Xbox – StrangeGirlGaming

Assassins Creed Origins!! My thoughts after E3

I think we can all agree that E3 has been simply amazing this year with some incredible announcements. So I have decided to do a series of posts about what games have caught my attention and why I am looking forward to getting my hands on them, and I can think of no better way to start than to begin with the showing of the new Assassins Creed.I think it’s fair to say that Assassins Creed Origins looks absolutely incredible, I simply can’t wait to get my hands on it for several reasons.

1. IT’S ASSASSINS CREED!!!

Yes I am a huge fan of the series, I thoroughly enjoyed the latest instalment in the form of Syndicate though it did leave me wandering where exactly the series was going to go next, safe to say I am not disappointed in the direction that Ubisoft have chosen to take, which brings me along nicely to my second reason for my excitement.

2. IT’S SET IN ANCIENT EGYPT

Arguably one of the greatest points in history, you would have a hard time finding someone that didn’t like or at least have a slight interest in Ancient Egypt. For me this has always been one of my favourite points in history, from a very young age I was interested in the monarchy of Egypt, I enjoyed learning about Cleopatra, Tutankhamun, Amenhotep and Ramses just to name a few. The setting of this game is like a dream come true for me, it could be the ultimate game for me.

3. IT LOOKS AS BEAUTIFUL AS EVER!

The gameplay itself so far looks absolutely stunning, of course there was never any doubt that it would but now that I have actually witnessed it I am more amazed by the beauty of it than I thought I would be.

4. THE WEAPONS!!

As a fan of the ancient Egyptians I think it goes without saying that I am looking forward to using their choice of weapons, well more the look of these weapons. I’m more than aware that spears, axes, swords and the bow and arrow have been used all throughout history but not any of them could ever look as amazing as the ones wielded by the ancient Egyptians.

The gameplay footage that I have seen looks exactly like you think it would, it looked like Assassins Creed, it looked good. Now I have already stated that I enjoyed Syndicate but I think it would be fair to say that the previous instalment to that was somewhat lacking. Truth be told Ubisoft had been lacking in the series for a while before Syndicate hit and I’m pleased to see that the result of their two years before releasing a new game has produced what I consider to be candidate for one of the best games in the series. Of course, I understand that it is still early days but if anything that makes me more excited, if I am this impressed already I can only imagine the joy that awaits me in October.

Are you excited for Assassins Creed? You can be sure that as more information is released in the run up to the games release I will be paying attention, ready to discuss all my thoughts with you.

For Honor AFKers go away!!

Right so if you have read my review on this game then you will be aware that I have a huge disdain for the AFK players that exploiting the game. Putting it bluntly it ruins the experience of other players, it puts a damper on their own enjoyment of the game, something Ubisoft have finally realised.

That’s right Ubisoft have just announced this week that they will be issuing bans for all those who have been AFK using an elastic band to keep their characters moving! Ubisoft declared that they understand how this hinders the experience of those who play the game the way it was intended, and how these players are all in violation of their code of conduct, something we all have to agree to before stepping foot on the battlefield. Should Ubisoft consider it to be serious enough given the amount of complaints they receive about a certain player they may decide to issue a life time ban, before those of you who use the AFK method start shouting ‘I PAYED £50 FOR THIS GAME!’ Maybe you should have read the small print before clicking that agree button.

For Honor has got the potential to be one of the best multiplayer games out there for the next gen consoles but with people exploiting it the way they are it is ruining what I consider to be a great game and a great community. I personally have come across some great players who have been not only a joy to battle with but a pleasure to cross blades with too. There are many players in this community that are great through playing this game the way it was intended, sure you are always going to get people who can’t take losing but I believe the decent players far outweigh those individuals.

Thankfully Ubisoft have decided enough is enough, giving all those who play the properly including the sore losers the experience they truly deserve.

For Honor, what it’s like to be on the battlefield!!

Let me begin by saying that I am sorry for how long it has taken me to get his post finished and published! I started a new job recently and getting into a new routine for my shift hours has been somewhat challenging but I am back now!

For Honor has been out for 4 weeks now and I feel that is safe to say that it has already garnered a strong and loyal fanbase, and I happen to be one of these fans, you see I have had many fights on the battlefield over the past 4 weeks so I do feel as though I have a pretty solid feel for this game and its mechanics now. When it comes to the single player mode I find it very hard to fault For Honor, now as much as I have been enjoying the multiplayer aspects of this game I do feel that there is a major problem that Ubisoft need to address before it’s too late.

