It's hard to imagine a time in Kratos' life when he wasn't whipped up into a mad, revenge-fuelled frenzy. After all, if his last five outings have taught us anything, it's that whether you're a demon, or a monster, or even a god, Kratos isn't afraid to quench his bloodlust by severing your head. So it comes as something of a surprise to see a calmer, more thoughtful side to his character in God of War: Ascension. This isn't a story about revenge, or uncontrollable rage, but the tale of a tortured mind in search of the truth.
Sadly, that makes things a little less exciting. Sure, like in all God of War games, the action is bloody, over the top, and entertaining. And the sense of scale as you clamber over vast statues that stand as tall as mountains, or joust with the tentacles that topple entire cities is impressive too. But without that constant fury permeating every punch, kick, and bloody hack-and-slash dismemberment, God of War: Ascension doesn't deliver that same gut punch of instant gratification as its predecessors.
There's an element of series fatigue at play too, mostly because there's little mechanically in Ascension that wasn't taken to its logical conclusion in God of War III. The mythical beasts, the huge sense of scale, and the grotesquely violent combat are all here, but Ascension is not a fresh take on those things. Instead, it's mostly down to the story (set 10 years before the original God Of War) to provide a change of pace, charting as it does Kratos' descent from a regular, albeit uber-strong human being into an unhinged ball of rage.
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It's a story that tries so very hard to have you relate to the mellowed-out Kratos. And sure, there are a few touching moments when Kratos reminisces about his deceased wife and child, but for the most part Ascension's emotional impact is limited to cut scenes of him looking moody, or getting a bit angry with one of the three evil furies he's chasing. It's hardly enough for you to empathise with his character, particularly since those scenes are surrounded by many hours of Kratos viciously tearing the heads off demons while he happily splashes around in their blood without a care in the world.
But it's those hours, gruesome beheadings and all, that prove to be the most entertaining. Combat is God of War's forte, and it's as exhilarating as ever in Ascension. Slaying goat men by snapping their spines in two, disemboweling a centaur, or tearing through the skull of a harpy are dark pleasures that few games can replicate with such ferocity. If you're a fan of the series, they're all things you've seen before, of course, and they're even performed using the same button-mashing quick time events.
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Battlefield 3 was the first video game by Swedish developer DICE built on the next-gen-ready Frostbite 2 engine. The game was praised for its visual prowess on high-end PCs more than anything else since the aging current-gen systems simply couldn’t support all of the same features, and it quickly became the fastest-selling game for Electronic Arts and one of the top-selling games of 2011 worldwide.
It wasn’t long before Battlefield 4 was was made official and it’s been fast-tracked for release just in time for the next-gen consoles and its head-to-head battle withCall of Duty. Unfortunately for the Battlefield faithful, its release is perhaps a littletoo fast.
Judging by our own experiences and the official forums, BF4 isn’t quite ready for release and much like its predecessor in Battlefield 3, its launch has been met with a wide variety of bugs, from the usual in-game exploits to game-crashing errors in both the game’s single-player campaign and multiplayer modes. When functioning,Battlefield 4 is mostly a return to form for the series on the multiplayer front, fleshing out the core gameplay mechanics with some animation improvements (players still magically teleport inside vehicles though) and increased control of weapon aiming, coupled with enhanced visual effects and user interfaces. But it’s not quite enough, at least just yet.
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While the Battlefield series is known for its multiplayer offerings, Electronic Arts sees the value in strong singleplayer campaigns and with Battlefield 4, DICE set out to craft a story that’s more engaging with characters who matter, who are memorable and relatable. This is something EA hasn’t been able to do with its modern-set shooters, but they mostly succeed with Battlefield 4′s five-hour campaign. The story is chock full of over-the-top scenarios, melodramatic moments and insane action sequences, emphasizing a push away from the “authenticity” EA tried to push with Medal of Honor, but the the narrow path that the game forces players down is thrilling, if sometimes generic and predictable.
The fast-paced story takes players through a wide variety of environments, from snowy mountains to an open desert outside a city, sprinkled with a few obligatory vehicle sequences. The campaign serves more as a showcase of the visual fidelity of the Frostbite 3 engine with the most significant change coming from the in-game rewards system which, like in multiplayer, has players earning points for kills, headshots, etc. and completing assignments. There’s a progression system in place that controls how players unlock BF4′s arsenal in single-player (in addition to picking up enemy weapons). The points and unlocks however, do not carry over to multiplayer which hurts the campaign’s replayability.
