Ark: Survival Evolved (PS4 Impresions)

Before I say anything I need to say this ... 'Ark: Survival Evolved' is still very much a work in progress. It will not be finished until Spring 2017, and even after that I imagine the developer will continue supporting the game with patches, and updates. To date, the game has received many such updates including new crafting items, new environments/servers, and new beasts of burden (or prehistoric creatures). As far as the state of the game goes I've played both the Xbox One launch release of the game, and this newer PS4 port of the same release. In both instances I was met with initial confusion, a lack of control functionality comprehension, and a lack of mechanics comprehension. I did, however understand it was a first-person survival game at heart, and that it had "Minecraftian" elements embedded in the game's UI (User Interface), but with no tutorial or reference guide I was unable to grasp what it is I needed to do in order to not die or even to bring up the menus. I also realized in my aggravation that the game harbored RPG, and online competitive features that worked together in a server only presentation. Since it had been so long from the time of my former Xbox One playthrough though I met up with the same frustrating factors, and unfortunately that frustration ran off about 18 viewers from my Twitch stream. Nobody likes seeing some virtual caveman named "BeezleBob" wandering aimlessly around in a dark island jungle for 30 minutes straight with nothing to visibly see. Nor do they like hearing me rant and rave about a lack of explanation as I failed continuously to see the controller diagram available right in front of my eyes within the "OPTIONS" menu. Seriously Brad? ...

Zen Pinball 2 ~ Bethesda (PS4)

When a gamer hears the name "Bethesda" more often than not thoughts of retro, and modern day gaming come flooding into their minds as the company name is synonymous with titles like Wolfenstein, Doom, and the Elder Scrolls series. In fact some of us grew up in the earlier days of gaming playing games like Wolfenstein, or Doom on the PC. Others of us who are newer to the gaming hobby have even adopted the new adaptations of each ongoing series in re-release, or re-imagined form. I think it's safe to say one of the key attractions of Bethesda's growing library of releases has been the more mature themes included. That, and the mods that Bethesda willingly allows.

As both a Zen Studios and Bethesda fan I was excited when I first heard Zen Pinball 2's development staff was going to brave the odds, and take on the daunting task of making a noteworthy pinball table set in the likeness of Fallout, Skyrim, and Doom. Having followed Zen Studios efforts throughout the console versions of their pinball franchise, and having played and owned each of the games by Bethesda I knew they could do such tables justice. When I finally got my hands on them I was not disappointed in the least. After playing, and streaming the tables for my followers I came to realize this set could possibly be the best set the studio has released, to date. In fact I think it is. I found all three tables to be open, and inviting as well as beautifully crafted. The attention to detail is far greater than what I'd hoped, and imagined.

When All Hope is Gone Game On!

It is December 2016. It won't be too long until Christmas comes to pass. This holiday season, and the year in general has been a truly trying experience for me as well as for some of you. If you follow me on social media you'll know my family members have had several near death experiences this year, and are each steadily declining in the area of personal health. I won't bother you with details, but I will say that it's been hard trying to stay positive. In fact the only time I have had a good day in the middle of all this chaos is when I've been able to distract myself with my gaming hobby. It's no mere embellishment when people say gaming has gotten them through some tough times in their lives. I can definitely attest to that being fact. I realize not everyone has that luxury though. This of course abruptly brings me to the point of my article. If you, for whatever reason, are experiencing bad times this holiday season do yourself a favor, and find a distraction. It doesn't have to be video games. It can be anything that offers you a mental escape from the overbearing troubles of life. Engage in said activities for as long as it takes to get over your bout of depression, worry, or fear. I know doing so is not a solve all solution, but distractions are much better than dwelling on things that cannot be changed so easily. Compared to bad habits like smoking, or comfort eating I'd say hobbies like gaming, or even reading are to an extremely lesser extent less harmful for those partaking of them. Just be sure to eat, sleep, and move about from time to time as well.

Brad's Black Friday List 2016!!!

2016. What a !@#$%^ year. We've been met with natural disasters, abnormal weather fronts, terrorist activity, the 3 ring circus that was the US presidential election, and all sorts of freedom snuffing propaganda and agendas. On the gaming front, which didn't fair much better we've been duped time, and time again by broken promises, broken games, and a slim selection of noteworthy 'Triple A' titles. Normally I do a list regarding my year's picks while breaking down why I like this, or that as well as why I believe you'd benefit from owning the game in question, but not this year. This year I'm gonna lay things out simply in simplistic paragraph form. You won't be seeing many picks from me, as I honestly was met with a lot of disappointment like a lot of you were. I also do not feel inclined to recommend many of the games I reviewed, especially on the 'Triple A' front due to the fact that they were a one and done playthrough for me. I want to instead mention the games that are true industry blockbusters. The kind that offer immense replay value, lengthy campaigns, proper innovation, and overall more bang for your buck. More excitement for your Euro. More payout for your Pound ...

Samurai Showdown VI (PS4)

Samurai Showdown for me was a series that not only captured my attention as a fighting game enthusiast, but also held a special place in my gaming history as one of the few arcade experiences that I had as a teenager. I remember playing the original arcade cabinet of SamSho at the local bowling alley as my family did their routine bowling. I also played on a rare 'Samurai Showdown III: Blades of Blood" arcade cabinet at the local Kmart department store back in the day when department stores had those special arcade rooms set aside for the children of customers. Of course I also bought SamShoIII when it was finally ported to the PSOne in the late 90's, because I loved it that much. The Treachery, and Chivalry finishers in SamShoIII were, in my opinion one of the series' finer points. A feature which was lost along the way as SamSho became an all inclusive, and censored shell of it's former glory. Don't get me wrong though. I did love the new character additions, and mechanics that came into play years down the road. The different "Spirits' meters opened up new opportunities in-game, as they tend to do. When the final 3D SamSho dropped, and flopped on the Xbox 360 years after the final 2D entry I was fairly certain we'd no longer see or hear from it again. Imagine my surprise earlier this week when I found out on Twitter that a PS2 port of "SamShoVI" was actually coming to the PS4. If for nothing else I personally wanted it for a trip down memory lane, and for what it's worth I think it provided exactly that.