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Assassin’s Creed Mirage on the PlayStation 5

Assassin’s Creed Mirage! Yes, we got another Assassins Creed’s game and by god, hopefully, we will keep getting them until the end of time, A-fucking-men!

Anyway, Mirage, set in the ninth-century Baghdad period, just a few decades before the events of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. In this game, you play as Basin who played a critical role in the events of Assassin’s, Creed Valhalla. This game is basically his origin’s story if you will, going from street thief to apprentice to master assassin. Mirage was intended to be an Assassin’s Creed Valhalla DLC but it somehow became its own game. That said, it does feel a little like a DLC as is not as full of “features” as Valhalla or other entries.

With Mirage, they’re trying to take it back to the original roots of the franchise, making it less of a massive open-world thing, and more of a contained area, so is going to feel a lot smaller compared to Valhalla or other recent AC games. So this one it’s focused more on narrative, and character development and with the stealth parkour action that we all know and love.

It does have an Assassin’s Creed One feel to it, like you’re back plain as Altair, but much with a fresher look and up-to-date gameplay mechanics. I liked how they brought back the notoriety level, or at least that’s how I think of it. The more you fight out in the open the more notoriety you earn making the guards and other enemies more aware of your presence and the way to lower your notoriety is by bribing people or getting rid of wanting posts. Oh! And the throwing daggers! Such a fan of using those.

Instead of hunting for armor pieces like in other AC games, you get full outfits which is nice. The one thing that I can’t stop thinking about and in some way bothers me a bit is that even though the world isn’t big, there’s a lot of “empty space” on the map, so lately, I’ve been just exploring around and finding random stuff. Makes me wonder if Ubisoft is planning for some DLCs in the future or if this just it.

I have been playing various games lately, two of them on the same system but one of them serves as a pallet cleanser to the other.

Final Fantasy XVI on the PlayStation 5

Yup, they are still making these and they will continue to do so until the end of times, Amen!

This is one of those series of games that even if you have never played any of them, you are aware of it. I have never been married to this series like most hardcore, purist fans but I have played my share of games. This one in particular got my attention and I think it’s got to do a lot with the fighting style. I have just recently picked it up because it was on sale, and. I am glad I did because I am having fun with it.

We all know that the FF series has been shifting further away from its turn-based RPG roots, which I am okay with. Final Fantasy 16’s combat is a straight-up action game, I even dare say that the combat has a Devil May Cry feel to it. It is fast, extremely reflex-driven, and super-fun! With air combos, jump cancels, and a huge arsenal of mighty spells and abilities.

The story so far has been very intriguing, only about 4 hours in so far. It does have a Game of Thrones feel to it but better, GoT is crap! One character that stood out, the voice acting I mean, was Cid’s. For the first hour it was bothering me, “I know that voice, I know this voice”. Turns out it is Ralph Ineson (he is also in the movie THE WITCH from 2015 which if you haven’t watched It it yet, do yourself a favor, stop reading this and go watch It it), and if you have played Diablo IV, that is the voice of Lorath.

Sea of Stars on the Nintendo Switch.

Okay, this one I have been waiting for since it was announced. I am a sucker for good old pixel art, so I was into this game right away. It’s got obvious similarities with classics like Chrono Trigger, so very strong nostalgia vibes here. Full of combat encounters and puzzles that fill up the space between larger story moments and boss battles. Everything about Sea of Stars’ look and feel is nice clean, and easy to follow.

This game definitely evokes the best parts of the ‘90s RPG era.

This game has a demo and it is available on GamePass. But I prefer to play this on my OLED Switch, handheld, and it looks gorgeous!

Blasphemous 2 on the Nintendo Switch

I am a huge fan of this franchise, the team, the art, the gore, the creepiness, all about this game. What I am not a fan of, is how difficult and challenging it is. Still, I own both games in both digital and physical forms, well the second one gets here Tuesday.

Blasphemous 2 is a 2D Souls-like, both revolting and gorgeous, with all-too-detailed death animations, which I love! Though I never finished the first one, yup I rage quit it, don’t judge, this one continues the violent trials of The Penitent One, the last living member of an order that’s trying to put an end to the abominations born from a godlike phenomenon known as The Miracle and that’s all I know as far as the story.

You’ll hack and slash your way through some absolutely beautiful – and discomforting – 2D hallways filled with horrific monsters and random wild-looking “scenes”. Although is “hack and slash”, it is not just as easy. You will have to learn your enemies' patterns in order to effectively move and attack. In this game, unlike the first, you can choose from three different styles/weapons, a one-handed sword, a two-handed sword, and a big mace-looking thing. Upgrading your character’s weapons and health and magic meters, while collecting various buffs and spells makes for a fantastic climb to unparalleled power, and by the end feel like the ultimate unholy warrior.

