Virgil Davis

22. Oklahoman. Aspiring game something-or-another. Here you can find my writing and what ever else I put out there.

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Review | Uncharted 4

      I’ve never been in love with Uncharted. Don’t get me wrong; I’ve thoroughly enjoyed each entry in the series, but none of them seemed to strike the same chord in me as they did with so many others. I enjoyed the epic set pieces and the great cast of what are now iconic PlayStation characters, but I always found the story and gameplay to be lacking—specifically in its combat and platforming. With the series’ final chapter, this has finally changed. Not only does it address long-running issues I’ve had with the series, it somehow manages to improve on literally, every one of its strong suits, as well as bring a few new things to the table for Nathan Drake’s final adventure.

      At a glance, the setup sounds like a bad cliche’. You are a retired Nathan Drake who is yanked from his now normal life by his long lost brother to go on one last hunt for treasure. While the idea of a long lost brother may sound fanfic bad on paper, the angle used here is surprisingly believable with Naughty Dog using small details to build on that believability.

      Fifteen years ago a job went south resulting in a dangerous escape from a Panama prison. During the escape, Sam is shot and is believed to be killed just before Drake and their partner Rafe escape. It turns out, Sam survived and now owes a lot of money to a very dangerous drug lord as payment for helping him escape. This setup was a brilliant way to get a reluctant (but clearly still longing for the good old days) Nathan Drake back into the game. There is a particular moment in Drake’s attic before Sam is introduced where he opens a box containing some files and photos from the original job where Sam met his presumed death. As you try to interact with it Drake pulls a picture of Sam halfway from a journal before saying “Nah..” and putting it away. Even after fifteen years, it’s something he still doesn’t want to face, which helped sell me on the fact that we had never heard about his brother before.

      The performances on display here are simply best of the best, with some of the most convincing acting and motion capture I’ve ever seen in gaming. Developer Naughty Dog’s perfect understanding of these characters, their history, and how they should act and react to each situation makes for an incredibly strong narrative of friendship, loss, and betrayal. It’s a much more grounded narrative compared to what we’ve seen out of Uncharted in the past, starting off as a hunt for a single pirate’s lost treasure before slowly expanding into a much bigger picture.

      New storytelling elements help to fully develop this picture. For example, the story of Henry Avery—the pirate who’s treasure Sam and Drake go hunting for—is given more depth thanks to journal entries found throughout the game. Tales of those close to the pirates as well as adventurers who failed to locate the treasure themselves are scattered everywhere, giving context to who Avery was, what his motivations were, and how others felt about him. These are not unlike the ones found in The Last of Us, and are not the only things Uncharted 4 borrows from the 2012 modern classic. Optional dialogue prompts between characters occasionally pop up as you explore different parts of the notably more open (but still not open-world) environments.

      Naughty Dog has been the benchmark for nearly a decade when it comes to showing what a home console can be capable of. They set the bar with Uncharted, Uncharted 2, The Last of Us, and now they have indeed set it once again with Uncharted 4. The amount of detail in each environment you encounter is staggering. Urban cities look and feel truly lived in, abandoned villages show accurate scars of time, and forest jungles are filled with visibly damp foliage that reacts as you move through it. Lighting naturally breaks through the trees and bounces off of walls and clothing. Animations for climbing, shooting—practically anything and everything—is of the highest caliber. Technically, Uncharted 4 is truly on another level.

      Gameplay in Uncharted 4 is your usual mix of platforming, wall climbing, puzzle solving, and combat—but each one has been enhanced in one way or another. Platforming is enhanced by some new ways to interact with the environment such as sliding down hills and using the grapple hook. Chaining both of these together creates some of Uncharted 4’s most exhilarating moments in gameplay. Wall climbing now has the addition of the piton which allows you to drive a spike into the soft parts of walls to create another hand hold, adding variation to the otherwise monotonous task of holding a direction on the stick and mashing the X button. Shooting is the least changed out of all of these, being more or less the same but with noticeably better sounding and feeling weapons. 

