REVIEW: Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor (PS4)

Starting from today (well yesterday in fact) all videogame reviews and articles will be hosted on my Destructoid blog. My review of Shadow of Mordor can be found here and for the first time I've included a review score out of ten to match the usual format of a Destructoid review. I will still post a link up to my review, like this one, so feel free to still check here for updates.


"So, after initially ignoring this surpise sleeper-hit of a 'AAA' game, I've now pre-ordered, played and enjoyed Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor more than probably any other game thus far this year. It will certainly take something special released between now and the end of 2014 to dethrone this one. I highly recommend it, especially if you have one of the new consoles and are looking some something that has genuine "next-gen" gameplay ideas. I expect the 'nemesis' system to be copied for many years to come!" - 9/10

REVIEW: Gravity Rush (PSVITA)

It's interesting to watch the trends in video games develop and change over time, and I remember fondly the 16-Bit era when 'platform' games like Sonic and Mario dominated, so much so that there were hundreds of imitations on every system. The current trend, which started in the last console cycle but seems to be continuing stronger than ever, is focused on 'open world' games and there seems to be a zillion of them. I've played a fair few recently, ranging from the good-but-not-great (Watchdogs) to the incredibly fun but underrated (Infamous: Second Son) and so it takes something different to really grab my attention. Cue Gravity Rush for the Playstation Vita, a system that I've otherwise overlooked until now, which like the Infamous games places more of a focus on third-person action in an open-world environment, rather than being a straight up open-world game with all the myriad side missions and emergent quests. Gravity Rush is a very linear game in terms of narrative, but the gameplay it presents is anything but linear, its decidedly bat-s**t insane.

The main hook of Gravity Rush is the central protagonist Kat and her ability to control the force of gravity; this is achieved with the aid of her magical cat Dusty. I'm serious. This mystical kitty allows Kat to untether herself from the standard gravitational pull of the Earth and make any direction she desires the new source of gravity, causing her to fall at great speed in that axis until she reaches a surface she can stand on. I've played other open-world games where you are given super powers, including the ability to fly, but Gravity Rush feels very different and the sense of falling upwards and sideways creates a real sense of displacement; I was often unsure of which way was really up and down. Luckily your perspective can be shifted to reflect normality at any time with the tap of a face button, and Kat's scarf always hangs off her shoulders in the direction of the true floor. Things get even more hectic during combat with the otherworldly Nevi, as Kat's only weapon is to hurl herself at full speed against these monstrosities, with some attacks having a subtle homing aspect it means you're pushed and pulled all over the place. This is not a game for people who suffer motion sickness.

Graphically, Gravity Rush looks fantastic, and it has a faux-cell-shaded art style and employs liberal use of bloom lighting to render its dreamy abstract cities and more esoteric environments. The story is told through a combination of well choreographed cinematics (rendered using the game engine) and sections that look like an interactive comic book, with swipes across the touch screen turning the pages and tilting the Vita causing the layered images to shift and move. It's a great way to tell what feels like a very comic book tale, and the character designs are all very distinctive and stand out well from each other; for example Kat's nemesis Raven. Gameplay largely involves searching the city for the next mission to advance the plot, but there are some alternative activities to undertake such as fixing up the run-down neighbourhoods for its citizens, collecting purple-glowing power shards scattered about the place, or engaging in challenge activities like races and timed combat. All this additional content provides the necessary resources needed to level up Kat's gravitational powers, unlocking new toys and abilities to use in the main quests.

While the controls and the concept take some getting used to, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Gravity Rush, and since the game ends with a *load* of plot threads still dangling I'm now eagerly awaiting a sequel. If you're tired of the same old tropes in open-world games and have access to a PS Vita, check out this charming and supremely entertaining game.

REVIEW: Transistor (PS4)

Since picking up my PS4 I've been after some good games to play on it, and aside from the usual Sony favourites (Infamous, Killzone, etc) there hasn't been a whole lot to pick up and enjoy. It was this vacuum of next-gen titles that lead me to pick up a few indie games knocking about on the PlayStation store, such as Child of Light (*excellent* game!) and Fez (couldn't get into it). Transistor was a new release at the time and despite a bit of buzz and some stellar reviews it had completely slipped under my radar, which is a shame because it is, in my opinion, probably one of the current flagship games on Sony's new console. I've not played the first game by the developer, Bastion, so can't compare this with that, but I can and will compare this to Diablo in that it feels like a "rogue-like" dungeon crawl in many ways. If this sort of thing appeals to you know that Transistor is also aesthetically equal parts Bladerunner and Tron, and if all those things float your boat then read on; I might have found the perfect game for you.

