Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Review

Vivid colors and hyperactive gameplay make for quite a game

By: Ryan Ramakrishnan

Reviewed on Xbox One

Vibrant, fast-paced and a joy to play, “Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2” is as fun as its predecessors, despite some over-bloating in its gameplay.

The last time I played “Pac-Man,” it was the black and white Game Boy version and that, like all of the classic Namco Bandai “Pac-Man” games is pure fun, even in its simplicity. The formula was never broke but Pac-Man: Championship Edition (2007) did find a way to make it even better. Its sequel comes packed with plenty of bright colors, fast-moving, frantic gameplay and exciting challenges, making for a solid “Pac-Man” experience for old fans and newcomers alike; however, it is admittedly a bit overwhelming at times. 

Story

“Pac-Man” has never needed a story and fortunately, “Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2” doesn’t shoehorn one in.

Gameplay

Collecting pellets, avoiding ghosts, moving on to harder mazes and aiming for top scores has always been the heart and soul of the classic “Pac-Man” games. This iteration mixes it up quite a bit. Results are generally entertaining and worthwhile but at times, I couldn’t help but miss the standard, safe formula of yesteryear’s “Pac-Man.”

Fortunately however, the many twists and turns “Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2” come with make for some exhilarating and smart maze design and challenge alike.

Perhaps the biggest standout to the old school “Pac-Man” games is that ghosts aren’t one hit kills on contact. “Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2” allows for multiple hits on the ghosts before they more or less enter a rage mode in which they can kill you and will certainly try to. As you progress, the amount of ghosts will increase, though never increasing on the traditional four.

There are also plenty of other ghosts present in the mazes. These green ghosts are asleep and will wake up and disappear when you traverse nea them. The interesting idea is how they are harmless but tag on to the lethal ghosts to give them both more of a threatening line but also a better chance of high score for you. Once you powerup, it is time to eat those ghosts, in which you hope you can consume more thanks to having woken them up in the first place.

Some ideas like an instant bomb jump to get you back to the starting location of the level shake up the formula and are fun aspects of the fast-paced gameplay. I found this move to be perfect for tactical moments like when I was about out of time or in close danger.

The score attack mode sees you going through several mazes with increasing difficulty for the sake of getting high scores, which is of course the general goal of “Pac-Man.”

“Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2” has plenty of levels in the adventure mode. Each area comes with ten levels, alongside higher difficulty options, and a boss fight. The game tackled boss fights with lots of pellets and fruits to collect on a high pressuring time limit, alongside all four ghosts in full attack mode. The term “boss fight” is used loosely, as these levels just feel more like regular mazes with higher stakes and not so much an actual boss fight.

The maze design oftentimes varies from very simple, straightforward to large-scale and obstacle heavy levels. Thanks to tight corridors, ghosts galore and tons of obstacles, “Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2” can be blatantly stressful but ultimately with the reward of success and plenty of fun.

Graphics

Namco Bandai created a visually appealing game in “Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2” with bright colors and eye-popping on-screen actions. With every subsequent maze and power-up, the game features some of the most vibrant, colorful visuals the series has ever seen. I found this artistic style to be really cool and welcoming, especially in comparison to tat of the standard “Pac-Man” games.
Sound
Like the visuals, the music of “Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2” is executed very nicely. The techno-inspired, fast-paced and ultimately exhilarating tracks are ever-changing with each level. “Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2's levels dynamically use the music, as each level seems to play faster music alongside the faster challenges and time limits alike. I truly found the music to be memorable and incredibly fitting for the gameplay.

Content
Naturally, the endless loop of getting the best high scores is still very-much-so the incentive to keep playing “Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2.” Whether you are playing adventure mode or score attack, there are plenty of levels, each with many difficulties, this is not a small package for the self-competitive. Of course, if you aren’t into getting better scores or three stars on levels, “Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2” will come off as a small package; however, I don’t believe this a game people would play anyway if they aren’t into such gameplay.
Conclusion
With consistent entertainment and challenge in the many mazes of “Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2,” it was instant fun. I found myself growing more and more competitive, further justifying my purchase of the title. Unfortunately the complexity of the gameplay mechanics made it feel a bit overwhelming and less satisfying at times. Overall “Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2” is however a solid game for its vivid color palette and visuals and exhilarating soundtrack coupled with purely fun gameplay.

What are your high scores? Do you like the vibrant, neon art style? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

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God of War 3 Remastered Review

High-octane action makes this PlayStation 3 hit worth a revisit for fans and newcomers alike 

By: Ryan Ramakrishnan 

Reviewed on PlayStation 4 

Hacking and slashing both the most royal of Greek gods and abominable of mythical monsters made “God of War 3” one of the most satisfying games on the PlayStation 3; “God of War 3 Remastered” is just as fun while simultaneously taking advantage of the graphical fidelity of its new home on the PlayStation 4.

