Recent reviews by Blough

You fold the newspaper and get up from the bench. The sun is shining bright on the coastal town of Sapienza, Italy and the streets are bustling with tourists, locals, and those on business. Up on the hill is the view of the legendary Caruso mansion, and down below is the harbor and famous Sapienza church. While enjoying the sun shine is comforting, you are tasked with something much darker. You are to eliminate two targets that take residence in the mansion. How you reach them, kill them, and escape is entirely up to you.

You can scout the premise trying to find points of entry or security weak points. You can find a spare change of gardener clothes and infiltrate as one of the landscapers. Another option is to go in guns blazing and cause mass chaos. However you choose, the game has options for you. Some of these options are laid out and encouraged while others can only be discovered through the player's own creativity and logical thinking.

At its core, Hitman is a puzzle game with heavy stealth action elements. The point of the game is to find, kill your targets, and escape. The most ideal way is to do so without a single person realizing that you were there, or that the deaths of your targets were not in any way intentional. To achieve this feat is to be awarded the Silent Assassin ranking after a mission concludes. Sometimes this rating is difficult to obtain but the satisfaction gained after doing so is something else entirely. To plan out a hit, execute it, and escape flawlessly is a feeling of empowerment like no other and you do feel like a highly skilled globe trotting assassin.

The current offering of the game comes with six large and intricate maps and 2 training missions. In addition, there are 3 bonus missions that take advantage of different places of some of the six main locations with unique NPCs and re-works of the levels. All of these maps can be played in the game's Contract mode which allows for players to create contracts that other players can play via online. Any NPC in a map can be marked as a target up to five people in all. This results in seemingly infinite replay value and is something to consider when making the decision to pickup the game's current offering. There are other modes available as well like gimmick missions that escalate in complexity as you keep advancing through the tiers of escalation and Elusive Targets which are one-time only special contracts that can be permanently missed.

The visual and sound direction of Hitman is impressive for lack of a better word. The game has a realistic sense about it but with the creative liberties to present fun and whimsical environments. The NPC voice over dialogue has more variety than in any game I have heard. While only a handful of voice actors are present, the variety of dialogue that can be spoken depending on the current map's situation is overwhelming. 180 hours in as I type this review and I am confident that I have only heard maybe 40% of the lines of voice acting that could be experienced. The comic relief that many NPCs provide both subtle and not so subtle are entertaining to say the least.

Finally a word can be said that IOI is currently an independent company, so they are not chained to a publisher at this time. This allows more creative freedom on their side and they are currently working on a second season for the game which would include brand new main maps and countless other surprises!

Does this sound appealing to you? If so try out Hitman for free as there is a demo available containing the training missions.

Having played and loved every Hitman game to date (C47, SA, Contracts, BM, and Absolution) I can confidently say that all things considered, this is the best Hitman game to date. I recommend a purchase if you found yourself replaying the demo more than two times!

Lovecraftian, otherwordly, atmospheric, and legendary first person shooter. If you consider yourself a gamer then you already played it.

What looks to be a lovely platformer with challenge is actually a kaizo like rage fest in disguise.

The game is brilliant when it comes to art direction and style but I seriously question some of the challenges that are presented. I can appreciate hard games and especially hard platformer games...but This is a bit much.

Playing on "normal" more or less gives you around 4 hit points (sometimes 3, sometimes 2.) to tackle the next series of challenges as you strive to reach another checkpoint. While a lot of it is skill and learning patterns, I find it very hard to believe that one can best some obstacles without dying multiple times due to the nature of the platforming involved.
The same principle applies to the bosses. I conquered two bosses and gave up on the third encounter but I found I had to learn patterns through multiple (in a sense, unavoidable) deaths.

Your character is very agile and the controls are stellar with double jumps, gliding, 8-directional attack power, sliding, and more. The game expects you to use these abilities to their fullest extent and it heavily punishes if you fail to learn quickly.

In short, I found the game to cross little past the line of artificial rather than skill based but that is my personal experience. If you are one for masochistic platformer tendencies and expect multiple upon multiple retries at small segments/boss fights then definitely give this game a try!

For people that know me, I enjoy difficult games and do not give up easily but I also think my stress levels will thank me by banishing this game back to the depths.

This is a fun little game where you are a frog and you dive into the depths below.

Your poor frog body can't breathe underwater forever and needs oxygen from the bubbles that randomly float upwards from the bottom of the screen. But then, some of your other frog buddies are having a hard time breathing and also need those bubbles...but so do you. So what do you do? Do you share the bubbles, risking your own little frog life or do you take it all for yourself so you can explore further into the depths.

