All the reviews for [amazon_link id=”B0050SXKU4″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Grand Theft Auto V[/amazon_link] have been outstanding with most pouring praise on Rockstar for creating an open world so realistic it needs to be experienced first hand.
College Humor offers up their review for the huge title and shows how Grand Theft Auto may have taken a step too far in its search for realism in gaming.
Is there anything else coming out this week besides [amazon_link id=”B0050SXKU4″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Grand Theft Auto V[/amazon_link]? Yes, but it is slim pickings. Can you blame any other publisher for getting out of the way of what will be the best selling game of the year? Exactly.
September 15th
[amazon_link id=”B002I08CSW” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Wonderful 101[/amazon_link] (Wii U)
September 17th
[amazon_link id=”B0050SXKU4″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Grand Theft Auto V[/amazon_link] (360, PS3)
[amazon_link id=”B00EFL2SSM” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Hot Wheels World’s Best Drivers[/amazon_link] (360, PS3, 3DS, Wii U)
Told you it was a light week. Always here to help.
If you fell in love with survival horror games with Resident Evil on Playstation 1 then you have Shinji Mikami to thank for it. He is back with a new game published by Bethesda called The Enemy Within and he is looking to take the genre back to its roots. If you have played Resident Evil 5 or 6 then you should be happy about this.
The trailer below shows off the first gameplay and it is filled with dread and a disturbing atmosphere. This is one you should put on your radar for next year.
It is finally here. After five years, Rockstar’s long-awaited [amazon_link id=”B0050SXKU4″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Grand Theft Auto V[/amazon_link] is finally here (or will be in a few hours of this writing). Now that embargos on reviews have been lifted, let’s take a look at what the gaming press has to say about the hotly anticipated title.
Hint: They are good (understatement).
IGN– 10/10
“No other world in video games comes close to this in size or scope, and there is sharp intelligence behind its sense of humour and gift for mayhem. It tells a compelling, unpredictable, and provocative story without ever letting it get in the way of your own self-directed adventures through San Andreas.
It is one of the very best video games ever made.”
Polygon– 9.5/10
“It’s fitting that the game arrives at the cusp of the next generation of consoles. Grand Theft Auto 5 is the closure of this generation, and the benchmark for the next. Here is a game caught occasionally for the worst, but overwhelmingly for the better, between the present and the future.”
Kotaku– YES
“Beyond all of this, however, is one consistent fact about so many of the best video games: they create great places in which to play. Underpinning everything else, in GTA V, Rockstar has created one of gaming’s most impressive worlds.”
Joystiq– 4.5/5
“With so much to do, there’s a danger of feeling bewildered, but GTA5 is never overbearing. For one, you’re no longer forced to perform peripheral tasks to curry favor with other characters, one of the more onerous parts of Grand Theft Auto 4. GTA5‘s world exists to be played with the way you want.”
Giant Bomb– 5/5
“But while you could certainly pick out a handful of individual systems or design choices that feel like they’ve been handled more intelligently elsewhere, none of those other games bring together so many interesting and disparate systems with the same level of aplomb on display here. That, combined with the game’s unique multi-character approach to storytelling, makes Grand Theft Auto V an exciting successor in the long-running franchise.”
Destructoid– 9/10
“With its hours upon hours upon hours of content, GTA V provides some incredible new story missions full of explosive setpieces and increasingly frantic scenarios. Each character has a unique series of missions, some of which cross over with other characters, and bring with them a unique flavor.”
Game Informer– 9.75/10
“Whether you are in downtown Los Santos or the sprawling San Andreas countryside, you always have a diverse array of activities at your disposal. While in town you can shop for new clothing, get a tattoo, catch a flick at the movie theater, or base jump off skyscrapers. Outside the city limits, you can search underwater shipwrecks for lost treasure off the coast of Los Santos, hunt animals in the wilderness, play darts in a dive bar, or participate in one of the many race varieties. I also spent a considerable amount of time betting on the stock market; paying attention to character chatter can land you a huge payday”
This review? I didn’t write it. Hell, I haven’t ever played more than a few hours of any Saints Row game. Luckily enough, our friend Mr. Erich Wildgrube has played them all, and was gracious enough to provide us with this freelance review. Not for money, or even a whole lot of thanks, really. In fact, he’s buying me a copy of Saints Row IV just to prove to me how awesome it is in co-op.
