Kiiii's Arcade

Key · 10-09-2015, 10:34 AM

I've been playing a few new games recently and although some have left a bad taste in my mouth, others have kept going strong as I play them more. I want to talk about one that I haven't necessarily been playing a lot of, but it's had a lasting good impression on me since I bought it.

Rampage Knights in the simplest of terms is a side scroller-esque rogue like adventure game. Think of the random room generation of Binding of Isaac mixed with the combat and art style of Rogue Legacy. Although none of the games I mentioned are similar exactly, this game definitely pulls most of it's influence from those two games. You start out as a novice sword fighter and as you fight your way through rooms and waves of enemies, you get gold and other items to help you along the way. Basically, the more you play the game, the more you unlock and the more play styles and characters you unlock to make the game either more fun, or more difficult. I've played a few hours of this game so far and each time I play it, I seem to have a really good time. There's really not a lot I can say that's bad about it, but I will say that on my first run, it does seem like the game will punish you from the get-go. There's really no "get ready for a tough ride" stage, it just puts you right into the difficulty and you have to learn certain tactics and strategies to be sure you don't lose the lives that you have. You play the game with only 2 lives but you can pick up items to make yourself more survivable, like the potion that refills itself after each room. When it comes down to it though, this game being as difficult as it is can also be very rewarding. As you play through levels of combat, you find chests and other ways to find more items and sometimes you'll get lucky and find a weapon that can inflict far more damage than your default. The cost of that is often times the speed in which you inflict damage, but mixed with combos and strategies to take down the enemies, it seems worth it. This game while not yet one of my favorite rogue like games, it's definitely one of the better ones to come out recently. I found it almost out of nowhere and for it to be a pleasant surprise is always nice. Definitely do give it a shot if you're into some of the combat styling of Rogue Legacy, because like I said, it does draw a lot of it's influence from that game. Not a bad thing though, since Rogue Legacy is a great game. Also the music is awesome.

(example of the type of combat/combos you can perform on enemies)

LoathsomePete · 10-09-2015, 11:18 AM

How generous is the game when it comes to hit detection and the plane you're standing on? That was always my biggest problem with side-scrolling brawlers like this, I think I'm on the same plane as the enemy but I'm actually a degree or two off and my attacks go unconnected. This game looks like a lot of fun and the combat reminds me of Devil May Cry which I always enjoyed.

Key · 10-09-2015, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoathsomePete

How generous is the game when it comes to hit detection and the plane you're standing on? That was always my biggest problem with side-scrolling brawlers like this, I think I'm on the same plane as the enemy but I'm actually a degree or two off and my attacks go unconnected. This game looks like a lot of fun and the combat reminds me of Devil May Cry which I always enjoyed.

Its actually not bad at all. Only the few times have I fallen off a ledge it was more due to me being stupid. Its a rare occasion when I actually miss an enemy plus being able to pick enemies up when they fall over makes it easier to be in control. It may feel weird at first mostly because when your character moves, its not normal speed even if it looks like it should be. Give it a shot though, I was surprised at how much I liked it.

Key · 10-10-2015, 11:22 AM

It's been about a week or so since I bought This War of Mine and i've put 2-3 hours of actual game play into it by now. Unfortunately that's more due to having a busy work schedule this week. With having a few hours of gameplay under my belt though, I can safely say that you can never truly judge a game based on it's cover alone. It's actually pretty amazing how quickly my opinion of this game has changed simply based on how much more i've noticed in the game as I play it more. So let's talk about it.