The protagonist of Transistor is nightclub singer 'Red', who has had her voice taken away from her (presumably her throat shot out) during a midnight bloodbath, after which she wakes up and vows revenge on the cadre responsible. To aid her in this quest is the eponymous Transistor, a large blade-like construct that absorbs the 'soul' of anyone it impales; starting with the poor man Red digs it out of. From then on, the Transistor doubles as your guide and all-purpose weapon for the remainder of the game, handily giving you tips and strategic advice delivered with husky-dry voice acting through the PS4's dualshock speaker. It's a very interesting concept and one made good use of during the game, as the Transistor chirps away filling in the backstory surrounding events and offering advice about what to do next, you can communicate with it as Red by visiting one of the many 'news kiosks' scattered throughout the world and typing on the keyboard. The world of Transistor is beautifully realised with gorgeous hand-drawn graphics in an evocative future-noir veneer; characters are designed so that they look like they've just walked out of a Philip K. Dick novel.

However, despite the interesting premise and cool visual trappings, it's the gameplay that really delivers the good stuff, and this is where Transistor really shines brightest. Differentiating itself from other rogue-likes, the game has a strategic-RPG element in which you can freeze the action and plan out a sequence of moves or attacks, depleting a time meter as you go, until they're unleashed upon your foes. Approaching combat this way means that you suffer a cool-down period afterwards whereby you can't attack or perform special actions for a few seconds, but it's a fair trade off against the standard real time hack'n'slash (also available if you want). These carefully planned 'turns' are one of the game's strong points, the other is it's amazingly deep upgrade system in which each unlocked item can be used either as a special power, a modifier to an already existing power, or as a character buff. This encourages constant fiddling as you stack upgrades on top of each other; the results feel quite limitless and probably beyond the bounds of a single playthrough. Indeed, as soon as I finished the game I made a mental list of all the things I'd like to try next time in 'new game plus'.

Another great thing about the game design is how it treats death and failure. If your health should fall to zero, rather than immediately throwing you into a continue-from-checkpoint scenario, Transistor simply carries on by stripping you of one of your special abilities. This is actually more devastating than it sounds as often the game would switch off the weapon I needed most and relied upon; Red can get the ability back however after registering at a handful of different save points. This system was ingenious and forced me to constantly swap out abilities and special powers, mainly because I "died" a lot. To further add depth to the already abyssal systems in place are 'limiters', which are actually downgrades of your character and abilities; the trade-off is that you level faster or get tastier more destructive rewards if you're victorious. I hope I'm communicating the sheer amount of control given to the player in this video game, and despite the isometric graphics this game feels *very* "next-gen" compared to all the safe triple-A games from the major publishers. Transistor is a great game, and one that is confidently executed by an indie studio that really knows how to make an interesting and deeply rewarding original experience.

REVIEW: The Last of Us (PS3/PS4)

Much like my favourite all-time video game (Shadow of the Colossus), The Last of Us is probably the swansong of it's parent system; in this case the PS3. Released in 2013, it was only a year later, and after receiving over two hundred awards, that it was 'remastered' onto the fledgling PS4 which at the time of writing is currently suffering a drought of new content. When it originally came out I wasn't in the mood for another third-person-shooter, or another "zombie game" and so passed it up vowing to pick it up later in a price drop. Eventually I got around to owning the game but that's where the PS3 version and me end our brief relationship, as shortly afterwards the remastered version was announced and so I traded it away without even loading the disc. It was only months later when I wanted to get the most from my next-gen system that I picked it up again at launch this time, for full price, on PS4 and this time immediately played it. While I don't regret the roundabout way that I eventually came to play The Last of Us, part of me now realises what an absolutely spectacular game I missed out on a year ago.

The Last of Us is a post-apocalyptic survival-horror action-adventure game, which is quite different to how I expected it to be; if you combined The Road, Twelve Monkeys and 28 Days Later you'd end up with something not too dissimilar to what you'll find here. Also, notice that strictly speaking none of those references have "zombies" in them. In this video game, the human race has been ravaged by a mutated strain of cordyceps fungus, a parasitic infection that eats away at your brain and soft tissue until it kills you and turns you into a crop of spore spreading mushrooms! Those affected by the fungus display aggressive violent behaviour and the spores can also be spread through bodily fluids like saliva. Playing as Joel, an unhinged survivor of the apocalypse, you're tasked with escorting a young girl called Ellie through the overrun former civilization of mankind in order to find the "Fireflies", a terrorist cell looking to synthesize a cure. Along the way you'll encounter your fair share of cordyceps afflicted monstrosities, but the majority of the time it's the human element that is the true source of horror and I felt like of all the influences it was The Road which was felt the strongest.

