Frag Out

Hey there - this is a blog about sports, videogames and my general existence - this page is largely unedited and just for fun - typos everywhereerereree

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Wolfenstein: The New Colossus Review

Machine Games put themselves back on the map with the brilliant Wolfenstein: The New Order. A ridiculous, fast paced and excellent written first person shooter. Machine Games took everything that went well and made the first entry in the reboot and double down to make one of the best first person shooters I have ever played. Amazing story, check. Amazing gameplay, check. Amazing characters, check. Incredible level design, check. Memorable moments aplenty, check. Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus is a brilliant game and takes huge steps in terms of telling an interesting story and building upon the characters established in the first game.

Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus does a great job building upon the impressive cliff hanger that left us wanting more at the end of the first game. We pick up with a broken, battle wounded and dying BJ Blaskowicz, recuperating on the Nazi U-Boat that encompasses the rest of his crew as they desperately evade the dominate Nazi regime. The game makes the most of tender moments, but ramps up the hyper violence soon after. The opening scene sets the tone of the game, as you roll around the U-Boat in a wheel chair blasting Nazi Limbs from bodies and being the absolute meat axe that BJ is. The story this time centres around this theme for the early stages and really develops BJ as someone who realises that he is fighting for everything and anything, but realises that he is going to die and miss the birth and live’s of his twins. This is heavy and the voice acting, small quips and incidental dialogue is so meaningful throughout the game. We get this all the time as BJ works to overthrow the Nazi Tyranny who have taken over the world.

Story and character moments are what make Wolfenstein so memorable and a stand out game from 2017. This is not unexpected due to the quality and craftsmanship that the first game in the series received. Once again the game stars are wacky cast of characters that does change depending on an initial choice that you get to make again. No matter how it plays out, there will be so many wacky moments between the game’s characters that you really feel for their turmoil, cringe when something goes wrong and value the down time in between the game’s hectic surroundings. As you explore the Nazi U-boat that becomes a hub in between the games missions, you often stumble across heart felt or hilarious moments between the game’s characters. It makes the world, the narrative and the characters feel more believable. There is always a sense of victory, despite the overwhelming odds. On the other side is the terrific performance of the game’s villain. We all remember Frau Engel from the first game, she returns, more menacing, more evil and bent of the death of BJ. The performance by Nina Franoszek is brilliant and makes Engel one of the most memorable video game villains in recent times.  

There is also a number of absolutely insane ‘Holy Shit’ moments that left my jaw hitting the floor. A unexpected twist regarding a movie scene, an intense moment of violence from a naked woman, a conjoining of two very important elements in order to live and a very precise hatchet all were downright incredible story moments. To say more would be unfair, as the game simply thrives on these moments. There is also some unexpected, but very well delivered moments with BJ’s father and the impact that he had on BJ’s development. Bethesda and Machine games have crafted a terrific narrative that makes Wolfenstein more than just shooting Nazis, however there is plenty of that. What’s not to love about shooting some Nazi Assholes. 

The combat in Wolfenstein the New Colossus is very much the same as the New Order. BJ is a Nazi killing machine. In typical Wolfenstein fashion, BJ can carry a small arsenal in his pocket and dual wield absolutely everything. This is how the game should be played. Dual wielding, moving from location to location as quickly as possible and out manoeuvring the enemy is vital. The New Colossus is a very hard game. It will kill you with no mercy. Your only hope to survive is learn how the game wants you to play and get very good at that. What does feel poorly done is the stealth elements that were so expertly implemented in the New Order. It was very possible to stealth through and kill the majority of enemies in the first game, making the rest easy pickings with a quick shotgun to the head. In the new Colossus this seems to be near impossible, as Machine Games are encouraging the bombastic fights that the series thrives upon. The combat is, fast, furious and fun, however nerving the stealth and spreading the enemies makes it much more difficult. Upgrades once again are extremely important. The more you perform an act, e.g. mowing down enemies with dual wielded weapons, or popping headshots, the more you will upgrade your attributes. It feels natural and well thought through again and does give a great sense of progression as you make your way through the game. While the enemies are resistant and tough, they will go down with some effort, however the game does not do the best job letting you know that you are being tagged by enemies. The feedback given in other games like a red screen, blood splatter or sound effects is simply not there and this can get you killed over and over if you are not paying attention to your health bar.

Wolfenstein: The New Colossus proves once again that single player, story driven shooters are still important to the gaming medium. The clever writing, amazing set pieces and memorable moments, combined with great combat, intriguing characters and wonderful sound design and visuals, make this a must play experience for fans of video games. Machine games are the masters at making shooters that are engaging and deep and The New Colossus is no exception.

9/10

Reviewed on Xbox One 

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Death of the Outsider Review

When the moment hit and everyone realised that Meagan Foster was in fact Billie Lurk, it was a crucial moment in the Dishonored universe. Someone so intricately woven in the murder of Jessamine Kaldwin, working right alongside her lover or daughter depending on who you played as. Billie was such a fascinating character in Dishonored 1’s DLC and it is fantastic that Arkane was able to double down and make Dishonored 2’s expansion focus on her.

Death of the Outsider is set shortly after the events of the second game’s main story. We awaken as Billie as she is adjusting to life back under the reign of Emily Kaldwin. She has located the whereabouts of her old mentor Daud. The last time they were together, she betrayed Daud and has felt guilty ever since. We follow Billie in her quest to free her mentor and fulfill his last wishes of killing the outsider with a special weapon. The DLC is quite short if played through once and the 4 main story missions have an action packed plot that is enjoyable and rewarding. In typical Dishonored style, there are branching story paths towards the end, lots of fantastic hidden journals and audiographs and so many intricate details woven into every area of the environment. Stopping to take in information from the run down buildings, affluent clubs and shops or the dirty city streets is extremely rewarding as you can sew together the back story on the still very engaging Kanarca. While there are multiple ways to approach each mission, Death of the Outsider is the first entry in the 4 pieces of Dishonored content, that doesn’t take into account how brutal and murderous you are. Killing will not influence the outcome of the story and this is a let down as it does little to encourage multiple playthroughs.

What will encourage multiple playthroughs, is the excellent level design and the ability to combine multiple weapons, powers and approaches to achieve the outcome of every missions. We see Billie infiltrating a number of unique locations that feel different to what has been done in the past. Billie has the same approach in terms of being able to use stealth, a deadly blade and numerous projectiles from a wrist mounted launcher, however her powers are unique for the series and provide some of the more interesting combos that the series has seen. Similar to Emily and Corvo, Billie has a traversal power, known as displace that allows fast and powerful movement throughout the game’s very vertical level design. What is unique about displace is that a doppelganger is created, which can act as a distraction as well. When the power is used, Billie swaps places causing a transportation of her entire being. Combined with her ability to stop time and scour through levels, this allows much faster movement than before. Finally Billie also harnesses the power of Ayra Stark and has the ability to steal someone’s face and replicate them for short periods of time.These powers are great fun and combine perfectly with the once again expertly designed fluid gameplay. No matter what approach you take when figuring out the perfect way through a level, Death of the Outsider is a technical masterpiece.

While these 3 powers are entertaining, it was a shame that no extra powers were added throughout the course of the campaign. You also cannot upgrade these powers with runes, instead the game focuses on bone charms littered throughout the world to influence other aspects of gameplay. You can definitely see that the team didn’t have the time and scope in regards to this expansion when looking directly at the two DLC packs released for the first game. The story is not quite as deep, the game is not as long and the areas are re-used often and re-used from the main game. Despite the lack of new areas, Death of the Outsider is still well worth the time and money.

A great character, cool powers, another terrific job by the art and sound team and an interesting narrative that definitely sets up a new adventure are the key reasons why Dishonored: Death of the Outsider is a must play for fans of the series. I hope that this isn’t it for Dishonored due to poor sales, but once again Arkane deliver a fantastic experience for stealth action fans.

8.5/10

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Fortnite Battle Royale

Fortnite’s Battle Royale mode is sure making waves across the gaming community. Firstly it launched and publically mentioned Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) as an inspiration, Secondly Blue Hole said “hey wait a minute, this game looks like our game,” and now we are hearing about the extraordinary amount of players the game has had over the last few weeks. There is are two key reasons to this. It is first on 2 major platforms and the game is so damn good.

Epic Games and Fornite have eaten PUBG’s lunch. Launching a battle royale mode for starved console fans who don’t have a PC and have been hearing about how great PUBG is for the last few months has been a stroke of genius. The game is familiar enough that people have been able to dive right in and get going. However the game also has such an interesting set of mechanics combined to the winning formula that is a completely different experience after playing a few rounds. The building mechanics, arcadey shooting, unique art style, loot chests and backpack limits and the fact that everything in the world is destructible is incredible and differs the game completely from the very tactical and military based PUBG. The game’s while very similar, play completely differently and this is why I feel so many people are drawn to Fornite.

Having never played PUBG (I definitely will when it launches on console) I am loving the fact that I have a battle royale mode that plays so well. Fornite in general is still in early access which means there is definitely still moments of jank and plenty of funny glitches that occur. However the servers often feel really great and the fact that the game is remembering the destructibility and building of structures for 100 people is really quite incredible.

What is unreal is this experience is completely and totally free. I can see microtransactions and cosmetics coming in the future to sustain the server costs etc. and this I feel is a great thing. When a game is completely free to play without any impact on the gameplay experience, it is the perfect situation to implement cool cosmetics. Dropping in with personalised gliders (or an umbrella if you have a victory) is an easy and non gameplay impacting aspect to implement. Similar to customisable characters etc.

But wow this game really is something incredible and I have fallen into a spiral of addiction. Learning loot spots, focusing on hotspots to get kills, working through the mechanics in order to be the best possible player and watching popular/good players on twitch/YouTube has been the order of the last 2 or so weeks since it has been available. Picking up wins is an exhilarating feeling, one that I cannot link to any other gaming experience (maybe pulling off a Moab/Nuke in a call of duty game). The tactical elements of game are what make the Battle Royale mode so interesting and put you firmly on the edge of your season. Just like PUBG there is no mucking around with bullet damage. A couple of well place shots, 1 shotgun shot, or 1 sniper shot to an unshielded enemy will put them down and this means if you get caught looking the wrong way, taking the wrong route or without a weapon, you are as good as dead. This makes every gun fight meaningful, the way you land after you drop extremely important and how you approach the ever shrinking circle a tactical nightmare. I have been screwed by a bad circle a few times, but you never feel cheated by the game, as often it works out in your favour also.

The key differences that make this game stand out is the base building and destructibility. In PUBG, buildings and tree cover are extremely important, as they would be in a real life fire fight. Positioning yourself on high ground, behind rocks and trees gives you a near certain victory against an unsuspecting enemy. In Fornite, this is simply not the case. People are still determining great strategies to approach gun fights that give them the best advantage. Every player can build after they collected mined resources or loot a dead player’s resources. This allows the construction of stairs, platforms and walls. It is very possible to make a fortress in the last circle and win the game with superior cover, which is why it is so important to build and mine resources during the early stages of the game. Just be careful you don’t cop a stray bullet or get snuck up on due to the noisy mining. While building is such a huge tactical advantage if done correctly, it also is like bees to the honey pot for other players. It is pretty obvious that you are inside a fortress so you can’t properly hide and ambush. You can also see buildings from a long way away and people building are an easy target as you cannot have your weapons equipped at the time. Also every one of your contructions can be torn down if a player has the appropriate tools. Bullets shred through wood really quickly, but bricks and steel require 30-50 bullets. This is why the game’s rocket launcher, grenade launcher and standalone grenades are such valuable resources. A RPG tears through bases in a manner of seconds leaving people confused and exposed by a good player. It also flushes people out of their hiding spots and helps the game stay fast paced. These weapons are crucial to a victory.

