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Pfernando27's Top Video Game Pick of 2013

                                                              Far cry 3 Blood Dragon

                                               Or how I learned to have fun and fall in love with games again.

At a time where games are going for darker settings, bigger than Hollywood  cinematics  or trying to elevate game as Interactive Narrative Experiences, It's nice to see an old school game like Far Cry 3. Don't get me wrong here, I Love and do enjoy  games like Tomb Raider, GTA V, The Last of Us, The Walking Dead and Beyond Two Souls, but these games are long and leave the player emotionally drained at the end their experiences. Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon is a call back to the fun mindless action shooter of yesteryear reminiscent of  Duke Nukem in both for its  superb graphics, tight gameplay mechanics and cheesy storyline. Boasting a fantastic and heart pumping cyberpunk soundtrack to go with its  post-apocalyptic Vietnam War II setting where the land has been ravaged by a nuclear war between the U.S and U.S.S.R . Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon's 80s inspired background is a breath of fresh air for this worn out gamer.

Blood Dragon is an open world  first-person shooter with similar gameplay to Far Cry 3. Although simpler in terms of character progression and more streamlined in its mechanics, it allows for a more linear progression within the storyline and acts to keep the player engaged in frantic fights rather than managing inventory and various skill branches as the original game did. Blood Dragon puts the devastating  power of Sgt.Rex Cole against an overwhelming numbers of omega force troops,  running undead, cybernetically-enhanced wild life, including cyber sharks and cyber dogs. Cyber. You get the picture. Blood Dragon also allows for stealth gameplay and in some instances becomes essential in order to save valuable personnel. The game also boast many of the vehicles from Far Cry 3 such as jet skis, hang  gliders, jeeps and boats to navigate the various terrain on the unnamed island. All of this 80s throwback is brought together wonderfully with 16 bit style cutscenes, reaching to the point where the cutscenes don't fill out the entire screen. The backstory is equally 80s. Sgt. Rex Cole must prevent a nuclear missile from destroying the world, and as Ubisoft puts it, "get the girl, kill the bad guys, and save the world". Blood Dragon was a very  fun experience in both gameplay and story with an average gameplay time of five hours and a completionist average of eight hours. Although, my own gameplay session lasted 11hrs. Wow.

In a very difficult time in the gaming industry where the pressures of recovering multimillion dollar budgets just to break even results in decisions to stick to old and tired designs, Blood Dragon is  the kind of game you get when developers have a chance to really let their imagination run wild and free from the expectations of these millions dollar returns, allowing developers the freedom to take risk and form new and exciting experiences. In a way, it's  very reminiscent of another great and lauded title built atop of its predecessor engine, The legend of Zelda: Majoras Mask, a game that may have never stood the chance or  budget to be produce within only a year to both critical and financial success. In very much the same way, Blood Dragon was built atop of the Dunia 2 Engine used in FC3. Not only has it allowed for a quick release of Blood Dragon in six months time, but also at a very cut-rate prize of $15 on release day. Not to mention, a holiday sale price of  $7.49 on steam, on top of it being a standalone release not requiring FC3, makes Blood Dragon truly hard to pass up.

In all seriousness, it's a very exciting time to see where gaming is heading today and in the very near future. Games have increased in both scale of detail and in scope, allowing developers to bring games such as Far Cry 3 and also new types of gaming genres such as Interactive Narrative Experiences. Think Quantic Dream developer and their games, Beyond two souls, Heavy rain, Fahrenheit, which will only become more immersive as new technologies emerge like the occulus rift, which i will be getting as soon as it is released. 

But in all this excitement and grandeur that has occurred during 2013, it is honestly just very refreshing to have a game revolving around mindless fun with excellent gameplay mechanics, and a storyline to BOOT(sorry bad computer pun). Blood Dragon boasts superb graphics, unique aesthetics, an ultra 80s cheesy story line accompanied by an amazing soundtrack, some of which you can actually unlock trough in-game points or can directly purchase on iTunes/amazon, and with its initial price all make Blood Dragon my top pick of the year. And last but not least, here's the very trailer that got me to jump into this frantic and ludicrous experience that is Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon.