So far I have died once but that’s because I have barely touched the surface of this game. I have to have patience with this one, but so far, I have not been discouraged.

When I am not playing FF, I am definitely on my switch. And even though I have dabbled between Blasphemous and Sea of Stars on the same system, I think I will try to finish Sea of Stars first and then continue onto Blasphemous 2, until I rage quit it, lol. Or like I have said, use one as a palette cleanser to the other but Sea of Star is definitely the longest game of the two.

Need For Speed Unbound on The PlayStation5

The most infuriating, tough, super-cool-looking NFS game, I have probably ever played.

The Need For Speed franchise has been around for thousands of years, well, that's an exaggeration, but it's been around. I cannot recall the first NFD I ever played. I want to Say Need For Speed II, on the PS One but I could be wrong. I remember not enjoying that game as much. At the time I was full-on Gran Turismo. I never played another NFS game until 2003, when Need For Speed Underground came out. Remember?  

prrrum-dum-dum dun-dah-dum dah-dum dah-dum
3-6-9, damn you fine
Hoping she can sock it to me one more time
Get low, get low (get low), get low (get low), get low (get low)  +

😎😜

I still listen to the game's soundtrack to this day. Anyways, that was when I fell in love with the franchise. I have played, if not all of them, at least most of them ever since. With NFS Most Wanted being my favorite, I remember playing that game over and over again, Annie would sit and watch me play and give me tips on what to do during cop chases, so much fun!

Need For Speed Unbound is the latest entry, and I have to confess that when I first saw the trailer for it, I was a bit skeptical. Mainly because of the direction they took with the art style, it seemed too flashy and whimsical. So I was not entirely sure I would necessarily play it.  Until around Christmas time. There was (or is) a big sale on the PlayStation store, one game on sale was Gran Turismo 7 and the Deluxe version of NFS Unbound, both almost at the same price point. Long story short, I, spoilers, ended up purchasing Unbound. Why? Well, I knew I had a history with the franchise, I love the unrealism-ish of it, unlike GT7 which is a real-driving-simulator and has no story, NFS games do have a story not just driving around.

The art style is definitely very interesting, it is almost like Spiderman into the Spiderverse type of style. The car look kind of realistic, in contrast to the characters who look more cartoony, and yet it all works out so well. Then you have all these animated effects around the car for whenever you do a long leap and "fly" you get wings, or the smoke when drifting, are all cartoony but it doesn't feel wrong or look bad. It is actually quite fun. The game, like its predecessors, has a very strong soundtrack. My favorite song is definitely  Villano Antillano: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 51 by  Bizarrap & Villano Antillano 😎

Now, the gameplay. In many ways, this iteration of NFS feels or has a very different approach. This one follows the same formula, you have daylight races and nightly ones. In previous games, you'd make money out of the daily races, lots of it, and at night, street rep, at least on NFS Heat was like that, and you could pick any race or event you wanted. In Unbound, however, you need to buy your way into the races, there are some you don't have to pay to get in but very little money to be made, and this is what makes Unbound a little frustrating at times, particularly at the beginning of the game. It is not like you can get your car maxed out super-quick, and it is a struggle to get there. There were many races in which I would only make it 3rd place. They can be a little frustrating, is like you got to have a perfect run, no mistakes, no hitting other cars, not over drift, and have a perfect take off or you will lose the race. Yes, you can re-start a race if you so wish but keep in mind, you only have 10 re-starts for the whole week. I think the only events that I have mostly excelled in have been take-over events, which are mostly drifting and doing stunts. 

The way the story is setup it is a three or four weeks event, you do races day and night, from Monday through Friday, and this is where you race, make money and fix your car, then on Saturday night, is the qualifier. Not only do you need to be making money to buy your way into races and fix your car but also, to buy your way into the qualifier, and the qualifier, ain't cheap. The qualifier is a series of three races, and drivers get eliminated in each one until there are only three of you. You win monies and a car, of course.

Cop Chases! Ugh!!! GRRRR!! Mother@#%

As you complete races, you gain heat, which determines basically the amount of trouble you're in with the cops, and the cops in this game, do not fool around. Well, they do, at levels 1 through 3, I would say.  Levels 4 and up, is where things get hairy. You get the regular patrols, Interceptors (those are policemen driving them Corvettes, easy to take out, though), 4WD SUBs, Helicopters, big SWAT pickup trucks, and Undercover cars. And is not just one helicopter, you get two and they are a pain, at least until you find some tunnels or something to hide. There have been times when I have spent more time running from cops and trying to make it to a safe house than racing. Or once I have escaped, I am hiding somewhere with my car turned off just waiting for the opportunity to get out and drive. I don't know, perhaps I just suck at running from the cops, who knows. It adds a level of intensity and stress that I don't remember having from other games in the series.