This game does a fantastic job of actually making you feel as if you're trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world, and I spent a good portion of the game simply exploring the environment and scraping together whatever resources I could get to help Ellie and I stay alive. There is a fair amount of shooting/fighting in The Last of Us if you want there to be, but the game often presents you with sandbox environments allowing you to choose sneaking as a viable alternative if you're not into gunplay. This is felt strongest in the survival-horror sections of the game, as you crawl about in the dark, desperate not to make any noise and draw the ire of the "clickers" (heavily mutated final-stage hosts of the cordyceps). When it was originally released on PS3, this game pushed the aging hardware to its limits, and while it looked spectacular it didn't always maintain a steady framerate or completely do the vision of the design team justice. In it's remastered state, The Last of Us on PS4 looks great, with high detail models and environments and all running at a silky smooth 1080p 60fps, finally delivering the experience as intended. While it's not as breathtaking as true next-gen titles like Infamous: Second Son, it still looks and sounds fantastic. On the subject of sound, the game's music is also brilliantly atmospheric and moody, fitting the scenes and feel of the game perfectly.

Really though, all these things I've mentioned so far are the icing on the fungal cordyceps cake, and the reason this game received over two hundred awards is almost completely down to it's story and characters. While I've been swept away by stories in video games before, The Last of Us is probably the best written and realised use of this medium yet, finally rivaling books or films in terms of complex characterisation and storytelling; and without removing 'player agency' from the equation. The two leads of Joel and Ellie are so rounded and enriched by deep exposition that you really get a feel for how they'll react and experience events in the plot. The game has also been praised for its treatment of homosexuality, especially in the additional content included with this remastered release, and it really feels like an adult video game not just a "dude-bro" adult-rated but essentially juvenile tale. By the end of the meandering narrative, which takes our protagonists right across apocalypse-ravaged America, you will have had your heart-strings tugged on, yanked on, and severed before reaching what is one of the most *perfect* conclusions to a narrative I've ever seen. In fact, the story in this video game is so good, they immediately optioned a movie adaptation.

Don't wait for the film version though, the reason that The Last of Us works so well is because of it's strengths in this medium; a video game. To remove the player agency from this experience will be to diminish the connection that you, the player, has with the protagonists and really this is something that must be experienced not watched. One of the best games on the PS3, now one of the best on the PS4, and one of the best video games full stop.

SPECIAL: Top 25 PS3 Games!

With the release of the PS4 and the slowing-down of releases for the last generation (or cross-releases that are always better on the newer consoles), it's probably about time that I retired my PS3, and I can't see myself buying anything new for it in the future. However, it really has been one of the best video games consoles I've ever owned, with a massive and fantastic library of games, which I will certainly keep and perhaps dip back into from time to time! With this in mind, I thought I would make a list (similar to what IGN is doing at the moment) of my Top 25 PS3 Games. Now, the important things to remember are a.) this is my list and it reflects my personal tastes/preferences and b.) there are some games (such as The Last of Us) that are/were released on PS4 and so they won't be on this list as they're better on the newer platform. I'm going to count down from 25 and will try and keep text to a minimum as this isn't a load of reviews; I've also tried to create pictures that are framed in similar ways, just "for lolz".

25. Borderlands
See also: Borderlands 2
Genre: First-Person Shooter Role Playing Game (FPSRPG)
I remember picking this up on a whim because I had heard good things about it; weeks later I was still playing it and put a *lot* of hours into completing every mission and finding all secrets in the large open world.

24. Dishonored
Genre: Stealth, First-Person, Action
There was a lot of buzz about this game when it came out and it was very much justified. A fantastic mix of stealth and first-person combat, it was a challenge to play through the game without killing anyone or setting off any alarms. A great story and a fantastic alternate victorian-esque setting.

23. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
See also: Uncharted, Uncharted 3
Genre: Third-Person Shooter, Action/Adventure
The first game was good, but the sequel was just amazing in every way; graphics, characterisation, story, tight gameplay, etc. For a long time I considered this to be one of the best video games ever made. Brilliant!