Hey! Who wants to write our Diablo 3 review? You’ll need someone to play it with, obviously…
This is the Way the World Ends; Not with a Bang, but a Wub-Wub : A Saints Row IV Review
First off, let me just say that I love the Saints Row games, but SRIV sets a new bar. A lot of people have complained that this game feels disjointed, that it feels like DLC for SR3; Others griped the superhuman abilities within the simulation world are (forgive my internet-speak) OP, while paradoxically complaining the real-world sections are too hard.
I would argue the way certain reviewers have been playing this game makes it disjointed. This game is designed to go back and forth between the simulation and the real world; if you exhaust all the free roam content and then do all the structured missions, there is no payoff to getting “super homies,” extra weapons, and new powers that are then available to you.
I am aware that this title’s core concept came about as an April Fools’ joke, that then transitioned into DLC for SR3, that then became a full game; but after playing it, I am fine with its release as a standalone title. If we are all honest here, we could admit that this game would have been a nightmare as downloadable content. If nothing else, it would have required several patches for balance and bug fixes, and I don’t even know if that would have been enough to deliver a truly finished product.
The first two Saints Row games are dark, serious tales of criminal life interspersed with bits of whimsy; in contrast, The Third and IV have much more of a campy vibe – I am looking at you, dub-step gun. At the same time, this game has a few genuinely touching moments. There are character missions you do with your crew in order to progress their stories and unlock new abilities; the ones with Johnny Gat help solidify him as the “heart” of the series, while the ones with Shaundi reveal far more depth than her buxom figure and foul mouth would outwardly indicate. Fans of the series will get even more from these moments, as many of them are direct throwbacks to previous games.
The Saints Row games are known for some clunky controls, SR1 being the worst offender, and SRIV does not go unscathed. The best way to describe it is “Tom Clancy Syndrome,” where you have so much you can do that you forget which button does what, when. For instance, I never really got taunt or compliment to work right, and only figured out the radio 75% of the way through the game. Now as far as major mechanics go, I love me a ring menu, but the D-pad works well this time around.
Shooting is tight, and the new weapons feel very good. Still, nothing beats the feel of jumping a hundred feet in the air, aiming where you want to land, equipping lightning as your buff, slamming into the ground as hard as you can and wiping out an enemy base without a shot fired. By the end of this game, you are nothing less than a dark god unleashing your powers on the world around you; but if you are following the flow of the game, this is a goal reached after segments where you are outnumbered and outgunned by the enemy, most of which are as intense as they are rewarding.
This is the only Saints Row that does not look significantly better than the one before, but it is also the only Saints Row that I did not notice any lag or freezing during gameplay. I have never seen more customization options in a game, and your guns look awesome. The dialogue in this game is utter perfection; whether you are listening to Shaundi arguing with… Shaundi, or talking to Keith David about his favorite video game.
When SR1 came out all those years ago people accused it of being another GTA clone… it was probably the truth, plain and simple. SR2 was a step in the right direction, but SR3 was the jump that set these two franchises apart. SRIV simply continues that next step. Is it silly? Yes. Can it be unbalanced at times? &@^$ yes. Does it ever stop being Saints Row? Not even for a second. This does not feel like a “new” game so much as it feels like coming home to Third Street to find your crew ready and waiting to hit the streets once more.
[amazon_link id=”B00BRQN2EM” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Saints Row IV was reviewed on Xbox 360. It is also available on PlayStation 3 and PC.[/amazon_link]
Like Erich’s style? Follow him on Twitter! https://twitter.com/JSWolfwood
You will have to wait a bit longer to play the original Fable in HD. Lionhead Studios has announced that their remake of the original Fable, [amazon_link id=”B00DBCAT3W” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Fable Anniversary[/amazon_link], will not be released until February 2014 to put some finishing touches on the game.
