First, I went platinum in both Scholar of the First Sin and Dark Souls 3. Well, that last part is a lie. I still need Master of Miracles for Dark Souls 3 (taking out the Concord Kepts from the Silver Knights in Anor Londo …) But still, I’ve been through both games more times than I can count.

So how difficult is it? Average. Dark Souls has a reputation for being difficult, but I don’t think it is. Yes, enemies hit hard. But you too.

There are no “bullet sponges” here. Did you get hit for half your health bar? Guess what, you can hit them back for almost the same thing. You will die a lot and, unlike many other games, there is not a very generous checkpoint system.

But keep this in mind: my son (with some help from SunBro) beat Dark Souls 2, including the DLC, when he was 11 years old. He just finished Dark Souls 3 last weekend. He is 13.

With that said, after hundreds of hours poured into Dark Souls 3, here is my short review.

Let’s start with the negatives first:

The Poise system is poorly designed (Last time I checked, there is a belief among the community that the Poise system does not actually work at all. Supposedly there is code in the game that would allow for a functional Poise system, but it was removed or ‘disabled’ before release. The developers that I know deny this, which is fine. But then it means they handled the mechanics really, really bad).

“It is working as planned.” So you intended it to malfunction …

What is Poise and why is it important?

Every time you hit an enemy, you have the opportunity, depending on their balance and your weapon, to interrupt their movement (preventing them from dodging, running, rolling, and most importantly, attacking).

This is called wonder. The movement is interrupted and they are beaten. A stunned enemy is a defenseless enemy. A dead enemy.

This system applies to both you and the enemies in the game.

How Poise Used to Work: In previous Dark Souls games, you could wear armor that increased your balance, making it more difficult to stagger and interrupt your attacks.

How it works now: it doesn’t. Any enemy can interrupt almost any attack with whatever weapon you use.

At first, it might not seem that bad, until you get to Dark Souls 3’s second bug, and possibly my biggest complaint with the game.

Absolutely all enemies attack faster than you can (and have a longer range), no matter what weapon you are using. Do you have a great sword the size of a house? You can start an attack with it faster than you can stab with a dagger. His dagger? He will hit you while your great sword sniffs the air in front of his face.

So if you are the type of gamer who likes to trade blows with enemies … you will ALWAYS be in awe.

Your only option now is to dodge all the time, all the time. And that’s okay. If that’s the style of play you want to choose. People have been doing it that way since Demon Souls. But there was always a choice.

I like being a speedy ninja. But there are also times when I get sick and tired of this game’s crap and want to put on heavy armor, pull out a flaming ultra great sword, and go to town!

In the past, you could choose heavy armor and a great sword and trade blows with an enemy. Yes, it would hurt you, but you would hurt them more. A totally viable style of play that no longer works.

And good. This is how this game is supposedly designed. But the claim that Dark Souls has such a deep combat system? I don’t think that’s true with this installment.

For a game that relies heavily on combat … That’s a huge step back.

One more complaint:

The system of pacts. This is no big deal if you are not a trophy hunter. It is completely possible to play the game throughout the entire process and enjoy it without having to play with most of the conventions.

But what if you are looking for the Platinum trophy? Prepare to grind. A lot of. Because while the multiplayer system has been improved over the games of the past, there are still a couple of broken conventions that will require A LOT of sitting around waiting to be summoned or grinding. Wait an average of 6 hours killing the same enemies over and over and over and over and over again …

(I’m looking at you Blades of the Darkmoon …)

OK, so what is good?

Almost everything else.

The environments are beautiful and fun to explore. I can’t think of a single area where I came in and said “UGH. This again.” (In the first Dark Souls, I found that pretty much everything after Sen’s Fortress was cheap and tedious.)

The weapons and armor, everything really, looks amazing.

There are a wide variety of enemies and they make sense for the environments they are in.

The multiplayer is always open to opinions. I think it’s pretty balanced if you play smart. Others will not agree. If you’re a crybaby and don’t like being outnumbered when you invade, you won’t be thrilled with the way Dark Souls 3 handles things.

Matchmaking has improved a lot. This time you can cooperate with your friends easily thanks to password matching.

Finally, one of my favorite improvements: For the first time, all armor sets are useful! It is no longer necessary to update them. And ALL are functional. Most of the weapons are also workable.

The developers have given you an incredible arsenal to choose from, and it all works. Even the poorest weapons are suitable for handling the enemies of the game.

Bottom line: is it fun? Yes. It’s frustrating? Something often. Is it worth buying? Yes. Are there other similar games that are better? Not.

Do I resent the developers? A bit!

