Shadowgun:Deadzone

Don't think just shoot!

Platform: Android also available on ios and pc
Genre: 3rd person shooter

Developer: Madfinger

What's it all about?

It's a 3rd person view online shooter made by the same people who made Dead Trigger. Think gears of war and you're pretty much there. In other words run, cover, roll and shoot , nice and simple. 

Will you be so lucky?

The first 30 minutes

After a lengthy loading time I'm greeted to some scifi style upbeat music and a messy and I mean messy looking menu screen. Luckily a training pop up on screen points out what's what.

Not long after I'm thrown straight into an online battle, no training here, just learn the controls and feel for it on the job. Pleasantly surprised at how quickly it connects to a game. I must say at this point I'm playing using my ipega controller (check out my previous post for the review).

So running and shooting simple, not so sure about this jumping into cover though, basically it works but not every time. Doesn't matter, I'm having too much fun anyway blasting everything in sight!

Game over and I come in fourth out of 8 people. Not bad for the first try. Next, is an introduction to the shop (freeium) weapons, upgrades all here. But I'll save my cash for something bigger, right now I just want to jump straight in again.

What I thought

Fun and free is what I can say. The game looks and runs great. Lots of weapons and upgrades to keep things interesting. However it does have it's flaws.

Lag, the bane of every online gamer. While in a one on one, many times did my opponent move like a ghost, almost naturally. A couple of times I would be shooting one player and nothing was registering. I don't know if it was my connection or what (I have a good speed on wifi) but it was very frustrating.

Then there is the controls or rather the feel of it. Going in to cover is not the smoothest of transitions and sometimes I was left standing like a lemon while trying to hide. In the end I just gave up with cover altogether. Next is rolling, if you have ever played gears of war (or any 3rd person for that matter) it is the most useful tactic you can do in terms of countering your enemy. In this game however it just feels clunky and slow, I felt open every time I used it, in the end I just abandoned it also.

You aren't going to do much from there

Despite those kinds of major flaws its still fun. And the various weapons, shotguns, assault rifles, energy and sniper keeps things ticking over. But to get these weapons and upgrades you need money, at the beginning its easy to save, but later on it will get hard as powerful weapons become so expensive, sound familiar? That's where the freeium comes into play. The game is free but the developers got to make money somewhere. However I think its still possible to get by without spending anything, just be prepared to feel underpowered in the higher ranks. 

Conclusion

Would I recommend it? Yes if you like a fun free online shooter. If I had paid for it I would have felt very disappointed as the game feels unfinished. Then there is the issue of hackers and cheaters, I'm not sure if I encountered any, but it would explain some of the strange things I saw.

Overall a good fun game and it's free, but possibly short lived as something better is bound to come along. Maybe the developers might release an update to iron out its rough edges? See you on the battlefield.

iPega Bluetooth Controller 9025

Game Controller for Android and iPhone 

Model Name: iPega 9025
Price: £22 (at the time)

First thoughts

Retro gaming, reliving those days of gaming when you had all the time in the world. As Android phones have got more and more powerful so to has the games and emulators now running smooth thanks to the tech savvy programmers. 

But there is one thing that gets in the way, fingers and thumbs. Lets face it playing on a touchscreen device just isn't the same as having a controller in your hand. Granted there are some touchscreen games that work better that way. And there is some developers who have made some very good touchscreen control with first and third person view genres, dead trigger comes straight to mind. 

Controllers for phones haven't been too great recently, either built badly, sketchy connectivity or just a lack of support. Some of the problems is down to Android being so open source. 

Then came the iPega a not so big and well known company unlike Moga (probably the most well known controller at the moment). But is it any good? 

The Test

First thing I instantly notice is how small and light this thing is. With a built in rechargeable battery I was beginning to wonder if they forgot to put it in there. Inside the box is the USB charging cable, a badly written instruction manual (more on that in a bit) and the controller itself. 

The feel of the controller is nice on the hands. Two analogue sticks have a rubbery indent to them and also click, that's your L3 and R3 buttons sorted. D-pad is present small but finely placed. Start and select buttons near the top. Media buttons at the bottom, (volume, play pause etc). Four action buttons perfectly placed, and feel quite high quality similar to the glassy feel of the Xbox controller. Two shoulder buttons that are a little fiddly to press. Lastly the two L2 and R2 buttons are right underneath, like at the back. That will take some getting used to. At the top of the controller is the phone holder. Conveniently tucked inside, it stretches out under a spring mechanism, that sounds a bit squeaky, dare I say it, a little flimsy sounding. 

The nice thing with this is it can be used while charging. iPega boast that the controller has 20hour play time from a full charge which takes about 3-4 hours. So onto the fun part, connectivity. 