In the simplest of terms, This War of Mine is a post-war side scroller simulation. You have access to three characters at one time. You're probably thinking to yourself "wow, that must be difficult to get used to, having to control three people at once". Actually, it's not as bad as you might think, it's actually really useful when you have people with certain skills. On my first playthrough, I wasn't entirely sure what everything meant when it came to what perks certain characters have and what to look out for, mostly because the game just throws you into the action and doesn't really explain a lot, but it doesn't really have to. A few more playthroughs and i've actually started to see the deep-ness and true art of the game itself. I had a playthrough recently where I sent one of my guys out to scavenge for food and parts while one guards the shelter and another one sleeps. The reason I had one of them sleeping is because that person was getting restless and needed sleep, otherwise their survival is at risk. Upon entering the building that I wanted to scavenge, I quickly realized how dangerous this game can be, especially when you're not properly prepared. Unfortunately, I got into a fist to gun fight, and you can probably imagine how that went down. Yeah, the guy I sent to scavenge ended up dying. Once that happens though, the game does a fantastic job at making you really feel the pain of losing someone important in your team. It makes you realize the mistake you made and helps you understand how to fix those mistakes so that they don't happen the next time you decide to send someone out unprepared. And yes, you may not realize it at the beginning, but every single person in your team is important. You quickly come to realize that if you didn't have three people in your team, you'd be dead by night. The really sad thing about losing someone in your team is how it effects the rest of your team. Both remaining characters become depressed and the only way to help them out is by having them talk to one another. I had some interesting dialogue when I did my play through and they were basically trying to knock some sense into each other without inflicting too much emotional pain. It's a weird feeling because I can actually sort of feel what the people are going through. You start to notice that they are starting to feel worthless and they begin mumbling to themselves that they wish the war never happened and everything went back to normal. It's even scarier to think that something like that could actually happen in this day and age.

There's also a number of ways that you can help yourself survive longer without actually having to rush out and scavenge every building possible. You can build a workbench and a metal workshop that allows you to build tools and furniture and radios and all sorts of things. Some things help you keep sane while others help you fight off bad guys if they decide to raid your shelter, which does happen. Speaking of the raids, when you have one person guarding your shelter without a weapon, it doesn't go too well. Fortunately every time i've had someone raid my shelter, my guard has been able to fight them off, somehow. So yeah, this game does have a bit of a crafting process to it, but what I like about it is that it's not directly focused on crafting. That's where I feel like some games lose their charm is when the game play is solid, but everything revolves around crafting. There's a good balance of having to go out and find food and medical supplies and having to craft. Also, make sure you build beds as quickly as possible. Your team will not like having to sleep on the floor every night. Hell, I wouldn't like that either.

On top of all that, this game is phenomenally written when it comes to the dialogue. The graphics are great. The pencil drawn art style is also very pleasing to the eye. And when you're playing through the game, you can hear shots of gunfire in the distance and other war related sounds that really put you on edge. There's really a lot that makes this game great, and I haven't even begun to touch the surface of what this game has to offer. This War of Mine is definitely something I wasn't expecting to like as much as I have, but i'm happy i'm enjoying it as much as I am. Hopefully I get better as time goes on, because I would love to see what happens in the later parts of the game, if I survive long enough that is.

So to wrap things up, don't let the fact that it's a simulation game ruin your experience. Honestly, it's a really well done simulation of what could potentially happen in a post-war scenario. They've managed to create a game that takes everything from the emotional aspect of post-war, and to the neediness of survival and mashed it altogether to make an experience that doesn't happen too often in video games.

Key · 10-28-2015, 12:29 AM

Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor

I know it's been a while since I've updated this journal. I think I got a little bit too burned out from horror month, and I just needed to take a little while to get away from writing. I feel like i'm back again and ready to write about games more than ever. So, I want to start off with talking about a game I got only a few days ago, but have already put about 5 hours of gameplay into it. It is of course Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor.

So, what is this game you ask? Well, in the simplest of terms, it's an open world Lord of the Rings RPG. In more complex terms, imagine taking the stealth aspect of Assassins Creed, the open world aspect of Skyrim or Grand Theft Auto and the like, and mixing it all up with the Lord of the Rings lore and the combat system of the Batman Arkham games. I know that may seem a little bit overwhelming at first, but somehow it seems to work really well when it's done the right way.

