Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag Review

Have you ever wanted to sail the seven seas as a fearsome pirate? Are you looking for one of the greatest experiences the Assassin's Creed series has to offer? If you are, then look no further, Assassin's Creed 4 is hands down the best pirate video game ever made. This is the game that convinced me to buy my PS4. This game offers some of the most fun gameplay you could find on the original Playstation 4 launch titles.

Gameplay

Assassin's Creed 4 makes the gameplay extremely fun, not too challenging and also makes you look an awesome pirate-ninja mix. You can stealthily eliminate a duo of enemies in a dark alleyway and then smoothly transition into a heated sword fight in the center of a bustling street as the beautiful scenery becomes your weapon. You can throw your opponents into walls, kick them into the briny depths and tackle them off the shingled roof of cantina. The freerunning and parkour elements of this game make it an absolute joy to glide across the rooftops of Kingston or climb along the side of Spanish Man o' War. However the freerunning sometimes abruptly stops or you go in the complete wrong direction. Otherwise the freerunning is solid. The sword combat is very fun but lacks a lot of challenge once you master the counter system and all of enemy types. The upgrades do feel like they add more depth and assistance during combat. Finally the ship combat, after all what self-respecting swashbuckling adventure wouldn't have ship combat. I loved the sensation of ramming my tiny vessel into larger boats as the risky maneuver ended the fight. The thundering boom as cannons tear through the hull of the enemy ship, the sound of swords clashing as swung a long rope to board the enemies boat. This game has the gameplay perfected and fun for the most part.

Graphics, Design and Sound

The graphics are pleasant although there are some muddy textures and occasionally guards character models will not load properly and they will look very strange. The design of the world is phenomenal with awesome sea forts to be taken, plantations to plundered and cities to explore.The lush jungles and bustling cities allow for a very diverse range of settings and can spice up the gameplay quite a bit. Last but not least, the sound. The sound design for this is game great for the most part. The thunder of cannons and clashing of blades mix well with sounds of thunderstorms and crashing waves. However occasionally a bug will occur where during a finishing animation, no sound will be played. This occurs every now and then and breaks the immersion of the game, but is frequent enough to be annoying.

Story

The story follows the years of Edward Kenway's adventures as a pirate. The story is fairly engaging and offers a fun pirate adventure but it lacks a lot of content related specifically to the main storyline of Assassin's Creed and instead focuses mostly on the pirate aspects until the game's final missions. That said the story is still enjoyable and offers a lot of fun missions to complete. One other gripe is the tailing missions. These missions require you to annoyingly tail a target within a certain distance. These missions are not very fun and can detract from the enjoyment of the game.

Is this game right for you?

I recommend this game to casual and hardcore gamers alike, not only is it a good game, it is also a good starting point for people who want to start playing the Assassin's Creed series.

Overall

Assassin's Creed 4 is a great game that is held back by a few problems such as bugs, and a lack of Assassin's Creed focused story content. Otherwise this game offers an excellent pirate adventure.

Dying Light: The Following Enhanced Edition Review Part 1

(Part 1 contains only the main game review, Part 2 contains Co-Op, Be the Zombie and The Following)

Dying Light has been one of my favorite gaming experiences of not just 2016 but of all time. I have never been a fan of the zombie genre of games. However I decided to take a chance a play Dying Light because it seemed like a promising way to enjoy this genre. This game blew all of my by expectations out of the water and I think the 70+ hours I put into the game and its expansion are a testament to its greatness.

Gameplay

Let me just start off by saying that this is one of the best sandboxes to just mess around in. The game starts off very difficult with zombies taking several hits to kill and often facing a horde of them is quite daunting. But once I got my first katana modified to set zombies on fire, everything changed. I was the hunter, I sliced and diced my way through the streets of Harran (The fictional city in which the game takes place) until my weapon broke. I had no metal parts to repair it so I frantically began scavenging as night rapidly approached. By the time I had found the parts I needed night had fallen. My hands shook as I stealthily crawled along the rooftops, hoping I wouldn't be seen by one of the nearly invincible "Volatile" zombies that come out at night. But one wrong parkour move and I was running for my life, sweaty palms gripping the controller as I sprinted towards the safe zone and then BAM! The creature pounced on me and the chase was over. The gameplay here is excellent and when you level up you actually feel more powerful with your new skills and gear. The skill trees add alot of customization and fun to the game. (The dropkick ability is hilarious.) The gameplay is what really makes this game so enjoyable and even for non zombie fans it is still alot of fun. The parkour is also spectacular and really adds a whole new element to not just this game, but the zombie genre in general.