Blackguards Beta Preview

Blackguards is the latest game in development from Germany's own Daedalic Entertainment. Yes, it is from the same folks who brought us The Night of the Rabbit and the hilariously chaotic Deponia trilogy. Blackguards, like their past games, spells a narrative of a grand adventure. Within the intro, your created hero is accused of murder, tossed into jail and sent off to the guillotine. This is where Daedalic Entertainment twists the narrative. It's clear that your companions are closer to rogues than they are heroes: Naurim, your first companion, is a tough-as-steel dwarf whose dragon hunting career is as elusive as his temper is quick and forceful. Zurbaran, a charismatic mage, was imprisoned after his desire and libido were aimed at someone else's woman. And the elf Niam is a huntress whose problems make her yearn for the comfort of drugs. 

Trust no one, including yourself"

Only playing the beta's first chapter, it's easy to see the ambition behind Blackguard's narrative. Quests, like your companions, aren't exactly black or white in the Dark Eye universe; the value of one truth held against another poses the question of justice versus self-gain. Some missions allow the player to pursue the goal how they want. In one quest, after defeating a troll who pilfered a weapon from a local merchant, Zurbaran actually suggests to the party they should say nothing and keep the staff for himself. There is no morality or karma system like the Fallout series, but Blackguards definitely reverberates Fallout's question of ethics. Different quest outcomes definitely adds depth to the game, but if the majority of these missions are simply resolved with an exchange of gold or a simple weapon then that depth is lost and is substituted with the lackluster. It's impossible to tell how player decisions will affect the narrative but the early quests I've played through do set up a precedent for a dark and interesting story.

Those familiar with Daedalic Entertainment know many of their games are driven by the narrative. Unlike previous Daedalic titles, however, Blackguards is a turn-based role-playing strategy game: think X-Com drenched in fantasy, while echoing aesthetics of the Fable series. Battles, influenced by Dungeons and Dragons, take place on a hexagonal-style chessboard where initiative determines turns, strength determines hit chance, and agility determines a character's ability to dodge. The combat has a lot of potential given the battlegrounds encourage players to use the environment to their advantage. Flowing creek beds may cause characters to slip and lose a turn, swamps are riddled with deep mud puddles that leave players trapped and defenseless and the occasional chandelier, if severed from its rope, is able to do quite a bit of damage to foes standing beneath it. 

Combat in the beta works well. The three classes, warrior, mage and rogues, offer a plethora of weapons, items and spells that either do damage or heal or buff your party members and allies. There are 11 weapon styles to outfit your warparty to your playstyle, including fencing weapons, throwing knives, crossbows, two-handed weapons, spears and staffs. Of course, the effectiveness and proficiency in each weapon depends on the character wielding it and their particular stats. This is where the beta marks some problems. 

ATTACK!

While battles offer a great challenge from the enemies and navigating the environment, I found some battles in the first chapter overwhelming. I suppose the balance could have been due to my party's lack of experience since Blackguards handles leveling up in a non-conventional way. Instead of collecting a lump sum of experience and upgrading your characters then, players are able to upgrade stats, weapon proficiencies, spells and talents anytime they can afford it. I felt the pace of the game is challenged through this leveling-up system. Characters feel as they don't progress, especially when fighting tougher bosses or tackling tougher side quests like the Dwarf brothers' coliseum challenge in the first chapter. However, to better balance characters and increase customization, Daedalic Entertainment updated Blackguards so players can tune their characters to their style. In an update released today, Daedalic wrote, "The advanced character creation mode will allow players to shape the character to your liking right from the start. You will be able to spend the character's adventure points for the skills and spells you'd like to have instead of taking the choice we made for you." And for those players whom aren't too familiar with role-playing aspects, Daedaelic adds "the entire advanced creation mode will be optional. So, if you'd rather go for a premade character, you'll be able to do that as well. 

While the game supports an almost final version, there are a few minor problems with the aesthetics: Blackguards voice acting is superb. However, the characters mouths don't move during cutscenes and when they do, it isn't synced. When a character speaks, the lines of code identifying the characters are displayed. Of course, these minor problems are to be expected in a beta. The only major complaints so far revolve around Blackguards completely freezing  and low frame rates in some areas. Luckily, these occurrences weren't often and did not dissuade me from continuing.

