|
Good afternoon! I hope you guys are safe and healthy. It seems like the world is opening back up and that’s great, but we still have to be careful. Many of you are probably spending a lot of time at home and that means options for entertainment are somewhat limited. Go ahead and check out my series of short game reviews. You don’t even have to be a gamer. What have I been playing lately? Are these games pretty good or terrible? Keep reading to find out.  Let’s begin with Assassin’s Creed: Origins. It’s an action-adventure game that takes place in Ancient Egypt. This entry has some of the most impressive gameplay in the Assassin’s Creed series. The controls are great and the you’ll be equipped with a variety of swords, shields, spears, outfits, and additional inventory. Origins includes elements like horseback riding, bow hunting, gladiatorial combat, chariot racing, and more. It has a fleshed out skill tree and a brand new interpretation of the Assassin’s Creed brand. This game also has some flaws, including a bland story and quite a few glitches. I found myself frustrated because the game froze a lot. Origins is much longer than the average modern game and some people could lose interest eventually. Also, you’ll spend a lot of time running around the environment, which is cool in a way, but it also drags everything out. Overall, this game is one of the best installments in the Assassin’s Creed franchise. It’s a fun, beautiful, and well crafted game that could keep you entertained for weeks on end. I highly recommend it.  Thief is a dark steampunk fantasy that takes place during the 19th-Century. It’s also a remake of a game series that was popular on the PC. Your character is literally a thief who’s trying to uncover a strange conspiracy. That means you’ll spend a lot of time stealing objects. Thief will probably appeal to gamers who enjoy stealth mechanics. It also has decent steampunk elements in a gritty setting. Beyond that, I’m not impressed with this game. It has very little variety because you’re primarily stalking through the environment and stealing items. Combat is supposed to be limited, so it’s really awkward when you actually have a violent encounter with enemies. The map is terrible and I remember running into walls, dead ends, and cliffs on a regular basis. I found the plot uncompelling and generic with poorly developed characters. After you’ve played this game for a couple hours, it doesn’t offer anything new. Basically, this game is completely forgettable with clunky mechanics and poor routing. I suppose it might be okay for gamers who enjoy stealth experiences, but that’s it. You should probably spend your time and money elsewhere.  Pokken Tournament DX is a fighting version of Pokémon. It includes several fan favorites, such as Pikachu, Mewtwo, Charizard, and others. I’m not thrilled with this game, but the gameplay is solid and easy to learn. The controls work perfectly fine and the experience might appeal to individuals who enjoy arcade games. Unfortunately, it feels like an incomplete game. Pokken Tournament DX becomes stale in a short period of time. It doesn’t have a story mode, levels, boss fights, or anything beyond a basic arcade experience. Your pokémon level up along the way, but it doesn’t seem to make a difference in combat. I couldn’t tell you why Bandi made this game because it doesn’t seem like audiences were demanding for an arcade version of Pokémon. Truthfully, it plays well, but most players will grow bored and I can definitely think of better fighting games, such as Injustice and Soul Calibur. If you really want a great experience with Pokémon, play Sword and Shield instead.  Dark Souls has a combination of dark Medieval fantasy and post-apocalyptic elements. I didn’t like this game very much, but it has cool world building and a variety of interesting enemies. It gives players endless opportunities for exploration and different ways to progress through the game. However, Dark Souls has many problems and I can’t figure out why it spawned a hugely popular franchise. The controls are super clunky and the general layout is almost impossible to figure out. Seriously, I barely learned how to equip a sword and shield because the inventory is so convoluted. Apparently, there’s a way to use spells, health items, keys, and new outfits, but I couldn’t figure it out. Dark Souls is insanely difficult and players have to backtrack through a lot of areas to make progress. The weakest enemies will kill you in one or two hits, let alone powerful bosses. This game is supposed to be a remaster, but it doesn’t look much better than the original release. Sorry, but I’m not recommending Dark Souls Remastered. A lot of gamers and critics think it’s a masterpiece, but I don’t get it. That doesn’t mean the entire franchise is bad. Dark Souls III is more polished and modern, so try that one if you want an extra challenging experience.  