The Evil Within 2 – A Clearer Picture to an Already Cloudy Mirror

I should be saying “hey everyone, nice to see you!” But its been like 6 months since I last said anything on here. For now, I will save the summary and move onto my motivation to write today. I just finished The Evil Within 2; officially checking this off of my list.

Like everyone in the gaming universe, you’re going to here my muses and perspective. Hopefully you’ll choose to read further…most likely because that’s Metacritic is for! But if you do, there will a nice treat in it for you. (Actually, no there won’t) Okay, its safe to say I’m a little insane. But maybe that is because I’m still feeling a mild bit pseudo-PTSD from playing this game.

Starting off, I’m a vet of the series and survival horror since 1998, so I know my way around a hand crank, if you know what I mean. I play mine on hard and keep my eyes and ears trained, with the lights off! So you know, I like me some good scary shit!

Moving on!

The Evil Within 2 is a direct sequel in number and in story. (Which doesn’t always happen in TV, movies and games these days.) Following the events of the last game, Sebastian Castellanos is drowning himself on 1 bourbon, 1 scotch and…polishing off those bottles before he gets to that last beer and…

Its safe to say that this detective’s life is in the toilet. (Hah!) Thankfully, a familiar face comes back into his life and tells him that the worst parts in his life, didn’t really happen and just an elaborate lie. (Save for all of the murdering and havoc caused by Ruvik, AKA the cheapass teleporting monk, from the first game.) Enter the evil corporation and a motivation for Sebastian to go back into the hell that made him miserable in the first place! BAM!! There you go, EW2’s intro in a nutshell.

Thankfully, not everything is as cliche as you’d think. Sabastian goes in, with a mission to fix “The Matrix”-inspired virtual network and rescue some very important people. In exchange, all of Sebastian’s problems will go away. (FYI, I’m trying to be as vague as possible, because there is a pretty good story to this game!) Sounds easy right? NOPE!! THATS A BIG…

Right as I started playing it, the game thrusted me right into the main antagonist. A seriously F*CK’D UP psychopath who really should’ve been written for “True Detective” season 3. (Come on. HBO!! DO IT!) All I can say is, he reminded me of one part Joker, another part Ed Gein (real life murder who inspired half of horror’s household names.) and a dash of a creepy department store photographer. To be honest, IT WORKED and everything related to him was either terrifying, disturbing or unsettling.

Playing EW2 DOES FELT unsettling and remained so for about 75 percent of the game. As for the survival horror aspect, the game makes you feel like every item counts. Even on normal, I was always looking to scrounge up parts and supplies. Some areas it became a gamble because maybe I didn’t sneak around the enemies good enough or used up too much ammo. This added to the tension when I was exploring new places, along with: the jump scares, when the game screwed with me or mundane moments that turn into “OH SHIT!”

I say that, because there was a lot of that, said by me during my exploration of the town of Union. Searching the town really feels like you are looking for survivors or clues, literally every area will have you on your toes. Sadly, once those areas were explored, the spookiness faded near the end. At this point, the game focused on combat, wrapping the game up and getting me ready for the final push. Ultimately EW2 did redeem itself with huge nods to the previous game and a good finale.

The Evil Within 2 does not leave you hanging or have asking all kinds of questions when everything is said and done. But it did leave itself open for a sequel. I thoroughly enjoyed the game and will go back and finish it on Nightmare, in the future.

I really cannot recommend this game enough you are a survival horror fans. Although fans of Silent Hill and atmospheric horror games may not like for its heavy reliance on combat and stealth. Hardcore survival gamers may think the combat make it easier, but that is what Classic Mode is for! (unlocked after beating it) Rest assured, you’re in for a wild ride that is well worth a trip or two.

One last thing…you’ll never listen to this song the same way again! Enjoy the warm and fuzzies!

As always feel to COMMENT and DISCUSS below.

Resident Evil 7 – Welcome?! My Ass!!

The time has come…Resident Evil 7 in all of its 1st person goodness, is here! If you’re a fan of the series like me, you’ve run to the toilet bowl to go throw up a few times because of its move into 1st person. (Trust me, I NEVER wanted this and somehow Capcom has gone and done something that may ruin the series.) But after putting 4 hours into the game. I’ve gotta say, Resident Evil 7 is a GOOD GAME!! It plays well, it’s a fun and enjoyable experience. Still I’m not convinced yet, being a purist fan of the series. Let me explain.

