There are many religions throughout the world. Many have their own deities, prophets and rules. However, new religions aren't just started up spontaneously in a matter of days... right?
Just ask the 35 MILLION people who have been watching the famous TwitchPlaysPokemon stream that has been taking the internet by storm. Over there, there is only one god - the Lord Helix.
What started out as an in-joke between a few people has started to transcend the stream and even into the real world. The Helix Fossil is an in-game item, which in the heat of the chaotic battles often got accidentally clicked on. Players started referring this to as 'consulting the Helix' which kept escalating until we were hailing it. Our Lord.
For those of you who don't know, TwitchPlaysPokemon was a social experiment to see if everyone on Twitch could play a game of Pokemon Red. Their inputs were collected through the chat, which with thousands of people playing was just as chaotic as expected.
But what is truly amazing is that it worked. Through luck, or co-operation, the numerous challenges were fought through. On the morning of 1st March, Red finally defeated Blue, in a battle of the ages. It serves as a reminder that strangers over the Internet are capable of fantastic things.
There are so many references and jokes that have come out of it, that it's a shame to see it finish. These have become almost mainstream - it's strange to find someone who doesn't know who 'Bird Jesus' is (ok, maybe not). Those who started watching at the first day of the excruciating 16 day excursion will be left with a Helix shaped hole in the heart, but it was fun while it lasted.
It wasn't all easy - there were plenty of hiccups along the way. A day referred to as Bloody Sunday, for example, where fan favourites Dux and xCabbage, to name a few, were released. This was, apparently, an act of the Dome Fossil sabotaging our plans, the Satan to our Lord Helix. The 'false prophet' Flareon was also involved in this. The Rocket Base, which took a whole day to complete, as there was a puzzle that was impossible without the dreaded democracy.
Those of you who watched it had a great time, and it is a true shame to see it finish. It proves that with a little direction, 40,000+ strangers can work together to complete a game.
Saturday, 1 March 2014
Wednesday, 26 February 2014
UFC Undisputed 3 - Game Review
A fat bloke from Birmingham with ginger dreadlocks and a scorpion tattoo on his right nipple walks into the ring, faced with Anderson Silva, the brutal middleweight champion from Brazil. They fight it out and to the surprise of everyone, they seem quite even at the end of the first round. But in the second round, Anderson Silva is slammed to the floor. The fat Brummie sits up and tries to punch a whole through Silva's nose, forcing the referee to stop the fight. Welcome to the bizarre world of UFC Undisputed 3.
UFC Undisputed 3 is, unsurprisingly, the third installment in Yukes' UFC series, based on the real Ultimate Fighting Championship. Fighting games are not entirely uncommon but those based on a 'real' sport (not Wrestling) are restricted to boxing and UFC, which explains the success.
The guy from the anecdote was my created fighter, whom I ran through the career mode with. Unfortunately, he isn't a real fighter, but he did eventually manage to win a UFC title with my expert guidance. I decided to specialise in stand-up fighting, though there are many different styles as there are lots of different fighting styles in the game. My gameplan was to KO my opponent as quickly as possible and for the most part, it worked. I had to adapt my style as I got better, both me and my fighter by increasing my skills in ground and clinch fighting. The career and create-a-fighter mode allowed me to be a flexible fighter and evolve, which was fun and realistic.
I know very little about UFC outside of the game, but I enjoyed the game massively and never felt alienated or confused about the sport whilst playing the game, which is a criticism often aimed at games like Madden. This is a massive plus as it allowed me to play a game outside of my comfort zone and enjoy it without knowing it inside out. Even if you don't know anything and have never seen a fight in your life, you can quite easily enjoy it.
The gameplay itself can appear quite complex at first (there are a lot of tutorials) but it is deceptively simple. Punches and kicks use the face buttons, guards and modifiers are mapped to the shoulder and trigger buttons and all clinches, transitions and throws use the right stick. Most fights start with a lot of stand up fighting, but Muay Thai fighters and other fighters of the same ilk will try to grab and take opposition fighters to the floor and either beat them or make them tap out with a submission. If you didn't understand a whole lot of that, don't worry, you will if you play the game.
My one real gripe is the length of the game. The career mode is really short - I blitzed through it in about 3/4 days, and whilst there is other modes, this is the bread-and-butter mode. I thoroughly enjoyed the game, but it really didn't last that long. I will continue to play and try out some more modes and I also think that my experience was limited as I could not play multiplayer, so that could easily extend the length of the game.