      New to Uncharted 4 however, is the option to actually take on some enemy encounters entirely via stealth. You can now tag enemies by pressing L3, and they will stay highlighted even if they are not in plain sight, allowing you to keep track of who’s where while you plan out your next move. There is tall grass in many areas for you to crouch and hide in. Pressing square while in this state will allow you to stealth choke a nearby enemy, pulling them down into the grass. Enemies also now have a notice gauge indicating their awareness of you. It will begin to fill up gray as you remain in sight until becoming yellow once they suspect your presence. If you don’t take cover after this point, they will spot you and start firing. Impressively, even once combat is started, you can actually lose their attention by diving underwater or hiding in tall grass. Gameplay has never been the driving force that keeps people coming back to the series, but it’s nice to see some added options.

      Once you’ve wrapped up the singleplayer and the credits roll, there’s a surprisingly competent multiplayer mode to check out. Gameplay is identical to how it plays in the singleplayer, with a heroes vs. villains style of team composition. You can play as a variety of familiar faces, both friendly and not, in a variety of modes. There’s your standard Team Deathmatch, ‘Plunder’ a sort of capture the flag style of mode, and ‘Command,' a mode where you must defend and capture three different points on a given map. These are all fun for the most part, and there’s an abundance of guns and perks to mix and match with a “Pick 10” inspired system. Uncharted may not be my go-to for my competitive multiplayer fix, but I had an absolute blast with it thanks to the various maps, modes, and guns to choose from.

      Uncharted 4 is a masterpiece. It’s one of the best games of the year and easily holds its own as one of the greatest modern video games ever made. Nowhere else will you find this amount of polish on every aspect of a game. The gripping writing, absolute best-in-class presentation, and exuberant gameplay are all polished to a brilliant sheen.

      While there is certainly a place for your military shooter or open-world sandbox adventure, what makes gaming such a unique form of media is the way it can blend so many other entertainment mediums into one unique, interactive experience. There is simply no other developer that executes this better than Naughty Dog, and no game I have ever played showcases this execution as flawlessly as Uncharted 4.

Pros:

+Incredible story.

+Insane presentation.

+New gameplay tweaks.

+Fun multiplayer.

Cons:

-It’s over.

Score: 10/10

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Review | Dark Souls III

       Few games have enkindled such a wide range of emotions in me as Dark Souls III did. From sheer awe, to eye-twitch inducing frustration (no seriously), to moments of complete and utter delight, often within mere moments of one another. I’ve followed this series since the very beginning in 2009 and seeing the evolution from Demon’s Souls to Dark Souls to Bloodborne has been almost as enjoyable as playing the games themselves. After the ultimately disappointing Dark Souls II, I had no real expectations going in to the series third entry. But after spending fifty plus hours with the game, I can confidently say that this is not only the most refined Dark Souls to date—this is the definitive Dark Souls experience.

       Dark Souls III may not be the last Souls game from publisher Bandai Namco, but it is the end of From Software’s original trilogy and the story contained within. As such it wouldn't be right to have the series’ swan song without veteran series director Hidetaki Miyazaki there to conduct it. His absence was apparent in Dark Souls II, making his return in Dark Souls III a grand one. The level design is fantastic and notably layered with paths that overlap and connect to each other, giving great depth to each new area you discover. The world of Lothric is painstakingly detailed, with a variety of beautiful vistas to behold and secrets to unravel. Running at a steady 1080p 30fps on PS4, the game is a marvel to look at with only occasional dips below 30fps. When the framerate did dip, it never significantly affected my enjoyment of the game—if at all. The lighting specifically is some of the best I’ve ever seen. The way the rays of the candlelit Firelink Shrine softly bounce off the ashey floor and the way your armor shimmers as you approach a bonfire are pause-worthy. Some of the areas you visit do fall into past series tropes however. You have a library area, forest area, poison area, etc. Though the game does do interesting things in each level to flip these tropes on their heads a bit. One example is in the Catacombs of Carthus where you’re going up in contrast to the Catacombs of the original Dark Souls where you descended into a dark pit below.

       While it still doesn't quite meet the seamlessly connected world of the original Dark Souls in terms of brilliance, I found myself once again getting lost in the world From Software had so masterfully created. I became absorbed in the lore and how it loosely connected to the two previous entries, talking to every NPC until they repeated their dialogue and obsessively reading the description to every new item I obtained. While this is not something unique to Dark Souls III considering that every game in the series has built its world and characters in this way, with Dark Souls II and even Bloodborne I eventually stopped caring enough to dig through the lore to this extent. But this never happened to me in Dark Souls III. Not once.

