Key

You're a big reason why that happened. You mentioned it in plug that one night, and since then, I've been hooked. Had it not been for you, I would'nt have bothered playing Fallout 3 and Fallout 4, and boy, what a mistake that would have been.

Exo

You're welcome.

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SUPREME POO BAH MODERATOR EXTRAORDINAIRE

The Batlord

I've been playing Fallout since 3, but I haven't played the first two. I got hooked on **** hard for weeks. I've been totally looking forward a new Fallout game, I just don't have an XBone, Playstation 4, or a Steam Account.

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Key

As we're reaching the end of this year (damn, where did the time go??), I want to make a point to talk about the video game releases that have been given to us throughout the year. It's no mystery to anybody that this year has been one of the best years for video games, more specifically these last few months. There's been a huge assortment of indie games that I've fallen in love with, on top of some of the bigger releases that some may question the big price tag on. However, when it all comes down to it, i've drastically improved my gaming library with the releases of this year alone. It's also safe to say that there have been a bunch of duds that have come and gone through my library and others as well and thus creating a little void to be filled with an even better game. And yes, DLC's will be included in this as well as I feel like there's been a bunch of great DLC's that have made previous releases even better than they already were. This is just going to be an introductory post because I plan to talk about a video game each day this week and possibly through the weekend leading up to my number one video game release of this year. And yes, it's fair for me to have already chosen one because even though there's only one month left of the year, I don't think any of the releases coming will even come close to surpassing the game that I have chosen for my game of the year. However, this should be a good read regardless, at least I hope. So, i'll get started on my next post.

Black Francis

Yea but it hurts not to be part of that wagon and seeing it pass by that's why i hope you all choke on your limited edition Pip boys! Me? im waiting for it to become a greatest hit before i get it.. by that time hopefully the Ps4 slim will come with the game in a bundle or something.

Its funny, I know i'll play the game eventually and that the pressure of getting it while it's hot is a fad that'll probably die in a month or 2 but still.. i hate i can't climb on your goddamn wagon.. >_>

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Key

Game: SOMA
Developer: Frictional Games
Known for: Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Release Date: September 22nd, 2015

Current Status: Disappointment

This year, we were graced with a release by one of my favorite companies in video games right now. Yes, the guys that were responsible for the Amnesia series. They released teasers, screenshots and trailers to a game known as SOMA. I know what you're probably thinking and i'll stop you before you think it, this game is actually going down as one of my biggest let downs of they year, and i'll explain why. So, first and foremost, what is SOMA? SOMA, seemed like it was going to be some sort of immersive and innovative first person horror game that took elements that you wouldn't otherwise think to take, and placed them into a game that would be designed to scare your pants off. Unfortunately, this game fell pretty short. I played about 3 hours before giving up, and it wasn't due to not wanting to be scared, quite the opposite actually. This game has one of the really frustrating elements where if you don't know how to do something or get past it, you're pretty much stuck. However, in the Amnesia games, if you were stuck somewhere, there was a reason to keep trying as you felt a sense of progression and really wanted to get past the obstacle. In SOMA though, I feel like having a big world underwater really takes away from the satisfaction of progression. I understand that being underwater and having things underwater hiding behind corners is meant to make you feel uneasy, but I don't want to just feel uneasy, I want to be scared. I want things to jump out at me and make my character feel as though he's a second away from death. The thing it did have going for it was the ambient noises that you can hear in the background, and hearing those sounds underwater just made it even more satisfying, but it just wasn't enough to really make me feel immersed in the gameplay like I was in the previous releases.

When SOMA was being teased and people were starting to get hyped up about it, there was one noticeable difference that Frictional Games decided to go with, and that is the voice acting of the main character...which I HATE SO ****ING MUCH. I know that when this game first came out, I thought it'd be pretty cool to have a voice actor because it would give the feeling of being attached to the character even more, but they really did a terrible job at getting the right voice for the character. Had it been a voice that was either deeper or more depressing, maybe it would have worked, but they went with a voice that has no business being in a video game. Honestly, it's a voice that I would expect from an indie developer where the only voice he has access to is his own, and hell, even some of the indie horror games have better voice acting, and that's a compliment towards those indie developers, and should hopefully be a wake up call towards Frictional Games.

It's a shame that this game actually ended up being more disappointing than I expected, because although I wasn't expecting too much, the expectations that I had were not met, or they were just destroyed as I tried to progress through the game. There's just enough stuff that doesn't feel very Amnesia-esque that makes this game feel far too different for a game by Frictional Games. I'm hoping by the time they decide to release another game, they go back to what they're good at and have it placed in an asylum or an abandoned mansion or something like that, because history has shown that they are great at making a story with a setting like that. SOMA was a good attempt at a good horror game though, and I know a lot of people have enjoyed the game for what it is, but unfortunately, it just doesn't do enough to warrant me ever wanting to play it again, or anytime soon for that matter.

The Batlord

Maybe I'm lucky that I experienced the game via a Youtube playthrough, as I didn't have to worry about gameplay elements. It just felt like watching a pretty damn good sci-fi horror movie, with an interesting, thought-provoking plot, great characters (I dug the main character, and the chick was pretty fantastic ), evocative atmosphere, and an ending that just felt right.

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Key

I think it's more the fact that I was kind of expecting something a little different. The game isn't necessarily bad at it's core and I have heard the story is fantastic. I don't think my expectations were met at all, and that's just a personal thing.