UFC Undisputed 3 is an incredibly fun game for anyone, not just enthusiasts. I highly recommend trying the game out and seeing if you enjoy beating up digital people more than is probably psychologically healthy, like it would appear I do.
84%
UFC Undisputed 3 is, unsurprisingly, the third installment in Yukes' UFC series, based on the real Ultimate Fighting Championship. Fighting games are not entirely uncommon but those based on a 'real' sport (not Wrestling) are restricted to boxing and UFC, which explains the success.
The guy from the anecdote was my created fighter, whom I ran through the career mode with. Unfortunately, he isn't a real fighter, but he did eventually manage to win a UFC title with my expert guidance. I decided to specialise in stand-up fighting, though there are many different styles as there are lots of different fighting styles in the game. My gameplan was to KO my opponent as quickly as possible and for the most part, it worked. I had to adapt my style as I got better, both me and my fighter by increasing my skills in ground and clinch fighting. The career and create-a-fighter mode allowed me to be a flexible fighter and evolve, which was fun and realistic.
I know very little about UFC outside of the game, but I enjoyed the game massively and never felt alienated or confused about the sport whilst playing the game, which is a criticism often aimed at games like Madden. This is a massive plus as it allowed me to play a game outside of my comfort zone and enjoy it without knowing it inside out. Even if you don't know anything and have never seen a fight in your life, you can quite easily enjoy it.
The gameplay itself can appear quite complex at first (there are a lot of tutorials) but it is deceptively simple. Punches and kicks use the face buttons, guards and modifiers are mapped to the shoulder and trigger buttons and all clinches, transitions and throws use the right stick. Most fights start with a lot of stand up fighting, but Muay Thai fighters and other fighters of the same ilk will try to grab and take opposition fighters to the floor and either beat them or make them tap out with a submission. If you didn't understand a whole lot of that, don't worry, you will if you play the game.
My one real gripe is the length of the game. The career mode is really short - I blitzed through it in about 3/4 days, and whilst there is other modes, this is the bread-and-butter mode. I thoroughly enjoyed the game, but it really didn't last that long. I will continue to play and try out some more modes and I also think that my experience was limited as I could not play multiplayer, so that could easily extend the length of the game.
UFC Undisputed 3 is an incredibly fun game for anyone, not just enthusiasts. I highly recommend trying the game out and seeing if you enjoy beating up digital people more than is probably psychologically healthy, like it would appear I do.
84%
Monday, 16 September 2013
Splinter Cell: Blacklist Review
There aren't many games out there that make you feel like a true badass. Even on games like Prototype, where that is almost the sole point of the game, this isn't always the case. Splinter Cell: Blacklist is one of those games that really does make you feel like a badass. Whether it's because you just silently killed an entire room without getting noticed, sneaked through the room without ending any lives or brutally murdered everything with good ol' bullets and explosions, Splinter Cell makes you feel awesome.
Put into the shoes of the elusive Sam Fisher, the player has to try and stop a series of attacks on the USA from a mysterious terror organisation known only as the Blacklist. Sam isn't entirely alone however, as he has the help of the Fourth Echelon, a group of specialists brought together on the Paladin. The Paladin is a plane that houses some incredibly high-tech gadgets - the most impressive of which is the SMI. The SMI is essentially a huge tablet computer, but it's there in place of a menu to let you select missions, gear and access multiplayer.
The storyline itself is a little bit unimaginative but at the same time quite realistic; well, apart from one person essentially stopping it on his own. As explained, the Blacklist are plotting an attack on the US and due to the government's apparent lack of competence, it's up to Sam and his pals to stop it. It's nothing that hasn't been done before, not least in a Splinter Cell game before, but it's a tried and tested formula, so why change it?
The 'tried and tested' formula of the old Splinter Cell games is slightly modified however, to allow for some room to manoeuvre if you get spotted, or alternatively, you can just face everyone straight up. It's clear that the game caters to stealth though, through level design and rewards. You get larger rewards for playing like a 'ghost' (and there's even an achievement for not killing anyone through the whole game as Fisher) than playing as a 'panther' (silent kills) or going into 'combat'. In my experience it's best to mix it up, as this allows you to experience all aspects of the game and be more flexible at any given situation. Diehard fans may be disappointed to see the shift to faster, more action based games, but there's still the option to play stealthily and it's definitely encouraged. Playing stealthily is much more fun in my view, as balls-to-the-wall combat can be done on a lot of games - subtle, clever stealth is best suited to Splinter Cell.