This game has got a very unique style of gameplay in the sense of story progression. I don't want to really spoil anything, but basically, as you are playing through the game, you'll find yourself in battles with what they call "Captains, Warchiefs, Chieftans, etc" and each rank gets difficult as you can imagine. However, the twist is that the more times you die against a certain ranked orc, the more powerful they become. Basically, you're trying to fight off as many of saurons army as you can without allowing them to promote through the ranks and get stronger. I'm playing through it for my first time and i'm already starting to realize that the amount of deaths that I allowed to occur in the first hour or so really made my game a lot more difficult than it should be. But, the idea of your enemy becoming stronger the more you die is certainly a unique one, but it works really well in this setting. The other twist is that sometimes if an orc wants a certain rank, and another orc already has that rank, they will fight each other and most of the time, the orc wanting the rank will win and take over that rank. It adds a bit of competition and a hint of jealousy as you fight through captain after captain after captain. You obviously want to be careful as you try to take them on though, because sometimes they'll have gained enough influence in their rank to allow other unranked orcs to follow them around and help them in battle. And of course, you'll find yourself fighting against three or maybe four captains at once, and at that point you may as well just run away. There's no shame in that, i've done it multiple times.

When this game was first released, I actually didn't know a whole lot about it, nor do I claim to know much about it now. However, I knew upon release it did really well and everyone who played it seemed to really like it. Truth be told, the only reason I got it is because I was able to snag it off Steam for under 20 bucks with all the DLC's included. I'm now seeing that that price was definitely worth it, and as I said in the games thread, I would probably buy this game at full retail. Especially with a mixture of top notch graphics and the beautifully done voice acting. Everything about the game is so well done that it really does make for such a fantastic experience that I personally would pay over 60 bucks for. But I didn't.

Anyway, I highly recommend this game for anybody who is interested in a new open world style game and I strongly and highly recommend this game if you're interested in anything Lord of the Rings. I can't say that i'm a total fanboy for Lord of the Rings, but I do know for a fact that the entire franchise is a work of art. I actually have fond memories of watching the movies for the first time, and playing through Lord of The Rings: The Third Age, which if I remember correctly was one of the first RPG experiences I've ever had. It really does the lore aspect of the franchise justice as well as making a great game for the catalog of games in the Lord of the Rings franchise.

The last thing I will mention is that the lore is very well implemented into the game. With the story telling of the game itself, you'll find yourself running into familiar faces and names such as Sauron and Golem to name a few. I haven't gotten far enough into the game to see if there are any other linked names between the game and the movies, but the story the game tells on it's own is enough to get you interested. Everything about it is just fantastic and makes for a beautiful experience in a video game.

So go play it, i'm going to do that right now. Have a good time.

Key · 11-13-2015, 10:45 AM

I'm sure everybody and their mother knows by now that Fallout 4 has been released. Hell, it's been pretty much what everyone has been talking about for the last week. With good reason, of course. But yes, it's been released, and I have about 5 hours of pure gameplay time put into it right now, which is great considering I've only been playing at night due to work. I actually got it as soon as it released as well, so I was ready to go the minute the clock struck 9pm. Anyway, let's talk about the game for a little bit, shall we?

So, what is Fallout 4? It's a sequel to Fallout 3, are you dumb? Just kidding. It's obviously a step forward in the Fallout series, which for whatever reason, a lot of people disagree with. It's only been out for a few days, and I can't even begin to tell you how many negative reviews i've seen about the game already. "Oh, the graphics are bad" "Oh, I can't wait until modders fix this game" "Oh, it's like a step in the backwards direction". I have a few words for those people: "shut the **** up and be happy you got a game this great." Yes, Fallout 4, to me, exceeds all expectations I had for it. With the hype that it built up ever since a full reveal at E3, I really feel like this release was worth the wait and the hype was worth it. Everything to the perk system to the way the game feels to the graphics are all top notch. I always want to mention that for me personally, I had absolutely no trouble playing the game as soon as it launched. There have been times with other games where the minute the game is released, the game is broken to the point that you can't even play it until a patch is released. Bethesda must've done a number of tests to be sure that this game actually worked on released, and it does so with flying colors. I wasn't too sure how I felt about the game being set in Boston as I don't really have a lot of knowledge about the place like I do with Washington DC from Fallout 3, but they have done a good job to make sure that even for someone that doesn't know the area of Boston too well, it's still a fun experience to walk around and find loot and kill baddies. I'll talk about some more of the changes that were made in this game that do make the game better in some ways. In the simplest way I can put it right now, I'm having a blast with this game and I strongly urge you to ignore any negative feedback regarding the game, because it's fantastic.

