REVIEW: Journey (PS3)

I was already a big fan of 'ThatGameCompany's previous work, having previously played both Cloud and flOw on the PC and subsequently Flower on the PS3, but that didn't stop me getting caught up in the hype surrounding their latest game: Journey. This is a game that has had the word "experience" applied to it more than any other game I can think of and pretty much every review that I've read has come across as utterly pretentious mumbo-jumbo about how the reviewer felt some sort of spiritual connection to the game, or burst into tears immediately upon finishing it.

Neither of those things happened to me, in fact my reaction upon "finishing" the game for the first time was to just stoically sit there... you see, I'd started the game late at night with the intention of playing a bit and then logging off. However, I'd sat through and played it all in one sitting, so by the end I was utterly exhausted, drained and bewildered by what had happened. I went to bed and could do nothing but think about what I'd just played. The next day, I played it again.... with the intention of playing a bit and then stopping. Again I played through the whole thing from start to finish! Basically, the game is utterly enthralling, moving and un-put-downable: this might just be one of the best video games ever made.

Lets get the technical stuff out of the way first, the graphics in Journey are utterly incredible. Technically they're impressive as it all runs at a silky smooth framerate and there are some impressive physics in place on clothing, things blowing in the wind and also the sand that moves realistically around your character as you make your way across the desert. This is obviously well optimised for the PS3 as most exclusives are. However, it's the art direction that truly impresses, as watching Journey is akin to watching a Hayao Miyazaki film or some sort of living artwork, everything exhibits a unique graphic style and the camera intelligently re-positions itself to ensure the game is always framed to show everything off. The lighting also deserves a special mention as light cascades and reflects off grains of sand and the mood created is amazing.

Sound plays a big part in Journey too, as it is the main/only form of communication with other players (which I will get to later), without any dialogue or written text you have only the chirps and melodies of the different characters to guide you through the game. The soundtrack is amazing and some of the best music ever produced for a video game, right up there with the score for Shadow of the Colossus in my opinion, which happens to be my favourite game soundtrack of all time.

Yet, when all is said and done, the thing you will remember most from Journey is not the incredible graphics or amazing soundtrack but the game itself. It has been designed to be played in one sitting, and the game length is very short to accommodate this - taking roughly two or three hours to go from the beginning to the end. But don't let this fool you, as it is a game you will think about and come back to again and again and again. You see, Journey feels quite different each time you play, and this is mainly due to the online cooperative component. While connected to the playstation network, the game will randomly introduce another player into your game, completely invisibly! You will not get any kind of notification that someone has joined your game, or even see them appear, you'll just catch a glimpse of them from the corner of your eye or hear them calling out over a sand dune and there they'll be.

This is the true heart of the game. The first time I played, when I was tired and inexperienced, I kept temporarily losing my partner as we journeyed through deserts, subterranean cities and other locations that I won't spoil. It wasn't until the end of the game that Journey revealed to me that I'd in fact played with a load off different people - that it had kept swapping them in and out as I went along. The second time, I met another player who had obviously done the whole thing a few times and he stuck with me the entire way, helping me find lots of the game's secrets and easter eggs. Both experiences were very different and since then I've also played it through offline, on my own, although this was a very lonely affair after experiencing the comradeship of having another person tagging along.

This is quite a hard review to write because, while I'd love to discuss how the gameplay works in different parts of the game, or my own interpretation of the plot, it would spoil too much. Journey is best approached ignoring the hype and pretending that you know nothing, experiencing it all fresh. It really is like nothing else around at the moment.

REVIEW: Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition (PS3)

I had avoided playing Resident Evil 5 for a long time. As a long time fan of the series, I find my own decision quite puzzling, and I can only put it down to whiny internet blogs and user reviews lamenting the loss of "traditional" survival horror elements and more of a focus on third-person-shooter action. Even though I very much enjoyed Resident Evil 4... well, that's an understatement, it was amazing and one of the best games ever made... I think that for a while I agreed that the survival horror genre had lost its way a bit. So, I rigidly stuck with whatever examples of old-school survival horror I could get my hands on - namely Silent Hill: Shattered Memories and Siren: Blood Curse, which are both awesome by the way.

Then, just over a year ago, I decided to give Dead Space a whirl (another series I had avoided) and absolutely loved it! Then the sequel came out and it lost a little of the scary survival horror-ness of the first in exchange for a more action orientated Hollywood approach, but I loved that even more!! What was wrong with me!? Basically, I had come to accept that there is definitely a place for third-person-shooter-survival-horror. About a year after Dead Space 2 and I picked up a Playstation Move controller and decided to finally jump into Resident Evil 5. I found the experience to be extremely, extremely, enjoyable.