22. inFamous 2
See also: inFamous
Genre: Open-World, Action
Another sequel that improved drastically over the first game (although I still *really* enjoyed the first one), this is one of the best and most fun open world games that I've ever played. This game really makes you feel like a superhero, or villain.

21. Dead Space
Also: Dead Space 2, Dead Space 3
Genre: Action Survival Horror
There weren't a lot of good survival horror games during the PS3 generation, but Dead Space was an excellent action-orientated sci-fi homage to films like The Thing, Aliens, Event Horizon and various other space-age scares.

20. Killzone 2
See also: Killzone 3
Genre: First-Person Shooter
I'm not into military shooters, but Killzone 2 was something different. The only game to make me feel like I was suffering shell-shock, this is a gritty, visceral and violent sci-fi invasion of a hostile enemy planet. You really feel like the whole world is against you.

19. Yakuza 4
See also: Yakuza 3, Yakuza 5, Yakuza of the End, Yakuza Kenzan, Yakuza Ishin
Genre: Brawler Role-Playing Game
I absolutely *love* these games, the characters and story are just some of the best on PS3. Gameplay is like Streets of Rage but set in an alternate Kabukicho, Tokyo. AWESOME!

18. Bioshock
Also: Bioshock 2, Bioshock Infinite
Genre: First-Person Shooter, Action/Adventure
The first game was amazing when it came out, just the atmosphere and art direction were enough to make it stand out from the crowd. Gameplay is deep and the story is amazing; that "twist" will stay with me forever.

17. God of War 3
Also: God of War HD Collections
Genre: Action/Adventure
On the PS3 you can play the full saga of the God of War games, but the best is surely the third, which takes the crown for the most *epic* game of all time. You feel like an absolute badass playing as Kratos as you tear the gods down from their holy mountain!

16. Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
Genre: Open-World, Action  Role Playing Game
This game, and the built-in expansion, offers some of the best open-world role playing available for PS3. The combat is action orientated, and the story whilst slow to start has probably the best end-game ever; ensuring you plow hundreds of hours into this thing.

15. Little Big Planet 2
See also: Little Big Planet, Little Big Planet Karting
Genre: Platform, Level Creation
The second game had an improved graphics engine, and worked with all user-created content from the first game ensuring there were literally millions of levels to play through! Local multiplayer is hilarious, clever and fun!!

14. Batman: Arkham Asylum
See also: Batman: Arkham City
Genre: Stealth, Action/Adventure
Another game I was dubious about but utterly blown away when I played it. The first game is not as grand in scope as it's sequel, but the story is much better and the fourth-wall breaking scarecrow sections are unforgettable. You feel like Batman in this game!

13. Heavy Rain
See also: Beyond: Two Souls
Genre: Interactive Storytelling
Debatable how much of a "traditional" video game is here, but completely unrivaled in terms of atmosphere and cinematic presentation. The games of David Cage are utterly engrossing and unique in the medium, although they're divisive because of how they play.

12. Vanquish
Genre: Third-Person Shooter
A pure experience in third-person shooting, Vanquish is an incredibly difficult and challenging game, definitely in the realm of the "hardcore" and "old school". It's also one of the tightest and most well-designed games I've ever played, by one of the grand masters of game design; Shinji Mikami.

11. Limbo
Genre: Platform
There are lots of good 'indie' platform games (Braid, Fez, etc.) but my favourite by far is this one. The puzzles and routes through the levels are very clever, the expressionist artstyle (replete with flickery motion judder) is beautiful in its melancholy, and the story. Oh the story.

10. Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
See also: Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Genre: Open-World, Role Playing 
I actually prefer the story of Oblivion and the gameplay of Skyrim. Regardless, both of the PS3 Elder Scrolls games have consumed hundreds of hours of my life, as I've explored their vast open worlds and leveled up my character.

9. Portal 2
See also: Portal
Genre: First-Person Puzzle Game 
No combat or shooting things in the head here, just you and a friend, a portal gun or two, and psychotic science robots trying to kill you. Playing this game makes you feel extremely clever and the level design is ingenious!! Story is great too.

8. Red Dead Redemption
Genre: Open-World, Action/Adventure
This is the very *best* open world game ever made. Become a legend of the old west in this massive sprawling game, with a compelling story, well-developed characters and loads of things to do. Even the zombie expansion was just amazing!