So, onto some of the noticeable changes in Fallout 4. For one, the new VATS system is quite good. In Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, the VATS system would freeze time, allowing you to aim your shots accordingly and take out an enemy with one or two headshots right away. In Fallout 4, the VATS system no longer freezes time. It now slows down time, but still gives the enemy a chance to come after you and hit you. I actually like this change a lot, because it doesn't make VATS an "easy way out" as it felt in the previous games. Another change that I really like is how radiation poisoning works. In Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, I wasn't entirely sure how the radiation poisoning worked in terms of your health and ability to keep your HP up, etc. In Fallout 4, the radiation poisoning actually effects your HP to the point that it lowers your max HP bar until you take some radaway. Again, a great change and one that really incentivises staying away from anything with even the smallest amount of radiation. Sometimes it can be tough, especially when you're desperately looking to loot a house and it's covered in radiation. But still a good change nonetheless. There's still a few smaller changes to the overall gameplay mechanics, etc, but i'll let you see those for yourself.

As it stands right now, and even though i'm only 5 hours into the game, I think Bethesda have really truly outdone themselves with this release. Obviously, it's going to be one of those things where half the fanbase will do nothing but complain about the game, while the other half will be enjoying the **** out of the game. I'll say it again, I have had absolutely no problems with the game. Every new thing I find in the game, I find myself just sitting back for a second and saying "damn, that's cool as ****" then continuing to play even more. I strongly suggest picking this up, even at full retail price, especially if you've been curious about whether or not this game is good. It's great, maybe even greater than great.

The Batlord · 11-13-2015, 10:57 AM

Fallout 4 is definitely a huge reason I'll be looking into a next gen system. Whether or not it's better or worse than 3 or NV, Fallout is one of those games that's so good that it almost doesn't matter. Even a mediocre Fallout game is going to be better than 95% of all other games.

Key · 11-13-2015, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

Fallout 4 is definitely a huge reason I'll be looking into a next gen system. Whether or not it's better or worse than 3 or NV, Fallout is one of those games that's so good that it almost doesn't matter. Even a mediocre Fallout game is going to be better than 95% of all other games.

Definitely do give it a go. I know it may sound a bit of an exaggeration, but imo Bethesda really have outdone themselves.

The Batlord · 11-13-2015, 05:15 PM

Hey. Ki. Didja ever get Alien: Isolation? I know it's a pointless question with Fallout 4 out there, but I'm still curious.

Key · 11-13-2015, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

Hey. Ki. Didja ever get Alien: Isolation? I know it's a pointless question with Fallout 4 out there, but I'm still curious.

I have it on my wish list. It was on sale a while ago but I forgot to get it. I plan to soon.

10-09-2015, 11:18 AM	#2 (permalink)
LoathsomePete Cardboard Box Realtor Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Hobb's End Posts: 7,648	How generous is the game when it comes to hit detection and the plane you're standing on? That was always my biggest problem with side-scrolling brawlers like this, I think I'm on the same plane as the enemy but I'm actually a degree or two off and my attacks go unconnected. This game looks like a lot of fun and the combat reminds me of Devil May Cry which I always enjoyed. __________________ Last.FM 101 Albums That May Not Change Your Life, But I Really Like And You Might Too