I would like to begin with the many good things I have to say about For Honor, the first key thing I’d like to discuss is the combat system. I don’t think that there has ever been a combat system as intricate as this, for me personally I believe that it causes the fights to feel more realistic, it’s more of a challenge requiring some tactics rather than a standard button masher. In order to successfully block or parry an attack you must first match the stance of your opponent, should you wish to cause some serious damage to your adversary you must be in either of the two stances in which you opponent is not. I believe it does take some skill to master this system and it does take practice with the hero of your choosing to learn their combos and what fighting style suits you.

The campaign of this game is fantastic, honestly I can’t fault it and I’m not even going to try, all 3 chapters are brilliant and immersive. It never feels too samey or boring, it’s exciting, it’s thrilling, it’s an all out war amongst three legendary factions. Chapter 1 sees us playing primarily as the warden with one mission requiring us to play as the lawbringer and another putting us into the shoes of a peacekeeper. For much of the wardens story we are used to an upfront battle but when playing as Mercy the peacekeeper stealth becomes our best friend.

Chapter 2 sees us play as the raider, though we do get to experience both the warlord and the Valkyrie in this chapter. The mission in which you play as the Valkyrie was a personal favourite for me across all of the chapters.

Chapter 3 wasn’t overly enjoyable for me but that’s simply because me and the orochi don’t exactly get along very well, I just can’t get the hang of using the orochi which is a real shame given how devastating they can be when utilised well in PVP. When playing as the kensei however I found myself loving the samuai, much like the Valkyrie mission from the vikings chapter I enjoyed it more than most of the other missions I embarked upon. Having said that I really do feel the need to say there isn’t a single mission I actively dislike, my inability to perform as an orochi doesn’t impact my opinion on the design of the levels.

The story itself was very well written, the idea of weeding out weak and raising up the true wolves of humanity was brilliant. What better way to determine the best humanity has to offer across three factions than to cause an all out war? Apollyon did just that, she believed that humans were born to fight not to be peaceful, she believed that war created strong warriors, whereas peace created weak beings. Unfortunately after all you go through across the campaign Apollyon does in fact win, while you may have bested her in battle her legacy lives on, her longing for war lives on, the war she created rages on.

Moving onto the multiplayer, there are several modes all of which are a lot of fun and rather challenging depending upon the skill of your enemy. All modes can be played in PVP or vs the AI.

1. Dominion

Arguably the most popular mode for multiplayer, dominion puts you in a match of 4v4. The idea of this match is to capture zones A,B and C, once a team hits 1000 points their opponents will break should the winning team successfully eliminate all opponents they will win the battle. Make no mistake though just because you cause a team to break doesn’t mean they will stay broken, no, in fact they can rally bringing your impending victory to a halt. I have been in matches where the losing team has not only rallied but they have gone on to not just break their enemies but they have destroyed their enemies. If you want to experience the thrill of battle then this mode is for you.

2. Duels

Now should you prefer some one on one action without the interference of team mates then a duel is the mode for you. It’s exactly what it says on the tin, a one on one fight, best out of 5 rounds. This is the only mode in which you are guaranteed and honourable fight, while you may start one on one in both brawl and elimination make no mistake that you can still be ganked, some players will abandon their duel for the numbers game.

3. Elimination

Essentially this is a 4v4 duel, but you may get power ups to give you back health, a shield, an increase in attack damage umongst other things. As stated above be prepared to not only be outnumbered should your teammates fall in their duels but your adversary may not be as honourable as you, they may be too afraid of one on one and favour the numbers game.

4. Brawl

The 2 on 2 version of the duel, besides a lack in numbers and power ups it is the same as elimination, meaning the chances of an unfair fight are still there. Don’t forget this is war, not everyone will maintain their morals like you.

5. Skirmish

This is essentially dominion minus capturing zones. You are granted power ups around the battlefield. Since you aren’t capturing zones the only way to capture points is to eliminate the enemy, this is 4 on 4 all out fight to the death. There is the potential to rally in this mode should your team break just like dominion.

