Echoes from the Row

Resident Evil Redux

This isn't a review of the game. Its just me enjoying one of my favourite games of all time. Taa.

When thrash metal emerged melodiously rabid from the metal scene in the early 1980s, this young (as I was then) metalhead was there to greet it, moshing right down to my denim studs. Ditto the action movies, that saw the likes of Rambo and The Terminator come stomping out of Hollywood. And just in case I was still bored, the videogame thing happened. Oh yeah that. An industry that from the silicon bowels of Atari, Nintendo, et al, rose to become the multi million behemoth that it is today. And that behemoth owes a lot to PlayStation and what many would call the birth of a new genre: survival horror.
When the original Resident Evil dropped onto Sony's grey box of tricks in 1996, gamers' collective jaw dropped. After rolling a dice for either Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine and heading to the mansion on the outskirts of Raccoon City, it felt like we were in our own personal horror movie (complete with hammy acting that served as the games intro). Cut a long story short, Resident Evil was utterly brilliant. Guns, gore and zombies. Videogame fans had been given our first taste of a future dipped in bloody entrails. Delicious.
Fast forward two years to 1998 and the inevitable sequel shuffled into being. Resident Evil 2 ticked all boxes (and ticked a few more we didn't know existed). It was a game dripping in suspense. Players knew the moment they entered the Raccoon Police Dept. and the camera panned across the marble floor, that bigger and better nightmares awaited in the shadows.
I bought Resi 2 on launch day, and remember going to the local Blockbuster, grabbing a copy and loaded it up with a bottle of Southern Comfort (no coke). I'll be honest, I wasn't mad keen on the box cover art at first, the black "squashed" zombie face looked cheap and homemade but it did have a touch of menace about it (which is probably why I have grown to like it more as time goes by). The game was an instant love for me; it had an atmosphere that I had never experienced in games before (even topping the first game) and together with that beautiful, eerie music which played as you picked through the mutated horrors of Raccoon City pulled me in and never let go. And as someone who has played and completed Resident Evil 2 well over fifty times (true story), I can say it with authority.


Hellooooo Mr Babycakes


A Return to Nightmares

When Capcom announced a remake of my beloved game, my heart said, "yay! Lets do this!" but my mind said, "wait a sec buddy, this could be bad." Call it lazy or greedy, we live in a world where every man and his (zombie) dog is getting a reboot, and we know from bitter disappointment that they have a high risk of going wrong. A sloppy reboot of a much loved classic is sacrilege. When I heard Resi 2 was getting a fresh lick(er) of paint, I tried hard to dial down the excitement, avoiding the previews and first look videos on Youtube lest they ruined my fanboy buzz. I needn't have worried, and the brilliant Resident Evil 7 ought to have been a sign Capcom was hitting the high times again.
By the time I had sunk my teeth into the one shot demo, all fears for a clumsy reboot disappeared. Capcom it would seem, are on a roll and this is good times indeed for zombie fans. Resident Evil 2 looks and plays ace. And the atmosphere of the original? That constant feeling of dread and overwhelming odds? Back in spades, thanks mainly to the hulking Mr X, a stony faced brute who stalks both Leon and Claire throughout most of the game and cannot be stopped (for long) with puny bullets and grenades. He is a genuinely terrifying presence and the "stomp, stomp," you hear as he searches for you in the police station multiply the panic ten fold, especially if you play on higher difficulty. True, you can use methods to try and keep him at a distance but for me personally, its the not seeing him that is more frightening, when I can see Mr X at least I can use evasion tactics.

Game of the year?

I am going all in here. Yeppers, Resident Evil 2 is already my game of the year. There is nothing I can see currently that is going to have even a sniff of knocking it off top spot and that's including titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 (good game but outstayed its welcome for me). The Resi games never do this, you can finish RE2 in around 4 hours easily if you know where you going and plan the inventory accordingly.
There are two scenarios per character so its still a sizable slab of survival horror gaming.

Resident Evil 2 Remake

I don't usually get excited over current gen videogame remakes but here I am happy to make an exception. You see, Resident Evil 2 is one of favourite games of all time. I bought it on launch day back in the heady days of the original Playstation after the first game set a benchmark for survival horror and put it on a course that would make Resident Evil one of the greatest videogame franchises.

Biomutant trailer

The game that has got me most excited for is Biomutant by the developers who brought us the brilliantly fun Mad Max. The idea of playing as an overgrown gerbil with Bruce Lee fighting skills in an open world RPG where John Woo is God is just too much aceness to pass up. I also really like the idea of having a tree of life where you encounter bosses at the roots and depending on karma, you can either protect the planet or let everything go to hell.
Mad Max had a lot of mixed reviews with most criticism coming from the repetitive nature of the game, it was mostly brawling and driving (which is what Mad Max is all about surely?) and yes it was pretty basic gameplay but it was fun because I got the feeling the devs didn't take it too seriously, and Biomutant looks more of the same. I was a big fan of the Mad Max videogame and if the feeling in my water holds, this looks like a blast also.

