Author - Ripper71

Star Wars Force Trainer II: Hologram Experience Review

2015/12/21

Geek News, News, Reviews, Tech News, Tech Review

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens is upon us and what better way to celebrate it than with a review of the Star Wars Force Trainer II: Hologram Experience by Uncle Milton. Science and science fiction collide in this latest Force Trainer that promises future Episode VII content while providing real science fun.

Using The Force:
The first Star Wars Force Trainer used a combination of an old NASA endurance test with the latest science to provide an interesting but limited experience. When I was younger they came out with a toy that was supposed to be able to read brainwaves but in reality only read movements of the muscles on your scalp when you grimaced concentrating. The Force Trainer actually reads the brains Beta waves and translates your concentration level to a device using a Bluetooth connection. This part of the original Force Trainer was pretty cool but then it was hooked up to a ball in a beaker that would float higher the more you concentrated (NASA used to use a similar ball and tube in old lung capacity tests). This was pretty cool for a while but it can get boring just watching a ball float. So they came up with the design for the Star Wars Force Trainer II using the same science and a very old stage trick.

The base and source of the very Star Wars looking hologram actually dates back to the mid 1500s when a scientist realized that object reflected onto tilted glass could make things look like they were in places they actually weren’t, particularly people. This later became known as a “Pepper’s Ghost” and is used in teleprompters in television stations and, more notably, in Disney’s Haunted Mansion with the ghosts in the ballroom set. In this case, the image reflects from your iPad onto the glass and makes it look like the image is inside the box instead of reflecting off it. This brings up the point that the lower the light in the room the better the effect works and also make sure the brightness on your iPad is all the way up.

Getting started requires the base to be put together which can take about 15 minutes for an adult and would probably get broken by a kid. Then the iPad needs to be sync’d up to the Bluetooth headset. So, if you are buying this for Christmas, you may want to wrap the box but have the assembled toy somewhere else already put together to avoid impatient kids. Don’t be surprised if the reflective plastic pieces are also scratched, it seems to be a common issue but doesn’t really affect the hologram.

Once you get everything put together you need to fit the headset on which only requires some minor adjusting, the key being that the three connections need to make direct contact with the skin in the locations indicated on the diagram, if you are a bit off or there is too much hair in the way then the headset will have constant connection issues. If you are hairy like me you might have that problem anyways, I really needed to get a haircut and a trim up off the ears and it would have been less frustrating.

Once everything is setup on the base with the iPad in place and the headset adorned it’s just a matter of tapping the iPad screen and away you go. It starts off pretty easy with some levels that are designed to help you figure out how to concentrate just the right way to make the device work. The headset detects Beta wave brain activity which is present when someone is alert, active, concentrating or anxious. So when my cat woke me up at 4:30 in the morning I became anxious and active and decided to see if I could get alert and concentrating to follow suit.

So first couple of levels are pretty easy once you get a feel for how you have to concentrate. When growing up imagining the Force we always imagined you just thought push really hard with your mind and it would happen which isn’t how this works at all. You can think push all you like but the real results come when you just try concentrating on the item on the screen. When you have to move an item up and down the screen the more you concentrate the higher it goes, the less the lower it goes much like the ball in the original Force Trainer. When you need to do a force push you just look at the object on the screen and concentrate with all you got. If you aren’t used to concentrating on things so hard this shouldn’t be done for extended periods of time, it might give you a headache from the effort but it is also exercising your brain and the more you level up the stronger you ability to concentrate can get.

You are rewarded with moments from the movie as you go from level to level. You start out trying to move the Force training ball that gave Luke some decent jolts during his training, find yourself lifting and X-wing from a bog and fighting droids. If you work at it you can find yourself up against Darth Vader himself and then… well the game has 8 Padawan levels, 9 Jedi levels, and 10 Jedi Master levels with promises of more levels and Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens content in the future. The really great thing about this game being powered by a mobile app is that once you have all the parts the only limitation on level expansion is what Uncle Milton is willing to give us. In theory, there will hopefully be more content as the movies continue, maybe even more tie-ins to the already released films.

Last Force Push:

Star Wars Force Trainer II: Hologram Experience is a vast improvement over the first edition – it is a great educational tool while also being a fun game for all ages. Don’t play it for hours on end at a time but the more you play it the better your concentration and alertness becomes. The levels have built-in replayability and continuing challenge with the prospect of more play expansions coming in the future. Just make sure you have your iPad fully charged because once the scoring competition kicks in among the players time with fly by.

[easyreview title=”Star Wars The Force Trainer II: Hologram Experience Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”4″ ]

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege Review

2015/12/16

Ripper71

News, Reviews, Windows PC News, Windows PC Review

Anyone who knows me as a gamer knows there are two kinds of games that I am thoroughly addicted to: MMORPGs and first-person shooters. The funny thing is I’m not extremely great at either one, but I am always a solid team player willing to take a bullet/axe/arrow to cover my teammate’s six or to complete the mission. I’m seldom the guy who gets top place and I almost never talk in chat due to PTSD but I’m ALWAYS by your side which the “fit hits the shan”. If I’m a healer/medic you can be sure I will risk my arse to save yours. My addiction to FPS is so deep that I even got my RL nickname “Ripper” from my fondness for sneaking up or ambushing an enemy and cutting them down with a blade.