Now my major concern with the multiplayer mode is the people who are AFK but have left an elastic band around their controller to keep their hero moving. This to me is pointless and stupid! Not to mention how unfair it is in those who get teamed up with these time wasters, I know they are doing it to level up quicker but I have to ask, what is the point in owning the game if that is all you are going to do? Sure it gets you to a higher level eventually giving you reputation (essentially this is prestige) but that doesn’t make you good at the game, it makes you an easy target when you do decide to stop being lazy! Let’s say as an example a reputation 4 level 17 law bringer who has only achieved this through being lazy comes up against an orochi of the same reputation who has fought hard and earned their reputation, who is going to win? The orochi obviously.

Honestly though any player who has simply played the game properly and gone to war whatever level they may be will destroy those who have essentially cheated their way through. To those who choose to impact upon the experience of others through doing this, shame on you, your reputation doesn’t make you good, fighting and killing the enemy on the battlefield is what makes you good.

As far as the heroes go they are all very well designed, I do believe the peacekeeper, orochi and the kensei to be OP at the moment but I won’t take anything away from those who have mastered how to play as them, those who actually utilise these characters to their full potential make for an impressive adversary, though some people do prefer to simply spam the same OP attacks from these classes which are undoubtedly irritating for those who have to fight them. My personal favourite warriors are the warden, the Valkyrie and the nobushi, for me all three of these classes are amazing to play as, the warden is a good class for someone who is new to the game and the other two are good for showcasing your speed and skill.

The assassin classes I struggle to play as, I’m very aggressive in my play style and they just don’t suit that. Should you be able to master one of them though you will prove to be a valuable ally and a dangerous enemy.

In conclusion this game is easily the best game I have played so far this year, only just beating nioh, the multiplayer is fantastic except for the AFK players. Should you wish to pick this game up I shall see you on the battlefield, be it allies or enemies one thing is certain, it’s going to be a war!

Oh and if you guys are interested in not only the game but history of the legendary warriors featured in it then I recommend checking out Lee Vockins The infinite one, they have done an awesome post on the history surrounding the factions and the warriors within them. I’ll leave a link to their post below. Thanks for reading guys, I’ll be back with a new post really soon.

https://wordpress.com/read/blogs/121873026/posts/296

For Honor Beta

This was quite the weekend for many gamers worldwide, for the past 3 days gamers from all over the globe have had access to the beta for a new game known as For Honor. With For Honour set to hit stores on the 14^th February this was the last beta test for the game, a final chance for gamers to get their hands on it before release. Now I was fortunate enough to get my hands on one of the beta keys so I figured I would give you guys my thoughts on what this game is like and what I believe we can expect upon its release.

Let me start by saying to anyone who isn’t a gamer that you can forget about having a nice romantic Valentine’s day, instead you can expect your boyfriend or girlfriend to be killing people in a rather brutal fashion. They are going to be so engrossed in deciding whether or not they belong to the Viking, knight or samurai faction, while it is possible to like all 3 most people have going to have set loyalty and what better time to test out where your loyalties lie than on release day.

As I have just stated there are going to be 3 factions upon release and they are Vikings, Knights and Samurais. With each faction comes 4 classes though during the beta we had access to only 3 classes per faction but it’s safe to say that not a single class is disappointing, they all had their own unique weapons and movesets. Let me start with the Samurai,

1. Kensei – they may be slower than some of the other classes for Samurai but make no mistake that the Kensei pack a punch, they are capable of some serious damage with quite a long range to their attacks.

2. Nobushi – their choice of weapon is a form of spear, giving them a long range to their melee attacks, they also move with speed giving them an advantage over their adversaries.

3. Orochi – are very similar to an assassin with great agility, they are capable of dealing some incredible damage. Due to their speed they are very capable of performing punishing counter attacks.

4. Shugoki – now this class wasn’t available to play as during the beta, however it would appear as though they are going to be the powerhouse class for the samurai faction

Knights

1. Conqueror – the only class from the knights to wield a shield meaning they naturally have a higher defence stat, I would also say that their offensive arsenal can easily overwhelm their opponent.

2. Peacekeeper – they are elite assassins that value stealth proficient at sneaking up on enemies, with dual wielding daggers they are capable of eliminating their target,

3. Warden – the best way to describe the warden would be as the best choice for beginner for the game, they are clearly well rounded with a higher defence stat than other classes but also a higher damage output than other classes too making it the perfect choice for someone who is new to the game or for someone who is struggling on the battlefield.