        This could be in part because of the numerous callbacks to the original Dark Souls and the beloved kingdom of Lordran. I won’t spoil the specifics of them here, but rest assured they are all in good taste and never come off as blatant fan service (though one moment in particular does come dangerously close). These moments had me grinning from ear to ear, and definitely tickled my nostalgia bone. But they also serve a purpose beyond that: grounding and tying together the story of an otherwise disconnected trilogy of games. However, Dark Souls III doesn’t just rely on its past, rather, it builds upon it.

       Many to-be-expected elements of the series’ formula have been refined or tweaked slightly, with some changes taking pages from its now seven year old heritage. One change that was immediately apparent was the speed boost to my character and his or her actions. I started off with the standard knight class and noticed I could do a normal non-heavy roll even in my full suit of armor, something not seen in any Souls game before. Both dodging and attacking now feel more fluid and responsive than ever. That’s not to say that the purposeful delay to your actions is absent. There is still an inherent heft to every action you take, but getting in and out of these actions feels better than ever before. The MP bar has returned for spells and Weapon Skills—a new addition to the series akin to the Trick Weapons found in Bloodborne. Activated by pressing L2, each weapon has its own unique skill that can mix-up combat substantially. The Storm Ruler has an epic gust slash straight out of Demon’s Souls, and the Dagger has the Quickstep ability allowing you to dodge swiftly around and towards enemies—similarly to the Hunters of Yharnam. Some weapon skills are far less impressive than others, but overall they are a welcome addition. There are smaller but just as welcome changes to co-op and covenants. It is now easier than ever to play with friends with the password system allowing you to guarantee you’re partnered up with a buddy. And covenants are now hot-swappable and equippable on the spot, making switching between them much more painless.

       Even enemy behavior has been improved. In the past, you could get through most encounters by locking on to your target with R3 and moving around them while avoiding their attacks to get in for a backstab attack. Now enemies and, impressively, even some bosses will launch attacks directly behind them if you try this tactic too often. This does a great job of balancing the added speed forcing you to mix-up how you approach your enemies.

       Most of the bosses are as impressive as everything that leads up to them. They are imaginative and diverse in design, accompanied by what could be argued is the best music of the series. Powerfully orchestrated themes add climbing tension to the fight—sometimes changing as the fight progresses. About halfway through my fight with the first real boss of the game, the music sped up to match the beast’s growing aggression, and my soaring heart rate. Not every boss is like this, and even though I defeated most bosses solo outside of a few exceptions, some were on the easy side.

       And in context, the game can certainly feel easy at times your first time through. The ability to warp to and from any bonfire from the beginning of the game didn’t help, nor did the almost fifteen +10 estus flasks I ended up with before starting new game plus. But things like the aforementioned improvement to enemy behavior is a step in the right direction to making the game harder for series veterans, something I believe has become an issue for many. An unsolvable issue though it may be.

       It’s hard to find many things to really dislike about Dark Souls III, as it succeeds at nearly everything it sets out to do. A beautifully rendered well-realized world, a variety of weapons and armor to choose from, and plenty of secrets to uncover makes for a wholly complete package. Refinements to combat and enemy patterns improve the experience for newcomers and veterans alike. So whether you’re a veteran of the series, or a newcomer looking to finally dip your toes into the waters of the brutally difficult, Dark Souls III is at the same time the perfect end piece and perfect jumping off point to an indisputably influential trilogy of games.

Pros:

+Improved combat.

+Beautiful graphics.

+General refinements.

+Connected story.

+Incredible soundtrack.

Cons:

-Occasional framerate dip.

-Possibly easy for series veterans.

Score: 9.5/10

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Corrin is confirmed weeaboo trash

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I have the absolute best friends in the world. #finalfantasy #finalfantasyvi #ffvi #finalfantasy6 #ff6 #nintendo #snes #supernintendo #JRPG #retrogaming #gaming #kefka #retrendogames #perlerbeads #beadart #spriteart #beadwork

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Check out what @outlawjellybean and I thought about Until Dawn with our full spoiler cast!