Overall, the beta provides a great preview on Daedalic's newest game all the way up to the third chapter. The graphics reverberate the feel of fantasy while the combat mechanics cohesively tie into that through its D&D-like gameplay. Of the trouble attributed to my first chapter playthrough, most were only minor problems. Hopefully, along with dropping frame rates and game crashing glitches, the release  will see players get a better polished version. Blackguards' beta feels like a rough translation to a great game and I cannot wait till the full version is released. 

Abepanda's Top 5 Games of 2013

5. Outlast (PC, PS4 (2014) )

Pros: For a game that only goes for $20 (If you’re lucky enough, Steam sales sometimes drop Outlast to $10 or lower). The eerie and morbid atmosphere of the game will make your skin crawl, forcing you to peek around corners in preparation of getting attacked by psychopathic monsters. The gameplay is somewhat reminiscent of the Condemned series where you find yourself using the camera and a light source just to venture around one of the creepiest places ever. Oh and did I mention how gorgeous the graphics are, especially the camcorder effects when you have it equipped?

Cons: Although I wouldn't really consider it a con, Outlast does lack a fighting system. The gameplay is really focused solely on the stealth with survival a crucial aspect of the game. Even just a push button or some way to fight back would be helpful, but then again it shouldn't really affect the game much.

4. Sonic All-Stars Transformed (Wii-U, PC, PS3, Xbox 360, 3DS, PSVita, iOS, Android)

Pros: It’s like Mario Kart but for PC (with a hint of Diddy Kong Racing in terms of using planes and boats). Using a gaming controller makes this game even better than it already is since the drifting mechanics in this game are fun and very easy to use. Along with the colorful and bright stages, the remixed versions of the original games’ songs will catch your attention (E.G.: The Jet Set Radio maps have the songs from the actual Dreamcast game but remixed into a faster paced version to incorporate it with the atmosphere of the race). The character selection is great, especially with all of Sega’s lovable mascots and with even Steam/Valve characters like Team Fortress 2 and etc. Sonic All Stars Racing Transformed boasts a variety of game modes, so you and your friends won't be stuck playing races over and over.  Also, Sonic All Stars supports up to 10 players online.

Cons: It feels tedious having to choose a next level after winning or beating one (especially in Multiplayer). They should just have a continuous cycle of maps like the tournaments in Mario Kart. Water races, in my opinion, ruin the momentum of the race because of its awkward handling, GTA 4 style (where turning a vehicle is a hassle especially if you put too much pressure suddenly causing your vehicle to turn too hard and spin out of control). Buying characters sometimes takes a long time because you have to earn stars, the in-game currency, and stats you can unlock sometimes give your characters less of an upgrade and more of a handicap.

3. Grand Theft Auto V (PS3, Xbox 360, PC (??) )

Pros: It’s GTA! The amount of activities, missions and interactivity in this game is massive. The story is pretty well thought out and the implementation of 3 protagonists each with a background story of their own just keeps the player immersed and entertained without the gameplay becoming too boring and repetitive. Although the radio stations have a variety of shitty artists; the Motown and Funk radio station make up for it. The driving mechanics are improved and the shooting system is just top-notch. The map is incredibly huge and the graphics are gorgeous as it tries to simulate a recreated version of Southern California.

Cons: Online can be quite annoying especially with the glitches (e.g.: randomly spawning trucks in the middle of the freeway and things clipping into each other). You cannot avoid playing with assholes who just try to murder you randomly online just to steal your money or for fun (although it can be solved by making your own private online game). San Fierro and Las Venturas are yet to be seen or heard from any DLC news or in-game. No actual modern rock music and instead they give us Brittney Spears, Rihanna and Future…

2. NBA 2K14 (PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, iOS, Android)

Pros: The game may be a bit similar to last year with the exception of the new blocking system, which gives characters a better chance of decreasing the opponents FG %. New shoes! Lebron’s story mode is pretty nifty, especially seeing what it would be like if he joined any other teams other than the Heat or Cavaliers. Equippable stats like Dimer (better chance of getting assists and improving a teammates shot %) and Deadeye (shot accuracy increased) actually affect the style of gameplay now whereas the previous one did nothing.

