Gemini: Heroes Reborn (Xbox One)

So ... I had honestly never heard of this game until Imperative Entertainment's PR contacted me about doing a review of it. I didn't have a clue as to what the game was about beyond what I saw in the trailer, which I viewed prior to accepting the assignment. I didn't know that it was tied to the "Heroes" series, or the newly introduced "Heroes Reborn" series. After figuring this out though it did peak my interest quite a bit as I was a fan of "Heroes" back when it was popular, and in the headline news. I was actually curious to see how a game modeled after a TV series would pan out since such film to game translations often times do not bode well with the gaming community. We all know that such games tend to be not all that great, and that movie adaptations outside of games like the LEGO re-imaginings are usually a lost cause in the eyes of gamers.

I definitely think Imperative Entertainment, and the studio known as Phosphor Games were bold in taking on this game project, because of the legacy tied to said gaming genre and the legacy of the TV series itself. While I did encounter some unfavorable things in my playthrough, and several bugs along the way "Gemini: Heroes Reborn" did actually do alright for itself, in the "indie" sense regardless of my concerns. Using the Unreal Engine 4 as it's graphics processor really helped to bring the fantasy world, and the characters therein to life, if only visually. Even the gameplay was functional enough to a point to enjoy. At the same time though the rushed plot, and poorly applied character context building kind of hurt the mostly impressive gameplay. Having spoken dialogue, and onscreen text that was so to the point, and without proper storytelling elements in place really did the game a huge disservice. In the end it could have been better than it was, but wasn't too terribly bad for an indie game featured on modern-day consoles. Before I get too far ahead of myself though let me explain the game's premise to you ...

The "OtakuDante's Gaming Inferno" Youtube Channel

Unbeknownst to a lot of you I've had a Youtube channel since mid 2009. It started off with some modest home videos of me playing games (which are now lost to history), and slowly evolved into replay captured features when the option to provide such content became available to me. I did provide some commentaries along the way, but mostly stuck to gameplay videos without my own voice or myself included. I'm honestly not the best commentator, and often times stutter, say "Uhm ...", or get lost with what I'm trying to relay to my viewers. I wanted my commentary inclusive videos to be genuinely good, and non-scripted, but I've yet to release a totally coherent one. Despite these shortcomings I've made the most of my channel, and have gained over 200 followers in the process. I continue to offer replays from various games, and even include upcoming trailers when I feel like it. On the rare occasion you might also find an unboxing video of a new game with my thoughts on said product included.

HYPER VOID is Coming to Xbox One January 6th!!!

Earlier in 2015 I had the privilege to review one of the year's more interesting shmups (shoot'em ups). It was a unique game developed by indie studio, "IN|Framez Technology Corp". The title of said game was "Hyper Void". What "Hyper Void" offered the gamer was new-gen quality visuals, and a complimentary soundtrack bundled together with a retro style of 3D oriented gameplay which goes back to the earlier years of arcade experiences. The game was filled with vibrant colors, bullet hell madness, and even bosses to beat as you traversed the unique universe within. I personally ended up on the fence about the game due to the lack of replay value, but did find some good points to it. Being a shmup fan the gameplay definitely drew me in, but the lack of extra replay worthy features made it a bit of a disappointment. Luckily you guys, and gals (who own an Xbox One) will be able to give the game a proper try come January 6th, and with a new leaderboard feature in place. This new addition to the already interesting gameplay improves on one of the bigger faults I found with the overall experience, and thankfully so. I definitely suggest giving it a chance when it hits the Xbox Live store if you have the holiday cash to spare. In case you want to catch up on my original PS4 review I'll leave that here for reference purposes.