So the other great thing about this game is the looting system and the weapons. There are very few weapons, but the variance is kept up by a simple class system. Plain, Green, Blue, Purple and Gold weapons are available and are better than their counterpart in that order. It seems that not every weapon can be found in Purple or Gold, but key assault rifles, grenade launchers, RPGs and snipers are available. Rare guns kill faster, reload quicker and have better aim. The R&G aim is a challenge and requires you to be very still, crouched and close to enemies, but with rare weapons these setbacks are removed and this gives you the advantage. While this seems unfair and rather than skill it relies on getting lucky drops, but I have never really felt that the game is cheap. You have the same amount of chance to find these guns and if you don’t, you have to rely on your tactics and gameplay to outsmart an opponent. Also guns still shred through most enemies.

So there are a few things that I feel definitely need to be fixed to make this game even better.

Recently supply drops were added which is fantastic! It makes players venture into the unknown or put themselves at risk with the hope of a big reward. I would like to see the reward even bigger for these. So far I have had a few drops that haven’t had a gold item. I think this should be a minimum and it would make these drops more worthwhile.

Weapon balance needs to be looked at carefully. I know current fixes are happening all the time and the 3 major fixes I wanted to see have happened so far. Sub machine guns are terrible and are outclassed by other weapons in every form of combat. Honestly it is hard to kill someone with one of these due to their huge recoil, low damage and massive range drop off. The critical hits are also not powerful enough. The scoped rifle is incredible OP and this has been patched, however they dropped the damage by 33%. I still think due to the slow fire rate, a 3 shot kill against someone with no armour is fair. They need to up the damage very slightly as this is now a 5 bullet kill with no critical hits, which is again outclassed by other rifles. Finally the auto sniper is terrible. Hitting enemies is already hard enough with the low bullet velocity meaning leading bullets and accounting for drop is very important. The auto sniper is a 2 shot kill. Which is fair, but it is outclassed by the bolt action by a country mile. The fire rate is too slow, the reload is too slow and the recoil is way to high for this to be an effective and viable weapon.

Circle damage needs to be higher at the start of rounds due to the long timer the game allows. So far, players are spending a lot of time in the blue at early stages of the game, which gives them a huge risk reward in terms of being able to sneak up on enemies. This gives players longer to loot as the damage is extremely low. The map is too easy to traverse with building, which means no matter how far the circle is, you are always a 2-5 minute run away from it.

More weapons added to make this game even better. I would like to see different types of assault rifles, single shot rifles, stronger SMG variants and to have rare and legendary versions of every gun. It may actually make the SMGs worthwhile towards the end of the game.

Bushes need to be a little lower. Bush camping is becoming a huge trend in the last few days as it is so effective. It is nearly impossible to see someone who is just sitting in a bush and this style of gameplay is encouraged due to how many small bushes their are littered around the map.

Finally I feel like long range combat needs to have less weapon spread. These long gun fights currently are much more random than they should be. Players with the better accuracy and skill should always triumph. A lucky headshot in these circumstances feels far to unfair.This game definitely has the legs and the recent numbers are absolutely insane.

With these insane numbers and the dedication epic games seems to have is really exciting!

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5 Things We Learnt from Round 23

Melbourne should be embarrassed - Easiest run home

In the last 5 weeks Melbourne had the easiest draw of all the teams vying for a position in the eight. They played 4 teams not in the eight and were playing goof football. Losses to the lowly Kangaroos and the very beatable Magpies saw Melbourne end their hope of breaking an 11 year final drought. This is absolutely appalling for a club that were considered top 4 talent mid way through the season. Inconsistent kicking, terrible clearance work and over confidence now means Melbourne are once again sent packing early. There is a lot to like about this young team, but for the old vets and the fans this is a terrible, failure of a season that will sting long into summer. A very easy position has been squandered and will take a long time to get over for these players. 

Bulldogs are a shadow of the team they were a year ago

This time last year the Bulldogs were just ramping up for their incredible finals campaign that is look more and more like a fluke the further we get from it. Yes it is a fluke that you can never ever take away for the players, club and fans, but they look like a completely different team this season. Injuries have definitely impacted, but the run is just not there for the Bulldogs. They are much slower, they are kicking much more inaccurately and their absolutely torrid compete level is no more. After round 5 rounds they were looking great at 4-1 and still feared by the rest of the league. 7-10 to finish the year saw them finish 10th. What happened? A team that won the Grand Final received their leader back in Bob Murphy, two targets up forward in Crameri and Cloke and other additions to the club saw it take a major step backwards. It will be a huge fight back for the Bulldogs in 2018 and I look forward to seeing if they are up to the task. 

West Coast earned their finals spot

The last 3 weeks of the year West Coast faced a diabolical looking situation. Games against at the time Number 1 and 2 in the league to finish the season and sitting in a troubling position outside the 8. Now they are sitting in the 8 ready to face up against the very inconsistent Port Adelaide in a position that could see them play more than 1 week of finals Footy. They did not quit in the last 2 rounds avoiding a huge defeat over a in form GWS unit and then beat the team that many favour to be premiers in a win or go home situation. Under pressure from the scoreboard, they went in and out of the 8, 9 times during the game. Huge seasons from Elliot Yeo, Jeremy McGovern, Josh Kennedy, Sam Mitchell and consistency from many other plays saw the Eagles into yet another finals campaign. They have the names to do some damage and they have every right to be here fighting for a flag. 

Gold Coast should be the real wooden spooners

Wow Rodney Eade definitely looks much better after the last few weeks of the season and the way the Suns performed. To be fair they have had injuries and lost their best player in Gary Ablett, but you cannot keep making that excuse when you are relying on a guy who is past in prime and 32 years old. The Suns finished the season with a 115 drubbing from the Power where they managed an incredible 3 goals 2 behinds in perfect weather conditions scoring not even a single point in the second and third quarter. This is like a little league scoreline. The Suns lost their last 8 games in a row and did not take many positives away from this season at all. This club needs a serious revamp if it is to remain relevant in the league. Without a big name if Gary either retires or moves back to Geelong next season, the AFL will seriously need to look into relocating or thinking about another strategy to help the Suns get off the ground. Eade described the club as being behind in most areas and having poor facilities. This is simply not acceptable in a professional sporting league generating millions of dollars. No wonder they haven’t seen any finals footy in 8 seasons. It may be a long time to come before they get to play in September. 

Buddy Franklin is still the undisputed best forward in the game

God this guy is good. Outscoring Carlton in the last round was the exclamation point for Buddy in another fantastic season. Picking up his 4th Coleman medal and 7th All-Australian spot this year highlighted how important Franklin is to the Swans and also the league. He generates so much excitement every time he is near the ball and is an unbelievably skilled player. Even at 30 he has a huge engine and insane athleticism. If there was a fantasy draft for next season it would not suprise me to see teams take him first overall due to the impact he has all over the ground. He is why Sydney are still considered favourites for the flag. The uncanny knack he has of winning the ball and creating something special is unlike any other player in the league. 

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5 Things We Learnt from Round 22

Nick Riewoldt will be sorely missed by the AFL

Wow, what a career and what a send off Nick Riewoldt had on the weekend in his final game at Etihad Stadium. In the time that he has played in the league, Etihad has been Colonial Stadium and Telstra Dome. He has been a consistent performer in this league since 2001 and revitalised the Saints to be one of the more competitive teams in the last 2 decades. Unfortunately 3 premiership losses will haunt Nick for his entire life. Forever being held without an elusive premiership flag and to end the now 61 year drought. The big forward leads the AFL all time in marks and has kicked a remarkable 715 goals. Not only has Riewoldt been a leader on the field through his play, he has led by example as a human and athlete through his work with the Maddie Riewoldt Foundation. With tears, tributes and farewells by adoring fans at the end of a win on Sunday, it has become a reality that a great will be step away from the game. Congratulations on a great career Nick. 

Tom Mitchell is having one of the best under the radar years in history

Tom knocked off the 1971 disposal record with his 38th possession of the game on Saturday night. The man cannot be stopped. People criticise that he doesn’t move the ball well, but the fact that he has it in his hands at all times, simply means that most of Hawthorn’s play through the center and wing areas runs through Mitchell. Hard ball gets, contested possessions and important goals sum up the fantastic season that Mitchell is having. He has had 19 games of his 22 with more than 30 disposals and remarkably 15 of these 19 he has had a minimum of 35 touches. Mitchell has not only been getting a lot of the ball he is also averaging 6.5 tackles a game, has kicked 10 goals and is also taking 5 marks a game as a mid. He is clearly in the conversation for the best off-season acquisition of 2017. Expect to see this lad poll a few Brownlow votes

Can Sydney be Stopped?

A week ago Adelaide looked unstoppable. Then Sydney came to town. Not only did they knock off Adelaide on their home soil, they also survived a vicious fight back by the number 1 team in the comp. Adelaide will be praying for a massive Port Adelaide victory in round 23 so they don’t have to face the Swans again in the first week of the finals (assuming they can knock off West Coast in Perth and GWS lose). Sydney have all the pieces. Buddy up forward as a key target, excellent young small forwards in Papley (who keeps kicking important goals) Will Hayward and Gary Rohan, the best and most consistent mid field with Parker, Jack, Kennedy and Jack and of course they have a great back line as Rampe and Grundy combining to put a stop to any and all offense. They are a juggernaunt and will be hard to beat come September. 

Brisbane are the best potential wooden spoon team I have ever seen

This team is going to finish on the bottom of the ladder unless they pull out a win against a very inconsistent Kangaroos team. Without some tight games slipping away from North, then Brisbane would have the wooden spoon sewn up. This is very surprising considering how many great/elite level players the Lions have on their squad. Dayne Zorko, Dayne Beames, Tom Rockliff and Daniel Rich through the mid field is an extremely solid lineup that delivers every single game. Zorko is having an absolutely ripping season averaging 25 disposals a game in addition to the 32 goals he has kicked. We have also seen the emergence of tall forward Eric Hipwood who has kicked 30 goals this season and has provided a consistent marking presence up forward. With future draft picks and development of their young guys it seems Brisbane is finally headed back in the right direction. 

The most tense final round I can remember is upon us. 

Wow what a season of footy it has been and the ladder confirms that. With 1 round to go every single game feels crucial. 

Bulldogs and Hawks kick off the round with a crucial clash for the Dogs needing a win to keep their finals hopes alive and the defense of their first premiership in 60+ years. They will be facing the Hawks who were the last side to win the flag and miss the finals the next year, which happened in 2009 after the 08 win against the cats. 

West Coast must beat Adelaide or their season will be over, meaning the final time we see Sam Mitchell and Matt Priddis pull on the boots at an AFL level. Meanwhile Adelaide are desperate to win avoiding consecutive losses going into the finals. If they win they also secure top spot and a minor premiership. 

Melbourne must beat Collingwood in order to wrap up a finals spot for the first time since 2006. Also if Collingwood lose they finish in the bottom 6 and will then be handed a much easier draw for next season, despite having a year full of close losses that could have catapulted them into the finals mix. 

Brisbane and North play off for the wooden spoon and number one draft pick. Both teams want to avoid the reputation that goes along with being the bottom team on the ladder, but secretly everyone wants to win the number 1 pick in the draft and bring in a potential future star.

Sydney need to win against the Blues in order to have a chance at a top 4 spot. 

Similarly Port must also win against the Suns as they also have a chance for a top for spot after their big win against the Bulldogs last weekend. They will be barracking hard for the Saints and Blues to grab this top 4 spot. 

Geelong and GWS clash in the best game of the round down in Geelong. Both teams will be desperate for a win as whoever wins will host a home final (most likely depending on Adelaide) against each other. It is damn hard to beat Geelong in Geelong, so GWS will be fired up to send Stevie J out with a win in his final regular season game. 