Other than slowing drowning frogs, the depths also presents its own dangers in the form of unexplainable creatures of the deep. It is up to you to not drown and find out the source of these monsters and in turn, prevent the rest of your frog buddies from falling victim to the deep.

They Breathe is a vertical sidescroller (Avoid-em up) where drowning is a major element of gameplay in that you are trying to not drown and at the same time attempting to prevent baddies from getting oxygen. You also have the moral choice to assist your frog buddies but that task becomes increasingly more difficult as you go deeper and deeper. For $2 the game is certainly worth it, especially if you go for the challenging but fun achievements (Only 8). On sale, the game enters the sub dollar range and I can recommend you pick it up during these times!

If the game seems much more morbid than it at first appears that's because it is. This is an extremely dark game and the artistic direction is done very well. You even are rewarded with an interactive behind the scenes once you finish the game for the first time. It is understandable to want to take all of the oxygen for yourself but just remember...all of the creatures down there with you....They Breathe as well.

Always disliked blatantly comparing with another game but Lord of the Fallen shows no restraint in trying to say:

"Hey! I can be like Dark Souls! Look how much recoil is in our melee strikes and position of enemies give an unfair advantage!"

I can overlook that because if the game is enjoyable then great. What I can't overlook is poorly optimized engines that struggle to stay above 60 when there is no reason why it should break a sweat. The deliberate clunkiness of your character is almost to the point of insulting. When I swung my weapon for the first time I almost laughed that this hulking guy takes almost 3 full seconds to attack, You know...attack, that thing that is expected of you to do THE ENTIRE TIME. Mind you this was a one-handed mace...not a 2 handed hammer with an anvil attached.

Story...I don't know I had no interest as the characters are plain and boring. There are audio logs to find but it just gets in the way with the game's only reprieve...being exploration. That's probably the reason I kept with the game for as long as I did. It is rewarding to search through sections and revisit areas for newly opened paths. This almost always leads to new items and what player doesn't like new stuff?

The visuals are nice, I'll give it that...using some stupid Nvidia exclusive software crap that makes windy wind look more windy or something.

I dislike to bandwagon but yeah...this game is desperately trying to use the Dark Souls formula to net sales. It had potential but falls flat on it's slowly moving clunky arse.

Can't recommend.

Dark themed Grecian Metroidvania.

If the above sentence piques your interest then look no further than Apotheon!

Set in the wildly creative ancient Grecian times where Zues and his fellow gods and goddesses rule over the kingdom of man. You play as Nikandreos, a simple peasant armed with the responsibility to protect his beloved home town of Dion. Hera is there to meet you at the city's temple and tells you to vanquish the gods of Olympus. Thus begins an epic quest of godlike conquest. Mount Olympus can be seen as the world hub where you can explore different parts of the city, visit markets, break in to houses and even uncover a long buried secret or two.

The primary structure of the game is to enter a God's domain through one of the game's two main hubs. Inside each domain is a vastly unique set piece where you must display skills related to the god at hand. For example, in the Forest of Artemis you will be tasked to hunt legendary beasts and possible become a beast yourself in your ultimate quest to take on Artemis herself! Likewise, in Poseidon's realm, you will have to brave the seas that the old god controls himself to calm the spiteful deity's wrong doings. Each area really does have a life of it's own even if it uses the same art style throughout. Another piece of conversation of its own is the art design.

I have never seen anything like this game's visual design. It's a 2D-open world-sidescroller at heart but the way it is presented just bursts with originality. It is hard to explain but just looking at the screen shots gives you an idea of paintings come to life. The breathing vivid colors of these pieces come to life give a sense of wonderment and otherworldly experiences like no other metroidvania. The different domains of gods use this visual style by shifting color palettes perfectly to suit the environment you are in. From the warm orange glows of the central hub Agora to the soft off-white blues of Poseidon's sea palace to the muted dismal tones of Hades, the worlds are brought to individual life from this masterful design. The gameplay is engaging and does not get old even to the very end of Nikandreos's arduous quest to become one with the gods.

The central gameplay element is exploring the realms of the gods and combat. Combat is simple yet intuitive as the popular deterrent to the norm of button mash is once again ill advised. Nikandreos attacks in concentrated swings, swings that drain a stamina bar which will cause him to take large amounts of breath in order to wind up another attack if he is not given some time to rest. Enemies do the same, where the have timed attacks and can shield/roll/fly/backpedal/ and charge at their opponent with little hesitation. While the combat is rather easy, I found the reactive style to be quite satisfying all the way through. Spear pieces flesh, sword slashes at sinews, and clubs bludgeon skulls. The instant ragdoll and sound of your foes dropping their weapons as their last breath leaves there sorry bodies is something to take in again and again.

