Omen of Sorrow (PS4)

Ambitious, and passionate is what I'd call this indie fighter. From what I've experienced during my time spent with "Omen of Sorrow" I can see the huge amount of effort put forth in every feature included, though somewhat lazily thrown together in some instances. Sometimes ambition, and passion isn't enough to suffice regardless of effort though, and unfortunately this game does have it's fair share of shortcomings due to an overall lack of polish.

At it's beating heart, or core, lies a four section story of sorts that reminds me a great deal of the Hugh Jackman inclusive film take on "Van Helsing". As with that film we find a chosen one named Gabriel who just so happens to be a nephilim. A half angel, and half human man. Like the previously mentioned film Gabriel encounters a whole host of monsters including a werewolf, a flying succubus, Dracula by a different name, Frankenstein's monster, Quasimodo, Dr.Hyde, a mummy pharaoh, and what seems to be Babylon herself. An ultimate evil in the guise of a woman who utilizes a several headed shadow beast as her means of hero disposal. Incoherently the story mode in which the player discovers the underlying tale, and it's cast of creatures/characters is a mixed up mess of forcefully spoken voice acting from a single voice actress, textual dialogue that only serves to confuse the player more, and decently animated cutscenes that blend Biblical scripture with the fantastical prophecy being spun. All you really need to understand is that Gabriel is the chosen one, that there's a mystical book being sought after, and that through interactions with other key characters, or monsters, he eventually comes to terms with his dark and light side in time to vanquish evil. More or less ...

Gaming | What It Was & What It's Become

Some gamers like gaming as a hobby. Some like it as a form of entertainment, and some (like me) like it because it offers a much needed escape from reality. Growing up wasn't easy for me. From living in poverty in trailers with rats the size of cats to getting in a tug-of-war struggle for attention between my mother, and her sister for years I couldn't seem to catch a break. I was a troubled child for it with pent up anger, and built up depression. I was mostly withdrawn, and kept to myself with all my worries and concerns until I had to let it out. Which never went well. Somewhere in the madness, and the sadness I found something that changed my life for the better though. That thing was video games. Initially, in my early school years, my cousin let us borrow his NES for a full year, and not intending on getting hooked on it, I ended up doing exactly that. Nintendo's 'Super Mario Bros.' broke the crippling spell of despair I was under, and captured my attention in such a way as to captivate and motivate me. I was so drawn into the simple yet fantastic worlds of that flagship NES title that I could not get away from it for long without anticipating my next time spent with it. I wondered what wonders awaited me in the following stages I'd yet to see, and so my passion for gaming bloomed ...

The MISSING: J.J. Macfield And The Island of Memories (PS4)

Hidetaka Suehiro, or Swery65 (as you may know him) is a master storyteller. Mostly noted for his work with Deadly Premonition. He is no stranger to the darker themes in gaming, and is not afraid of tugging at the players' range of emotions. In "The MISSING" Swery65 takes on a topic less tackled this time around. Something he brings into light in such a way as to be heartbreaking, and true to life. His characters, fictional or not, embody his idea that people should not feel ashamed of who they are. Along with this heavy hitting precursor that comes in the form of a similar noted quote the developer also discloses his intentions on touching base on topics such as sexuality, and suicide. Two additional themes that coincide with the main character's plight.

Home Sweet Home (PS4)

Going into this review I was a little on edge, and reluctant to start. Though I'm a horror movie fan from way back, and have seen some of the most horrific movies known to man I always felt like games of this genre were a bit more frightening. They seem to be more immersive, and actually feel like they place you in the shoes of the protagonist who is trying desperately to escape whatever nightmare they might be a part of. I've seen countless live streams of horror games make even the most bold of gamers jump, and scream out loud. I've also noticed developers' ability to make the games more atmospheric, and more seemingly real than ever before. Thus is why I was hesitant.

I know a lot of questions are likely going through your mind reading this review. You are likely wondering how scary is "Home Sweet Home". Does it live up to it's horror theme? Does it do anything different? What you need to know in regards to this is that it is indeed scary. I'm not talking just about jump scares. There are mounting moments of tension, and a haunting atmosphere that only heightens the fear. The fear factor itself is more akin to the Asian horror genre as it deals with pursuing gory apparitions, and other Thai horror myth monstrosities. The added realism of the environments, and the accompanying noises such as heartbeats, and eerie chattering make your stealth trek back home all the more frightening. As far as doing something new the game doesn't really innovate outside of offering gameplay compatibility for the PSVR. It's mostly akin to games like 'Outlast', or 'The Evil Within' where you'll be using stealth elements to hide from the various haunts, and move about as you collect items, and solve puzzles related to said items.