4. Lawbringer – the class for the knight that wasn’t available during the beta, they appear to be capable of dealing high amounts of damage with a longer range to them, potentially they could be proficient at performing counter attacks.

Viking

1. Berserkers – highly proficient in combat with their dual wielded axes, they have a short range to their melee attacks making them the perfect choice for those who like to be close to their opponents. A chain attack from the berserker can spell death for their opponent.

2. Raider – a huge Viking with a two handed axe, naturally as with most giants they are considerably slow but on the flip side they can deal exceptional amounts of damage wiping out multiple enemies at a time.

3. Warlord – utilising a sword an shield they have a nice amount of defence and can deal considerable damage when close to their enemy, they appear to be capable of counter attacks.

4. Valkyrie – the class that wasn’t available for the beta, they have a sword and spear giving them decent defence with the ability to attack from distance rather than up close.

Upon the release of the game I will write a post about each class stating their abilities, their stats and how they are best utilised. If this is something that interests you then stay updated as I will release these as fast as I can if it will prove useful and be helpful.

While playing the beta I was highly impressed with the combat, it runs really smooth, it feels like you are truly in a battle with one wrong move potentially causing you to meet your maker. In my opinion For Honor already has one of the best combat systems that I have ever seen, every move feels real, when duelling with an opponent the way that you need to choose to defend, dodge or lunge in for an attack feels true to life that is how fight probably would have been.

Dominion, Dual and brawl were the available game modes this weekend, plenty for all us gamers to get our teeth into, essentially the modes were 1v1 (Dual), 2v2 (Brawl) and 4v4 (Dominion). Dual and Brawl are self-explanatory it is simply a case of 1 on 1 in a dual or 2 on 2 in a dual, however dominion is where it gets interesting, by far dominion was my favourite mode to play this weekend.

Dominion is essentially a battle, it’s 4v4 be that against other players or the AI. But there are hordes of minions for both teams that battle not just one another but the players too, just like in a real battle. The way to win is to capture the ABC zones, just like a normal game of capture or control from other games, killing a minion grants you 1 point while killing a player grants you 5 points. Capturing a zone earned your team 100 points, though be warned those points can be taken away should the opposing team claim that zone as their own. My favourite part of a match of dominion however has to be the ending, when one team reaches 1000 points they would rally together to finish off their opponents while the dispersed after being broken, once all 4 heroes of a team are dead after being broken the match is over. Though it is possible for the dispersed team to regroup should they also reach 1000 points thus continuing the match.

I have had an amazing time playing this game over the weekend and honestly I am very excited for this to be fully released, while I may enjoy online gaming the idea of having 3 different campaigns to play through is getting me excited. Each faction has its own campaign, the first one I will be playing through is the knight due to that being my faction of choice, what is your faction of choice?

Remember 14/02/2017 is when we can all own this incredible game, my copy is on pre-order, is yours?

The Dancer of Dark Souls 3

dancer-dark-sous-3

In a previous post I mentioned that The Dancer of the Boreal Valley is my favourite boss from Dark Souls 3 and while I may have given some slight reasoning for this I didn’t explain why this boss became somewhat of a fascination for me. You see the SoulsBorne universe is filled with over 100 bosses so for a boss to be a personal favourite to anybody not just me they have to tick all of the right boxes, the lore, the look and the difficulty are the main factors that determine the credibility of a boss.

The Dancer has got some very interesting lore behind her. There is a theory among the SoulsBorne community that she could be the daughter of Gwynevere, a theory that I do believe to be true. Think about it, when you transpose the soul of the Dancer you have 2 choices, the dual swords she wields which are a lot of fun to use but more importantly you have the second option of transposing her soul for the soothing sunlight miracle, a miracle that is strongly associated with the princess of sunlight Gwynevere who happens to be the daughter of Gwyn the first lord of cinder. If the Dancer was the daughter of Gwynevere it would make her a member of the old royalty. For me this brings so much more to not only the character of the Dancer but also other characters such as Pontif Sulyvhan considering the Dancer is one of his outrider knights.

Imagine if this is true if she is the daughter of Gwynevere that would mean that we the unkindled have killed Gwyn, the Dancer, the Nameless king (first born of Gwyn), potentially Gwyndolin (though he is consumed by Aldrich despite what you did in Dark Souls 1), oceiros and Lorian & Lothric of course this is if the theory of Gwynevere being the queen of Lothric is true. This would mean that we have killed every member of Gwneveres family except for her mother, well if that isn’t enough to make her show up in the last piece of Dark Souls 3 DLC I don’t know what will. If on the flip side she wasn’t a member of the old royal family, she certainly was a daughter of the old royal family of Irythll, becoming a Dancer by the orders of the Pontiff when he took over, following this she forced to become a legioneer which means she was exiled.