I must admit I was prepared for a very frustrating day of just trying to connect to my phone. The instruction leaflet didn't fill me with much hope. It tells you how to activate the different connection modes but doesn't explain what they are for. Basically when it's off, you press the "X" button then the "Home" button to activate gamepad mode. The same for the other modes, keyboard mode, SPP mode and iCade mode. That's all it had to say, but instead it repeats itself in bad English on how to switch on the other modes, and like I said no explanation as what they are. With that said, I was pleasantly surprised to see it connected so quickly and easily. Half the battle done it was time to play.

First up was a racing game from the play store, Asphalt 8. On loading the game says it has detected a controller, good sign. I'm then taken to a choose controller layout. From there I can now use the controller in the menu but, the highlighter moves all over the place, a tad too sensitive I think, not so good sign. Thank goodness I can still use the touchscreen to choose races. Once in the game and it feels perfect. Small movements and big movements from the sticks correspond exactly to the car in the game. Using the action buttons for brake and boost all working perfect, very happy indeed.

Next up emulators, games that were made to be played on a console with a controller. So far I have tested Fpse (ps1), Ppsspp (PSP) and SuperN64. And there is not much to say other then it works perfect. I did very occasionally get a strange thing with the PSP that the directional stick didn't respond, but a reset solved that.

Conclusion

After some heavy use I found that it did live up to expectations and the fact that you can use the micro USB for charging and use it while charging is very convenient. I did however get some cramping in my hands and fingers but that is to be expected as it is designed to be portable, however I was playing for a long time so probably my fault.

Just under my middle fingers lies the L2 and R2 buttons

Finding compatible games via Google Play is a bit difficult, some games don't support external controllers where you think that they should (some first person view games for example) and some dont work as expected. But that is down to the developers. I'm planning in the future to add the games I have tried and whether they work as intended.

I'm still a little worried about the holder breaking one day, but so far it hasn't so maybe it's just my imagination? Plus I've been bringing it with me pretty much everywhere, at work, on the bus sometimes even pushed into a jacket pocket when not in use, so it seems quite sturdy.

Overall I'm very happy with it, and would defiantly recommend it, especially for the price which is way cheaper then the Moga controller. A fine piece of kit for any gamer on the go or who just wants to relieve the glory days of games gone by.

  

2014 FIFA World Cup Cup Brazil

World Cup football meets Carnival atmosphere

Platform: Xbox 360 (demo version)

Genre: Football

Release Date: April 17th 2014

Developer: EA Sports

First Thoughts

The 2014 World Cup is almost upon us and the fun (and disappointment) is fast approaching. So what better way to get the excitement ball rolling with a football tie in made by the masters of sport games EA. 30 minutes this demo has to impress me, while I sit thinking, isn't there a world cup mode on FIFA 2014?

The First 30 Minutes

Menu screens, bright and colorful

"EA Sports, it's in the game!" is screamed with urgency into my ears. You would think by now I would be used to it. Bright vibrant music starts up with the sole purpose of recreating the colorful atmosphere I'm sure this game will bring. Next onto the difficulty setting. I chose beginner as it's been a long time (hey I could have lied here so don't judge me). Title screen is a colorful wash of yellows and greens complete with nice upbeat music. I only have one choice here, straight into a match of England V Brasil, I'm England of course. English commentary pre match, with swooping camera views of the stadium and the outside. Brazil's famous landmark, Christ the Redeemer is clearly seen there in the back round. The build up of excitement is wonderfully created, just like before an important game. The crowds are shown in all their colorful glory, singing and waving flags. Just like as if watching on TV we have the national anthems. Players look good with true likeness. But! Chewing? Why are they all chewing? And two players look like they are having a nervous fit! Glitching like that is a sure fire way to ruin the experience. Okay this has gone on long enough, I know it's like watching it on the TV(minus the glitching) but this isn't TV lets just start already.

So the game starts and it is just business as usual. Controls are easy, nice pick up and play feel about them. The crowds are singing, some are chanting players names, I like that touch. Brazil score, and the crowds go wild, including everyone else, the manager is dancing, replays are everywhere and the cameras go over the audience to show their reaction. Very TV feel about it. 

Brazil's defense just watch my man walk on through, GOAL! Easy. (well it is beginner difficulty). I do like how it shows the fans back home watching in central London. 

I can't shake this feeling that my players feel a bit....wooden. At one point during a bad pass my man just stands still, maybe he saw the glitch ghost? I score again, same thing as before, defense just watched me sail on by. End of time and the score is 2-1. A premonition of things to happen maybe?

What I thought

The sense of occasion is wonderfully created. It really builds up on the excitement. The sounds are amazing, from the roar of the crowds to the "hoof" of the ball being kicked down the other end. EA have really made a magnificent job of creating a football tie in game to the worlds biggest sporting event. But that is where it ends. At the bare bones of it all, it is just a FIFA game and a slightly inferior version to the Fifa 2014. The glitching I experienced was small but it was still there ruining the experience. With that it felt almost rushed, typical of a tie in game. Don't get me wrong this is still a good game with it's beautiful carnival feeling atmosphere. 