So when a FPS comes along I am always quick to pick it up even though sometimes it sits on a shelf for a while tempting me until I get other reviews done. Luckily in this case Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege was the review so I got a chance to dive in deep to one of the most anticipated FPS of the year.

Description:
Rainbow Six is an elite team composed of members of the best Special Forces units from around the globe:
• The British SAS
• The American SWAT
• The French GIGN
• The German GSG9
• The Russian Spetsnaz
Trained to operate in tight formations in indoor environments, they are experts of close quarter combat, demolition, and coordinated assaults.

Hands On:
Admittedly, I am a big Tom Clancy fan, having read or listened to almost all of his books so when it comes time to play as his elite unit Rainbow Six I dive on the chance. The idea of a no-borders world terrorist defense team is more than appealing. If it doesn’t exist in secret already, it should. This could easily become a hot button debate but this is about a first-person shooter, so let’s just leave it at that. The storyline described in a quick cinematic is that there are a new group of terrorist called The White Masks and they have scared the world enough that Rainbow Six is being re-activated to deal with them and you are to recruit from any agency in the world without concern for borders or protocol. Just get the job done.

You start off as a recruit and through doing the tutorial missions and watching instructional videos you can earn enough points to unlock so of those world specialist to be on your play list. Each of the five agencies have two categories of specialist, attacker and defender, and each category has two specialists to choose from. One might be an expert in high caliber weapons for defense, another might be a breaching rocket expert for attacking. Each of the specialists have a unique style of attack or defense so you are sure to find one that suits you best. They also have cool nicknames like Pulse who is an expert in detecting enemy heartbeats close by to possibly determine which direction an attack is coming from.

The name of the game is Rainbow Six Siege so the game is all about siege physics and gameplay, one team wants in to do something and the other wants to stop them. As a result the environment is one of the biggest factors in how this game is different from a lot of FPS games with most of it being able to be reinforced, barricaded and most importantly destroyed. Open doorless entry ways or windows can be boarded up with a weak defense that at least obscures line of sight and provides notice of a possible direction of breach. If the attacker doesn’t have a breaching device they also have to strike or hit the boarded up location a few times to breach. If an attacker has a breaching device they can blow holes in some walls and floors or completely destroy boarded up entrances quickly and with enough destructive power to cause cover by flying debris and possibly even an enemy kill. High caliber weapons can blow holes in walls as well as destroying furniture taking out cover in a hailstorm of bullets. There’s nothing quite like being a defender and having a desk your hiding behind disintegrate except maybe the feeling of watch a wall blow out and seeing an enemy right on the other side having put his back against that wall for cover.

That is really the fun of this game. In many ways it is a standard multiplayer FPS (no single player campaign) with many standard weapons but it is the destructive environment and the weapons for attacking and defending that make this game standout. In FPS we have a tendency to no look up, in this game that is almost like an invitation for the other team to blow a hole in the ceiling above you and rain death from above. While you are watching the doors it is a wall that blows in on you that you had put your back to. It is all close quarters which would be a little dull after a while were it not for the breaching and destruction. It is the “siege” and the different ways of performing it that really defines Rainbow Six Siege.

It is meant to be a multiplayer game but there are game modes that allow for some single player. There are 10 training missions that you can do on normal, hard, or realistic that teach you the different elements of the game but also provide interesting scenarios against AI. A lot of people like to skip training missions and jump right into online play and I saw a lot of people doing just that but you earn weapon and specialist unlock points by going through these missions and accomplishing objectives and that is a great way to give you a few specialist at hand when you jump into multiplayer mode as well as teaching you different techniques or enabling you to try out ideas.

The other mode is Terrorist Hunt in which you can put together a team or go Lone Wolf mode and the system picks a scenario and location while you pick from the three difficulties and your unlocked specialists. This mainly consists of you protecting a hostage while under siege by the White Masks. There are waves after waves of attackers that will come at you from every direction you can imagine and the environments can be as big of a challenge as the enemy attackers. For example one defense I was in the middle of an airplane. You might think that means above, below, and to the sides of your position will be safe and you just have to worry about the two directions. In some ways that actually makes it more difficult because seats are obstructing lines of view and all the attackers are either attacking you from in front of you or behind you. If you go up against the fuselage your hostage is a clear shot and the seats are in your way and you are still getting shot from two directions in a space small enough that if they breach simultaneously they will obstruct your field of view even more. These were some of the most frustrating missions and yet they are probably the best training for multiplayer, you really find the strengths and weaknesses of the environment.

Last Shot:
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege is a beautifully crafted multiplayer FPS that makes the environment a crucial part of the gameplay. This game is about a close quarters siege and as a result it polishes all the important physics that would be involved in such a situation. I like single player first-person shooters and in this game it seemed to primarily function as a preparation for the multiplayer instead of telling it’s own story. I wish it had a single player campaign worthy of Tom Clancy novels but it never claimed to be about anything but Rainbow Six performing in siege environment and that is where the game excells.