Even Annie tells me, If it's so draining, why do you keep playing it?

Well, darling, I am a sucker for punishment I guess!

And yes, at times it feels a little draining, which is why I take breaks from playing this game, I go one or two days without playing it. I am in the third week now, racing category S cars, did one race so far and lost.

Fun game, though!

When I used to play SNES, I must confess, I did not play many, or none at all, RPGs. If I did, I do not remember right off the top of my head right now. I remember action games, Megaman games,  fighting games, and of course, Super Mario World. Same on the PlayStation One days, I, at the time thought of RPGs, particularly RPGs, as kind of boring. If I wasn't getting any action in the first ten minutes of the game, and instead, lots to read, I was out.

This obviously changed eventually, especially when I started working at the local GameStop, which wasn't entirely local, it was the next town over but the closest one obviously. Then I started revisiting and playing RPGs. I very much remember finally playing Final Fantasy VI, what I don't remember is, if I played it on the Gameboy Advance or in an emulator, I did play a lot of old games like that back in the day.

The thing is, that eventually, I had to catch up with many of the SNES RPGs as well as many from the PS1 eventually giving me a newfound appreciation for these wonderful games.

Fast forward to the present day, and I am a sucker for playing these games on the Nintendo Switch. I find is it the best way to revisit some, and play many I never had the chance to play before, as well, as some new games that are trying to capture that nostalgia of what to many, is the golden era of RPGs.

A game I have been playing these past few days, is Chained Echoes, on the Switch. This was released in early December, of 2022 basically on every main platform., by indie developer Matthias Linda.

I have only put on about three hours into it, maybe four and it has been a delight to play. The combat is the turn-based combat you know and love.  Four members of your team get to take turns swinging their weapons or skills at the enemy. Each member has a totally unique moveset and each of them can be paired with another member and you can switch between them in real time without losing a turn. This makes the battles, more strategic, and as my kid would say, much more funner. The combat system has an Overdrive meter that adds an extra layer of complexity to the combat.   The meter is displayed at the top of the screen, and it builds up as you attack or use your skills, the more powerful the skills, the faster it builds up. And of course, you want to stay in the green area, rather than go all the way to the red area. While you are on overdrive or green area, you deal more damage vs in the read, you take more damage and enemies get more turns. A few ways to back up the meter, you can just defend, or there are some moves or attacks that may also push it back a bit.

Like in any RPG, there is a lot of exploration to do, and of course, and yes, exploration is rewarded. Random treasure chests, helping someone and in turn, you might get a fancy weapon, sell stands with special deals, etc.

I love the art style of this game, it looks fantastic, with gorgeous environments, and fascinating characters.  It pays some homage to games like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI, which in fact, it was what sold me to this game. Again, I need to mention the Soundtrack, it is great!

So far it is presenting a very intriguing story and characters, and I am very eager to see where this game goes. Also, did I mention mechs? There are mechs your character can be equipped with, at some point, I am yet to have one but I know they're there!

Either way, I am happy this game is finally out for everyone to play, I am having fun with it, and worth checking out.

Welcome, to another post of Games of the Year!

God Of War Ragnarök

My impressions of the game are here.

This is the kind of game, well this is the game that you'd want to buy a PlayStation 5 for. I have played through the entire main story and it was a thrill, to play this game. Definitely worth coming back to it for the extra missions.

 Xenoblade Chronicles 3

My impressions of the game are here.

By far, one of the bests games I have played on the Nintendo Switch this year. The character development, and the overall story, it's so great! I genuinely invested in these characters and the sorry, chapter 5, uff, it really got to me. A game is definitely worth picking up and enjoying.

Horizon Forbidden West 

No impressions on this one, not sure why 🤷🏼‍♂️

I am very surprised, I did not make a post on this one, or perhaps I did while I was hosting – briefly – my blog in Ghost. So we can say that those impressions on the game... ghosted.

This is another game, worth getting a PlayStation 5 for, even though this game also came out for the PS4 if memory serves. The graphics, story, action, and everything about this game make it a  game of the year for me.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge

My impressions of the game are here.

Best Independent game I played on the Nintendo Switch this year. Developer Tribute Games did an outstanding job on this game. Bringing a great beat 'em u, full of fun nostalgia, a fantastic soundtrack, and lots of fun!

