Dishonored

This game was a breath of fresh air back in October 2012, its time of release. It made stealth different and more engaging, ironically more realistic in its fantastical, dystopian world. Whereas games like Splinter Cell use shadows to hide from enemies, Dishonored uses the most simple mechanic; line of sight. It is all the better for it, as the game is a blend of stealth and action, while favoring the former over the latter.

 

 

 

 

Its world is an absolute joy to inhabit too. With an intriguing, almost cel-shaded art style, the city of Dunwall is a wonderful place to explore. Despite the environments being relentlessly grimy and disease ridden (a holiday destination it certainly isn't), searching through buildings for Runes and Bone Charms to upgrade protagonist Corvo Attano's skill set is a real delight. However one cannot help just standing there from time to time to drink in the city's lavish details from time to time and since it is primarily a stealth game, there is plenty of time to slow things down to do so. From the scrawled graffiti on the walls telling of the impending disaster that awaits the former glorious capital of Gristol (the game's fictional version of Britain), to wanted posters and even each street having its own name, it is all designed to immerse the player and that it has nailed down brilliantly.

 

 

 

As for the gameplay, it is relatively simple but engaging. From a first person perspective, you are given a limited assortment of weaponry, ranging from a sword to a crossbow by way of a pistol. What makes everything better though is the roster of so called supernatural abilities. Blink for example is essential, allowing the player to teleport Corvo a short distance including onto rooftops, while also allowing the player to escape fall damage that jumping from rooftops might normally cause. Others include an alternative vision that allows Corvo to see enemies, useful items and dangerous hazards through walls and summoning a plague of rats to gruesomely chomp down and eat nearby enemies. It all helps to ensure that Corvo does not become easy pickings for the City Watch guards and the zombie like Weepers who are dangerous in numbers, thus the game implying that it recommends you sneak rather than run around like a headless chicken.

 

 

 

 

The game also has multiple endings for what is overall a riveting storyline about betrayal, revenge and redemption. The endings all hinge on whether Corvo slaughters everyone or sneaks past, leaving them all untouched and unaware. It directly affects the so called Chaos system and missions can and often will play out differently depending on your actions during the course of the adventure. Overall, the game is a big slice of brilliance and it deserves to be played by anyone who feels like they want something different to play. They are guaranteed a good time and because of its success, publishers Bethesda had developers Arkane set to work on a future sequel...so now is as good a time as any if you have not experienced it for yourself yet...

 

Score: 8/10

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Fallout 3

 

An action RPG masterpiece, Fallout 3 impresses from the off. It's a beautiful game, albeit one very dark. Leveling up is as simple as any other role-playing game, but the game being mixed with action gives you a real blend that other action games cannot match. It aspires to be a first person shooter, but does not succeed all too well with such a feat. It still wishes you to assign points to your skills and that separates it from pure thoroughbred FPS games and the RPG. Borderlands, as poor as they are, manages to balance the odds just fine, unlike the Fallout games. Unfortunately for them, the Fallout games are actually entertaining...which is something Gearbox's series could only aspire to be.

 

 

 

Graphically, the games may seem old even for Xbox 360 standards, but the game being created by Bethesda doesn't matter. They could be as bad as Minecraft and it would still sell as many copies as it did. The fact is, the game sells based on the franchise name but also, Bethesda themselves spent so much on the game's creation that it deserved its success. From the violent dismemberment to the exploration of the Capital Wasteland, the game is not forgiving. However, what it is...is special and unique. No matter how much time you spend roaming the wastes, you will be there for hours and hours. This is something Bethesda are good at. They are particularly good at the large open world and subsequent joy and exploration.