The other side of the game resides in the player following certain laid out quests in order to gain audience with the god of that domain. You will encounter secrets, puzzles, and platforming challenges as the game plays out. Each challenge is presented in some unique way that never makes you tire of the formulae at hand.

There is a multiplayer that is both local and online, and while this is always welcomed I can see this being only a quick side interest to the major deal that is the single player campaign. There are also two difficulties with the last being unlocked after completing the game. I am curious to see how the increase challenge plays out and could easily provide more replay value for the hardcore Apotheoner.

I can easily recommend Apotheon at it's full asking price of $15.00 USD. If you love metroidvania games then you will NOT be disappointed with Apotheon offering to the table!

It's been since 2004 that the seductive yet deadly dhampir has seen the limelight in her own videogame. With a new developer at the helm, how does a 2D/anime/Arcade rendition fare?

It fares as much as you would expect.

Story...what story? I don't know, a couple of cutscenes with some soldiers and a guy trying to be some mysterious swoon bait that is really a bird...evil guy trying to take over the world and I think there may be a betrayal or two throw in for legal purposes. Honestly, the story is just there to drive the game and place you in the levels. I had little care on how the story progressed.

For the real (bloody) meat, we have the gameplay. Hack N' Slash that involves slight button mash, slight skill, and slight memorization. You have a blade attack that you can push to do simple combos, a jump, a shoot button, a dodge, a grab (bite) ability, and finally a button solely dedicated to making people explode. You can send opponents into the air, juggle them around cut them to pieces and suck their blood for health. Following up on that last bit about the explode button, yes you can bite a blood filled enemy to make them poisoned with explosive fluids. If you push the explode button then any poisoned baddie will ...

*spoilers*


Explode.

Most evil dudes follow the general same pattern: Try to get close and do a melee move, or use a simple ranged attack to knock Rayne off her guard. Almost all encounters can be bum rushed with little to no consequence. The dodge ability is where the skill comes in as with precise timing, Rayne will negate all damage done to her. There are a few bosses thrown in and all of them are actually pretty unique and fun in their own way. Finally your magnum is Rayne's trump card which decimates enemies. Most will be knocked down and killed in 2 shots and even the most toughest foes will go after 4+ shots. This leads to the upgrade system.

In each level you can find hidden skulls that when you collect enough allows you to upgrade your health or ammo. What I like about the upgrade system is you may find the game hard so you think health is the obvious choice, but later you will realize just how crucial an extra bullet can be. Considering most skulls are out of the way and dangerous to get, makes you decide which ones are worth searching for and which can be left behind. Without the upgrade system, this game would have fell flat.

I do have to discuss a really sore spot in the game however: Obligatory platforming

Think a dash of Super Meat Boy, only simplified and not with tight controls. Also if you slip up you may go back a couple of fights or annoying sections as opposed to just retrying from 20 seconds in the past. This was the worst part of the game and at one point I got close to leaving this game for dust. I am glad I continued but it is not too far away to say that the platforming can make players uninstall the game.

Always easy to go on and on but I'll end with replayabliity. You get graded (very strictly) for each level. Grading exclusively depends on how much health you lost, the time it took to beat the stage, hidden treasures found and how stylish you were in combat with the latter having the least impact. The grading is very unforgiving and on a normal playthrough you'll most likely see F grades across the board. Trying to get S ranks on all the levels may quite possibly be one of the toughest challenges to achieve in a game...good luck if you decide to go on that masochistic endeavor. I beat the game, looking for secrets and replaying a few levels to gather more skulls/up my grade finishing with about 5 hours of playtime.

If you can't get enough Blood Rayne or you want an old school 2D hack n slash then give this game a try. It's hard to recommend at the asking price of $10 but at $5 or less it is worthwhile!

An absolutely brilliant venture in to the macabre. You play as Susan Ashworth, a forty something dreary apartment flat owner who wants to kill herself. From there, nothing is off limits as you explore the deep recesses of Susan's mind. Through her out of body experience, she is given the task to murder five vile denizen of the world who seek to cause harm to others in the most disturbing of ways.

The Cat Lady is a heavy dialogue - point n' cli---well actually you just use the arrow keys on your keyboard so it is more like a press n'...uhh press game. The mechanics are very simple, having you solve typical puzzles with no chance of permanent failure (for the most part). You'll rarely have any trouble progressing through the game on the gameplay level. The graphic story is the true cat's meow to be had here.

