E3 2014 Recap

This years E3 turned out to be as extravagant as last year's. For the most part, it was similar to how everything was last E3. The event started Monday, June 9th with the traditional press conferences from the main industries, Sony, Microsoft, Ubisoft, E.A., and Nintendo. The following 3 days were dedicated to the floor show previews and interviews with directors and producers. This year's content was no different and proved to be incredible.

Electronic Arts

E.A. was one of those press conferences that was somewhat big, but not as much as the big three. Also considered by many as one of the worst companies, it was worrying on how E.A. was going to get themselves out of the fire. E.A.'s press conference was overall a little on the short side, but did had some titles that may help them out in the near future. Some of which include...

• A teaser trailer look on Star Wars: Battlefront.
• Fifa 2015.
• The Sims 4 with a look on emotional status.
• Rumors about a new Mass Effect.
• And a look on the new Battlefield: Hardline, at judging from what we saw has a stronger emphasis on cops and robbers.

Ubisoft

Ubisoft kicked off things pretty great and has a lot more hyped games compared to E.A. Also they are considered a second-hand company much like E.A. compared to the big three. Again on the short side, this company tried to get as much content in the short time they have.  A lot of the hyped games from Ubisoft include...

• A look on Just Dance 2015, which looks like it will allow community uploads to showcase your dance moves.
• A look on the new installment of Assassin's Creed: Unity. They gave us a explanation on the controls and how co-op was going to be played out.
• And the biggest game, Far Cry 4, which gave us a preview on the mechanics, the environment, and an explanation of the multiplayer feature. The multiplayer was unique in that players who even don't have the game can join in on the fun.

Nintendo

Nintendo has had a rough year. Even though they are a member of the big three; the disappointing sales of the Wii U, Nintendo has been in a financial struggle to keep going. Unfortunately like last year, Nintendo had no press conference but instead opt for a online digital event. Though there was no press conference, Nintendo had some great games that can hopefully bring about selling more of their consoles. Some great titles shown were...

•  Super Smash Bros. 3DS. We got a look on the fighting and some of the characters in this popular franchise.
• Mario Maker, which allowed players for the first time ever create their own 8-bit levels.
• A glimpse of the long awaited Bayonetta 2, also showing a cross promotion with Bayonetta dressing in attire from other Nintendo characters.
• And a new Zelda game, which focused on creating a more open world feel as well as the possibility to allow players to play Zelda.

Microsoft

Microsoft, another member of the big three, did a complete 360 (no pun intended) in what was showed last year.  While last year was more of a focus on the T.V. concept and the Kinect, this year focused on the games. However, even when discussing the games for the current console, there were still questions about the current state of the Xbox 360 and the Kinect, as well as P.C. games. Nevertheless, the press conference was amazing. They showed the audience games such as...

• Forza Horizon 2 and look on the new engine and a dynamic weather system.
• An original game known as Sunset Overdrive.
• A look on Halo 5 as well as a collection for the series that allows players to experience the journey so far.
• And the overly hyped installment of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. We got to look at a long demo of the game mechanics, some of the weapons, and the impressive graphics.

Sony

Sony has surprisingly been on top of the gaming industry with the successful sales of the PS4, making them the leading company. Even after just 6 months, Sony has sold over 7 million units of the PS4. So it was no surprise that they were going to have a great E3 this year. For the most part, the main focus was the new games, but also discussed some of the technology like the PS Vita T.V. and Project Morpheus, but that is a discussion for another time. With the new games, I believe Sony will continue to gain success for many years, including...

• Destiny, a FPS with solar system theme.
• The Order: 1886, A war game in an alternate timeline featuring monsters.
• Little Big Planet 3 and the look on the new team system.
• A demo of Mortal Kombat X of how the new gameplay mechanics are more outstanding than the last installment, taken a page from Injustice.
• A preview of Batman: Arkham Knight with the glimpse of the graphics, gliding mechanics, and combat with the new Batmobile.
• And a trailer of the next chapter of the series; Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain looks to be amazing and have more of an open world compared to Ground Zeroes. We may also get hints of this game leading to the original Metal Gear.

E3 this year was more successful than last year and looks like the main game industries were trying to please the gaming community more than ever. For the rest of the trade show, it was dedicated to playable demos and interviews as stated before. While not all of our questions have been answer, this looks like a better year for the gaming industry and community.

Titanfall

Titanfall, made by Respawn Entertainment, is a FPS multiplayer game. The entire experience is played online in a team setting featuring a multiplayer campaign. People have been calling it the COD killer as it offers the same amount as a typical Call of Duty but with more benefits. The main feature in terms of combat is using mechs to make gameplay more engaging. Players can control mechs to complete objectives and help winning matches. This game offers a variety of ways to engage in combat situations.

Titanfall has a lot of great points that most people would enjoy and get their fun filled excitement.

