*insert coin* Kung Fury!

Regular readers will know that I love retro videogames and 1980s action movies. Good thing they both seem to be regular haunts of the retro necromancers, bent on breathing another life into their pulpy neon dashed bodies. Ace.

If you've played the Far Cry 3 DLC Blood Dragon, this is familiar ground. Kung Fury is a balls out, OTT homage to 1980s games like Streets of Rage and Double Dragon. It was crowd funded through Kickstarter and stars a maverick cop who travels back in time to kill big boss, Hitler.
The mini movie (see above) features vikings and dinosaurs and hefty dollops of cheesy one-liners a la Commando.

Fallout 4: Love Shack, Baby

As anyone who isn't living in a real nuclear wasteland knows, the mighty Fallout 4 was unleashed yesterday, sent to run riot in the wild like a ghoul strung on Jet. To non gamers this news was a mere passing trend on social media, but in the gaming world it landed on shelves like...well like a mini nuclear blast of its own and if you happen to be a fan of Bethesda's games you are no doubt still feeling the aftershock.
Its been a while since I splurged on a special edition but that Pip Boy edition was always going to be mine and I had it on preorder for months. Aye, its nothing more than plastic tat that will gather dust on a shelf but who cares right? Right? Only live once and all that jazz.
Now anyone who has played an Elder Scroll or Fallout game (especially on consoles) are well aware that as far as bugs and glitches go, Bethesda titles have been plagued by them In fact I replayed Fallout 3 to fuel the hype and the game still freezes so when I slid the disc into the PS4 last night, I didn't have the usual excitement big releases usually bring (which is kinda sad because being gamers the hype is part of the ritual.)
So imagine my surprise when two hours into Fallout 4, digging through the ruins of Boston, I had no issues. None. Nada. In fact it felt the complete opposite and played smooth as mammoth cheese (oops, wrong game that's Skyrim.)

FF 3 days

I don't want to be 'that guy' or anything, but still no bugs and I play a good few hours of an evening. Sure ive read about floating shacks and companions getting stuck or lost but Fallout 4 has been buttery smooth whenever I boot up (PS4).

Teh Nerdgasm

Face it, Fallout 4 is harder than FO3 and New Vegas and if you are going to stay alive then you'll be needing skills/perks. Here's what ive been topping up as priority skills.

Become Shadow

Like I said, this game is harder than previous games and early on your rookie ass would be better off avoiding Fallout's happy campers like raiders, Super Mutants, Ghouls, Mirelurks and and... look just everything okay. Invest in some sneak skills, your pretty ass will thank you for it believe me.

Gun Nut

There are times when stealth just doesn't cut it and your club footed guy/gal WILL kick off a floor trap or worse a landmine. So either be ready with a stockpile of stimpacks and chems, or learn to shoot. Fast.

Physician Heal Thyself

Some gamers think firearm skills more important than medicine but the wise man knows better. Nobody is getting help if you have more holes than Swiss cheese, so lap up those medic skills.


So, Any Downers ?

Sure! Fallout 4 is not the perfect game we all hoped it would be. Granted everyones opinions differ but for me? The inventory system can be very fiddly, especially when facing a crew of psycho raider scum. If you aren't ready then prepare thy doom (its worth noting Fallout 4 is harder than previous games too). Then there is the map. It feels smaller than Fallout 3 despite wandering the wilds and discovering loads of new settlements. I just don't get the same wow! This game is huge feeling. Of course this might be down to 'sandbox fatigue', play enough open world games and they all shrink due to not being fazed any more.
Settlers camps>. When I first saw Preston Garvey (current leader of the Minutemen) I thought he'd be a badass like Isran from Dawnguard, the Skyrim DLC. He's not. Indeed from the moment you set him and his chums up at Sanctuary, he begins to irritate. All settlers do. Bunch of whiny, demanding yoghurt knitters looking to me to help them survive. If they helped, I wouldn't care but the basttards leave everything to me. If the game allowed it, I would have killed them all long ago.

Anyway, im heading back to the wilds of Boston and kill more sh!t. Lock and load.


Fallout Onesie? I'll Take Two

Fallout 4: You're Special!