7. Valkyria Chronicles
Genre: Strategy Role Playing Game
Only this first game was released on PS3 (and the third has never been released in the west), which is a crime! This strategic RPG is one of the best ever created; you will grow to love the characters and deep storyline, then twist in agony as you have to decide who will live and die on the battlefield.

6. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
See also: Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, Metal Gear Solid.
Genre: Stealth, Action
PS3 is the *only* console where you can play the entire Metal Gear Solid saga from start to finish, as this fourth entry is an exclusive. One of the BEST series EVER MADE. Ever.

5. Catherine
Genre: Horror, Puzzle
A very unique game, Catherine came from a complete left-field and completely hooked me with its story and gameplay. Core to the whole experience are the adult themes of fidelity and sexuality, which are unusual topics for a video game to tackle. It's also hard as nails, which I love.

4. Shadow of the Colossus HD
See also: Ico HD
Genre: Action/Adventure 
It's no secret that Shadow of the Colossus is my favourite game of all time, but PS3 is the platform to play it on. 1080p and silky smooth without any framerate drops, it seems as if this game was made for the platform and feels right at home here. Ico too.

3. Dark Souls
See also: Dark Souls II
Genre: Action Role Playing Game
The "Prepare to Die" edition of this game, with the Artorias of the Abyss expansion, is one of the most compelling stories and settings for a video game of all time. The game is challenging, tight and expertly crafted. One of the best games ever.

2. Journey
Genre: Adventure
The closest we've had to a new Team Ico game in years, Journey is a truly magical experience. Designers of this game spent years developing the complex social interactions with other players, the game design that does away with the usual concepts of conflict, death etc. Unique. Inspiring.

1. Demon's Souls
Genre: Action Role Playing Game
There's a reason why people are always calling for a sequel to this game. Dark Souls may be its spiritual successor, but this original game had a Gothic-horror atmosphere to die for, a difficulty level that was pitch-perfect, and some of the best boss designs in video game history. AMAZING.

REVIEW: P.T. (PS4)

Released without much fanfare during a Sony press conference, P.T. (which stands for "playable teaser") is a free download from the playstation network, and is on the surface a viral marketing tool for a new Silent Hill game. However, within twenty four hours of its release it had become infamous across the internet, for several reasons. Firstly, it was never made clear from the start that this was a teaser for a new Silent Hill game; not to mention one that is directed by both Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear Solid) and Guillermo Del Toro (Devil's Backbone, Pan's Labyrinth)! Great news as Silent Hill 2 is still one of my favourite games of all time, and I suggest you check out my review for why a Silent Hill game when done properly is an amazing experience. Secondly though, P.T. is a masterfully made and *utterly terrifying* experience in it's own right, and probably the most frightening video game for several years!! Thirdly, the game is cryptic and mysterious in the most interesting way, especially the final "puzzle" solution needed to reveal it's true purpose as a teaser for Silent Hills.

I'm going to try and avoid spoilers as you really need to experience P.T. fresh and unknowing for its full effect to be felt; so my advice is to go now and download it! The basic structure of the game is that you wake up on the floor of a locked room with cockroaches scurrying about and after a cryptic message saying something about "cracks in doors" being portals to another world. The door to your confinement opens and you're free to leave into a thin 'L' shaped corridor, filled with various cabinets, photographs, radios, telephones and other nick-knacks you would expect to find in the lower floor of a home. There is a news report playing on the radio about some grizzly murders that have taken place and various discarded cans of booze and pills lying about the place; clearly it's not a wholesome happy home. If you walk to the end of the corridor you begin the second "loop" of the game as you reenter the same stretch of rooms again and again and again, but each time there will now be something you need to look at or interact with to progress... and it'll get slowly and surely more disturbing and terrifying each time. Something supernatural and p***ed off is trapped in there with you!!

The graphics of P.T. are incredibly realistic, mundane because it's just a corridor in a house, but very immersive and they're also filtered through a sort of slow refresh-rate fuzziness with the sort of image retention you got from old video equipment. This obviously adds to the discomfort and slowly building sense of paranoia that comes from repeating the same stretch of hallway but with things subtly changing around you. After a few "loops" things really start to descend into gut-wrenching fear as you start to hear breathing, crying, and other unidentifiable noises surrounding you (a key moment in the narrative makes these bodiless sounds all too horrifyingly real). As I stated earlier, I don't want to spoil what happens but expect to be cowering with fear by the time you pick up a much needed flashlight, and spend the game thereafter crawling around in the dark just like in the old Silent Hills. I've played an awful lot of survival horror games over the years, even as the genre diversified to become more action orientated (Resident Evil 4, 5, 6, and the Dead Space games) and even though there have been some good old-school throwbacks (Siren: Blood Curse) that have given me the shivers, I'm pretty hardcore now and not easily scared. The atmosphere of P.T., with it's creeping sense of dread and occasional expertly orchestrated jump-scares, had me wanting to turn it off because I didn't know if I could continue; I was that terrified.