Ark: Survival Evolved - Day 2 (PREVIEW)

This morning I spent a couple of hours getting back into the PvE side of the"Ark: Survival Evolved" preview on the Xbox One. For whatever the reason the second go around was vastly more pleasant, and greatly more enjoyable than my first time with the game. The graphics definitely looked better. There were also less noticeable texture issues, and the frame rate hiccups weren't as bad as they were before. On top of that I finally figured out how to craft things which in turn allowed me to survive longer than I did before. I still feel that the menu management UI isn't as user friendly as it should be, especially in regards to the crafting mechanics though. I'd highly suggest referencing the in-game manual before getting into the game. As far as the fun factor goes this game is amazing! I feel like I'm a part of a living prehistoric ecosystem every time I get into it. I've had some laughable moments as well as some moments of discovery that kept me wanting to play more just to see what I could find.

Ark: Survival Evolved (PREVIEW)

Instead of taking to Twitter, and spamming your timelines with my thoughts on the Xbox One "Ark: Survival Evolved" preview experience I figured it best to include it all here on this blog post. That way you can reference all of my thoughts any time you wish ...

When 'Reverb Inc.' contacted me about getting in on the preview of "Ark: Survival Evolved" I was honestly very excited. What got me even more excited than that base excitement was the fact that I was given the go ahead to stream, or post my thoughts on the game if I so wished. Not many PR, developers, or publishers have the brass balls to let the journalism outlets have at their game so early on, and this alone had me thinking we might actually be seeing one of the Xbox One's best game offerings yet. You can imagine the thoughts racing through my head when I realized that. While my anticipation was definitely hyped up, and my anxiousness to get into the game and hunt dinosaurs was to the extreme I found said expectations met with a bit of disappointment. Mind you, the game is still far from being hammered out to perfection though, and I expect it will be a work in progress up until release date. I fully realize that this is a preview build, and that the final product will no doubt function, and look much better than it does now. At least I'm hoping so.

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing (Xbox One)

This review has been at least a couple of years in the making, if not more. Ever since the mention of "The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing" coming to the Xbox 360, it's canceled release on said console, and it's later releases on the PC platform that is Steam I have waited anxiously to be able to play, and review a console version of it. It looked amazing in the shared screenshots that I viewed, and even in the developer diary videos that I watched which were constantly being posted throughout the game's lifespan. I'm personally a fan of the old Van Helsing lore, and even the questionable movie of the same name that starred 'Hugh Jackman". When 'NeoCore Games' announced that they'd be bringing the monster hunter to life in their own unique way I was stoked (Enter "Bram Stoker" Pun Here). The developers' vision seemed clear, and the gameplay looked promising. Unfortunately this hype that I built up over the years, and the longing to play the game was eventually met with the realization that the game's execution was far from being perfected. It's actually even far from being fully functional, to be honest. I suppose when you build up excitement for so long only to be able to play a version of a game that is so obviously flawed in delivery it adds a sort of salty edge to the deeply cut disappointment that comes with experiencing it first hand. Thus I find myself having to point out the many wrongs that I found among the few rights.

Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition (Xbox One)

Going into this review I'm going to approach it as a new game as I have no clue as to what the new additions are about. Bare with me, please ...

When I first began playing Larian Studios' "Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Ed." I was truly overwhelmed by the attention to detail. So much so that I had to spend a little more time with it than normal to give it a fair chance. It had gorgeous landscapes, impressive character design, and tons of menu management options to boot. What you have to understand is that at first the immense amount of text based dialogue, accompanying voice-overs, and multi-layered menus had sort of left me lost without a proper grasp, or understanding. I thought all of it was too overbearing, and that it took away from the actual gameplay portion of the game.

Upon spending some quality time with it though the game grew on me. I became thankful that I didn't just quickly brush it off as some game not worth buying, and that I actually got to a point where I enjoyed it so much that I took to Twitter to boast about the find. I told my followers that it was a gem, and that it was very much worth the asking price. Both of which things I wholeheartedly believe. I also mentioned that it reminded me of a combination of other RPGs including Fable, Diablo, and D&D (Dungeons & Dragons) due to the implementation of things like a moral Q&A system, and Diablo-like perspectives/looting. It truly took me by surprise, and actually brightened the miserable week I was having through it's embedded sense of humor. The game definitely has an irresistible charm about it, and one that is so alluring it reminded me of so many wonderful fantasy films, and fantasy book adventures I partook of in my younger days. The movie, "The Neverending Story" comes to mind.