The Guardians of the Galaxy have an alternate journey that’s not connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This game is a graphic adventure that focuses more on storytelling and choices rather than combat. It definitely feels like an authentic Guardians of the Galaxy game with humor, banter, hijinks, and a wacky adventure in space. This game is also a nice break from role-playing experiences and brainless violence. With that said, the plot is very weak and bland, which is a huge problem for a Telltale game. Graphic adventures focus almost exclusively on the story, so it’s anticlimactic when the plot is bad. I’m pretty sure most gamers will become bored in a short period of time. I earned a rare Xbox achievement by completing the last few chapters and that’s a bad sign. It means hardly anyone finishes the game. Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series is a disappointing superhero game and space opera. It doesn’t have a compelling story or a significant reason to keep playing. I don’t even think hardcore Marvel fans need to play this game because it doesn't connect with the films or comics. That’s just my honest opinion.  If you’re interested in westerns, Red Dead Redemption II might be a good choice. It’s an exciting adventure on the frontier with outlaws and gunslingers. I really appreciate the open world environment because it has remarkable detail, gorgeous world building, and endless opportunities. Gamers could easily immerse themselves in the environment for hours. The graphics and gameplay are excellent with smooth controls, realistic outcomes, and signature western elements. Gun fights feel authentic and novel at the same time. Characters have strong development and change throughout the game, depending on your actions. You can be a hero, a villain, or something in between. On the negative side, this game might be a little bit too huge. I enjoy the expansiveness, but the story is incredibly long and most players won’t have the time or patience to explore each location. Red Dead Redemption II tries to be very realistic, which means you have to manually travel from one place to the next and it can take a long time. It’s also super easy to make deadly mistakes. I accidentally shot people and got into huge fights regularly. You could also slip and fall off a cliff with very little effort. Everything requires a ton of care in this game. You must purchase new clothes, shave, bathe, hydrate, eat, take care of your horse, fix the stage coach, etc. That means hunting, purchasing supplies, earning money, and other components are essential. It’s an interesting part of the game and part of the charm, but I can understand if players find these nuances irritating. It might not be a masterpiece, but Red Dead Redemption II is a fabulous addition to modern gaming. I believe every gamer should try it at least once and many people will probably fall in love the whole experience. This one is a winner.  You probably know this collection. It’s the original Aladdin on the Sega Genesis and The Lion King on the Super Nintendo. It’s retro gaming with two popular titles. Honestly, I was disappointed with these games, but they have a couple positive elements. First of all, they’re classic platformers that should make retro gamers happy. They also have a new rewind feature, which is great when you make a mistake. Falling off a cliff can be erased. You can also save the game after completing each level. No more game overs!
How hard can these games be? They’re awful. I would say Aladdin and especially The Lion King are some of the hardest games during their generation. Surprising, right? Gamers must have expert reflexes, time everything just right, memorize lengthy patterns, run through really long chapters, and be willing to die infinitely. This collection requires a special amount of patience. The difficulty level ruins the fun and I noticed many frustrating glitches. Worse yet, these games can cause a nasty episode of motion sickness. I became violently ill after playing this collection because the characters flail around the screen so much. Naturally, I recommend skipping this collection. They’re really frustrating and I’ve seen better retro experiences. Just watch the movies instead. There you go! I wrote a handful of mini game reviews just for you guys. What kind of games interest you? Here’s a question for non-gamers. Do you enjoy watching gameplay on YouTube or Twitch and if so, which games do you watch? Thanks a lot for visiting and I promise to keep posting new content. For real, stay out of trouble and be safe. Between COVID-19 and the protesting, it seems like the entire world is divided and falling into anarchy. I know it’s really easy to become frustrated, but it’s important to remain humane, civil, and sane. You can do it. I’m already seeing a lot of positive steps forward with businesses reopening, food production going up, vaccine trials heading in the right direction, and it seems like we can all buy toilet paper again. Hurray! Thanks for visiting and come back again soon. Bye!