Fable Anniversary is more than just an HD transfer. It takes the original game and The Lost Chapters expansion and changes the interface, controls, adds achievements and better load times.
This is a case of a good delay to make sure the game is ready to go instead of pushing it out before Christmas and on a selfish level because my fall was already full of games to play and a February release will be right in the sweet spot of year when I am dying for a new game to play.
Two new consoles lead the way this fall and that is not even adding in the huge payload of games that will be making their ways to shelves between now and Christmas. It can get a little confusing out there when you want so many things at the same time. We here at Nerd Rating want to make it as easy as we possibly can for you with our fall game guide. Help yourself and see when your favorite games are coming out and go ahead and hit the link to pre-order them on Amazon.
Full disclosure- we do make a small profit from all Amazon purchases made through links on the site. Help us, help you.
September 3rd
[amazon_link id=”B00BQZ5EWW” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Total War: Rome 2[/amazon_link] (PC)
[amazon_link id=”B00BXTKJ94″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Rayman Legends[/amazon_link] (360, Wii U, PC, PS3, Vita)
[amazon_link id=”B00BGA9V2Q” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Diablo 3[/amazon_link] (360, PS3)
September 10th
[amazon_link id=”B0050SWYTC” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Killzone: Mercenary[/amazon_link] (Vita)
[amazon_link id=”B008SBZD5U” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD Remix[/amazon_link] (PS3)
[amazon_link id=”B00CD8W81Q” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]NHL 14[/amazon_link] (360, PS3)
[amazon_link id=”B0050SWNZW” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Puppeteer[/amazon_link] (PS3)
[amazon_link id=”B00E9I1FPI” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Elder Scrolls Anthology[/amazon_link] (PC)
September 15th
[amazon_link id=”B002I08CSW” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Wonderful 101[/amazon_link] (Wii U)
September 17th
[amazon_link id=”B0050SXKU4″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Grand Theft Auto V[/amazon_link] (360, PS3)
September 24th
[amazon_link id=”B00CW3E9NM” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Scribblenauts Unmasked[/amazon_link] (3DS, Wii U, PC)
[amazon_link id=”B00CD90R72″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]FIFA 14[/amazon_link] (360, PS3, PC)
October 1st
[amazon_link id=”B00C710AQO” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]NBA 2K14[/amazon_link] (360, PS3, PC)
October 4th
[amazon_link id=”B002I0GF72″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD[/amazon_link] (Wii U)
October 8th
[amazon_link id=”B0050SX7BQ” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Beyond: Two Souls[/amazon_link] (PS3)
October 12th
[amazon_link id=”B0053B5RGI” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Pokemon X[/amazon_link] (3DS)
[amazon_link id=”B0053B66KE” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Pokemon Y[/amazon_link] (3DS)
October 22nd
[amazon_link id=”B00B98HBTA” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Lego Marvel Super Heroes[/amazon_link] (360, PS3, Wii, Wii U, 3DS, Vita)
October 25th
[amazon_link id=”B00C7103DO” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Batman: Arkham Origins[/amazon_link] (360, PS3, Wii U)
October 29th
[amazon_link id=”B00BXE4KVM” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Battlefield 4[/amazon_link] (360, PS3, PC)
[amazon_link id=”B00BMFIXKQ” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Assassin’s Creed 4[/amazon_link] (360, PS3, Wii U)
[amazon_link id=”B00CMC6HCY” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]WWE 2K14[/amazon_link] (360, PS3)
November 5th
[amazon_link id=”B003O6CBIG” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Call of Duty: Ghosts[/amazon_link] (360, PS3)
November 15th
[amazon_link id=”B00CMQTVQO” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Playstation 4[/amazon_link]
[amazon_link id=”B00BMFIXOW” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Assassin’s Creed IV[/amazon_link] (PS4)
[amazon_link id=”B00CXCCFSI” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Battlefield 4[/amazon_link] (PS4)
[amazon_link id=”B00D4WTO1M” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Call of Duty: Ghosts[/amazon_link] (PS4)
