Video Game Review: Life is Strange: Episode 1 & 2

Title: Life is Strange: Episodes 1 & 2
Developers: Dontnod Entertainment
Publisher: Square Enix
Genre: Graphic Adventure
Platforms: PC, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Reviewed On: Xbox One
Price: $4.99 per episode, $19.99 for all current and future episodes

The most striking thing about Life is Strange, a new episodic series created in a similar vain to the recent Telltale releases, is the attention paid to the little details of the in-game world. Small things, like how all in-game sound is muted, except for music, when the protagonist puts in earbuds, or how looking at the writings and drawings of each person's whiteboard in the dorms gives an idea of their reputation and character, really bring the world of Arcadia Bay to life. While the game has a few technical issues that appear, most likely due to budget constraints, and the dialogue can feel a bit forced at times, it's an amazing case study of how important environmental details can be for a in-game world.

In Life is Strange, you take control of a high school girl named Max, an artsy loner in a school full of drama and hipsters. As you progress through the game, you have a variety of dialogue choices for how you interact with each character. These choices allow you to morph Max's personality, and can change how people see and react to you. Along with dialogue choices, there are also several bigger choices to be made, that have consequences later on in the story, mostly in the form of branching dialogues, but there are a few that can have rather dramatic waves, particularly in Episode 2.

You may be thinking that this is just a high school version of a Telltale game, but Life is Strange has a special trick up its sleeve that kinda turns the choice-and-consequence gameplay format on its head, Max has the ability to travel backwards in time, and remake choices she made. Max also retains information she has found and small items she takes with her, allowing her to make different choices based on found information.

Going back to the little details, the game makes sure that you are never fully confident you made the right choice, by making sure Max herself is never confident. Every big choice you make, and are allowed to reverse time in, Max will have a little inner dialogue, asking if that was the right choice. It's a fantastic way of getting us more into the mindset of Max, and adds a lot to the games, for such a tiny thing. The game also shys away from showing black-and-white outcomes for each choice, nearly every one of the choices presented have a fairly grey outcome, and you will never be fully confident you made the right one, just like Max.

These little touches also apply to the characters in Life is Strange. At first, it seems like a typical hodge-podge of high school stereotypes. The jock, the punk, the prep, they all seem to appear here, but all of them (well, most) get fleshed out so well with little details about their personality. Seeing the college rejection letters of the mean prep can give you a better appreciation of why she's so mean and bitter, or seeing the terrible things written on a dorm whiteboard based on the religious beliefs of one of the girls gives you an idea of how tormented she may feel. This also comes through in the dialogue, and if you talk to each character, you can see their individual personalities shine through.

The environments of the game also step up to this challenge, and do a damn fine job of it. Looking around the dorms can really shine a light on a characters motivations and actions. Seeing the rejection letters held onto by the mean prep, or the terrible things written on a girl's room whiteboard based on her religious beliefs can really show you a side of the person in a way dialogue can't. In fact, later on in Episode 1, an entire level is dedicated to a main character, showing how a once happy home for her has changed into something less than happy. This level of dedication to environmental storytelling is completely welcome to this sub-genre, and a breath of fresh air.

Unfortunately, the game does have its flaws that need to be discussed. While the artstyle of the game is great, and can lead to some gorgeous sights, the animations of the characters can be sorta robotic and jarring to see. Fortunately, the voice acting is fantastic, the developers have stated that ensuring quality voice acting was more important to them than ensuring quality lip-syncing, and I wholeheartedly agree. Something a bit more of an issue is the dialogue in the game. For the most part, it's great, but it sometimes tries too hard to be hip and cool with the slang, which can feel forced and awkward at times. I noticed this as an issue in Episode 1, but less so in Episode 2, so it seems the developers recognized this issue.

Video games are growing as a form of media, and arguably, art. Life is Strange is a sign of this, with its merging of gameplay with great writing, and tackling the different themes of adolescence, identity, and memories. It does have it's issues, but the format of its releases, with several episodes released over the course of months, it has a unique opportunity to tackle those issues, and improve itself with each episode. If you always thought that video games are just mindless violence, or that they can't deal with heavy themes, then give Life is Strange a try, and  be proven wrong.

Disney Reviews: Aladdin (1992)

What's one thing everyone remembers and/or loves about Aladdin above all others? I'm not too sure myself, but my best guess would be Robin Williams as the Genie. 

Video Game Review: Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number

Title: Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number
Developers: Dennaton Games
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Genre: Action, Top Down Action, Virtual Drug Trip
Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Playstation Vita
Reviewed On: PC
Price: $14.99

**Be Warned: This game is INCREDIBLY violent. If hardcore violence bothers you, be sure to at least lookup some gameplay videos before you purchase.**

So, Hotline Miami was one of my favourite indie releases of last year. An insanely fast top-down action game that felt like some insane 1980's drug trip, with way more blood and guts then usual, and everything about it worked. The art style, the story, the music, even the gameplay, all added to the rush of the original, and most of that carries over to the sequel. It has some flaws that hit the game, mostly with a few of the levels, and its fair share of bugs, but when it gets it right, the game is an absolute blast.