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#squad 😂 #ps4 #diabloiii #seethemstains

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The newest episode of Super Turbo Cast is live! Check out our impressions of the keynote and some key games we played over the weekend at Playstation Experience 2015!

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I met Greg fucking Miller. I can die happy. #KFPSX #kindafunny #PSX2015 #PSX #ign #gregmiller (at Moscone Center)

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The Kinda Funny meet and greet was too great. Got to hang out with some of my idols as well as make some new Kinda Funny Best Friends. What a night. #PSX #PSX2015 #kindafunny #KFPSX (at Jillian's San Francisco)

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So this just happened. #PSX2015 #PSX #iamdying #ign (at San Franciso, California)

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ITS HAPPENING. #PSX #PSX2015 #playstationexperience #ninokuni #ninokuniII

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FUCK #PSX2015 #PSX #playstationexperience #finalfantasy #finalfantasyvii

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How else would we wait for the event to start? #PSX #playstation #playstationexperience #PSX2015 #ps4 #psvita

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I'm going to Playstation Experience.

Playstation Experience is this weekend and I am traveling to California for it. I get to meet people who's work I've read/watched/listened to since I was 14 years old. People who I've looked up to for so long from both GameSpot and IGN. AND I get to be AT a conference instead of watching from my computer monitor. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF.

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Happy Fallout day.🚀 #fallout #fallout4 #bethesda #ps4 #playstation #playstation4

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Review | Bloodborne

     There is a delicate balance in crafting a game that is both enjoyable and difficult. One that while unforgiving, is not unfair. It has to have that special something that makes you want to push forward even in the face of constant failure. That something that instead of making you throw your controller across the room, makes you say to yourself: “One more time.” That special formula that Dark Souls brought to the mainstream in 2011 is ever present with Bloodborne. Overflowing with atmosphere and constant tension, Bloodborne is not only one of the most challenging games you’ll play this year, it’s also one of the best.

     Bloodborne is an action RPG developed by FROM Software—the studio behind the Souls series—and as such is certainly cut from the same cloth. If you’ve played any of the previous games, many of the mechanics present will feel very familiar, though there are enough changes and additions for Bloodborne to carve out an identity of its own.

     Set in the victorian gothic city of Yharnam, Bloodborne oozes atmosphere. The dark setting and sound design of the game play key parts in creating this atmosphere. Consumed by a plague that has turned most its inhabitants into blood-hungry beasts, Yharnam is a place filled with death and is devoid of any semblance of sanity. The inhabitants that have not yet turned, have barred themselves in their homes and await the end of “the hunt”. Some of them you can speak to—indicated by a small red lantern near their door—and others can even give you side quests. Early on in the game, you can hear mad cries of laughter from some barred inhabitants as you make your way down the treacherous streets of Yharnam, littered with chained coffins and werewolf-like beasts. The tension is almost palpable, as you’re constantly checking your surroundings for the next horrible creature that wants you dead. Luckily for you, you’re a hunter. And you’ve come well-equipped.

     Combat in Bloodborne is fast and precise. Gone are the heavy, sword-and-shield-baring knights and accompanying slow combat of Dark Souls. Instead, you’re outfitted with one of the many Trick Weapons in the game along with a sidearm. Trick Weapons are weapons that can transform, changing both their range and often their functionality. Take the rifle spear for instance which, while in it’s default mode, is a simple spear, but with the press of a button can become a two handed axe with a built in rifle. The addition of firearms is one that I was admittedly skeptical of when we first learned about them via Sony’s reveal at their E3 press conference just last year. However, a few hours in and my skepticism quickly turned into surprise as I found the guns to be very diverse and usable but not over-powered. They are in some ways a fusion of the shield and bow from the previous games. Blast an enemy with your blunderbuss moments before they land a hit and a sound will queue as they fall to their knees, allowing you to counter with a visceral attack for massive damage. Or weaken enemies from afar with the hunter’s pistol to easily be picked off once they’ve made their way to you. This variety in your weapons help keep the gameplay fresh with each enemy encounter.