It really is crazy that the most fear-inducing video game to surface in recent years could be considered a "glorified demo" or "free sampler" of another potential game to come, but P.T. is just that. It's one of the best games I've played recently, and the few hours you spend with it you will be fighting the urge to soil yourself!!

REVIEW: Berserk (Anime/Movies/Manga)

As a massive (understatement of the century!) fan of the Demon's Souls and Dark Souls video games, I've always been interested in Berserk. The games' creator, Hidetaka Miyazaki, has always stated that the manga and anime has been a huge influence on the aesthetic, tone and some of the monster, character and weapon designs of both Demon's and Dark Souls and has always suggested series fans check it out. It's taken me a long time, but over the past couple of months I've discovered Berserk in a big way and, completely divorced of the 'Souls connection, it's become one of my favourite pieces of Japanese animation in a long time. Not only that, but the unique conditions by which you have to experience the story of Berserk to actually get it all has lead me to pick up manga - something that very rarely happens with me as I'm not usually a fan of comic books or graphic novels. In this article I'm going to try and explain why Berserk has captivated me so much and hopefully make you want to check it out yourself; also this will hopefully be the first in a series of articles/reviews for anime since I rediscovered my love of it after visiting Japan this year.

Anime (TV Series)
Like a lot of people in the West, my first introduction to Berserk was through the 1996 anime television series, which is a full 26 episodes and basically covers the "Golden Age Arc" of the story with a smattering of "The Black Swordsman" at the beginning. Speaking of beginnings, Berserk has a particularly bad one unfortunately, as while I was lead to believe that this was a classic and amazing series (it is!), the first impression that I got was of a dude-bro throwback to 80's anime like Fist of the North Star. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it just wasn't what I was expecting from all the hype. It turns out that this first episode is a bit of an aberration, as it quickly changes gear and goes back to an earlier time period, which not only looks visually different but tonally is much more welcoming as an entry point for the series; lots of fans advise to skip the pilot and start on episode two.

From here on out we are quickly introduced to the main characters of the story, namely the central protagonist Guts with his gigantic sword, Casca a beautiful and exotic female warrior and Griffith, an effeminate but heroic leader. There are many other fantastic ancillary characters that make up 'The Band of the Hawk' but the main beats of the story concern these three central characters, their emotional past, and the epic journey that they embark on together. You see, they're all pulled together by Griffith's dream - that a man who started life in the gutter but who wants to inherit everything can do so as long as he believes in it wholeheartedly. 'The Band of the Hawk' is Griffith's own personal army that he intends to use to carve out a piece of the kingdom for himself, and when we initially meet him his plan is missing one important element, Guts, who is Griffith's equal in almost every way except for the drive and ambition - something that becomes a point of contention later on. The central themes of Berserk are unavoidable fate and living inside another person's dream. Early on, Guts is given a prophecy that "when [Griffith's] ambition crumbles it will be [Guts'] doom" and this dark premonition hangs over all the events that follow right up to it's crushing nihilistic conclusion.

To say that the ending of "The Golden Age" story arc is tragic and dark is to do it a great disservice; it makes something like Game of Thrones looks like uplifting family entertainment. Aside from the story, the Berserk anime series is also infamous for having a VERY unfinished ending - while it is very true to the manga, it also makes no attempt to wrap anything up in its 26 episodes, and in fact ends DURING one of the most pivotal scenes in the story!! I really can't stress enough how disappointing you will be with where it all ends, as they basically just got to episode 26 and stopped, with no second series to carry the story onward. Its testament to the strength of this anime series then, that despite this appalling ending, the series is still regarded as one of the best of all time. A product of it's time, the animation from 1996 is not the best, especially nowadays where it really looks quite rough, but the artwork characters designs and style of the anime is fantastic. The sound design also needs a mention as, aside from truly awful opening and closing themes, the music used in the series is haunting and atmospheric to the extreme. But really, it is the characters and story that drive Berserk into the top ten list for most people, there really isn't anything as complex and finely woven as this.