Trek to Yomi 

Also, no impressions.

I can't recall how I became aware of this game but I do remember taking notice of its classic samurai film visuals. It was like Ghost of Tsushima but in side-scrolling. I can't really say that is 2D side-scrolling because it does have some different camera angles. The game is beautiful and full of surprises, and it can also be tough, it is almost soul-like. You need to memorize your opponents' attacks and strike at the right time, there's no hacking and slashing your way through this one.

Games on deck:

Currently, I am playing a few other games that haven't played enough to be runner-ups.

On the Switch, Chained Echoes.

created by a single developer, is my understanding, with the help of some pixel art artists but developed by  Matthias Linda. What got me sold on this game is that it is an homage to games like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI. Very much calling back to some SNES classics JRPGs. I have played a few hours but not enough to be truly invested yet.

On the PlayStation 5, Need For Speed Unbound

I do have a lot to say about this one, I think. I have played a significant amount so far and I have a lot of mixed feelings, mostly good but, well, stay tuned.

Well, there ya' have it, my top 5. Let me know, down bellow, what are your top 5 games, if any, and what have you been playing.

Okay guys, until next time! ✌🏼

Gungrave G.O.R.E on the PlayStation5

I got to start by saying that I am a massive Gungrave fan, I watched the anime adaptation back in the day, and I played the two games that came out on Play Station 2, Gungrave (2002) and Gungrave Overdose (2004), so I may have gotten a wee overexcited when I saw the announcement of Gungrave G.O.R.E. 

This game is a third-person action shooter, you take on the role of our hero, Grave,  a gunslinger, a sweeper for the Millenion mafia, now working alongside an organization called "EL-Alcangel" with one mission and one mission alone KICK THEIR ASS, well, there is a point to their mission. The setup is pretty simple, SEED, a drug that transforms its users into monsters that were thought to be eradicated, has actually survived. Now, sold by the Raven Clan, so Beyond the Grave and friends head out to stop SEED production and take the Raven Clan down. 

The stages are simple, you shoot your way from point A to point B, decimating waves and waves of enemies. Blood, explosions, wrath of god, lol, like a good old shoot 'em up. And you do that over and over until there is a boss fight of sorts. One thing that this game does differently from its predecessors, is the fact that in some instances, you don't necessarily play as Grave, there are other playable characters, that you play as for a short mission or so. Although, I think Overdose had two playable characters besides Grave if memory serves.

There are, so far, four main bosses of the Raven Clan you need to fight against, the boss fights aren't particularly super-engaging, I mean, all you do is move around shooting at your target and maybe evade one or two attacks but they push the story along. Most of the story is told in cutscenes, there isn't too much story, I mean, it is a simple setup. I don't need an overly complicated story on a shoot 'em up, honestly, the action is what you are here for.

I feel like this game is purely a fan service, you don’t have to have played any previous Gungrave games or seen the anime adaptation, though I do recommend it, at least the anime adaptation. Even if you do have a PS2, these games might be tricky to find and they probably don't hold up. However, there’s a short video explaining its history which is useful. Even I had to watch it to kinda remember some of the events of the previous games.

I am having fun with the game, but I can see how someone that is not a fan or familiar with the series might not pick up this one.

Dawn of the Monsters on the Nintendo Switch

I had no idea, this game even excised. I am even surprised it didn’t even make it into my radar as someone who’s constantly checking what’s new in the eShop. I believe the game was first released, at least on the Nintendo shop, back in March. It wasn’t until I was watching a resent episode of Happy Console Gamer, my second favorite Canadian, that I made aware of this game.

> Side-scrolling, kaiju beat-‘em-up!

When I read that, I was sold! Imagine Streets of Rage meets Pacific Rim! Just like your typical beat-‘em-up, you fight a wave of enemies, all of them monsters, and move to the next area and at the end of it, there will be a boss fight. A simple formula that still works.

You get to pick in between 4 characters, two mecas and two kaijus that’s somehow fight for humanity. You get to select deferent upgrades or enhancements. And off you go.

The story is, so far, simple, save humanity by getting rid of the “nephilim” (the monsters).

The art it’s great, very anime/comic book ish.

The music it’s fine, not mind-blowing like other games of its genre, but it fits.

It has really been a lot of fun playing this game. In fact, I have been playing on local co-op with my oldest daughter, and she’s also been having fun with it. The game isn’t super-difficult, I have probably died once, it can get a little hairy when multiple enemies band together and your daughter is too busy watching YouTube rather than play with you.