With Fallout 4 due to drop in early November (and yes, my preorder ace looking Pip-Boy edition is reserved), the hardcore Wastelanders among us have already started to think about our first character build. The skills and perks are many and each one will help you create the type of character YOU wish to make. Love shooting stuff? Grab some gun skills. Want to be more efficient in patching yourself up after one Deathclaw meeting too many? The medicine/science skills await. Sticky fingers? Ah, you'll be needing the sneak and lock pick perks. And so on.
Newbies to this might be starting to have doubts because on paper, creating your very own Fallout hero/villain sounds a bit naff. Right? Wrong! Once it falls into place, starting out anew is strangely addictive, so much so in fact that Fallout fans regularly start new characters. Its even got a name on gaming forums: restartitus.

SPECIALO is the acronym standing for skills: Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Luck. You get limited points to load them with so use wisely.
I find 6 Strength, 6 Perception, 5 Endurance, 7 Charisma, 7 Intelligence, 6 Agility and 5 Luck suits the type of build I use.

Definitive Dishonored (PS4)

Its been a while since I got excited over the release of a videogame (life gets muted slightly as the years roll ever onward), but happily this excitement returned on Friday when I saw that Dishonored Definitive Edition was available to buy on Playstation 4. Despite ignoring it on release in 2012, the game has fast become one of my all time favourites (completed enough times to warrant a restricting order from Corvo and co *laughs* ). I also own three different versions on PS3, you know, just to make sure.

And now I have four. For weeks I have been like a kid outside a sweetshop (though I was never a big sweet eater) nosing up to the preorder Dishonored on PSN store. And when I logged in on Friday evening to see it was available to buy, I was happy as an assassin's blade dancing on some poor fools throat. Dancing? Well you get the idea.
I have been a huge videogame fan since the early 1980s, but getting hyped over a title is pretty rare for me now that I am settled in my forties. So im glad Dishonored has taught me that like possessing rats can be kinda fun, I still have a few nerves in my body willing to mke the jump into excitement.

Fallout 4 Collectors Edition

Collectors edition videogames don't really tick my boxes (though I have bought them) but the Fallout 4 Pip Boy Edition lit my heart up like a plasma rifle, and why not? Sometimes allowing your inner child to run riot is good for the soul. And even though I arrived at the Fallout universe later than most (2013 to be precise), the fanboy in this one is strong, which is why I caved in and preordered the thing.

Pip Boy edition includes: a physical Pip-Boy Pocket Guide, complete with illustrations/tips, a cool looking Vault-Tec Perk poster and the game comes packed into a metal Power Armour. As if that wasn't enough Vault Tec wannabes get a wearable Pip-Boy on a RobCo Industries stand, with working lights and buttons. Who said Santa is dead?
Of course I strongly suspect the Pip Boy will be banished to a shelf/drawer once the novelty wears off, but hype does terrible things to a man (gamers especially). But this is fine, I would fear a world that kills simple pleasures and £100 to revive the excited child who lives within us all is a small price to pay.
So without further ado, here's my caps and i'll see you all in Boston.

A dedicated App will also be available to use in conjunction with the Pip-Boy mobile app, manage your in-game inventory and perks.

Dishonored 2: For the Watch!

There is a God


See that up there? The sequel to one of my favourite videogames has been announced at E3, and in a world that struggles to excite the child in me, its welcome news. Very welcome. You see im currently on my 42nd visit to Dunwall and my hunger for the FPS stealth 'em up shows no sign of burning out. Even after earning every trophy/achievement the game has to offer (and yup, including Clean Hands and Ghost).
As you might guess, the news of Dishonored 2 has me pretty hyped, and judging by the reception on Twitter, im not the only one. This and Fallout 4 means other developers will have to dig deep if they are to have any chance of stealing Bethesda's thunder.

Fallout 4

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The big news in videogames this week, arrived via Bethesda revealing the first trailer to the much anticipated Fallout 4. Naturally with a reveal as big as a triple AAA title, rising like a digital phoenix from a wasteland of indie games and remasters (and im not knocking either), the gaming world went into meltdown (it was trending on Twitter within minutes of the trailer being aired).
I won't beat about the prickly cactus plant, I liked it. I liked it a lot. My first two words after seeing the trailer were holy and shit and they still stand. Might be a tad 'green' of me, considering Bethesda's less than stellar record of bug free games on PlayStation 3 but whatever issues (mostly freezing) on previous Fallouts on that console, they can't kill my enthusiasm for Fallout 4.
The games are too damned good. Sure its hugely annoying when New Vegas stutters to a halt as your character is stealth boy'ing past Deathclaws roaming the Mojave and I have cursed Bethesda Studios to several trips to hell, yet despite this, my appetite for exploring the nuclear wastelands of America is equal to any blood thirst of the foul Deathclaw.
Of course not all of my gaming brethren are so forgiving and among the excited sunflowers, the dreaded thorns of caution were less than flattering. I don't judge them, but this is only 4 minutes out of what will be a 200+ hour game if Fallout 3 is any judge. Let's not condemn it to the scaffold just yet. Of course this being said, should Fallout 4 be plagued with the same 'annoyances' as previous games, I will find my Mad Max type, post apocalypse fun elsewhere. A few minor issues here and there is to be expected from massive, open world maps but if the equally big Far Cry 4 can do it fuss free, we should expect better from others also.

