Wednesday, May 4, 2016

HTC VIVE

VIVE

In my last blog I mentioned that I decided to cancel my Vive Pre-order and I did that on Tuesday of last week.  On Saturday I got a shipping notice that my Vive would be here on Tuesday, I guess I didn't cancel on time and actually I'm glad I didn't.

Install

  • The Rift was very easy to install as it was basically just a sensor and a headset.  The Vive has 2 base stations, 2 controllers, a breakout box, and the headset so there was more to setup, but overall it was pretty easy as well. 
  • The base stations are what allows the full room VR experience.  They are 2 small boxes that are mounted on opposite sides of your room that tracks your movement in the VR space.  They connect wireless to the Vive so you only have to connect them to a power source and not to your PC.  They do however need to see each other and the max distance is 16 feet so if you have more room than that you need to connect them together with a sync cable.  My room's width is 21 feet and I really didn't feel like crawling under the floor to run the cable. Luckily after mounting them to my walls they seemed to work fine without the cable.  I did get a message on the PC that they were too far apart but I didn't notice any problems while playing.  
  • After those were setup I connected the breakout box to my PC using an HDMI and a USB cable  The headset plugged into the box and the PC downloaded the software and now it was time to setup my play space.
  • I took one of the controllers and mapped out the area that I had cleared after moving my ping pong table and it gave me a 7x6 rectangle of space to play in.  The bigger the better.  
  • Headset Hardware
  • The headset is a bit bigger and heavier than the Rift, but it does have a camera so it has more functionality.  
  • The straps are elastic vs the more rigid straps on the Rift, but I was able to  get a comfortable fit very quickly even when moving around and the headset remained in a good focused position.  
  • The inner material on the Vive is a soft foam that feels better on my skin than the Rift.  I do need to get some covers or something though because you do sweat when playing.  
  • The cable that comes out of the Vive is a bit thick and is around 15 feet long, but I didn't find it distracting.  Even though I'm moving around a lot I didn't trip over the cable once and stepping over and around it felt second nature in about 10 minutes.  
  • I do wish the Vive had the built-in headsets like the Rift has as those are awesome.  It ships with some earbuds that are not great so I had to use my wireless headphones that worked fine, but added more weight to my head.  You can connect regular headphones to the Vive as it does have an audio cable built into it's cables, but then you have the headset cable to deal with. 
  • I did notice the weight difference of the Vive when I first put it on,  but once I started playing it was not bothersome. 
  • The front facing camera is a nice feature, I can turn it on and actually see my surroundings without having to take off my headset, which is useful in using my computer or finding my headphones.  
  • You can connect your phone to the Vive so that if you get a phone call or text it will notify you inside the headset, I didn't set that up last night so I did miss a text, sorry Mitch.  
  • Once you get everything setup it has a cool tutorial in VR that instructs you on how to use the contorllers and the interface. Creating balloon animals with the controller and batting them around was a cool first experience. 

Headset Performance

  • Just like with the Rift the first time I put it on it was awesome but the added immersion of walking around the VR space 
  • quickly put my initial Rift experience to shame.  
  • I didn't think walking around would make that much of a difference but combined with the interaction of the controllers I really felt that I was in a new world. 
  • The Vive does have the same screen door effect but I didn't notice it as much as the Rift.  I am getting used to it so it doesn't bother me as much as it used to.  
  • The FOV seems a bit larger than the Rift so I get to see more of the world which is a nice thing.  
  • In the setup you map your play area and it uses that mapping to alert you when you are getting close to your boundaries.  It puts up a blue grid that outlines a wall which is pretty slick.
  • I've read reviews and opinions about how more comfortable the Rift was over the Vive, but for me it was the opposite. It was heavier but I found that it fit better and since I wasn't stationary the feeling of having a headset on was diminished.  It was a bit more difficult to take on and off due to the external headphones but it wasn't a big issue. 
  • Controller Performance
  • It's a shame that the Rift didn't ship with controllers as they do make a huge difference in the experience.  
  • The controllers do look bulky but they feel great in your hands.  There are only 5 buttons and a track pad which is similar to the one's on the steam controller so it felt familiar.  
  • They are location mapped so they show up in your view in VR and the mapping seems great as I was able to shoot where I pointed and it didn't feel off as it does with the PS motion controllers or the Wii.  
  • They do have haptic feedback which is amazing.  When you touch something in the VR world you do feel like you've touched something.  The effect is subtle but works very well.  