If I were to write it down, I’d start with a 10 for all the amazing things this game does well. Then I would take 3 points for the broken match and get a 7. Yes, this game has a lot to offer. But you will have to endure unnecessary frustration (in my opinion) to enjoy it.

Fix the Poise boys!

Math Blaster is a Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG) that was released in 2011 by Knowledge Adventure. This math-based game is rated for players ages 6-12. The company also has another online game called Jump Start that is aimed at preschoolers. Parents who enroll their children as members in Math Blaster get the Jump Start program for free. As with many other online games, kids can play Math Blaster for free; however, universal access to all features requires a $ 5 monthly subscription. Players download the game application from the Math Blaster website and then access the game on secure servers. The game is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Although the Math Blaster MMOG was released in 2011, the game is under a large corporate umbrella known as the Blaster Learning System. The Davidson Company created Math Blaster educational software in 1989. Knowledge Adventure took over the software line in 1999 and expanded the Math Blaster brand to a network cartoon series and now as an online game.

Characteristics

In Math Blaster, players initially board a spaceship and are assigned the role of Blaster Cadet. Players can customize their cadet using a molecular modulator that allows them to choose the appearance and species of the avatar. Players advance through the game by tackling math questions, allowing them to earn merits and achievements. These merits allow players to rise through the ranks of the Intergalactic Space Patrol. The game uses the basis of good versus evil as its main theme. Players are the good guys defending the universe from threats in space. Players make friends with other players and can chat with them using a pre-selected and filtered language. Players can also design their homemade ‘pods’ and can have pets called ‘stray dogs’ that live in ‘stray dog ​​pods’. Math Blaster players are not limited to just one game – there are a multitude of math portals and exercises that players can choose from to advance in the virtual world.

What is good

Math Blaster is a low-key, action-oriented game that will primarily appeal to 7-12 year olds. The game will also appeal to those who need help with basic and advanced math. The company is to be commended for not only attracting children. Many of the avatars players choose are female or have female characteristics. Graphics and game design are above average. There are no adult themes in the game. The appearance of the avatars is kept neutral and non-threatening with funky hair colors and space uniforms. Drinking, smoking, drug use, sex, and offensive language are not allowed.

Taking math and integrating it with topics that will appeal to kids is not an easy task, but Knowledge Adventure has done a great job of making math fun. This MMOG is one of the few that encourages kids to learn practical skills. Mathematics is a difficult subject for many people. By providing a tool to make learning more enjoyable, Math Blaster is one step ahead of other MMOGs.

What is bad

Although there is no blood or gore, parents should know that players use laser guns to “shoot” their opponents. However, all the opponents players encounter are non-living entities such as asteroids, targets, UFOs, and images of aliens. Younger players at the lower end of the age range can be a bit annoyed by all the explosions. The avatars players have to choose from could be a bit more unique. They look a lot like most avatars on the internet.

Since the Math Blaster story is based on educational software, the company markets its previously produced products on the website. Parents can be under undue pressure to buy these items if their kids stick with the brand.

Online security

With the high educational component involved with Math Blaster, there will be fewer opportunities for inappropriate language and behavior on the part of the players. However, parents should be aware of the different levels of social chat. In secure chat, players choose only preselected phrases, emoticons, and images. In social chat, players enter filtered language, but some inappropriate words may be heard. The Math Blaster online safety message should be displayed more prominently. Currently, parents must click on the Privacy Policy that appears in the fine print at the bottom of the web page. Personal information is never displayed and children do not have to enter their date of birth.

In summary

It is a good educational website for young and old players who can advance in the game according to their math skills. The content is high and unique in educational components. Children will most likely learn something due to the large number of games available to suit all kinds of characteristics. At $ 4.99 per month, it’s money well spent.

Racing games are fun for almost everyone. We all dream of going unbelievably fast as we make a sharp turn. What makes these games so much fun is the fact that we can’t pull off these feats in our 92 Ford Taurus on the real road. Need for Speed ​​Rivals it’s one of the few shared launch games for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Fortunately for us, it doesn’t include any family-size sedan to run around.

After the initial Xbox One setup time, I was finally able to play EA’s latest addition to the series. When the game starts, you are greeted with a very confusing scene sequence involving the racers and the police. Basically in Need for Speed ​​Rivals the game allows you to choose between the two factions and you can switch back and forth at your leisure.

The story of the entire game focuses on this aspect of the game. It seems that the Racer archetype is a Fast and Furious inspired brother type character. Your goals are to drive fast and cause chaos and mayhem in the police force on the way. Of course, if you play as a cop, you are tasked with stopping these vigilantes and almost nothing else. It is shallow and depletes quickly, no matter which faction you choose.

