Gaming heroines

Here's a little tribute I made to the best heroines in video games, it is my first video so its not perfect but I haven't seen many videos like this so I thought I'd give it a try. Check it out and tell me what you think.

Bioshock Infinite Review

The original Bioshock released back in 2007 was a revelation in the gaming industry. It was a first person shooter with an excellently crafted story set in the rich and engaging city of Rapture. It also had unique, exciting combat as well as exceptional music, atmosphere and voice acting. So its fair to say the first sequel from the original developers Irrational has been highly anticipated since its debut at E3 2010. But does it live up to the hype, lets find out.

Story: Infinite follows Booker Dewitt as he travels to the city in the sky Columbia to rescue a young woman trapped there called Elizabeth to wipe away his debts. Now that plot synopsis is simple but it doesn't begin to uncover the incredible story this game has, which has to be experienced and I don't want to spoil. Suffice it to say the third act will leave you speechless.
 What I can say is the plot covers some incredibly mature themes, more so than the original. The world of Columbia is rife with racism, religion and American Exceptionalism and Infinite shines a harsh light on all of these heady subjects in a way few games ever do.
 The game also features a cast of characters as memorable as those from Bioshock. The main character of Booker is gruff with a mysterious past that is beautifully unravelled through out the game. He is very likeable and the relationship between him and Elizabeth is one of the best in gaming. Speaking of the best in gaming Elizabeth is the absolute shining light of this game there aren't many characters I have cared about this much in a video game. She isn't just the princess in a tower she is a character that looks and feels real thanks to fantastic voice work and animation. She is naive and innocent but there is also a dark, dangerous side to her that comes with her strange ability to open tears in reality. The freedom fighter Daisy Fitzroy also plays a major part in the plot and represents the strongest part about all of these characters none are good or noble but none are evil. There is a section of the game around the half way point involving Daisy where the plot gets flipped on its head and we get to see the corruption and violence power can bring. Speaking of corruption and power the villain comes in the shape of racist, religious zealot Zachary Comstock who is just as memorable and iconic as Andrew Ryan. The final part of this excellent ensemble are the Lutece twins who appear at various point of the game and provide humour but also a sense of mystery which adds to the bizarre, surreal feel of the game.
 This isn't a game that spoon feeds you the story and finding Voxophones (audio diaries from the other games) is pretty essential to understanding the plot which twists and turns right up to its stunning conclusion which will have you talking about and pondering for days. To put it simply when all is said and done Infinite has one of the best stories in gaming.

Gameplay: So after all that gushing about the characters and the plot you're probably wondering how Infinite plays. Anyone familiar with the spell and gun based combat from the first game will feel right at home here. Instead of Plasmids we have Vigors which offer some new abilities like flinging your enemies in the air or setting a flock of crows on them. This time around you can only carry 2 weapons at a time which adds to the challenge and bloody meele executions feel like they have more weight than before. However the main changes in combat are the skylines which are dotted around the world and add a verticality and sense of pace to the combat. Another change is the fact that Elizabeth can open tears in reality which gives Booker useful items or advantages in combat. Elizabeth can also throw you useful items during combat such as salts, health and ammo she also never gets in the way which means the game doesn't feel like an escort mission. Add in heavy hitter classes and large scale battlefields and you have combat that is as fast paced and exciting as some of the best shooters.

Presentation: Bioshock Infinite is a beautiful game to look at the colour scheme is bold and far more vibrant than most shooters. The same can be said of Columbia which is open, bright and stunning but hiding a dark heart. The character models (especially Elizabeth) have an exaggerated, quirky charm to them and Elizabeth's animation is clearly inspired by that of the Disney princesses. All this brightness really juxtaposes the brutal violence and dark themes of the game. As with previous entries the voice acting is fantastic with Troy Baker and Courtnee Draper doing amazing work as Booker and Elizabeth the ubiquitous Jennifer Hale also lends her voice to the game (as Rosalind Lutece) and is as brilliant as usual. Finally the soundtrack is great with modern day songs adding a strange feel to the game and the frantic score punctuating combat perfectly.