“God of War” is a franchise I hold near and dear with PlayStation memories and in conjunction with my favorite action games so picking the remastered version up on the PlayStation 4 was always a no-brainer. For returning fans, if you have the money to dish out, it's hard to deny the exciting thrills the game came with. With gorgeous visuals thanks to the power the remastered version is allotted, “God of War 3” is as much of an exhilarating and over the top hack and slash joyride as ever. Newcomers should put the story aside, despite it being relatively interesting, to still take in the thrill of every screen-encapsulating boss fight and bloody rage-filled combo that few games capture in the vein of “God of War 3.”

Story
The events that unfold in “God of War,” “God of War 2” and the other two spinoffs and prequel make for a lengthy story, spanning multiple platforms. The narrative that “God of War 3” offers will be nothing short of confusing for newcomers; however, with a visit to YouTube for a recap of what happened prior, the inaccessible games’ stories should be relatively easy to take in.

After uncovering the fact that Zeus, already meeting him in a previous encounter, is his father, the anti-hero Kratos seeks revenge upon him. The Spartan warrior goes head to head with a majority of the Greek pantheon in previous installments, oftentimes brutally fighting them to the death. “God of War 3” is no different. The ultimate goal of Kratos’s is to take Zeus down but needs Pandora's Box to make it happen. What lies in the box and its relevance, the conclusion of Kratos’s adventure, as well as the other Greek gods in the past and present all come together full circle by the end.

“God of War 3's” story isn't incredibly compelling all the way through but the plot points surrounding Kratos’s inner demons and the fight against his higher-ups and once-loved ones alike make for an interesting ride through a seemingly shallow character. With no experience with the predecessors in the series, “God of War 3” will likely be too hard or un-interesting to follow but it does do a fine job at wrapping up a trilogy and then some.

Gameplay
Kratos is a versatile fighter with four main weapons and plenty of skills to boot. With an instant tap of the d-pad, Kratos’s weapons can easily switch back and forth, allowing for some fun variety during combat, as well as a necessary switch up for particular foes.

The combat of “God of War 3 Remastered” should be familiar to fans of the series for its trademark hack and slash gameplay. Newcomers should expect fast-paced action, admittedly akin to button mashing. Combos are still nonetheless able to come by, especially once you switch between weapons and use other skills and abilities. The combat is genuinely exhilarating to partake in thanks to the epic nature of “God of War 3.” Whether you are balancing the heavy and light weapons alike while shooting arrows and sending a cerberus after your foes or tanking in the temporarily invincible “Rage of Sparta” ability, there is never a dull moment.

As it was in the original PlayStation 3 version, “God of War 3 Remastered” boasts a fixed camera angle. This looks fine until you lose track of Kratos in all the action. It is interesting to compare “God of War 3” to action games of recent years in this department, as they don’t seem to have the same, occasionally frustrating camera.

“God of War 3” has chests to find, giving you access to upgrades. After collecting three of each orb, blue for magic and green for health respectively, a boost in each department will be provided. Red orbs can be farmed through each and every encounter and act as the game’s experience points, effectively currency for upgrading weapons and abilities. “God of War 3’s” several weapons, skills and abilities can become quite pricey to upgrade with time so players will have the opportunity to focus on whichever they see fit.

Platforming in “God of War 3 Remastered” is more or less jumping and gliding across large platforms. In the same manner as it was on the PlayStation 3, this platforming aspect of the game never felt as good as an actual platforming title, feeling a bit off with each jump.

Always playing a role in the gameplay of the “God of War” franchise, “God of War 3” has puzzle design using moving platforms, precise timing and a select few special items and abilities. These puzzles are generally fair and not overly complicated yet do at times get you thinking due to some pretty intuitive puzzle design. It is interesting to include this in the otherwise fast-paced action game but certainly far from the most entertaining part.

A key part in many of the boss fights and cinematic encounters, “God of War 3 Remastered” and its PlayStation 4 up-haul may make quick time events looks marvelous but these are rarely ideal in comparison to the rest of what the gameplay entails. Sometimes these quick time events result in something exhilarating and overthetop in the most glorious way possible, others make your thumb hurt and make you wish you could just sit back and watch the cinematic boss fight conclude without so much player input.

Graphics
Thanks to an upgrade to 1080p and 60fps, “God of War 3 Remastered” runs very smooth and looks quite nice, especially given the fact that the original title came out in 2010. Everything from lighting and shadow effects to every boss and wall crumbling down come with beautiful visuals for a remaster, using the PlayStation 4’s power to great effect.

Sound
An epic score perfectly complements the action of “God of War 3.” The high-octane enemy encounters, boss fights and overall epic scale of the game The music adds to the epic nature of every fight and every aspect of Kratos's journey.

Elsewhere, the sound design of “God of War 3 Remastered” consists of non-stop action or yelling, plenty of yelling. When Kratos is not raging on about this or that god, you’ll hear the natural sounds of the action. Whether it is the weapons Kratos wields doing what they’re designed to do or enemies being torn apart, the fighting gets as loud as it is exhilarating to partake in. Unfortunately, the aforementioned music of “God of War 3” doesn’t get its limelight as much as it deserves, as it is oftentimes overshadowed by everything your ear picks up in this hyperactive game.