Manga
So, what happens after episode 26!? That is the first question any fan of the Berserk anime asks after watching the series for the first time as you simply need to know what happens. Of course, you can find out by picking up the manga, and that's exactly what I did - or more precisely I picked up volume 13 of the manga, which is where the series ends (in the middle). Lots of Berserk fans would probably frown at this and tell you to start at the very beginning, but I really had no interest in reading past the "Golden Age" and just wanted to know what happens in the end. I had no idea how hooked I would get. Now, its worth mentioning that after watching Attack on Titan I was in a similar frame of mind, and only read far enough into the manga to get some much needed answers, and then felt satisfied. However, I'm actually still reading through Berserk and I'm loving every minute of it!

In a similar vein to the television series, the next arc of the story (after "The Golden Age") gets off to a bit of a ropey start, and I really wasn't expecting some of the goofball comedy from characters like Puck after the blacker-than-black events that had just transpired. Once you're past this small interlude though, the story starts to pick up again, oozing the dark fantasy and ultra-violent vibe of the series once more. Not being too much of a comic book fan, I've been continually blown away by the art style of Berserk, I just think the way that the panels are presented is often very dynamic and also the artwork itself (as hopefully these couple of screens demonstrate) is excellent; very dark and visceral. The story is going from strength to strength and I have loads more still to go. It's hard reviewing what is still an ongoing thing for me, and maybe at some point I will return and offer a final verdict, but as for now I can say that Berserk is a rival to grand fantasy epics like A Song of Ice and Fire. I love it.

Anime (Movies)
There is however another way to experience the Berserk "Golden Age" story arc, besides watching the television series and reading the manga, (which you should still do) and that is to instead watch the new trilogy of films released over the last couple of years. The aim here was to completely reboot the story of Berserk in anime, starting with a trilogy of films to quickly cover already familiar material (to anyone who watched the original series) and then follow up with a new series to continue the story in line with the manga. Interestingly, the last film The Advent also offers a good replacement end for the anime television series all by itself - but my recommended way to absorb this story would be to watch the original series first, then watch all three films back-to-back afterwards, and I'll try and explain why.

Basically the first two films, Egg of the King and Battle for Doldrey, cover the same storyline as the original anime series but much more abridged from the original manga, with lots of ancillary characters missing, and superfluous scenes removed. Of course, this means that in terms of story and character development, it is the weakest incarnation of Berserk, which is why most people recommend the series first. But, the films give Berserk something that it's never really had before - a truly epic scale. Right from the get-go, Egg of the King is massive in scale, as thousands of armoured knights assault a castle with siege engines, leading into the scene with Guts fighting Bazuso (pictured above). This sense of grandeur is echoed across all three films, with perhaps its pinnacle being the Battle for Doldrey itself, and really gives the world and the military struggles that provide the background framework for the story a much needed boost in terms of production values and richness of vision. Action packed sequences that were always roughly handled in the television series are given new visceral life here, with some astounding high definition cell-shaded graphics, and lashings of gore!

For the first time in an anime form, Berserk is finally given a full and proper ending treatment, and an absolute adaptation of the infamous "eclipse" sequence from manga volumes 13 and 14; as promised it is hellish and uncomfortable to watch and utterly unforgettable. While some of the emotional punch is diluted from the original series, due to the characters not being fleshed out a much, the pure horror onscreen is handled masterfully and really hammers home the benefits of a full film budget and modern technology. Music in all three films is also very epic and grandiose, with huge sweeping orchestral scores permeating throughout and some odd uncomfortable pieces of music for the supernatural elements towards the end. While I don't consider the films to be as good as the television series (if you had to pick one then see that instead),  I do consider them to be a very worthwhile and almost-essential accompaniment that fleshes out many battle and action scenes. Just be warned, that the films do not pull any punches where nudity, sex and violence are concerned.

To conclude then, I think that Berserk is very unique in many ways, not only in terms of subject matter, characters and storyline, but also in how it is consumed as a piece of media. To get the full rich tapestry on offer, you effectively need to watch a television series, three films and then read an massive series of comic books! Is it worth it? At this point, I consider Berserk to be one of the very best stories I've ever experienced, especially the "Golden Age" arc, which is what most of this article is based upon. Highly recommended.

