Game of Thrones Ep. 2 (Xbox One) - Review

If you've been reading my blog you will remember that I gave the first episode in the new Telltale Game of Thrones series a 10/10, so the second had a lot to live up to...

Well I'll cut to the chase and say that it did! In many ways it was better, mostly because you started to see the effects of your decisions in the first episode, many of the decisions made in episode one are quite far reaching, indeed, you didn't really see many consequences in the first episode.

In this episode we get to meet Jon Snow! Gared makes it to the wall and after making some friends/enemies we get to go to the top of the wall with the man himself. It is a great rendering of Jon Snow, just as dour as he is in the TV series and I was truly excited when in the trailer for this episode I first got a glimpse of him.

Jon Snow. He knows nothing...

We also got to see a bit more of Mira in King's Landing and see how the choices you made in the first episode effect her life there. Which I think up to now has been one of the most interesting parts of the game. I don't really like Mira though, but there's no mistaking the fact that she is playing in the big leagues with regards to who she can reach out to.

Lord Whitehill makes another appearance at House Forrester, to gloat and be generally horrible. There are many things going on in House Forrester which I won't ruin here, but suffice it to say that it is incredibly interesting.

We also get to play as Asher, the Forrester that was exiled to Essos. Although I don't know how for me really as I chose NOT to send Malcolm to Essos in search of him, maybe I found a glitch? Anyhow I'm not going to complain. Asher is a great character that I feel will really come into his own when or if he makes it back to Westeros.

Asher in Essos. Try saying it drunk.

Reviews for these games are fairly difficult to do, as I really don't want to spoil any of the big surprises for you guys. But, just like in the show, the twists and turns keep coming and it really keeps you on your toes. There is no slacking on this game, with every decision you make you may be endangering the lives of others, and lets be honest its Game of Thrones, you probably are. With each choice that comes I am constantly pressing the corresponding button at the last minute as I desperately struggle to decipher every possible way it could be construed. It's a real thinker and I absolutely love it for that. There have been many Game of Thrones games to date, but none has captured the true spirit of Westeros quite like this one has. If you haven't already got it DO IT. At the time of writing this the whole Telltale Collection is half price on the store, and in my opinion they are five games that you just can't do without!

10/10 BUY IT!

A code was provided for the purpose of this review.

Unmechanical: Extended (Xbox One) - Review

Unmechanical: Extended released on 11th February in Europe and is priced at £7.99. Unmechanical was a game released in 2012 for Windows, and the devs have now seen fit to bring it to the console with a bit of an extension. It features quite possibly the cutest robot ever on its apparent quest to escape from....well somewhere.

This was one of the most intriguing things about Unmechanical: Extended for me, it has literally no dialogue. There is no over-arching plotline. Nothing to guide you on your way, and NO TUTORIAL! Many people have grown sick of the hand holding tutorials within games now, that stop you from getting into the action for what seems like a huge amount of time. Well have no fears with this game, as everything is left for you to figure out, and it's all the better for it.

Cutest robot ever?

As you make your way through the scenery, you come across little puzzles that will unblock that route and allow you to venture forth. These puzzles are simplistic but brilliant, much like the game. There is enough variety that you won't get bored, but at the same time the game never really throes you a huge curveball. With just a little thought these puzzles are quite easily overcome, and this isn't a bad thing - quite the opposite in fact - as it makes for a truly enjoyable experience instead of one marred with frustration at the sometimes silly solutions to the puzzles. we've all been there right?

No Unmechanical:Extended takes puzzle games back to their beautiful basics. The music is relaxing and so so fitting to the overall feel of the game. The lack of story only makes the game MORE interesting, as you attempt to fill in the gaps. Who is this robot? Where is he? Why does he need to escape? The graphics are gorgeous and the extremely simple controls are a pleasure to use. This game is proof that a simple little game can be excellent if done correctly.

Priced at £7.99 I'd say this is very competitively priced (although what happened to indies being <£5!?). Considering the last game I reviewed was also this much I have absolutely no qualms in stating that if you have that amount sitting about then THIS is the game you should get. It is a brilliant experience, and one that you won't regret. For the hardcore gamer it might feel a little slow, but for anyone else I'd say give it a go!