Essendon have worked very, very hard to put themselves in a position to be successful and now must beat a very tired and badly beaten Fremantle team at home. This is a must win for the Bombers, as if they lose they will likely miss out on a finals spot. By this time on Sunday they should be pretty much aware, but against a team that has had two consecutive 100 point losses, the bombers must crush their opposition to build confidence for the finals. 

Richmond are fighting for a top 4 spot and with a win they will be definitely have that. They are also desperately hoping for a GWS win as then they will leap above the cats into third and avoid travelling to Adelaide and instead match up against GWS who they have definitely proven with their 2 matchups this year that they can win. Also St Kilda, will be desperately have to fight against the tigers as if they win they put themselves in a position to play Finals. They will have to repeat their round 16 form where they smashed the Tigers by 67 points. This could also be Nick Riewoldt’s last game of footy and they will fired up for that. If Richmond lose this game, they could end up slipping to 5th and even 6th, resulting in an elimination final after all their excellent play this season. 

phewf. What a week of footy it is shaping up to be as a result of the excellent season so far. 

[timsim26]

5 Things We Learnt from Round 21

Richmond are cursed against Geelong

This was the chance and they blew it. Richmond have now lost 18 of the past 19 games against Geelong including the last 11 in a row. The last time Richmond defeated Geelong was in 2006 at Simonds Stadium. To put that in context, some of my grade 5 children I am teaching were not born. To further put it in context, Geelong have won 3 premierships in that time, while Richmond have not managed to win a final. With Hawkins, Duncan and Selwood out and Geelong playing poor footy the week prior against Sydney, this was the chance for Richmond to solidify a top 4 spot and break the curse. Unfortunately an early injury to Caddy who looked to be fired up and some inconsistent play from their stars caused the Tigers to lose another game. Despite playing some of their worst football of the year, they only lost by 14 points. I will be fascinated to see how the Tigers rebound and if they can break their finals curse this year.

GWS and Adelaide solidify themselves as the team to beat

Big wins over the Bulldogs and Bombers solidify that these are definitely the teams to beat this year. The epic clash of the Bulldogs v GWS from a year ago looked to be a distant memory as the the Giants manhandled the struggling and slow Bulldogs unit. Their talls were far too good up front, their mids far to fast and their defence was solid and rebounding the ball before the Bulldog’s forward had time to think. Even with — out, the Giants looked as if they have hit their stride. If they can grab a home final then they will be very hard to beat.

Adelaide are similar. They cannot lose at home. They are deep in every area and are playing some of the most resilient football I have ever seen. The fight back against Collingwood was some of the most remarkable footy I have ever seen live. They were able to not worry about anything on the scoreboard and just focus on what they do best. They have so many weapons and are able to score at will and maintain possession. They have 8 guys averaging more than twenty disposals and with a great leadership group and finals experience, Adelaide are poised to win their first flag since 1998.

This may be the best retiring class of players in years

The class of 2017 are some of the best players to leave the game all at once in recent history. Sam Mitchell and Luke Hodge share 4 premiership wins, while Mitchell now has a Brownlow medal, multiple best and fairest wins and is one of the most prolific ball getters the league has ever seen. Hodge on the other hand has 2 Norm Smith medals and has to be one of the strongest and most resilient leaders Hawthorn have ever had. Steve Johnson, a 3 time premiership player and Norm Smith Medalist is definitely not done. He has a chance to go out on top and add to his 3 flags by adding his veteran talent and smooth touch around goals in the finals with GWS. Nick Riewoldt has done just about everything the Saints could possibly imagine. He leads the AFL in all time marks taken, has kicked 715 goals, played in 334 games and has been a consistent leader and ambassador of the game. He will remain as one of the best players the game has ever seen to not win a premiership. Matt Priddis has remained one of the most consistent and dominating presences in the league since his debut. He leads the league in tackles and is another Brownlow medalist who came so close to winning a premiership. Scott Thompson is also hanging up the boots. After years and years of solid football the veteran leader of Adelaide  is retiring. Thompson is an all Australian talent that is a two time best and fairest winner and has played over 300 AFL games. His leadership and skill set will be sorely missed by the Crows.   Finally of note their is Jobe Watson. A fighter and extremely skilled player who is departing after much turmoil in the last few seasons. He silky smooth skills, amazing football IQ and match winning skills will always be remembered. He is a Brownlow Medalist in my eyes and it is a shame he played in one of the Bombers most disappointing errors. It will be interesting to see if others such as Bob Murphy, Mark Lecras and others also retire and join an extremely talented group of players.

Fremantle need to reassess their future

This year Fremantle were expected to regain some of the form they lost last year. in 2016 Fremantle managed only 4 wins, after a season in which they won the minor premiership and managed to come within 1 game of the grand final. There was seemingly no reason other than Nat Fyfe and Aaron Sandilands being injured to suggest why they had such a huge drop off. This year they started the year in confusing fashion, however they have continued to drop away more and more the season has continued. 2 wins in their last 12 games and the most recent blowout by over 100 points against Sydney beg the question as to whether things are heading in the right direction. Ross Lyon is signed on now until 2020 and this seems to be a strange choice. His brand of football can not get the job done and guys like Lachie Neal, Brad and Stephen Hill and Nat Fyfe would thrive in a more offensive and fast paced situation. No player has kicked over 25 goals for Fremantle and only 3 players are over the 20 goal mark. This is a severe problem in the modern AFL as teams require many players to step up and contribute offensively. We shall see what happens with this club, but changes need to be made.

Andrew McGrath should be the rising star

In a week that was filled with a lot of negatives for the Bombers, Andrew McGrath was the clear stand out. McGrath had the toughest of jobs playing on the incredibly talented and high producing Eddie Betts. Betts has another 40 + goal season under his belt and often produces magical plays that fire up the crowd and his team mates. At the conclusion of the game, McGrath finished with 25 disposals, 8 marks and 2 clearances. He managed this impressive line while keeping Eddie Betts to only 7 touches and without a goal for only the 5th time in the last 3 seasons. That is a remarkable feat for the 19 year old number one draft pick. McGrath has proven time and time again this season that he is a clever player, makes the right choice under pressure and has immense talent. His rebounding from 50 along with the support from Hurley has created so much offense from the back 50 and this in turn has supported the Bombers run and gun style. A terrific season for a number 1 pick who is well and truly living up to the hype.

[timsim26]

5 Things we learnt from round 20 (AFL)

I should have been writing these all year. 

Tom Hawkins is still dumb (also highly over rated)

Tom Hawkins is supposed to be Geelong’s key forward that is a consistent target and feared by full backs around the league. For years now he has been everything but this. This year Hawkins has only managed 46 goals kicking 2.6 a game on average. This is going to leave him behind is disappointing total of 55 from last season and miles away from his career best 68 in 2014. 

Not only is Hawkins kicking less goals, he is also playing less due to his mind numbing decision to keep throwing jumper punches. He has now been suspended for the second time this season and the third time in the last 2 seasons for throwing unnecessary punches as he tries to throw his weight around. If you can’t take over a game by kicking goals, I guess it is worth a shot hey Tom. Will another 2 weeks on the sidelines finally be enough to teach the Tomahawk a lesson. 

The Cats’ season may be over

Speaking of the cats they had an absolute horror weekend. Clear MVP of the league Patty Dangerfield sat out and watched his team mates get drubbed by the scary resurgent Sydney Swans. This exposed Geelong’s lack of versatility and goal kicking when he is out of the side. To be fair they were also missing Menzel who has kicked 30 + goals this year and is a threat to set up team mates for scoring opportunities too. The bigger news is that after the loss they move from second to 4th (I wouldn’t want to play Adelaide at home in the first week of the finals) and they lose Hawkins for 2 weeks, Duncan for a week and captain Joel Selwood for the remainder of the regular season and potentially some finals time with a high ankle sprain. Alarm bells must be ringing for Geelong who have a tough road home facing up GWS an in form Collingwood and the real deal Richmond. 

Richmond are the real deal

So Richmond finally have their shit together, (famous last words). After an up and down mid season, the tigers look to have steadied the ship and are winning with consistency and ease. While they still struggle in front of goal (which costs them huge winning margins) they are looking fantastic right now. They have the all but confirmed Brownlow medalist in their team with Dustin Martin who is having a fantastic season involving himself all over the ground and also the best and most versatile defender in the game with Alex Rance. They have won 6 of their last 7 games and if a few kicks and bounces had gone their way, could have a realistic chance at being on top of the ladder. Richmond’s success can definitely be translated into finals form if they can keep their scoring depth going. They have 9 players that have now reached double digits in goals kicked and move the ball so well they seem to be a threat at every stage of the game. After years and years, it seems that now is the time for the Tigers. 

Port Adelaide are premiership pretenders

While Richmond are heading in the right direction, Port Adelaide confirmed that they cannot translate their winning formula when playing a top 8 side. This season they have losses to Adelaide x2, GWS, West Coast, Geelong, Essendon, Richmond and Melbourne. There only win against a current top 8 side came against Sydney in round 1. This is worrying for the Power who have built and built to be back in contention after their terrific 2014 season where they came so close to knocking off the hawks. The Power still have a great team with many of their best players still in their prime. If they are to take the next step they will need better efforts against the quality opponents. Robbie Gray is having one hell of a season though. Look for him to be among the Brownlow votes. 

The deadlock for the bottom finals spots is thrilling. 

Currently 7 teams sit between 5th and 11th separated by a single win. This ramps up the pressure big time in the last 3 rounds as every win makes a huge impact on who is going to play finals footy. The fight between Essendon, Melbourne, St Kilda and West Coast is the closest of the bunch as 3 of these teams are seemingly going to miss out. West Coast have a tricky run home with a must win game against Carlton before the top 2 teams in the comp, GWS and Adelaide. St Kilda and Melbourne clash against each other, which means whoever comes out on top in this battle will have the upper hand. Melbourne look to have the most realistic chance to win out as they play beatable teams in Brisbane and Collingwood after their clash with the Saints. I cannot wait to see how this plays out and would love to see any of the Melbourne teams make their way through to battle it out for some September glory.

[timsim26]

Chess

I am addicted to chess. I don’t know what has happened or why it has happened. I am working to improve my skills and my critical thinking. At some stage in May after watching some videos on YouTube of people playing chess I decided to go and sign up for an account. 

Well I have certainly fallen down the rabbit hole. Learning strategies, watching others play, analysing my mistakes, getting mad because I am improving and when I make dumb mistakes i know it shouldn’t happen and finally seeking out grand masters on YouTube to learn their strategies and watch their techniques.

Chess is the one game in the world, where 99% of the time the smarter, better player will always win. There are obviously the times when a mistake or miscalculation is made and an opponent can take advantage, however it is very rare. 

I have learnt how to pin players, force trades, attack pieces from multiple positions and directions, double checks to gain a piece, not stress about losing pieces if you can force trades and also strive to be up material and not stress about the pieces you lose. Patience, calculating moves ahead is so important and being able to anticipate an opponents move and trap them as a result is thrilling. I get an adrenaline rush for sure every time I beat an opponent as gives you foolproof evidence that at that moment in time, you are smarter and more strategic than another human being.

I certainly still make many blunders and dumb moves. I always make dumb mistakes if I rush and I need to carefully plan and assess my moves. My goal is to reach an Elo of 1000 and currently I am sitting in the mid 800s. I am so thrillied about this as I started and was stuck in the 250-450 range for the good part of 2-3 weeks when I started. I am getting better every day and learning new strategies to help me win more games is definitely my next goal. 

[timsim26]

Zelda Breath of the Wild Review

Many could not believe the impressive showing at E3 2016. Zelda Breath of the Wild promised a huge open world, go at your own pace gameplay/story and challenging combat that required you to fail over and over before you would achieve success or master your craft. Everything and more has been delivered by Nintendo and it is accompanied by the launch of a console that suits Zelda’s gameplay and length perfectly. In Breath of the Wild we dive back into Hyrule after a traumatic world altering event 100 years ago. Adventure and mystery surround Link and the game delivers sets up a deeply enchanting and thrilling world to explore.