Software Impressions

  • The Vive uses Steam VR which is basically just the Steam window in VR so it's not as cool as the Oculus home space so there are improvements that need to be made in that aspect  
  • Getting in and out of games worked well and I didn't have the issues of the Rift where sometimes games didn't quit properly so I had take off my headset and stop them manually. 

Game Impressions

The Lab

  • This is a free download that is basically tech demos but it does have the comedic style of the Portal games so it's very entertaining.
  • In one game I was launching robots at crates, kind of like Angry Birds, and it was a lot of fun as each robot had a different personality and it would comment before I would launch them.  
  • Another I was standing on a mountain with my robot dog tossing sticks for him to fetch.  
  • The best game was controlling a small ship which was mapped to one of my controllers and I was in an arena shooting enemies while avoiding there shots.  It sounds a bit dull but in VR seeing the shots all around you is a cool experience. 

Space Pirate Trainer

  • You are basically standing on a ship deck holding dual laser pistols as flying robots are attacking you in waves.
  • The bullets come at you slowly so that you can dodge or pull a shield from your back to deflect them.   
  • It's still in early access, but It has an online leaderboard so it does promote replay.  

Audiosheld

  • I love Audiosurf and this is made by the same developer so it feels very similar except that instead of racing on a track to your music you are blocking the beats of the music. 
  • You have one shield in each hand which is a different color, red and blue, and you must block the matching colored beats which are basically orbs, some beats are purple so you have to combine the shields  
  • The beats(orbs) can be just a single orb or sometimes they are grouped together in a pattern that you must match.  
  • This variance along with the haptic feedback feels awesome in VR as each orb hits your shield and explodes you feel the impact.  
  • The game is intense and by the end of 2 songs I was covered in sweat.  

Budget Cuts Demo

  • Just a demo but does show the cool games that will be coming to VR later this year.
  • Kind of a stealth game where you are moving around in a real world environment killing robots.  
  • You only have a small area that you can walk around in but if you want to move through the world you shoot a blob out of a gun that lets you look around the area and if it's clear you will teleport to that spot.  
  • From there you may need to find a key to open a lock that may be in a drawer that you must open and close using your controller. There are grates that must be removed and to look through them you must duck down so there is a lot of movement made by the player. 
  • I found some knives and was sneaking up on the robots and taking them out, one time looking over a second floor balcony the other a quick move behind the robot.  
Overall
  • I thought the Rift was cool enough and decided that I didn't want to try the Vive, but I'm glad that I did as I think the Vive is a better VR experience. 
  • The caveat is that you do need a fair amount of space to be able to play most games.  The Vive does support sitting and standing games just fine but after walking around in VR I kind of want that activity as it's different enough from just playing regular games.  
  • The Vive costs $200(+$100 with taxes and shipping) more than the Rift , but you do get everything you need to have a complete VR experience.  If you have to choose between the 2 and have the money I would recommend the Vive at this point.  
  • The Rift's controllers are supposed to come out this summer which will even the odds a bit but they will need another sensor to emulate full room VR and if that needs to be connected to the PC by a USB cable like the current one it might not be as clean of a setup. 
  • Once again even though the experiences are cool it is not going to replace they way you play games today. There are no 20 hour or even 8 hour plus games yet so the library of games is still a work in progress.  
  • And that is a major thing, VR games need to be built using the strengths of the platform and not just port over conventional games.  I want new ways to interact with gaming and right now it does satisfy that itch and in a couple of years I think the tech will be there so that the average person can enjoy VR without the high cost and developers will be able to create amazing games.   

New Releases - Not really much to choose this week,  my pick of the week would be SUPERHOT on the Xbox One. I'm just not into MOBA likes so Battleborn could be your cup of tea.  And remember Uncharted 4 comes out next week.