Content
“God of War 3 Remastered” doesn't come with anything new in terms of content. With no post-game content or previously released DLC in existence, “God of War 3’s” roughly 10 hour run is fair but seems in short in comparison to this generation’s open-ended experiences and sandboxes alike. The adventure is nothing short of entertaining but you will likely not be visiting Ancient Greece once the credits roll.

Conclusion
Come the end of Kratos’s glorious conquest, I was nothing short of satisfied with the action-packed 10 hour experience I chose to revisit. The PlayStation 4’s power allows “God of War 3 Remastered” to hold up fairly well among the plentiful new age exclusives on the platform. With an epic scale in every sense of the word and score to complement every intense and brutal moment, “God of War 3 Remastered” is every bit worth the experience of brutal hack and slash combat and boss fights for action fans. With no knowledge of the previous storyline, “God of War 3 Remastered” may not make the most sense, but e even as a series fan, my second playthrough of “God of War 3” via this remaster was every bit exhilarating and thrilling as it was last generation.

What was your favorite boss fight? Will you miss the Greek mythology of “God of War” in future installments? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Stick it to the Man Review

A comical adventure like no other

By: Ryan Ramakrishnan

Reviewed on PlayStation 4

“Stick it to the Man” tells an entertaining story filled with charming characters and writing.

My time with “Stick it to the Man” consisted of plenty of laughs and genuine smiles on my face thanks to the adventure game’s solid writing and puzzle platforming design. With ideas like reading minds and moving stickers around to help those around you, I have never played such a bizarre but lovely game. “Stick it to the Man” is overall quite memorable.

Story
The protagonist, Ray Doewood is a standard construction worker, whose average life gets flipped upside down after falling into a coma thanks to a blunt object striking him. Ray wakes up finding a long spaghetti arm sticking right out of his head. The pink arm and its big hand allows Ray to move objects in the world around him and attach them to other people or objects in the form of stickers. Thanks to that and the ability to now read minds, the mob goes after Ray. The Man, a shady figure never seen outside of silhouettes, is their leader, who simply wants Ray’s spaghetti arm and its powers. Ray ultimately finds himself with a main goal of finding his girlfriend Arlene but also to figure out what exactly his situation means.

I loved “Stick it to the Man’s” writing; it allows side characters be quirky and ever-so entertaining to listen to and interact with. Plenty of the NPCs offer some good laughs and even an emotional moment or two. By the end of “Stick it to the Man,” I met Elvis Presley, Santa Claus, a gangster who wanted to impress a girl with shiny teeth, a ghost of a psychiatric, a womanizing army general and so many more along the way.

Gameplay
What I like about the gameplay is how it supports the story heavily. With that spaghetti arm, Ray can read the minds of just about every character around him. The other big aspect of this arm is the power to grab stickers and place them elsewhere. Both concepts help progress the main story in addition to side plots.

“Stick it to the Man” sets up its levels in a Metroidvania aspect, where you will find out what an NPC needs, help them out and then their unintentional reward (in the form of a new sticker) will allow you to help another out. One character will need something to solve their struggle, oftentimes a silly or minuscule problem. A sticker will pop up, allowing you to grab it. You will then figure out how that sticker can come in handy for someone else. This chain of events eventually gets you to your goal or destination. Some stickers will trigger events with outcomes varying from logical to ridiculous. I thought “Stick it to the Man’s” storytelling benefited greatly from this system of favors, as well as making each task feel worthwhile.

There is a system of traveling between checkpoints, allowing you to swing around. This is generally for the platform-heavy sections. The responsive platforming isn’t incredibly difficult but what is fun is the moments where you are tested to not be caught by mobsters. Earlier on, they simply chase you but with time, it got more difficult. Whether it was using a sticker to disguise an enemy as yourself or to put one asleep, there are some cool choices in these sections. That difficulty spike and clever sticker usage-stealth combination was very welcomed but came and went all too fast, as this gameplay aspect was very-much-so taking backseat.

Fortunately, “Stick it to the Man” provides checkpoints regularly. A Mr. Copy Machine is the checkpoint system that literally draws a copy of yourself. Being stunned by mob guards or falling down a hole between platforms are the manners of death, which is ultimately not a huge part of the gameplay experience.

Graphics
An overall charming game, “Stick it to the Man” uses a paper-like aesthetic to add to that charm. Every character and object looks great in its simple but unique design. It sort of resembles the likes of “Psychonauts” and “Paper Mario,” both of which create something delightful.

Sound
Noire vibes and jazz tunes create the perfect atmosphere for the setting and overall tone that “Stick it to the Man” goes for.

Superb voice acting makes the witty writing all the better. Ray, as well as Arlene, The Man, and plenty others all come with many lines of memorable dialogue. The charming writing opens for both interesting and hilariously entertaining conversations and thoughts to listen to. Even the most random characters with the least amount of screen time have good enough voice acting to make them stand out colorfully.

Content
“Stick it to the Man” doesn’t do much to keep you going after you complete the narrative. There are a multitude of minds to read, and with that, you have several tasks to accomplish as well. If you don’t wish to get the associated trophies or achievements, the incentive is probably not there. Even so, “Stick it to the Man’s” 100% completion won’t run you more than five or so hours so it’s not by any means daunting nor is it heavy in content.