Battlefield 4 takes a step forward on its campaign, but takes a few steps back in other areas and leaves much to be desired. Instead of improving the six-mission co-op mode of Battlefield 3, DICE dropped it entirely. AI-controlled bots are still sadly absent as well, even in the game’s Test Range mode, despite them being a key component of the earliest games in the series, so messing around with friends is not an option without the risk of losing a multiplayer match for other players.
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So, it’s again all about the player vs. player game which will be very familiar toBattlefield veterans, and features most of the same modes the franchise is known for. Conquest and Rush are the flagship modes and are best appreciated with 64 players, something the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions cannot support. The infantry-focused deathmatch and domination modes also return, joined by two new modes in Obliteration and Diffuse, both involving carrying a bomb to an objective. There are no vehicle-focused modes or unique-challenge modes like Battlefield 3′s Gun Master but we expect to see some of that in DLC expansions.
The game ships with 10 maps offering a variety of tight urban environments, open outdoor areas, and islands but with slightly more emphasis put on naval combat and verticality. The launch maps seemingly favor snipers and vehicles, at least currently with the playerbase still in their early levels of progression. A big marketing point for Battlefield 4 however, is its even more dynamic environments and the “Levolution” feature that sees a unique event occurring in each of the maps. Some are epic and change the battlefield dynamic significantly while others are little more than gimmicks, but a changing landscape is an interesting one and generally, the map-changing events are exciting and pretty to watch – notably the warship crashing into land when the tropical storms kick up in the Paracel Storm map, providing players with a trademark “only in Battlefield” moment.
As for the units on the maps, Battlefield 4 serves up a similar set of weapons, mods and vehicles as its predecessor, with the same four playable classes. All four kits have access to carbines in addition to the marksman rifles and shotguns once unlocked, so players have a lot of control over their builds, and can essentially take advantage of any class’ unique gadgets and abilities with almost any type of weapon. Much of that comes down to the time players put into the game. Like BF3, there are a ton of unlocks and every weapon has its own progression tree for acquiring weapon attachments since they painfully cannot be moved from one weapon to another, meaning every unlocked weapon is a new grind for attachments. Configuring loadouts takes more time (more clicks) but the interface has been improved to offer more weapon details and to allow players to click on the map to choose where they spawn. BF4 also introduces an easy-to-use second screen function where players can view the map from a browser window on a second monitor, laptop or tablet. It’s a smart and welcome feature.
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While having more of a shared inventory system like EA’s Mass Effect 3 multiplayer is sadly not the case in Battlefield 4, the game does embrace one key feature from its sci-fi brethren in its new Battlepacks system. Battlefield 4 awards player with unlocks along a predefined path, not letting players select what they want to unlock, but the Battlepacks reward players with a random set of items, from weapons, knives and mods, to weapon paints, experience boosts and gadgets. Battlepacks are rewarded for hitting certain experience milestones with their player and and weapon levels and add a fun dynamic to the progression system.
The progression is further enhanced by Field Upgrades which begin with players leveling up a specific class enough to unlock a set of Field Upgrades which ideally encourage and reward teamwork with stat boosts during a match. It’s a little complicated but once players reach high enough levels and when there are commanders and squad leaders issuing orders, the ability to dig deeper into a specific role will make them that much better at doing their job, whether it be being a super medic or that ninja sniper.
On its surface, Battlefield 4 is essentially more of Battlefield 3 but without its DLC maps and modes. It brings back Commander Mode from the Battlefield 2 & 2142 and more destruction elements from Bad Company 2, but it’s missing co-op and bots from previous entries. The commanders being useful, much like playing a large round of Conquest mode, is heavily dependent on teamwork and communication. At this early stage of the game, it’s not very common, partly due to the lower level players at launch, partly due to the profanity-laden in-game chat which takes some of enjoyment out of playing online. But when everyone’s on their game, seeing ammo and weapon drops land in front of you after securing an outpost, coupled with well-timed scans of enemy locations, help make BF4 the most immersive game in the series to date.
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Then of course, there are the bugs. Searching for standard hardcore mode (which drops the HUD indicators and makes bullets a lot more damaging) doesn’t quite work as intended at the moment because of the way maps are classified and trying to get into servers that are near full can be frustrating since there’s currently no way to queue in for an available spot. These are just examples of why the game and the Battlelog system are lacking polish and we expect regular updates to rectify these issues quickly. The bigger issue is the game crashing. It began for us two hours into the campaign, and crashed at least another dozen times in trying to complete it. We even had to replay a mission from the beginning to move past an error and in multiplayer, similar game crashes are apparent. DICE is aware of the issues and are working on fixes.
With more maps that support more playstyles, more modes, and necessary bug fixes, Battlefield 4 – like its predecessor – will go from good to great. At the moment, it doesn’t do as much for players as Battlefield 3 does with its current set of offerings but it’s only going to get bigger and better as time goes on.