10-09-2015, 10:34 AM	#1 (permalink)
Key . Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 13,153	I've been playing a few new games recently and although some have left a bad taste in my mouth, others have kept going strong as I play them more. I want to talk about one that I haven't necessarily been playing a lot of, but it's had a lasting good impression on me since I bought it. Rampage Knights in the simplest of terms is a side scroller-esque rogue like adventure game. Think of the random room generation of Binding of Isaac mixed with the combat and art style of Rogue Legacy. Although none of the games I mentioned are similar exactly, this game definitely pulls most of it's influence from those two games. You start out as a novice sword fighter and as you fight your way through rooms and waves of enemies, you get gold and other items to help you along the way. Basically, the more you play the game, the more you unlock and the more play styles and characters you unlock to make the game either more fun, or more difficult. I've played a few hours of this game so far and each time I play it, I seem to have a really good time. There's really not a lot I can say that's bad about it, but I will say that on my first run, it does seem like the game will punish you from the get-go. There's really no "get ready for a tough ride" stage, it just puts you right into the difficulty and you have to learn certain tactics and strategies to be sure you don't lose the lives that you have. You play the game with only 2 lives but you can pick up items to make yourself more survivable, like the potion that refills itself after each room. When it comes down to it though, this game being as difficult as it is can also be very rewarding. As you play through levels of combat, you find chests and other ways to find more items and sometimes you'll get lucky and find a weapon that can inflict far more damage than your default. The cost of that is often times the speed in which you inflict damage, but mixed with combos and strategies to take down the enemies, it seems worth it. This game while not yet one of my favorite rogue like games, it's definitely one of the better ones to come out recently. I found it almost out of nowhere and for it to be a pleasant surprise is always nice. Definitely do give it a shot if you're into some of the combat styling of Rogue Legacy, because like I said, it does draw a lot of it's influence from that game. Not a bad thing though, since Rogue Legacy is a great game. Also the music is awesome. (example of the type of combat/combos you can perform on enemies)

10-10-2015, 11:22 AM	#4 (permalink)
Key . Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 13,153	It's been about a week or so since I bought This War of Mine and i've put 2-3 hours of actual game play into it by now. Unfortunately that's more due to having a busy work schedule this week. With having a few hours of gameplay under my belt though, I can safely say that you can never truly judge a game based on it's cover alone. It's actually pretty amazing how quickly my opinion of this game has changed simply based on how much more i've noticed in the game as I play it more. So let's talk about it. In the simplest of terms, This War of Mine is a post-war side scroller simulation. You have access to three characters at one time. You're probably thinking to yourself "wow, that must be difficult to get used to, having to control three people at once". Actually, it's not as bad as you might think, it's actually really useful when you have people with certain skills. On my first playthrough, I wasn't entirely sure what everything meant when it came to what perks certain characters have and what to look out for, mostly because the game just throws you into the action and doesn't really explain a lot, but it doesn't really have to. A few more playthroughs and i've actually started to see the deep-ness and true art of the game itself. I had a playthrough recently where I sent one of my guys out to scavenge for food and parts while one guards the shelter and another one sleeps. The reason I had one of them sleeping is because that person was getting restless and needed sleep, otherwise their survival is at risk. Upon entering the building that I wanted to scavenge, I quickly realized how dangerous this game can be, especially when you're not properly prepared. Unfortunately, I got into a fist to gun fight, and you can probably imagine how that went down. Yeah, the guy I sent to scavenge ended up dying. Once that happens though, the game does a fantastic job at making you really feel the pain of losing someone important in your team. It makes you realize the mistake you made and helps you understand how to fix those mistakes so that they don't happen the next time you decide to send someone out unprepared. And yes, you may not realize it at the beginning, but every single person in your team is important. You quickly come to realize that if you didn't have three people in your team, you'd be dead by night. The really sad thing about losing someone in your team is how it effects the rest of your team. Both remaining characters become depressed and the only way to help them out is by having them talk to one another. I had some interesting dialogue when I did my play through and they were basically trying to knock some sense into each other without inflicting too much emotional pain. It's a weird feeling because I can actually sort of feel what the people are going through. You start to notice that they are starting to feel worthless and they begin mumbling to themselves that they wish the war never happened and everything went back to normal. It's even scarier to think that something like that could actually happen in this day and age. There's also a number of ways that you can help yourself survive longer without actually having to rush out and scavenge every building possible. You can build a workbench and a metal workshop that allows you to build tools and furniture and radios and all sorts of things. Some things help you keep sane while others help you fight off bad guys if they decide to raid your shelter, which does happen. Speaking of the raids, when you have one person guarding your shelter without a weapon, it doesn't go too well. Fortunately every time i've had someone raid my shelter, my guard has been able to fight them off, somehow. So yeah, this game does have a bit of a crafting process to it, but what I like about it is that it's not directly focused on crafting. That's where I feel like some games lose their charm is when the game play is solid, but everything revolves around crafting. There's a good balance of having to go out and find food and medical supplies and having to craft. Also, make sure you build beds as quickly as possible. Your team will not like having to sleep on the floor every night. Hell, I wouldn't like that either. On top of all that, this game is phenomenally written when it comes to the dialogue. The graphics are great. The pencil drawn art style is also very pleasing to the eye. And when you're playing through the game, you can hear shots of gunfire in the distance and other war related sounds that really put you on edge. There's really a lot that makes this game great, and I haven't even begun to touch the surface of what this game has to offer. This War of Mine is definitely something I wasn't expecting to like as much as I have, but i'm happy i'm enjoying it as much as I am. Hopefully I get better as time goes on, because I would love to see what happens in the later parts of the game, if I survive long enough that is. So to wrap things up, don't let the fact that it's a simulation game ruin your experience. Honestly, it's a really well done simulation of what could potentially happen in a post-war scenario. They've managed to create a game that takes everything from the emotional aspect of post-war, and to the neediness of survival and mashed it altogether to make an experience that doesn't happen too often in video games.

