RESIDENT EVIL

'Survival Horror', a genre that Resident Evil defined back in 1996, the world had never seen anything quite like this thrilling masterpiece. Sure over the years we have seen some remodeling of the franchise and not neccisarily for the better either but let's take the time to look back at the game that started it all. Now while I urge you all to play RE do remember that it was released back in the Playstation's early years so it is a little blocky; the 2002 GameCube remake on the other hand was a fully remodeled version of the game with exceptionally good graphics for its time. While the original is still a brilliant game it's worth checking out the GameCube version more...it's just that little bit easier on the eyes. So Survival Horror, what does it really mean, well Capcom had this sorted out. Limited ammunition, limited saves and even limited health packs; it was all intuitively designed to make you feel trapped, helpless and really carefully consider each and every move you take. The fixed camera angles aspect which I briefly talked about back in my Silent Hill review are back in full force and make forsake seriously intense moments when being pursued by off-camera zombies.

Most people now would probably have seen at least one Resident Evil movie and have a vague idea about the premise of the series. Enter the Umbrella Corporation; a global pharmaceutical giant that acts as a front for their illegal experiments and chemical warfare development. The movies follow a different plot to the video games but still utilize the same characters to an extent. The original Resident Evil game takes place in the fictional locale of Racoon City, specifically a creepy mansion just outside of the city in the Arklay Mountains. You can choose to play as either Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine, each with slightly different weapons, story paths and encounters. Both Chris and Jill are part of Racoon City's S.T.A.R.S. unit, an elite team of operatives who after receiving a distress call from their lost comrades in the mountains set out accompanied by their Commander Albert Wesker and a few other team members to rescue them. What follows as you can only assume is the discovery and the inevitable exploration of the deserted mansion and the mission to uncover its dark past.

1996 original

2002 remake

Resident Evil's mansion set-up is well executed at the least, the large maze-like building with multiple stories and dozens of rooms makes for some truly terrifying exploration. The balance of puzzles V monster encounters is perfect and keeps you always guessing about what's ahead. What always keeps me on edge are the Crimson Head zombies; they're faster and more aggressive and can show up randomly, generally i'll just turn tail and run in the hope to save my ammo and health. Oh and don't think just because you transitioned to another room that you're safe, some areas of the mansion are designed so zombies can move freely about, this makes for many girlish screams as you are lead into a false sense of security only to have a zombie burst through the door and chase you! After playing RE at least a dozen times through I still find it just as intense and enthralling, given that the game itself is now 17 years old and still freaking me out does say something for itself. Those out there looking for a horror game with a bit more action but still that premise of 'helplessness' I strongly recommend checking this bad boy out, It's a lot of fun and rewards multiple play-throughs so go have a crack and kill some zombies.

Genre: Survival Horror
Platforms: PC, PS1 & Gamecube
Score: 9.2 / 10

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: MAJORA'S MASK

Zelda; probably one of the most famous names in video gaming only second to Mario. The game has come a long way since its beginning back in 1986, 27 solid years of amazing quality games and it's still riding high. Sure the method has stayed the same somewhat over the years but the execution every time has been spectacular. Now let's think back to Nintendo 64 when consoles did the big leap from the 16bit generation to the 64bit, everyone was stunned by the amazing 3D visuals and effects. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is still the most loved Zelda game in the entire series and when people mention Zelda they're generally talking about Ocarina of Time. As the Nintendo 64's first Zelda title and the series first jump to 3D it's no wonder it's the most memorable, 1998 was a great year in video gaming history. Only 2 years on and we would see the release of a sequel to this mighty series that would be called Majora's Mask. This is definitely my most favourite Zelda in the series, now a lot of fans would argue that Majora's Mask is inferior to its predecessor but I strongly urge you all to hear me out.