[easyreview title=”Rainbow Six Siege Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]

Gunnar Heroes of The Storm Siege Gaming Glasses Review

2015/12/14

Ripper71

Geek News, Misc Review, News, Reviews

I stare at computer and TV displays a lot. By a lot I mean there are plenty of days where very little of my time is not spent staring at the “small” screen of my iPhone 6 Plus managing social media or playing games, on the computer writing or playing games and looking at the television watching shows or playing games. Besides the running theme of video games the other is that I look at a lot of artificial light being blasted at my eyes all the time and plenty of days I have to close my eyes with them feeling sore and strained from it. This Christmas Santa came early and brought me the relief of Gunnars in the form most fitting me: Blizzard Heroes of the Storm Siege Edition.

Description:
Defend your eyes in battle with Siege-HotS. Armed with feather-light high tensile, low carbon steel frame and interchangeable arm sleeves of your favorite Hero (sold separately), the Siege has a wider fit style for larger faces. Sleek styling, adjustable silicon nose pads, and ultra-slim temples make this frame the ultimate battle weapon for any gamer.

Hands On:
Most people realize their eyes get strained after long periods of usage especially if they work in an office at a computer. They tend to just write it off as long hours and work concentration rather than what it actually is, a medical condition known as Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) or digital eye strain. It can result in headaches as bad as migraines, dry eyes, blurred vision and severe eye strain. The Vision Council had determined that 70% of Americans suffer from digital eye strain and that long term exposure to artificial blue light given off by digital devices can result in cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. This isn’t just about eyes getting a little tired looking at a screen, this is about long term damage.

So Gunnar came up with different eyeware to help combat these medical issues. For me the perfect pair were the Heroes of The Storm Siege Gaming Eyeware. I’m a big gamer and have been playing World of Warcraft, Starcraft, Diablo and pretty much every game that Blizzard has put out since their inception, it’s been a long road baby. As a result the styling of HoTS Siege fit my personality and long term gaming history. They are extremely light high tensile, low carbon steel which work with my contacts and even with my glasses when I wear them, adding an almost imperceptible amount of weight and surface area, less than 3D glasses at the movies. The lenses are large enough to fit over my entire eye glass lenses too so as to not weirdly frame my vision. This might be in part because the HoTS Siege are designed with a larger head in mind (wait did that just imply I have a fat head?).

The vision aspect and benefits is of course the most important aspect (though let’s face it plenty of people would put style first which they have). The glasses have amber lenses designed to add additional contrast to help sharpen images, a tint to filter high frequency blue light, lenses focus power to help prevent eye fatigue, wrap around design to help with eye dryness and anti-reflective coating to prevent distracts and blue light from hitting the eye.

What does all that mean? It means you get a very effective set of eye protective glasses that look bad ass and feel comfortable for long periods of time. If you think about it amber lenses tinting isn’t new, it has been around since those late night infomercials with the medical proof that they helped your eyes but they also had all the style of military issue “birth control” glasses (which ironically have come into style). They were the ugliest aviator lenses but I had friends and family members who swore by them and were constantly buying me pairs every Christmas to help my eyes during long gaming sessions. Now with Gunnars you can not only get the lenses in a frame with nice looking style you can get them with a style that fits you such as the Heroes of The Storm Siege Edition ones with fire red and ice blue colors on the frame and the Heroes of The Storm logo on them. You can let your geek flag fly proud while having style and healthier eyes to go with it. Just in time for Christmas!

Last Look:
Gunnar Heroes of The Storm Siege Edition Gaming Eyeware not only looks fashionable but helps prevent short and long term damage to your vision which is one of your most valued senses. It’s hard to put a price on your eyesight yet alone protecting it in a bad ass way but Gunnar manages to keep it at a reasonable price while catering to style and fandom. You can even purchase separate arm sleeves for $14.99 to switch out and customize you designs!

I can’t recommend these enough for any gamer or even any office worker who spends long hours at the computer. Heck anyone who spends too much time organizing their life through their phones should have a pair. Health and style? How can you go wrong? These Gunnars glasses retail for $79.99 and are available now.

[easyreview title=”Gunnar HoTS Gaming Eyeware Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]

Game of Thrones A Telltale Games Series Season One Review

2015/12/14

Ripper71

News, Reviews, Windows PC News, Windows PC Review

Telltale Games has chosen a style of storytelling and stuck to it so strongly that if you are talking about a game and say it is a Telltale Games game people will already have a general sense of what you are talking about. It will be setup in episodes making a season. There will be a stylized art style and it will be storytelling gameplay where you make decisions that will directly impact the entire season of gameplay. When you are in control walking around where you look and just as importantly don’t look will have consequences. When you are choosing the timed multiple choice answers which answer you choose or if you choose no answer at all in time and instead provide silence to the conversation will have long reaching ramifications. I get REALLY excited every time I get to play a Telltale Games production because I know it will be a sort of interactive cinema and a great story will be told. Telltale Games Game of Thrones Season One is no exception.