Zelda Breath of the Wild is a gigantic game. After roughly 70-75 hours of gameplay, it is safe to say I could play this game for another 30-40 hours without getting tired of it and finding something new to see or do. What Breath of the Wild does so consistently, is encourage exploration and rewards people who think carefully about how to go about traversing the world. The biggest change other than the open world for Breath of the Wild is the fact that Link can climb absolutely anything. So many video games use the line ‘you can go anywhere you can see.’ Often this is simply not true. Other than The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt, this is just a buzz saying to promote the size of games. Often size is promoted rather than focus on the quality of what consists in the open world. Ghost Recon Wildlands is this year’s perfect example of an open world that is absolutely gigantic but is completely lacking in interesting experiences. Breath of the Wild nails having things to do and the consistency of new and exciting gameplay moments around every turn. This is the new standard for open world games. Everywhere you look there is something new to see and the way the world is designed it actively encourages you to seek out the next adventure. The climbing mechanics makes this a reality. As long as you have the stamina, which is arguably the most important new gameplay mechanic other than the climbing, you can climb and make your way to new areas. Mountains, cliff faces, buildings, boulders, ravines, ditches you name it, if you can see it, you can climb on it. There is always a way to climb from somewhere to get a better view of your surroundings and to potentially discover something new. Run out of stamina though and you will very quickly tumble to your death. Breath of the Wild likes to kill you. It will kill you often.

Nintendo have clearly been watching the competition very closely for the last few years. Breath of the Wild takes a lot from other games, but it handles the mechanics and gameplay attributes with the Nintendo love and care we see so consistently from their first party games. A big mechanic featured is that of Ubisoft like towers. They are scattered across the map and split the regions, allowing you to have a visual goal as to where to go to next. 1 for every region. Once you climb these towers, Link activates an ancient mechanism that scans the area and reveals the map. In other games, this would highlight points of interest, unlock new quests and encourage you to head to specific locations for the next interesting element of gameplay. Breath of the Wild is similar, but handled in a way that makes you feel empowered and like a true navigator. You are the explorer in an unknown, yet strikingly familiar world. After you unlock a region, you are free from atop the tower to look around, using Link’s Sheikah Slate as a pair of binoculars to mark your own points of interest on the map. This encourages you to seek out the exact locations you think look interesting or simply gives you the lay of the land around where you have been searching. The map in Breath of the Wild is completely blank other than a few specific locations like towns, towers and any shrines (more on them later) that you have previously discovered. The map tool gives you a number of icons and marking points that you, yourself are able to mark and leave. Find a treasure chest but can’t get to it at this moment, leave a marker. Find a challenging enemy that has great loot but are simply not strong enough to defeat it, leave a marker. See a shrine from a distance and want to come back to it later, leave a marker. The map is filled out by you and the more you adventure, the more full of things to do the map will be. The sense of hand holding is instantly removed and the sense of discovery and adventure is so fresh and rewarding.

The hand holding is removed in most facets of the gameplay. The combat in Breath of the Wild is very challenging. From the get go, you only have 3 heart containers and very minimal stamina. As I mentioned earlier, this game likes to kill you very quickly. At the beginning of the game you will be faced with small groups of enemies that vary in attack patterns and approaches. The AI is very intelligent and it becomes more evident the longer you play the game. Enemies in the early stages of the game and well through the first 10-15 hours of the game are very deadly. They can often kill you in 1 hit and must be treated with respect. Bokoblins, Lizalfos, Moblins, Keese, Guardians and the occasional boss enemies all have their own unique way to attack and this will keep you thinking and ensure you use every option in combat to succeed. Breath of the Wild feels a lot like Dark Souls. People scoff when others use that example to compare a game, but as I mentioned it is abundantly clear that Nintendo have been watching other developers and noting what is working. Melee combat is the main course of Zelda’s combat with a side dish of bow and arrow/bomb slinging. Link is a versatile and skilled warrior, after all he is Princess Zelda’s royal protector. He has a number of dashing moves that ensure his survival and that he brings down enemies with ease. Unfortunately if he is hit, he is dead. You need to use your dodging mechanics, parrying with shields and general precision movement in order to make sure you are positioned perfectly in order to avoid being hit at all. Good movement, pinpoint dodging and timing your attacks after an enemy has attacked you, or while they are bumbling around trying to lock onto you. Sound familiar? Combat is a very rewarding experience, however it is not visible that you are getting better or Link is improving. This is the one thing I think Nintendo have squandered with Breath of the Wild. Even though the combat is fun and after every single fight you feel more powerful and stronger, you really don’t notice it straight away. The only upgrades come through finding equipment after exploring or completing shrines (trust me more on them later). A progression system of some form would have made combat situations feel more meaningful, especially with level of challenge they present in the early stages of the game. Prepare to Die. Prepare to die trying and then understanding that sometimes running away is the best option, especially with how often your weapons will break.

Combat is highly impacted by the weapon system. Something I didn’t enjoy in the early stages, but grew to love was the weapons and how they break so easily. Seriously who is making all the weapons in Hyrule? In the early stages of the game, every weapon you find is expendable. Fighting against a group of 4-5 enemies, it is not unusual to go through 1-2 weapons. However you are consistently picking up their weapons and using them against them. It is particularly entertaining when you knock an enemy to the ground causing them to drop their weapon. After scooping it up for your use, they look at you with utter fury and frustration, charging to end your life. Weapons that are on the verge of breaking can be hurled at an opponent for double attack damage and this can be an absolute life saver at times, or a great way to start an assault on an enemy camp. This causes the player to really evaluate a situation. If you are running low on weapons and equipment, then a enemy camp may be extremely challenging, causing you to take a more stealthy approach, or avoid it all together, leaving a mark on the map to return to when you are more kitted up. The way enemies attack you is also impressive. The enemy AI is certainly a highlight of Breath of the Wild and can make every fight play out in different ways. Enemies will flank you, they will use the environment to their advantage, they will scramble if they are knocked down by an explosive, they will use fallen enemy weapons and they will overwhelm you if they have a chance. It is imperative that you approach every situation with a plan, other wise you will not succeed. As you get further into the game, the level of challenge falls dramatically. Despite the weapon breaking system there are always new weapons to pick up and hunt down with the many hidden chests and enemies that you encounter. Heavy weapons, spears, fast swords and clubs are all available to be mastered by the warrior Link. They are all unique and feel fun to use and give you the edge depending on the enemy type you are facing. In addition to melee combat one of the more impressive ways to take out a group of enemies is by Robin Hooding them all to death. Bullet time with a bow is definitely one of the best additions to combat and Link can activate slow motion when he leaps from the back of a horse, from a high vantage point or from a draft caused by a fire. This is definitely the way to start a fight. 

Combat can also be enhanced by the game’s cooking system. This is one of the most rewarding and deep gameplay systems within Breath of the Wild. It can make or break certain situations and give you the edge against a particularly challenging group of enemies. Every enemy when downed drops monster parts and other loot. Everywhere in the wilderness of Hyrule is foot and animals to be scavenged. Like Far Cry, you can hunt and kill animals for their resources. Deer, pigs, wolves, birds, bugs, horses, bears, fish, lizards, frogs, snails, squirrels, sheep, you name it. There are a lot of animals to hunt and cook up. In addition, there are a number of fruits and veggies and even sugar cane and rice that can be added to meals to give extra boosts of health and stamina. Mixing and matching ingredients to create meals is a lot of fun. Boosts to defence, attack, stamina, number of hearts and stealth, movement speed and more can be enhanced by cooking the right dish and reading the reading the descriptions of the items. Monster parts and bugs can also be cooked up into various elixirs that can win you a fight or help survive some of Hyrule’s harshest environments. Not only do the animals and enemies want to kill you in Breath of the Wild, but the cold and hot air  of the terrain will end your life quickly too, not to mention a brutal thunderstorm that will strike you and your enemies down if you have anything metal.

While combat, exploration and cooking are what you will spend a lot of your time doing in Breath of the Wild the other main element of the gameplay is puzzle solving. I have mentioned shrines earlier in the review and the shrines are one of the most impressive, dynamic and rewarding puzzle solving experiences I have ever had while playing a video game. Early in the game you are given 5 key powers that will help you navigate the world and also solve the 120 shrines hidden carefully throughout the world. Statsic (freezing enemies and objects), Magnesis (lifting and moving metal objects), two types bombs and Cryosis (freezing water blocks). These powers are all acquired in the first hour of the game, meaning every puzzle you come across in the world or within a shrine can be solved right there and then. There are no come back later, or I am not ready yet experiences in Breath of the Wild. While the powers are self explanatory the shrines can be solved in some pretty remarkable ways and the experimentation and combination of powers mean there are normally a number of ways to solve puzzles. Shrines range from combat trials, puzzles that require physics manipulation, puzzles using motion controls, quick reflexes and dodging, using your bow and finding hidden solutions to puzzles that are complex. These shrines all take around 2-10 minutes to complete and are very rewarding. Inside each shrine there are chests that require even further puzzle solving to claim their rewards and each give you further progress to unlocking more hearts or stamina. There are also numerous shrines in the world that require you to complete a side quest to unlock or navigate a particularly tricky area of the map. Some are hidden behind breakable walls or locked away deep within a winding labyrinth. The 4 dungeons in the game feel like the logical next step from shrines as they feel like 4-5 shrines locked together and also hold a challenging boss enemy controlled by Calamity Ganon.

To combine all of the wonderful gameplay experiences is also the absolutely stunning art design. Breath of the Wild is a gorgeous video game. One of the most picturesque and beautiful they I have ever played in my life. The huge expanse of Hyrule looks stunning as the sun sets, or the wind blows through a shady forest, or the ripples of a lake or river sooth you after a tense fight. The draw distances of the game are impressive and this is so crucial as a major aspect of the game is being able to see that next point of interest from miles away. Every character design is well animated and this allows for such a complex and interesting combat system. The game not only looks glorious bus has a subtle, yet effective soundtrack that is most noticeable during boss encounters and quiet moments as you journey from place to play. 

All of these elements add up to one of the most deep, complex and free experiences that I have ever had. The fact that I can also play it on the go is remarkable. It is easy to pick up and play, controls very well and has hours and hours of content. Nintendo have produced one of the best games ever made with their latest entry of Zelda and I cannot wait to see more and explore more with the upcoming DLC.

10/10 Reviewed on the Nintendo Switch

[timsim26]

Mass Effect Andromeda Review

The Mass Effect series is one of the most revered and respected gaming brands ever released. The world building, strong characters, paralysing loss of loved characters and story moments that are iconic left a real imprint on the gaming industry. Unfortunately many people choose to remember the ending of the third game, which marred the franchise. Bioware went away for 5 years to deliver a new beginning, loosely linked with the trilogy and set in the Andromeda galaxy.

You play as Sara or Scott Ryder, brother and sister, who are part of the human ark. This ark has been sent on the 600 year journey to the Andromeda universe in search of a new world. The humans are not alone in their journey, as the Turians, Asari and Salarians have also sent arks into Andromeda. Krogans have also made the trip as well as dozens of individuals who went earlier to establish a home base known as the Nexus (think Citdadel). Of course, when you awake as either Sara or Scott, shit has definitely hit the fan, as a giant space phenomenon has crashed through the ark, causing malfunction and your sibling to be put into a long coma. Your job as the Pathfinder’s daughter or son is to check out the first potential home world known as Habitat 7.

While this all sounds very safe and very familiar, it does establish Sara (I played as Sara and haven’t as Scott) as an interesting character that has a variation of approaches. Removed is the renegade and paragon options. This allows much more freedom, rather than committing to one approach, even though you may not agree with all the actions. You are free to make decisions as your character based on how you want them to react to that particular situation. After a terrible incident on Habitat 7, which sees your father killed saving your life, you inherit the prestigious role as the Pathfinder, in charge of finding a new world for the human race to live. This is a huge job and involves difficult choices, putting up with the new galaxy’s politics and also fighting the new enemy and new alien race, the Kett.