First off, in regards to the story canon of the series being blended into the game, I’m not seeing it. Save for a few familiar names mentioned in files, it’s just not there yet. I know, I know, it gets better as I move along, but for now…nothin.

Cutting to the chase, combat is smooth and tense, but movement and reaction is paced in order to balance the tight quarters you fight in. All of the Resident Evil elements are here to accompany the game: blind corners, well-placed scare moments, old-school RE item management (limited inventory with a storage box), very limited ammo with more baddies than you can unload on.

So far…Resident Evil 7 is disturbing is a good way. Scenes are so vivid in their portrayal, I kinda of feel It’ll be hard trying to forget them. Encounters are designed to make you feel uneasy, keeping you on your toes and never leaving you comfortable in your surroundings. It’s kind of like a bloody glove that fits you, it feels nice but the
blood on your hands isn’t getting off by itself. Lucky for you the cops are banging at the door..so what do you do?!  That’s what it feels like!

Gameplay wise, this reminds me a little of Clock Tower, which was a game that kept the player running and hiding. Except here, you can fight back most of the time, even if you’re in a losing situation; which is essentially WHAT survival horror is. That is why RE7 hits its mark so well, as it goes back to it’s core purpose.

A few months back, I read an article about how The Evil Within was nothing but a Resident Evil 4 sequel under a different name. At that time, I’d disagreed with the author’s stance and believed that The Evil Within was it’s own experience despite it’s similar gameplay. As you played it, the game did play and feel like Capcom’s Resident
Evil 4. (After all, the director of the Resident Evil 1-4, Shinji Mikami helmed the production.)

The story had an overall feel that was grander than anything Resident Evil 4 had been. Sure, the similarities were there, but it was it’s own game. What struck me the wrong way, was how the company and Mikami were trying to sell the game. He and the company tried to say that it would bring survival horror, “back to it’s roots.” Now looking at Resident Evil 7, I truly believe that The Evil Within failed in doing that. Resident Evil 7 feels like Survival Horror’s return to form. 1st person view or not, this feeling different, a good different. As a fan, I’m not welcoming it into what I consider a true continuation of the series or a respectful sequel, UNTIL I’VE FINISHED IT!
But for now, it’s good, tense and frightening; which is GREAT!!

I’ll keep you posted!

“When the Lights Go Down in the City!” – Dying Light

Ripped right from the development phase of Dead Island 2, Techland decided to part ways and make a 1st person zombie apocalypse game.  It’s called Dying Light and you know what, it’s better A LOT better!

I started off, by dropping into a zombie infested city a-la Solid Snake, parachuting in.  To this guy’s chagrin, he ends up getting ambushed by looters and zombies bite him during the fight.  Fortunately, a group of survivors save his ass and he’s pretty much obligated to help them out for saving his ass!

TRUE DAT, TRUE DAT!!

To do this, your character Kyle Crane (who, by the way, is the same guy who voiced Chris Redfield in Resident Evil 5 and 6), has to learn how to vault and climb on the rooftops to avoid the hordes of zombies.  After a few missions, you get the hang of it and BAM!  you know parkour!

Dying Light surrounds itself around the whole crisis of finding an anti-zombie serum and helping the guys that saved you.  It may seem like a simple plot, but it’s not.  Dying Light goes that extra mile with an excellent and different performance by Crane’s voice actor.  There were some real tense and harse moments and I thoroughly enjoyed the story.  (Although I haven’t finished “The Following” expansion.)  Be prepared for a wild ride, fairly similar to how Farcry 3 and 4 play.

Fighting the horde is solid, but that isn’t the purpose in Dying Light, it’s all about moving and avoiding the numbers of hordes you encounter while scavving for supplies or trying to complete an objective.  Along with the combat, you’ll expand your abilities and increase the amount of combat moves, but how to craft new weapons and handy parkour moves that help you scale tall buildings and avoid being bitten.  Here is an example of the parkour in the game!

The whole fight or flight combat system works well especially when night comes in the game.  Night time takes an entirely different element of gameplay, where Crane be the hunted instead of the hunter.  I’m not going to go deep into and let you find out yourself, but needless to say; it’s fun and frustrating at the same time.  Here is a good example of fight or flight!

