STAR WARS: Battlefront III - Beta Impressions [VLOG]

Sharing both my positive and negative thoughts on the open beta for STAR WARS: Battlefront III. I'm a bit late to this party I know but the game isn't released yet so here goes. 

Rainbow Six: Siege - Beta Impressions [VLOG]

As the title says, a video detailing my impressions of the closed beta for Rainbow Six: Siege;

Objectification in Games [VLOG]

Now I probably wouldn't have made this video to begin with if it wasn't for the fact that when I've asked feminists why they don't look at these issues from a male perspective they've been quick to answer "well it's not a female issue, you fight for it you... You... MAN!". So, where we are.

And I can't stress enough that I don't claim to preach some objective truth, I'm open for discussion. I know I've made mistakes, yeah this video isn't perfect either, only arrogant fools claim to be perfect, please understand.

You can also find me on twitter @crazycat690

Sources for some of the things I talk about in the video:
http://metalgear.wikia.com/wiki/Raiden
http://www.metalgearinformer.com/?p=9178
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/10880647/Topless-women-campaign-to-Free-The-Nipple-why-on-earth-do-women-want-to-walk-around-topless-in-public.html

MGSV: The Phantom Pain - Collector's Edition Thoughts

Finally we live in a world where Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is available for anyone who wants it (and can afford it, obviously). I've waited years to play this, naturally I felt compelled to get the Collector's Edition for this game as it's the end of an era of MGS games directed by the legendary Hideo Kojima. 

I wanted to share some thoughts on the overall package, I'm likely to write a review of it at some point but as I'm not a professional journalist it's not something to be expected anytime soon or when it arrives to be particularly well written. Probably will be pretty biased as well, but, I digress... Lets start with what's actually included in this Collector's Edition!

The following things were included:
- MGSV: The Phantom Pain
- Collectible Steelbook
- Half Scale Replica of Snake's Bionic Arm
- Map
- MGSV: TPP Collector's Disc
- Additional Game Content (DLC...)

The Bigg Boss figurine was not included in the box but was bought from Play Arts Kai

Now I got the EU version, I'm aware that not everyone have gotten DLC codes in their box but I got them. Though only the Day One codes for the singleplayer worked (for now). I assume that the Metal Gear Online codes will work once it actually launches.

The arm is of course the main attraction among the other trinkets, it's really cool visually and the fingers are pretty flexible. My only complaint would be that the fingers are a bit, hm, "floppy", would've been nice if they were a bit more 'stiff'' so they'd be better for posing. Though it's not too bad as it is, at least it doesn't feel like you're breaking them as you move them around.

The map is also quite big, showing of the Afghanistan and Africa level, I haven't really looked into the details as I do want to leave some surprises for when I actually play the game.. But it's good, nothing to complain about as far as quality goes, pretty standard issue paper map. The rest is what you'd expect, well I don't exactly know what's on the "Collector's Disc" but if I were to guess it's some "making off"-thing, gonna check that out later at some point to make sure.

Overall I'm pretty happy with my decision to get this. It's a neat package that while it may have been overpriced (though today, what isn't?) is rather neat. I'm sure that whatever doubts over value there may be will vanish as soon as I've gotten more familiar with the game.

Also, here's my unboxing video if you care to watch:




I will be trying to stream as much of the game as possible via Twitch, I know that anyone interested in the game will be trying to avoid spoilers but I'm just putting it out there; http://www.twitch.tv/crazycat690

Also you can find me on twitter @crazycat690

Rise of the Tomb Raider on Ps4 and PC 2016 [VLOG]

A second vlog of mine, this time about Rise of the Tomb Raider coming to Ps4 and PC in 2016!

Bethesda and Fallout 4 reveal [VLOG]

The first video I'd call a vlog, consider watching it and let me know what you think!

Now On Youtube! Hello World!

So I've been doing more Youtube lately, that is I've uploaded more gameplay videos and now I've even decided to put my pretty face there as well. Figured it was time to spread the word for anyone interested. Still fresh meat but could become something more. We'll see.