As the story continues, there are a number of interesting twists and turns, that introduces new characters to join your squad and offer loyalty missions, similar to Mass Effect 2. While the loyalty missions hold the same purpose, there is no real consequence to not following them through like in the second game, where you would see characters die as a result. The loyalty missions were the best part of the second game, as they gave you a reason to delve deep into your squads history and personal lives. While there are some examples of this in Andromeda, I found the loyalty missions to be very, very, very long and drawn out. They are designed to continue over the course of the entire game. This time around, Andromeda is a 50-70 hour game. I spent 57 hours in the game before I reached the ending credits, still giving 3-4 major side quests unfinished. That was main story, exploration and loyalty missions padding that time out (also a good 3-4 hours of loading I presume). The loyalty missions in Andromeda do boil down again to doing a specific tasks that links and helps a certain character. They can get very fetch quests heavy and in some stages of a few loyalty missions it becomes a planet hopping slog, that got very old and tedious. It still pushes you through as some of the story moments that occur are fantastic.

Your squad again consists of a range of characters with unique outlooks and motivations. Drack, an, old battle scarred Krogan that has fought in many wars and is here in support of his daughter Kesh. Cora, a human who is obsessed (it is unhealthy) with the Asari and saving the Asari Ark. Liam, another human who is in support of the Andromeda initiative and colonising the many planets around Andromeda. Vetra, A turian try hard female Garrus who simply is not as good at calibrating things. Peebee, a quirky Asari, with a big personality who is keen to research and learn about the ancient technology of the Remnant that becomes a big part of the story and why the planets and galaxy are the way they are. Lastly is Jaal, who is a mix of Thane and Garrus from the original trilogy. Jaal is the 1 major new species introduced in the game, other than the kett. The Kadara are a large, unique looking alien that are very spiritual and present the most interesting moments in the game. Jaal is a warrior, who sticks to his beliefs and is interested in learning more about the Milky Way galaxy and why we have come to Andromeda. The cast of characters, are strong, however nothing will compare to the original trilogy’s squad. It puts Andromeda on the back foot straight away.

One major positive of the Andromeda is how open to exploration and discovery the universe is. There are 7 major planets that can be explored and made a viable living space. Every action completed on a planet increases the percentage that the planet is viable. Side quests, clearing hostile wild life, helping the locals with collecting materials and discovery special locations known as Remnant vaults lead to setting up an outposts, which again leads to even more activities and quests. The Remnant vaults are the key to making each planet liveable. This is presented early in the game and completing the Dungeons (vaults) allow the planet to remove the factor that is currently making them uninhabitable. This is explained throughout the story as your progress. Planets that are too hot, too cold, covered in radiation, have electrified water and so on can be repaired by completing the dungeon like vaults. Inside each vault are a number of puzzles that can be solved with the game’s new movement system allowing dashing, jumping and side stepping with a booster pack or simple logic and combat puzzles. The Vaults never out stay their welcome and always offer an interesting and unique gameplay experience that then make life on each of the planets much easier.

As you are working your way through the planets you are going to be engaging in a lot of combat. Way more than the original trilogy. The combat though is very tight and responsive. It may be the best part of the game as every combat scenario is a good mix of challenging and satisfying. The Kett are a pretty standard enemy and will attack you in traditional Mass Effect nature. Hiding behind cover, making use of the environment, flanking and firing off a number of powers challenges you to think quickly, bring the right squad mates and also be mindful when picking your loadouts. The system has changed in Andromeda in which you are no longer locked to choosing and upgrading skills that link to a specific class type. In previous games you were stuck upgrading skills that linked to a soldier, vanguard, sentinel etc. However Andromeda allows you to pick and choose your skills, upgrade them how you see fit and swap them on the fly. If you are struggling in the middle of a challenging fight against a bunch of enemies that have armour, you can upgrade something like incinerate that destroys armour. Struggling against shielded enemies, then upgraded overload or singularity. It really allows a great diversity in every combat situation and ensures that everyone playing the game is going to have a different approach to enemy encounters. As you put upgrade points into your preferred skills you will unlock class types that have particular buffs and skill enhancements based on the upgrades you are using. The more points, the better the class types become. These can also be changed at will from the menus.

Weapons are also very come and go in Andromeda. Mass Effect 3 really slowed down the customisation of weapons and armour, however the huge and expansive crafting system in Andromeda allows a large range of weapons to be crafted and customised to your liking. First you will have to find the resources by planet scanning or mining using the Nomad (yay it’s back) when you are on the many planet’s surface. After which, you can return to your crafting bay on your new ship the Tempest. There are so many variations of weapons that can be built and as you acquire mods and other upgrades weapons can be adapted to buff whatever suits your playing style. The game gives you a lot to play with and tinker with as you advance. Not only can you tinker with all of your skills, classes and weapons, but you can customise your rewards, strike teams and more. These strike teams link to the multiplayer, which returns in similar fashion from the third game. Wave based combat in a group against enemy AI is a fun side challenge and again very rewarding when playing with a group of friends. The strike teams can earn rewards in the single player which unlock minerals for crafting and even weapon modes. These can be completed by your strike teams, which Ryder can organise from her main hub. AVP missions are unlocked as you advance the plot and can impact experience boosts or delivery of goods and rewards.

Andromeda is a deep game with a lot of systems. While they don’t always present themselves in a way that makes sense, it does give you a lot of variation with how the game plays. Unfortunately combat is the primary way most situations are solved. There doesn’t really ever feel like there is a viable workaround in challenging situations where Ryder must make a choice that doesn’t result in violence. Often Ryder will shoot first and ask questions later. There are also not as many memorable choices throughout the game. There are a number of interesting options that at the time seem like they will impact something later on, however most never eventuate. This makes me wonder whether they were intended to be answered or featured in a sequel, a sequel we may never get after negative reviews, bugs, glitches and general negative word of mouth.  

Despite the gifs, news stories etc. surfacing about the game’s buggy and glitchy nature. I didn’t really encounter any problems. Considering this is a 70 hour, open world RPG, people have seemingly forgotten how hard it is to bug test games of this nature. We gave Fallout 4 a pass remmeber. The dialogue, facial animation and character issues have been resolved with the many post release patches and as a result give the game a much more polished feel. Clearly EA needed this game out and didn’t feel like delaying it until May. If they did, the game may have been much more successful away from Horizon, the release of the Switch and Zelda. A more rounded, polished experience in a quieter month, may have been what this game needed.

I loved playing Mass Effect Andromeda. The game presented so many fantastic combat scenarios, plenty of laughs from the engaging cast of characters and plenty of surprises when exploring the massive plants. While the story was familiar, safe and often nonsensical, I enjoyed the ride that it presented. The game leaves a lot of questions unanswered and is clearly meant to be the start of a new franchise and I really hope we see the second game at some stage.

8.5/10

Reviewed on Xbox One.

[timsim26]

Tim’s Golden Knights Squad.

Las Vegas Golden Knights - Before Trades and Free Agent signings. Personally I think Vegas should go extremely hard for Radulov, Shattenkirk and Joe Thornton. Big names to go along with some others they are likely to get through the draft. 

Squad

1st    Cammalleri (A)    Shipachyov     Neal

2nd   Brouwer         Marchessault      Staal (A)

3rd    Brown (C)        Perron               Stempniak

4th    Moulson          Karlsson            McGinn

Defense 1 Vatanen, Methot

Defense 2 Alzner, Van Riemsdyk

Defense 3 De Haan, Dillon

Goalies - Fleury, Mrazek, Antti Raanta Pickard, 

Extras - Read, Plekanec Rychel, Gaunce, Dotchin Morrow, Reinhart, Oleksiak

Teams 

Anaheim - Sami Vatanen 

Sami Vatanen is already a top tier defensive talent that provides great speed, ability to block shots and also great Powerplay production. In the last 3 years he has 15 or more Powerplay points. While injured at the moment, he would slide into the first pairing no problems leaving a massive hole for the ducks. 

Arizona - Jamie McGinn

McGinn had a terrible season last year in Arizona, however most of their players did. However he is a year removed from a 22 goal 40 point season in which he had an impact for the Ducks in their first round loss. He has 2 more years left on his contract and provides a good depth forward that can skate, check and pitch in with some scoring.

Calgary - Troy Brouwer

Brouwer brings cup experience, good leadership and a player that can still score some huge goals. Despite a down scoring year last year, he is good for 35-45 points and provides a good second unit powerplay guys as well as excellent penalty killer.

Carolina - Lee Stempniak

Believe it or not, Lee Stempniak is coming off consecutive 40 point, 16 goal seasons. He has 200 NHL goals and knows how to create offense with his great speed. At 34 he is not slowing down and is only signed for 1 more season. he has put up great numbers for his past 3 teams and would be great depth player. 

Chicago - Trevor Van Riemsdyk

A right shot with a Stanley Cup ring and is only 25. Van Riemsdyk has played with a future hall of famer in Duncan Keith and has had the opportunity to play in a dressing room full of champions. He has had 2 consistent seasons playing solid both ways and would be gritty and tough second pairing member to shut down opposition scoring lines. 

Colorado - Calvin Pickard

Colorado does not have much to offer. Pickard is a great pickup for Vegas to hold as trade bait when someone desperately needs a goaltender. Pickard is only 25 and despite playing for the defensively challenged Avs, holds a career 914 save percent and 2.77 goals against. He has the potential to be a solid player for a team in need of a goalie. 

Columbus - William Karlsson

Lumbus has lots of great players to pick from and Karlsson seems to be a very handy get for a building Las Vegas team. a 24 year old that has gained playoff experience and is a solid 2 way forward. He is getting more consistent producing chances and with the right line mates could be a very handy utility forward that can be played in all situations. 

Dallas - Jamie Oleksiak

A huge man. 6ft7 Oleksiak has a booming shot, plenty of skill and finesse, a massive presence on the ice and he is also a 14th overall pick. This guy has a lot of upside and has the potential to be a difference maker in the league if he gets the experience needed. Having this guy instantly checks the intimation box. A great future piece. 

Detroit - Peter Mrazek

Well this is certainly surprising, but due to his poor performance this past season, Detroit have opted to leave Mrazek unprotected. At 25, Mrazek had a fantastic campaign in 2015-16 and has playoff experience under his belt. His inconsistency would be a concern for Vegas, but a young guy with his potential is another great trade chip in a league always looking for goaltenders. 

Edmonton - Grffin Reinhart

Reinhart is a former 4th overall pick that has never been able to crack into a regular spot. While this may be the case still for Las Vegas, he is a great prospect that has the tools and the assets at his disposal to be a very good defensive player. If he can improve his positioning, Reinhart could be a very useful player in the future. Another great trade chip also. 

Florida - Jonathan Marchessault

Could last season’s 30 goal, 51 point outburst be a fluke. Potentially, however the speedy center was a dominant force in stretches for the Panthers last year and he would be a terrific glue guy for Vegas. He possess the uncanny knack of being in the right place at the right time, scoring timely goals and is also the only 30 goal scorer on the list.  

Los Angeles - Dustin Brown

You take Dustin Brown to be the grit and grind guy every fan loves and every opposition fan hates. The 2 time cup winning Captain provides plenty of grit and experience. Despite the hefty contract he is a great guy to have on your third line that will throw hits and score 10-15 goals. He had his best season offensively last year since 2011-12 and could be a valuable leader for a new team. On this list, he would be my pick to lead the team as the captain. 

Montreal Canadians - Tomas Plekanec

Despite his down season in 2016-17, Plekanec has been a consistent 20/50 player. He provides great depth at this point and is also very reliable in his own end. Currently I can’t fit him in my starting lineup, however I would imagine him eventually seeing second or third line minutes. 