As you can guess, the story isn’t exactly game-of-the-year-worthy. Throughout the experience, he was confused about what exactly was happening. Of course, there is usually not much depth with the corridors, but when it forces you to pay attention with nonsensical segments of the story, it can negatively affect the experience as a whole.

That being said, the gameplay in Need for Speed ​​RivalIt almost makes up for his ridiculous attempt to sell a narrative. Obviously, with a franchise like Need for speed, the end game is just driving fast. The game does this better than any other broker currently available. Wind and leaves rush past your Corvette C7 Stingray as it glides through a slippery corner, brakes and caution to hell. It’s nice to have an arcade runner after last year’s ultra-realism. Forza 5 Y Gran Turismo 6.

Whether you are a racer or a cop, you are always looking to complete various objectives that are assigned to you each time you rank up. For example, as a racer, I was tasked with taking down three police cars with some of my various gadget upgrades, such as an EMP blast or a Spike Strip. When you complete these objectives, you essentially level up, unlock a new car to race, rinse, and repeat. That’s pretty much the whole variety of missions you get with Need for Speed ​​Rivals, for a full retail price set that’s ridiculous.

One of EA’s selling points for the game was its persistent online functionality. I hope you enjoy long loading times with your games because that is all that is really persistent in this title. Players won’t even get a menu title screen until AFTER the game’s resources load, which ranges from one minute to almost three. I wasn’t even sure if the game was loading because it was taking too long. Of course, EA’s servers have been anything but functional lately when it comes to next-gen games. There is a good chance that we will see a patch for this issue.

Once you are finally loaded onto the map, you can interact with other players within the world. At one point, as a policeman, he was chasing three criminals who were participating in an illegal street race. After chasing them, a backup of other players who were playing as cops arrived. With all the hiccups with online functionality, there are sometimes flashes of brilliance, too. Of course, this was a random event and most of the time the map is usually devoid of players; Hope you like AI controlled cars!

Along with random exciting happenings, there are other highlights with Need for Speed ​​Rivals. What I’m talking about is, of course, the graphics. The feeling of speed in this game is spectacular. The way the leaves pass your car and the brightness of the roads reflects the light is quite impressive. I really enjoyed all the effects of the water and how good the environment looked. One thing I noticed was that it was always very rainy. Don’t expect to compete in any happy place in this one.

Throwing games are fickle and Need for Speed ​​Rivals try that. Of course, the game was also released on PlayStation 3 alongside Xbox 360, but the real focus for consumers is the next-gen version. At its best, the latest Need for speed it’s a great arcade runner that can leave you searching for your extra can of Nitrous. At worst, the game is just boring and completely forgettable. With buggy loading screens, terrible online infrastructure, and generally empty gameplay experience, you should skip Need for Speed ​​Rivals.

Start with an underdeveloped city (you name it yourself) and turn it into a metropolis. Or take on the challenge of rescuing a city overwhelmed by problems. Either way, taxes, zoning, crime, transportation, education, fire control, and other critical issues are in your hands.

Time passes and every decision you make has future consequences. Your assistant, Dr. Wright, can help you make the right decisions. Just ask! Surprise catastrophes also threaten your growing city like fires, earthquakes, plane crashes, even a giant Koopa that has a nose for industrial pollution!

Will you build the ideal city? Or will disgruntled citizens leave you with a ghost town?

SimCity was released for the Super Nintendo in 1991, being one of the first games released, just after the initial three (Mario World, F-Zero, and Pilotwings). There really isn’t much to say about the story; You have been elected mayor of a vacant lot (plus some water) and your goal is to turn it into a megalopolis of 500,000 citizens. It sounds easy? It’s not.

Game graphics:

The graphics fit the game well and by themselves are really above average. The music is just great as the game fits perfectly within the structure of the game. Making everything mix really well, making it very enjoyable to play.

This game was not a showcase for the graphical capabilities of the SNES, nor was it intended to be. Nonetheless, there were some pretty interesting effects here, like when the seasons change every three months, thus changing the color of the forests from green to brown to white. The “zones” don’t look like they would in real life, especially when first built.

Airports and seaports look pretty good. It is also quite easy to know what is happening, which is always a bonus, for example, when a zone needs power, you will see a flash of lightning going on and off. Some structures are also animated, the Industrial Zones in particular.

Sound effects:

To be honest, until you get to Metropolis (100,000 inhabitants), the music is a bit annoying, but before that, the theme of Disaster will be one of the best you will hear. Music seems to fit into whatever stage of development your city is in. Of course, when the music gets annoying, it doesn’t really help.