Future Reviews & Smite Impressions (Xbox One)

While you wait for my next three review posts I thought I'd go ahead, and let you in on what's up. Recently, and possibly by good fortune I was able to secure three games/items for review including the latest Zen Pinball 2 "Balls of Glory" tables, 'Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Ed.', and 'Rodea the Sky Soldier'. It honestly seems like it's been ages since my last review posting, and I cannot express how excited I am to be able to get back to work. As far as said work goes I'll be doing some serious multi-tasking since the games I've received were ones that were all slated to be released around the same time of month. All three games, though on different consoles come in at an order of importance close to one another due to their release dates, and accompanying embargoes, so you can expect them sooner rather than later. In fact two of the game items have already been released, and only Rodea is yet to be out to the public making it all the more important for me to get the job done ASAP. Speaking of Rodea, my nephew is going to get a sneak peek of it this evening while I begin my playthrough. It's one of the perks of being related to me, lol! He saw the word "soldier", and got super excited. I can't blame him. I don't think he knows what it's about though. My guess, since he is into that G.I.JOE toy phase is that he thinks it's an army type of game. Hopefully he'll enjoy it regardless as he's working hard at his school work just to be able to watch me play.

Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers 2015 (Xbox One)

Having had played the actual MTG trading card game in the past, and having followed up said experiences with playthroughs of the console video game series my love for what Wizard's of the Coast and Stainless Games has offered has continued to grow over the years. Up to this point I've really loved being able to get back into the game with the Planeswalkers game series. It has afforded me a long lost opportunity since my old MTG gaming pals have all parted ways, and have gone about their own life paths. I cannot tell you how invaluable a game such as MTG 2015 is, especially when you have no one else to teach you the ropes, or to play with. With all that being said though I do have to be honest about some things pertaining to this latest release. This playthrough was not without incident. There were a handful of bugs, and things that hindered my progress in the game's single player campaign, but in the end it could all more than likely be tied to the Xbox One's operating system. Thankfully though I did find solutions to each of the issues, and ended up enjoying the game as much as any version before it.

Xbox One: First Impressions

Some of you know by now that Santa Clause gifted me an Xbox One for Christmas last year. I had been a good boy (Not really xD), and was found fit enough to receive a second new-gen console for my many good deeds. Since I received the Xbox One I've honestly not felt compelled to play it at all though. It could be the limited game selection I've amassed for it, or the simple fact that the UI (User Interface) is as complicated to navigate as Microsoft's Windows 8. Either way I've not spent much time playing it, and haven't really felt the desire to ...

2015 Is Just Around The Corner ...

It has definitely been a disappointing year for gaming in many ways. The year 2014 has brought with it MANY gaming problems including half-assed products, money mooching to the extreme, and even the latest hacking fiasco. Some gaming studios along with gamers have felt the hurt of poorly made decisions all across the board. In fact some gaming studios are on the brink of self-destruction as we speak due to such poor choices. With the way things are going it's hard to tell if gaming will survive the hard hits it's been dealt, and continues to be dealt. I personally hope gaming companies, and certain gamers get their shit together in 2015. The trolling, modding, cheating, and hacking seriously needs to stop. The younger generation of gamers in particular needs to lay off the stupid sauce, and get educated on how to act in a social environment. While hopes, and dreams for a better year of gaming may seem foolish, and far fetched I'm gonna hang onto the hope that things will improve.

Game Developers, Half-Assed Releases & What To Do About the Issue

Okay. So, this is going to be a slight rant. It's directed solely at game developers, and content creators ...

We all know as gamers that everything from video games to patches/updates have been being botched, and released regardless of their unsatisfactory condition. This has got to stop. What it all boils down to is pure laziness, a lack of commitment to the product, and a lack of willingness to supply the funds needed to make things right. If you are going to make a game set in an online environment, or even an offline game it is imperative that you get things right from the start, and that you work out all the kinks before it hits shelves. There's no if's, and's, or butt's (I typed it that way on purpose) about it. If you are not willing to fund a team who can get such a job done then you do not need to be releasing the game, or patch in the first place. While I could point fingers, and call names all day I'm going to go a different route, and offer up a viable suggestion that will help get the development process back on the right track, and no it does not require more money to do ...

Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Ed. - "Hints & Tips"

For those of you just now jumping into Diablo 3's hellish adventure there are a few hints, and tips you might want to consider when facing off against the lesser, and greater evils of the burning hells, and the high heavens. The world of Sanctuary, as it is known in Diablo lore is a treasure trove of equipment, weapons, gold, and other items of value. While you can collect a lot of items on your epic journey into the maelstrom the amount you can carry with you, and can store away are limited. As such choosing what to keep, and what to do away with will take some educated management on your behalf. Aside from item management I'll also be disclosing details on how to score the most gold as well as which character is best for beginners. Keep in mind there's a lot that goes into a Diablo 3 playthrough, and that you can invest an exceptional amount of time experiencing all that the game has to offer. It's best to make the most of each, and every playthrough as your in-game rewards can be grand in scale should you choose to do so.

Let's Talk - "Game & Console Sales Statistics"

Ever since the next-gen consoles have come into play the gaming industry, and those who are supporting it's various offerings have been throwing out huge numbers like nobody's business. Microsoft sold so many millions of Xbone consoles, Sony sold so many millions of PS4 consoles, and now "Killzone: Shadow Fall" has sold 2,500,000 copies!!! Wow folks, just wow. I'm here tonight to tell you that while numbers mean a lot in this world of ours they don't always speak the truth. Sure Microsoft, and Sony did good for themselves in selling millions of units, and sure Guerrilla Games sold a lot of copies of the latest Killzone entry. It doesn't mean jack sh*t to us gamers though. You have to take a look at certain underlying factors to really see how these companies did with their sales, and how well they did in impressing their audience. Sony, and Microsoft for example want you to forget that some of their freshly shipped, and consumer bought consoles met an early demise due to hardware failures. They also want you to overlook the fact that both consoles, while new are currently lacking in the game department, and that gamers are often times ditching the "Next-Gen" experience for some retro gaming as a result. Not everyone is happy in next-gen wonderland as it may seem, and I can guarantee you a lot of gamers aren't satisfied with the latest offerings regardless of their purchases. The question in the end is how good are these products, really.

POS - "Piece Of Silver, Less Than Gold"

This my friends is an open letter to the online gaming community, and the companies that make the online gaming experiences possible. I have personally reached the point to where I'm about to give up on fighting games entirely, and possibly even online gaming. This possible future decision of mine is due to the POS (Piece of Shit) gamers out there who think it's alright to ruin the online experience with their BS antics. The fact is that many people in the gaming community have begun to think that this hacking, lagswitching, and cheap play is an acceptable thing since it has become so commonplace. I see more an more gamers giving into the cheaper side of gaming as a result. It's like a bad f*cking pandemic that's spreading like wildfire. Well I'm here to tell you differently. IT IS NOT OKAY! Just because a million gamers across the globe choose to act like trolling jackasses doesn't make it an acceptable trend. I don't think it's alright, and you shouldn't either. In fact as consumers we should be bitching about this with our wallets, and with our words. Until something effective is done about the matter no one should spend one damn cent. Someone in the industry needs to step up to the plate, and do something about this growing problem. I, myself have given advice on numerous occasions as to what could be done, but sadly my expert advice is falling on deaf ears. I believe it would take a million of us saying the same thing to get the point across, and unfortunately that sort of percentage lies with the ones causing the issue.

"Dante's Top Rules For Enjoying Online Gaming"

Everyone in their right mind knows that the current state of online gaming is a continuously growing cesspool filled with hackers, and cheaters. Kids these days think it's cool to troll the online population with their shenanigans, and cheat their way to the top of the online leaderboards. Since companies like MS, and Sony could give two shits about our enjoyment online the situation continues to worsen, and will likely worsen for the next generation of consoles as well. What is a guy, or gal to do about this BS? Well, I'm here to answer that question for you with a list of top rules to abide by when taking your gaming online. I hope that these helpful hints will steer you in the right direction, and help you to avoid the delinquent little assholes that aim to ruin your fun time.