Conclusion
With visuals and vibes reminiscent of the wondrous adventure games from Tim Shaffer, “Stick it to the Man” is delightfully bizarre and entertaining to watch unfold. Playing as a puzzle platformer, occasionally a stealth game and an overall laid back and interesting adventure game, “Stick it to the Man” is a unique, hilarious and charming story dying to be experienced.

Did you read every mind? What did you think about the unique gameplay? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Mad Max Review

A post-apocalyptic playground chock full of brutal vehicular and melee combat alike

By: Ryan Ramakrishnan

Reviewed on Xbox One

Thanks to a beautifully crafted wasteland, violent combat, both in vehicles and on foot and a bevy of vehicles to test your skills in, “Mad Max” is one of the most fun open world games I have spent my time with this console generation.

Thanks to “Mad Max: Fury Road,” the George Miller-directed action film brought the franchise back to relevance. Just a few months after, the developers behind the “Just Cause” series brought another glorious action game to the table. “Mad Max” is an open world game as well. Like their previous work, Avalanche Studios provides many instances of high-octane action and excitement. The combat is brutally satisfying, particularly whilst driving. “Mad Max’s” story is nothing short of interesting, on paper, but it does often take a backseat to the rest of the game’s offerings.


Story

You are Max Rockatansky, once a highway patrol officer but now living in new world, a wasteland where you can trust nobody, a world where resources are scarce. Max has to tread across the post-apocalyptic Australia to get back what's his, a V8 interceptor, stolen by a group of warboys. Their leader is Scrotus, far too powerful for Max at first. This leads him and his doh on an adventure through the wasteland in search of new parts and resources to evolve and survive with the hand they’re dealt.

Long story short, Max, with the help of a mechanic he meets, Chumbucket, fights his way through plenty of ruthless factions in hopes of their own survival, all to get back what’s his and prove his worth.

Max himself lacks the intrigue at times but by the end, I sort of felt for him. He went through hell and ultimately was thrown both into a world where everything is out to get him but also into a story where he wants some sort of vengeance for a close death. I found Max’s personal journey to be interesting as a whole but every time we got a lot of story, I couldn’t help but want to get right back to gameplay.

“Mad Max” does a fairly good job at world-building. We get to see people walking around, dying for water, camps being run by only a select few tough enough to take over and the pure sense of survival in a world where that is anything but easy.

I ultimately just wish the plot was better crafted overall to keep me engaged with the interesting and emotional moments few and far between.

Gameplay
The Magnum Opus is your main vehicle, upgradable and customizable to your liking. Personally, the use of the Magnum Opus is what made my time with “Mad Max” stand out the most, for the better that is. Whether you wish to invest in better armor for defense or you desire an offensive vehicle, “Mad Max’” vehicle customization has you covered; however, it isn’t overly deep. With time, your Magnum Opus does in fact become quite the beast and will leave you feeling more than a little overpowered, easily my favorite part of the game.

Like his vehicle, Max himself can be customized to your liking. This is more or less limited to the choice of a beard, bandanna or goggles in any combination. Some non-cosmetic aspects of Max do get upgraded though; these upgrades don’t have much of a variety for choice, as they are simply just improving upon the last with no stat declines.

The main draw for “Mad Max” is its vehicular combat. Fast and intense, this combat is done with your Magnum Opus but other vehicles aren’t out of reach either. You can hop into any enemy vehicles. Unfortunately the vehicles that aren’t your own Magnum Opus are limited to offensive attacks.

Actions like a shotgun, the Thunderpoon, a rocket launcher-like weapon, a harpoon and side-burners are available to use at any time when driving for taking enemies out. This makes for a great time; I personally found launching the Thunderpoon at oncoming or escaping vehicles an instant kill loaded with instant satisfaction. Vehicular combat also includes the likes of ramming, whether straight into or on the side. After picking up speed, you can do some solid damage to less defensive enemy vehicles with a simple press of a button.

Healing in “Mad Max” isn’t natural; you will have to pick up food or drink from your canteen to regain health. Resources are few and far between so if you’re anything like me, you’ll find yourself doing everything in your power to avoid taking a hit.

When on foot, Max partakes in hand to hand combat, borrowing heavily from the likes of other Warner Bros. titles like that of the “Batman Arkham” series. “Mad Max” plays it out slower but each heavy punch is nothing short of satisfying. The combat lets you get light hits or a heavier hit by holding the melee button. You will also roll around and parry hits with a perfectly timed button press. Enemies of course come in different variations; some have shields in need of breaking, while others will sprint towards you in an unparryable rage. Fortunately, you can also pick up these melee weapons and allow them to be even more violent in execution. There are also melee weapons that you can pick up from enemies to use against them, as well as shivs, perfect for a quick execution.

Max has access to a shotgun at all times. It is able to be shot with a quick button press that will aim automatically but is also able to manually aimed, both while driving and on foot.

I found the general movement in “Mad Max” to be a little clunky at times. While Max could run, it never felt very fast and the ability to jump didn’t mean much, as it is a very small jump, rarely even able to scale the environment.