Graphics, Design and Sound

The graphics in this game are gorgeus. The lighting engine does a great job of setting the mood and the models of both characters and zombies look amazing. It really adds a whole new level of immersion. The design of the 3 large open world maps that the player can access is also superb. They are built for parkour and really emphasize using the enviroment to your advantage, both in and out of combat. The aethstetics of each map are different from each other which gives the world a lived in feel as you traverse slums and beachs. The sound is also great here, the violent shrieks as zombies are sliced in half by a machete. The voice acting is also very good from the major characters to the nameless bandits that taunt you during combat.

Story

The story is cliche but I really enjoyed it. It follows Kyle Crane as he helps the survivors of The Tower to gain their trust and learn about the evil Rais. The story missions are fun and have alot of unique situations that provide new gameplay twists. A few cons are the cliche characters (even though they are likeable), and predictable plot. I do not want to spoil it but the story has a pretty anti-climactic final boss fight game-play wise, but story wise it is pretty epic. 

Is this game right for you?

If you are willing to deal with a cliche story and a very difficult first few hours then the game is a good match. However if you cannot deal with degrading weapons and controls that take a while to get used to then you might have trouble liking this game. I recommend this to a gamer looking for a fun and rewarding experience, regardless of if your a fan of the zombie genre.

Overall

The only downside I can think of to this game are the story cliches but otherwise this is one of my favorite games of all time. Stay tuned for the review of the expansion, co-op and multiplayer of this game.

20% Time Playable Prototype Complete!

[Disclaimer: The gameplay shown below contains many glitches and incomplete areas]
https://youtu.be/43Nd-quvDzQ
I have finally completed a playable prototype for my first level of my 20% time project. You can click the link above to see the full gameplay video. The level shows the main character waking up and fighting his way to the extraction zone to collect documents. I spent over 8 hours in total developing this first prototype and I hope to design more. I used the Far Cry 4 Map Editor to create the entire world from scratch, not one of the preset templates that the editor provides. I also scripted the entire AI and animation points to give the world a fluid feel. I, however, have not found a way to properly script vehicle reinforcements so the spawning and other issues are present in the driving section. The grappling section is also in need of some major tweaking because I could not manipulate the terrain correctly. I had my brother play-test the game and he suggested many improvements that I made to the game. Originally the starting area was much more punishing and my brother told me tone it down to keep the level fun. Another major change he inspired me to make was in the driving area. At first it was on a winding path with large drops that were extremely difficult to navigate. Now, although it is not final, the path is on a solid mass to prevent large falls. I intend to add two more levels as well as polish the original level for my final build. Some of the glitches I want to fix are the spawning of enemies in the driving section, which has something to do with waves, and the others are in the grappling area, which might need a large revamp. This may take some time because I encountered many challenges while making this level. I constantly had to edit animation points to keep the AI from wandering. Another challenge was the ramp jump near the end of the level, I had to adjust the distance and slope of the ramp a lot to keep the jump do-able. Despite all of these challenges I really enjoyed making this prototype and I hope to continue by making it better and adding more levels.

20% Time Reflection Week #5

This week I got a lot done with the Far Cry 4 editor. I completely finished the driving area of my first level and I am starting to work on the wing suit and grappling section of my level. However before I started that I redid all of the scripting and animation of the NPC's of my level. I have learnt a lot about scripting my enemy characters to do specific animations that really made my game world feel realistic and living. My next step is to finish the grappling and wing suit section and finally complete the airport section. I cant wait to finish up my first level because I will then prepare it as a playable prototype and show it off. I came across a very funny moment while play testing the driving section of my level; When the enemy AI spawned it would actually spawn in front of my vehicle and behind it, which caused a massive crash and a demolition derby. As fun as this was I had to change the enemy vehicle spawn so that the level was balanced. That was my 2
0% Time Reflection week #5.