PC

Airline Director 2
Battleborn
The Beggar's Ride
Castle Heist: Chapter 1
Color Chaos
Cyber City 2157: The Visual Novel
Earn to Die 2
Fantasy Tales Online
Fragments of Him
HACK_IT
Hyposphere
I and Me
Imhotep, Pyramid Builder
Kathy Rain
Liveza: Death of the Earth
Magic Quest
Midvinter
Mystery Castle
Parkitect
Positron
prog.1
The Temporal Invasion
Spunk and Moxie
Yon Paradox

PS4

Battleborn
Coffin Dodgers
Neverending Nightmares
The Park
Push Me Pull You
Shadow Complex Remastered
Table Top Racing: World Tour

Xbox One

Battleborn
Coffin Dodgers
The Park
SUPERHOT

Vita

Neverending Nightmares
Ray Gigant

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Oculus Rift

​Oculus Rift​ - It finally came in and here are my impressions broken down into categories.

Install

  • Very easy setup.  
  • It takes 2 USB 3.0 slots.  One for the head tracker and the other for the headset.  
  • You also need the HDMI output from your video card.  I tried using a DP to HDMI converter which did not work with the Rift but did for my TV out so I can have both hooked up at the same time.   
  • The Oculus home software walks you through the setup process and I was done in about 5 minutes.
Headset Hardware
  • The headset has 3 adjustment straps, one on each side and one on top. 
  • I guess I have a small head as the side straps where pulled about all the way just to make it tight.  
  • It is light and once you get the straps set it's easy to take off and on. 
  • You can adjust the spacing of the lenses with a small button under the right eye.
  • The headphones work very well and I thought they did a decent job producing bass. 
  • I did play for 3 hours straight and my face did get a little irritated by the material that was touching my skin and that could be due to the newness and the chemicals on the fabric.  
  • My neck is a little sore this morning but nothing major.  It will take a bit of time to build up those specific neck muscles. 
  • I do use reading glasses but since the Rift projects the picture far away I don't need them for the Rift.
  • I did try putting on the Rift with my glasses though and it was not easy even after opening all the straps up.  Maybe easier with more practice.  
  • I did not feel nauseous at any time during my playtime. I am running with a 980TI and have not had any frame rate drops.   

Headset Performance

  • The first time I put them on I watched an intro video and it was awesome.  
  • I was standing in front of an alien on a rocky planet and he was looking at me and making faces.  .
  • Then I was standing in a hall and a T-Rex was at the other end and he came at me and stopped just in front and roared and the spit came flying out at me then he walked over me.
  • Next I was standing on the edge of a building looking down and I did feel a bit queasy since I don't like heights.  
  • The sense of being there in a different place is what is cool about the Oculus.  Looking all around and being enveloped in the world is really a unique experience.  
  • With all that said the tech still needs a couple of years to get where it needs to be.  
  • The problem I have with the Oculus is with the Screen Door Effect where it looks like you are looking at the picture through a screen door, I can see the pixels that make up the picture so it isn't sharp and that is bothersome to me and it reinforces the feeling that I'm looking at a screen and not really in the world.  
  • Maybe my eyes are more susceptible to this effect as I've read on some posts that they can only tell if you are looking for it but I see it all the time. 
  • The games are also not in 1080P even the though the screens have a high resolution the picture you see is just not as crisp and clear it feels more like 720P and I've even read it's more like 480P.  
  • In a couple of years once the lenses and video cards get better this tech will really shine. 


Software Impressions

Oculus Home

  • You have to install this product and it be open in order for the Rift to work.  
  • It's a store front like Uplay and Origin.  
  • There is an option that you have to turn on if you want to be able to play games from Steam or other networks, it's not on by default. There are some games that are exclusive to the Oculus Store so you need to do some research before deciding on where to buy. 
  • I was able to play a couple of VR games through Steam.  

Game Impressions

Project Cars

  • I mainly wanted the Rift for driving simulators, mainly Dirt Rally, but most of them don't have support for the Oculus yet.
  • I only tried PC for about 2 races and it was cool being in the car looking at the dashboard and seeing all the racers just by turning my head.
  • The graphics are a bit jaggy and it's a bit difficult to see far away images because of the resolution.  
  • I need to do some more tweaking with the graphics to see if I can fix these issues.  