Mad Max's mission structure will turn people away if they’ve been drained of open world games like Ubisoft’s. Personally, I didn’t at launch, and still do not today have that open world fatigue so the world of “Mad Max” was one I was all for exploring and wasting time in. The wasteland is full of snipers, minefields and more to take care of in between story missions. Activities like burning fuel depots, taking down convoys and killing top dogs of camps all make for a good time, both on foot and behind the wheel, thanks to the engaging combat and ugly beauty of the world.

Graphics
The wasteland of “Mad Max” is surprisingly beautiful. I found the environments and locales of the desolate world to look very good. Avalanche Studios certainly put a lot of work into making an open world full of nothing into one of great appeal. Some locations and moments I had in “Mad Max” left me wanting nothing more than to take a picture. Fortunately for gamers like myself, there is a photo mode. Altering things like basic filters to exposure and contrast allow you to craft stunning pictures of what the savage world of “Mad Max” has to offer.

Of course, I can’t ignore the fact that this game comes with a few glitches. I ended up having to close the game a few times thanks to myself getting stuck in a room, unable to move, as the room’s textures weren’t even there. The game also chugged during some instances of combat with a lot of enemies on screen coupled with explosions and more.

Sound
With a great deal of yelling and the sounds of vehicle engines, combat and more taking center stage, the music of “Mad Max,” while certainly not bad, never stood out all that much, getting lost in the background.

Overall, the voice acting was quite good in “Mad Max.” The game has many characters here and there in addition to the main cast of Max and Chumbucket. The voice acting was delivered well enough to really establish the personalities of each character.

In terms of sound in this game, it was the aforementioned vehicle engines and what not that made an impact. The melee combat was made more brutal with every punch or kick thanks to the sounds of it all coming off as very raw. The same can be said for the explosions you cause and shots you fire from the shotgun, sniper rifle or Thunderpoon. Revving my Magnum Opus engine and taking off at high speeds with continuous boosts made for some of the most satisfying sounds of my “Mad Max” experience, some of which may top that of even supercars in traditional driving games.

Content
What personally kept me playing Mad Max was the open world's checklist of things to conquer, collect and destroy. Many people today will argue this is a flaw due to the repetition in what must be done being admittedly generic at times. A complaint “Assassins Creed” has come to get, I don’t per se find this to be a problem with “Mad Max.” There are multiple regions in the world and each comes with a multitude of things to take care of, most of which allow you to get the most out of the entertaining gameplay. I'm the type of person who won't leave an area until I have all the collectibles gotten and can see 100% on each location. There is a good feeling of satisfaction that comes with each 100% completion.

Conclusion
I wanted the story of a post-apocalyptic wasteland full of despair and the struggle to survive among the rest to be my motivation for completing “Mad Max.” While the story had some powerful moments and interesting character along the way, it was the gameplay that kept me along for the ride. “Mad Max” doesn’t execute it’s plot and character development nearly enough to stand out among the plot heavy games of today. Fortunately, what does succeed, at least for me, was the violent combat. Both on the road and against other vehicles and on foot in hand to hand combat, “Mad Max” has a brutal and satisfying combat system. Top that with a visually appealing wasteland and “Mad Max” is a joyous open world game worth your time.

Did you enjoy the vehicular or melee combat more? Did you complete everything the wasteland had to offer? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands Review

An ambitious, entertaining world held back by repetition.

By: Ryan Ramakrishnan 

Reviewed on Xbox One

With a massive open world in Bolivia and a seemingly wide array of weapon choice and variety, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands is greatly ambitious; however, thanks to some glitches and repetitive mission structure, it isn't all it could be.

I went into Wildlands with a lot of hope because of the world it was presenting me. The idea of a huge drug cartel being taken down, one by one picking off the drug lords and saving Bolivia sounded like a blast. I did have a good time in the end. The shooting was fun, the levels were open to creativity in execution and the map's size screamed hours on end of entertainment. It unfortunately suffered from a lot of oddly similar levels. They started fresh but grew repetitive too quickly. I also found the story to be awesome on paper but was never told in a compelling manner. This is an extremely enjoyable world to play in, despite some issues.

Story
Ubisoft Paris presents a fairly interesting plot. You take the role of a "Ghost,” an elite special operations unit of the US Army with the goal of taking down the Santa Blanca drug cartel in Bolivia.

The Kataris 26, a group of rebels, will aid you along the way, all sharing the same goal. Alongside the rival cartel of Santa Blanca, you also have to deal with the Unidad, Bolivia’s military police. Between the massive cartel and Unidad, as well as the many bosses of Santa Blanca, there is an ever-present feeling of fear and danger around every corner.

The Santa Blanca drug cartel comes off as frightening, as they should. Even the lower tier bosses of Santa Blanca offer reasons to loathe them. As I said previously, I found “Ghost Recon: Wildlands” plot to be really interesting. Ubisoft Paris delivers in some ways, yet simultaneously fails to provide the exciting plot they present in marketing and concept.