Dishonored: Death Of A God

I don't usually get too excited over new videogame DLC but this? This is Dishonored, this is different. And oh what a ride. If it is to be the final flick of the assassin's blade, its a tidy way to exit. This isn't a review, and there are no spoilers, only a fan who has played the original game over 40 times (no exaggeration) throwing his thoughts at the internet wall, in the hope a newbie to Dishonored will stumble across them and pick up Death Of the Outsider. It is rather ace.

Romero the Zombie King

And so the world loses another creative force who gave we horror fiends, and movie fans in general, so much bloody good time (and I do mean BLOODY). A true icon, the king of gore leading the undead into shopping malls to terrorize and wreak havoc. If it wasn't for George, zombies in todays cinema would be very different, even if they existed at all, and I doubt there would be many willing to argue against that

Rest easy sir, thanks for the nightmares.

Far Cry 5 trailer released

Its finally landed! Happy t see I wasn't a million miles out with the Waco cult vibe, and good thing too because it suits the world of Far Cry. Its also a personal favourite of mine, I love the weird cultist going crazy theme, its both comical (at times if done well) and terrifying and if this game lives up to what I'm already imagining, it will be one of the best in the series.

Scourge Of Iron

Bang That Head Young Man

I got a double dose of the Corpsies this Christmas. I always thought death metal and yuletide compliment each other with the loud, deafening shell that hides a mob of tiny, deathly shards of pleasure. Ahem...okay before I disappear up my own exhaust, the two records played loudest were Cannibal Corpse "Torture" and "A Skeletal Domain". Behold the might of death!

Late Hero Killing Monsters

Behold!

When I was a drinker I always said that there is nothing like a loud thud! ay yjr ass end of a gig (the rebel wind exclamation mark included). I was a Witcher virgin, my innocence untapped by the moon wraiths and cursed ones of this (other) world, but ever since The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt arrived at the tavern, I kept a sly eye on it from the fast cooling embrace of Elder Scrolls like a sh@g happy Romeo.
The reviews were many, as was the praise on internet forums where Geralt's fans only had good words to spend on the game. Sure there were minor grumbles and trolls looking for a wind up but but the overall vibe was you need Witcher 3 in your life so I dutifully piled in to the world of Geralt of Rivia to crack some supernatural ass.

Skyrim Remaster

It was only a matter of time but the eagle has landed (or to be more accurate, the dragon). I know, I know, a lot of gamers complain about the current gen's remasters, myself included, but admit it, SKYRIM REDUX IS WANT! And the best thing? It hits the shelves 28 October. Ace, hopefully it comes without the glitches that stained the previous gen consoles (though this is Bethesda so i'll whisper it).
It looks pretty damned tasty in the video (above( and this time us lowly console owners are getting mods that featured in Fallout 4. Its looking pretty win win but pricing is going to be the main issue for most. Anything over £30 will be a tough sell considering its now 5 years old and I cant have been the only one who bought it twice when the Legendary edition was released. £20 would be a day one insra buy for me.

Batman v Superman

Okay first off, this isn't a "OMG I was wrong! Batman v Superman movie is aces! Boom" type of post. Im not going to pretend I enjoyed it to appear cool because most everyone else don't like it. Those games are nit for me, there is no point. Batman v Superman is most definitely not a POW! Best ever Batman!! THWAK! Take that you Marvel boys!
Every movie made dealing with our beloved superheroes (are these modern gods in an age bored with sandal footed prophets?) will have a mish mash of good and bad, a helping of self indulgence, camp villains and the obligatory wise butler somewhere in the wings (under the cape?)

**** Switches off BatHype ****

I went into this movie with the BatBlinkers fully on (and yeah, I'll drop the Bat thing now) promise). If you read my older posts, you can read for yourself my first thoughts on Affleck stepping into the Bat boots (sorry ahem) and I stand by it. A bit. Michael Keaton is still my favourite Bats but Ben Affleck is now my Bruce Wayne. True story.
Its no secret that Snyder came into the movie with Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns graphic novel in mind and it shoes in Affleck's hero. This isn't a fresh faced Caped Crusader eager to flex his muscles and right the worlds wrongs. Its an older Batman who has seen Gotham feed on its weak and turn good men bad. Affleck has the air of haunted, his eyes tired not as hungry.
Its not popular with some comic fans but im excited about future instalments (should Ben Affleck choose to be part of the next one of course).

In short then, from the wreck we comic fans feared, both superheroes complimented each other rather well (though others will hold onto their disaster film). Im fortunate enough that although I love the DC/Marvel worlds, im not as hardcore as some and able to watch the films as films, and not obsess over tiny (or even bigger) details. More power to those who do.

One of the cool things I like about these superhero films are the subtle hints at future characters and storylines. The suit covered with graffiti gave me high hopes that the Red Hood will be coming into the mix at some point (Jason Todd was the second Robin).



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Lords of the Fallen

I am a wimp when it comes to Demon's Soul. There I said it. Its a great game, and I can see why it has the fans it has but even after playing videogames since the days of the ZX Spectrum and Commodore, my skills were no match for it (though I will get back to it one day because like I say, it really is a good game).
In the meantime im going to try and get some schooling on what is considered to be Demon's Soul lite, the gorgeous looking Lords of the Fallen. I know it won't be a cinch, and im prepared for the undoubtedly series of frustrations that will follow but this has been on my To Buy list for a while now and time is ripe for challenge.

*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.