If you cut me down I will become more powerful than you can ever imagine... until the next thing kills me.
You die a lot in Dark Souls. That is, ironically, the game's appeal. Since Dark Souls is tuned to become a bit harder every time you bite the dust, players see it as a challenge to conquer it as best as they can. I see it as a game that I get killed a lot trying to play. To each their own.
The Tokyo Game Show may be spitting out trailer after trailer from our anime favorites, but Dark Souls II is always worth a closer look. Aching Bones treated us to some "beauty shot" gameplay, showing our hero slicing and dicing through demons until he is cut down himself. Seemingly evolving into a more powerful self after resurrecting, he finally goes Gandalf the White and slays the mighty demon wizard.
This transformation through death series gave us a chance to see weapon play, magical spells and weapon enchantments in action. I enjoyed how he was only able to defeat the final enemy by turning to Jesus and using some holy power. It was a good chuckle.
The "charm" to Dark Souls II is that, well, there is no charm. It's a brutal, "cut them up before they send you all the way back to that checkpoint from two hours ago" type of game. And some people freaking love that stuff. My blood pressure is high enough as it is.
Dark Souls II PS3, Xbox 360, PC Release: March 11, 2014 Publisher: Namco Bandai Games America, Inc. Developer: FromSoftware, Inc.
"I need to go meditate... or masterbate... or both"
Months of patiently waiting have finally paid off, and Grand Theft Auto V is mine. After nearly 8 hours in the new San Andreas, I have seen and done more in this one game than most of the titles I've played this year in total.
One of the newest and biggest features of GTA V is the three-protagonist system, giving you control over Michael (a retired-now-not-retired heist artist), Franklin (a South Central Los Santos gang banger looking for a bigger pay day than what the hood has to offer), and Trevor (an absolute psychopath). I haven't quite gotten them all together for a mission yet, but there will be an update at the end of the week explaining how well this system is executed in-game, along with more impressions.
While Trevor has delivered the best lines and action of the game so far, but each character has his own story that makes his stake in the developing narrative a little bit different. So while Trevor may be the most entertaining at this point, I am invested in all of them, which is very important if you're going to say that all three guys are equally important.
Hey! I live there! Wait...
This is the best looking and best playing GTA to date. Cars handle differently depending on the make and model you drive, gun selection is smooth and simple, and switching between characters mid-mission adds an extra layer of strategy to how you approach each situation. The people are more varied and are crazier than ever as well. You never know who will hit you back, or step on the gas to run you down as you try to take their car.
My favorite part of the game so far is the ability to customize and save the weapons and vehicles that you buy, or... come across during your time. Done are the days when you would dump cash into a new car to trick it out, only to have it destroyed and gone forever. Now, you can either leave your rides in a big car lock-up (each character gets their own), or you can pick it up at an impound lot if it's towed or abandoned. The same goes for your guns, which all have parts you can buy and keep on, no matter if you die or get arrested. It's the little things, really.
The GTA V Map
Although GTA V is already looking like a monumental achievement, it is not without its issues. My biggest gripe so far is how difficult it is to shake the police, even with one star. The wanted system works very similarly to GTA IV, where you would have to stay out of range of the cops for a certain amount of time until your wanted level goes away. In V, police will continue to search for you with little "field of vision" cones that will reset the whole process if you get seen. The amount of time it takes to lose said wanted level feels way longer than it used to, but I'll consider it part of the challenge.
There's only been one glitch to deal with so far, where I had to walk into an ally until he became unstuck from the wall and would follow me again. I've had a couple small bugs and clips, which is to be expected with a game this size, but for the most part it's run like a charm.
GTA V is a staggeringly large place to create havoc, and I know I've only scratched the surface of what I can do and see. The views are breathtaking and the world is brimming with life. It's time to continue destroying it!
Be sure to keep a look out for part two of my GTA V impressions on Sunday! Have an opinion of the game so far? Leave it in the comments.
Grand Theft Auto V Xbox 360, PS3 Release: OUT NOW! Publisher: Rockstar Games Developer: Rockstar North