The movements of the Dancer are fluent, graceful and elegant. It truly does feel like a dance, the fight keeps you on your toes, you need to watch her, study her to learn her movements to dodge, block or counter her. She poses a challenge, a real threat. She is preventing us from entering Lothric castle where our final lord of cinder is hiding. The boss room is dark, with the previously open door being shut by the entrance of the Dancer, I feel like this was the perfect boss room for this sort of fight, the atmosphere was unnerving as you fought this creature with her armour fused to her hide.

Another thing I like about this boss is that if you like to inflict pain upon yourself or simply want endure a painfully difficult challenge then you can force the Dancer out much earlier than intended, you can kill Emma as soon as you encounter her, a bit harsh if you ask me but I’m not here to tell you how to play the game and if killing a helpless old lady to give yourself a challenge is worth it well then you kill that old lady. But I tried to defeat the dancer before even fighting Vordt and that ended horribly, honestly I take my hat of to anybody that defeated her at that stage.

I’ll leave you with one final thought, in Irythll we find two ghostly figures that seem to be male and female walking together down the street just like the previous figure that was walking alone, but the female of the pair appears to have the helmet of the Dancer. Could this be the Dancer and perhaps Vordt since it has been stated that they were always together. It would make sense since their boss are opposite each other in the courtyard. It’s sad to think about what the Pontiff did to the this Dancer, I believe she was a member of the old royalty, the Pontiff had to deal with her in some way after he had left Gwyndolin to be devoured by Aldrich and locked up Yorshka.

Maybe in the future I’ll write more about Dark Souls, perhaps I’ll rank every boss in SoulsBorne, or maybe we can look at the areas through out the series.

Dark Souls 3, MY GOTY 2016

Here it is, here is my choice for the game of the year for 2016, Dark Souls 3. I’m going to assume that there are some obvious reasons for why I would hold this game in a high enough regard to give it the honour of being my game of the year. Let me get the most obvious reason out of the way, the incredible boss fights.

If there is one thing that the Souls games are known for is the boss fights, it’s a defining feature of these games, without the bosses there is no chance that Dark Souls would be as notorious as it is for the challenge that it inflicts upon those who play it. While reaching the bosses of the various areas of Dark Souls 3 can be a challenge in itself most of the time it is simply preparing you for what you are about to endure. Working my way through Irythll of the Boreal Valley was a nightmare, when I first arrived there after having defeated Wolnir on my first try. For me it was then that Dark Souls 3 truly hit that notorious point of being difficult, soon as I stepped foot on that bridge into Irythll I was met with that rather disgusting, intimidating monster known as Sulyvahn’s beast, it was part crocodile part beast but all scary. I knew from that point that it was going to be a tough fight through the area, with it more than likely ending in a painfully difficult boss fight, painful doesn’t even begin to describe the experience of defeating Pontiff Sulyvahn, this insane tyrant was easily one of the biggest challenges for me in the entire game.

The Pontiff wasn’t my favourite boss fight, though he certainly proved to be worthy of being the mid game boss of a Souls game. No my favourite boss fight of Dark Souls 3 was The Dancer of The Boreal Valley, the way she moved was so precise, so graceful, so intimidating. There are many reasons for the Dancer being my personal favourite boss of what I consider to be one of the best games of the series, the lore behind the Dancer is intriguing it’s some of my favourite lore, it would seem as though the Dancer is a member of the old royalty through being the daughter of Gwynevere, which is supported by the miracle you can transpose her soul for. I could keep talking about the Dancer for this whole post but I have plenty of other content to cover so perhaps I will go into further detail on my fascination with the Dancer another time. As a whole I think along with BloodBorne Dark Souls 3 mostly had a solid cast of bosses with only a few posing little to no threat at all, such as the Deacons, the Curse Rotted Great Wood, and the Crystal Sage. I think it would be fair to say that if all the bosses of the Souls series were ranked together, Dark Souls 3s bosses would dominate the top half alongside BloodBorne. I think for me the hardest boss of all was the Nameless King and just like the Dancer the lore surrounding his fight helped to cement his status as being one of the best Souls bosses to date. I have to give a special mention to Sister Friede and Father Ariandel, that boss fight was a thing of beauty, unfortunately the DLC The Ashes of Ariandel was too short but the main boss fight was a first for the series with it being a 3 phase 3 different health bars fight. That’s right to defeat the DLC you have to wipe out Friedes health bar 3 times, as well as Father Ariandels health bar in the second phase.