So what's the setting for Majora's Mask? After the events of Ocarina of Time 'Link' (our main protagonist) leaves Hyrule after saving it from the King of Thieves 'Ganondorf' and rescuing Princess Zelda and embarks on a private journey, a journey in search of a beloved and invaluable friend. While riding through the woods Link is attacked by a Skull Kid wearing a mysterious mask and soon finds himself hurled into the mysterious parallel world of Termania. The powers of the mask being worn by the Skull Kid are so immense that Link is placed under a spell where he is turned into a Deku (a small forest dwelling creature). Soon Link discovers the eerily creepy travelling mask salesman who explains that recently he was attacked in the woods and had a very dangerous mask stolen from him, as by now I'm sure you've gathered that the mask is indeed Majora's Mask. So naturally Link must set out on a journey to first cure himself and then rescue the world of Termania from Majora's Mask and uncover the truth about the rumours that in just three days the moon will fall out of the sky. Much like Ocarina of Time the world is segmented into different lands i.e. swamp, snowy mountains, ocean and canyons each with their own Temple or Palace; still sticking true to the Zelda structure we all know and love.

Now we can get to what makes Majora's Mask so good and get right into the nitty gritty about this fantastic game. The temples for one while there were only four were some of the most interesting and well designed I'd ever seen in a Zelda game, my favourite would still have to be the Stone Towers in which the second half you explore the temple upside-down...it was epic! There were a huge amount of collectables; bottles, weapons and masks, so many masks. All the masks served a unique purpose and were exceptionally hard to collect, it made for great exploration. The addition of a 'time' system was well implemented, essentially you had three days (in game time not real world) to stop the end of the world happening. Of course soon after discovering the Song of Time you can head back to the start of the three any time at you're own leisure, but if you haven't done everything right and the final hours comes you can witness the destruction of Termania and the entire world, an interesting gameplay element that I felt made the Zelda franchise really stand out. Lastly of course Majora's Mask itself, an ancient cursed tribal artifact baring chaos ridden power. Now this game was no walk in the park, I felt it was harder and more challenging than Ocarina of Time so when I finally made it to incarnations of Majora's Mask at the end of the game I felt spent, needless to say it was an epic battle. The only reason I give Majora a 9.8 instead of a 10 was that it was just that little bit too short, but it made up for it in so many other ways. Much like the previous Zelda games it's filled to the brim with lore, iconic creatures, a transcending soundtrack and much more. Majora's Mask is always going to have a special place in my heart.

There's been some great homages to Zelda games over the years, one of the coolest I've seen so far is the 'Terrible Fate' website that linked the bad Majora's Mask ending between predictions of the end of the Earth with the Mayan calendar, the countdown on the website was indeed an interesting way to view the take on the end of world. Overall Zelda games no matter which way you look at them are fantastic pieces of art and to me the centrepiece, the pinnacle will always be Majora's Mask.

http://www.terriblefate.com/

Genre: Fantasy Action / Adventure

Platforms: Nintendo 64

Score: 9.8 / 10

BORDERLANDS 2

It's time for us to take a look at 2K's pride and glory that's been riding high for the past year few years, while its predecessor 'Borderlands' slipped by a lot of gamers relatively un-noticed Borderlands 2 has seen a huge amount of publicity, almost too much. I think unless you've been living under a rock for the past year you've probably heard of Borderlands 2. What makes this game so popular you ask, well it could be the exceptionally fun story campaign that you can play with up to 4 people for one. Borderlands has always been fun for solo players but I do find the game does truly shine when you play with mates...and I mean the good kind of mates who actually play properly. Running and gunning is perfectly balanced when accompanied by friends and it makes for a very intense gaming session!

Welcome to Pandora, a vast planet housing mysterious vaults supposedly filled with glorious treasure, as the fabled Vault Hunter its your job to uncover the secrets of Pandora all the while battling the psycho philanthropist Handsome Jack. Where Borderlands stands out in uniqueness firstly is in the option to choose from 6 main characters each bareing their own skills and abilities. Every skill can be levelled up throughout the game and each character has some awesomely cool abilities! The addition of a bazillion guns does help the game stand out as a cut above, there are too many weapons of varying brands and styles for me to even come close to remembering. Currently a lot of FPS games don't have this level of immersion and complexity to gameplay which makes Borderlands stand out a great deal. The increased variety of locales in Borderlands 2 is a definite improvement on the last game; where we saw a slue of different styled deserts we now have glaciers, mountains, volcanos, rolling hills, mines and many more. Each area is very unique and leaves the playing wanting to discover more of Pandora and it's story.