Pros:

• Playing as either a mech or a pilot. You can play the game in a similar style of a ground soldier or use mechs to win your way through the campaign. Playing as a pilot doesn't mean your weaker, but offers new possibilities. As a pilot you have parkour abilities and transverse the maps in a unique way. As a mech, though you can't jump or dodge, acts as a stronger soldier. There are even different types of mechs with their own abilities. You can even customize the pilots and mechs to give them some originality.

• The level design is amazing. There are a good amount of maps, 15 to be exact. The map are a great size, for the purpose of this game and don't rely on tight spaces. And the way the levels are designed, they can allow for movement across the map with the use parkour.

• Added Minions. Minions are AI controlled and they are the grunts of the game. Though they are not highly responsive against human players, they are purposefully added to make battles last. As opposed to FPS multiplayer games where you spend time searching through the map finding players, Minions help alleviate the problem.

Unfortunately, the game is plagued with some downsides.

Cons:

• Small teams. The game only allows up to 12 players in a game. The map size and amount of fast-paced combat could easily have allowed for more players, at least 18 in my opinion.

• Lack-luster game modes. For a game that brings a new concept to combat, the game modes are the same typical modes that you would find in any other FPS. Mostly they are the team deathmatch type with some alteration, and a few objective base modes.

• Multiplayer campaign is bad. Probably the most criticized thing in the game. The "campaign" so to speak is nothing more than multiplayer matches with story elements thrown into it. The story within the campaign is not entertaining at all, and with the distraction of playing the game and listening to voice chat, you will most likely ignore all the dialogue and just play the game. The campaign is also short and can be completed in a few hours. Also the game has scripted moments that don't seem to change the overall result of the battle no matter what you do. Obviously this was just tact on to say Titanfall has a story.

Overall, the game is highly outstanding with the new FPS elements. However, what brings it down is it's lack of connectivity in the world of Titanfall. If the game had original game modes and a single player story instead of a multiplayer story, along with polishing the story to fit the identity of Titanfall, this game would outshine other FPS games by a long shot. Does this game outshine Call of Duty? In my opinion, it is about the same enjoyment for different reasons. This game is still amazing and you will have tons of fun. If you want a good narrative game, this is not for you, but for good FPS action, this is a must buy. I give this game a score of 8 / 10.

Call of Duty: Ghosts

The tenth installment of one of the most known series in gaming, Call of Duty: Ghosts is the turn of the next generation of gaming. Available for the last and current gen consoles, this game feels like the start of something new. What comes with this game is the usual campaign and multiplayer aspect that we are familiar in the past, however there is more here than what the previous games gave us.

Pros

• Cross gen Availability
• This Call of Duty is available for the PS3, PS4, 360, XBOne, Wii U, and PC, which gives the consumer a number of opportunities to play the game on their console of choice.
• Engaging Campaign
• The game's main story has a lot of potential. There are no "fork in the road" type of missions, but instead returns to the classic linear campaign. However, The game takes the combat to everywhere. Land, sea, sky, the moon. Everything is thrown at you. And not to spoil the ending, The game's final moments are not the traditional endings you see in the past games.
• New Mode Squads
• Squads is the newest mode in the game. It offers a variety of things to do. You can customize your squad with names and loadouts. You can refine your skills with a gameplay similar to a practice mode. You can take part in a wave-like survival mode similar to MW3's survival. You can even go head-to-head against other players' squads.
• Improved Multiplayer Loadout
• Everything seems to be different in terms of multiple customization. Instead of one soldier to level up, you have 10 soldiers to level up. You can also create soldiers of your liking, even female characters if you want. And for the most part, weapons, perks, streaks, etc. are unlocked with the help of squad points. Squad points are similar to the unlock tokens from BO2, but you get them from continuous play, and the cost depends on what you are buying.
• New Mode Extinction
• Extinction is another new mode in the game. The best way to explain this game is similar to Resistance 2's Co-op mode, or combining survival with objectives. This mode seems like the Zombies of Activision. The game features a group of soldiers fighting against an alien threat. Currently there is only one chapter, however it is safe to say that there will be more with the upcoming DLC.
• Clan Wars
• Clan Wars is a new way to play multiplayer. Similar to Leagues in BO2, Clan Wars, in a nutshell, allows users to create clans, have people join, and compete against others with clans to win loadout items and other prizes.

Cons

• Multiplayer Issues
• There are some issues regarding the multiplayer section. First off, there are not that many game modes. Some of the fan favorites, like Sabotage, Demolition, and HQ are not in the game, which is a let down. In game, there are issues with spawning and the overall map sizes seem to expansive. Its like they are trying to mimic Battlefield's map sizes.
• No Multi-path Campaign
• While the story is impressive, some have argued for a campaign with multiple endings like BO2. And while that would be great, I just preferred the way the campaign ended. Having another ending would throw it off.

