So the crew has been playing games this fortnight, as should be expected from people in our position. The question at hand is what have we been playing? Perhaps there has been stealthy murder afoot? Or maybe we’ve been conquering invading armies with small, but highly tactical militia?
Read on and find out!
Senior Stiv
This week I’ve been playing Dishonored’s two DLC’s. I first played through the new Knife of Dunwall as the master assassin, Daud. The new content brings more of what I liked about Dishonored’s gameplay.
The new gadgets and powers Daud receives allow you to find new ways to creatively take out enemies, or sneak by them. I loved choke dust. It gave you the feeling of being a true assassin when you toss this smoke bomb into a crowd of guards to make your get away.
I’ve also been setting out to reach some high scores in the Dunwall City Trials DLC. I’ve been laying waste to enemies in the Back Alley Brawl challenge, even giving it a shot on expert mode.
I also got in a little stealth and started attempting to get a high score in the Burglar trial. Nothing like robbing the rich without even knowing you’re there.
Emma
This week I’ve got stuck into Bioshock Infinite. I’ve never played any of its predecessors, nor do I enjoy many shooters. But I have heard nothing but good things about the storyline so I’ve given it a whirl. And I am so glad I have!
The detail that has gone into the environments is breathtaking. I’m really enjoying the combat surprisingly and the story thus far has definitely lived up to my expectations. So excited to find out this big ending that has yet to be spoiled.
I’ve also began Dragon Age: Awakening, the expansion to the first game. It has been a little slow off the mark with the introduction of new characters as well as a few familiar faces. It’s a bit early to tell but I’m hoping it does pick up a bit because so far it hasn’t pulled me in just yet.
KRS 2
So last weekend, I picked up Fire Emblem Awakening for my girlfriend as a birthday present. While waiting for my chance to play the game, I started a new file on Valkyria Chronicles. In case you don’t know, it’s probably the best JRPG on the PlayStation3 which features amazing cel-shaded graphics and turned-based strategy combat.
It’s pretty rad because when you move your individual units the game almost becomes a 3rd person shooter as you have to navigate the environment, dodge bullets and line up the shot while you control your character.
If I had to name a flaw with the game, it’s that the story starts off really strong and is very compelling but in the final few chapters it changes tone to that of a typical anime with some very cheesy moments. I still recommend it to anyone who was left deeply disappointed by Final Fantasy XIII.
Back to Fire Emblem Awakening, three days after picking the game up (and with very little sleep), my girlfriend finished the game and I finally got my chance to play it. All I can say is that I can think of very little else right now and want to retreat into a hole to play the game for as long as possible.
Another turned-based strategy RPG, Fire Emblem Awakening is similar to older entries in the series, but adds enough new gameplay mechanics that it feels like a fresh experience that will resonate with players new and old. I’ll be writing a review soon but in the meantime, I simply must get back to the game.
Dan
Agent 47 has never looked better in the latest Hitman Absolution. The levels I’ve seen so far are interesting. The story seems to rush along and each mission is linked to the last. This is a slight change of pace from the other Hitman games as each mission was usually a stand alone.
There are many ways to complete the missions which is probably the most important thing. I haven’t had a chance to check out the ‘Online’ side of things which I gather is just custom objectives for scenarios made by players.
When not sneaking around being the silent bald wind of doom, I’m trying to stay alive on an island that is trying to kill me. Don’t Starve is an indie survival game, if the spiders and wild dogs don’t get you; the cold and hunger probably will.
Recently I made it past winter with a decent amount of food stockpiled and during the spring ran around hunting spiders. Turns out I got a little cocky taking on a spider queen and the game was all too happy to remind me that perma death is the reward for my folly.
Let us know what you’ve been playing by tweeting to @nfgLive or leaving a comment below.