9/10 BUY IT!

A code was provided for the purpose of this review.

Funk of Titans (Xbox One) - Review

Funk of Titans released this week on the Xbox One priced at £7.99/$9.99. Billed as a fast-pace side-scrolling platformer you play Perseus, a guy told by Zeus to go and slay the musical titans that are Pop, Rap and Rock so that Funk can prevail.

To do this you must master the art of 'Funk Fu' which means basically you must be able to time your button presses, on the Xbox One 'A' jumps and 'X' attacks. To get through each level you must basically jump and attack at the right time. And that's it.

Perseus does not stop moving so timing really is everything. You'll find various obstacles in your way, including random fires and spike pits, as well as the weedy little guards. Bounce on their heads a la Mario or cut them up with your weapon the choice is yours...but this is the only choice you have in this game really. And if you're looking for 100% completion you don't even have that. To get 100% on each level you must earn three medals; 'Intactus' (completing the level with your jacket still on), 'Vinylus' (collecting all of the vinyl) and 'Pegasus' (for getting the Pegasus, a wooden horse with a rocket attached). The vinyls will sometimes be resting on an unknowing guards head, therein forcing you to jump on it.

There are some customisation options, but except for some of the weapons (which you will need to unlock certain gates) they offer no difference in gameplay. I would have thought that having a helmet on would you give you one extra hit pint, but that isn't so. If you get hit once then your jacket falls off. Get hit again and you die and can retry from the very beginning of the level. There are no checkpoints, which usually I wouldn't miss given that the levels are so short, but they are so dull that having to go from the beginning again honestly feels torturous.

Getting the Pegasus from each level grants you a 'Flappy Bird'-esque level in which Perseus flies on his Pegasus and tries to collect coins and most of all, not crash. The whole game just feels like a fish-mash of non-original ideas. The 'Titan' levels are a dance off between Perseus and the Titan of that level. You watch them do a dance and then you press buttons to complete your dance. There is no rhythm in these button presses - they just pop up in the position they are in on the controller randomly. I mean you have to press them before they disappear but for a music game this should really have been a more timed event. Something scrolling along the bottom I feel would have been much better, where you have to hit the button at the right time, and most importantly in time with the music to progress.

Graphically the game is pretty nice and the music would have been great...if it didn't repeat quite so much. The controls, whilst nothing new, do work well and are responsive. The game has clearly been made well, it is just the idea of it that I can't get behind.

I feel awful slamming this game, I really do. I wanted to like it. I always want to support indie devs, but I can't recommend this game. It should have been a mobile game. But saying that, that market is so saturated with games like this that Funk of Titans maybe wouldn't have gotten the recognition it deserves on that format. It would have worked wonderfully there though the price point would have had to drastically change on mobile devices for it to ever get a look in. As it stands I think this game will flounder somewhat in the competitive console market, and whilst it's priced at £7.99 I believe it is just too high to just take a punt on.

4/10 SKIP IT!

A code was provided for the purpose of this review.

How to Survive: Storm Warning Edition (Xbox One) - Review

How To Survive was released on last gen consoles around a year ago and was a game I was pretty intrigued by. I never got around to getting it though, and when I heard about the plans to release it on the Xbox One I waited it out so that I could play it on my nice shiny new console.

For the new gen console they've bundled it with all the DLC and named it How To Survive: Storm Warning Edition. This adds some pretty fun new modes, including the AMAZING One-Shot Escape mode. This mode gives you just one chance (duh!) to fix a vehicle and get your ass off of the island. Supplies are randomised and pretty scarce so this game mode is pretty stressful but a LOT of fun. Another mode added to the game is Barricade, which is like a horde mode - spend the day gathering supplies and try and survive the night.

I don't know whether I'd eat these fish?!

I am a huge fan of the open world zombie games. State of Decay is my all-time favourite and I cannot wait until it is released on the Xbox One. I did expect How To Survive game to come up short in comparison, but it really doesn't. I'm not a big fan of the asymmetric viewpoint in How To Survive, but this game gives us a robust crafting and upgrade system and its piece de resistance? Its CO-OP!