Call of Duty: Ghosts started something new and seems to be the key to making the next gen consoles and even the next game in the series more successful. Let's face it, the last few CODs have been okay, but nothing extraordinary like when COD4 first came out. While there are fans who wish the series would stop when they are on top, Call of Duty: Ghosts might be able to bring the franchise back up. I will give this game an 8.5 out of 10.

Console War: PS4, Xbox One, and Wii U

Officially, the time is here. All 3 of the next-gen consoles have finally been released. For many months, the console war is at a new time high. If you are planning on getting one of these systems, then you might want to know what makes each so special.

First I want to say, that while others may not like a certain aspect of these consoles, don't let that be the deciding factor. This post is not choosing which is better, but more of the hits and misses of each console to give a general idea of the current state of gaming.

The Wii U came to the scene first and was the latest attempt by Nintendo to get the consumers.

Pros:

• Immediately, what I like about the Wii U is the game pad. The game pad acts as a support for the games and at the same time, is very useful for 2 player games, as each player has a full screen.
• Online support seems to be better. I don't know too much of the online capabilities, but from what I heard, the internet is faster and online seems more smooth compared to the original Wii.

cons:

• The game line up is lacking. There were some good ones at launch, but after all this time, there are not many good games. It suffers from the same problem as the PS Vita.
• The initial setup is long. You have to update the console and can take almost 5 hours to complete. So if you are planning on playing anything on the day you get the console, think again.

Over the months it has been out, the unfortunate thing is the console sales are doing very poorly. But yet the irony is that their handheld division is doing great. It seems as though Nintendo should stick to handheld games. As of now, there is a bundle with the new Super Mario Bros 3D World, to try to get the Mario fans buy the console. We just have to wait and see if this can turn the Wii U around.

The PS4 came out last week and a lot of people have been awaiting for this console. This console claims to be the system that supports the community.

Pros:

• The price is way more affordable than the initial launch of the PS3. Better chances of people are getting the console sooner than later.
• A changeable HDD is possible in case you need to expand storage.
• Share features are also possible. You can share gameplay to a few sites. And also share online features with other account users.
• Blu-ray features stay the same as the PS3.
• Internal Game Capture.
• Upgrade feature with games.

Cons:

• No backwards compatibility is available for previous games. You are stuck with PS4 games.
• Online Fee! Yes you have to now pay for playing online on the PS4. That has to be the most disappointing things about the PS4. We spent the lifetime of the PS3 free, and now Sony is starting to assimilate into Microsoft.
• Day One problems. When the consoles first launched, there were some hardware and software problems. This is only a very small percentage of the users, but it is still out there. Currently Sony is taking the time to fix the problem and is offering refunds if necessary.

The PS4 is one of those consoles where you kind of like it. There are some great benefits, but you are also losing other benefits. If you can accept losing some of the important aspects, I say this is a great console.

The Xbox One just hit the store shelves today. And after knowing that the XB1 and PS4 are similar in terms of tech and hardware. There are some other qualities that make it different from the PS4.

Pros:

• TV integration makes this console like a cable box, allowing you to watch channels.
• External HDD support.
• Kinect 2 is improved and more responsive than its predecessor.
• Improved Controller.
• Internal Game Capture.
• Upgrade feature in games.

Cons:

• No Exchangeable HDD. The HDD can't be replaced which may not seem like a problem now, but with all the games that are going to take up space, you will have no choice but to use external HDDs.
• Subscription is still required for Online support so there is no surprise there.
• The price is higher than that of the PS4, so more buyers may tend to go after the PS4.
• Day One Problems. Even as we speak there have been reports of discs not being read properly. This could be do to the fact that the initial design was to install the game and abandon the disc and just play the game straight from the console.

The Xbox One is in the same predicament as the PS4 and more or less may come to preference.

In the end all consoles share unique goals. Some have great benefits that will improve a gamer's experience, while others may hinder from what worked in the past. These game companies all seem to want to please the consuming market, while at the same time want to try something new. Whether you are going for one or all 3 consoles, the question is which one are you going to buy first?

PS4 & Xbox One, E3 recap

E3 is finally over and we now have some idea of the capabilities of the next-gen systems. However, at this point, which option is better?

Sony's PlayStation 4 was first introduced back in February and only show the games and the controller. Since E3, we got a look at some of the most anticipated games, including "Killzone Shadow Fall" and "Infamous Second Son" along with the system itself.

The concept of the PS4 is to allow for a more social standpoint; gathering more players to a gaming community and offering opportunities to the fans to share their gameplay. The system is going to cost $399 in the U.S. As of now, The only downside to the console is no backwards compatibility. Only PS4 games can be played. Sony seemed to listen to the fans and offered them one of the best gaming consoles of the generation.