Veterans of the first game will feel immediately at home here, as the sequel is basically the same with some improvements. For those who haven't played it, the game plays out from a top-down perspective, full of split-second thinking and tactics. You as the player can take maybe a bullet or two before going down, and a single melee attack from an enemy will down you, but same goes for the enemies, with a few having certain characteristics to throw you off, some can only be taken down by melee or guns, for example. Your character, along with enemies, can move very fast, leading to a speedy experience. Even resetting the level after death takes a second, allowing you to jump right back in.

While there are extra weapons and enemies in the game, the core gameplay remains the same. The major changes come from the masks, which can be chosen at the beginning of many levels. Masks, or similar items, can be chosen at the beginning of the level, which changes your gameplay style in drastic ways. This can be anything from allowing only punching which can one-hit kill enemies, to starting with dual machine guns. While the first game had masks, they didn't have the drastic changes like here. It's a definite improvement over the masks from the first game.

For most of the game, the level design is great, allowing speedy rushing through rooms with plenty of cover to lure enemies and not get shot, playing to the main strength of the core gameplay, its speed. However, the game has its fair share of levels that work against the game's strength. Many times, the game will throw large levels at you with very little cover. This can be extremely frustrating, as a few shots will kill you, and enemies have a large sight range, many times rushing you from outside your own camera view. Many times, a level will also be full of windows, which enemies can see through, and if said enemy has a gun, this can be a death sentence.

But what about the graphics? Well, they look beautiful, in a weird, drugged-up kind of way. The game has an 8-bit style to it, and brings a full colour palate to the table. Everything in the levels look vibrant, with a sea of colours flowing in the background, and vibrant environments, including forests, prisons, and grungy buildings. The animations of the game are also great-looking, with little details there, if you notice them. There's also the music. The music is one of the best parts of the game, with frantic disco-like tracks blasting over the on-screen brutality.

There's also the story, and if any of you play it, and can tell me what the plot is, you go right ahead. The plot is a jumbled mess of flashbacks, odd characters, sociopaths, soldiers, and murder sprees, along with some mysterious phone calls that cause people to commit horrible massacres. The writers also love to play mind games with the player. Through the game, you will never be quite sure exactly what's real and what's not. While a plot like this would normally be panned, it fits into the atmosphere here, adding to the jumbled mess this game creates. When analyzing the storyline though, it's kind of a mixed bag. Some characters work, some don't, some plotline works, some don't.

There's also technical issues with the game, besides the sometimes iffy level design. Many times, I've noticed enemies get stuck in doorways, causing their AI to freak out and spin around. It can also be a pain to try and pick up specific weapons on the ground, as you cannot choose a specific weapon if they're in a pile. I've also noticed that doors can be sometimes inconsistent about knocking down enemies. Overall, the glitches in the game are there, but they don't effect the game too much, at least in my playthrough.

Overall, if you want a fast-paced action game with a lot of strategy, definitely check out Hotline Miami 2, and the first one. If you want a game that creates a visual and audio drug rush, give this a try. The gameplay is incredibly addictive, with fast, fun gameplay, and a scoring system that encourages you to perfect your strategies for each level. Despite its flaws, the game manages to live up to the original's quality, and is worth playing.

You Should Play: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Title: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Developers: Platinum Games/Kojima Productions
Publisher: Konami
Genre: Action, Spectacle Fighter, Over-The-Top Insanity
Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC
Reviewed On: PC


Lately, I've been looking back on my massive Steam library, looking for something different to gnaw on. A quick scan made me remember that I have MGR. I remember when I played it a while back, and how much fun I had with it, so I installed it and got to playing. I've since logged about 50 hours into it, and beat the game on every difficulty. I always knew that the game was damn fun, but I had forgotten how damn satisfying this thing is.
For those of you who may not know about the spectacle fighter genre, games like Devil May Cry, Bayonetta, and God Hand, for reference, a quick recap. The games in this genre generally are extremely fast paced third-person action games, full of combos, quick-time events, and sheer insanity. Think God of War, but twice as fast. The genre is also characterized by it's very high skill ceiling. The combat systems in these titles have a serious amount of depth to them, and if you spend the time mastering them, it's amazing to see your inputs turn into amazing fights on screen.

As for the gameplay, it works in a similar way to other third person action games, but with a few core differences. You have multiple types of attacks at your disposal, with a Light Attack, a Heavy Attack, and several other weapons that can be unlocked over the course of the game. Fairly normal stuff, until you get to your defensive abilities. Metal Gear Rising seems to have disdain for people who stop for a defensive position, so you can just throw that idea out. Instead, you get a parry. By pressing the Light Attack in the direction of an attack, you will block the enemy's hit, and allow you to get some free attacks in. Should you parry right before an attack lands, you will counter it, doing massive damage, and may even kill the enemy in one hit. There is also no dedicated dodge button, although dodge does exist as an ability, but it's easier to parry an enemy than dodge them. This change marks a difference in the feel of the game, as constant offense is also your defense, if you are not attacking in Metal Gear Rising, you're probably not playing it right.