Now, be aware that I played this game single-player (even though it is really designed for co-op) and using a Playstation Move and Navigation controller, not a standard Dualshock 3. My first impression was that it controlled a little awkwardly, as you still can't move while aiming and you can't strafe unless using a control pad, but after about an hour or so I was definitely in the zone. The move controls are actually VERY good, and you get a lot of accuracy and speed when aiming at the various grotesque and infected bad guys throughout the game. Also, the quick-time-events translate really well to move and I actually found them much easier to pull off than having to hit certain face buttons (the move usually involves shaking it or swiping it quickly in one direction or another). So yeah, it was really good fun to play.

Story and setting wise, initially we're back in Resident Evil 4 territory, as once again you're fighting hordes of parasite infested villagers; as opposed to the vanilla zombies of the first few games. This time however, Capcom decided to turn survival horror on it's head and have the game set in Africa... in the blazing sunny daytime. The effect this has definitely diminishes the "creepy" factor to zero, but it doesn't take away from the visceral fear of being torn apart by savage possessed people! So yeah, unfortunately not as scary anymore, but still an absolute thrill ride of panic and terror. About two thirds into the game though and the setting changes into something more traditional for the series; namely an underground laboratory complex. This section of the game, and much of what comes afterwards not only feeds back into the story lines of previous (pre-las plagas) games, but it also rekindles the scare factor considerably. Some of those sequences crawling through dimly lit corridors solving obscure puzzles were really fantastic. Also, it's worth noting that boss fights in this game are EPIC!!

The game engine that Resident Evil 5 runs in is the MT Framework, and it is brilliant! Environments in the game are incredibly detailed and feature lots of subtle personal touches that really brings the world to life; this is also helped considerably by the lighting which does a fantastic job of making everything more cinematic. Character models, and enemy models, are also really well rendered with a lot of expression in faces and importantly eyes. There is a lot of soul behind the characters and along with some excellent voice work makes them very believable, and thus easier to invest in. This is especially important for Sheva, if you're playing single-player like me. Sheva could have easily been an irritating dead weight to drag around all game if she had zero personality and an ugly model. However, I really grew attached to her character and enjoyed fighting alongside her during the game, she also looks gorgeous, which helps.

If I have any criticisms of the main campaign it's that the over-reliance on co-op play sometimes makes the difficulty spike in some peculiar ways... if you're playing single-player. This is down the fact that some puzzles and boss encounters are designed to be solved with two people working together and sometimes the AI controlling Sheva really lets you down; no where is this more frustrating that during one of the penultimate boss fights in the game where I felt handicapped somewhat by playing on my own. Aside from this, the game was excellent and incredibly fun, and with the Gold Edition the storyline is really just the icing on a massive gribbley cake.

Now, I've not played through most of the additional content in the game, because there is LOADS!! There's the 'Mercenaries: Reunion' mode, which allows you to play through parts of the game, sectioned off and redesigned into arenas, in a sort of score-attack mode. The other notable extras are the two DLC packs that expand certain parts of the game and provide you with backstories or side-stories for certain characters in the main campaign. One that I haven't played through yet is Desperate Escape, which explains how one of the characters escapes hordes of ravenous monstrosities in order to reappear later in the story; it looks great and I'll play through it at some point in co-op with a friend so I can see what that's like.

However, the highlight of this entire Gold Edition to me is the Lost in Nightmares DLC. I'd read a review somewhere that basically this short four-part episode is better than the entire campaign of Resident Evil 5 and they were absolutely right. That's not to say that the main campaign isn't good, obviously I loved it as described above; but Lost in Nightmares is exceptional and really shows what Capcom could create if they were to send the series back to spooky mansions and T-Virus shenanigans of old. The plot involves Chris and Jill back to creeping around dark antiquated hallways, solving cryptic puzzles and avoiding hideously overpowered monstrosities while being armed with only a pap-pap handgun. This is by far the best survival horror experience I've played in years and really shows that the third-person-shooter camera angles and controls can still dip into "traditional" survival horror territory and provide old-school thrills. Brilliant!!

REVIEW: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (PS2/PS3)

The first Metal Gear Solid game has a really good ending that concludes much of the story (the "Shadow Moses Incident") nicely, while also setting up a sequel by having some unresolved plot points and a massive 'WTF!' moment after the main credits. So, I was looking forward to Sons of Liberty while also wondering just where the hell Hideo Kojima was going to take the plot; little did I expect the absolute mind-melting, post-modern clusterf**k that was about to be thrust upon my brain. Metal Gear Solid 2 is an amazing game, utterly unique, but at the same time the best follow-up to the original that you could ever ask for... providing you like anime like Ghost in the Shell or Patlabor.

Technically the game is obviously a massive leap forward from the first title. Despite releasing quite early in the Playstation 2's life cycle, the increase in power finally brings the game up to a graphical standard that does justice to the characters and environments. The aesthetics are totally in keeping with the first game, while also cleverly updating them with an almost anime-inspired style and "cleanness" to the overall image; this is especially beneficial in cut-scenes where we finally have characters that can emote somewhat - although lip-sync with the voice acting is almost non-existent. Yet again, Hideo Kojima frames the cinematics with the eye equivalent to a Hollywood director and if you like films such as The Rock then you'll be more than happy with the oil-rig-esque location and sweeping outdoor sunset shots.