Cons: I’d say that Lebron’s taste in music is definitely crappy and commercialized. Blurred Lines is overplayed during the menus and Drake’s “Started From The Bottom” song annoyingly starts off once you load the game. Pick and roll mechanics still suffer with players sliding into positions instead of having their feet planted. Clipping is still an issue and sometimes the shorts textures glitch so much they get sucked inside the player’s body. In regards to the visuals, they kept the current gen and PC versions the same and basically the rosters and face textures are just recycled from last years. Missing dunk packages, modes and the “new” crossover system are a pain too.

1. State Of Decay (Xbox 360 XBLA, PC)

Pros: It’s an open-world, zombie survival game! What more can you expect? Traveling around the massive city in this game is a joy, especially with teammates around you helping you out. The loot system is pretty simple and useful especially if you have a large backpack equipped for more storage space. Having a stamina bar in this game is such a good element because once your character feels fatigued, you get that sense of urgency to get away from a horde. The variety of zombies in this game makes the experience less monotonous and repetitive. The weapon collection reminds me a little bit of Borderlands, and how there are a number of them and how each has its own perk or stats. This game also includes multiple protagonists for your choosing just in case you don’t like the character you start off with, and each character, like the weapons, has his/her own perks and skill set.

Cons: Driving in this game is a little bit clunky and sometimes I find myself crashing into things a lot. Sometimes playing the game reminds me a little bit of Saints Row 2 and 3 and how most animations are a little over the top and unrealistic. Saving in this game is automatic but can be a pain in the ass sometimes because it’s very selective on when it wants to save. The one thing that disappointed me the most in the PC version was the removal of multiplayer co-op. Somehow the developers just dropped their keyboards and planners and said “ F-it”. Nice one, Undead Labs.

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It's a Holly Jolly Steam Sale

From today until January 3rd, nerds, players and gamers can enjoy Steam's annual Holiday Sale.

Steam's main sales change every single day, ranging from 33% all the way up to 80%, while flash sales and community sales rotate every eight hours.

Some of today's specials include the excellent top-down, four-player heist game, Monaco, Batman: Arkham Origins, Dishonored and for only $9.99, one of 2013's biggest games, Bioshock Infinite.

Check back often as more and more games go on sale!

Act fast, as of the time this article goes live, Guns of Icarus Online is available for $3.74 for a few more hours. Guns, as we cool kids call it, is a steampunk-themed airship battle game. Teams of four, consisting of a captain, engineers, and gunners, take to the skies and fight, maneuver, and blast their way to the top in modes of team deathmatch and capture the flag. Guns of Icarus Online is epic, frantic, and a perfect game  to emphasize coordination, cohesion and cooperation!

Check out our mini Subculture session!

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Nintendo's Plan for 2014, Nintendo Direct: 12-18-13

Today's Nintendo Direct certainly brought some expected news as well as unexpected for Nintendo's first-quarter plan for 2014. It's always an exciting time when Nintendo brings us a new direct as they always give updates on their latest titles, but also a look at new games for their consoles. So, what news did Mr. Iwata bring with this Nintendo Direct?

To start, Nintendo unveiled a brand new game Legend of Zelda game titled Hyrule Warriors (which is not the final product name). Developers Tecmo- Koei are bringing the Dynasty Warriors style of gameplay over to the Zelda universe. Little info was given in regards to the title, but this definitely came out of left field as this is the first time in years the Zelda franchise is in the hands of a third party developer. The Dynasty Warriors games have been known for their hack and slash gameplay against enormous waves of enemies and bosses to fight across the battlefield and dishing out combo after combo, but to see Link in this style of gameplay is much different from what we've played and will be interesting to see where it goes. Check out the trailer and tell us what you think of the game so far.
                                                 

Nintendo gave us an update on four new 3DS games, three which have been previously announced, and an entirely brand new IP called Chibi-Robo: Photo Finder, in which you play as an adorable chibi- robo and are tasked to use the 3DS camera to complete tasks  for a wide amount of colorful characters. It will launch in January next year as a downloadable title.                                               New Yoshi Island has a new trailer showing us some new levels. Players take control that green dinosaur, Yoshi, and carry Baby Mario from stage to stage across colorful and bright landscapes. Also, the original director for Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island for the Super Nintendo will be overlooking the development of the game. New Yoshi Island 3DS is set to release in 2014.