With 2K and Gearbox studios bathing in money due to their recent successes (excluding the god awful Aliens: Colonial Marines) it's no surprise that they're continuing to release DLC for Borderlands 2. The 2 newest playable characters are some of the best I've ever seen plus the 3 existing story campaign expansions are awesome fun. With a fourth and final DLC on the way to tie up Borderlands 2 all eyes are fixed on this duo wondering what they'll do next. One can only think Borderlands 3 will be bracing our homes sometime in 2015, we can only hope. With a cavalcade of action-packed fun there's no telling just how good the next one will be but if it's anything like number 2 then i'll definitely be buying it. This game worth a look, get the season pass and get all the exclusives and bonus content and go have an absolute blast!

Check out an epic trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW7qO_wpfvk

Genre: Open World FPS Exploration
Platforms: PC, PS3 & 360
Score: 9 / 10

BIOSHOCK INFINITE

Irrational Studios have brought us some great games over the years and have always prided themselves on bringing rich and spanning worlds with plot twisting stories. After being purchased by 2K back in 2006 it wasn't long before they released the masterpiece that was Bioshock. Set in the underwater city of Rapture the protagonist would have to battle their way through hordes of Splicers and Big Daddy's in order to reach their goal. The game did remarkably well and was a great take on the FPS genre. Soon Bioshock 2 would brace our homes and its spiritual successor Bioshock Infinite. While in the first two games we were treated to a vast underwater city but this time we're taking to the skies in an interesting take on the floating city of British Columbia circa 1912. It's definitely been a while since I've seen such a pretty game. The contrast of colours and characters throughout the game is stunning with the world of Infinite slowly being turned upside-down as you learn more and more about it's twisted past.

The story itself is well paced and there was never a dull moment; I was always wanting to find out more and would find it very hard to put the controller down. Enter our main protagonist Booker Dewitt who is sent to Columbia to rescue a girl and 'wipe the slate clean' essentially erasing everything bad from his past he's so desperately trying to escape. Booker soon becomes caught up in the mess as the people of Columbia believe he is the 'False Shepard' and has come to lead their precious lamb astray. The main villain, Father Comstock is relentless in ensuring that Booker has the hardest time trying to rescue Elizabeth all the while being pursued by the police, the Songbird (Elizabeth's flying mechanical protector) and the Vox, a band rebels intent on their freedom and liberation of Columbia. There's a lot going on in Infinite and with the introduction of trans-dimensional shifting about quarter of the way through the game one does ask the question: 'Does this all make sense?' Fortunately Infinite does a remarkable jobs of covering all the loose ends and ensures that everything gets wrapped up in a neat little package, a little package that blew my mind at the end of the game, but neat none the less.

The great thing about Infinite is that it recognises that yes it is a floating city in the sky and does explain just how everything works. Getting around the city is great when utilising the skyhook rail system. Flying along at break neck speeds then launching off and landing on enemies is immensely satisfying and does make me happy on the inside just that little bit more. It's been a long time since I've developed an emotional attachment to characters this great. You can relate to everyone in the game but especially Booker and Elizabeth and that's where Bioshock wins me over completely. Everything melds seamlessly together and it is a great adventure. Anyone who's played a Bioshock knows the style of game to expect and this does just that but takes it that extra mile. I can't stress enough that everyone should play this game; it's a worthy addition to the Bioshock series and to my library of games. Until next time...

Genre: FSP Action / Adventure
Platforms: PC, PS3 & 360
Score: 9.7 / 10

METROID PRIME TRILOGY: PART 2

After the events of Metroid Prime it would be a short 2 years before the success that was the first game would have a follow up; 'Metroid Prime 2: Echoes', now here's where the difference of opinions start. Now a lot of people say it's the weakest of the trilogy but I beg to differ, I mean why fix what's not broken. Retro Studios discovered that they had a goldmine on their hands and rather than faff about with altering the games core mechanics they left original gameplay style and started a new story with rich environments and cool characters. Maybe it's because I played MP2 first of the three that I find it's my favourite in the trilogy but to say one of the three is bad then I just don't think you're a Metroid fan. I'll shed more light on the matter further on but let's get stuck into these games.