 

The game is also very dark, no doubt about it. Standing around and exploring, there are many charred skeletons in the environment. They clearly show the devastation of the area, something only the equally burned out trees manage during the game. The skeletons are very sensitive, often falling to the ground from a pick up are flying across the environment from being shot, but they are clearly there to illustrate how brutal the world is. Until the Animal Friend perk is introduced, the game really is brutal and the open world is a genuine fight for survival. You could sit there for hours and on higher difficulty settings, you could die numerous times. However, seeing some of the environments makes all the difficulty worth it. For example, the school early on is as dark as it comes. The skeletons of small children litter an area blocked off by a jail cell, illustrating how brutal the game really is. While the game does not allow you to kill children unlike its predecessors, dismemberment makes it particularly brutal via combat. It is not a forgiving game, but while it is unforgiving in terms of violence, it is not too frequent and the open world is utterly captivating. It is the type of game that you sit and intently play until 1am, only to realize it is 5am when you are finished and you feel no shame for doing so.

 

 

 

In the end, what a game. The story missions are perfectly fine without being mind-blowing and Liam Neeson turns in a decent performance as the voice of the father to the Lone Wanderer...the game's protagonist. In the end, the open world and quests whether main or side make sure that the player is endlessly captivated, regardless of the collectables like the Vault-tech Bobbleheads or the many notes. They make sure the player is always excited by what is to come, but nothing brings the excitement like a good old story mission. Fallout 3 brings it superbly and the game deserves to be played...it is a masterpiece...one made six years ago but still relevant today.

 

 

Score: 10/10

 

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Prototype 2



 

A game underrated as this one should not go unnoticed. While Grand Theft Auto games continue to attract the plaudits, and rightly so, the Prototype games certainly should not be ignored. So what if they do not have the most cutting edge graphics or the biggest budget? What it is, is fun and last time I checked, gaming was about fun and gameplay over everything else. Graphics and story should take a back seat as long as the gameplay is anything between good and awesome.

 

Admittedly, the story is as forgettable as a bad performance with the local sports team. The characters, or at least some of them, are relatable, but overall the game is not played for its story. Oh no...this game is all about the gameplay and the fun you can have with being violent. Whereas InFamous 2 and its predecessor lock you in with a morality system, Prototype 2 along with its predecessor could not care less. Ever thought about going on a random murder spree with entirely innocent people for your amusement? Go right ahead...this game will accommodate you well. Have you ever wanted to brutally murder your most annoying enemies? Again this game will see to it you will get to. Prototype 2 is about having a lot of fun as long as you do not mind blood and gore. This game is violent and well worthy of its 18 rating. It is visceral, it is graphic...and it is not a game children should play. It has violence in abundance as well as strong language, so along with GTA children should not play it.

 

 

The game is also open world and has three large areas for the player to explore. In addition to the story missions, it also has side missions in the form of time trial style deliveries, putting a stop to hideous scientific experiments and even masquerading as the enemy. Collectables include recordings of Blackwatch soldiers being the idiotic fools that they are dressed up to be. Then there are the main characters, particularly James Heller and adversary Alex Mercer. The former has an improved set of powers over the latter, mostly the same but what is different is better. It makes the game more fun, especially the tendril ability which allows the player to string up the enemy from the environment. Pleasant the game is not, but that's the point. Players who enjoy sci-fi style gruesome violence will lap this up, as will those who enjoy the fact that one can go around causing chaos without it hindering the missions...due to the open world environment.

 

 

It is a shame the publishers Activision decided that developers Radical Entertainment did not make a big enough impression in the sales to continue the series. This one was truly different...allowing the players to play out their violent superhero fantasies. It is like Watchmen without the deep storyline and with all the violence of games like Splatterhouse or F.E.A.R. Vertically slicing anyone in half never gets old, considering how few games allow the player to do such a thing. It allows the player to feel empowered unlike many games out nowadays, practically like the most violent superhero ever concocted. Who needs comic books when the video game industry can bring out stuff like this? It is a shame that the gaming industry seems to be going the way of Hollywood these days, with games like Call of Duty, FIFA, Battlefield and Grand Theft Auto receiving such attention because of their recognized brand names. Prototype 2 ensures that the mainstream games are not exactly the be all and end all. It is a masterpiece of fun and understands the very definition of the word. It is a shame that so few grasp the same definition...

 

 

Score: 10/10