There was also a new trailer for Kirby Triple Deluxe. The theme for this game revolves around that pink ball Kirby interacting with the background and foreground of a stage, sucking up new power and familiar ones as you progress. Two new modes where also unveiled. In one mode, players duke it out similar to Super Smash Bros. and fight using the Kiryby abilities we've seen throughout the series. The second mode has players take control of King Dedede, Kirby's rival, through a rhythm based mini game to bounce along the various music of the Kirby universe. Like, New Yoshi Island, Kirby Triple Deluxe is also set for release in 2014.

Reggie Fils-Amie told players some new info on Square Enix's newest 3DS game, Bravely Default. The game is now going to include micro-transactions, in which players have an option to buy Sp points from the Nintendo E Shop to help them along their journey. Bravely Default will be released in February 2014.


Nintendo is also including a free Pokemon to users who download the Pokemon Bank software. Players can receive their free Celebi  starting December 27 until September of 2014. 

Next up, Nintendo gave some a few updates for certain Wii U titles launching next year. At this years Spike tv video game awards, Nintendo announced a new playable character for Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze; and that was Cranky Kong. They showed us a bit more gameplay with him in the  new trailer during the Nintendo Direct. The game will be released February 2014.

There will also be upcoming dlc for the Wii U exclusive Sonic Lost World. One dlc will include a Yoshi Island-themed stage in which Sonic helps Yoshi rescue baby Yoshi eggs, while fighting  familiar enemies like shy guys and piranha plants. This dlc package is available today. A second dlc was announced but is still in development. No info was given and will be revealed at another date.

Wii Sports Club is also receiving new sports that were on the original Wii Sports. The additions include tennis, bowling and golf. These new sports are available today to download from the E-shop.

The year of Luigi continues with the launch of a spin off of Dr. Mario with Dr. Luigi for the Wii U. Dr. Luigi will be released on December 31st.

Mario Kart 8 got a brand new trailer that showcased new locations and new playable characters, like Baby Mario and Rosalina. Mario Kart 8 will released in Spring 2014. Speaking of Rosalina, a new fancy trailer for Super Smash Bros. announced Rosalina and Luma as new a brawler. From the looks of them, the controls seem to parallel the Ice Climbers (who haven't been announced). And let's be honest, when the trailer started who didn't think it was gonna be a sequel to Kirby Air Ride or Kirby as a playable character in Mario Kart 8

The last reveal was the NES Remix which seems to be much like the WarioWare inc. series but based around classic NES games. NES Remix will mash up 16 NES games like mixing Donky Kong with The Legend of Zelda, changing what everyone games were all familiar with.

Something doesn't seem right here.

Today's Nintendo Direct wasn't really as exciting as it could have been. We've recieved no word about Shin Megami Tensei X,  Fire Emblem, Project X or the Yoshi Wii U game, which have been stated for release next year. But maybe that's just it, we wont hear anything more about them until later. The Nintendo Direct was just mostly updates about games that are close to their release dates.

Hopefully next years Nintendo Direct will hold more to what we want (Still waiting on my next Metroid or Star Fox). The one big that that we will be talked about today is the Hyrule Warriors, a spin off of Dynasty Warriors with Zelda skin thrown over. It's too early to say if this will bomb or be a stand alone title worth while, but regardless, Nintendo is gonna have to bring their A game next year if they want to help get more Wii U consoles into peoples home.

Stay tuned for more Subculture!

                                                                                       

Fighting for Everlasting Peace, 26 Years of Mega Man

With the first game released over two decades ago, it's hard to imagine Mega Man turns 26 years old today. The sheer amount of games released to this day is staggering. From the Classic series to the Star Force series, Mega Man has certainly left his mark on the industry. The franchise has been praised for its colorful and creative characters, unique gameplay and unforgettable musical compositions. There's a reason the Blue Bomber put Capcom on the map and has become a force to be reckoned with in the game industry.