10-28-2015, 12:29 AM	#5 (permalink)
Key . Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 13,153	Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor I know it's been a while since I've updated this journal. I think I got a little bit too burned out from horror month, and I just needed to take a little while to get away from writing. I feel like i'm back again and ready to write about games more than ever. So, I want to start off with talking about a game I got only a few days ago, but have already put about 5 hours of gameplay into it. It is of course Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor. So, what is this game you ask? Well, in the simplest of terms, it's an open world Lord of the Rings RPG. In more complex terms, imagine taking the stealth aspect of Assassins Creed, the open world aspect of Skyrim or Grand Theft Auto and the like, and mixing it all up with the Lord of the Rings lore and the combat system of the Batman Arkham games. I know that may seem a little bit overwhelming at first, but somehow it seems to work really well when it's done the right way. This game has got a very unique style of gameplay in the sense of story progression. I don't want to really spoil anything, but basically, as you are playing through the game, you'll find yourself in battles with what they call "Captains, Warchiefs, Chieftans, etc" and each rank gets difficult as you can imagine. However, the twist is that the more times you die against a certain ranked orc, the more powerful they become. Basically, you're trying to fight off as many of saurons army as you can without allowing them to promote through the ranks and get stronger. I'm playing through it for my first time and i'm already starting to realize that the amount of deaths that I allowed to occur in the first hour or so really made my game a lot more difficult than it should be. But, the idea of your enemy becoming stronger the more you die is certainly a unique one, but it works really well in this setting. The other twist is that sometimes if an orc wants a certain rank, and another orc already has that rank, they will fight each other and most of the time, the orc wanting the rank will win and take over that rank. It adds a bit of competition and a hint of jealousy as you fight through captain after captain after captain. You obviously want to be careful as you try to take them on though, because sometimes they'll have gained enough influence in their rank to allow other unranked orcs to follow them around and help them in battle. And of course, you'll find yourself fighting against three or maybe four captains at once, and at that point you may as well just run away. There's no shame in that, i've done it multiple times. When this game was first released, I actually didn't know a whole lot about it, nor do I claim to know much about it now. However, I knew upon release it did really well and everyone who played it seemed to really like it. Truth be told, the only reason I got it is because I was able to snag it off Steam for under 20 bucks with all the DLC's included. I'm now seeing that that price was definitely worth it, and as I said in the games thread, I would probably buy this game at full retail. Especially with a mixture of top notch graphics and the beautifully done voice acting. Everything about the game is so well done that it really does make for such a fantastic experience that I personally would pay over 60 bucks for. But I didn't. Anyway, I highly recommend this game for anybody who is interested in a new open world style game and I strongly and highly recommend this game if you're interested in anything Lord of the Rings. I can't say that i'm a total fanboy for Lord of the Rings, but I do know for a fact that the entire franchise is a work of art. I actually have fond memories of watching the movies for the first time, and playing through Lord of The Rings: The Third Age, which if I remember correctly was one of the first RPG experiences I've ever had. It really does the lore aspect of the franchise justice as well as making a great game for the catalog of games in the Lord of the Rings franchise. The last thing I will mention is that the lore is very well implemented into the game. With the story telling of the game itself, you'll find yourself running into familiar faces and names such as Sauron and Golem to name a few. I haven't gotten far enough into the game to see if there are any other linked names between the game and the movies, but the story the game tells on it's own is enough to get you interested. Everything about it is just fantastic and makes for a beautiful experience in a video game. So go play it, i'm going to do that right now. Have a good time.