Microsoft's Xbox One on the other hand was a complete letdown. The system appeared in May and didn't impress the gamers with the TV functionality. And since E3, The Xbox One kept falling under the weight of the PS4. The system was plagued with numerous limitations and restrictions.

Microsoft has tried to appeal to the gamers during E3 by releasing more games, including the new Call of Duty and Halo. The price of the system is now set for $499 in the U.S. But at that point, the contest was won by the PS4.

As of today, 6/19, Microsoft has announced that the Xbox One will reverse policies and will not require a constant internet connection and used games will function the same as before. So luckily, the Xbox One is now in a competition with the PS4.

While both systems are similar in terms of hardware, and gameplay, for right now the only thing that separates them is the price. The PS4 is now only slightly better with $100 less than the Xbox One. But there is still time for the price to drop before launch, so just keep a look at the consoles and decide which is better.

The Future of Microsoft and Xbox One

Microsoft earlier today has just reveal their next generation console in their event, "Xbox One". The name alone is interesting. It sounds like this new Xbox is the ONE. It's the ultimate console. But will it able to surpass the PS4.

The event itself only lasted for about an hour, on the web. (I watched it through IGN). Really short compared to the PS4, but a good explanation is that we are also close to E3, and didn't want to reveal everything yet.

For those who haven't seen it yet, the event is broken down in the following order...

1. After the pre-show stuff, Don Mattrick delivers a speech to the fans.
2. Afterwards, the announcement of the new name for the Xbox.
3. They talk about the new redesign of the Kinect, and explain the improved functionality.
4. After that, they demonstrated the voice command and showed the public live TV and discussed Skype conversation.
5. Then they discussed the system specs of the Xbox.
6. Then they briefly talked about the redesign of the controller and the d-pad.
7. Finally the new Xbox Live has been discussed, allowing the use of cloud storage, along with the built in DVR for game sharing.
8. After all is said and done, new games have been announced for the upcoming console, which includes the premier trailer of Call of Duty Ghosts.

I got to say, Microsoft has put a lot for a short reveal. I do have to admit, they actually did a better job of revealing the console and Kinect than Sony. But that could be because of the timing. It seems that Microsoft is taking a page from Sony and trying to make the Xbox One more social to the gaming community. But also Microsoft has taken the feedback of gamers from the Xbox 360, and used that to make the Xbox One to function better. And that seems to be the goal of Microsoft, allowing more functionality and more usability.

The are some downsides to the new Xbox. From articles, some of the earlier rumors are true. While the Xbox doesn't need to have a constant internet connection, the Xbox One is not backwards compatible with 360 games, and it does require the connection of the Kinect in order to make the console work. When it comes to the games, I'm not saying that the games are bad, but there wasn't many games that they revealed during the event. The only good one was the last one, Call of Duty Ghosts.

Update: It has been confirmed that the Xbox One can play used games, but requires the user to pay a small fee. When playing a new game the game data will be installed onto the console that corresponds to the account. If you try to play the game on another account, the game will be blocked unless the new user pays a fee. This really will put a damper on the gaming community and places that allow trading and selling of games.

The event in many ways was like the Sony conference, they tell but didn't show. While they shared a lot, there are still questions I'm sure everyone is wondering. I guess to the see and hear everything that both Sony and Microsoft has to offer, we have to wait another 3 weeks for E3.

DmC Vergil's Downfall

I usually don't do blogs on DLC, but since I am a DMC fan and the fact that this DLC is different than most typical DLCs, I think this deserves some recognition.

Vergil's Downfall is the latest DLC for DmC Devil May Cry. However, instead of it being something that adds to the game, this DLC is independent of the main game. This acts like a sequel to the main game and focuses on Vergil. After his defeat to Dante, Vergil heads to the Demon World to gain the power he needs to rule and goes through a fight against his inner self. The missions involve Vergil tackling a different part of something he cared about and his job is to eliminate his attachments.

The DLC offers some potential which I think should not go unnoticed. Vergil plays better than how he was in DMC3, considering this Vergil contains similar moves. Vergil has similar techniques as Dante with the Demon mode and Angel mode. The gameplay can be insane if you combine Yamato and the Summoned Swords in your fights. The ability to upgrade Vergil with actions, life, and Devil Trigger is present and feels rewarding. And the cutscenes are impressive; taking straight from a graphic novel.

At the same time, there are some flaws to consider. The game is only 6 missions, but actually it really should be 5 since the first and last missions are relatively the same. There are no secret missions. There is only two available costumes. And there is technically no Devil Trigger. Vergil has the Doppelganger ability similar to DMC3.

The DLC though the pros and cons are equally weighed, I still think this is a decent DLC for only $9. You get what you paid for. I say with the action that comes packed in the game, it is just enough to make it worth it. I would give this a 5.5 out of 10.