     This variety is also present in Bloodborne’s enemy design. Once you’ve cleared the first area and gotten past the usual “crazy dudes with pitchforks” you’re met with some truly gruesome and unique enemies. The tentacle-faced Brainsuckers latch on to your head sucking insight from your mind, letting out a near comical burp afterwards. The towering Church Giants lumber through the streets wearing bells around their necks to warn you of their approach, and so on. The bosses are just as varied both in their design and in how you tackle them. During these boss battles, you’re met with epic, tone-setting symphonies with roaring crescendos that increase the tension of the fight. Unfortunately, the environments don’t quite share the same level of diversity. You do visit different areas in the game, but many of them are similar in their overall atmosphere and tone; though this is only a minor gripe, and did not detract greatly from my enjoyment of the game.

          Another way FROM Software has made the gameplay faster is with the new Regain System. After taking a hit from an enemy, there is a short window where you are able to regain some and — depending on your speed and skill — sometimes all of your health back with a swift series of attacks. This pushes you to be much more aggressive in situations that in Dark Souls would have required you to fall back and recover. This not only increases the tension in combat but also speeds up each encounter. Although, being too aggressive is ill-advised as you can easily bite off more than you can chew. You must be calculated and deliberate with each of your actions if you want to succeed. Try to carelessly take on a large group of enemies and you will most certainly wind up dead. And you had better get used to it, because dying is not only expected in Bloodborne, it’s encouraged.      Upon death, you spawn in the Hunter’s Dream—a sort of hub world that connects to all of the various areas in the game. Here you can buy items, upgrade your weapon, and level up via two kinds of currency: blood echoes and insight. Insight is obtained when you reach certain areas and defeat bosses. It has many small in-game effects but is primarily used for co-op or purchasing special equipment. Blood echoes—like the souls that came before them—are acquired from fallen enemies and are used for virtually everything else in the game. Buying equipment, repairing and upgrading your favorite weapon, as well as leveling up are all done through blood echoes. As a result, they are your most precious resource. Did I mention you lose them when you die? Fear not though, because they’ll be right where you left them—that is unless an enemy happens to walk by and pick them up. Journey to the spot where you died or defeat the enemy that picked them up and they are yours once again. Die again on the way there however, and they’re gone forever. A hefty price to pay indeed, but one that keeps you on your toes at all times.

     Multiplayer in Bloodborne is, for the most part, as it was in Dark Souls. While online, your world is loosely connected to other players’ worlds. As you explore Yharnam you’ll see the ghosts of other players in their own game world as well as specters (bloodstains) which you can activate to see another player’s final moments. Messages can also be made from a set of preselected words and phrases and left on the ground to communicate with other players—usually to help warn other players of what may lie ahead, and sometimes for a good joke or two. Using a specific in-game item, you can ring a bell to summon another player to your world to help you with a tough area or boss. Although these players are chosen at random, you can jump through a few hoops to try and get paired up with a specific person. However, I found the silent camaraderie in taking down enemies with a stranger far more enjoyable.

     At it’s core, Bloodborne is all about exploration through trial and error, both through its environment and combat. The game never tells you exactly where to go aside from occasionally giving you the name of a location and a vague direction in which to seek it out. There are no waypoints or quests to mark active in a list of things to do. You are dropped in and left to your own devices. You are not taught or told how to play, you learn how to play through your shortcomings and improve. Even the narrative is as involved as you want it to be. Reading the descriptions of various weapons and items will give you a little more insight into what exactly is going on with this ruined Yharnam and its characters.

     Bloodborne’s ambiguity may be a turn-off to some, but many will find it a refreshing change in an industry full of AAA games that coddle you to the point of tedium. It harkens back not only to the way developers used to make games, but to the way many of us naturally learned how to play them—something that is lost on most modern games. This is something that has always been so incredibly special and unique to the Souls games, and the same is true about Bloodborne. If you’re looking for a challenging, thought provoking, and deeply rewarding experience that will push you to your limits, then look no further.

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Review | Shovel Knight

Note: This review was originally written July 4th, 2014.