What cannot be said enough, is how much fun this game is to play. Enemies recoil from your hits and parries, and the game shows particle and slicing effects for every slash, clashing with a loud metal clash. For crazy parries and counter-parries the game slows for a second, letting you marvel over your skills for a quick moment before going back to killing evil cyborgs. By far though, my favourite gameplay feature is the Blade Mode. Blade Mode slows everything around you to a crawl, letting you control the directions of slices. You can also cut your enemies into pieces. Not 2, not 4, but hundreds of pieces. Even better, you do not heal naturally over time; instead, you slice your enemy through the middle and rip out their robo spine and crush it in your hand, called the Zandatsu in-game, which heals you to full health. I've done this move hundreds of times over the course of my playthroughs, and it has not lost one bit of satisfaction. Seriously, everything in this game is cranked to 11 from the start, and it doesn't ever drop.

By far though, my favourite aspect of the game is the boss fights. Out of the hundreds of games I've played, these boss fights top them all. They're challenging, unique, with each putting a specifc aspect or twist of the gameplay against you, all while providing an amazing spectacle to show. If you want to play a game where a boss fight consists of a three-story death robot, where you grab it by the sword and throw it up into the air, this is the game for you. The final boss lives up to the expectations as well, challenging you in each aspect of the game, testing the skills you've developed over the course of the game.

Topping off the boss fights is the soundtrack. This is the absolute perfect soundtrack for this type of game, with frantic speed-metal playing throughout the fights. The music also dynamically shifts over the course of the fight, with faster verses and vocals kicking in at certain points during the boss fight. This is my absolute favourite soundtrack from any game, and I listen to it out-of-game frequently.

The amazing boss fights and quick gameplay are also helped with incredible replayability. There is an upgrade system, with each weapon in the game having a large amount of upgrades for you to purchase, using a currency you earn based on how well you perform in each fight. These upgrades carry over to new difficulties, and it's a lot of fun to try and upgrade everything to the max. The game itself is also short, around 6-7 hours. This can be a good or bad thing, based on how much you enjoy replaying games after completion. There's 5 difficulty modes as well, with enemies receiving new placements as well as tactics in later difficulties, rather than just a simple health and damage boost.

Next, the story. The story is a continuation of the Metal Gear Solid storyline, picking up some time after the ending of Metal Gear Solid 4. You play as Raiden, a character familiar to Metal Gear Solid 2 players, as he battles a rogue Private Military Company filled with violent, emotionless cyborgs. The story, despite the short length of the game, is entertaining, and while not as deep as the Metal Gear Solid storyline, it does deal with some themes related to child soldiers and the industrialized nature of war in a modern setting. It works for the gameplay and style here.

One other important aspect to mention, is the graphics and technical aspects of the game. This game's main strength is the speed of it's gameplay, and Platinum Games recognized this. They made the wise decision to keep the game running at 60 frames per second, and it feels so good in this title. Input speed is a crucial feature, and the framerate boost means there is little to no input lag here. Despite the need to keep the framerate high, the graphics still manage to look good. They're nothing to write home about, some textures can look kinda dated and blurry to look at, but it does what it needs to, and looks pretty enough to not be a problem.

You probably think this game is damn near perfect, from the previous paragraphs, but sadly, no. There's some issues that have come up in my playthroughs that I do need to talk about, mainly the camera and environments. The main problem with the camera is the third-person perspective of it, and how it affects parrying. An example, you're parrying a series of attacks from an enemy, and the camera swings around to the opposite side of the character, which direction will you push to parry the enemy now? The camera has a nasty tendancy to do this, but I've never had it happen enough for it to be a game-breaking issue. The camera generally functions well, but it could use some improvements.

The environments of the game are, well, generic. You've got a city, a sewer, and other real-world places that just aren't that interesting compared to everything else in the game. To be fair, this might have a lot to do with the Metal Gear setting, you can't have the most interesting environments in a setting based on the real world. It would also seem that much interactivity with the environment was stripped out, possibly to make the framerate possible. I'm sad a lot of that had to go, but I understand that the speedier gameplay was more important.

In conclusion, I absolutely adore this game, despite its issues. Despite the camera being a pain sometimes, the gameplay is just so damn satisfying to play, helped by the incredible soundtrack and insane bossfights. If you are looking for a fast-paced action fighter with a high skill ceiling that doesn't take itself too seriously, look no further than Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. The studio also has several other games for both the old and new consoles. If you enjoy Metal Gear Rising, look into the Platinum Games library.

What IS Gender Equality?

I ask this because everyone's got there own ideas on what Gender Equality is, to the point where it's seems like a rather subjective concept. So exactly what is Gender Equality?