Nashville Predators - James Neal

Fresh off a cup run with a very deep and talented team I am sure Neal is going to be left very unhappy to be moving from a team likely to challenge for a cup in the next 3-5 years. In saying that Vegas will be delighted to receive a 9 time 20 goal scorer and a guy who has had 20 or more goals in every year of his career. Neal is a talented scorer, a guy who can play big PP minutes, reliable in his own end and a valuable winger. This is the go to guy for Las Vegas. 

New Jersey - Michael Cammalleri

14 of Cammalleri’s 31 points came in a torrid 8 game stretch in November last season. Despite this, Cammalleri still has the skills to score some goals next season. If he was the guy in Vegas to start with I have no doubt he would put up 20-25 goals playing first or second line minutes. Cammalleri has had a great career being a scorer and is a likeable player that would great leadership and experience to the squad. 

New York Islanders - Calvin De Haan

A 2009 first round pick, De Haan has been a regular on the Islanders blue line for the past few years. He has been a consistent + player that has the ability to play 20 or more minutes a night. He is only 26 and a restricted free agent about to get a decent pay day, however he is a very solid defenseman to have for years to come. 

New York Rangers - Antti Raanta

Antti Raanta had a really fantastic 2016-17 campaign and at times made New York consider who to start, which is saying something when you own King Henrik. Raanta is another goalie you could definitely hold hostage at the trade deadline and deal to get some great prospects or useful draft picks. A solid netminder that also has a Stanley Cup ring. 

Ottawa - Marc Methot

This is the man that had his finger slashed to pieces and came back to play a few weeks later. That is toughness. That is grit. Methot has played massive minutes for the Senators and provides the defensive presence that gives Erik Karlsson the confidence (not that he needs it) to be as aggressive offensively. He is a great all around defensive defenseman and would encourage Sami Vatanen to be more aggresive.  

Philadelphia - Matt Read

Another team that has very little to offer. Matt Read now 31 provides some 4th line depth at the very best. 10 goals last year in his worst offensive season yet was strengthened by his improving defensive play. 

Pittsburgh - Marc Andre Fleury

This is likely a very important trading piece for the Golden Knights, but if not, then a very valuable starting goaltender. Fleury was considered by many a potential Conn Smythe winner after the first 2 rounds of the playoffs and even played very in round 3 against the Senators posting a massive shutout in game 2 to save the pens going down 2-0 at home. Fleury provides experience and great leadership. You can’t really go wrong here. 

San Jose - Brendon Dillon

A big body that continues to work and work. Dillon has improved every season he has played and looked very quick last season in comparison to other years. He throws big hits, has improved his positioning and is signed for another 3 years to a very reasonable contract. At only 26, Dillon would be a great piece on defense. 

St Louis - David Perron 

Perron is a talented player that has consistent scoring ability. A 46 point output in 2016-17 is around what I would expect for Perron in a second line situation. He can dazzle the crowd with his puck handling and chips in on the powerplay. 

Tampa Bay - Jake Dotchin

A big, young, talented defenseman that Tampa Bay certainly don’t want to lose. This is another piece that is crucial for Vegas to have in the pipeline. Dotchin played 33 games and had 11 assists this season for Tampa, highlighting he also has the ability to create off the blue line. 

Toronto - Kerby Rychel

Rychel was the 13th pick in the 2013 draft. After being traded from Columbus, he was unable to crack into the already young and talented Maple Leafs. He had a team leading 52 points for the Toronto Marlies in the AHL and provides depth and potential for the future. 

Vancouver - Brendan Gaunce

Another young guy that has been unable to get it going in the NHL. Gaunce has only 6 points in 77 NHL games and a change of scenery may be exactly what he needs. A big, goal scoring depth player is such a necessity in the NHL and Gaunce could be that guy for the Golden Knights if given the right opportunity. 

Washington - Karl Alzner

Rounding out the shutdown combo is the consistently reliable Karl Alzner. A big guy that stops people in their tracks, Alzner is very valuable NHL player. While he does not contribute offensively, he consistently eats up minutes, is a career + 61 and rarely takes penalties. Washington would lose a key player that has sured up their blue line for the past 8 years. 

Desperate Needs based on this list - Another offensive defenseman and a reliable young scoring second liner. These could definitely come through the draft as I am sure they will have some high picks in the near future, or through trades.

[timsim26]

E3 2017 Thoughts

Wolfenstein: The New Colossus

Bethesda had 2 of their big guns ready to roll this year and each one hit very hard. The Evil Within 2 looked terrifying but amazing and the star of the show was Wolfenstein. Wolfenstein: The New Order was a massive surprise for nearly everyone. A brilliant story driven shooter that was intensely difficult, but very satisfying to play. The New Colossus looks to be every bit as entertaining as the original, however Machine Games now have the trust and the budget to deliver something very special. From the trailer and the reports of gaming journos having played the game, it sounds absolutely phenomenal and mechanically wild. Shooting in a wheel chair, now that sounds like something never done before and the cast look to be every bit as wacky and memorable as the first entry. The premise of the story looks very entertaining and Machine Games is not shying away from the challenging content like Nazis or tough political situations. The other major tick that Wolfenstein receives is the fact that it is sticking to the Bethesda formula of coming out this year! I can’t wait. 

Xbox One X

Microsoft had ticked every box as their press conference went forward. Native 4k gaming, 6 terraflops of GPU and “The Most Powerful Console on Earth.” They also started to highlight some of the game that we would be playing on it that looked absolutely insane. The new Assassins Creed, Shadow of War, Super Lucky’s Tale, Crackdown and State of Decay all promised entertaining experiences, running in 4k. We will see if this is true, however the console is currently 100 dollars more than the competition and this was the huge issue when the Xbox One and the PS4 launched. Will we see developers take advantage of the specs that Microsoft has offered or will they stick with what the Pro can offer. This will cause significant issues for Microsoft and the X, as then the same experiences are being offered for a higher priced box. This could easily be fixed with some first party exclusive games, but once again we didn’t really see anything unique, promising or unexpected. Phil Spencer did say there are a number of unannounced exclusives still coming that are 2-3 years away, which is fantastic, but for the minute the Xbox One X is a really hard sell. 650 Australian Dollars for someone who doesn’t own a 4k TV is not really selling me at this current moment. We will see if it is a hit when it launches, but with all the hype from last year, I really think Microsoft’s big bang, ended with more of a fizzle. 

Shadow of War

Wolfenstein is a game that looks absolutely amazing, while Shadow of War is a game I am still really not convinced is going to be good or better than its predecessor. This is coming from someone who considered Shadow of Mordor 2014′s best game. All the gameplay and trailers shown so far have highlighted very similar combat mechanics to the first game in combat areas that look very similar to the first game. This is fine if there are significant improvements made and Shadow of War needs to highlight these. I enjoy the aspect of humour and a more light hearted nature explored with the character of Bruz from the Microsoft Conference, but what I am intrigued to know is how much is procedurally generated and how much of it is scripted. This really is a waiting game for me and I hope Monolith nail it. 

Sony’s Remastered Conference 

Remember last year when everyone lost their minds about how good a show Sony put on. I think everyone forgot that E3 is about showing off games that people can play. Remember why people enjoy Bethesda’s conferences, games that come out near after they announced. Games that are not just concepts at the time they are being shown off. In 2016 Sony showed off Death Stranding, Detroit: Become Human, Days Gone, Spiderman and God of War not to mention The Last of Us part II at Playstation Experience. We have played 0 minutes of these games and we will play 0 minutes of these games in 2017 and I am sure that we will 0 minutes of these games in 2018. This to me is alarming as Sony is so cocky and over confident that they can show off games that are not coming for years and years to generate good press. Everyone seems to be in love with everything they are doing at this point that they didn’t realise once again they showed off games that are well and truly miles off releasing. I think this year, it became more evident that these bigs games are going to be fantastic when they launch, but it would have been so much more impactful if they announced and showed off God of War and Days Gone this year and released them at the end of this year. Sony is well ahead with sales and this is giving them free reign to do whatever they like. Surely at some stage it is going to come back and bite them in the ass. 

Nintendo ✓

Nintendo delivered this year. Metroid Prime 4, A Pokemon game for Switch, excellent looking DLC for the game of the year, Zelda and the general support that the Switch needs to be the console that so many fans desperately want. Nintendo had a fantastic conference and continue to deliver for their fans. This along with Super Mario Odyssey and Nintendo have one exciting future. 

[timsim26]

Resident Evil 7 Review

Resident Evil 7:Biohazard may be what the AAA survival horror genre has needed for a long time. Something that takes risks, learns from previous mistakes, uses popular horror tropes and allows the absolutely stunning presentation the opportunity to utterly terrify every player. Every moment of Resident Evil 7 gave me some form of anxiety, terror or complete panic and this is a testament to how amazing this game is at establishing an atmosphere and tone that so many other horror games miss. Capcom have done a terrific job listening to feedback and creating a game that appeals to long term fans of the series, but also brings in new fans that can appreciate the experience as a standalone.

Resident Evil 7 focuses on a brand new character to the series, in the brand new location of Louisiana. The swamp land already gives off an eerie feeling and Ethan, our lead, is entering into the complete unknown, chasing a mysterious video that confirms his missing wife, Mia is alive after disappearing years ago. A strict instruction from Mia is to stay away, however Ethan must look into things in order to understand what is going on. The story is very promising and maintains its intrigue and many surprises as it twists and turns. Depending on difficulty, the game will take you anywhere from 10-15 hours, maintaining a fantastic pace that always presents a threat to your survival. You have moments of safety within the game, but even then the tension of each threatening situation will have you scrounging for resources. You are presented with a fairly typical setup, however the main antagonists of the game are unique and fascinating. Ethan is drawn to an old mansion in which he is captured by the Baker family who are seemingly invincible and downright disturbing. This is an instant problem for Ethan as he attempts to escape and explore the Baker house in search of Mia.

The level design of the old house and the surrounding area is where the gameplay and environmental story telling shine. Resident Evil 7 is full of interesting environments, that are packed with fascinating details and clues as to what is happening in the story and how our location came to be. Each drawer, desk, cupboard and locked door present new clues and valuable resources. What I continued to find with the game is the fact that the developers spent a lot of time ensuring everything made complete sense. Doors connect to rooms that feel natural, the backyard and surrounding houses link in ways that are well organise and make traversal feel familar. The level design feels a lot like Dark Souls and Bloodborne as you are open to explore, but must follow a natural critical path to unlock shortcuts and equipment that help you traverse to other areas, or return to where you started. As you progress you can return to areas with new equipment to unlock doors, find items and even just check out an area that is now clear of enemies. The progression feels natural and interesting as every area presents new challenges and gear that you can pick up. This gear is crucial to your success, as Resident Evil 7 does not hold your hand at all. You are expected to use your brain, both fighting enemies and making your way through the old estate.

While the main antagonists of the game are seemingly invincible, Ethan can still fight back and the gear you locate through exploration really helps you feel more powerful the further you get. It is a natural progression from being completely unarmed to a weapon wielding psychopath. In traditional Resident Evil fashion, you can only hold so many items, utilising your space in a backpack carefully. When the backpack is full you can no longer pick up items. You are forced to backtrack to a rare safe zone and deposit your items in a chest, or use your items to make more room. Every weapon takes up a certain amount of space, forcing you to make some challenging choices. Do you load up on health, bullets, stimulants or keep a hold of important mission items. It is completely possible you don’t bring the right mission item to a critical point and are made to backtrack to collect it. The game ensures you are thinking ahead about what you need to survive. I absolutely loved the inventory management systems in place. They never felt too fiddly or complicated and created a real tension when using your equipment knowing that you could run out of health at any moment and be forced to become a pinpoint sniper taking down enemies with your limited supply of rounds.