Moving up to each progressively more prominent member of the Santa Blanca cartel comes with stories of each of them, some of where they are coming from, others of what their next move is. I found them to be a mixed bag, whereas some of the cartel members were very dangerous and scary, truly attention grabbing. Others weren’t per se a threat or just failed to come with interesting cutscenes and plot points.

The main antagonist of the cartel is El Sueño and he is presented a force to be reckoned with. The lead up to El Sueño can feel so long, thanks in part to the large-scale map and mission design, that the drive to take out the final threat gets lost on the way. By the time I was ready to face El Sueño, I had already been burned out by the amount of cartel bosses, ranging from interesting to forgettable. The final meeting with El Sueño, as well as the character as a whole, make for some compelling character moments and storytelling.

The problem with the aforementioned moments of quality in the story of “Ghost Recon: Wildlands” is the execution. It is oftentimes hit or miss and there is a lot of filler in the story. If you took the plot points and interesting characters of the cartel and broke it down to simplify the seemingly drawn out plot, “Ghost Recon: Wildlands” would be a concise and interesting story worth your attention all in all.

Gameplay

Until it grows repetitive, the gameplay of “Ghost Recon: Wildlands” provides plenty of fun to be had in the open world.

Similar to other Tom Clancy games of the series yet far less tactical, “Ghost Recon: Wildlands” is a third person shooter, though its gunplay can be executed from a first person perspective. I found the first person shooting to make every kill, loud and tactical alike, immensely satisfying, as well as easier to pull off as opposed to third person.

There is an incredibly hefty amount of guns to choose from. Plenty of assault rifles, machine guns and sniper rifles alike are available for your choosing. Play styles can be further explored personally with attachments and other weapons like frag grenades and C4.

Unfortunately, even with the weapon variety and choice, I realized I was more than comfortable and ready for anything with the loadout I chose fairly early on. The game doesn’t do a whole lot to give you reason for varying your loadouts.

You’ll never be taking on missions alone in “Ghost Recon: Wildlands;” however, with the questionable A.I. you may wish to. The game gives you three allied “ghosts” and they help take down enemies on command or when attacked. These squadmates can pull of a sync shot, which impressively allows you to mark up to three enemies anywhere in range of your drone’s deep sight and than watch them get shot down in an instant. While bizarre and unrealistic, I ultimately took full advantage of the sync shot, especially in tightly concealed and heavily guarded areas where stealth was encouraged or required.

Should you choose to invite friends into the game or join their own, you can cooperatively play through everything the world has to offer.

Exploring all of Bolivia can be daunting due to its large scale but there is a multitude of vehicles to tread both land and sea. It's hard to traverse through any towns and settlements, bases or camps in the world without stumbling upon a bike, car, truck or helicopter.

Driving isn’t perfect, as handling on-road vehicles makes for some uneasy turns and length drives with hazards but it is pretty enjoyable to pick up speed and go for a fast drive nonetheless. I particularly found the motorcycles to be the quickest and most fun vehicles to get behind.

“Ghost Recon: Wildlands” provides a drone to scope out any given area. This is a handy tool to use for marking enemies, which can oftentimes be impossible to see without its assistance. The drone is also used for dropping EMP’s, explosives and more, as well as for marking targets for sync shots. With upgrades, the drone’s battery and range are pretty powerful and this lead me to have it out anytime there were enemies in the area.

Certainly inspired by “Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain,” the level design is very open, allowing you to approach things head on or silently. Much of the game’s missions are often best taken on stealthily and the game’s large bases and silenced weapons at your disposal make this a viable and thrilling option. Of course, enemy camps and bases can be tackled with loud, fast and heavy weapons as well. As previously mentioned, there are plenty of guns to choose from. All this and more make the mission structure a whole lot of fun. It is just unfortunate that it grows repetitive with time.

Graphics

Bolivia is wonderfully realized. The world design is crafted with a variety of biomes and beautiful settings to behold. Opening the map of “Ghost Recon: Wildlands” and then zooming out quickly gave me anxiety. It is massive. Fortunately, every drive, mountain ride and flight I took in Bolivia came with stunning sights.

The A.I. at times came with technical issues noticeable by eye. I found my three allied “ghosts” walking through surfaces, temporarily disappearing or showing up randomly in a vehicle or by my side. These minor glitches aren’t by any means game breaking yet are so incredibly prevalent in the game.

Sound

Standing out for all the wrong reasons, “Ghost Recon: Wildlands” has a great deal of repetitive dialogue coming from your squadmates. The “ghosts” you play with, as well as your own character, repeat the same cliche and downright corny statements, they repeat conversations and generally fail to have interesting or varied dialogue. What stood out for all the wrong reasons instantly was the repetitive dialogue from my squad mates.

Content

With an entire cartel to take down and a map larger than anything Ubisoft has given gamers yet, “Ghost Recon: Wildlands” is no small game. I have sunk in upwards of 70 hours with plenty of side missions and cartel bosses to kill. Similar to their other open world games, players who dislike the nature of completing a checklist map in Ubisoft titles will be quickly turned away by not only the map size but also the amount of missions that go into story progress and completion.