Echoes takes place shortly after the events on Tallon IV, now without giving away too many spoilers I can safely say Samus survived the first game. Upon receiving a distress call from a Galactic Federation  vessel on the planet Aether, Samus heads deep into the electrical storms surrounding the mysterious planet. Unfortunately for her the ship is badly damaged upon entering the planets atmosphere and crash lands leaving her stranded until her ship can self repair. Samus soon discovers that the inhabitants of the planet, the Luminoth, are engaged in a war with the Ing, a mysterious race that emerged from the darkness when a meteor struck the planet long ago. Samus is also being pursued by a mysterious look-alike who would soon be dubbed Dark Samus. The premise of MP2 is the whole war between Light and Dark thing. Now getting back to disscusion earlier, I feel that this is what most people didn't like about the game. A lot of people thought that it was un-original and the transitions between a Light Aether and a Dark Aether was just extra padding in the game but think back to 2004, we hadn't seen anything like MP1, a Dark / Light reference hadn't been used before and it was a great gameplay mechanics to introduce. I feel that if you truly appreciate Metroid and the first game then you need to get off your high horse and stop bad mouthing the second. Sorry about that...but Echoes was brilliant and don't let anyone every say neither. Echoes had some cool weapons and gadgets and while the names might not be as original it was immensely satisfying blasting away Space Pirates with the Light Gun!

So to wrap things up let's jump ahead to 2007, the Wii had only recently be released and every Metroid fan was eagerly awaiting the arrival of the last in the trilogy; Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. When Prime jumped to the Wii I was so excited, being able to control Samus' gun with the Wii-mote and feel like you were actually there made me buy the Wii just for MP3. Now obviously it's not as immersive as you can get but still there's a certain appeal for games like this, especially on the Wii because there's not many fantastic FPS's. MP3 was unique in the sense that it introduced voiced characters via that of the Galactic Federation and the other bounty hunters Samus meets throughout the game. Before this we were used to a mute Samus and no voiced characters, it was good, it added that sense of being truly alone on a planet, but while Samus is still mute this time round it does add for effect. It was hard to get used to it at first but now I think it's good, the player can now experience the characters and not just the areas around the game. So this time round Samus is fighting along side the Galactic Federation in order to rid the galaxy of the Space Pirates and the Phazon corruption that is mysteriously appearing across several planets. The game again is fantastic and utilises the Wii-mote best out of any game I've ever seen, the controls are still smooth and fluent and the worlds and action is jam packed with awesome. The pay off for finally making it through the trilogy is worth it and I highly recommend checking them out. I dont want to get too much into the stories because I want you guys to discover everything for yourself but don't worry, they're good stories.

Something that I didn't mention before about all the games is the boss battles. Now we all love a good boss battle especially the epic ones that push our skills to the limits, you'll get plenty of that in the Metroid Prime Trilogy. It's the best kind of boss battles, hard but just do-able. I feel it's definitely worth giving them a mention as some of my most memorable moments are the battles themselves. So I hope you all enjoyed this two part special on one of the greatest trilogies of all time and I hope you check it out soon!

Metroid Prime
Genre: FPS Action / Adventure
Platforms: Gamecube
Score: 9.8 / 10

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Genre: FPS Action / Adventure
Platforms: Gamecube
Score: 10 / 10

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Genre: FPS Action / Adventure
Platforms: Wii
Score: 9.6 / 10

METROID PRIME TRILOGY: PART 1

Once upon a time there was the Gamecube, a humble console that while baring the Nintendo name didn't seem to get the cult following the N64 did, instead Sony's Playstation 2 and Microsoft's Xbox took the mantle. Back then I too passed on the GC in favour of the other consoles which at the time I didn't regret and still don't to this day, however in doing so made me miss some of the greatest games ever conceived by mankind, I'm talking about Metroid Prime. Soon after discovering the beauty of this game I went in search of a Gamecube just for this very game and damn was it worth it! This trilogy is amazing and a lot of Metroid fans will certainly agree that when Samus Aran braced our TV screens in glorious 3D we were all instantly in love. While Nintendo's big money makers like Mario and Zelda appeared on every console we never saw a Metroid game on the N64 so it was a solid 8 year wait from Super Metroid on Super Nintendo to Metroid Prime on the GC so you can imagine everyone's surprise when it finally got announced. Now the good thing is for people who may not have a GC but do have a Wii is that they can purchase the MP Trilogy box set so take a mental note all you gamers out there.

