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Attention.

You might of noticed that we have had a name change. This is due advancing into YouTube and First Stop Games is better suited for YouTube and the blog. We hope to upload our videos onto here also but please go and subscribe ready for us to start in the coming weeks!

Thanks

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Have you all heard the news that Warner Bros. have revealed the new entry into the Batman 'Arkham' saga?

Warner Bros. games Montreal will be working on it this time around though, instead of Rocksteady. We will have to wait and see if this is a good or bad thing.

Batman: Arkham Origins is currently set for an October 25th release on PC, PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii U.

#batman #arkham city #arkham origins #pc #ps3 #xbox #wii #gaming #FirstStopReviews

Sorry we haven't posted in a while. Should be back and running soon. Maybe even a few gameplay videos from us. Exciting times!

#gaming #lets plays #simcity #FSReview #First Stop Reviews

Have you seen the God Of War: Ascension multiplayer trailer yet?

God Of War: Ascension is set to come out March 13th on PlayStation 3.

#god of war #gow #ascension #god of war: ascension #gaming #multiplayer #First Stop Reviews #ps3 #playstaion #games #video games #video game

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Review

By Matthew Coombes

So as with every Call of Duty game, everyone gets their pants a bit messed when they see all the trailers and gameplay footage that gets posted on the internet in the run up to the release of the latest FPS shoot crud and hope it dies otherwise you’ll get mad. But with Call of Duty I just couldn’t be bothered to buy it, so instead I played it for a good weekend, as a borrowed it off my Brother, and found out it is just as big a let down as the prior CoD games.

Well since the campaign was the first sodding thing I played on this game I thought it’d be best to get it over and done with soon as. With some games you play, and you get immersed in the storyline and the characters and you begin to feel as though you do when you’re reading a story or watching a film, it’s just you have conscious control of (some!) events that happen. With Call of Duty though…you don’t. I genuinely just felt bored while playing it, I completely comprehended the storyline as I have played the campaign of every prior CoD game, so it’s not a matter of me being thick and not finding it engaging, oh no, it was just not engaging. It was not fun to play. I just felt like I was shooting things and things were dying and people were talking about crud which logically completely falls short. This isn’t good for a game to actually completely bore the player while the player is trying to be sucked into the campaign and have some fun for the stupid price of £45. (well kind of, you can choose from a select few guns until you unlock more or something). Matt’s rating out of 10 for the ‘Blops 2’ campaign? 2(fittingly)/10. I enjoyed the part where I could customise my loadouts on campaign! “But Matt, you forgot that we only buy CoD games for the multi-player!” I hear you cry from the future! Well DON’T. The multi-player is bad too! YAY! It’s basically the same as all other CoD games, there’s some over-powered guns that everyone seems to use and if you don’t use them you get screwed over, personally after trying as many guns as I could be bothered I settled for removing everything I could and having just a pistol with perks etc, which was marginally fun. Marginally. The only difference between this Call of Duty and the last is that the guns are ‘different’ (re-modelled) and that you can take off perks and things and customise your load-out a bit more, which I guess was one of the only things I liked about the multi-player. My rating of the multi-player? Probably another 2.

So you may be thinking at this point, “Well there’s always zombies right? That makes it worth the money.” Well then you’d be wrong, once again, and you should probably do something better with your money and time, invest it in bonds you fiend! You may have seen that there bus on that there Tranzit mode of zombies, correct? Well you’ll be disappointed once again. Tranzit makes it so that if you miss the bus, you’re screwed. So you can rotate between a larger map? But if you miss that bus, you’re screwed! To stop you from just kiting (leading) zombies all around the extra-large map they inserted things which jump on your face and maul you a lil’ bit to slow you down, all in the interest of fairness I guess, but these things mean that you have to rely on the bus to move, have to. The complete focus and reliance on the bus makes it boring and just not that good an experience. In all honesty if I wanted to spend my time chasing after busses and hanging around with zombies, I’d become a crack head and sleep on public transport in a cardboard box with a dog called Sir Rexingtons. I’d probably have more fun doing so. But zombies is zombies so zombies is inherently a bit fun, because you get to shoot zombies in the face! Oh and they inserted a ‘bank’ which you can place points in during a game and then get the points during a later game! Genuis, there’s actually a point in playing it now! But as with actual banks…they just rip you off! Waste of time. So with all things considered, I had marginal fun on this mode of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 so I shall rate it a…..drum roll please? 3/10. Maybe a 4 after a few more beers.