Chronos

  • A 3rd person action adventure game that feels a bit like Dark Souls.  
  • The camera is in a fixed position sort of like the Resident Evil games but you can still look around.
  • The game is fun on its own and the VR does add a bit to the world in making you feel like you are there.    

Lucky's Tale

  • A platformer that works really well in VR. 
  • Again you do feel like you are in this place.
  • There are some sections where you go underground and you see the action kind of like a diorama which is neat. 

Eve: Valkryie

  • Space shooter where you are in a cockpit and that feels perfect for VR as you do feel like you are in a ship and there is a cool thrill when it takes off as you see the scenery fly by. 
  • The graphics are great but once again the SDE takes me out of the world.  

Doom

  • Only got to play about 30 seconds before it crashed but it was Doom in VR.  



Conclusion

  • Is the Oculus Rift worth $600 plus the PC you need to run it?
  • At this time I would say not yet, probably in 2-3 years once the tech gets better then this will be amazing.
  • If you have to have the latest gadgets then you may want to splurge on one but right now there isn't a game that is a must play so again waiting until there is more software will probably be the best decision.
  • I think these same issues I have  will exist with the VIVE so I'm probably going to cancel my VIVE pre-order.  
  • It may sound strange but I got a similar feeling to the Oculus when playing games in 3D with the convergence set really high. The image felt like it was right in front of me and that I was in the world as well.  It wasn't as tight as the Oculus since your whole view is the world but it was a similar feeling. 


Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Dark Souls 3 Ratchet and Clank, Visceral Detail Cleanup

Oculus Rift - Just got charged and it should be shipping soon.  Hopefully I'll get it by the weekend.

Dark Souls 3


  • Finally defeated the first major boss after about 6 attempts, his fire sword attacks looked awesome.  
  • This game isn't as stingy with bonfires as the last two games and they are usually pretty close to the boss lairs so the game does seem a bit easier. 
  • There are a ton of weapons, I think I already have 20 in my inventory although I'm only using about 3 of them.  
  • I was having a couple of crashing issues until I disabled AA but they did release a patch on Monday that may have fixed that issue, other than that the game has run smoothly.
  • The like the enemy designs as they are quite grotesque, the ugly frogs with the big eyes are back as well. 
  • Had my first invasion the other day and it couldn't have came at a better time.  I was in an area where there is this giant on a tower far away that keeps throwing large spears at anyone who tries to cross this specific path.  The invader spawned just behind me so I took off running down the path and was able to dodge the spears but the invader didn't have as much luck and died at the barrage of spears without me swinging a single time and it felt awesome.  

Ratchet and Clank

  • A game about the new movie which is a retelling of the original game. 
  • This is classic Ratchet and Clank game play at it's best with some of the best graphics that I've seen. 
  • I've beaten all the major Ratchet and Clank releases and the game play still holds up.  
  • Can't wait to see all the crazy weapons, I haven't read much about the game. 
  • It's $40 so a nice price as well. 


Visceral Detail Cleanup

  • Ever wondered what happens to all those bodies and blood soaked floors that is left over from one of your gaming sessions?
  • Wonder no more as you undertake one of the best co-op games of this generation as you get to help clean up all the mess.
  • So grab your mops, buckets, and bins and get ready for Visceral Detail Cleanup.
  • The game at first glance seems horrible and dull, but it's probably one of the funnest multiplayer experiences that I've had.
  • The fun is not in the actual game play but the chat between friends.
  • The game does have some wonky physics which does lead to some spirited conversations.  
  • If you are mopping up blood and then someone kicks over the water bucket sending all of the blood that you just cleaned go everywhere you may get a little irritated or maybe they keep walking through the blood leaving tracks that might also spur a louder than normal response.  Also don't try to run when carrying a bin full of body parts, it will end in a mess. 



New Releases - Not a big release week.  My pick is Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair which has the best talking bear in any game series.

PC

Banner Saga 2
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
Loud on Planet X

PS4

Axiom Verge — Vita (PS4 Cross-buy)
Blues and Bullets Episodes 1 and 2
Invisible, Inc.
Koi
Lichdom: Battlemage
Masquerade: The Baubles of Doom
Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse
Loud on Planet X
Pang Adventures

Xbox One

Lichdom: Battlemage
Masquerade: The Baubles of Doom

3DS

Langrisser Re:Incarnation -Tensei

Wii U

Star Fox Zero
Star Fox Guard


Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Dark Souls 3, Enter the Gungeon, Hyper Light Drifter, Quanturm Break

Still no Rift yet expected ship date maybe next week.