WOW! What a BIIITCH!

Also, like Dead Island, there is an on-the-fly co-op system where you can trade gear and money.  There is a multiplayer option, which lets you become an infected character that is more than capable of killing another player and pretty much ruining player’s game.  The whole idea of sabotaging someone’s game is cool and felt kind of underplayed, yet fun as well.

As for all the goodies you get with the Definitive Edition, which is what I have, you’ll unlock all of the DLC skins and three expansions.  Two are smaller, while the last, “The Following” is a continuation of the main story.

All in all it packs up pretty well!  Dying Light was a fun and frantic experience that had some decent jump scares, good dramatic story, interesting zombie types and fight or flight mechanic; that changes up the monotonous zombie gameplay we’re all bored of, in titles like Dead Island.

Pick it up, it’s definitely worth your time!

Retro Review: Super Mario 64

Back then, it would’ve easily been a ten. In terms of today’s standard, it’s just a bit lower due to the aging visuals.

If I reviewed it for modern times, here’s how I would take it.

Musically Super Mario 64 is still a wonder to listen to with the Sliders, Water Level and 1st Stage’s music. The echos that Mario makes during jump and movement is still very cool to this day.

This a remix done by DelRey.  Enjoy!

Visually, the game hasn’t aged well, but then again it doesn’t need those deep detailed textures as the world still remains full of life and activity. The visuals in a Mario game are always supposed to be complimentary to the activity that is going on, so it still does its job well, for the age of the game.

In terms of a story, it’s still Mario’s standard fare, save the princess and Mushroom Kingdom. Yet this game was a trailblazer for almost every game out there now, as it had side quests and diversions that most folks take for granted. Sure, RPGs on the SNES had them, but platformers never did until this game!

Playing through the world are still insanely fun, frustrating and very challenging! I don’t care who you are, there is no way you can’t Mario 64 isn’t fun to play or at least watch. Imagine yourself watching someone going through one of the Bowser stages; they’re REAL NAIL-BITERS for the player and viewer.  JUST SEE FOR YOURSELF!!!

Super Mario 64 is amazing to this day, regardless of its age. It’s really a fine wine, which just stays great regardless of when you open it up to enjoy it!!  I’ve got Grace home with me today, maybe she’ll enjoy watching me play it!

Courtesy to Brandon3DS for title image

The Diary of Chris Redfield (Part 1) by Racoon Daddy

 

 

This is a fictional diary that wrote that is based off of Resident Evil.  It follows directly after the first entry.  For a synopsis of Resident Evil look HERE   

I’D READ THAT FIRST IF YOU’VE NEVER PLAYED THE GAME AND DON’T INTEND TO.

OTHERWISE THIS WILL SPOIL THE STORY

WARNING!!  CONTENT NOT FOR  CHILDREN  

All rights to the original source material is owned by Capcom.

 

Diary of Chris Redfield

July 31st 1998

 

Today was a pretty shit day. Our S.T.A.R.S comrades were given a full ceremony in order to honor their deaths.  Bullshit…among those honored was Albert Wesker, the former leader of the group. That bastard betrayed us!! Yet we honor yet him?! The only thing that kept me was losing my cool was Barry.

He told me, “This is only beginning. Keep calm, you know damn well they’re watching us and we have to be careful with our moves. Losing your cool is the last thing we need.”

Normally, most folks would go grab a meal, coffee or find some place to talk. We all quietly went our separate ways.

 

August 7th 1998

It’s been two weeks since the Arkley Forest went up in smoke. Both the explosion from the mansion outbreak and murders that resulted from the mutated animals are being told another way. They’ve panned it off as wildfire and the deaths as wolf overpopulation in the wilderness. Jill went over yesterday to talk to the victims’ families and give them the truth, some were unmoved and seemed to have been “coached” by someone.  Most likely it somebody with deep pockets and plenty to hide.

It’s clear that Umbrella is covering their tracks well and aren’t sparing the expenses. It’s odd that neither Jill, Barry, Becky have said anything about any suits approaching them. Maybe they know we won’t stay quiet and are one step ahead of us.