Hotline Miami

Strange In This Town


Games like Hotline Miami fill my 8-bit heart with warm, fuzzy joy because while we love to soak up the stunning vistas of titles like Far Cry 4 and The Witcher 3, we can also appreciate 'niche' titles like the surreal Hotline Miami (Dennaton Games).
Contrary to younger gamers (mistaken) belief that near photo perfect graphics is the main draw for Playstation 4, we retroheads who grew up in the 1980s with games like Manic Miner know different.
Here's a secret kids; gameplay is king. And it always will be. Developers can create the biggest, most detailed map ever seen but it will be for naught if there's no game to hold your interest. Grand Theft Auto V is a good example for me. Los Angeles has never looked better in a videogame thanks to GTA V but after completing the main campaign, I felt no urgent need to explore the map (no matter how cool being in that submarine was).
Anyway before this goes completely off track, lets go back to Miami. This game is Ace. 10/10 all the bells n' whistles ace. Yes its extremely violent (even for todays standards) and as tough as coffin nails (prepare to die LOTS) but the age old One-More-Go factor of Hotline Miami is like gaming crack cocaine.
If you haven't played them yet (there is a sequel) and are old enough to remember the original Grand Theft Auto on PlayStation 1 with its top down view, you will be on familiar ground. This also serves to help sugar coat the rampant violence because due to the birds eye view it never feels truly shocking. What won't be familiar (to newer gamers) is the unforgiving nature of Hotline Miami and its one hit kills because like retro classics of old, if you make the slightest mistake, be prepared to pay with your life. Fortunately the auto save will bring you back to where you died so the only frustration will be to the players monkey fingers.

It says a lot that for such a retro heavy looking game available on Playstation 4 when most people are doing cartwheels over Bloodborne (and obviously there is room for both), the only groan you could have is for the price. £10 each is a tad steep, and perhaps had Dennaton Games hung a £7 tag on it, it might have persuaded gamers who are still undecided to take the plunge. I'll be honest though, its still a very minor complaint when Hotline Miami is so darned FUN.


An easy 10/10 for me.

A Call to Dunwall

When Dishonored was released in 2012, I paid almost no attention to Arkane Studios tale of betrayal and revenge in the plague ridden, steampunk city of Dunwall. Ive never been a huge fan of FPS (First Person Shooter) type games, and when I saw Dishonored is a stealth game (a first person sneaker?) I was even more doubtful. I love stealth games but until recently, they have been games like Tenchu, Hitman and Mefal Gear Solid, titles played in 'third person' (ie players can see the character the are controlling).
I really had no interest in Dishonored until a few months ago when I tried (and loved) a demo of another FPS stealth game, Thief on Playstation 4. (And being honest, I only tried Thief because of the lack of good titles that was on current gen at the time but I'm glad that desperation turned into a revelation).
When I saw Dishonored on a PS3 sale at the ridiculously low price of a touch over £6, I decided that a trip to Dunwall was in order. It was instant love. So much so that I barely leave the city during my gaming time simply because, apart from the beautiful oil painting type style of graphics, the replay factor (for me anyway) is enormous. Oh, and the games characters (voiced by some Hollywood names like Susan Sarandon) are all fantastic.
The story is simple: Corvo, the Lord Protector to the Empress, is framed for her murder but on the eve of his planned execution, escapes with help from loyalist conspirators and goes all out for sweet sweet revenge (wearing one of THE greatest looking masks of all time). But its not all about killing. In fact you can complete the game with 'Clean Hands' (zero kills) but this doesn't mean the baddies get a free pass for their wicked deeds. In fact, often sparing the life of your intended target/s, might grant them life but to be honest, its a fate worse than death.
And Arkane Studios have devised some very cool (and lethal) powers for Corvo and the murderous Daud to use. Both wear the mark of the Outsider, a kind of half angel, half devil spirit, and by the Void, these powers are so fricken cool! Blink (teleporting), Possession, Bend Time, hell you can even summon a plague of rats to dispatch your hapless victim.
Dishonored might be set in a very grim Dunwall, where plague is rife and corpses litter the streets, but its still so much darned FUN. Corvo is like a Victorian, steampunk version Batman who bounces around Dunwall dealing justice to the corrupt and wicked. Of which there are many. Indeed Dunwall doesn't suffer the good and as the legendary assassin Daud points out, "its a city that eats innocence".
Talking of Daud, you can play Daud's story (as Daud obviously) in the two DLC (Knife of Dunwall and The Brigmore Witches) to learn the full story of Dishonored, and they are both excellent added content (usually DLCs can be lazy extras).
Another refreshing thing about the game is there are no true boss battles. Corvo and Daud can both dish out fatal, one hit moves on targets owing to their supernatural powers and personally I find it a breath of fresh air (well as fresh as can be in a world inhabited by rats and plague victims, or 'Weepers' as they are known).