Dark Souls 3

  • Another Dark Souls game.  Either you love them or hate them.
  • I put in about 5 hours last night and died about 30 times so it's slow going but I like it.  
  • I'm on the PC and it's runs smoothly and looks great, I've read reports of some slowdown on the consoles.
  • The game seems a bit more streamlined so it may be a bit easier for newcomers to tackle, it's still is full of mystery but they do explain a bit more of what and where you need to go and do. 
  • The speed of the game/combat is between DS1 and Bloodborne which feels great.
  • The eneimes and bosses so far have been interesting and brutal. 
  • Man these games are sooooo good and different from everything else that is made today.  

Enter the Gungeon

  • Rogue-like twin stick shooter where each enemy is a type of bullet, the game has a really cool style.  Flipping over tables to provide cover is cool.  
  • I wish it had some sort of progression like Rouge Legacy.  It has random drops which do expand over time but if you don't get a good weapon on the first level it makes it tough to go much farther.  
  • After 2 hours I've only got to the second level once.  
  • I think they need to do a bit more re-balancing and this game would be perfect. 

Hyper Light Drifter

  • A really cool looking tough isometric action RPG. .
  • The graphics are 8-bit but look amazing.
  • There is no text in the game and no English is spoken, you only see pictures when you speak to NPC's so there is some mystery in the game.
  • The combat is fast and fluid but tough as you only have about 5 hit points starting out so you must be cautious. 

Quantum Break

  • I've only spent about 30 minutes playing but I'm not sure I'm going to like this game.
  • The controls do not feel good, they are floaty and I haven't even tried combat yet. I've tried changing the sensitivity but something is just off.
  • I really liked Alan Wake so I had high hopes for this game but it's not starting off well.  

Rocket League

  • Still going strong, playing at least an hour or two a day.
  • The basketball mode is coming this month which looks interesting. 


New Releases - Of course Dark Souls 3 is my pick of the week but I also picked up Ratchet & Clank.

PC

Dark Souls III
Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture
Stories: The Paths of Destinies


PS4

Dark Souls III
Ratchet & Clank
Risk of Rain
Samurai Warriors 4 Empires
Stories: The Paths of Destinies

XB1

Dark Souls III

WiiU

Terraria

3DS

Bravely Second: End Layer

Vita

Risk of Rain

Friday, March 18, 2016

Stardew Valley, Super Hot, The Division, Far Cry Primal, Rocket League

Sorry for the lack of content recently.  I will be amping up especially in 2 weeks when I finally get my Occulus Rift.  I'm really excited to get into VR and see if this really is the future of gaming.