[amazon_link id=”B00BGA9ZZ4″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Driveclub[/amazon_link] (PS4)
[amazon_link id=”B00CXCCI8A” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]FIFA 14[/amazon_link] (PS4)
[amazon_link id=”B00BGA9YZK” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Killzone: Shadow Fall[/amazon_link] (PS4)
[amazon_link id=”B00BGAA29M” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Knack[/amazon_link] (PS4)
[amazon_link id=”B00DUARBTA” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Lego Marvel Super Heroes[/amazon_link] (PS4)
[amazon_link id=”B00CYS5DU8″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Madden NFL 25[/amazon_link] (PS4)
[amazon_link id=”B00DBRM3G8″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]NBA 2K14[/amazon_link] (PS4)
[amazon_link id=”B00CYS5GEQ” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]NBA Live 14[/amazon_link] (PS4)
[amazon_link id=”B00D3RBZHY” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Need For Speed: Rivals[/amazon_link] (PS4)
[amazon_link id=”B00BI83EVU” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Watch Dogs[/amazon_link] (PS4)
November 19th
[amazon_link id=”B00CTKHZH0″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Need For Speed: Rivals[/amazon_link] (360, PS3)
[amazon_link id=”B00BGHUS58″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Watch Dogs[/amazon_link] (360, PS3, Wii U)
November 22nd
[amazon_link id=”B00CMQTVMI” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Xbox One[/amazon_link]
[amazon_link id=”B00CX8VYM0″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Assassin’s Creed IV[/amazon_link] (Xbox One)
[amazon_link id=”B00CXCCB64″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Battlefield 4[/amazon_link] (Xbox One)
[amazon_link id=”B00CX6XKK6″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Call of Duty: Ghosts[/amazon_link] (Xbox One)
[amazon_link id=”B00DB90AHA” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Dead Rising 3[/amazon_link] (Xbox One)
[amazon_link id=”B00CX7FMDS” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]FIFA 14[/amazon_link] (Xbox One)
[amazon_link id=”B00CMQTTQG” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Forza Motorsports 5[/amazon_link] (Xbox One)
[amazon_link id=”B00CX7FOVS” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Madden NFL 25[/amazon_link] (Xbox One)
[amazon_link id=”B00DBRM3EU” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]NBA 2K14[/amazon_link] (Xbox One)
[amazon_link id=”B00CX7FPKS” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]NBA Live 14[/amazon_link] (Xbox One)
[amazon_link id=”B00D3RBYM0″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Need For Speed: Rivals[/amazon_link] (Xbox One)
[amazon_link id=”B00CMQTU74″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Ryse: Son of Rome[/amazon_link] (Xbox One)
[amazon_link id=”B00CX8VY4S” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Watch Dogs[/amazon_link] (Xbox One)
[amazon_link id=”B00CFR7VSU” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds[/amazon_link] (3DS)
[amazon_link id=”B00CH9253W” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Mario Party: Island Tour[/amazon_link] (3DS)
[amazon_link id=”B00DC7G0GG” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Super Mario 3D World[/amazon_link] (Wii U)
[amazon_link id=”B0050SX0UY” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Tearaway[/amazon_link] (Vita)
December 6th
[amazon_link id=”B00DC7O77A” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze[/amazon_link] (Wii U)
[amazon_link id=”B00CRL9TU2″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Gran Turismo 6[/amazon_link] (PS3)
Capcom suffered massive financial blows in 2012-13. Franchises such as Resident Evil continued to lag, the Mega Man series was allowed to lapse into oblivion, all while new IPs such as Dragon’s Dogma and Remember Me couldn’t make up the difference. Their strategy going forward? “COO Haruhiro Tsujimoto has announced a strategy of increased focus on compelling DLC and mobile games.”
Considering that one of the biggest complaints from Capcom fans in recent years has been the sheer amount of DLC generated by the company – including content already present on the disk that you have to pay to unlock – I’m not sure how this plan is supposed to turn it all around. The “mobile games” bit hardly generates more excitement; I love Mega Man as much as the next guy, but I don’t really want to guide the Blue Bomber around a 5-inch screen with my finger. Those games are unforgiving enough with controls that work.