But still I bring you back to the point that the game is £45, so after playing it I would most certainly pay no more than £10. THAT’S RIGHT. I’d pay 10 whole English pounds. Ludicrous considering what I’d be getting.

Please do not buy this game.

#first stop reviews #call of duty #CoD #Black ops 2 #Call of duty black ops 2 #CoD Black ops 2 #review #gaming #xbox 360 #ps3 #pc

The Last Of Us official box art. Release date is set for the 7th of May 2013 on PlayStation 3.

#the last of us #Last of us #playstation #ps3 #box art #art #gaming #video games #VGA #First Stop Reviews

Who else is looking forward to the Last Of Us, Because we sure as hell are. Lots of news out from VGA over the last few days, One of which being this amazing new trailer and maybe even a release date if you watch till the end.

#Last of us #ps3 #gaming #First Stop Reviews #vga #the last of us

So have you guys seen the trailer for the upcoming Assassin's Creed 3 DLC yet? The Tyranny Of King Washington introduces an all-new Assassin's Creed III single-player campaign. Explore an alternate reality where George Washington has become a tyrant. Driven insane with unlimited power, he has transformed the young United States into a despotic empire. After witnessing the death of his loved ones in his tribe at King Washington's hands, a hero will rise, calling upon the special abilities locked within his lineage, to seek justice and freedom for the people.

#first stop reviews #Assassin's creed 3 #DLC #The Tyranny Of King Washington #gaming #xbox 360 #ps3 #pc #Connor kenway

So have you seen The Phantom Pain trailer yet? Could it be MGS 5? Who knows, But it sure as hell looks good whatever it is!

#gaming #xbox 360 #ps3 #pc #mgs #Metal Gear Solid #First Stop Reviews #The Phantom Pain

Pokémon Black/White 2 Review

by Sam Barker

Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 are Role-Playing games, created by Nintendo. Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 are the first direct sequels in the entire Pokémon series (To Black 1 and White 1). Now for those of you who have never experienced a Pokémon game before, the concept is simple: You play as a young “Pokémon Trainer” who goes around catching monsters called “Pokémon” and training them by battling with others, in hopes of one day becoming the Pokémon league champion.

Now, Black 2 and White 2 are set two years after the events of Black 1 and White 1, with an entirely new protagonist. After the events of the original Black/White versions, Team Plasma (The evil organisation) has been crushed, and their remnants scattered. Or so you thought. You start off your journey with your rival, your best friend. Who indeed has his own personal grudge against Team Plasma, as two years ago they stole his sister’s Pokémon. He has a lot more passion and emotion that the rivals from the previous instalments of the franchise. He actually has a back story, and he actually cares for his friend unlike the other emotionless rivals who just want to smash you into the ground every time you see them. And together you and your rival both go on a journey to become Pokémon masters.

The story itself follows your journey through the region of Unova, grabbing Gym Badges to be able to enter the Pokémon league. The region is a lot bigger this time around, adding a whole bunch of new towns, areas and events into the game that the previous instalment did not have. Also featured are Pokémon from previous generations, which are now catchable before the end of the game, thus expanding the Unova Pokedex to over 300 Pokémon in total. This is a great improvement from the first game, as only Pokémon from the 5th generation were ever catchable before the end of the game. But still, there are 673 in total across all 5 generations. So you have to work hard to catch them all.

The battle mechanics remain unchanged from the original Black/White versions. But then again…Why should they be changed? If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. The battle mechanics are superb; the game runs flawlessly in battle with amazing animations when a move is used. Although sometimes, you do think to yourself “What the heck has he done that for?” Yeah, the AI can be quite dense at times, until you get to boss battles. That’s when they really crank it up a gear.

For a DS game, the graphics are actually pretty decent. Pokémon sprites, like the previous instalment are actually animated to that they move during battle which is a great little feature. The battle animations are flawless, as well as character design being very good too. But unfortunately it is a DS game, and so it has its limits. And so comparing this to the graphics of an Xbox game would be rather stupid. But it is definitely one of the best games, graphics-wise available on the DS. Multiplayer, is simply one of the best aspects of any Pokémon game. You can battle, trade and do missions with your friends, via Wireless or infra-red. Or, you can use Nintendo Wi-Fi connection and battle and trade online with random people, allowing you to get the Pokémon you want fairly easily as long as you have seen it before using the Global Trading Station. For the hard-core Pokémon fans, there are actually world championships held every year in numerous countries. And that is where Pokémon really comes into its own. The multiplayer is a fundamental element of any Pokémon game.