      Timeless is a word many use to describe the 8-bit and 16-bit eras of consoles of the past. Whether it's the tight gameplay of games like Mega Man, the simplistic, timeless nature of pixel art itself, or simply nostalgia for simpler times, the love of these games is undoubtedly shown by the slew of retro-inspired indie games released in recent years. While many of them are fantastic games in their own right, few have quite the same amount of heart as Yacht Club Games' debut title: Shovel Knight. Shovel Knight takes a great deal of inspiration from many classic NES games. The overworld is charmingly Mario 3-esque with minibosses scattered throughout. The platforming reminiscent of one Scrooge McDuck from the somewhat recently remastered Duck Tales. The towns are full of NPCs to interact with, à la Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. And the level layout and boss structure is inspired by the aforementioned Mega Man. With all of this clear inspiration from past classics, it can be hard for a game such as this to form an identity of its own. I'm happy to say that this is not the case with Shovel Knight.

     The story of Shovel Knight is a simple one. While exploring the Tower of Fate, Shovel Knight suffers the loss of his beloved Shield Knight and the tower is sealed shut. His spirit broken, Shovel Knight gives up his life of adventuring in exchange for one of solitude and seclusion. That is until the land is seized by the evil Enchantress and her Order of No Quarter, an intimidating group of eight knights that fit the mold of Mega Man's iconic Robot Masters both mechanically and in design quality. As a result, the tower is unsealed and after digging himself out of his rut, (that's the only pun I swear) Shovel Knight sets off to defeat The Enchantress and unravel the mysteries of his love's presumed death at The Tower of Fate.

     In the beginning stage, the game does well to introduce you to many of its mechanics: moving, jumping, slashing, hopping, and of course, digging. What's extraordinary about this kind of game design is that it conveys all of this to the player without a single tutorial or annoying prompt telling you what to do. Now, this is largely due to simplicity of the game in comparison to modern games of today, but this kind of game design has been dying out for years for an alternative that is, in my opinion, much more lazy and much less creative. Shovel Knight's mechanics are one of its many strong suits. Not only is your shovel used as your primary weapon, it's also a useful tool used to traverse each level. Digging through sand to reach distant treasure or perfectly timing a hop off an enemy to reach an area otherwise inaccessible are both interesting and fun implementations. It's been a long time since I've played a game that just feels this good. Every jump and slash are incredibly precise. If you die in this game it's your fault and yours alone. And you will die. A lot.

     Upon death, you drop some of the gold you had on you at the time. To get it back, you must reach the area you died at to pick it up again. Die again on the way to your gold however, and it's gone. While not anywhere near as harsh, this system will be familiar to anyone who's played any of the Souls games. Unlike the grueling, start-from-scratch difficulty of the various NES titles Shovel Knight draws so much inspiration from, Yacht Club Games opted for a much more accessible checkpoint system where in each stage contains roughly four to six checkpoints. Now that's not to say the game isn't difficult. Where the classic games we grew up with were both difficult and unforgiving, (sometimes to mask the games lack of content) Shovel Knight is difficult, but a little more forgiving. And to me this is the perfect blend. Think this system is blasphemous? Then destroy the checkpoints as you go! Destroying each checkpoint not only increases the games difficulty exponentially, it also rewards you with a ton of cash to upgrade your weapon and armor. Upgrades include multiple sets of palette swapped armor with varying abilities and shovel upgrades like the ability to launch a spark across the ground if your health is full.

     Shovel Knight's level design is top-notch, with each level's design reflecting each boss respectfully. The viking-like Polar Knight dwells in an icy tundra, the flying Propeller Knight commands a massive airship, and so on. Each level feels distinctly different from the last, with new obstacles and trials to keep you on your toes. Secrets like gold or music notes can be found throughout each level by finding tiny differences in walls and then blasting through them with your mighty shovel. From plains, to dark laboratories, to factories full of cranking gears, variety is an important part of any great platformer, and Shovel Knight displays that fact prominently.

     At around seven hours your first time through and a new game plus mode with increased damage for replay ability , Shovel Knight is a great value that delivers in simply every way. It plays flawlessly, sounds incredible, and looks gorgeous. With the way Shovel Knight blends all of its inspirations together and introduces its own interesting mechanics, Yacht Club Games has created something truly special. Something that isn't a Mega Man rip-off or a Zelda clone, but a game that is uniquely Shovel Knight: a passionately written love letter to the late great games of the NES era.