Background:
Based on HBO’s award-winning television drama, Game of Thrones – A Telltale Games Series tells the story of House Forrester, a noble house from the north of Westeros. Caught up in the events of The War of the Five Kings, they are placed in a precarious position where members of the household must do everything they can to prevent the house from meeting its doom.

Hands On:
So that was the official background and you can tell they are trying not to give away any spoilers but it sounds awfully dry to me. It is about House Forrester who was closely aligned with House Stark, if you know anything about Game Of Thrones you know that after a certain point in the saga that is a bad place to be. Well this is at about the worst time to be aligned with the Starks since events take place starting at “The Red Wedding” which is capitalized for a definite reason and was the one place the HBO producers said they were trying to get to before getting cancelled (which isn’t likely to happen anytime soon). In the first couple minutes of the game, which starts off fast and furious, you make a decision that effects you for a long time. Though the game, particularly the mid episodes, do drop into dialogue driven action every dialogue has ramifications, some downright deadly as you would expect from a Game of Thrones story.

Those who watch the television series will be treated to what the events of the show look like to side characters and what those characters do when they aren’t onscreen. If however you have never watched an episode of the series you will still be fine and enjoy the game just fine, you will just know what is happening from the perspective of the Forresters and they get around as much as any other house, more than most even. As a result you get to see all the main players from the HBO show and get to deal with all the issues anyone close to the Starks did which were mostly unpleasant. At times you feel relief that your decisions bore certain long term results, other times you find yourself thinking “why didn’t I handle that quick moment differently?” when two episodes down the line it is still coming back to haunt you. Leading a house is harder than it looks on TV, sometimes you are relieved when you get to watch a bit of action unfold that you don’t have to make a direct decision in.

The animation is great, the characters look like stylized versions of themselves from the series so with only a couple exceptions if you watch the show you will recognize them the moment they hit the screen, I almost think the game would be more challenging though if you don’t watch the show and go in with any preconceived notions of what the characters are like. “She looks like the mom from the Terminator series, I bet she is nice!” that type thing. I was a bit concerned when I first went into reviewing Game of Thrones because it is one of the few titles that are based on non-animated characters but Telltale Games does a great job of riding the line between their stylized visuals and the real actors’ looks, so much so that I am looking even more forward to The Walking Dead spin-off they are doing about Michonne.

Last Look:
Game of Thrones Season One is a terrific game that feels like it belongs as part of the HBO series’ cannon. Telltale Games has woven a great story showing how other houses were effected by the events of the show while at the same time giving the player enough control to make decisions that will have long lasting ramifications throughout the next season and knowing Telltale throughout the game’s entire run. I’m already looking forward to playing the next season though for now I can at least be content with playing through this season again and seeing how different it will be with different decisions.

[easyreview title=”Telltale Games Game of Thrones Season One Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]

Mad Catz R.A.T. Pro S Gaming Mouse Review

2015/12/11

Ripper71

News, Peripheral Review, Peripherals News, Reviews

The Mad Catz R.A.T. Gaming Mouse series has long been the leader in customization and one of the standard setters in comfort and performance. This is so much the case that many gamers have a hard time getting used to gaming with any other mouse when it comes to tournament time. Mad Catz has come up with the solution to this problem with the R.A.T. Pro S, a no frills gaming mouse with the design and benefits you have come to expect from the R.A.T. series.

Features:

Customize Your Comfort via Length- and Tilt-Adjustable Palm Rest
PixArt PMW3310 Optical Sensor Delivers Game-Proven Performance
Change DPI Settings On-The-Fly
Weighs a Mere 77 Grams (2.71 oz) for Hours of Fatigue-Free Gaming
Onboard Memory Stores up to 3 Profiles for Plug-and-Play Gaming on Different PCs

Hands On:
Unlike many of the R.A.T. series the Pro S is designed for streamlined plug and play performance. When you get to a tournament or just someone’s rig for competitive play you don’t want to be pulling out a tool kit and parts and fine-tuning your mouse. You want to be able to sit down, press a couple of buttons and be ready to play but still have the mouse feel you are used to. The R.A.T. Pro S has a palm rest adjust on the back of the mouse, a button which can store three programmable profiles, 8 programmable buttons and a DPI settings button and that is it. You sit, adjust the palm, select your profile and you are ready to go in seconds. The key to this mouse is quick ease of use on the go allowing you to keep competitive by being prepared.

This is also the perfect choice if you find the customization of some of the other mice in the R.A.T. series to be a little overkill or overwhelming. The Pro S only has minor adjustments like the palm rest and DPI while still having the comfort of the thumb rest and the ergonomic design of the wheel and right and left button. You can program the buttons as needed and if you don’t need three profiles you don’t have to use them. The Pro S is a very entry level gaming mouse that allows more customization at the user’s comfort.

One of the more unique features compared to the other mice in the R.A.T. family is the PixArt PMW3310 infrared optical sensor. It has a true 5000 DPI sensor guaranteeing the dots per second while there is a button that allows you to adjust the sensitivity. If you ware simply typing something up or surfing the web you might want it on a lower sensitivity but if you are a MOBA player or a FPS player who loves sniping the heightened sensitivity might be the difference between getting that head shot or controlling the playing field. If you want even more control there is software available for programming the precision aim button allowing you for example use a different lower DPI setting then it the precision button when you want the DPI you have determined is just right for you sniper rifle.