We’ve gotta be on alert, but I don’t think any of us can even keep our eyes open. I’m always on edge; paranoia isn’t even the word to describe it. A couple days ago, I tried to talk with Brad, but he said, “to leave me alone, you wouldn’t understand!” I’m not sure if that’s the guilt or Umbrella talking.

June 28 1998

My vacation started yesterday, I almost collapsed on the floor from the lack of sleep. Insomnia set in the moment I stepped off of that chopper. All I would remember was the ear-bleeding screams those lizard-men monsters would make.  They were so goddamn fast!!

I did everything to fight them from taking my head off my shoulders, I remember with EXACT detail. From the dinosaur-like talons, their towering height, blood drissling from their teeth the way they’d leap at you was…something that just doesn’t fucking exist!!

One got me pretty bad on my left bicep when my revolver went dry, had I not forced my knife into its skull, I’d not be here. Fortunately, Becky took care of it and I was left using my right hand only for about an hour until the drugs kicked in.

 

 

June 29 1998

 

 

Jill gave me a call around 1 A.M., saying she needed a ride back to her place. Some of the girls at the station took her out to drink, she ended up staying after they’d left and had too much. When I got there, she was shit-faced.

Jack, the owner of the bar was pretty cool about keeping her there and had her lay down in the lounge. She was trying to hide how drunk she really was. But it didn’t take long, as when we got to her place, that she left her house keys at the bar.

Helping into my apartment she stumbled and continued to ramble about how the men at the bar only looked at her as “only sweet piece of ass” and the rest as “some pariah”. The pungent smell of tequila on her breath was more or less encouraging me to make sure she got to either a toilet or the bed ASAP. Fortunately, we got there with her popping in the apartment. It looked as though everything would be fine, but she asked me to help her with her shoes. When I tried to unbuckle foot, wrapped her legs around my and forced my face right into her panties. I panicked!

Her legs became a vice trapping my face into her soaked crotch. Her scent was the direct opposite of the tequila affecting her, but had the same intoxicating effect. She told me,

“Chris, I never had a problem with you fucking my brains out! If anything is going to make me forget all of this, it’s you.”

Everything she said forced the man outside of my mind to take control and give what her drunken urges wanted. I felt so fucking wrong and everything…went black.

Then she popped…all on the carpet, the sheets and night stand.  Most guys would’ve felt robbed at this point. Jill threw up everywhere and the lust left the room. Honestly though, Jill getting sick was probably for the better.

After spending about an hour cleaning up, I crashed on the couch and cleaned up the best I could. I didn’t want to move her and pretty much made sure she was sipping water to ease the nausea.

 

 

“No! Don’t go!!” – Resident Evil

 

Many gamers have heard the phrase, Jill sandwich. Even if Barry Burton meant to be literal or was just trying to be perverted is beyond me. One thing’s for sure, when you go back and look at the original Resident Evil, that’s what it feels like, a good corny joke. Back in 1995, this bad boy was state of the art and put Survival Horror into the video game dictionary.

What makes this so substantial, even though there is a vastly superior REMAKE. (A true remake, not a fucking reimagining, flashback/forward/sideways or a fresh coat of paint) It’s because there is more to the corniness that makes the Playstation 1 version STILL playable.

Before I begin, I want to say that Resident Evil 1 got me into gaming for the stay. I played it so much, that I re-drew the maps on paper, made maps of where certain things happened and where monsters were and even pieced together possible stories that occurred in the mansion during the viral outbreak. This got me so inspired that I hand wrote 70 pages of storyline…okay fan fiction which gave me a deeper understanding of how to take something and build upon it. Put simply, I loved Resident Evil and still do to this day, despite mutations in later sequels.

Following a poorly scripted B-movie intro video, the mansion doors close on the S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team’s survivors. The team gets their bearing and checks out a mysterious gun shot, only to find that someone who A) likes to chomp on people B) Needs a fucking napkin C) related to Powder and D) wants some more food…meaning you. After unloading an entire 15-round Beretta mag into him, that pasty zombie goes down. (Or you could’ve had Ed McMann…ahem I mean Barry Burton plug 3 .357 rounds into HIS FACE)

Once Jill/Chris and Barry have done and left a mess for the maid to clean up, they begin searching for their poor bastard friends, the Bravo Team. Let’s just say, they got the short end of the stick…sans Becky. Who seems awefully puny and helpless for someone who just took out a LEECH QUEEN! After some puzzles and dealing with Indiana Jones’ bane of existence, you get to thinking, what kind of drugs was the architect on when he made this place…hrmm interesting…very interesting.