REVIEW: Dark Souls II (PS3)

I've been waiting a looong time for this game. In fact, I think I'd had the damn thing preordered on Amazon for well over a year before it finally landed in my desperate hands. And now, after finishing the sequel to one of my favourite games of all time, I have the same feeling all over again... a hollowness, an emptiness, that I know no other game will satisfy until they (hopefully) release the next edition of this dark fantasy RPG. The first game in this series, Demon's Souls, was a complete surprise for me when I picked it up along with my PS3 all those years back, I had grabbed it on a recommendation for it being one of the best exclusive titles on Sony's platform. I was blown away and instantly addicted to it's hard and dismal gothic-fantasy world, which was unlike anything I'd every played, save for the overtones of Shadow of the Colossus, my all-time favourite video game. When they announced a "spiritual successor" I was overjoyed and Dark Souls did not disappoint. While initially I was unsure about the changes from Demon's Souls (like the move to an "interconnected open world" and the whole rejiggering of many things) eventually I came to love this new game every bit as much as the first; more in some areas and less in others. Like everyone else, I eagerly awaited the announcement of 'Dragon's Souls' or something like that and when they instead announced a direct sequel I was both excited and nervous at the same time. Please From Software... don't f**k it up!!

Upon loading up Dark Souls 2 you are instantly taken back to that dark fantasy world from the first game, only this time hundreds or thousands of years into the future, where kingdoms of men have risen and fallen since the escapades of your first character; but the dismal cycle of death and rebirth continues unabated. You are yet again an undead ( or 'hollow') out of a quest to rid yourself, and perhaps mankind, of "the curse", only this time through it might not be as simple and straightforward as that. Initial comments from the game's new director about making the story "more accessible" seem to be unfounded, as if anything the actual lore is even more shrouded in mystery and interpretation this time. The actual direction to take and what to do in Dark Souls 2 is more easily signposted this time around though, as there are more characters to steer you in the right direction, and more freedom in which order you tackle areas. A lot of this freedom to travel and explore is facilitated by an almost-return to Demon's Souls's "hub structure", and you are given the ability to fast-travel from the very start; allowing you to return to the central point of 'Majula', the only place you can level your character up, reset stats, increase potency of healing items etc.

Freedom is the main theme of Dark Souls 2's design choices as you now also have more slots for weapons, armour and useable items on your belt. You also have more options in terms of healing, either by using fixed 'Estus Flasks' from the previous game or by using consumable items similar to Demon's Souls. Indeed, you even have the freedom to play around with the "new game plus" option by burning 'bonfire aesthetics' and resetting all the baddies, bosses and items in an area in the same what you would do with a complete second play through of the game! Obviously, because it's a From Software game, a lot of these things are not fully explained by the game, leaving you to find out for yourself or online in guides, but the fact this is all here makes the game extremely enjoyable and customisable. I took advantage of all these things during my first play through, and re-specced my character half-way through into a "Dark Knight", hurling hexes at foes, using dark-infused weapons, and reaching top-tier in a covenant designed to explore The Abyss. Next time, I'm going to spec my character for dexterity and faith and make a halberd wielding temple knight (although disappointingly there are no divine weapons this time 'round), and it's this complete ownership over both your character and over how you play the game that makes it so enjoyable, addictive and endlessly replayable.

The world of Dark Souls 2 is very well designed, and there is a good variety of locales, enemies and bosses this time 'round. While there is some (intentional) reuse of things from the first Dark Souls early on, there is very little reuse of assetsfrom early to late game this time, unlike the latter half of the first game, which the creators admit was rushed. Here you get the sense they had a good plan for the development of the game and saw it right through to the end, with a particularly strong second half leading some some spectacular final areas. Bosses are all challenging and pose their own strategies and tactics to overcome, which is also helped this time with a more robust multiplayer system, meaning it's very easy to summon assistance if you get stuck (although due to the idiocy of some players I often overcame the most difficult bosses solo). Music is top-knotch, graphics are much improved in terms of frame rate and special effects, although I didn't find the art direction to be quite as good as either of the first two games, it's still leagues above most other fantasy RPGs! All-in-all a very worthy sequel and while I would like to talk all day about the many features that are exemplary and the many secrets and unlockable events that happen, I would much rather just say: go play this game.

Thus begins the long drawn-out wait for another in the 'Souls games, hopefully made more bearable with some DLC to tide me over (the game checks for DLC on start-up so I'm hoping it's a hint of things to come)...