Lastly, the Mad Catz R.A.T. Pro S is one of the lightest gaming mice on the market and have PTFE which enables it to glide smoothly across most surfaces so you won’t have your mouse bog down your movement.

Last Thoughts:
The Mad Catz R.A.T. Pro S Gaming Mouse is the perfect mouse for the gamer on the go. With plug and play design, built-in profiles and programs while keeping the physical customization to a minimum this is the perfect mouse for the entry level gamer or the gamer heading out to a L.A.N. party or tournament.

[easyreview title=”Mad Catz R.A.T. Pro S Gaming Mouse Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”4″ ]

A Look at the Great American Comic Convention: Las Vegas

2015/12/11

Ripper71

Geek News, Misc Review, News, Reviews, Screenshots / Photos

It was the inaugral year for the Great American Comic Convention: Las Vegas and those first years are often a bit rough. Usually, there is a hard time getting talent, vendors are scarce, and the crowds and community support are nowhere to be found. This convention was a bit different though in most aspects and hopefully next year it will have the crowds to show for it.

I go to a lot of conventions, particularly comic book based ones. I’ve never made it into San Diego Comic-Con, the mecha of comic cons, but each year I feel a little better about this as there are too many people, too much going on all at once, and it is near impossible to do half the things you would like to. Give me a medium-sized comic convention, one that gets decent names, keeps me busy the whole weekend but at the same time doesn’t leave me full of regret for the things I couldn’t do. There will always be picking and choosing but let it be with the satisfaction that the choice was a good one.

The Great American Comic Convention: Las Vegas was in a small venue but a near perfect fit for a first year. Vendors are going to be a little bit more reluctant with a con’s first year – panels generally fewer then the number at more established shows. Guests will come and go, some will decide to be no-shows on a first year. Choosing your space so that things aren’t too spread out or looking too cavernous like attendees aren’t getting their money’s worth is important.

What made Great American Comic Convention: Las Vegas different from most small starting conventions was it’s guest list. With only a couple cancellations (feel better Len Wein!) there were some serious legends of the comic community in an arena size space: Billy Tucci, Terry Moore, Bob McLeod, Darwyn Cooke, Joe Rubinstein, Frank Tieri, Tony Harris, Mike Zeck, Howard Chaykin and so many more! You got to see Tim Bradstreet and Tommy Castillo walking the halls talking cover art, James Robinson joking with fans about sitcoms and THE Bernie Wrightson hanging out and talking Batman and Swamp Thing. It was more like a reunion than a convention with the fans being welcomed into the fold and conversations. The panels didn’t get the turnout they deserved but it was like hanging out in someone’s house with these legends in the comic world rather than being in a giant convention hall where you are just one in a sea of faces. It was intimate and warm, so much so that Tim Bradstreet would excuse himself from his booth to go give other artists and even fans hugs. I just wish I could met Simon Bisley and have seen Len Wein there with them so that I could have heard him and Wrightson talk about the early days of Swamp Thing and seen this fraternity even more complete.

And… listen to this comic fans and fanatics, they weren’t charging for autographs! Bradstreet was looking at comics in people’s hands and grabbing them and signing them while chatting, Castillo was a fountain of amazing stories and facts while signing away, Billy Tucci was nicely asking for donations of any amount for important military charities while signing his iconic work and doing sketches. To have such big names at a intimate rookie event was an amazing thing, having free autographs and reasonable prices on prints and books as well was just amazing.

There were some vendors but there will probably need to be more to keep it profitable and there was some community support by lots of local artists and important non-profit groups like Viva Wonder Woman, Very Awesome Girls, Amazing Las Vegas Cosplayers and Super May Day 2016. Special shout out to Viva Wonder Woman whose level of community work I have seen first hand at event after event and should be an inspiration to us all to be every day heroes.

Hopefully, word of mouth will get out about the event so that the turnout increases enough to make sure the event is profitable though if it maintains it’s intimacy I won’t complain much, next year it might feel like we fans are part of the reunion.

Gallery

Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide Review (PC/Steam)

2015/12/03

Ripper71

News, Reviews, Windows PC News, Windows PC Review

Rats! I mean like a tide of vermin! It’s the end of the world… of Warhammer and there are a lot of rat bastards to deal with in these final days. So grab three friends, or bots if you don’t have any friends, and take to fighting the good fight one last time in Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide!