Capcom was once an undeniable powerhouse: Street Fighter, Mega Man, Resident Evil, Devil May Cry ruled the field in their time, while unique risks like Viewtiful Joe and Okami became critical darlings. We can’t help but wonder if this isn’t the final nail in the coffin for the company that once dominated multiple genres, and flat-out created survival horror and stylish action as we know them today.
Hockey, Helghast and Hearts (Kingdom) are on the slate this week as well as every Elder Scroll game ever made in one collection. Look at what you can buy this week in video games before the tsunami that is [amazon_link id=”B0050SXKU4″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]GTA V[/amazon_link] comes next week.
September 10, 2013
-[amazon_link id=”B00CD8W81Q” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]NHL 14[/amazon_link] (360, PS3)
-[amazon_link id=”B008SBZD5U” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD Remix[/amazon_link] (PS3)
-[amazon_link id=”B0050SWYTC” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Killzone: Mercenary[/amazon_link] (Vita)
-[amazon_link id=”B00E9I1FPI” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Elder Scrolls Anthology[/amazon_link] (PC)
-[amazon_link id=”B0050SWNZW” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Puppeteer[/amazon_link] (PS3)
September 12, 2013
-Tori Tori (Wii U)
When GTA IV released in 2008, it was impossible not to get swept up in the hype. IGN posted a ten-page review that I considered “masturbatory.” I personally hadn’t enjoyed a GTA since the conversion to 3D; for some reason, I didn’t seem to be able to play them for more than about half an hour without getting a massive headache. Everyone was excited about the open-world multiplayer, including my brother, who went so far as to give me $60 to go pick it up, and I’d be lying if I said the trailers didn’t have me excited. A week later, however, a friend owned that copy, I owned Burnout Paradise, and I owed my brother $60.
Now the kicker: When Grand Theft Auto V releases next week, I’m buying FOUR copies of it, as an early Christmas gift to that brother, my girlfriend, and my best friend. It would make sense then that if anyone was going to spread the GTA V hype to you nerds, it would be yours truly. Below are my five biggest reasons why this next installment will hopefully not equal a net loss of $240 on my end.
The Characters
Rockstar Games has put the story front-and-center this time, with almost every trailer focusing on Michael, Franklin, and Trevor. Apparently, good storytelling is nothing new to the series, or at least that’s what people tell me. I played enough of IV to see the potential, and have heard that the two expansion packs tell great tales. I think Rockstar has a particularly great thing going with the three-character approach, though, as it gives them the chance to look at the city from separate, albeit connected angles.
The Skills
Ask any devoted GTA player what the best game in the series is, and they’re likely to say “San Andreas,” despite it being nearly a decade old. Dig a little deeper, and their reasoning is nearly always the procedural skill trees for different stats. The more you drove, ran, shot, fought, and lived in GTA: SA, the more that was reflected in your character. I have a few friends who discount IV almost entirely due this feature’s removal. Thankfully, skills make a return in V, with several base attributes and several special traits and abilities unique to each of the three characters.
The Music
Hand me an open-world, city-based game where I don’t have access to multiple radio stations playing hours worth of content, and I’m going to hand it right back. For instance, I love Forza Horizon, but there are only three in-game radio stations, and I swear each station can’t have a track list of more than ten songs. GTA V tackles the issue with fifteen stations and 240 licensed tracks. To top it off, this installment is the first to feature an original score, which will coincide with certain story and mission developments.
Red Dead Redemption
Over the past two weeks, our posse has rediscovered the joys of roaming the wilds from Tall Trees to Perdido, clearing out gang strongholds, hunting legendary bears, and occasionally stopping to pick a wild herb or two. When Red Dead was initially released, you heard a lot about “Grand Theft Horse;” in my group, we now talk about next week’s release as “Red Dead Auto.” Rockstar themselves have continually pointed to RDR as a source of inspiration for changes in GTA V; here’s hoping they’re not just spitting into the wind.
GTA Online
Seriously, just look at this shit.