In order to help you through the game, you carry with you 3 weapons and between 4-10 gadgets, depending on your outfitting. Your pistol is your go-to weapon for 'panther' style play, whereas as a ghost you may opt for the stun gun or crossbow as your weapon of choice. Gadgets range from mines, to exploding cameras all the way to simple sleeping gas grenades. Whilst there is a decent selection of gadgets, you often find yourself using the same few over and over again if they work well. Your third weapon is up to you; do you want an assault rifle, just in case everything goes wrong? How about a suppressed sniper, so you can silently kill from distance?
Graphically, the game is good without being outstanding, but as you spend a lot of time in the shadows, the graphics are not entirely important. Sound-wise, the game is very impressive, with footsteps locatable if you have surround sound. The music is very complimentary with the game, racketing the tension up through slow, deliberate pieces of music. One criticism of the game is that maybe the single player storyline isn't particularly long, but this is drawn out by side missions and the interesting Spies vs Mercs game mode. Here there are two teams, one Spies and of course, one team of Mercs. The Spies have to infiltrate and hack certain access points in the map, whilst the Mercs must stop them. The main issue is that being a Merc really isn't very exciting, whereas being a Spy is much more fun and rewarding.
However you choose to play, the game does a very good job of making you feel awesome about taking out or evading everyone. Splinter Cell: Blacklist is a rewarding, challenging game that is intelligent in it's design and most importantly, fun to play.
My Score:
89%
Put into the shoes of the elusive Sam Fisher, the player has to try and stop a series of attacks on the USA from a mysterious terror organisation known only as the Blacklist. Sam isn't entirely alone however, as he has the help of the Fourth Echelon, a group of specialists brought together on the Paladin. The Paladin is a plane that houses some incredibly high-tech gadgets - the most impressive of which is the SMI. The SMI is essentially a huge tablet computer, but it's there in place of a menu to let you select missions, gear and access multiplayer.
The storyline itself is a little bit unimaginative but at the same time quite realistic; well, apart from one person essentially stopping it on his own. As explained, the Blacklist are plotting an attack on the US and due to the government's apparent lack of competence, it's up to Sam and his pals to stop it. It's nothing that hasn't been done before, not least in a Splinter Cell game before, but it's a tried and tested formula, so why change it?
The 'tried and tested' formula of the old Splinter Cell games is slightly modified however, to allow for some room to manoeuvre if you get spotted, or alternatively, you can just face everyone straight up. It's clear that the game caters to stealth though, through level design and rewards. You get larger rewards for playing like a 'ghost' (and there's even an achievement for not killing anyone through the whole game as Fisher) than playing as a 'panther' (silent kills) or going into 'combat'. In my experience it's best to mix it up, as this allows you to experience all aspects of the game and be more flexible at any given situation. Diehard fans may be disappointed to see the shift to faster, more action based games, but there's still the option to play stealthily and it's definitely encouraged. Playing stealthily is much more fun in my view, as balls-to-the-wall combat can be done on a lot of games - subtle, clever stealth is best suited to Splinter Cell.
In order to help you through the game, you carry with you 3 weapons and between 4-10 gadgets, depending on your outfitting. Your pistol is your go-to weapon for 'panther' style play, whereas as a ghost you may opt for the stun gun or crossbow as your weapon of choice. Gadgets range from mines, to exploding cameras all the way to simple sleeping gas grenades. Whilst there is a decent selection of gadgets, you often find yourself using the same few over and over again if they work well. Your third weapon is up to you; do you want an assault rifle, just in case everything goes wrong? How about a suppressed sniper, so you can silently kill from distance?
Graphically, the game is good without being outstanding, but as you spend a lot of time in the shadows, the graphics are not entirely important. Sound-wise, the game is very impressive, with footsteps locatable if you have surround sound. The music is very complimentary with the game, racketing the tension up through slow, deliberate pieces of music. One criticism of the game is that maybe the single player storyline isn't particularly long, but this is drawn out by side missions and the interesting Spies vs Mercs game mode. Here there are two teams, one Spies and of course, one team of Mercs. The Spies have to infiltrate and hack certain access points in the map, whilst the Mercs must stop them. The main issue is that being a Merc really isn't very exciting, whereas being a Spy is much more fun and rewarding.
However you choose to play, the game does a very good job of making you feel awesome about taking out or evading everyone. Splinter Cell: Blacklist is a rewarding, challenging game that is intelligent in it's design and most importantly, fun to play.
My Score:
89%
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