer are included.

Featuring multiple campaigns with the races from the Warhammer 40k universe, you can play as: Space Marines, Chaos, Eldar, Orks, Tyrannids, or the Imperial guard. Sadly the missions are exactly the same (a couple of differences) regardless of which army you choose.

Dawn of War II adopts a new combat system entirely, eradicating the construction of buildings from the game. Instead of making a base, you will capture strategic points across each map and use them to create units. Resources are collected primarily through destroying crates in the field to find them.

With no buildings to manage, focusing on tactics is essential.

The best thing implemented in the new engine is the champions of each race. During the first mission, you will be awarded four heroes, each with their own abilities, level up system, and gear slots. As they increase in power you will find yourself cruising around without backup, kicking ass and looting shizz. Despite this obvious flaw in the games balance, it's hella fun and that's fine with me.

Missions are straightforward, you will be able to either pick a side mission to gain gear and experience, or advance directly through the plot battles. Gear is thrown at you left and right, and it's pretty awesome being able to upgrade all your characters through their respective talent trees. Talents can be picked in either offence, defence, or utility. Most points will just give you attacks like grenade, but there is some really cool stuff out there (perma-invisibility or invulnerability).

Here's a video to demonstrate some gameplay:

It's pretty fun bossing it through each level, they look very pretty and are intimately designed. Overall, the lack of difficulty (harder modes are just tedious) kinda ruins the game. The Last Stand can be kinda fun for a while, but the game is severely lacking a skirmish mode. Playing online can be really fun, but after a couple of matches you'll really lose steam and enthusiasm.

Eldar attack in numbers, but are quite easy to break through.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

Genre: RPG, Action
Release Date: May 17th 2011
Platforms: PC, Xbox 360
Score: 8/10
Similar Titles: Dragon Age, The Elder Scrolls, Mass Effect

I've been meaning to get around to review the Witcher 2 for a while now, because it seems rather popular at the moment. If you want to read a review on the first game, go here.
 

As a sequel to an inspired yet flawed game, the Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings needed a lot of drastic changes to fulfil a standard worthy of Bioware or Blizzard in 2011. Surprisingly, CD Projekt have done their jobs properly, and learnt from their mistakes. They have carefully replaced the majority of the time consuming and inconvenient design issues from the first game. Instead of giving the graphics engine an overall polish, they built a new one entirely. The scenery is truly beautiful, and you won't have any trouble immersing yourself in the world.

It begins where the first game left off, following the escapades of white haired Geralt of Riva, a Witcher taught to fight and kill monsters - usually for a price. I'm not going into detail about the storyline. All you need to know is that it is both intricate and magnificent; a compliment not frequent in my vocabulary. Advancing dialogue is quite interesting in the Witcher 2. Instead of picking archtypical lines from the good angel and evil devil on your shoulder, you will find yourself choosing options based on the possible consquences later in the story. In other words, karma will bite you on the ass later in the game if you're a silly billy.


Wonderful plot aside, I'm going to talk about the thing that impressed me most in the Witcher 2 - combat. Adopting a new action orientated style, fighting as Geralt is better than ever. The mechanics allow you to smoothly navigate the battlefield while stringing together blows to slay enemies. The signs (magic) system is also improved, the spells are cooler and cause devastation, and can be deployed effectively using the new combat menu, which slows down the fight to a managable pace. If you experienced the fairly sluggish you hit I hit from the Witcher 1, then you will be astounded by the new design.

Levelling is much simpler this time around; each level aquires you one skill point to allocate into a specialisation. Since you won't be completing all of the trees in one playthrough, choosing wisely is advised. Each specialisation has some awesome talents, enough to make you eager to plow through quests to get that overpowered upgrade. Armour also provides stat boosts, providing another way to customise and compliment your build.

Alchemy works much the same as any profession in an RPG game, materials pile up from your relentless monster killing and ruthless herb collecting - then you mash it together and you have a hulk concoction. I'd like to say you can play the game without becoming an addled potion chugger, but there's no doubt you will. When you get addicted to drugs, blame the Witcher 2. Eventually alchemy starts to yield some pretty badass recipes, so take advantage of it.

If you're looking for something epic to kill some time before Diablo 3 or Skyrim, this is the game to get. Completing all the content should take 40-80 hours, depending on how you play it. The Witcher 2 kicks off 2011 as a promising year for RPGs.