As for the sound effects, there is a very narrow selection, in addition to the click of the icons and the location of the zones. Sometimes a car starts up or a plane takes off (or crashes, just before that great disaster music). Other than that, there isn’t much to the sound effects throughout the game.

While it’s true that the game would really benefit from a mouse device, this game pre-dated the SNES mouse by about a year, so that wasn’t an option. Despite this, the game is very well controlled, and there is a lot to be done, even in light of the sequels to this game, Simcity 2000 and 3000. You can set the speed of the game, cause disaster in your city at will (although you can not invoke the almighty Nuclear Meltdown …), or turn to Dr. Wright for advice.

Of course, to achieve your goal, you will have to listen to your citizens and give them what they want. The Icon interface allows you to access this information whenever you need it. When it comes to building your city, it’s really simple: just click on the structure you want to build, find a place for it, press a button and “BAM” there is your structure.

Storyline:

While not really a story, the basic premise was very original for its time. You are the mayor of a city that you have to guide to Megalopolisdom. Note that Story was not a very important part of video games in 1991, not that the premise would have been different. But let’s face it, it’s not the story that will keep you playing this game.

General challenge:

Honestly, I think achieving a megalopolis the right way is the most difficult feat of all video games. And the Big Money Code you probably already know doesn’t make it any easier. As with any game of this type, you have to go slow and build a solid financial foundation before you can build at a decent pace (as such, you spend a lot of time with Game Speed ​​set to Fast, waiting). Big Money code can do this faster, but not easier, trust me.

Repetition value:

It is true that there is not much to do after winning this game. Of course, you will probably never win the game, in the Megalopolis sense. If you get bored, you can challenge one of the 6 scenarios, in which you are given a city with a problem that ranges from the mundane (traffic, crime) to the almost catastrophic (nuclear fusion). You have a set period of time of 5 or 10 years to correct the situation.

It is quite a challenge to stay within your budget during this time, as you will likely lose several hundred dollars a year, in addition to having to improve the city. Before you beat them, it’s fun to play a lot, but then you get tired.

Final thoughts:

This was truly the first Sim game that spawned all the others, and it’s still one of the best. The functional graphics, the ” Unique ” soundtrack, the great control and, of course, the disasters, make this a game that you will want in your collection if you are a fan of the Simulation genre.

You will not be disappointed. Overall, this is just another classic game that you beat on several levels. While it is not as rare a game as “Final Fantasy III” or “Mega Man X3”, it is not very common either. (Although, thankfully, at least their price range is generally reasonable.) Its sequels may be bigger, but the original title is still going strong …

After the gloomy Assassin’s Creed IIIUbisoft is ready to return to greatness with the fourth installment in the killer franchise. One of the fundamental problems with the previous game was that it wasn’t that much fun. After playing the game a lot and trying all its tricks, it’s safe to say that Assassin’s creed the franchise is back on its feet.

The first big change is the environment. Just looking at the art on the box, you’ll immediately realize that you are a swashbuckling pirate, Han Solo-style, which is strange considering this game is set before the third installment. Maybe they had trouble finding an interesting setting after the Revolutionary War, or maybe they wanted to emphasize Assassin’s Creed IIIBest feature: ship battles.

Either way, the stage works wonders. The atmosphere here is almost as important as the main character, Edward Kenway himself. This will be the closest you will get to being a scoundrel pirate in the 1700s. You’ll have the wind carrying your custom pirate ship across the Caribbean, and you might find yourself getting into a few drunken fights along the way. The game is loaded with precise pieces to set the time. It’s your playground, so go live out your Jack Sparrow fantasies!

You will play as Edward Kenway, a pirate who yearns for something more. Throughout the ten-hour campaign, you will find him at odds with his fellow pirates and his quest to discover more about the Assassin group. The story is very entertaining and Mr. Kenway is one of the best video game characters since John Marston in 2009. Red dead redemption.

As you begin the single player adventure, you will notice how capable Edward really is. This was the first time in a Assassin’s creed game where you don’t feel helpless at first. Edward is a cunning pirate first and foremost and can kick some serious butt, and luckily the game proves it. One of my favorite additions was the use of Edward’s arsenal. Not only limited to concealed wrist guards or even cutlasses, you can use a variety of pistols. With these flintlock pistols, Edward takes them out and fires them individually. It was a lot of fun and satisfying to take down a poor regiment of British and Spanish troops at the same time.

Along with the series’ land gameplay, you’ll also have plenty to do in the ocean. Being a pirate means that you will be in charge of your own ship. You can customize the appearance and armament of your boat to your heart’s content. When you face enemies in the open sea, you can paralyze them enough to tackle them. This was one of my favorite features and it makes you feel like a real pirate.