Despite that, the team heads out to cross into other buildings and have to fight a wild pack of zombie dogs all while not stepping in dog shit. (C’mon, don’t tell me zombie dogs don’t shit, cuz they do, because it’s funny)

Luckily, they come across a dormitory that has a big ass plant that LOVES to choke motherfuckers and get a lil’ grab ass on the side. (Okay, maybe not the grab ass part, unless that’s ya know..your thing) Fortunately, Chris brought his Rambo knife and pruned that overgrown weed.  (That’s cuz Bat

(Of course, not without the help of the 18 year old expert killer, paramedic, swat team member and holder of a biochem degree – Rebecca Chambers. Seriously, it says that in her dossier in the user manual)

Once they get to the lab, they fight the thing that the bad guy has cooked up in a crock pot, that clearly is a failure in the eyes of the “master of unlocking” Jill Valentine and the guy “most likely to punch boulders” Chris Redfield. Much later, and one empty Rocket Launcher on the ground, the team makes it out and the mansion becomes matchsticks.

So why would I still love this game, because it really did have that feeling of possible death. Run out bullets, run or not, your gonna die eventually. Swim to long in a pool full of sharks, ya gonna die. Use a 9mm on a Hunter, ya gonna die.

Visually, there was so much that made the original great. Couple that with the Directors Cut, which gave you access to an arranged newer version with totally new music, item locations and different things to find AND the original version of the game.

My suggestion, go play RE1 and let me know if you regretted doing that.

 

 

BTW, I’m feelin’ an itch to make a fiction on this.  I’ll probably start working on it, to give myself some good practice.  It’s been a while since I’ve written a narrative.

Till then, here something for a good laugh. (Credit to Legendary Frog )

Cheater!!!

Was playing Dying Light and someone joined my group and immediately started tossing out high grade weapons and a butt-ton of money.  This was done in some dingy alley and I kinda felt dirty when all was said and done…(insert filthy innuendos)  Regardless, I stowed to gear in my stash and WILL NOT TOUCH IT until I finish the game. 

Stuck…for now.

​

Pissed at Dead Rising 2 right now, I’m stuck on the Tape it or Die section and can’t manage to access the door.  Gonna have rely on a guide this time.
For now, here’s some highlights of all the fun!

Mini Reviews for You: 2015

Last year I went through quite a few games and felt like I’d share a mini review of each one I’d played, so you could have a snapshot on it.  I’m not including the ones I played during the period when I had my Playstation Now subscription.  (If you like, feel free to look at those previous posts, of which gave a fairly good description of each game I played on the subscription.)

Just Cause 2

This was a fun experience and reminded me a lot of Bionic Commando but with big explosions.  Plenty to do in the game, it’s a sandbox where just about everything can be destroyed.  Definitely a buy, considering it’s bargain bin price now.  The new sequel is out now, but if your waiting  for the price to lower or not sure, give this a try first.

–Now THAT, is a jumbo jet!

Duke Nukem Forever

Not the best quality game for as long of a wait many fans had to put up with.  Beyond that it was a solid shooter that wasn’t a waste of time, if you like lowbrow humor and don’t mind a story that was written by monkeys. Rent it if you like, but you can usually get it for around $5.

—Sorry Duke, maybe I’ll have $59.99, next time…But here’s a dollar!

Castlevania – Lord of Shadows: Mirror of Fate

Solid platformer that tries to go back to the Metroidvania days.  Combat was fun, boss battles were great and challenging.  You take control of three characters in the game that are supposed to have unique abilities.  The story was pointless and I would get this just to get that old Castlevania gameplay you’ve been missing since the handheld days.  It’s available on PSN and Xbox for $15.

 

Castlevania – Lord of Shadows 2

Plays like Lord of Shadows did, which was a good game.  Good story, good gameplay.  It plays a little like God of War, but with its own type of combat.  There were some stealth elements in the game that were just inserted in, to bring variety, but it could’ve done without it.  Story is taken in a different direction from other Castlevania games, so if your fan, you might like it.  Rent or buy in bargain bin.