What else besides the bosses could this game have that has made it a clear winner in my mind, well a couple of different things, since I have already touched upon the lore of this game I think that would be the best aspect to discuss next. Lore is a big factor in Dark Souls, it always has been, many people have enjoyed sharing their thoughts and speculations over the years with each passing souls game, while I may not have publicly voiced my opinion about the lore over the years I have had my fair share of ideas and thoughts about the few facts From Software have given us and about the various things that From Soft has insinuated rather than solid fact. That’s part of what makes Dark Souls 3 incredible, yes there are facts in the lore in this game, it has confirmed and dismantled various beliefs amongst the community, however there are certain things that From Soft haven’t confirmed or denied. They have left much of the story to our imaginations for us to interpret the lore as we see fit, because you see our journey as the unkindled, as the ashen one is exactly that, it’s our journey and the open ended lore helps to cement your individual journey through the age of fire.

Finally, the atmosphere of this game is thick with death, danger and an unknowing. One the first run through of these games you don’t know what is round the corner, you don’t know how many enemies stand between you and victory. There is a strong under layer of emotion that can be felt in the atmosphere, the cathedral of the deep I find to be a sad solemn area, this is where Aldrich clearly turned the Deacons that were once part of the way of white. Or in Irythll where Pontiff Sulyvhan now rules through force destroying what was once a beautiful place.

Dark Souls 3 gripped me from the very beginning, it made me invest so much of my time into preserving the age of fire. Never have I felt so accomplished about beating a game, since I won the platinum trophy for this game I can truly say that I did it, I took on the danger of Lothric, I conquered all Lords of Cinder, I finally saw this long enduring journey come to an end.

2016, a great year for gaming

There are so many ways in which I could start this post, do I start with the PSVR, the disaster that was No Mans Sky, or all the glorious games that graced our consoles this year! Well in my wacky mind I like to deal with bad then cheer myself up with good, so let’s kick this off with talking about the highly anticipated, underwhelming No Man’s Sky.

So No Mans Sky was in contention to be one of the biggest gaming events of the year! The hype and build up for this game was insane, every single one of us had heard of it, watched gameplay on it and listened to all the rubbish that the developers threw our way. Now I don’t want to come on here and slate No Mans Sky since it wasn’t an awful game but rather a false advertised game that altered everybody’s perception of it. We perceived it to be an open-ended universe with thousands upon thousands of planets that could be discovered by other players worldwide and we could meet said players on these discovered or even undiscovered planets. Bit awkward when the game got released and there wasn’t a single other player in sight, yeah that’s right the developers lied about how massive the multiplayer was, this was one of their key selling points yet it was all lies!

Now we’ve got the worst part out of the way let us move on to brighter things, this year saw the release of many incredible games, it’s difficult to choose just one…..but I did and I will discuss my personal favourite in detail another time. Dark Souls 3 and Uncharted 4 both spring to mind when it comes to major games this year since they are both in fact the closing chapters to their respective stories. I have been a long-time fan of the SoulsBorne series, the immersive boss fights, the eerie unnerving atmosphere that the game projects, but most of all it’s the challenge and being able to say I did it I beat this game, while the series has made others cry I have conquered all that From Software has thrown at me. Then we have Uncharted 4, again I have been an Uncharted fan since its release in 2007, the story of Nathan Drake has got to be one of the most epic, action packed incredible adventures that I have had the joy of playing. Which is why it’s sad to see the stories of the age of fire and the fortune hunter come to an end, 2016 has given us the final chapters to two amazing stories that we had all been waiting for, I think it’s fair to say that they didn’t disappoint. From Soft and Naughty Dog thanks for the memories, no doubt that whatever ventures you pursue next they will be just as fun and exhilarating as your already established franchises.

Final Fantasy XV finally hit our consoles in November after over 10 years of being in the works, sure I accept that for some true fans of the franchise it might not be the best, heck you might not even think it feels like Final Fantasy with the new combat system. However I did find it to be an enjoyable experience, the comradery of Noct, Gladio, Ignis and Prompto was endearing, it was fun to see and hear the banter displayed between the friends.