Welcome video:

Gameplay taste:

Game talk taste:

Etc shenanigans:

And finally, my ex-cat who is with us no more:

I know the camera I'm using to capture "real life" is horrible. Can't say I'll invest in something better before I know it's worth it. Do consider checking out my mediocre stuff!

E3 2015 Thoughts and Winners

Best E3, like, ever! It has to be said before going more in-depth, it was a great show and many unbelievable surprises. It was so much fun seeing old and new games doing their best to impress. With that said, lets get to the meatier stuff! Do note that these are my opinions and I do focus on the stuff I was personally interested in.

I started watching Bethesda's E3 conference at 5:00 am Finnish time, and I'm glad I did. They started off with Doom 4 which was looking really good. Cannot complain about neither graphics nor gameplay, it was fun to see. They had a bit of stuff I didn't care about in the middle, like the Elder Scrolls online thing but they also showed off a lot of Fallout 4, and what can I say about that? It looks damn good, gameplay looks very fun with combat that they've actually put effort into this time around and they have a crazy amount of customization options. Lets just say it's hard to say that Fallout 4 isn't your kind of game because there's just so many options on how to play it. I suppose I should also mention that I can't wait to see more of Dishonored 2, I loved the first game so I do also expect great things from this game.

Moving on, the next conference I watched was Microsoft. I seem to be quite alone in this but their conference was pretty boring. Sure, they had good stuff like announcing backwards compatibility and, yeah. Don't get me wrong they showed games like Halo 5, Gears 4 and Forza 6 but those are franchises I've never been very fond of so they were pretty forgettable. The one game I was interested in that they showed was The Rise of the Tomb Raider (silly title though) but that demo was really disappointing. Very linear, scripted and the same old "shit breaks" kind of set piece gameplay that's just not very fun. They did the same with when they showed off the reboot as well, I thought that game was going to suck big time yet it's one of my favorite games from that year.

However, if we're talking about an outright bad conference, lets check out EA. If you wanna go to sleep, this is where it's at. They were smart saying every now and then how long until the reveal of Battlefront 3, because that was really the only reason to watch their show. Sure they had the new Need For Speed which looked neat enough, but it was really Star Wars: Battlefront 3 that people were most excited about. They also showed off the new Mass Effect: Andromeda game, but there's not much to talk about there either, EA really should've waited to announce a few of their projects because it seems like they aren't even nearly ready to talk about their games yet. Better luck next year.

Maybe it was because I had just watched EA's snoozefest, but Ubisoft had a really good conference, or shall I say an entertaining one. With a good host and good games to show off, with highlights being The Division and Ghost Recon: Wildlands. Curiously enough with only a brief CGI trailer for Assassin's Creed: Syndicate, though I suppose that by now everyone knows what AC is. And lets not forget For Honor which also looks really interesting, new IP with a more realistic take on sword battles. Overall, good job to Ubisoft!

Next up, my personal favorite of E3 2015, Sony. Where to start, the first thing they did was reveal The Last Guardian which people have been waiting for forever. Almost unreal to see it again, and no mercy was given as they showed off a new IP, Horizon: Zero Dawn, with some impressive looking gameplay. The announcements kept coming, Final Fantasy 7 remake in the works and Shenmue 3 is also to be revived. Finally, they showed off more Uncharted 4 gameplay which looked really grand, more open and so detailed. To think that they still have plenty of studios still working on unannounced titles is really exciting. Sony really won me over this E3.

Nathan Drake in action!

As far as Nintendo and Square Enix goes, I don't have much to say. Nintendo's show was cute, sure, but I don't really saw anything worth of note. Square Enix then again showed stuff like Just Cause 3, but their speakers were so dull I just couldn't feel enthusiastic about their games. Seriously, if they don't care about what they're talking about then why should I? Charisma is really important in these situations, next time I hope they have speakers that actually care about our amazing medium.

Final words then, so this year Sony "won" E3 for me, however this year it was so great that I can't really say someone had the best show. All I can say is that EA, Nintendo and Square Enix still have a lot to learn, the rest all had good stuff going on. In the end it's the gamers that won, we will be getting so many quality experiences in these coming years it's insane. Hope you, yes you reading this, are just as excited as I am to be a gamer in this day and age!