There is also a lot to do besides the main story. On board your ship you can dive deep sea to collect resources, you can also hunt creatures that live in the sea and on land to improve your equipment. The game is also an open world. The map is vast and it is impressive to land on an island, jump out of your ship and continue your mission, wherever you are.

With multiplayer, there are also many functions. It was nothing special, but it is entertaining enough to keep you busy. They also have a benefit system, similar to Obligations which allows you to customize all your features and equipment. This part of the game will not replace your copies of Battlefield, Obligations gold aura for long. It’s a nice but more or less forgettable feature.

If you’ve already played this game on Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, should you buy the next-gen versions? Probably not. They didn’t add anything notable to the Xbox One or PlayStation 4 version of the game, other than sharper visuals like shadows, foamy water, and swaying plant life. I will say that if you skipped the purchase on the previous consoles, go out and buy this game now. It’s the most feature-rich single-player experience on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Don’t wait to show off this game to your friends or family to demonstrate what the new systems can do graphically.

General, Assassin’s creed iv it’s a huge improvement over last year’s delivery. Add a nicer main character, a story that makes sense, and gameplay that’s really fun. There are a few hiccups, like the typical “follow your prey” objectives, bland multiplayer, and sometimes buggy platforming situations, but nothing that will negatively affect your gameplay. With that said, Assassin’s creed iv it’s one of your best bets this holiday season.

If there’s one thing I particularly despise it’s when a software developer releases a half-finished product onto the market, with a bunch of features disabled, so you can make some money and get some market share while doing the job it’s supposed to. . be doing – that is, FINISH THE GAME.

Sadly, this is the case with Gin Rummy Plus from Peak Games.

For starters, the game in Gin Rummy Plus is pretty good and it looks fantastic. Card games cost a dime a dozen, so the only thing that really separates them are the graphics and the extras.

Peak Games has done a good job on the graphics side. The look is great, the animations are fluid, and the user interface is very intuitive and takes seconds to learn.

Unfortunately, that’s it with this one. Even after connecting with Facebook, the “leaders” and “friends” buttons don’t work, giving you a nice little “coming soon” balloon.

This is disappointing, especially the friends option. One of the selling points of games like this (for example, Words with Friends, What’s the Phrase ?, Says With Buddies / Yahtzee With Friends) is the ability to play against people you know. As of now, this option does not exist … In fact, I would prefer if they hadn’t even put the button there to show users and upcoming features, instead of leaving the game as is.

As it is, it is a good game. As I said, the graphics are very pretty, the animations are fluid, and the matchmaking with strangers seems adequate. The turn timer is a bit annoying as there is not much time left for the player to think the strategy without losing the entire turn if he does not discard in time. A turn timer is needed in a multiplayer game, of course, to keep things moving, and in three lost turns in a row the player loses the game, so they won’t get stuck when playing unresponsive opponents. A few more seconds would be fine, that’s all.

Another shortcoming (although one that many developers choose to ignore, not that it’s an excuse) is the lack of a game vs. CPU option. It never ceases to amaze me how many game developers refuse to put this feature in their games, when it seems like it would be pretty easy to do (or maybe not, I’m a gamer, not a programmer … but then I’m giving the perspective of a player here, not that of a developer).

Am I picky? Maybe I am. However, like I said, one of my things that annoys me is unfinished games. Game developers must learn to finish their games before releasing them or get used to some negative reviews. At least on my part.

That’s all. The race of your life. Head to head. Nose to nose Flag to flag for the world championship. And only your best friend, or worst enemy, stands in your way as you chase yourself down 32 devilishly complicated race tracks spread out from Paris to Rio.

Then there was the SNES trilogy known as “Top Gear” (or “Top Racer” as it was known in Japan). The aftermaths after the first TG became more advanced in terms of racing options, cars, designs, and “money” required to purchase parts and accessories won at the top of a race. The original Top Gear is valued for the fact that it was simplistic in nature – pick your name, pick your transmission (automatic or manual), pick your driver and car layout, and just run!

Each of you choose your car carefully for speed. handling and power. Grab the controls and hit it on the asphalt. This is an incredible split-screen race at its finest, and it takes all your skill, courage and split-second time to stay on the road, day after day, night after night, passing obstacles, barriers and pit stops. . So prepare yourself. Start your engine. And go for the nitro. There is only room in the winner’s circle for one!

Graphics:

The graphics in this game do their job well, a neat opening screen is followed by a well-designed options screen that includes an impressive digitized photo (by SNES standards) behind the text. In the game itself, the graphics are quite good and the cars themselves are well drawn. One effect on top gear that I’ve never seen anywhere else is the way that during some races the day changes to night and vice versa, making your visibility better or worse.