20% Time Reflection Week #3 and 4

For the past 2 weeks I have been working very hard on my Far Cry 4 map. I have redone all of the terrain in the starting area so that it seems much more natural. I have also nearly completed the second and largest section of my first level, the driving section. I still need to add the roads but the terrain for the roads is nearly complete. My next major goal is to complete the driving section and move on to the final stage of my map; An airport area that will include a wing suit/ grappling hook section were you will have to make your way up a cliff and into an airport were the finale of the level will take place. I have also implemented my experience from two weeks ago were I had an explosive object go flailing around the map. I created a supply tent area so that an explosive tank can be ignited, which can possibly create some very funny chain reactions.

Not A Hero-Review (PS4)

Not a Hero, at first glance, seems like a childish game with a simple intro in which you are greeted by  an anthropomorphic purple bunny who is running for mayor. However after stepping into the tutorial, the childish illusion is quickly broken. Your simple character slides along the ground plastering enemies full of led, cracking skulls and gunning down members of the Russian mob, all while gliding through a simple yet pleasing level design. The game is brutally difficult and also extremely violent.

The humor presented in this game is mostly spouted in nonsensical phrases by your purple bunny associate, who repeatedly makes jokes about wombat milkshakes and kittens. This humor actually began to grow on me and some of the jokes actually made me laugh.

Gameplay

The game is very difficult but also rewarding, with varied levels and objectives. You can earn more characters with different abilities and personalities, all of which vary the gameplay dramatically; There's Mike, a speedy, shotgun wielding psychopath. He shouts gibberish as he dispatches his enemies and is very effective at close range. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there is Clive, a James Bond-like character who can aim his deadly pistols in two directions at once.  All of the characters in the game are unique and serve very different and deadly purposes. Unlocking these characters requires voter approval, which you gain by completing levels and the smaller, optional objectives within each level. These challenges give you a reason to replay old levels to unlock new characters and rankings, this is further reinforced by the ending of the game(no spoilers) which encourages you to replay those missions. The gameplay itself is very fast paced and violent. It reminds me of one of my favorite video games of all time, Hotline Miami. The game's cover system allows you to have short breaks to gather your wits, but if you take too much time your adversaries will charge your location and finish you off quickly. The only problem I have with the gameplay is the slide mechanic. The button input is the same as the cover button which can result in some unexpected deaths. And death comes often in this game. There are no checkpoints, so death forces you to restart the level. This forced me to think tactically during each encounter. Overall the gameplay is very solid.

Graphics, Design, and Sound                        

The pixelated graphics look excellent, whether it be an exploding helicopter to an angered samurai charging around an ancient temple. I have absolutely no complaints with the graphics, they are a perfect fit for the style of the game. The same goes for the sound, which fits the world they are representing perfectly. Characters shout, bullets whiz and glass shatters in perfect harmony with the chaos you are causing. The soundtrack amplifies the action and keeps your adrenaline flowing. The level design is also very good, with different rooms making you think quickly on your feet and make split second decisions. Overall the graphics, design, and sound are all near-perfect.

Story

The story of the game is very humorous and enjoyable. It does not get very deep or sentimental, it is a light-hearted and goofy tale of a bunny running for mayoral office.

The story serves it's purpose and kept me motivated to find out which exploit I would have to complete next. If you are playing the game for a deep story then you should not expect much. The comedy really shines in this story and keeps making horrible situations into hilarious moments. I am very impressed with the story and the developers did a great job with it.

Is this game right for you?

If you are an average gamer who is looking for an easy experience, then this game isn't for you. It is very difficult and I would recommend this game to players who are looking for a fun challenge with some humor mixed in as well.

Overall

This game has very few flaws and is an absolute blast to play. I recommend this game to any gamer looking to fill the time between major releases. This 5-hour experience is funny and fun and is a must play for most hardcore gamers. I give this game a 9/10.

20% Time Project Week 2

For my 20% time project I changed my tool from Project Spark to The Far Cry 4 level editor because I am much more experienced with it and its tools suit my purpose much better. For my current objective I am working on making a set of levels that have diverse game play. So far I have learned how to use animation points, which allow me to animate entities to do scripted actions and idle actions. I am familiar with every other feature in the editor except for terrain editing, which I hope to improve on in the next week. I have started my first level and have created the starting area. It is completely playable up until the next area were I have not finished yet. My next big goal is to finish the next playable area, which is going to be a lot larger and feature drive able vehicles. One of the funniest moments I have had with this experience is when I accidentally activated some pressurized air tanks during a play test and the tanks went flying across the area and created massive chaos. I think I could find a way to incorporate more of that into my map. That was my Week #2 reflection for my 20% time project