Features:

Cooperative Survival For up to 4 Players – Band together with your friends or die alone. Vermintide will continuously test the teamwork and skill of you and your friends. Drop-in, drop-out Multiplayer and the addition of A.I. bots ensures a full team at any time, regardless of available players.
Play as Five Unique Heroes – Five distinct characters to choose from, each with their own personality, agenda and story to tell. Learning what it means to work together is key to the group’s survival.
Huge Hero Arsenal – Each hero has its own unique weapons arsenal to draw from, allowing players to adjust their combat style to fit their gameplay preference. There are hundreds of different weapons, includíng swords, daggers, axes, hammers, bows, guns, magical staves & more
Embark on an Epic Quest – Boasting 13 diverse levels – on the ground, in buildings, on walls and underground – ranging from the immense Magnus Tower to the treacherous Under Empire, Vermintide will take you on a journey you’ll never forget.
Experience the Skaven Like Never Before – A rising tide of malicious and cunning rat-men await you, hacking, clawing and eviscerating all that stand in their way. Face vicious packs of clan-rats and deadly specialized elites.
Gather Mountains of Shiny Loot – Rewarding teamwork above all else, players are given loot dice at the end of a mission that will reward them with a weapon, a hat or a trinket. Completing side objectives means that better loot dice can be added to the roll.
Battle Unpredictable Enemies – Vermintide features a dynamic spawn system providing a constant set of new challenges lurking behind every corner.
Experience an Immersive Story – Games Workshop veterans have banded together to write a fantastic new addition to the Warhammer lore, offering a new perspective on the cataclysmic events of The End Times.
Find a Path to Safety – The Skaven boast incredible mobility, able to climb and leap fantastic distances to make life a living hell for the Heroes. No matter where you go, they will be there, ready to pounce.

Hands On:
First off, all the features above that were listed on the Steam site were solidly in effect when I played. When it came to character building and armaments, there are tons of options and more arrive throughout play with teamwork being an integral role. If you don’t stick together and watch each others’ backs, then there is a good chance you can get dragged off like a raccoon by animal control – a loop around your neck while other rats take shots at you. At one point during an AI-partnered match I got ahead of my AI team and when they tried to catch up with me we wiped and it was mission over. It was all nicely accentuated by a “Defeated” screen to rub a little salt in our wounds. It wasn’t for a lacking in AI building either, the bots are solidly designed and, mostly, behave like real humans. The biggest weakness I saw in this was when to take healing potions. If a bot is at 60% health and comes across a healing flask they wouldn’t top off instead passing on healing and only using the flask at dire times. Though character AIs quip and fight differently they apparently all have a slight weakness when it comes to self preservation which is a weakness the group then suffers from. Part of this is because the behavior built into the enemy AIs is so well done. They run at you in packs but the stronger ones that benefit from distance will run off if it suits their purpose. Sometimes, the rats will stop attacking and retreat to gather forces. They then re-advance with strength in numbers. When you hear one of your team say “It’s a trap!” and you turn and see a flood or I guess you would say a tide of rat-men pouring over a wall at you, it can be a bit daunting.

I have talked a lot about the AI of both the rat-men and the fellow teammates because I am one of the folks above who don’t have any friends playing the game. As a result I have dropped into hosted games or tried to host my own with some rather rough results. The game requires a team, whether that consists of real players, AI or both seems to depend a bit on luck and timing. The success of that group seems even more in the balance. For example I entered a game and had my graphics cranked so it looked beautiful but the player hosting the game kicked me, my guess was for a lag issue. I lowered the graphics settings and got in another game where the host was complaining about players running off ahead to getting the loot dice and leaving others behind and then quitting. I entered another game where there were two real players and two bots and, since no one else joined, the host cancelled the mission. I then went and started a game myself hosting in hope that, with a stable host, the game would be more successful. It was in a sense, no one else joined and using the bots I was pretty successful and a lot less stressed about the mission possibly ending or someone shooting off ahead for the loot dice. At that point though I realized I could just start a private game and no one else would be able to join and I could just run with the bots who wouldn’t bring personal player issues to the game. This also made me realize it might as well be offline play then since I was a solo party with bots.

I wish I could say I had one stellar mission with other players but I’m not sure I ever completed one. Maybe if it had dedicated servers that the games were being hosted on like in Diablo it would be a more stable online experience and less dependent on the numbers of players and dispositions of them. The game is solidly built with tons of great features that lead to detailed customization and lots of Warhammer lore, the only problem is a lack of player base and possibly it’s quality.

Last Tide:
Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide is a solidly built game with great features and excellent AI. It is a visually beautiful game that deserves an equally terrific player base. Not just deserves it though, requires it for the game to continue on its hairy rat legs.

[easyreview title=”Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”3″ ]

The Park Review (PC/Steam)

2015/11/22

Ripper71

News, Reviews, Windows PC News, Windows PC Review

The Park is a nice little jaunt into madness designed to remind former players of The Secret World what they are missing, and also give current players more lore and gear to add to their ever expanding experience in a place where nightmares are the norm. If you have nothing to do with TSW that’s okay, The Park is still a creepy cool ride.

Features:
– Explore Atlantic Island Park and step onto rides such as the Ferris Wheel, the Bumper Cars and the Rollercoaster; just beware, some of them have a life of their own
– Enter the mind of Lorraine, a woman facing every parent’s worst nightmare, and unravel her story as well as the dark and tragic history of the park
– Call out for Callum to respond, and interact with the environment around you while examining clues and listening to Lorraine’s own inner voice as the game progresses
– State of the art graphics and audio deliver a uniquely atmospheric setting rich in mood and mystery, developed by a team of award-winning AAA developers

Hands On:
The Park works as a stand alone game where you follow your narrator Lorraine down a path of madness or nightmare, or both. Exactly what happened is left up to some personal interpretation but it all falls nicely into the madness of The Secret World mythos in which the events of the game have been rumor among the townsfolk of Kingsmouth for some time. There are easter eggs to The Secret World and Stephen King’s writings which often nodded to in the SW universe so if you are familiar with either it is fun, if you are into both even more so.