Combat takes place against molded like creatures who feel added in to make the game in order for the experience to take a little longer. The combat against the Baker family is much more meaningful and memorable and these moments are what players will remember after reaching the conclusion. The molded are explained later in the game, however during the combat scenarios they feel a little repetitive and clumsy. They can easily swarm you if you are not aware of your surroundings and can often take a huge number of bullets to take down. The shooting feels fantastic and responsive, each shot landing gives great feedback and the weapons are fun to fire. Pistols, shotguns, knives, a grenade launcher and flamethrower are the tools of the trade for Ethan and each are useful in the right situation. Combat is never the overwhelming focus of the game however, as Resident Evil 7 pushes forward storytelling and exploration first.

As you make your way through the story and take down the Baker family in some of the most memorable and entertaining boss fights of the current generation, you begin to see exactly where the game is heading and how well it has been put together. The game gives you so much to think about and consistently looks and sounds absolutely incredible. The first person point of view, is the major change to the series and it would not have worked at all if Capcom didn’t nail the presentation. There are many times, in which Resident Evil 7 looks utterly incredible. The detail in the character designs and the feel of the old house is fantastic. The weapons look great and the environment surrounding the house looks very well polished and realistic. This calibre is matched by the quality of the sound design. Every good horror game has to have great sound design and this is not exception. Creaks of wood, consistent bumps in the night and the incredible change in volume when an enemy bursts out of nowhere to frighten you, is phenomenal. The attention to detail really enhances the overall experience.

Resident Evil 7 steers the franchise back to where it needs to be. Scary, tense, full of fantastic puzzles that make you think and a narrative that is intriguing, a little ridiculous, but ultimately interesting. All of these and the brilliant characters combine to make an experience that is a must play for fans of horror and first person experiences.

9/10

Reviewed on Xbox One.

[timsim26]

Stanley Cup Playoffs - 5 Things We Learnt From Round 3

Any team has a chance in the NHL

We have seen it time and time again. Teams considered to have no hope winning the Cup, making a massive impact in the playoffs. 2012, LA finished 8th with 11 fewer wins than Vancouver and 95 points. That didn’t matter as they powered their way to their first Stanley Cup. Last season the Sharks finished with 98 points, 2 points above a wildcard position and also powered through to the Cup finals. This year is no exception. The Nashville Predators had a regular season that was well below expectations, especially with their list and the impressive playoffs they had last season. They finished with 94 points   points in regular season, the same as non-playoff teams Tampa Bay and The New York Islanders. Despite this, they have built with big wins, solid goaltending and timely goals. They are my pick to win the Cup. 

Penguins depth in net is unrivalled 

Entering the Conference Finals, Marc-Andre Fleury was arguably the best Pittsburgh Penguin. He made save after save against a tenacious Columbus Blue Jackets Squad, played very solidly against the Cup favourite Capitals and finally played an extremely solid game 1 and 2 of the Conference finals against the Senators including a shutout in game 2. These were Conn Smythe like performances right up until game 3 where he allowed 4 goals on 9 shots. That was the last we saw of his as Matt Murray has stepped up and never looked back. Murray currently holds 1.35 GAA and a 9.46 save percentage in the last 4 games of the series and will look to bring this stellar play and experience of last years Stanley Cup win. This is the best goaltending depth we have seen in a long time for a playoff team. 

Momentum definitely does not carry over from game to game

So far in the playoffs we have seen some absolutely massive wins by teams that have meant nothing come the follow up. It highlights just how important the first goal of every game is and the fact that any team can win entering a contest if they play the right way and back their ability. San Jose dismantled the Oilers in game 4 of the first round 7-0 only to lose a pivotal game 5, the Senators lost 7-0 to the Pens in game 5 to be put on the brink of elimination and responded with a huge win at home in game 6 and Edmonton smacked the Ducks 7-1 to avoid elimination and force game 7, only to lose 2-1 and be sent home. This was also seen consistently in the Washington v Pittsbiurgh series as both teams suffered big losses 6-2 and 5-2 in important games, however bounced back to win the next contest. It highlights how a big win does not change a series. Connor McDavid said it best, “They don't get two games winning 7-0.” 

Mike Sullivan has an insane ability to win

Mike Sullivan definitely knows how to win. He has won big games, important games and is currently undefeated in playoff series as the head coach of the Penguins. 7-0 in playoff series, 3-0 in game 7s, a winning record in playoff OT games and of course, the Stanley Cup win. He has a fantastic ability to get the most out of his playoffs, makes good choices when to make changes to his lineup and ultimately inspires his team to never give up. 

Nashville’s ability to play through injuries

Nashville just keep trucking along despite losing a number of key players consistently over the course of the playoffs. While the Penguins missed Crosby for 1 game, they have been relatively healthy and have gained players back. Despite this the Pens and Preds have used 23 players each through the course of the first 3 rounds. The injuries impacting the Preds however are far more devastating. Nashville have now lost their playoff leading scorer in Ryan Johansen, who providing great finishing and facilitation of the offense. Captain and fantastic two way center Mike Fisher has missed the last couple of games and is in doubt for the start of the finals. Finally Kevin Fiala who broke his leg horrifically at the beginning of the second round was playing some of the best hockey of his career. He was a driving factor both offensively and defensively for the Predators in their absolute dismantling of the Blackhawks. 

[timsim26]

Hey Tim - Whatcha Playin?

So I am in the middle of a whole bunch of games right now and haven’t had a chance to review them. However, I do want to share a few thoughts on them. Thanks for the title Ash.

Mass Effect Andromeda

No doubt this will be my next full review, as I am well on the way with this game now. It took me a lot to get into the story of Andromeda and I can’t put my finger on why. It may have a lot to do with the huge amount of negative press, middling reviews and heaps of bugs that were reported.

A heads up I am playing with the current 1.06 patch and this has made the game look and run much better apparently.

I am absolutely loving this game. I adore Mass Effect 1-3 and love the story, characters, gameplay and world. So many brilliant moments are highly ranked from the original trilogy and so far Andromeda is delivering this same feel and connection. While Female Ryder is so far pretty blargh, the universe and mystery of the new galaxy are fascinating. Discovering new worlds, new enemies, building weapons and having great freedom in terms of combat choice is really refreshing. So many times in previous games I would hate it, if I had made a poor squad choice due to enemy types and lacking the appropriate abilities to take down shields or armour. Now you are free to enhance whatever ability you like, choose and change classes and take on combat situations.

This game is also huge. My goodness, I thought there was a lot to do on the first main planet (not to mention the beginning hub world that sets the tone of the enemies), but that was nothing after the game opens up. Heaps of sidequests, which so far have been mostly entertaining, but very fetch quest heavy, are keeping me highly engaged with the world and character building and then there is a lot of other great exploration throughout the planets. Each world I have visited so far is unique and makes each journey to a new section of the map feel as if I am the pathfinder that the game continues to tell me I am.

The only thing that has surprised me so far is that some of the writing and character building as been very cringe worthy. Mass Effect 1 and 2 in particular are so well written, that this really stands out. The fact that Ryder reacts so strangely to an early traumatic experience so soon after the event really threw me from the believability of the whole situation. I am really looking forward to exploring more of the world, upgrading my character and developing the promising relationships with my squad. There is a lot to like in Andromeda and I am really keen to dive into the multiplayer if it is as good as people are saying it is.

Zelda: Breath of the Wild

One day I will be ready to say goodbye to this game. But that would mean saying goodbye to potentially the best video game I have played in my life. Zelda: Breath of the Wild surprises me, engages me and challenges me with every new step. The world is gorgeous, the characters are interesting, the combat is rewarding, the level design is fantastic, the secrets are plentiful, but it is the world that continually stops me in my path and makes me reflect on every other open world game.

This is the standard from now on. Nintendo have looked at what other developers are doing well, taken everything and made it better in each and every way. The huge open worlds of Rockstar, the unpredictability and emergent narrative of Ubisoft games like Far Cry and Assassins Creed, the outstanding level design and creature encounters that From Software provide with Dark Souls and Bloodborne, the deep and open environments of Bethesda games, that surprise you with lore or a new quest at every turn, the creativity of a game like Just Cause, encouraging traversal in weird and wonderful ways and add in Cd Projekt’s world design of a deep and dense forest terrain and you have Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Some big statements, but this game does everything better than those games and adds in its own quirky flavour and of course the deep lore and passion of the Zelda universe. Whether you are a new or old fan this game is a must play. Every opportunity to experiment with the systems to solve a puzzle, take down an enemy of find a new part of the map is an absolute joy. The controls are simple and intuitive and the fact that this level of game can be played on the go, still astonishes me.

This is the future of open world games. Great exploration is encouraged by having the ability to traverse the world in a huge number of ways and this is what so many other games lack.

This is going to be hard to beat as Game of the Year. All eyes are on you Rockstar and Red Dead Redemption 2.

Walking Dead: A New Frontier

Telltale’s latest entry to the Walking Dead episodic series is right there with some of the best work they have ever produced. Once again the future is bleak for all characters involved, Telltale have done another fantastic job of introducing great characters, building them with solid foundations and tearing them away based on the choices that you make, the mistakes that occur and the general terrifying nature of the world. Every episode has ended making me want more. There have been a number of solid twists and turns that have been more predictable than Season 1 and 2, however they are still leaving me, mouth wide open in some form of horror and shock. Clementine makes a return and builds already on her impressive variety and depth as a character. God you feel for this poor girl and now the issues of being a young teenager are mixed well with the Zombie Apocalypse issues that she faces on a day to day bases.

While this is far and away from the level of quality that Season 1 was when it released in 2012, the enhanced performance, quality of visuals and the great integration of new characters in Clementine’s world makes this well worth dipping into if you were a fan of Season 1 and 2. I really hope Telltale stick the landing of episode 5, as they have certainly set up an intriguing series of events.

More Modern Warfare Remastered

It may as well be 2007 again. I cannot stop playing Modern Warfare Remastered. The same gameplay loop has be absolutely and completely hooked and the little tweaks and additions that are being added by Raven Software really have added extra reparability without radically shifting the experience one way or the other.

I haven’t yet purchased the map pack, as I am unsure how this will divide the player base at the moment, but I am really hoping Activision release the game as a standalone and get as many people as possible playing. The same gun on gun gameplay that really made me fall in love with Call of Duty returns and while there is plenty of bullshit remaining in the game, it doesn’t bother me as much as the absolutely ridiculous flying and jet-packing that irks me even more.

This is the definitive multiplayer experience for me and the additions made to new camos, updated visuals and now the new weapons, have been the icing on the cake to making this game just as fun as it was years and years ago. The fact that a 10 year old multiplayer game has its hooks in me again is utterly remarkable.

[timsim26]

Stanley Cup Playoffs - 5 Things We Learnt From Round 2

Erik Karlsson is the undisputed best player in the 2017 Playoffs

It is a shame that the two time Norris Trophy winner has needed these playoffs to have a coming out party, but the playoffs highlight the best players on the biggest stage and currently Karlsson is that guy. Currently Karlsson has been on the ice for each of the 8 game winning goals scored by the Senators, 6 of which he has been directly involved with (2 goals and 4 assists). Karlsson has always been absolutely unreal in the regular season, boasting five 60 or more point seasons, as well as being a complete defensive player and taking over the captaincy of the Sens. Now he is stepping up and helping the Senators challenge and take down 2 very challenging opponents in 6 games. Captain Karl not only is over a point per game, but is logging 28+ minutes of ice time a night, blocking 2 shots a game and has thrown out 18 hits in the 11 games he has suited up. Did I mention he is doing this all with 2 hairline fractures in his foot. A remarkable effort and one that will be tested even further, as the Sens tackle the reigning champs and seemingly unbeatable Penguins. Ottawa clearly has the edge on defense, but the Penguins have Crosby and Malkin. This series will be the matchup between Fleury and Anderson that decides the series. Look for Karlsson to dominate the play as he has done through the first 2 rounds. 