Stardew Valley (Steam)
  • This game came out of now where and it's been on top of Steams charts since it's release. It was made by one person over 4 years and it has sold over 450k in the first couple of weeks
  • You play as an IT guy that is fed up with city life and decides to take over your recently deceased grandfathers farm in a faraway small country town.  The small town is made up of quirky characters that you try to befriend by giving gifts and maybe even find a mate.
  • The game plays a lot like the Harvest Moon games but so much better in my opinion.  
  • This is a nice game to just chill with and is easy to play in short bursts.  The game is broken up into days which last around 10 minutes. You do have to decide how to spend your time since it is limited and it's tough because there is just so much to do.  
  • I highly recommend this game, if you look at the steam page you may think I'm crazy but it's a game that can really get your hooks into you and you will be saying just one more day.  
Super Hot (Steam)
  • A first person melee/shooter where time only moves when you do.  
  • The game is just a set of unique levels(rooms) where you have to defeat all of the enemies without getting hit once.  This seems tough, but since time only advances when you move it makes each confrontation look like a John Woo action scene.
  • So I enter a pool hall with 2 enemies each with guns.  I pickup a pool ball and throw it at one approaching enemies.  The ball hits the guy and the gun he was carrying flies in the air. I punch the guy once then grab the gun out of mid air and shoot him and he's down. The other enemy is far away running left so I adjust my aim knowing the flight path of the bullet and fire.  I then slowly move ahead and I can see the bullet moving through space and it hits the enemy in right in the forehead and enemy down.  Another enemy suddenly appears behind a pillar and is arms length away but I'm out of bullets so I throw my gun at the guy it stuns him then I quickly take him out with 3 punches.  
  • Once a level is complete it replays everything at full speed and it looks incredible.  
  • It's a really hard game to explain in words but it's a really neat concept. 
  • The game is $22 on sale but it's relatively short so you may want to wait until it goes on sale but I've enjoyed my time with it. 
The Division
  • After all the great reviews I decided to pick this game up on PC and well.....
  • I've only spent about an hour with the game and it hasn't hooked me yet.
  • The game looks great and runs fine but I'm playing solo and I really think you need a group to get the most out of the game.
  • The match making seems very easy to use and you can group up with randoms before each mission so you can decide how you want to approach the game
  • It is a loot game so you will be getting tons of weapon and armor drops that keep you comparing those with your equipped weapons. 
  • I guess it does feel a bit like Destiny but the weapons so far have not been as cool but I've barely started so I need to put in a lot more time. 
Far Cry: Primal
  • Put in about 5 hours and enjoying my time but it does feel like another Far Cry game.
  • The pace is a bit slower since your main weapon which I like so there is a lot of stealth in the game.
  • The missions though feel the same as the previous games, I wish there was more of a survival element to the game.
  • You do hunt a ton of different animals and even tame the carnivores to be your pets which you can ride and order to attack your enemies but you really aren't surviving.  You are taking out bases and roaming enemies the same way you've done before.
Rocket League
  • It seems like I've been playing a ton of games but in actuality I've spent most of my time playing Rocket League, I have over 300 hours.  
  • I'm addicted and no other game has the type of excitement at the constant pace that this game has.
  • I'm finally feeling comfortable with aerials so it's opened up a whole new play style and strategies and I still have a ton to learn.  
  • It's an amazing game if you haven't tried it yet you really need to. 

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Dying Light: The Following, Firewatch, Rocket League

Dying Light: The Following (Steam) on all Consoles

  • I loved Dying Light and thought it was one of the best games last year so I was excited for this last part of the Season pass.
  • This DLC has a land mass of twice the original game so it's massive and it needed to be because the biggest addition to the game is a car.
  • Chopping zombies up in various was is fun, but plowing over groups of zombies is even better. I just have the base car now so it's bare bones but there are a ton of upgrades for the car with some pretty awesome weaponry.
  • They've added some other improvements as well so there is a good reason to return to this game and even play for a second time.
  • If you didn't play this game last year now is the time to pick it up.
Firewatch (Steam) also on PS4
 
  • Saw the demo at E3 and the game looked amazing. You play as a lonely fire spotter in a vast wilderness and your only contact to the outside world is by a radio talking to your supervisor. That was basically the trailer so you really didn't know much more than that and the game was really intriguing.
  • I bought the game and finished it on the same day. It was around 4 hours long.
  • I have mixed feelings about the game. It was good but not great.
  • The story was interesting and I did like how the character interactions worked and the dialog was good but I thought the ending was very underwhelming and the story had too many red herrings.
  • The wilderness you are exploring looks really nice but it isn't that large of space so you will be walking across familiar territory often.
  • The neatest feature of the PC version is that you get a camera at some point and you can take some great pictures and actually have them sent off to get real pictures made which is a neat idea. It does cost money though I think around 5-10 dollars.
  • It was interesting to play but at $20 it did feel a bit steep because the amount of interaction was very low so you are basically playing a short story.
Rocket League (Steam) also on PS4 and Xbox One Next week
  • Season One wrapped up yesterday afternoon and though Robby and I tried we just couldn't get me to the silver level in doubles so I had to get the bronze crown. Robby did get the Silver though so good for him.
  • In the Second season they have changed the way you are ranked. In season one each match you would lose or gain points whether you one or lost so each game so even if you were getting better you could still be ranked low. Now they are basing it on your performance and if you are improving. They aren't clear though how that is being evaluated so I'm not sure if it will better or not.
  • They also added a report feature that you can use if someone is being abusive in the text chat and it will send a log with your complaint which is a nice feature. Most people are polite but there are always a few who are jerks.
  • One other addition is some random loot drops for your car, the more you play the better the drop rate.
  • The Xbox One version will release next week and I'll get that one as well. There are a couple of unique cars in that version and it includes all of the previous DLC. The biggest omission though is cross play support which is a Microsoft xbox policy. Can't believe they won't let you play with steam owners and Sony will. Crazy.
New Releases - Couple of good releases this week. Top pick Dying Light: The Following.
 