Yes, as you all know I am always keen to find some good co-op games for my partner and I to play and How To Survive delivers this brilliantly. It is this, and probably this alone really, that puts How To Survive above State of Decay in my estimations. For me State of Decay is screaming out for co-op, as are all open world Zombie games really. Who wants to face the Zombie apocalypse alone?!

The horde is coming...

The fact is though that How to Survive does deliver on almost every front. I have to admit that the biggest drawback from this game for me is just the asymmetric viewpoint. I find that these detract from the tension of the game a little, especially in this genre. Asymmetric to me always feels a little cheap, which I understand is a terribly ignorant thing to say, but it is just my opinion. If this had been third or first person it would easily have gotten 10/10 from me as at its core is a fantastic survival game where every decision counts.

The skills trees are great!

The crafting system, as I mentioned before, is really good and there is a great skills tree for you to work your way up to. I love these elements to the game. The characters are all well-thought out too, they are well-balanced and each have their own clear qualities, making playing with a friend a little more tactical - there's no point both of you going for a weak but fast person really is there?

Overall I think this game is a great addition to the Xbox One roster. It's good fun (especially the two modes mentioned earlier) and is a really easy game to pick up and play, even it's just for ten minutes. There are a few things I'd  change with it if I had the power, but it's pretty damn good as it is. Go buy it people!

8/10 BUY IT!

A code was provided for the purpose of this review.

Game of Thrones Episode One (Xbox One) - Review

Ethan - House Forresters 'Little Lord'

I have been eagerly awaiting this game since its announcement, which feels like ages ago! I am a huge fan of both Game of Thrones and basically any game Telltale have released. I love what they do with each universe, and the first episode of their new Game of Thrones series is no different.

You play as various members of the House Forrester, as well as the Lord's squire, Gared. The game starts off at the Red Wedding(!) and seeing as the House Forrester have been loyal Stark banner men for centuries, you can guess it isn't going to go well...

You didn't get to see much of Tyrion Lannister *sob*

Now that's where the spoilers begin and end from me. I won't go into the story too much, as it will be much better experienced naturally when you decide to pick up the game (which you will!). I did stream it on my Twitch channel (http://www.twitch.tv/danniekitten) and will be doing another play through making different decisions in the her future. So keep an eye on my Twitter to see when that is happening.

In this first episode you play as three people...Gared the squire, Ethan the 'Little Lord' and Mira - Ethan's sister who is in Kings Landing with Maergery Tyrell. This playing as multiple characters was something I didn't think would bring much to the table in all honesty, but it pans out great. With each decision you make as one character the game is forcing you to think about how that may effect the rest of the House Forrester. It really does feel true to the Game of Thrones experience. Theres something I did playing as Mira that hasn't had an affect yet, so I am very eager toe ee when that will come back into play, and probably bite me in the ass!

Ramsay Snow and Lord Whitehill

There are many moments in this short episode (completed in about 2hr 30 mins) that are completely jaw-dropping and I was definitely not ready for the episode to end when it did - much like the television series! The pacing of it is great, the graphics are exactly what you would expect from the brilliant Telltale and the characters you meet from the show are brilliant! Cersei and Ramsay in particular are instantly recognisable and just as nasty as they are in the show!

My one criticism for this game is that it just wasn't long enough. I want more, much more and the wait for the next episode is going to kill me. I could have seen more of Tyrion too, because why the hell would you not want to?! And given that this game series takes place between the Red Wedding and the upcoming Season Five I do wonder how much of him we are going to see....

Queen Bitch...I mean Cersei

If you are a fan of Game of Thrones then this should already be downloading! If you're not then I do question your mental health but I can honestly whole-heartedly still recommend this game. It has enough nods to the series to keep a die hard fan happy, but you don't necessarily have to watch the show to be able to enjoy the game. It is a stand alone story which doesn't have an effect on the show, it gives us an entirely new family never seen before in the show so try it and you never know, maybe you'll like the show too. At any rate I think everyone should be buying this game! Buy it and buy it now!

10/10 BUY IT!

A code was provided for the purpose of this review.