The Washington Capitals have claimed ‘The biggest chokers’ award from the San Jose Sharks

For so long the Sharks have been labelled as chokers. 2 trips to the Conference finals and 2 wins away from the Stanley Cup compared to loss after loss in the second round sees a new winner of the biggest chokers award. The Washington Capitals cannot get passed the second round of the playoffs now choking 2 consecutive President’s Trophies away with a second round loss to the Penguins. Momentum seemingly gone, the Caps used their speed and Holtby to claw back into the series. Consecutive wins, a home game 7, I would have picked them to win 99 times out of 100. Don’t bet against the Penguins. 

Two statistics that really shine from this loss are 

1. Most Regular Season Wins - Coaches to Never Reach Conference Finals or Finals Barry Trotz with 713

2. Most Career Goals – Never Played in Conference Finals or Finals Marcel ONE ONE - Dionne 731  TWO - Alex Ovechkin    558

The Clutch gene is just not with this club. Unfortunately for Alex Ovechkin, once again the finger is squarely pointed right at him. Demoted to the third line for much of the series against the Penguins, he finished with a disappointing 5 goals and 3 assists and a -4 rating throughout the 13 games.  The Caps were even lucky to make it passed the very young and inexperienced Maple Leafs as 5 of the 6 games went to Overtime and we all know, those games can go either way with 1 lucky bounce. Will we see drastic changes, or do the Capitals management trust the system and hope the Penguins don’t come across them in the second round. Time will tell. 

The Oilers will win a cup in the next 3 years

Wow the Oilers looked good in game 6. If they hadn’t done the unthinkable in Game 5, by giving up a 3 goal lead with 3 minutes remaining, then I might be writing about how they are the new favourite to win the cup. That’s hockey sometimes, things can change with 1 unlucky bounce. It would have been really easy for them to turtle and go down in 6 against a very experienced and deep Ducks team, but they came out swinging and blasted the Ducks off the face of the earth 7-1. The Oilers finally met their match in game 7 as a bigger, stronger, veteran team finally shoved the monkey of their game 7 back. When you look at the Oilers though, they are strikingly similar to the 2006-07 Penguins. A very young team, with a bright future and a need to lose before they can win. The Pens in 06-07 were far worse off than this Oilers team though, as they ran into the Cup Final destined Senators and only pinched 1 win in the first round. 

2 dynamic scorers and a solid young goalie can lead you a long way. Just ask Malkin, Crosby and Fleury, or Toews, Kane and Crawford. The Oilers have the pieces in place and if they could lure a big piece on Defense (Kev Shattenkirk maybe) then they would be set for a deep run with the experience from this season as reference. McDavid will definitely need to step up even further if the Oilers are to lift the cup, as he was smothered by Braun and Vlasic and then held pointless in game 6 and 7 of round 2, in which his team needed him the most. I can’t wait to see how this team responds next season. 

Nashville’s big moves have created the perfect combination

Boy doesn’t Dave Poile look like an absolute genius right now. It started with acquiring Filip Forsberg for Martin Erat. Then big moves have paved the way for success. Ryan Johansen for Seth Jones, P.K Subban for Shea Weber, James Neal for Patric Hornqvist and the like. This has shaped the style and culture of the Predators who have seemingly been making big moves forever. Acquiring Peter Forsberg for a run in 2007, Poile has proven he is not afraid of sending players and picks away to get a return. Currently this is the most dynamic and deep teams I have seen in a long time and everything is clicking at exactly the right time. The defense is creating offense, the offense is supporting with Good defense and Pekka Rinne is a brick wall boasting a .951 save percentage and allowing on 14 goals through the first 2 rounds. It is hard to lose when your goalie is playing this well. Despite the loss of Fiala, Nashville are deep everywhere and have the pieces to make a deep run. A top 4 defensive core of Subban, Josi, Ekholm and the absolutely on fire Ryan Ellis has every team fearing matchups. They not only stop you, throw hits, block shots and take away ice, but they spring breakaways and control the offensive zone unlike any team I have ever seen. Dynamic finishers in Forsberg, Johansen, Arvidsson and Neal provide a team that is hard to stop. If Mike Fisher gets his offense going, this team is going to be very hard to stop. 

The hottest team wins the Stanley Cup 

What I have noticed as the NBA and NHL playoffs matchup head to head is the sad fact that the NBA always sees the best teams make it through to the Finals. It creates a boring predictable nature to the first few rounds. Currently if the Cavaliers and Warriors don’t meet for the third consecutive year in the Finals I will be very surprised. It makes for a boring, mundane run to the inevitable before the actual good basketball games are happening. What is worse is the competition is not nearly as stiff and players are not giving everything they have to win, in comparison to Hockey Players. I love the NBA, but it cannot be argued that having the same teams meet year, after year and the same player for that matter (Lebron will be playing in his 7th straight NBA final if the Cavs make it through) is bad for fans of other teams. 

The hockey on the other hand sees new teams every year, the hottest teams flying through the playoffs and making successful runs and entertaining games. While similar teams have been winning in the past few years, there has been new opponents every year, new matchups in the playoffs and rivalries built on intense matchups. Hot teams like the Sharks and Penguins last year, the 2012 LA Kings, the Boston Bruins in 2011 and so on, make the game thrilling. Who would have thought that the scorching hot Predators would be sending home the Blackhawks, who many picked to win in a dominating sweep. Who would have thought the Senators would be challenging for a place in the Stanley Cup Finals after missing the playoffs last year. This is why the NHL continues to be inspiring and so hard to win. 

Fun fact - We could see a reunion to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the Anaheim vs Ottawa Stanley Cup Final matchup. Not many people would have predicted that at the end of the year. 

[timsim26]

Ghost Recon: Wildlands Review

The Ghost Recon series has always highlight future tech, advanced strategic combat and unique squad based gameplay. As the series has progressed, more and more games have released achieving these gameplay aspects with an even better and more unique style. Future Soldier at the time was a fantastic squad based shooter, but since 2012, many games have come and gone that have used these mechanics just as competently or even more effectively than the franchise. Wildlands is the latest in the Ghost Recon series and is once again part of the Open World Ubisoft Churn that has become a staple in the gaming industry since 2009’s Assassin’s Creed 2. The open world nature gives the franchise a different flavour and uses some of the tried and tested methods that Ubisoft heavily relies on to pad their experiences. This is not always a benefit to Wildlands.

The premise for Wildlands is the country of Bolivia has fallen victim to intense drug trafficking and violence caused by the Santa Blanca cartel. Leaders of the cartel have spread their influence across the country causing widespread drug production and turning every industry and village into an operating base to export cocaine throughout the world. A high level CIA agent is killed by a bombing and this is the last straw before the Ghost squad gets sent in. A strong opening, that grinds to a sudden halt in the interesting category. The characters throughout the game are downright atrocious. Dumb one liners are consistent, there is no driving force to stop any of the enemies and any target that you take out may as well be the same individual. Your overwatch and mission head Bowman is portrayed as a take no shit individual who knew the CIA agent really well and is out for revenge, however every time she pops up in the story telling you to go after a new target or inform you of something happening, she is stiff and emotionless and resorts back to being very poorly written. This is the same for your playable character, despite choosing a woman lead and being able to customise her with great detail, I was still referred to as ‘man’ by my squadmates whenever I copped too many bullets and needed to be revived. The consistent inconsistency continues deep within many aspects of the game, but the story and characters are the primary glaring issue.

The way Ghost Recon Wildlands furthers the story seems quite intuitive at the beginning by is a slog as you continue to complete the repetitive and uninspired missions. As you begin the game you are presented with a target screen, just as you might see in many other assassination like movies or media. There are 4 main areas that need to be dismantled and a number of targets for each, including an underboss. 26 targets in all and each requires around 5-6 missions to locate the target or flush them out due to the chaos you cause. These characters are set up with a cut scene, audio logs and plenty of collectible reading material to tell you that they are definitely bad people. However they all feel generic and similar. There is no flavour to any of them and when comparing the targets to games like Hitman or other Ubisoft franchises like Splinter Cell and Assassin’s Creed, it feels mediocre at best. It is a huge missed opportunity and even after you have killed or captured the 5-6 underbosses to unlock the head of Security, Influence, Production and Smuggling, these top tier missions feel no different.

The crux of every Wildlands mission revolves around infiltrating various locations that feel very similar despite the overall map of Wildlands being absolutely enormous. At around 3 times the size of GTAV you can get an idea about the space we are talking about. While the world is enormous and the locations are beautiful, the actual strongholds and military bases are strikingly similar. Not only are you fighting members of the cartel, you are also fighting the local police force who are very corrupt and powerful. If you think of Far Cry’s outposts that need to be taken over, then you understand exactly how Wildlands plays. Rather than first person and doing it by setting a tiger or elephant lose, you are sneaking through enemies popping headshot after headshot before your team lets you know the area is clear. The map is very overpowered as it will display enemy area locations even if you haven’t spotted with the drone or your binoculars. It removes the tense nature that the atmosphere of the game is trying to create. As you continue through the game you upgrade your abilities more and more, to the point I was running through enemy bases with a light machine gun, rather than focusing on the stealth action that made the series so intriguing in the past.

The actual combat of Wildlands feels very, very good. Shooting is responsive, the animations are excellent and the way guns feel on the controller is the same high quality that the series has produced in the past. Movement has been modified to allow autosnap to cover, which is mostly consistent, however there is still frustration when your character doesn’t snap to a wall quick enough only to be gunned down. The snap to cover of Splinter Cell and Watch_Dogs would have been greatly appreciated here. Weapons are varied and you can find many, many guns littered throughout the world, as Ubisoft has once again made their game an absolute collectathon, with normal collectibles, collectible skill points, weapons, attachments, loot to upgrade your player and special talismans that further upgrade a skill, all over the world. Ubisoft needs to understand that this doesn’t make a world interesting, especially one 3 times bigger than GTA. While combat is what you spend a lot of your time doing, travelling the world makes up the other half and this is where the frustration really peaked for me during my time with Wildlands. Every time you had to make your way from one point to another, was tedious, long and often frustrating as the controls and the map really were not designed with extensive periods of travel in mind. So many of the roads are winding in a way that feels unnecessary and this promotes off road travel, until you realise that the off-road sections of the map are borderline impossible to navigate without crashing horrible, getting stuck or being forced back onto the winding road.

While I have a lot of criticisms for Wildlands, I still spent well over 40 hours with the game. There is something about Ubisoft’s design that addicts the players and this game is the most puzzling of the lot. Playing with friends radically changes the experience as you are able to muck around and make light of the serious and ridiculous nature of the game and it is so clear that the game was designed to be played this way. Playing alone is repetitive, but as soon as you add a friend the unpredictable nature of missing a crucial shot or triggering an alarm, the game is much more interesting. AI squad mates are ridiculously overpowered often being able to hit insane shots through walls and suffering the Ellie in The Last of Us problem of being completely invisible despite running straight into an enemy. This is all fixed with a bunch of friends, however these games that Ubisoft are producing are marketed as an experience that can be enjoyed as a single player.

Wildlands is full of busywork, with a bad storyline. It is a shame after the excellent turnaround that was Watch Dogs 2 that Ubisoft have released another experience that is repetitive and a carbon copy of every mechanic that make people angry about Ubisoft games. What could have been an inspired shorter campaign, that told an interesting story, utilising the excellent combat mechanics, has been padded full of side content that is not interesting and tedious. Open world games need to be constantly inspiring and drive the player to explore. In a year we have had Horizon Zero Dawn and Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Ghost Recon Wildands, simply does not compete. If you have a bunch of friends who are interested, then there is definitely some fun to be had with the game, however be prepared to repeat the same mission structure over and over again.

5/10

Reviewed on Xbox One.