The story frequently drifts into the realm of surrealism and with it, so does your grip on what is normal. You'll soon start to question what actually transpires in the game and what is just a hellish dreamstate of the progenitor by our over-the-hill protagonist. Speaking of protagonists, Susan is likeable because she isn't trying to vanquish evil, only trying to figure out herself at the core. Every piece of PC/NPC dialogue is voice acted with some better than others. I never had an issue with any of the voices and it's quite an atmosphere amplifier to have it fully voiced.

The game will take you anywhere from 3-10 hours depending on if you do not skip dialogue and examine your surroundings. I highly recommend this game to anyone who wants a rich story set in the horror theme that is the macabre. Easily worth the full asking price.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution + Thief: Deadly Shadows = Thief 2014

A new Thief game has been a long time coming and with it a growing cult fanbase. How does the 2014 oh so common "reboot" fare? Quite well if I do say so myself.

You play as familar Garret but with a different voice actor who still sounds the part just fine in my opinion. If you seriously have shunned the game due to the absence of Stephen Russell then you have the strongest prescription of nostalgia glasses on. You get witty narration from a cool and collected taffer that brings a nice touch of engrossment to the field. Speaking of fields, you'll be running around the slummy dark streets of the city in all of its glory. If you ever played Thief: Deadly Shadows then you have a good idea how the city works. There is plenty to do in the city itself. You'll discover secret places, pieces of loot, and even the occasional serial killer's grotto. You can break in to numerous homes through windows and lock picking and usually you are always rewarded with loot to lift.

In addition to the small side quests, there are also client contracts that are like mini main missions. They have their own unique map/style/puzzles and extend the game in a very natural way. As for the main missions, this is where the game shines. You'll be sneaking about many different locales including corpse factories, a lord's manor and even an asylum! Within each mission there is plenty of exploration to be had, loot to be grabbed, and secrets to be found. You can typically approach a mission in multiple ways with different entry points presenting themselves if you observe your surroundings.

On the technical side, the game runs beatifully providing you have the system specs for it. The PC version is perfect with a keyboard oriented UI and hardware settings you'd expect from a PC game. Nixxes does a great job with this version. I say success when I feel that the M+K is a better control scheme than the gamepad.

Taking my time, searching everywhere and completing all side quests, this game took me 25 hours to complete. I fully recommneded this game to anyone who enjoys stealth games.

It's been more than a decade since the original release of Splinter Cell. Does the game still hold up as one of the pioneer hardcore stealth games to this day? ...Yes, yes it does.

You play as Sam Fisher, a Splinter Cell in the secretive OPs agency known as 3rd Echelon. You are shadow, invisible, a ghost...and an excellent infiltrator. Should you be captured, you would cease to exist to the general public. With the credo realized, you must play this game as if the light will burn you alive. You will slowly creep through various locales finding ways to circumvent guards or silently take them out. You are provided a generous amount of tools and gadgets to help you in this cause. Be it sticky cameras, wall mines, to snake cameras...you will always find a use for the tinkets possessed by Sam.

The game is pretty unforgiving in terms of stealth. There are 5 ratings of exposure to light you can be in at once and depending on your current position will determine how fast a guard realizes it is a bionic commando versus a mosquito buzzing around. There is also an invisible noise detection level which varies depending on the surface you creep upon. You can flatten yourself against a wall to be even more hidden and use distractions such as light switches to pull unexpecting guards to their sleepy fate.

One aspect that still amazes me is that you can sneak through most levels without ever touching a guard or being detected. Granted, since this game needs to have a little bit of variation from the normal stealth routine...you'll find yourself in a couple of mandatory shootouts. These occurances are few and far between and help break the typical slow creep and crawl you'll be doing through most of the game. Music and sound play a big part with music dynamically ramping up in intensity when guards are becoming alerted to your prescence to heavy rock when a battle is unavoidable. Ambience of halogen lights and crickets chirping as well as cars passing by will be your typical tune when you are a ghost.

Techincally speaking, the game looks great if you do a few simple tweaks in the game's .ini files. I personally could not see the CG cutscenes without sacrificing my graphical tweaks but just watch them on YouTube and you'll still get the full effect. A small price to pay for 1080p and anti-alising. The game runs stable at 60fps and looks fairly decent for its time. Volumetric lighting and partial physics exist here.

I can fully recommend Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell for anyone looking for an actual stealth game where slow and steady certainly and almost always wins the race.