Also, the backgrounds are unique for each track, you can see the leaning tower of Pisa in Pisa, the Eiffel tower in Paris, etc. The pit lane is also well animated and the speedometer, timer. I also liked the little speech bubbles that pop out of the side of the car every time you crash into another car or use a nitro. For example, if you get caught in a group of cars and you keep hitting them, the driver will say something like “get out of my way” or “you’re blind.”

The controls:

The controls are, in a word, flawless. You have 4 control options, including a left-handed option, in which you keep the SNES pad face down. Maneuvering your car is as simple as taking a curve. Overtaking in high-speed curves is not a problem, as you can speed on the outside or take a small drop in speed and pass on the inside. In manual gear mode, a simple touch of the R or L buttons will move you up or down one gear.

Music and sound effects:

I must say that I think Top Gear has the best music in any of the previous racing games. The title track is a classic (it’s also the ending music of lotus1 in genesis) and the in-game tracks are perfect too and always seem perfect for whatever track you’re on, the high notes seem to match sharp turns and generally , music. it has a pace that manages to get the adrenaline pumping as you go through hairpin turns. Car sound effects (skidding, engine noise, etc.) are also perfectly recovered.

How to Play:

Top Gear’s strong point is its exciting gameplay. The fact that its permanently split screen (like Mario Kart) will always have you compete against another “human” player is its trump card. If you play in single player mode, the second player’s car is controlled by SNES and he will have to refuel like you. In two player mode, player 2 will control this car. In each race there are 20 cars and their position on the starting grid is determined by their finishing position in the previous race, for example, if they finished first, the next race starts at 20th, 2nd = 19th and so on.

When you finish first on any track in a country, you earn 20 points, second place wins 15 points, third place wins 12, fourth place wins 10, and fifth place wins 8. However, that’s the cutoff point, because yes If you do not finish a given track in fifth place or better (out of 20 cars), you will not advance to the next track. Also, you must finish at least third or better in any country or continent to advance to the next country.

There are 32 tracks in eight areas around the world: United States, South America (mainly in Brazil, but interestingly includes a track in Mexico), Italy, Germany, Japan, France (including a track in Monaco), United Kingdom. and Scandinavia (Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark).

In addition, you can choose one of four cars, most of which are in stark contrast to each other. The white car is better for fuel consumption, but on average it registers the lowest speed, while the red car is the fastest on average, but it drinks gasoline like water. The blue and purple cars share a similar speed and gas usage rate, but the blue car handles cornering better than the purple car.

There are huge differences between each car and playing the game with a different car makes each game feel like a different game as depending on your car you could have a very maneuverable machine or something that handles like a brick on wheels. (Driving the blue or red car makes it much more difficult to pass and avoid objects). Or you may have a vehicle that needs to be refueled once, twice, or not at all on a particular track.

Also, acceleration varies, which is crucial when you are starting out or right after a major accident or pit stop. Nitro power also varies from car to car, which also affects duration and overall speed increase. Also, top speed comes into play and some cars maintain speed better than others and don’t seem to slow down as much after a nitro boost or a steep hill.

When you are low on fuel you will have to pit stop to do this, just head to the pit lane and when your fuel level is sufficient, drive again. Pit stops require tactics, as early in the race you will have more time to catch up. If you run out of fuel it doesn’t mean you are out of the race as your car drifts forward for a while and if another car hits you it will start to move again.

Because of this, it is possible to do a full lap without fuel until you can finish or get to the pits. Although most likely you will lose a lot of positions waiting to be hit or stop in a lane where not even other cars pass. However, in 2 player mode you can have the other give you a push.

The tracks are well laid out and on longer runs it is possible to have many different tactics on when to refuel or nitro. Some tracks like the black forest are true to life as this track is full of steep hills just like the real place. The speed in Top Gear is phenomenal, not unacceptably fast but devastatingly fast and smooth compared to the likes of F-Zero and Mario Kart, which are slow and seem slow in comparison.

Challenge factor:

Top Gear has three difficulty levels, higher levels make computer cars faster and more aggressive and also add more obstacles to the course. Although completing the game is not too difficult, you should try to finish first in each race as any loser can finish fifth. You should also try to beat the record for the course displayed on the pre-race screen.

On top of that, you should try to complete the game with all the cars, as in the red car, you cannot afford to crash and you can reach speeds of around 240mph if you are good. The red car also consumes fuel like there is no tomorrow, but it goes much faster than the blue and white. In short, the white car is for beginners, the blue and purple cars for intermediate players, while the red is for professionals.