If you are like me and have initially been put off by FPS stealth games, then fret not. Dishonored is a great game where everything slots perfectly into place. And as its three years old, you can pick it up for peanuts.
Of course there have been rumours of a sequel but part of me hopes this never happens because if it turns out to be rubbish, it could take some polish off the original game. Sometimes less is more, there have been too many successful games/movies that have piled sequel upon sequel because it sells but its usually at the cost of the franchise. We can all name a series that have out stayed their welcome and gotten worse with every instalment. I'd hate this to happen with Dishonored. But we shall see.
All I do know is the first trip to Dunwall is a trip you soon won't forget in a hurry.

Murdered: Soul Suspect

When Murdered: Soul Suspect was originally announced, it it barely made a blip on my gaming radar (truth be told, there was no blip at all. Not even half of one). I'm an action kinda guy, more at home shooting bad guys in BioShock than trying to solve violent deaths (even if that violent death involved my grizzled old self). So imagine my surprise when I saw Murdered: Soul Suspect in a December PSN store sale on PS4 and found myself putting it into my digital basket without second thought. (Though I must be honest, if it was more than the £12 I paid, I probably would have clicked on by). Luckily the timing (and price) was right and I was on the hunt for something different, and Airtight Games had the solution with Murdered: Soul Suspect.
The game takes place in Salem, Massachusetts, and you play Detective Ronan O'Connor, a former petty criminal turned cop. (And before I forget, tattoos look pretty cool on ghostly skin. This game is very easy on the eye).
Det. Ronan is on the trail of a serial killer known as the Bell Killer, a rather vicious, hooded killer who sadly for Ronan is strong and brutal and ends up throwing the detective out of a window before pumping his dying body full of bullets. You know, just to make sure the lawman is dead. Then something weird occurs as officer O'Connor 'wakes' up wondering how he has survived his attack. And then (here comes the odd bit), he realises he didn't survive at all and finds himself looking down on his bloodied corpse. He meets his long dead wife who explains to her ghostly spouse that he can't join her in the Afterlife until he clears up the unfinished business he has in the living world.
And this is where the 'fun' begins. Walking through walls, possessing cats (you read that right), playing poltergeist, jumping into living bodies and reading their minds and executing glowing demons who truly are quite terrifying, especially when you get too close to one and it screams in your face. Basically you acquire the abilities we all imagine ghosts have (apart from the cat possession thing, although it would explain why cats seem to have different rules to other animals).
Murdered: Soul Suspect is one of those games that pop up now and then, leaving you wondering where it came from, and how it slipped under your gaming radar. Mind you, it was released around the same time as bigger, more well known videogames so perhaps there's no mystery there. But make no mistake, Murdered: Soul Suspect is well worth your dosh. The puzzles aren't the obscure types found in games like Silent Hill and its very satisfying when pieces of the puzzle all come together to help track down the Bell Killer. There are other side missions to tackle as well as the main campaign but I won't spoil them here.

The game is definitely worth your gaming time, and it looks darned good on PS4. Personally ive had more fun playing this than Watch Dogs, a game im playing alongside Soul Suspect (though not at the same time obviously). And were I talking scores here, its easily a 4/5.