Monday, August 29, 2016

Worms W.M.D. (PS4)

The Worms franchise, for those of you who are unaware, has been around for quite a while. It's seen releases throughout the years on PC, and console platforms alike. For the most part the Worms games have stuck to their pseudo-platforming trajectory turn based combat roots in a 2D presentation, but on a couple of occasions Team17 also dared to bring the games into the 3D realm. The past Worms games I have personally reviewed (which have been of both types) have all received recommendations from me for the wacky humor included, the party-like atmosphere that each installment provides, and attractive features that are in essence attractive. The Worms games are always tons of fun whether you choose to take advantage of the offline, or online modes of play. In this latest installment titled, "Worms W.M.D." nothing really changes in those regards other than some system streamlining, new worm weaponry, and some new features that add to the core values the game's developer has stuck faithfully to. I think that's a good thing.

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Dante's Guide To Spotting Cheaters

What is a cheater? What does the term "cheater" entail? These are but a couple of questions that will be answered as we take an educational journey into the realm of the cheater. Brace yourselves for a truly unapologetic, and eye opening experience the likes of which no gamer has ever dared to engage in within the history of competitive online gaming ...

Friday, August 26, 2016

Assetto Corsa (PS4)

Let's talk about racing games for a moment. The racing game genre has had it's ups, and downs over the years. It's had it's highs, and lows within the realm of popularity and sales for various reasons. In it's high times gamers got to revel in the glory of the sub-genre known as simulators while playing games like "Gran Turismo". A series which mostly hit the nail on the head when it came to realism, and plentiful in-game offerings. On the flip side of the same coin we have had arcade style racers like 'Project Gotham Racing', and "Super Mario Kart" which offered a different take on the racing genre, but in a manner relevant to a more casual crowd. For the most part racing games have fallen into one of a handful of sub-categories including that of simulators, arcade racers, and even indie racers. Each of which has appealed to a different type of gamer demographic. As a gamer myself I have enjoyed games like 'Gran Turismo', and 'Project Gotham Racing', but never really invested a lot of time into said games. I'm not what you'd call a racing fan, and only found enjoyment when the races weren't so true to life that I found myself stumbling along trying to grasp an understanding of pro circuit driving. I feel that while games like 'Gran Turismo' are attractive they are geared towards a very faithful audience. An audience that understands the fundamentals of racing, and the basics of driving. An audience who appreciates such technology, and science. None of which I'm really accustom to.

Monday, August 22, 2016

Let's Talk - Sony's PS Plus Price Hike

I am a man who is more than willing to pay extra when a product or a service warrants a price increase. Say for example if Sony were to actually do something to combat the cheating pandemic on the PS4 by adding in proper console grief report options with replies back from said reports that aren't copy & pasted BS I'd be happy to fork over $59.99 for a years subscription of PS Plus. Sadly Sony, and their PSN division has neglected the PSN's online integrity, and have deliberately went out of their way to make reporting PSN cheaters, hackers, and modders a near impossibility. How have they done this you say? Well, for starters they completely removed their official website's only viable complaint form. The only real option we had as gamers to voice our complaints. Not only have they done this, but their only social media support outlet spouts out unsympathetic answers to gamers' burning questions directing them to the official website's feedback form which has absolutely nothing to do with reporting a problem or a player. When it comes to on console grief report options Sony's PSN moderators have made it a point to beat around the bush with report options, and make said report options so vague that anyone in this world would be hard pressed to understand what a wronged PS4 player is complaining about. They basically give legit gamers the run around, and do NOTHING about the cheating issues at hand. At least not anything effective. Sure, they slap a serial number with a hashtag on a reply with the same copy & pasted message saying thank you, and a minute later that they have processed your report. By the way how the hell does anyone investigate, and deal with a complaint within a 1 - 5 minute time span?

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Everything Wrong With the Paragon Open Beta

I would like to first state that these findings are in regards to the open beta of Paragon. The game has yet to become a finalized experience, and is subject to change at the discretion of the developers. It could improve, or it could get worse over time depending on how the game is managed. I need to also state that what I'm about to say contains only my opinions, and that it does not reflect the opinions of anyone else unless they choose to agree with me. In no way is what I'm going to tell you a tool being used to turn you away from the game. It is instead an article I'm hoping the developers read, and take note of in their goal to perfect Paragon ...

Friday, August 12, 2016

Dante's Two For One - State of OverWatch & No Man's Sky

Today friends I'm going to talk about two overly hyped video games, and what it is I think about each one. These two games include "OverWatch", and the recently released "No Man's Sky". Before I get into either discussion though I think it's important to talk about hype, and what it can do to a game's reputation. Hype, in general can be a good thing if, and only if a game lives up to said standards. Hype, as it were is a state of excitement over what could be. If what could be isn't factual, or reasonable then the hype will most definitely fail upon delivery. In the gaming industry studios, PR, and publishers sometimes use hype as a tool to secure day one sales or pre-order sales without merit or warrant. While using hype to promote a game can be a good business practice if utilized properly it can also come back to bite the content creator in the arse if they know what they are selling will fall short of the hype that has been built up before launch. Hype, more often than not is a dangerous thing for any content creator to rely on regardless of circumstances, and more often than not does not bode well for said hype feeders who do not truthfully disclose what their game or product is really about. Thus is the case with games like "No Man's Sky". In the end it's all about the use, or abuse of hype in the PR sector of the gaming industry. Much like it is with any entertainment industry branch.