Final thoughts:

Top Gear doesn’t carry much weight in racing game history because it doesn’t have the super fancy options, features, and add-ons like its sequels did, or other games that would follow on other systems. And that’s a shame, because not only is Top Gear’s simplicity at its most compelling strictly when it comes to racing, it also paved the way for other games to copy the system it implemented and make it even better, solely from a game. fulcrum.

If you own an SNES and want to relive a glorious era of pre-shattered racing games, Top Gear would be one of the ones you’ll want to get your hands on. The experience will give you possibly one of the best racing games in your collection.

Ah, Japanese RPGs, a staple of my gaming life. In Japan, the market is full of games of this type (obviously, that’s why they are called JRPG), but there have always been two important series among the countless titles of the genre: Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. There has also always been a series behind those two, and that would be the Tales series. Starting on the Super Famicom with Tales of Phantasia in 1995, the series spawned 14 games in the main series and 9 offshoots. With the most recent North American release, Tales of Xillia 2, I wanted to see the original Tales of Xillia title for PS3. After playing this game extensively and logging in for almost 50 hours, I feel ready and ready for the sequel.

The game begins with the choice to play as Jude Mathis, a good soft-spoken medical student, or as the mysterious Milla Maxwell. This will affect certain scenes and even some playable events throughout the game. Regardless of who you choose, you will end up meeting a set of characters, 6 playable in all. These characters develop and grow throughout the game. I even found myself going back to previous cities just to check out characters who had a role earlier in the story, and I was rewarded with reunion scenes, something I hadn’t seen before. It really makes you feel like the characters are alive after the main story has passed them by.

Story has always been a strong point for the Tales series, and it keeps up with Xillia. The main quest line is a roller coaster of ups and downs, surprises and twists. The game had me on the edge of my seat trying to mentally prepare myself for what was to come next. The story progresses at a rapid pace, but not to the point where you find yourself asking “Wait, what am I supposed to do now?” And even if you stray, the game has an “Event List” where you can get a short summary of the story and everything that has happened so far. The story is really gripping and consistently interesting.

One thing that makes the Tales series different from the other two franchises I mentioned above is the combat. It may look like the same thing you’ve seen in a typical Final Fantasy game, but it won’t take long for you to realize how fantastic the battle system is. When facing an enemy, the screen changes to what Tales calls a battle map, four members of the group are there to participate in the combat, but here is the catch, the combat unfolds like a beat em up action game with Role elements such as skills and items. mixed. The combat is smooth and exciting, and battles only last from about 10 seconds to a minute, so you won’t get tired of fighting field monsters or shredding levels like you would in a traditional turn-based RPG.

Most people would prefer the good to the bad, so I’ll start with the good: the sound. The sound of this game is absolutely top notch. From the voice acting to the sounds of Jude’s fists smashing enemies to the soundtrack; the sound of this game is captivating and I loved every second of it. I can’t say enough about the voice emitted in this game as each character speaks with the right emotions, be it happy, silly, sad or angry, they all work perfectly. My favorite voice in the cast would have to be the old man Rowen, as he really sounds like the gentleman he plays on screen.

Unfortunately, I cannot praise the same graphics. While I understand this game was released two years ago in Japan, I think they could have polished up some of the textures in the game and cleaned it up a bit. Sometimes the mouths didn’t match the words, and other times the animation lagged a bit. One thing I can say is that the game features excellent anime scenes in the heat of history. Just when things are at their most intense, Xillia brings the cutscenes with some powerful and beautiful animated cutscenes. Although the graphics of the game are not the best, I can say that some of the areas of this game are impressive. I found myself stepping back just to gaze at the landscapes quite often. In general, the graphics are not horrible, but not great either.

The game features many things to do after you have won the game, from hidden side bosses, side quests, to Alfried Treasure to collect. Even after completing the story, I managed to dedicate an additional 15 hours to the game. A notable extra is the additional dungeon, Magnus Zero. Not only is it a whopping twenty stories, but after beating the boss at the end, you have a chance to get through it again on a harder difficulty.

Tales of Xillia is a solid buy for any RPG fan, and even if you only have a passing interest in the genre, this game deserves at least a look. The game gives you what you pay for: a 45+ hour story with tons of optional gameplay on top of that. Overall, this game is a welcome addition to the wonderful Tales series, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Look for it in your local Slackers today!

Titanfall review

For fans of sand shooter games, it can be difficult to find a game that interests us. Having been a long-term combatant in the fields of Halo and Battlefield, remembering my deployments in Unreal and Quake seems distant and childish; Like a strange childhood that leads me to what I play now But this Titanfall review will show you my transition back to arena-based shooters and how the transition wasn’t as painful as I imagined. Titanfall offers a truly fun and exciting revival of great multiplayer games.