Conclusion

If you can look past the frustrating nature of repetition in both dialogue, mission structure and overall gameplay, “Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands” is a greatly entertaining open world game, especially alongside friends. The gunplay and exploration of the stunning Bolivia made for some enjoyable experiences. The compelling plot is ultimately executed with both ups and downs. That, like the gameplay and world itself make “Ghost Recon: Wildlands” a highly ambitious title, one that lacks a lot of its highest potential but also provides hours of personalized, exciting combat and exploration of a gorgeous world run by a drug cartel of nightmare.

Did you take down the entire Santa Blanca drug cartel? Did you play with the A.I. or with friends? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Contrast Review

A creative, aesthetically pleasing adventure

By: Ryan Ramakrishnan

Reviewed on PlayStation 4

“Contrast” is an entertaining journey through the vivid imagination of a young girl combined with a fresh take on puzzle platforming.

All presented gorgeously in a uniquely stylish Paris, France, “Contrast’s” visuals make it an instant standout. Thanks to a fresh concept of switching between 2D and 3D, as well as using shadows to your advantage to solve puzzles, “Contrast” is a charming game worth checking out.Story
At first glance, the premise is shrouded in mystery. You take on the role of Dawn but the catch is she is an imaginary friend of a girl named Didi. We see Didi’s mother go out late at night to pursue her dreams of making a career in the jazz-centric music industry. Her husband had been out of the picture for some time but “Contrast” presents him as a caring man in hopes to rejoin his family; however, thanks to his association with bad crowds, Didi’s mother couldn't be less accepting.

The relationships between both Didi and her parents, as well as with you, Dawn, are both executed so finely, creating a sense of realism, all of which help create a sweet, engaging story.

With the exceptions of the lead characters, Dawn and Didi, the cast is never seen outside of silhouettes. These characters do however manage to become identifiable and leave a mark thanks to the game’s execution of an interesting narrative.

Didi, rightfully so steals the show. She is adorable, innocent and bears a big heart. Didi’s sense of wonder and excitement make her a pleasantly charming character to follow.

Gameplay
“Contrast” is a puzzle platformer that does things in a unique fashion by using shadows. Acting as a literal shadow, you will find yourself blending in and out of the game’s many walls and surfaces.

Otherwise, you can perform a jump, a dash and basic platformer maneuvers to get around and make your way through the puzzles.

“Contrast’s” puzzles are always designed with shadows in mind. Whether it is moving a headlight to open a space to walk across or pushing an object in or out of sight to reveal new shadows for your advantage. A lot of it calls for moving objects around, some on the floor and other atop, that reveal shadows in different areas to come to your advantage.

Fortunately, story progressions plays alongside the gameplay. Dawn is more or less the only one capable of completing the puzzles thanks to her acrobatic figure so Didi reaches out to her imaginary friend to progress the story and solve the game’s many tasks.

With time, some of the puzzles feel all too familiar, resulting in the impression of a lack of originality, despite that not being the case.

The puzzle platformer isn’t without its flaws. While “Contrast” doesn’t come with all that many bugs, I did, at times, find my jumping and dashing to not respond with accuracy. This lead to an unfortunate and unfair death or two.

Graphics
The artstyle is wonderfully romantic in its location of Paris, France. The dark tone created by plentiful shadows help give “Contrast” a unique look. Stylized in its jazz shows and circus acts alike, “Contrast’s” depiction of the 20’s in “the city of light,” creates a visually appealing noir setting.

Sound
“Contrast’s” story and setting alike are complemented perfectly by a relaxing jazz soundtrack. The instrumentals and singing from characters like Didi’s mother help maintain the jazz-like vibe this game aims for.

Dialogue is not only delivered well but it is also used in a particularly interesting manner. During the gameplay, you will hear background voices speaking to one another, progressing the story. It is interesting to hear their believable interactions in the background, refraining from interrupting cutscenes.

Content
A small amount of collectibles provide something more than the main story but ultimately, “Contrast” isn’t a game with incentive to revisit or even explore outside of the core plot.

Conclusion
With unique and fun level design and an interesting, emotional plot, it is clear to see “Contrast” comes from a development team with an insane amount of creativity. Didi, an incredibly likable character, has a charming and realistic story about family and gets her story executed with great finesse. Despite some technical issues here and there and a little repetition later on, I found “Contrast” to be a compelling game with incredibly interesting puzzle design.

Did you like the shadow manipulation? What did you think about Didi and her family’s story? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Far Cry Primal Review

A prehistoric spin on a modern series

By: Ryan Ramakrishnan

Reviewed on PlayStation 4

With a unique direction in setting and time period, “Far Cry: Primal” does something fresh for the first person shooter its story predates.

“Far Cry: Primal” couldn’t keep me engaged with its underwhelming plot; however, in the gameplay department, Ubisoft Montreal exceeds in every way. With plenty of new animals, weapons and locations, “Far Cry: Primal” delivers a different but still very familiar experience for the series.
Story
“Far Cry: Primal’s” main draw is its prehistoric take on the modern day “Far Cry” franchise. We are brought back to 10,000 BCE. The game’s characters and their voices, behaviors and appearances, environments and the many animals of the world are created perfectly for this time period and setting.