You can also find me on twitter @crazycat690

Kojima/Konami Breakup Thoughts

So quite recently it's become clear that Hideo Kojima, the creator of the Metal Gear Solid franchise, will be leaving Konami shortly after the release of MGSV: The Phantom Pain. There has apparently been a falling out between Kojima and Konami, since Konami keeps the Metal Gear IP this means that this time it really will be Kojima's last MGS game. What all this will lead to only time can tell. 

I must say, these news are quite shocking to me. Konami have been publishing Kojima made Metal Gear games as long as I've been gaming, it's been a very important franchise to me so I for one will be following any coming events related to this closely. What is clear is that Kojima will have to move on after MGSV and that Konami will still continue to make Metal Gear games after Kojima has left, in fact they're hiring new developers right now to make a new Metal Gear series.

Personally, and I'm quite surprised to say this, I feel kinda positive about this. I mean, of course it's a shame when a creator have to give up his creation and overall when someone important is let go. However I feel that this could be good because Kojima can finally move on and do something new, I don't think he wanted to make Metal Gear games for the rest of his life anyway. Also, lets be honest, Kojima wouldn't have been able to pass on the franchise to another team without being very involved himself yet again. I am eager to see what he will do now, even if it's unlikely that it'll be the new Silent Hills that was announced last year...

Furthermore, while new Metal Gear games might lack the same attention to detail and complex story, the gameplay alone might be enough to make them worthwhile. I'm quite curious to see what a new team could do with the franchise, my only wish is that they leave Kojima's story untouched, sure a cameo or two might be fun but I don't really want to play as Big Boss or Solid Snake again in a game that isn't made by Kojima. So far Metal Gear have been like pizza, even when it's a bad pizza it's still good food. Hopefully that holds true.

To finish this off, it's relevant to point out that this isn't the first time that this has happened, this could mean a big decline in quality (Resident Evil) or that the franchise end up completely disappearing (Mega Man). It's fair to be very skeptical about the whole ordeal, I know I am even though I'm curious to see what happens next. I suppose what I'm trying to say that good things can come out of this, a new take on the Metal Gear franchise, Kojima get to have his creative mind working at full capacity again... And we'll always have plenty of MGS games to replay until the end of times, with that, lets give Metal Gear Solid a good salute!

Top 5 Best Games 2014

As 2014 is now over, (actually has been for days, might be late to the party) I thought I might as well name the games I enjoyed the most of last year. Number one will of course be my GOTY, going from 5 to 1.

5. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes; as it wasn't a full game I can't give put it any higher than nr. 5, but as it stands it does offer great content, even if it isn't much, and great replayability. It does what it set out to do perfectly, getting me hyped for MGSV: The Phantom Pain.

4. Far Cry 4; this left me a bit disappointed to be honest, still a great game though so it earned a spot on my list. I felt it was pretty much Far Cry 3 with better environments but a much weaker story. The fact that they didn't properly balance all the mechanics stopped me from enjoying it even further.

3. Assassin's Creed: Unity; I know this game gets a lot of hate, but I like it. Sure, there's plenty of graphical glitches and they're really pushing the online stuff, but there's so much in here to enjoy that I had to give it a high spot on this list. The side quests feel fresh and the assassinations are for the first time in forever pretty free.

2. InFamous: Second Son; the very first game I played on Ps4, and boy what a start! Once I got past just how impressive it looks, there's plenty of fun content to explore. After my first playthrough I couldn't wait to get back in there for the evil run.

1. Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor; my GOTY of 2014! This game was surprisingly good, I was skeptical at first but I followed it closely, very glad it turned out so well. The gameplay is fun, the skill system is pretty unique and finally it has the nemesis system which allows the player to have completely dynamic and personal relationships with the bad guys of Mordor. Personally, I hope other developers take this system and implements it in their own games, it would be perfect for Assassin's Creed, just to name an example.