For those not familiar with any of the Metroid games here's the low down. You play as Samus Aran a bounty hunter who's been in a locked battle with the Space Pirates for years all the while being faced with the challenge of eradicating all the Metroid's from the galaxy; an alien life form if left alone is capable of destroying planets within days. The Prime Trilogy on the other hand takes place prior to a lot of this and is indeed one of the earliest Metroid games in the timeline making for a slue of rich information to be told about the worlds around you and how everything began. After Samus is orphaned as a child she is left alone until being discovered by the Chozo, an ancient alien race who impart their knowledge and wisdom onto her, shortly after Samus joins the Galactic Federation in the hope the put her skills to good use but soon leaves in search of more rewarding freelance work, which brings us to MP. So lets get stuck into it, the game that started it all back in 2002; Metroid Prime.

Prime takes place shortly after the Samus investigates a derelict space station orbiting the planet Tallon IV, as you would guess things soon turn ugly as the leader of the Space Pirates Ridley attacks and flees towards the planets surface. Samus pursues Ridley and soon begins a journey to uncover the mysteries of Tallon IV and hunt down the evil within. MP is presented as a first person shooter peppered with platforming and puzzle elements. The areas you explore are all open world with some linear elements along the way but be prepared to get lost in your quest through the ancient ruins, underground caverns and snowy mountains. It's not the frustrating kind of lost, more so the adventurous, it really does make you feel like you are truly alone on the planet which does add for tension and atmosphere. The gameplay, controls and soundtrack is where the game really shines. Anyone who's played a Gamecube knows what I'm talking about and MP is the smoothest handling game I've ever played...nothing compares. The music adds for great ambiance and provides a great aura to each unique area you explore. Progression through the game rewards new weapons, suits and gadgets, each more cooler than the last. There are so many secrets and hidden passages throughout the world which makes for great exploration and multiple replays; the game defines masterpiece!

Tune in next time and we'll tie up the Metroid Prime Trilogy and take a look at the sequels 'Echoes' and 'Corruption' and talk about Samus' jump to the Wii and what followed Prime. 

ASSASSIN'S CREED 3

I've had a love hate relationship with this franchise over the years, the plot and worlds you explore is unlike any other video game out there but Ubisoft seem determined on spreading the games out so much that it starts to lose its sting. Assassin's Creed 1 and 2 were brilliant, a difficult learning curve with some frustrating bugs but immersive and immensely fun. Then came Brotherhood and Revelations, which while introducing some fun gameplay mechanics and story didn't really satisfy the crowd. Assassin's Creed is about assassin's yes but it's also about assassinating people and that's what we love most about these games. AC3 takes us back to the traditional setup of the franchise and it executes it brilliantly, almost one of the best in the series I feel. The game is fluent, the bugs are ironed out and the world and characters are all believable and genuine. I felt a strong attachment to all the characters throughout the game but especially the two lead protagonists so Ubisoft must be doing something right in their story telling department.

So for those not familiar with the series here's a brief recap; you are Desmond Miles in the current day who is a part of the Assassin's Creed who have been fighting the Templars for thousands of years. The Templars seek to rule and control the world while Desmond seeks to free it and in order to unlock the mysteries of the present day Desmond must travel back and relive his ancestors lives as assassin's doing so through a machine called the Animus. AC1 took place during the Crusades, AC2 was based during the Renaissance while AC3 takes place during the American Civil War so expect to see familiar faces like George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. The first quarter of the game follows the story of Haythem Kenway who is seeking an artefact beneficial to mankind while the rest of the game follows the life of his son (Connor) growing up and becoming an assassin and hunting the Templars responsible for burning his village. This is the story in a nutshell without giving away too many spoilers because there are a lot of great twists and the story itself is very enthralling. 

Now I could go on and on about Assassin's Creed, with the exceptions of a few hiccups in the middle of the series, but so far it's freaking amazing and I'm obsessed. Probably the standout for me in AC3 was the section of the game where you get suited up in your captains gear and take to the high seas in your own ship. Sailing the seas, engaging in combat with ships and discovering secrets along America's east coast was an amazing amount of fun. I personally could play a whole game surrounding just this mechanic and by the looks of things AC4 is going to be nearly just that. By the time I finished the game I felt I was one with my ship and we could take on and mission with ease. For those who haven't picked up an AC game yet I highly recommend it. All the games are sound and fun but I feel that this one is the best yet and I hope Ubisoft continue along this route in the fights against the Templars!

Genre: 3rd Person Action / Adventure
Platforms: PC, PS3, 360 & WiiU
Score: 9.2