Soul Calibur II HD

HD port of an oldie but goodie.  Plenty of modes and a large weapon master mode, which will take you some time to finish.  You won’t find any create a character like the later titles and visuals certainly show their age; but if you can get beyond that, try it out!  If you aren’t familiar with Soul Calibur, its a fighter, but with hand-to-hand weapon combat, and a good solid game.  Recommend buying online, which I believe is the only way its available.

Monkey Island: Special Edition

This game is a perfect example of a quality gaming experience.  If your used to fast paced and intense action, this game isn’t for you…or perhaps it is!  Slow yourself down, put your thinking cap on and get ready for an entertaining story that will make you laugh.  Besides, if you get stuck you can always just look at a FAQ to move you along.  Stupidity happens to all gamers, myself included.  Also, if you played this many years ago, you’ll be surprised to know that the graphics are updated with new artwork and you have the ability to play the original version, if you’d like.  It’s worth every penny!  Available on PSN or xbox live.

—Boy!  The locals sure are nice here!

Kingdom Hearts 1.5

If you missed this back on Playstation 2, you have a chance to enjoy a phenomenal game.  This is a completely original story and RPG, that takes Disney and Final Fantasy characters and puts them in a merged world.  The combat does require a small learning curve and when you first start the game, you may be a little bit lost when you get to Traverse Town at first.  But the action quickly picks up and keeps it consistent and fresh throughout the game.  Story wise, I felt it was a little predictable and to be honest, I don’t know why they are so obsessed with this series’ story line. The story isn’t bad, it’s just not DAMN!, WOW! or New York Time’s bestseller material.

—Whale penis…

Also, this game is a bundle of two other “games”.  The first is Chain of Memories, which was an okay title.

The other is Kingdom Hearts 358/2 days, which is a compilation of cut-scenes from the game, but doesn’t include the game itself…just movies.  Personally, I felt it was a waste of time, sitting through 80 cutscenes of three teens as they ate salted ice cream and whined about emo-bullshit.  (Salted ice cream?!?!)  Honestly, I felt like I’ll never get that time back, its gone and 358/2 days took it away.

Must play for the original Kingdom Hearts and the other stuff is just filler and not fan service.

 

 

Ducktales: Remastered

This game I loved back the original NES and this one is even better.  If you’re looking for a GOOD unconventional platformer, with a side of well written Disney humor, look no further.  Lots of good nostalgia for those whose played this way back when!  I’d buy it.

–Pain, from a cane, now IN HD!!!

Injustice

It plays like Mortal Kombat for PS3, minus the fatalities.  Good story mode, with a lot of variety for DC fans to enjoy.  Fighting is good, giving the player to use environment items as attacks.  If you like a good fighter, a Mortal Kombat/DC/comic fan, you’ll like this.  Rent, if your not sure, but it’s worth it.

–This is what you get when you ask for more DLC characters!!

Infamous

Overall a solid title.  The more powers you the more fun can have in the game.  My biggest bitch with the game was the overpowered minor enemies, which were able to kill you pretty quickly and at long distances.  Also, hitting said enemies with your powers was a pain in the ass.  A lock-on feature would’ve great for this game.  

The story was good, with a few unexpected twists, the game is worth the frustration, though.

—FYI, Cole’s power is electricity, which means, DON’T GO SWIMMING!!

Assassin’s Creed Liberation and Black Flag

–Okay, 5 to 1 on the angry chick with the sugar cane knife!!

For those new to Assassin’s Creed, at least try one of these games, as you can jump into these games in particular as they are not continued stories, but separate experiences.

First is Liberation, which was good, but not great.  My complaints, were that it was too simple for veteran Assassin’s Creed players and missions seemed kind of flat when comparing them to previous games.  Eventually, you get access to an economy system, which wasn’t bad, but left you with a ton of money and not enough to do with it.  I’d rent or get it on sale.

–On the bright side, at least you’ll be able to eat some gata’ tnite!!

Black Flag is the opposite, if you love pirates, history, sailing in open waters, raiding ships and performing many fun missions, try this!  This one of those games that makes collecting items and exploring enjoyable, not a grind!  Hell, even your crew with sing sailing songs during voyages, seriously!  Worth a buy!

–True.  So true.