Let's Talk - "INJUSTICE & INJUSTICE Ultimate Ed."

From it's hyped beginning to it's current state "Injustice: Gods Among Us" has attracted a lot of attention. Some of that attention was good, and some bad. I'll be the first to admit I was psyched about it's initial release. Not only did I go out, and buy the Xbox 360 version of the game, and a season pass, but I also did the same for the PS3 version of the game. After getting into it for a while though I began to notice some rather bothersome things happening to the offline, and online offerings contained within. Things like missing DLC characters, and encounters with lagswitchers/hackers became a commonplace event. The truly sad thing about all this is that the game contiues to go down it's downward spiral with no signs of getting better. The online multiplayer is rubbish, and new glitches/bugs are still happening. It seems that Netherrealm Studios would have had their sh*t together by now, but that is most definitely not the case.

Art of the Month Update & Special Review Opportunity

In this blog update I have two new things that I need to discuss. First of all the lovely, and very talented UK artist 'Danielle Tunstall' has agreed to be this blog's official artist of the month. This means that every month, from now until the end of the blog's life span readers will be privileged to see 6 new pieces of her art. They will be located in the usual spot for ease of access. Danielle sells her art often in the form of prints, and even amazing toys called "Dunnys". Anytime I see her share info about her products on Twitter I will retweet them, so that you can make the most of her often times discounted deals. From time to time I will even provide links to her Ebay items as well as other Danielle Tunstall art related links. She's an amazing artist, and it truly is an honor to be able to share her art with you on a monthly basis.

XboxOne: "Enhanced Reputation And Enforcement"

During my routine browsing of majornelson.com today I ran across an article about the XboxOne's "Enhanced Reputation and Enforcement". Basically this article tries to confuse the gamer by throwing in a few glamorized sentences, and some fancy words while practically stating that the reporting system will be handled exactly the same way it already is. This same old "judgement by peers" system will still take in account how you negatively, or positively affect other gamers, just as it always has. The only significant difference this time around (According to what I can interpret from Microsoft's play on words) is that instead of simply allowing other gamers to be the final judge on your behalf your own in-game actions will also be monitored, and you will judged accordingly.

When I read this I thought to myself "How the f*ck is that supposed to work!?". Perhaps with Microsoft's/XboxOne's all seeing eye, otherwise known as the next-gen Kinect? Anyways, the article on Major Nelson's site states that such things as grieving, and even the joining of certain higher ranked lobbies with the intention of disrupting them will result in reputation demotions. What the hell!? What if I wanted to join a veteran lobby without the intention of disrupting it? How's Microsoft going to know my intentions? It's this type of uneducated nonsense, and half-assed solutions that have me worried about the future of gaming altogether.

Xbox One: "Where I Stand"

Okay. Many of you will likely think after reading my latest Xbox One email breakdown that I'm sold on the offerings of the console, that I'm a "fanboy" of it. This couldn't be more wrong. In fact my opinions about the Xbox One are completely the opposite, and "Hell No!" I'm not just saying this to jump in with the bandwagon of haters out there. The fact is that my last Xbox One article was meant to spark an open-ended discussion about the offerings of the console, nothing more and nothing less. I DO NOT for one second think that "Always Online", or any of the game practices implemented by Microsoft for this Next-Gen console are good. One thing people forgot to mention is WTF happens if your power goes out, and you cannot access your internet!? Power outages are a commonplace occurrence here in the United States. The fact that Microsoft added such a feature is BULLSHIT! Why the fuck can't a gamer go back, and download an update, and be done with it!? It's an easy solution, that could easily be applied to the console. This along with the "Always On" Kinect is what makes me believe all the Microsoft spying comments floating around the interweb.