It is a story played in the first person with a narrative that seems at times to have choices but is in reality very linear. In the very opening moments of the game you and your son are leaving Atlantic Island Park and your son Callum goes running back in and you follow. Only the moment you go through the turnstiles the world shifts and don’t expect it to shift back anytime soon. You search for Callum and find sometimes important but usually just interesting TSW lore by shouting for him which results in a wavering in the air that points you the direction to go. If a player only cared about completing the game they could ignore the pages of information and just charge through the game and be done in probably about an hour, said player would also have missed out on the whole importance of the game and it’s very purpose which is to expand on the Secret World lore. If you aren’t a SW player it entices you to become one through showing you the nightmarish world it creates and giving a costume and some talismans for the core game as well as a week of free premium play. The costume isn’t a boring one like some side games might give you either, it is downright awesomely creepy, It think even horror film worthy.

I played and reviewed The Secret World whey it first came out and I loved it even though it had a few buggy issues. It was a solid MMORPG. Since then it only got better and tells it’s stories as if the player is playing through issued of a comic book series even going as far as to break it up into individually titled Issues which are then on sale to play. There is a mix of mini-transactions and subscription play much like Star Trek Online even having a lifetime membership available to bypass the subscription and some mini-transactions just like STO. If someone is still looking for a Christmas gift for me the lifetimes subscription…

But I digress. If you want to soak in the atmosphere of the game and get all the lore you can it will probably run you closer to three hours, which when combined with the in-game gear it becomes a very reasonably priceed addition to anyone’s TSW experience. Wear headphones, turn off all the lights. Play in an empty house if you can and this game might just give you a creepfest. If the player is prone to being jumpy at startle scares in movies or creepy moments then this game will keep you on the edge of your seat. If you are a bit jaded and desensitized like yours truly then you will still appreciate how well crafted the mood is set and maintained and I will admit to jumping at one point just as strongly as the professional level haunt attractions I attended during October. One spot I was in a dark dead end hall, there is a dead body at my feet, the screen image is flickering and shifting which you come to learn quickly is not a good sign. The music is at a tension building level and I know from my experience with horror games and haunts that when I turn around there will be something there. But the game has worked to build up a subtle tension so when I turn and see what is there the music crescendos the screen does a slight flicker and something creepy is standing there in state-of-the-art graphics and I jumped high in my chair. As far as I am concerned getting me to jump at all is worth the game’s price.

My two minor issues were that one of the repeating creeps in the game just didn’t strike me as very creepy because it was a little too cartoonish. I think the quality of the graphics and the great design of the secondary creep might have added to this and for some people it might be just fine. I think I would have just preferred maybe a hyper realism to that character since it was definitely in the game’s abilities. The other issue was that the game had load screens which can really pull the player out of the tension. For some it is a moment to catch their breath and is probably for the best but I just found it distracting. Both are minor issues that plenty of players would probably disagree with.

I would also like to make a point, and there is a warning on the game to this effect, that the subject matter gets dark, maybe too dark for some players with certain traumas or sensitivity to deep, dark themes.

Last Jump:
The Park is a terrific little game that works beautifully as a stand alone game but is practically a must for anyone who has played The Secret World. It is loaded with lore, mind games and creepy atmosphere that would have Scooby Doo saying “Rew you, I’m raying in the ran.” There is a mystery to solve that is left to the mind of the player, the darker your thoughts the darker the ending. Just don’t be surprised if you find yourself trying to put some time aside to dive into The Secret World after…

[easyreview title=”The Park Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]

Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition Review (PC)

2015/11/22

Ripper71

News, Reviews, Windows PC News, Windows PC Review

War! What is he good for? Absolutely nothing…. unless you also mean being a scapegoat for the great “powers that be”. When you are one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, who can you count on to have your back? Why, Death of course, since he is one of the constants of the world (why isn’t Taxes the Fifth Horseman?) and a true blue brother indeed. So in Darksiders II Deathfinitive Edition you play big blue Death and you reap like a bad ass.

Features:
– Play Death: Become the most feared of the legendary Four Horsemen, able to destroy entire worlds and battle forces beyond Heaven and Hell.
– Epic Universe: Unlike anything the player has seen before, delivered in the unique style of Joe Mad.
– Player Choice & Customization: Customize your experience with varied armor sets, weapons, and Skill Trees allowing players to create their own Death.
– Replay-ability: Explore a vast open world, complete dozens of side quests and customize your Death with a full leveling system, Skill Trees and endless equipment combinations.
– Traversal: Death is a nimble and agile character capable of incredible acrobatic feats allowing the player to explore the world like never before.