Key

Game: Robot Roller Derby Disco Dodgeball
Developer: Erik Asmussen
Known For: ???
Release Date: February 19th, 2015

Current Status: Satisfied

Out of all the games that we're released this year, I'm pretty sure Robot Roller Derby Disco Dodgeball caught me by the most surprise in a few different ways. In one way, I really wasn't entirely sure how the concept of dodgeball could be implemented in a video game, but it was done very well in this setting and it just works. The other way is the enjoyment as a whole that this game brings. There are a lot of games out there that involved competitive team based strategy, but there aren't a lot of games with that concept that also don't make you feel like crap whenever you die or lose a round. It's got sort of the same charm as Rocket League in the sense that you can get good at the game in a short amount of time, but it takes time to master the craft and get really good or extremely good. There's been a few times when i've played against people or even bots and I get my ass handed to me because they're able to pull off tricks and shots that I wouldn't even think we're possible under any circumstance. But part of that helps me realize that the more time you put into the game, the better you'll get at it. Just remember that you are playing dodgeball, so you will have flashbacks to gym class in elementary school where you were always picked last and put on the ****ty team. That doesn't happen often in this game, but hey, the game has to have some sort of side effect, right?

So, let's talk about the overall presentation of the game, shall we? You can probably tell by just looking at the image above that this game will involve some sort of crazy lighting effects and badass music. Well, you'd be correct on both counts. The game looks and sounds fantastic in the way the levels are designed, and how the walls sort of move with the music that is currently playing. I have heard that you can put your own music into the game, but honestly, the soundtrack to this game is fantastic. I even have a copy of the soundtrack on my ipod. Listen to one of the songs for yourself and you'll see what I mean:



As you're fighting for points in a game of dodgeball, you'll be caught by the gaze of strobe lights and flickering lights surrounding you as you try to beat the other team in a fast paced face off. The game does an excellent job of emphasizing quickness. There's really no time for chit chat or relaxing as you play, which is actually quite nice, because it allows you to actually focus on the game instead of trying to troll everybody in the server.

There is only one thing I will say as a negative and it doesn't really have anything to do with the game. The community is small, but it's not so small that you won't find games. There just isn't a lot of people aware of this game (curse of it being released as an indie game), so the servers are usually filled with bots. But as I said earlier, that's not really a bad thing as the bots are quite fun to play against. I've gotten into a few games where there are actual people playing, and it really feels no different than playing with bots, so really, it's not the biggest problem in the world. Hopefully if this game gets more attention, more people will want to play it.

To wrap things up, Robot Roller Derby Disco Dodgeball is an excellent release for this year and probably one of the best party games that has come out this year. If you have a few friends that you like to play with and you're looking for a fun way to spend an afternoon, definitely pick this up. I haven't really played with friends yet as none of my friends on Steam are too interested in this type of game, but I can imagine it being a **** ton of fun for people who are just looking for a good time.

Key

Game: Fallout 4
Developer: Bethesda
Known For: Elder Scrolls, Fallout series, and technically Dishonored even though Bethesda published it and didn't develop it.
Release Date: November 10, 2015

Current Status: Satisfied (with some complaints)

Yeah, I'm including Fallout 4 in this little section i'm working on, but it's not my fault that the game was released in 2015. Anyway, I know i've been talking about Fallout 4 a lot recently, and I know you're probably tired of seeing yet another person getting sucked into and hopelessly addicted to a game again, but Fallout 4 has definitely been one of the most satisfying game releases of this year, and I will say it again, this year has been a pretty fantastic year for video games. Now, you may have noticed that my status of this game is satisfied, but you'll also notice that I said there are a few complains that I (among others) have run into. To make it really simple, I've been running into a lot of FPS issues, on top of 2-5 minute long loading screens. Y'know, all that kind of stuff. Fortunately I haven't been the only person dealing with these issues, and before you say it, yes, my computer is perfectly capable of running this game on Ultra settings. I have decided to tone it down a little bit and it seems to have helped the FPS a bit, but luckily I am participating in the patch beta, and my game seems to be running better than it did prior to installing the patch beta.

Now, what is it about this game that has led me to a satisfied status. Well, for one thing...it's Fallout. If you walk down the street or into a GameStop and you just mention Fallout, the reaction is always the same. "Maaaaan, those games are ****ing awesome". And that's completely justified. The games are made to put you into control of your own character and it does so by giving you access to everything. There's so much to do, so much to collect, the perk system is fantastic, but there is one very specific thing I want to mention that makes this game easily one of the coolest games in the series: power armor. Yes, power armor. It's much different in this game in terms of what you can do with your power armor, but let me just put it simply. Currently, I have about 7 suits of different power armor that I have found while wondering in the Commonwealth Wasteland. Yes, I am going to consider them collectibles, because honestly, they look really ****ing cool. I'll show you a screenshot of what my current collection looks like:



This actually isn't the most up to date screenshot, my mistake. I found one more full set of T-45 power armor earlier today and it's not shown in this picture. But basically you can see what I mean by collectible. They just look so ****ing cool and with the additional things you can add on to them like paint jobs and mods and such, they just really outdid themselves when it came to making sure that power armor was done well.

That's pretty much all I wanted to say for this because there are two other posts in this journal that explain why I love Fallout 4 and the series in general, so I just wanted to use this to showcase one of the coolest parts of the game.