Verdict: This is a game that lives up to the promise of the original but delivers a story and overall experience that is more polished, mature and complex. The ending will have you thinking about it for days and leave you hungry for more. If this does not convince people that games should be taken seriously as an art form I don't think anything else will and with single player DLC on the way I can't wait to get back into this amazing world that has been crafted by Irrational.

10/10

Wreck-it Ralph Review

Wreck-it Ralph follows Ralph a villian in a video game called Fix it Felix, the only problem is Ralph doesnt want to be villian. So he leaves his retro game and jumps into other games in search of a medal to show his bravery and prove he can be a hero.

I am a huge gamer and I love movies so Wreck-it Ralph is a rare beast, a movie about games that doesnt put the gaming industry to shame (seriously just watch anything by Uwe Boll and youll understand what I mean). The concept of Wreck-it Ralph is similar to Toy Story except with arcade games rather than toys.  The film is clearly a labour of love with more gaming references than you can shake a controller at, my favourite being a bad guy support group featuring a group of iconic gaming villians. Smaller touches like how the characters in Ralphs game move or how everything in the apartment he smashes up is square shaped give it a geeky, knowing feel that make it smarter than most animated movies.

Ralph is instantly lovable thanks to some great voice work by John C Reily, Jayne Lynch also provides some humour with her tough chick persona fitting perfectly. Sarah Silverman although a little annoying at first gave Venelope a cuteness and vulnerability that made be grow to care for her. The animation is very pretty with the worlds looking distinctly different from the grungy dark Heroes Duty to the sickly sweet bold colours of Sugar Rush. The humour for me was the only odd point, there were moments of genius like the tragic backstory programme or the bad guy support group or any of the gaming refrences. However when Ralph got into Sugar Rush some of the dialogue (especially between Ralph and Venelope) was so childish and stupid no one laughed. Now I understand I might not be the intended audience the film is an animated PG so it could be argued its aimed at kids. However some of the gaming refrences wouldnt be understood by most non-gamers under 20, one kid behind me barely recognised Pac Man. Also there have been animated movies (most Pixar films) that are funny on many levels and adults can enjoy too.

Also while I liked both worlds Ralph visited I would have liked to have seen more because Ralph stayed in Sugar Rush for too long and the pace really slowed down, which felt like a missed opportunity.

Verdict:
Wreck-it Ralph is a highly inventive, warm and witty film with some great characters and while it is let down by inconsistent humour and a mid-way dip in pacing its a great watch for gamers and animation fans alike.

7.7/10

Bioshock 2 Review

So to continue to hype myself up for Bioshock Infinite Im reviewing the 2nd installment in the series Bioshock 2. If you havent checked out my review of the first game be sure to do that and just a disclamer there are some spoilers for the first game in this review.

Story:
Bioshock 2 takes place about 10 years after the first game, following the death of Rapture's creator Andrew Ryan a new leader has arisen Dr Sofia Lamb. This time around you play as a Big Daddy, Delta series and at the start of the game your Little Sister, Eleanor is taken by Sofia Lamb and the game follows your attempt to get her back.

While the world of Rapture is not quite as fresh this time around, the new areas add atmosphere and the new characters are interesting and engaging. Especially that of Sofia Lamb, she makes a great villian that in my opinion stands shoulder to shoulder with the iconic Andrew Ryan. She is cold and threataning, however the mother daughter relationship between her and Eleanor made her feel a little more human than Ryan so at times I actually sympathised with her. The basic plot is fairly similar to the first game you have a goal to achieve (kill Ryan, save Eleanor) and along the way you meet a host of characters who try to help or hinder you. Their opinions, views and the events going on around them are once more displayed in the audio diaries left around Rapture which really help to flesh out the world and story. Like the first game mature themes are explored in this story such as motherhood, religion and what it means to be free. The story is definetly one of the strong points of the game however there is one problem. Unlike the the first game there is no major plot twist the likes of "would you kindly" which means its not quite as memorable.