PC

Assassin’s Creed Chronicles Russia
Arslan: The Warriors of Legend
Dying Light: The Following
Firewatch
Unravel

PS4

 ssassin’s Creed Chronicles Russia
Arslan: The Warriors of Legend
Breath of Fire 3 - PS2 classic
Dying Light: The Following
Firewatch
Level 22
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
MOP: Operation Cleanup
Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 4
Rugby Challenge 2
Siralim
Unravel

XB1


Assassin’s Creed Chronicles Russia
Arslan: The Warriors of Legend
Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 4
Unravel

PS3

Level 22

Vita

Level 22
Siralim
We Are Doomed

Friday, February 5, 2016

Rise of the Tomb Raider, The Witness

Rise of the Tomb Raider (PC)
 
  • I originally bought the Xbox One version since it was exclusive to that console, but I never really got into it because of some controller lag. I thought the aiming and the actions after some button presses felt a bit off.
  • The PC version fixes that issue plus gives the already good looking game some added umph to make it one of the best looking games of this generation.
  • I really enjoyed the first game and they have added quite a lot to Lara's new adventure.
  • The exploration areas are much larger now with secrets and hidden loot to discover. There are also a lot more tombs to raid.
  • I am really liking the story and I am actually seeking out all of the voice memos that have interweaving story lines.
  • I'm playing on Hard mode and when there is a required fight sequence with waves of enemies they go on for too long and get too tough quickly. They also aren't randomized so if you die you will see the same enemies as before.
  • I want to try the endurance mode which makes the game play like a survival game where you have to survive the harsh elements and hungry animals.
 
The Witness
  • A puzzle game from the developer of Braid.
  • The game is basically about 700 maze puzzle games. That sounds boring but it's really entertaining.
  • The puzzles are set on a beautiful island that you will be traversing while solving puzzles.
  • The puzzles are grouped around different parts of the island and each type has a certain rule that you must solve in order complete the puzzles.
  • I've been taking screenshots with my phone which I've found helps out a lot.
  • It's only $40 so if you have a PS4 and PC and want to be challenged give the game a try.
New Releases - A pretty big release this week on the PC. American Truck simulator, just kidding X-Com 2 is out. I've only played an hour so no impressions yet. I'm also interested in Cobalt. Also if you have a PS4 or Vita pick up Crypt of the Necrodancer it's awesome.
 
 
PC
 
American Truck Simulator
Cobalt
Fortified
Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 4
Tales of Symphonia
XCOM 2
 
PS4
 
 AIPD
Albedo: Eyes From Outer Space
Amazing Discoveries in Outer Space
Crypt of the Necrodancer
Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth
Gravity Rush Remastered
Megadimensional Neptunia VII
Nitroplus Blasterz: Heroines Infinite Duel
Not A Hero
Royal Defense
 
 XB1
  
Cobalt
Fortified
  
WiiU
 
Shütshim: Seriously Swole
 
360
  
Cobalt
 
PS3
 
Nitroplus Blasterz: Heroines Infinite Duel
 
 Vita
 
Crypt of the Necrodancer
Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth
 
For Sale
 
Espon 5030UB Projector
 
 If anyone is interested I'm selling my Projector for $1400, I've had it about a year and a half and the bulb has around 500 hours on it so I've barely used it. It's in perfect working condition and still under a 3 year warranty.
  
100" Projector Screen
 
If you don't have a screen then I have one of those as well. $150.
  
Popcorn Machine
 
 I also have an movie popcorn machine that I'm selling for $50. It's a hot air popper that would be great for parties and it's easy to clean. 
 
 Polk Monitor 50 Speakers
  
This is for a pair of 2 floor standing Polk speakers for $50.