11-13-2015, 10:45 AM	#6 (permalink)
Key . Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 13,153	I'm sure everybody and their mother knows by now that Fallout 4 has been released. Hell, it's been pretty much what everyone has been talking about for the last week. With good reason, of course. But yes, it's been released, and I have about 5 hours of pure gameplay time put into it right now, which is great considering I've only been playing at night due to work. I actually got it as soon as it released as well, so I was ready to go the minute the clock struck 9pm. Anyway, let's talk about the game for a little bit, shall we? So, what is Fallout 4? It's a sequel to Fallout 3, are you dumb? Just kidding. It's obviously a step forward in the Fallout series, which for whatever reason, a lot of people disagree with. It's only been out for a few days, and I can't even begin to tell you how many negative reviews i've seen about the game already. "Oh, the graphics are bad" "Oh, I can't wait until modders fix this game" "Oh, it's like a step in the backwards direction". I have a few words for those people: "shut the ** up and be happy you got a game this great." Yes, Fallout 4, to me, exceeds all expectations I had for it. With the hype that it built up ever since a full reveal at E3, I really feel like this release was worth the wait and the hype was worth it. Everything to the perk system to the way the game feels to the graphics are all top notch. I always want to mention that for me personally, I had absolutely no trouble playing the game as soon as it launched. There have been times with other games where the minute the game is released, the game is broken to the point that you can't even play it until a patch is released. Bethesda must've done a number of tests to be sure that this game actually worked on released, and it does so with flying colors. I wasn't too sure how I felt about the game being set in Boston as I don't really have a lot of knowledge about the place like I do with Washington DC from Fallout 3, but they have done a good job to make sure that even for someone that doesn't know the area of Boston too well, it's still a fun experience to walk around and find loot and kill baddies. I'll talk about some more of the changes that were made in this game that do make the game better in some ways. In the simplest way I can put it right now, I'm having a blast with this game and I strongly urge you to ignore any negative feedback regarding the game, because it's fantastic. So, onto some of the noticeable changes in Fallout 4. For one, the new VATS system is quite good. In Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, the VATS system would freeze time, allowing you to aim your shots accordingly and take out an enemy with one or two headshots right away. In Fallout 4, the VATS system no longer freezes time. It now slows down time, but still gives the enemy a chance to come after you and hit you. I actually like this change a lot, because it doesn't make VATS an "easy way out" as it felt in the previous games. Another change that I really like is how radiation poisoning works. In Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, I wasn't entirely sure how the radiation poisoning worked in terms of your health and ability to keep your HP up, etc. In Fallout 4, the radiation poisoning actually effects your HP to the point that it lowers your max HP bar until you take some radaway. Again, a great change and one that really incentivises staying away from anything with even the smallest amount of radiation. Sometimes it can be tough, especially when you're desperately looking to loot a house and it's covered in radiation. But still a good change nonetheless. There's still a few smaller changes to the overall gameplay mechanics, etc, but i'll let you see those for yourself. As it stands right now, and even though i'm only 5 hours into the game, I think Bethesda have really truly outdone themselves with this release. Obviously, it's going to be one of those things where half the fanbase will do nothing but complain about the game, while the other half will be enjoying the out of the game. I'll say it again, I have had absolutely no problems with the game. Every new thing I find in the game, I find myself just sitting back for a second and saying "damn, that's cool as **" then continuing to play even more. I strongly suggest picking this up, even at full retail price, especially if you've been curious about whether or not this game is good. It's great, maybe even greater than great.