Leaving the military game

Don’t get me wrong, Call of Duty and Battlefield are great games. I have enjoyed many years of service with those games. However, when I started playing Titanfall to write a Titanfall review, I was reminded of the good old days with extreme physics, crazy weapons, and cool, futuristic battlegrounds. It had long been confined to military base games with weapons based on real weapons, battlefields straight out of Iraq or Eastern Europe, and real physics. As soon as I started, I started jumping high and throwing grenades 100 yards, I thought, “Oh yeah, video games don’t have to be real. In fact, they’re great when I can do things that I can’t.” do in the real world.

Weapons, Weapons, Weapons

Once you break the military standard for an arena-based shooter, I found that when I played for the purpose of writing a Titanfall review, I loved the machines and weapons that you can play with. Just having a bigger weapon and great mechanical suits that the game’s creators balance very well. Having a load of Titan and falling in battle is a lot of fun and flows smoothly throughout the game.

Nothing is perfect

There are a few things Titanfall doesn’t have that were big reasons why I enjoy other games like Call of Duty or Battlefield, like branching objectives, evolving maps, or destructible scenarios. The game is great and fluid, but even a few more maps would have been nice.

Overall, though, playing Titanfall was a pleasure. It made me take a step back and appreciate a first person shooter game that was not based on my reality. I was able to play on new, albeit non-interactive maps, and pilot large machines that flowed very well from player to machine. Overall, Titanfall is a must-have for any fan of arena-based games. What it may lack in features like interactive maps, game modes, and objectives, it makes up for in fun and entertainment.

The invasion of toy-based video games happened two years ago with the launch of Activision Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure. Of course, Activision isn’t one to just release a hit game where it could be a franchise, just like with Obligations, Skylanders has had annual releases and 2013 brought Skylanders exchange force and the only difference this year was that Disney released its own take on the genre with the incredibly ambitious Disney infinity. Finally, we can determine which one really deserves your parents’ money.

This year’s real selling point Skylanders is the ability to change the bodies and legs of your new Skylanders. When you buy the starter pack, you get a new portal, the game, two interchangeable characters, and a normal non-interchangeable Skylander. Changing Swap Force characters is pretty easy; just unzip the character magnets and then change the caps. My favorite aspect of the Swap characters is that the bottom and top have their own leveling tree for different powers. As in previous installments of Skylanders, there is much variety.

Upon launch, there was a very limited selection of interchangeable Skylander characters. Activision concentrated on different previously released character sculptures rather than creating new ones. Although earlier this year, Activision has been doing a spectacular job of producing more characters. It was a shame that at the time of launch the selection was so limited.

After a long cutscene at the beginning of the game, you will finally be in control of your choice of hero. If you’ve played some kind of third-person action RPG, you’ll feel right at home. It’s your standard beat-em-up, go to the next area, more enemy characters appear to block your way. Rinse and repeat for the entire part of the long single player. There are some puzzles that require cooperation (like moving blocks to access a path) and other fairly standard puzzles. This won’t be difficult for anyone under the age of ten, so keep that in mind.

The true charm of the series has to be the overly stylized cartoonish look of the worlds and characters. Some gamers may find the overall package’s aesthetic appeal somewhat annoying and on its face, but in my opinion it works quite well for a game like this. The version I played was for the Wii U, so the bright colors and eye-catching characters made the game feel right at home with other Nintendo products. As a parent, you will never feel like your child will pick up on a joke that they shouldn’t hear.

Once again, when it comes to playing the game, nothing has really changed except for the new addition of The exchange force characters. The game essentially feels like the one above. Skylanders Titles. Which might be great for younger fans of the series, but for veteran players, it’s pretty much eye-inducing. I will say that combat is a little more attractive than Disney infinity. To who The exchange force, there was no stutter in frame rate as the game kept up with all the action on screen.

Of course, with a game franchise as large as Skylanders, most likely whoever is playing The exchange force you’ll want to experience co-op play and this is where the game really shines. If you are playing the game alone, it can get a bit boring and stale. With another person playing next to you, you can experiment with different character options. Hell, you could even change your The exchange force characters around for an added extravaganza. For some strange reason, this game still lacks online co-op and this is a misstep for a title like this. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that it is marketed to younger players, but even Disney infinity including this feature. I would classify this as developer and publisher laziness.

When it comes down to it, you have to wonder if this game is really worth the high retail price of $ 74.99. For me, absolutely not, but I’m not the target audience either. If you want a solid game that occupies your child or brother, Skylanders exchange force it’s a great choice. Although for the price, I would suggest taking a look at the top one Disney: Infinity also. They are mostly apples and oranges, but either option will keep your little ones happy.