The soundtrack is also amazing with a very distinctive and strong score, backed up by some excellent voice acting. Some of the dialogue is questionable but then that is because the plot and characters are generally off-the-wall. Speaking of plot, I might as well discuss the story. The reason that I mentioned Ghost in the Shell earlier is because to me, this sequel feels very much like an anime directed by Mamoru Oshii, which is to say that it deals with a lot of philosophy and existential issues that spiral the plot off into strange tangents. Personally I loved it, but I can see how a lot of people might be swallowed up by the swirling mass of ideas presented here, especially towards the game's conclusion.

The game is also extremely postmodern and delights in tearing down that fourth wall; there are moments in the last quarter of the game that made my skin crawl as I began to question everything I'd been doing for the past 15 hours. Seriously. Not only are the characters double-crossed in the game and have to wade their way through the thick goop of conspiracies within conspiracies... but also the player has to face the game double-crossing you and toying with you. One moment in particular literally had me going "...What!? Whaaat!? WHAAAAT!?!?"

All this praise I've heaped upon the game so far hasn't even touched upon the gameplay improvements that this sequel brings to the original formula. The first person view (present in the first game) now lets you aim and fire weapons with pinpoint accuracy, especially in the high definition PS3 version, and this is used throughout in really devious ways. Often there will be rigged explosives strategically placed within locations that require you to shoot-out their battery packs to disarm them, or fire a coolant to prevent them from going off- or both. But these devices are hidden under things, on ceilings, or in other crafty locations that mean you really need to scope the place out in first person otherwise you'll be caught by one and instantly killed.

You also have more movement option available, such as hanging from ledges or aiming around corners; also you can stick-up guards by drawing a gun on them from behind and you can conceal bodies by dragging them away and putting them in lockers, etc. One of my favourite additions to this game and something that really puts the recent Deus Ex: Human Revolution to shame ( I loved that game by the way) is that you can go the entire game without killing anybody - even bosses! - if you wish. The guards and sentries patrolling the levels can be taken out with tranquilizers, or knocked unconscious using a variety of means; bosses have a secondary "health" bar which is their non-lethal take-down option.

Overall, despite some issues that were fixed later with Metal Gear Solid 3 (such as the overhead camera angle being too close), Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is a game that was way ahead of it's time, utterly unique and an amazing sequel to an already amazing game.

REVIEW: Metal Gear Solid (PS1/PSN)

Now, I consider myself to be quite knowledgeable and experienced when it comes to video games; I've been playing them pretty constantly since I was very young, and have experience with most of the major series over the years. However, it will surely shock some people (and probably completely discredit me as a reviewer) if I mention that I've never played The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and until last year I had also never played Metal Gear Solid. This all changed when I decided to download the original game from PSN and despite some astounding games in a very strong year, one of the games that blew me completely away in 2011 was this one. In short, I am an idiot for not playing it before.

When you first load up the original Metal Gear Solid you will no doubt feel a slight sense of revulsion over the archaic Playstation One graphics; the textures are blocky, murky and don't line up properly, character models are clunky and polygons tear at the seams all over the place. This is just what games looked like, but after being spoilt on modern games for so long it's something you have to acknowledge and accept going in. Fear not though, within the space of an hour you will have forgotten about this (sole) shortcoming and will be utterly engrossed in the story and experience of playing this game. 

First off, the voice acting and music are great, especially for a game made in 1998!! The cinematic eye of Hideo Kojima really draws you into the story and builds up the characters and their complicated relationships with each other. There are twists and turns and multiple levels of intrigue heaped upon each other until your head is exploding with plots-within-plots, but it is all told so masterfully that it is never anything less that utterly gripping. Some of the most memorable characters in gaming history, primarily the titular 'Solid Snake' take shape here and by the end of the game, you will be itching for more.

Gameplay-wise, Metal Gear Solid rewrote the rule book and lay the foundations for a lot of what later came to encapsulate the modern video game. There are even things that this game was doing back then that put modern games to shame. The boss fights for example are some of the best EVER MADE!! Seriously, you will never ever forget the time that you faced off against 'Psycho Mantis' or 'Sniper Wolf'. Rather than "shoot the weak spot", Hideo Kojima makes each encounter utterly unique and requires some ingenious thinking from the player to overcome. The game is relatively difficult, but not overly hard, it just requires patience, concentration and most importantly brain cells.

Metal Gear Solid was one of my favorite gaming experiences of last year, something that I simply did not expect to happen. If, like me, you've somehow missed this "back in the day", rest assured that the gameplay and story are so masterful that downloading it and playing this old game in today's modern climate is still an amazing experience.