Add some beer, some chips (crisps), dip and friends and you have a definite crowd pleaser to play before and after the real games. But come August I doubt many people will be playing offline or online. Short lived in other words.

Was I impressed? Yes. Would I buy it or recommend it? No. FIFA 2014 already has a World Cup mode or at least a customisable trophy mode, complete with more football clubs and cups. Apart from the fact this will be a part of this years World Cup event, I believe this is a waste of money when you can have everything and more in FIFA 2014, and I think it plays a bit better but that's just my opinion. 

Skyrim

Game: Skyrim
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: RPG
What's on the box?: "Epic fantasy reborn", is what greets me when I turn the box around, big words to live up to. Not much going on, on the front however. Plus a whole load of awards. I can't help but feel that the developers are a bit too over confident maybe? Anyway lets spin this disc and see what happens.

 The First 30 Minutes (or so)

Loading.... Still loading...At least I have a cool model dragon and some text I don't understand to keep me company. Black and white logo screen accompanied with choir sounding soundtrack. Very medieval sounding. I feel somewhat relaxed, even peaceful, but ready to go.
So it starts, black screen fade into daylight like waking from a dream, very cool effect if not cliched. As I look at the flaky looking people and the scenery the words "Skyrim" appears. Epic feel indeed especially with the soundtrack. Very impressive level of detail, the forest feels alive creating a dark, mysterious atmosphere. I feel like I am in a strange new land, that has existed before I stepped in.

People on the horse drawn cart are talking, think me (character) is a criminal and is going to be executed. I'm sure it wont happen though. But the line from just about every movie ever made, "I have a bad feeling about this", comes to mind.
Arrive at a village , now it feels very old as in the era. I almost feel like I'm in the history recreation channel. Grey stones, wood houses and horses are abound.

Character creation time, complete with a name. I try not to spend too long here. Warrior, mage or ugly troll like weirdo? I go for a female human warrior. Head on the block... I'm sure something is about to happen, I can feel it.

Dragon! Now it starts. Panic. Which way? I feel confused and slightly overwhelmed. Not even enough time to enjoy the scenery and the nature. And so starts a kind of training mode. Running, jumping picking things up. I have to follow this other character who was on the trailer earlier with me. I love how even though this is the fifth game in the series, the developers take care of the beginners with a nice training mode. It's nice to have your hand held at the beginning.
 Fire is everywhere and the screen is a blur, and I just need to stay close to this character. I can feel my heart racing, I want to get through this. Will I have to fight that dragon? The questions, and the actions make me march on through. After some time we escape the now burned village, and my friend says we should split up. Finally now I can stop to literately smell the roses. The level of detail is astonishing. Grass, trees, flowers birds and animals feel so alive. And the now calming peaceful soundtrack is incredibly fitting to the drama that just happened.
A look at the map tells me "I'm going to be here a long time exploring this place".... And where to go next, because otherwise I would be very very confused.

What I think?:
As far as an introduction goes, this game delivers. You got the suspense at the beginning, a kind of back story, and then a dragon attack, simple introduction tactics. To be honest nothing out of the ordinary happens, nothing surprising, but that's not a bad thing. It's also worth mentioning that the game does a good job of holding your hand at the beginning to avoid feeling too overwhelmed.
However I was a little disappointed with the fact my character has no voice. That will take some getting used to. But that is a very small thing compared to the feeling this game creates.
The true vastness of this game makes it more then worth the price of admission, with so much to see and explore you will feel guilty thinking you are leading a double life. Easily this hooks me from the beginning and I think anyone else would be to.

Introduction

What is the name of the game? As in a video game. To have fun right? Escape reality?  But how is it fun if you takes some time getting there. You want it to be fun right from the get go. In the days of so much choice, game developers are fighting each other for our precious time. People have families, work and commitments.

As you might have guessed I am a gamer. I have a 2 year old daughter, a wife, a bank loan and a job. My time is fairly limited. So when I get a game home it needs to be grabbing my attention and transporting my imagination and mind to the furthest of places. I don't have time to be waiting to "get into it", or waiting for the "it gets really good at the 2 hour mark", I want an impact. Something that will make me want to carry on. Games nowadays are like big budget movies they have an introduction where most people decide in a matter of minutes whether they will devote their time, or just sit and be gormless.

I'm not saying I am the most impatient person, far from it. Games don't need to have a big explosion or a booming soundtrack that throws me off my seat. I'm looking at the mechanics of immersion from the moment the disc starts spinning up. A dissection of the introductions to some of the biggest games around.