DOOM! While this might have been a long time coming, I’ll be honest and say that I wasn’t really following the build up to its release, I knew what to expect though I mean its DOOM right? It was bound to be about the demons of hell, with us sending them back there with a shotgun to the face, pretty simple concept like back in the 1990s when DOOM first entered our lives. DOOM 3 took the franchise in a different direction, a more horror based direction which did in some respects slow down the gameplay that DOOM was loved for. For this reboot to succeed they needed to correct the wrongs from DOOM 3, and correct they did. This game exploded out back in May, it was fast, it was fun, it was gory, it had big guns and IT WAS CHAOS! It was DOOM! It was what we had all been dying to play for years, it was how DOOM should be played, DOOM made its comeback in 2016 in a huge way, ID mean business I look forward to seeing what direction they are taking the revitalised franchise in.

Besides these 4 awesome games that I have given a special mention to 2016 was filled to the brim with other enjoyable, exciting games. Deus Ex Mankind Divided with it’s incredible RPG elements sprung Jensen back into action in August, as ever the character development was as deep and immersive as you would expect from an RPG of this magnitude. Overwatch came out, Blizzards new baby absolutely destroyed Battleborn in their rivalry earlier this year. Now I have made a post on this, in fact I believe it was my very first post on this blog, so I won’t go into too much detail here having already covered it but I will say this, Battleborn was my personal favourite of the two which was helped by the fact that it offered a single player mode, for me personally I like to have the option to play solo or online. Other games I feel we should give a mention to are JOY for the Xbox One, Street fighter V make no mistake though I am a Mortal Kombat fangirl so even though 2016 gave us an exciting new instalment to the Street Fighter franchise it hasn’t really done as much for me as Mortal Kombat X did in 2015, with Injustice 2 coming out next year as well, I do feel that in the long run Street Fighter V won’t be as loved as it is now, I wouldn’t be doing the game justice if I didn’t say it had been a highlight for many this year. Most of the Resident Evil numbered games were remastered this year, this was a smart move by Capcom, with Resident Evil 7 set to hit our consoles in just a few weeks it has given many fans the opportunity to reminisce about the series, to replay the games that have a somewhat nostalgic effect. I have recently played through Resident Evil 5 and 6, with 4 still to go, got to save the best for last, it has been amazing to remind myself of why Resident Evil has been so successful, except for the Cerberus dogs, I hate those damn things!

There are many more games that I could talk about and who knows maybe they will get their own posts eventually but for now I think we have one more major thing about 2016 to cover. Can you guess what it is? Yes, that’s right the PlayStation VR, Virtual Reality gaming has become a reality. The feel of the VR is incredible, admittedly the price for this technology is insane, but that’s what you must pay for something this amazing. If you have ever wanted to be Batman or just to feel like Batman you finally can, as you see through the eyes of the dark knight, come on that’s reason enough to love the VR surely. If that isn’t enough for you and you happen to be a horror fan who enjoys terrifying themselves then the VR is still a must for you. In 2015 the hit horror game Until Dawn came to PS4, 2016 saw the release of spin off a game called rush of blood, made especially for the VR system. Or with the release of Resident Evil 7 coming up maybe you are ready to face the horrors of the Resident Evil universe yourself in first person, as if it is you that is being terrorised and tormented. Honestly the main reason for me wanting the VR was ready for Resident Evil 7, it’s going to scare the hell out of me, if you want to laugh at my misfortune I’ll be recording my misery especially for you guys on YouTube so keep an eye out for that.

I know there is so much more that I could talk about in regards to how good 2016 has been to us gamers, it has been a truly memorable year that won’t soon be forgotten for gamers around the world. Now is the time to look forward to 2017, to what is also set to be an incredible year of gaming, filled with many games that we have all been waiting for, I have no problem with stating that my gaming event of the year for 2017 will be Mass Effect Andromeda, nearer the time I will share with you all why my love for Mass Effect runs so deep and what I believe we can expect from Andromeda.

Since 2017 looks to be just as good if not better than 2016 I will make a post talking about what we can expect in the exciting new year. 2016 has been a blast, no doubt it has given everybody a game they love. I look forward to carrying on sharing my thoughts and experiences with you in the new year.