Keiji Inafune, not long after he graduated college, was hired by Capcom in 1987. Inafune worked on the very first Street Fighter and eventually found himself on the Rockman project. Already in production, he helped create the enemies and the initial character design for the game Rockman, which was inspired by the popular manga, Astro Boy. Music played an integral role in games development; the designers wanted to go for a rock and roll motif in naming the main character. They came up with names like the "Mighty Kid" and "Rainbow Man" (the name Rainbow Man revolved around the fact that each boss the player defeated dropped a weapon; and when the player switched to to the new power up, Rainbow Man would change his color accordingly).

But ultimately, the developers stuck with Rockman, who was accompanied by his sister, Roll. The game was finally released on December 17, 1987 on Nintendo's Famicom video game console. It was praised for its unique weapon-based gameplay, platforming, music, and graphics. Rockman would eventually find his way over seas, but under the new name of Mega Man. Coming to America, this wasn't the only change made to the game. Mega Man needed marketing. The American box art for the game has been deemed as the worst box art to a game ever. Keiji Inafune stated that the box art was the reason the game did not sell well in the states (Story goes that the box art was made just as the game was ready to release and they quickly came up with this and stuck with it just to release the game in  time).

Mega Man, for those unfamiliar, tells the story of a robot named Rock created by two scientists, Dr. Light and Dr. Wily.  Rock, alongside 6 other robots, were built to help workers with construction and other tasks. Dr Wily, who begins to distrust Dr. Light, steals the other 6 robots and reprograms them to work under his control, soon helping him take over the world. Rock asks Dr. Light to make him combat efficient to stop Dr. Wily's plans and to save the world. After defeating all the robot masters, Rock confronts Dr. Wily and defeats him at his fortress and thus ending the game. It's a very short, but simple story to get into.

The story wasn't anything to write home about. However, Mega Man's game design was at the peak of innovation. The game didn't just force players through a linear set of levels. Mega Man allowed players to choose where and which stages they would like to play first, creating a personal experience for every player. This allowed the game to be fresh and as difficult as a player wanted it to be. As long players used their new-found weapons accordingly, they could progress from one robot master to the next. Along with player choice and freedom, role-playing elements were also thrown into Mega Man's design. This freedom was unheard of at the time and inspired not just platformers, but many other games.

Think of choosing your weapons like playing rock, paper, scissors. No matter which one you pick, each power-up has its strengths and weaknesses. While one weapon may deal  heavy damage to one robot master, it may do nothing to others.

As we know, this wasn't the end for Mega Man's career. Capcom would continue to release sequel after sequel with improved visuals and imaginative characters for years to come. Spin-offs from the classic series were even created, like the darker themed Mega Man X to the open 3D world of the Mega Man Legends series.

Recently, the franchise has slowed down with nearly 4 years of no new Mega Man games having been announced or in development. But, all is not lost as Mega Man is still given plenty of love and support from the community, including musicians who cover the franchise's original scores. Because of Archie Comics, Mega Man stars in his own comic book and graphic novel, crossing over with Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog. And the Blue Bomber is even a guest fighter in the upcoming 3DS and WiiU Super Smash Bros.

Keiji Inafune's newest game Mighty No. 9 draws inspiration from his previous creation and is a reboot to the genre that could possibly catch the attention of Capcom for a new game. Until that day comes, celebrate and be thankful for the creation of Mega Man and his impact on  the video game industry.

Continue to fight for ever lasting peace, Mega Man.
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Welcome to Luisculture!

From adventures, editing, writing and discussing new ideas to bring into SCT, the Subculture crew does like to take it easy once in a while and have some fun. Here's a little look into that SCT slice of life. 

Welcome to the Rockband Sessions! 

All hail Pluisculture!

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SCT Vlog: Long Beach Comic-Con Volunteer + Michele Boyd Interview

For this special edition, Mak and Raphael hit the Long Beach Comic and Horror Con, not only as guests, but as volunteers. Check out their Sunday vlog for their experience and an exclusive interview with none other than the lovely Michele Boyd. You may have seen her on The Guild as Riley or as a Superhero on Team Unicorn. 

Thanks for watching. Stay tuned for Subculture!