Gameplay:
Playing as a Big Daddy offers some new gameplay elements in Bioshock 2 firstly instead of a wrench you have a drill and there are several variations on the weapons from the original game. Also you can now use your plasmids and weapons at the same time which makes combat flow smoother than before. However the biggest change is that once you have killed the Big Daddy guarding its Little Sister you now have the option to adopt her and put her on your back (instead of just saving her). You can then get her to gather ADAM from corpses around Rapture, which results in a tense sequence where you have to protect her from splicers. Another new element is the Big Sisters these agile and tough enemies appear after you have dealt with all the Little Sisters in that area and fights with them are intense and exciting. Apart from that the game has the same fun, unique plasmid and gun based combat as the first game.

Multiplayer:
Another new gameplay element is the inclusion of multiplayer this is set before the fall of Rapture and pits splicers on Atlas and Ryans sides against each other. It features the same modes as many multiplayer games (like Call Of Duty) but with a Bioshock twist, for example capture the flag is capture the Little Sister. Its a lot of fun and the charaters that you play as have very funny taunts and sayings which makes them feel less like random soldiers and more like residents of Rapture (albiet slightly crazy ones). Finally the multiplayer is set in locations of the first game which adds a bit of nostalgia and playing as the Big Daddy (a special boss during each match) is a lot of fun.

Presentation:
 As with the original the artistic style is great and the visuals hold up very well. The lighting and sound design is also great with haunting and stunning music that really adds to the tone. Some of the loading screen music was so good I waited until it finished before starting the game. As with the original the voice acting is superb with even minor characters getting great voice work.

Verdict:
While this second visit to Rapture may not be as fresh or memorable as the first the exciting new gameplay elements including multiplayer, engaging story, great villian, atmosphere and presentation make this a must own for fans of the original or shooters in general.

4.5/5

Bioshock Review
I know Im not the only one who is looking foward to Bioshock Infinite, so to tide me over until the end of March I thought I would review the 2 previous installments in the series. This is my first review so it may be terrible but anyway lets get into Bioshock.

Story: Bioshock is set in the underwater city of Rapture in the 1950's. The protaganist Jack crash lands by a lighthouse which takes him into the city. From the first 5 minutes of this game I was pulled into this incredible world, because Jack is a faceless and largely mute hero he is like a spounge that absorbs the world, events and characters around him. And what great characters they are from the charismatic creator of Rapture Andrew Ryan, the rebel leader Atlas, insane surgeon Steinman, even more insane performer Sander Coen and too many more to mention. These characters and the world are displayed through audio diaries left around Rapture which show the violence and destruction going on in this Utopia. This is due to a drug callled ADAM which has caused people to go insane. Anyway I dont want to say much more in case I spoil anything but Bioshock has a rich, engaging and very memorable story and if like me you enjoy story heavy games you are going to love Bioshock.
Gameplay: Bioshock is a first person shooter so there are a variety of different guns at your disposal. However the genetic changing drug ADAM allows you to develop incredible powers like setting enemies on fire or electrocuting them and much more. The enemy design is great with a variety of splicers (ADAM addicted crazies) and of course the Big Daddies. These lumbering metal men are thrilling and tough to fight and killing them offers you a choice as to whether you kill or save the Little Sisters they are guarding. Killing them will give you more ADAM to get better abilities but saving them will give you less ADAM but more rewards further down the line. This desicion effects the end of the game and is one of the many moral question Bioshock throws at you throughout the 20 or so hour campaign.
Presentation: Even 6 years on Bioshock still holds up visually the brilliant artistic style brings Rapture to light in its twisted distrurbing glory. The lighting effects and music really add to the tone and mood and the voice acting for every character is top notch.
Verdict: I didnt believe the hype about this game for a long time but I was proved so wrong. This is an absolute classic that deserves to be played by everyone. It is intelligent and does not treat the gamer like an idiot by asking moral questions and addressing themes not usually covered in games or even most Hollywood blockbusters. The gameplay is original and exciting and the experiece will stay with you long after you have finished playing.

5/5