Deathinitive Edition Features:
– Darksiders 2 with all DLC included and integrated into the game which offers a total playtime of more than 30 hours
– Reworked and tuned game balancing and loot distribution
– Improved Graphic Render Engine for higher visual quality especially in terms of lighting and shadows
– Improved and reworked level, character and environment graphics
– Running in native 1080p resolution
– Steam Trading Cards

Scythe On:
If you notice a degree of levity in this review it is because the game doesn’t take itself too seriously either. Yes, it has an earth shattering storyline but it plays as a hack n’ slash that borrowed lovingly from the aspects of other games to create a well polished beast of beauty.

The control system plays out much like in God of War, with lots of dodging followed by wicked double attacks. There are also epic bosses and splattering finishing moves for yard trash. The weapon system is similar to a couple different games and allows Death to wield two scythes as well as a secondary weapons of your choice. When it comes to weapons this game is practically in overkill mode with options. You might want to play through more than once just to keep trying out different ways to do Death’s reaping duties. The game already had plenty to start with, the Deathinitive Edition adds weapon DLCs to bolster it even further. Combine this with other customization such as skill trees and you wind up with a Death all your own.

Loot drop is similar to a few dungeon crawlers in design. reminding me of Krater and it’s better known bigger cousin Diablo. As it says above it is an open world much of which you can run around on a mount so you can enjoy the vast space without finding it tedious.

The balance of enemies, particularly the boss battles is nicely done so that you feel a ton of satisfaction dispatching peons but not outmatched when taking on bosses. It may be slight tweaks from the original game, mainly of which aren’t really noticeable to someone who hasn’t played it in three years but they do add up to quite a difference.

This does bring up the question: how is the Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition much different from it’s older gen predecessor? The keys are in content and graphic quality. The old gen game was good and if you got all the DLCs you are getting pretty close to what the Deathinitive Edition is. But with all the addition content in one bundle combined with a reworked engine and native 1080p you’ve got the old game with a beauty of a polish that makes it not just tolerable but a deeper pleasure to replay. If you never played it before you are in for even more of a treat since you won’t have the slightly dodgy memory of having to piece together DLCs to get all your content. If you met certain requirements upon launch the Deathinitive Edition it was even free to those who purchased the original version three years ago, the requirements being certain of the above mentioned DLCs.

Last Reaping:
Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition hasn’t reinvented the game that came out three years ago but it put the content together in a beautiful native 1080p resolution package that makes it worth replaying or finally discovering. There has always been thousands of ways to die, now there are thousands of ways to Death.

[easyreview title=”Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]

Euro Fishing 2015 Review (Steam/PC)

2015/11/22

Ripper71

News, Reviews, Windows PC News, Windows PC Review

For the cubical dwellers and desk jockeys who can’t get out into nature enough, Dovetail Games has come out with another installment of Euro Fishing!

Hands On:
This is a game genre that not everybody understands and a lot of that has to do with the environment you live in. The United States has fishing areas in city parks, sometimes with competitions in little ponds as well as lakes. Then there are those who live in rural areas where nature is just very accessible and so don’t know what it is like to live in a busy city where the only fish you might see on a regular basis are Koi. With this in mind, fishing games like Euro Fishing 2015 wind up being hugely successful and heavily scrutinized for quality, mechanics and realism.

When it comes to styles of play Euro Fishing 2015 gives you a vast variety with different lakes, fish, rods, reels, bait, tackle, and even boss fish. You can have more than one pole in play and can even “chum” the water by casting a rocket which dumps bait in the area. You can play on your own in a casual manner or you can compete with people around the world in multiplayer tournaments. When it comes to mechanics you actually pull back on the mouse then push it forward releasing a button to cast your line and you have to watch line tension to keep from losing the fish through slack or tension. I used to fish for steelhead in rivers and trout in lakes most of my life and without having a controller shaped like a fishing pole this is about as realistic as you can get. The game supports a regular video game controller but to me that actually gets further from the feel of fishing rather than closer.

So there is a nice variety of gameplay and the mechanics are about as good as you can hope for on a keyboard and properly complicated. That brings us to visual and audio quality. Audio wise the game really does sound like you are out in nature and the sound of line going out and being reeled in is spot on. The graphics could be a little better, the fish are well rendered but the people look like 3D models, particularly when it comes to the eyes. They are solid where it really counts though on the rod, tackle, reel and fish so the slightly creepy models can be overlooked, especially with such great audio.

Multiplayer play can be hit and miss when it comes to population, though a pretty decent crowd tends to show up for tournaments because few people can resist competition, even if it is landing carp. This is something else to keep in mind, if you are used to playing deep sea big game fish games don’t expect to be landing marlins. These are freshwater lake fish and though they have fight in them it is an entirely different kind of experience. If you forget that, you are likely to lose your lure in some reeds or weeds.

Last Cast:
Euro Fishing 2015 is a solid title in the lake sports fishing field and liable to keep pulling in players to their multiplayer tournaments right up until Euro Fishing 2016 comes out. So take a break from the paper shuffle, pull up a reel or two, put on your headsets and enjoy some nature and fishing for a while. (Editor’s Note: I would love to see a VR fishing title)

[easyreview title=”Euro Fishing 2015 Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”4″ ]