Unfortunately, by the end of “Far Cry: Primal,” the story didn’t stick with me all that much. You take on the role of Takkar, a hunter working to lead his Wenja tribe in the land of Oros. Milestones and moments like saving enslaved prisoners, taming large beasts and fighting enemies are nothing short of interesting on paper. The thing is however these rarely come with notable depth or drama, failing to bring heavy weight to the story at hand.

The main protagonist, Takkar, doesn’t seem to get enough development, ultimately making him come off as shallow. I truly felt like I didn’t get much of an incentive to care about Takkar by time his story wrapped up. An established, memorable villain isn’t quite notable either. “Far Cry 3” presented the player with an unpredictable, crazy villain in Vaas and Far Cry 4 has the sadistic Pagan Min, “Far Cry: Primal” presents us with Ull and Batari, both of which have a memorable moment or two but generally do little to impress the way “Far Cry” of the past has.

Besides Takar and the two antagonists, there are a few recurring side characters. Jayman, a huntress, Wogah, a craftsman and Karoosh, a warrior all aid Takkar in his journey. These three, in addition to a few others here and there, aren’t much different than the main character(s) in that they lack overall depth.

Gameplay
There is a weapon wheel with two types of melee weapons, as well as a bow and arrow. Heavier iterations and upgraded versions of these weapons come with time. I would have liked a larger variety of weapons to choose from; however, it fits the time period but the game also does very well with the weapons it provides.I absolutely loved being able to stab and smash my way through enemies with both the spear and club. Turning them into projectiles was of equal fun, particularly with the spear. With the additional ability to light these weapon and the arrows on fire, combat rarely felt stale.

Otherwise, you gain access to a few different sharp stone and bone items to kill with from afar, as well as traps and sting and fire bombs. More often than not, these throwable and projectile-based weapons went unused for me personally, as I far preferred the melee and bow and arrow combat.

What “Far Cry: Primal” does exceptionally well is its beast taming and animal combat. There are several different animals including but not limited to dholes, wolves, jaguars and cave bears. You can tame them to take out enemies both stealthily and brutally. Beast master hunts offer some exciting challenges to gain access to special animals. You are also able to ride some animals, making for quick, exciting travel.

You can call your eagle in instantly to scope out the area and track down enemies, animals, resource and more. The eagle can also be used to perform a stealth kill.

“Far Cry: Primal” comes with upgrade systems, crafting and a skill tree. These, especially the experience-based skill tree, aren’t too hard to progress through. Partaking in the entertaining hunting in the land of Oros, filled to the brim with animals of all sorts, makes gathering resources less of a hassle.

Graphics
Oros is designed nicely in “Far Cry: Primal.” The Stone Age is represented through beautifully ancient vistas and a bevy of continuously roaming animals. Around every corner, I came across plenty of animals ranging from small elk to colossal mammoths alike.

I found the setting of “Far Cry: Primal” to have an overall authentic feeling, representative of the time period it depicts. There is a multitude of forests and caves to explore and massive mountains to scale. It is a treacherous, large-scale and truly fun world to adventure through.

I was impressed with the villagers’ design and the same can be said for their huts and locations in general. While characters’ personalities and motives weren’t outstanding, Ubisoft Montreal put a lot of work into the characters’ designs. Facepaints and scars, ancient clothing or lack thereof and the use of animal fur and bones are all seen in accurate glory.

Sound
“Far Cry: Primal’s” soundtrack didn’t do much to particularly standout; however, I should imagine creating a proper soundtrack for a game set during the Stone Age is no small task. With tribal music of sorts, “Far Cry: Primal” more or less nails the tone of the game. It isn’t the music that matters in this experience as much as the sound effects around you.

The natural environments come packed with animals and chaos galore, all with equal naturalism. Beasts roar and charge into combat, clubs have a loud impact when slamming enemies and you can hear the fires burn down screaming foes.

Content
In traditional Ubisoft’s fashion, “Far Cry: Primal” has no shortage of tasks to complete. Like many of Ubisoft’s recent games, the map is essentially a huge checklist. Collectibles in the form of Daysha Hands and Izila Masks are spread out in the open world, alongside plenty of side missions, animals to hunt, upgrades to craft and alliance huts to build. It’s a game that will keep you playing for hours if you enjoy the world and combat it specifically thrives on; however, much like “Far Cry” or other games of this nature, you’ll grow tired quickly if you find some of the many tasks to feel monotonous or too familiar.

Conclusion
I ultimately had a good time with “Far Cry: Primal.” The series is by no means going to remain in the Stone Age so this fresh take on “Far Cry” is welcomed. It has some brutal and entertaining melee and animal combat. The world looks pretty and authentic, while coming filled to the brim with animals to pet, ride and hunt. I forgot the names of the characters or why they mattered not minutes after completion; however, “Far Cry: Primal” succeeds at providing me an exciting adventure and gameplay loop in a world dying to be explored more in gaming, ultimately making it a worthwhile spin off to the series.

What was your favorite animal to tame? Did you enjoy “Far Cry's” take on the Stone Age? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

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