Music is also a key element with any Pokémon game. The atmosphere of any battle is determined by it. The majority of the music from the game has been remixed from the original Black/White versions, which just makes it sound even better. The major battles are now more intense, and feel more action packed than ever. Your rival still retains the most kick-ass battle theme within the entire game though, which make your battles with him simply amazing.

The extra little features are simply the icing on the cake. Firstly, there is the Join Avenue. Basically, it’s your very own shopping mall. You can recruit people to open stalls, recommend stalls to potential customers and customise your Avenue to your liking. Of course this has many benefits to you; you can actually pay for services from the traders which you can get nowhere else, such as automatic level ups for your Pokémon. After you complete the game, challenge mode is also unlocked. This is essentially the “hard” mode of the game. The AI becomes much more intelligent, as well as the opponents Pokémon being up to 5 levels higher than normal. But in all honesty, if you have played a Pokémon game before then you shouldn’t find it much of a challenge at all. It is certainly harder, but I wouldn’t say that the game actually becomes difficult. Still, this is a nice little feature, but I believe it could be greatly improved.

Pokestar Studios is another new feature which has been added, and in my opinion, a pretty pointless one. At Pokestar Studios, you and your Pokémon can star in a movie by acting out your respective rolls. You get to battle bad guys, and all that stuff whilst dressed in ridiculous costumes and then you can watch your movie after. I just really don’t see the point in it to be honest. I’m a Pokémon fan, I want to battle other trainers and be the best, not mess around in spandex suits in front of a camera. In my opinion this feature was not needed whatsoever.

Depending on which version of the game you have. You can challenge yourself to Black Tower (Black 2) or the White Tree hollow (White 2). This is essentially the hardest part of the game. The structure consists of ten floors, full of trainers. Each floor contains a boss, and to get to that boss, you have to find and defeat the gate trainer using clues given to you by trainers you have previously defeated. And to top it all off you can’t use any items, you can only heal if you defeat a doctor. Each floor is considerably harder than the previous one, eventually leading up to level 80 Pokémon (85 for challenge mode) for the final floors boss battle. This was an amazing feature that I spent hours trying to complete, and I still wonder why they didn't include this in the first game. But still, it’s here now.

But by far, the best additional feature is the World Tournament. This is where you can go to battle Trainers from all the previous games. There is a tournament available for each generation of Gym Leaders (Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh and Unova). This provides amazing nostalgia, especially because all the battle themes have been amazingly remixed. And at the end of all of these tournaments, is the Champions tournament. This is where you battle all of the previous Pokémon league champions from each generation. So to summarise, Pokémon Black/White 2 is simply an amazing game. It is a great jumping on point for new fans; it doesn’t matter if you haven’t played any Pokémon games before as the story from the prequels is explained during the events of Black/White 2. And for old Pokémon fans like me, who have been there since the beginning, I believe this is the best instalment the series has had for a very, very long time and I seriously recommend you get it. This is what the original Black/White versions SHOULD have been! As a die-hard Pokémon fan, I was extremely disappointed with the original Black/White versions and was contemplating not getting this. But how wrong was I? This game rights the wrongs of the previous instalment and blows it completely out of the water. And for that Nintendo I salute you.

Rating: 92/100

#pokemon black 2 #pokemon #black 2 #pokemon white 2 #white 2 #nintendo #DS #First Stop Reviews #review #gaming #reviews #game freak

Just take a moment to read this.

As I am sure some of you are aware, Greg Miller from IGN was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year and recently has been told there is light at the end of the tunnel!!! He will be finished with chemotherapy within a few months and is on the road to recovery!

Greg Miller is nothing short of my idol. He really got me into video gaming properly. Hell, I would go to say that this blog wouldn't even be for this man! I even wrote my GCSE English exam on him!

Now I know this is bad to post a link to another gaming website but he truly deserves it. So go ahead and read his blog post to hear the full, truly insparational story!