0 Comments
Welcome back! Right now, people are taking advantage of numerous streaming options. HBO Max launched in May and I had plenty of time to check it out. Is HBO Max worth your valuable time and money? Keep reading to find out.
Overall, I enjoy HBO Max. However, I might have an unfair advantage compared to the average viewer. I was already subscribed to HBO NOW and the two streaming services are very similar. HBO Max definitely has several perks. First of all, people get a free upgrade for no additional charge if they already had HBO NOW. Both plans cost $14.99 per month, so the free upgrade seems like a great plus. HBO Max literally has the same movies and shows on HBO NOW, except it has a lot more content. It has quite a few more films, including classics and most of the library from Warner Bros. You can also check out several anime movies, family friendly animation, horror, and gritty actions flicks. HBO Max also syndicates television shows from other networks, such as Cartoon Network and The CW. If you enjoy DC superheroes, this streaming service would be a good choice. It has a really big library of DC content. This service also has a few original programs, including a remake of Loony Toons and some standup comedies. More original content is coming in the near future, but expect delays because of the pandemic. The service’s content is vast with high quality and it should appeal to different audiences. HBO Max seems to be getting poor reviews from many people, but I actually like it. Naturally, this streaming service has some negative elements. It’s very disorganized, which is typical of most streaming services. I don’t even find Netflix or Amazon Prime very organized. Hulu and Disney+ probably have the best organization among streaming options. It can be difficult to find movies and shows on HBO Max. You might enjoy quite a few options, but they’re buried in the interface. Primarily, HBO Max showcases its most popular content, new releases, whatever is leaving soon, and anything they’re promoting for the week. Also, the price is extremely bloated. $14.99 is a pretty hefty price for this type of streaming service. It’s worth my time because HBO and Warner Bros. create a lot of my favorite content. But that might not be the case for you. Even Netflix is having a difficult time justifying $12.99 a month because they’re losing so many films and shows. Should you subscribe to HBO Max? That entirely depends on your situation. Most people will only pay for a few streaming services, but some cord cutters like me will invest more. Honestly, I don’t understand why anyone would pay for traditional cable or satellite television anymore. I heard the average cable bill is around $240 every month. That’s insane, but I believe it. Even the streaming versions of cable are way too expensive. Therefore, HBO Max and any number of streaming services are a better option. It depends on your preference for movies and tv shows. HBO Max is good for viewers who enjoy HBO, Warner Bros, Cartoon Network, anime, Turner Classic Movies, action films, DC superheroes, The CW, and family friendly animation. At the moment, it also includes everything from 20th Century, but that will change when their contract expires. 20th Century will ultimately move to Hulu and Disney+. If you don’t care about anything I mentioned, HBO Max isn’t a very good option. Additionally, some people are probably content with Netflix, Amazon Prime, and the Disney+ bundle with Hulu and ESPN+. In that case, you might not need to pay an extra $14.99 per month. On the other hand, you might want to swap out Netflix or Amazon Prime if HBO Max has more content that strikes your fancy. That’s all I have to offer at the moment. Are you thinking about joining HBO Max? Do you already use HBO Max and how well do you like it? Leave a comment. Pretty soon, I’ll write more content about gaming and writing. I haven’t reviewed any streaming films yet, so that’s an option too. You read my post about favorite post-apocalyptic movies. I’ll probably talk about the ones that disappointed me. So, I haven’t decided next week’s post yet, but it’s probably going to be one of these topics. I hope you guys are being safe and sane. Thanks for joining me during this crazy time period and come back soon. You can always find a safe haven on my blog. Take care and enjoy the rest of your weekend. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
May 2019
Categories |
RSS Feed