BEYOND.

http://www.ign.com/blogs/greggy-ign/2012/12/03/greg-miller-beats-cancer-for-now/

#Gaming #greg miller #IGN #cancer #xbox 360 #ps3 #First Stop Reviews #chemotherapy #idol #video games

You can now like us on Facebook!

http://www.facebook.com/FirstStopReviews

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Far Cry 3 Review

By Jordan Williams

Far Cry 3 is an open world game, created by Ubisoft Montreal. Its set on the island of Rook and follows the life of Jason Brody, as he changes from an innocent 24 year old ‘dude’ to a lethal predator. Jason has to deal with pirates, a drug-crazed lunatic and even the local wildlife. One minute you can be racing quad bikes, the next punching a shark in the face, if Far Cry 3 is anything, it is massive. There is so much for you to explore and do, and will find yourself wandering off instead of completing the story missions. That isn't an excuse to not do them though, as the story is very compelling and really drives home the way Jason is changing from your normal, run of the mill guy, into a stone cold killer. The characters in Far Cry 3 are fantastic but Vaas really does steal the show. He is one of the greatest villains in any resent games. His craziness is shown though the brilliant voice acting and genuinely a very scary person. A few of the characters feel a bit dry, and aren't really explored as much as they should, which is disappointing.

For me, it’s the little things in Far Cry that makes it brilliant. If you slam into a tree at high speeds, Jason will crumple up against the dashboard. When you scale the radio towers, the camera sways as if it’s really windy. Even driving a boat is different, as you can see if shifting from side to side. This game is full on fun little things that really make it for me. My personally favorite is that Turtles retreat into their shell if you approach them. The gun-play in Far Cry is smooth and the shots really feel like there is some force behind it. All the guns are customization, from changing the camo on them, to adding a silencer and a scope. Character progression in Far Cry is a very strong point, as you really do see Jason get stronger and stronger as you play the game. You have tattoos that equate into skills and abilities that Jason can perform. Driving is fun and tight, and the hunting mechanic is actually very useful and worth while to do. There are a ton of species of animal to hunt, some more deadly then others. The problems with Far Cry 2 have been fixed, with the addition of mid-mission checkpoints and fast travel stations dotted all round the map. There are also tons of side missions to complete, and mini-games to play, keeping you entertained for hours on end!

Far Cry 3 is beautiful. From stalking a leopard though the lusciously green forest, to jet-skiing over the sparkling blue ocean, everything thing looks amazing. There are a few texture pop issues, and some things look better then others, but this game is incredibly detailed. The map is split in two. The first Island is your “ideal” tropical island. Sandy beaches, robust forests and dirt tracks winding up mountains sound like your perfect holiday right? Apart from the pirates out for you head, of course. The second island is a little different. It less tropical, and more…. Industrialized? There are more towns and villages on this island, and there are a lot more hills. This doesn't effect the look of it though, it still holds up, but isn't as near as pleasing on the eye as the first island.

Sound in Far Cry 3 is equally as good as the rest. The gun shots sound like they came from Battlefield and the animals sound as if they are right next to you. During some missions a song triggers and you can burn down the pirates weed fields, while listening to ‘Make It Bun Dem’ By Skrillex & Jr. Gong. I’m not sure if this is good thing or not. Yes it suits the mission, and makes you feel like a complete bad-ass, but it make the game less real, and that a theme the game is very much trying to get across.

The multiplayer side of things is nothing new at all. It the standard first person shooter online, that every single player game tacks on these days. There are a few cool gimmicks like that way you get to punish or be merciful towards the other team’s best player, only if you win of course. Other then that, it your pretty standard multiplayer experience. That doesn't mean it’s bad, it just doesn't really stand out amongst other online games. But hopefully you didn't want the game for the multiplayer.

The map editor in the game is a cool add on. You can literally build whatever you wish and play them with your friend! The only problem is that you cannot use vehicle or AI with your friends, only by yourself. Hopefully Ubisoft changes this soon. If they do change this then who knows what the community might be able to make, the possibilities are endless.

Co-op in Far Cry 3 isn't really the ‘Far Cry Experience’. It just feels added on like the multiplayer. It is fun if you have a bunch of friends playing with you, but it is your standard, go here, and kill this and a few odd vehicle missions that feel like they are from Mario Cart. It is also a bit glitchy, and at one point my knife was stuck in my wrist. You also lack all the abilities that Jason has in the single player, so it just feels like a normal FPS game.

In conclusion, Far Cry is a fantastic game. After a year of games that have been a bit of a disappointment, I am over the moon that Far Cry held up. The story is gripping and engaging, and the Gameplay is tight and works. You really do see Jason turn into a true warrior throughout the course of the game, and is very well paced. As you get accustom to the game and become better at it, so does Jason. The only downside is the few minor glitches you find at times and the inability to play online games with vehicles or AI.

90/100