Battlefield 4 is now available for PC, PS3 & Xbox 360 platforms. PlayStation 4 & Xbox One iterations will launch just prior to their respective consoles. Game Rant reviewed the PC version of the game.
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There was a time before Assassin’s Creed came to Ubisoft, but at this point, hardly anyone can remember it. For the latest installment, the studio has turned from sprawling cities to the Caribbean Sea circa 1715, casting players into the Golden Age of Pirates of Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag.
With a new hero, a new, genuinely open world and a completely new realm of characters, Black Flag will likely surprise even dedicated fans – charting a new course for the franchise in the process.
Few franchises have come to embody ongoing debates among critics and gamers alike as much as Assassin’s Creed‘s annual release cycle. Ubisoft’s sci-fi/historical adventure series came by its success honestly, launching a truly original IP and polishing outdoing themselves in a sequel. But after spin-offs left gamers craving the next step forward for the franchise, Assassin’s Creed 3 didn’t quite live up to the hype.
The marketing campaign for AC3 was one for the ages, but with a protagonist that failed to connect with fans as Ezio Auditore had, and an open world that paled in comparison to competitors, many questioned if the enthusiasm surrounding the upstart franchise was beginning to wane.
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It was that climate that Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag strode into, bearing the craved number in its title, but with little emphasis placed on its connection to the larger franchise or the Assassins themselves. Even so, pirates are pirates, and if Ubisoft wanted to take the incredibly promising naval sections of AC3‘s campaign and build a game around it, fans would likely remain in attendance. The publisher made the message perfectly clear when they admitted they weren’t expecting the game to outsell its predecessor, but after playing Black Flag for ourselves, we’re not so sure we agree.
Any modern gamer knows that a story-based adventure is only as good as its protagonist, and in the case of Edward Kenway, the amount of praise and hyperbole thrown around wasn’t a bit misleading. Kenway might have had a good reason for leaving Wales for a life on the sea, but it’s clear from the game’s opening mission that Edward lacks the selfless morals of Ezio Auditore completely (and Connor Kenway would absolutely hate him).
Admittedly, the realm of piracy makes creating colorful characters a bit easier; but from Edward to the surrounding cast, the hero’s circle of infamous friends (bothfictional and historical) is filled with well-written roles, well-acted. The wealth of ‘larger than life’ characters may blend together, but the decision to capture both voice and performances for Black Flag was a wise one. The story may not reinvent the genre of high seas adventure, but the writers kept to their word of giving pirates ‘the HBO treatment.’
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But as much as diehard fans might be dying to know what answers Black Flagoffers for the overall story of Assassin/Templar conflict (and it offers them,revealing Desmond Miles’ fate and that of a few other characters), a majority of those excited for the game are eager to do one thing: jump on their own ship, and hit the high seas for a life of pirating. And in that regard, the developers haven’t cut any corners.
The digital Caribbean Sea is as big as players would hope, and capable of being sailed across from the very first time Edward steps up to helm of his private sloop, the Jackdaw. Developer videos have shown the impressive graphics and physics that make a realistic pirate simulation possible, shifting seamlessly from sailing, to engaging another ship, boarding, and capturing. But the wealth of small touches and sound design throughout are just as impactful (the shanties sung by your ship’s crew for instance, with additional songs sprinkled as collectibles throughout the game’s environments).
What must be praised every bit as much as the visuals is the progression system disguised beneath a simulated scattering of islands. With the map’s population of waterborne enemies – ranging from gunboats to full-blown warships – divided by difficulty, the progression promised by creative director Ashraf Ismail pairs with the story beautifully. As the story demands Edward move into more dangerous waters, the Jackdaw must be upgraded to remain more than splinters. And doing that requires some serious time spent pirating.
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It would be enough to say that the exploration, diving, and dozens of other activities is treated with care and detail, but the fact that it is completely unheard of in the Assassin’s Creed series is what makes the execution so surprising. With the larger population centers of Havana and Kingston recalling the settlements of AC3‘s America, and hidden ruins challenging players to master stealth, players are able to tailor their path through the main story like never before.
Unfortunately, without overhauling or reinventing the core combat and traversal systems, many of the same nagging issues and frustrations remain. The traversal and combat is lifted almost entirely from AC3, most impressive when navigating the wilder regions of the Caribbean Islands. But drop into a tense or challenging mission in a crowded market, and the awkward traversal returns.
At this point, those admittedly irritating moments seem to stem from a technical limitation, and the developers have clearly heard the complaints. Easing the requirements for eavesdropping and tailing missions show player feedback put into practice, and the new mission rating system lets players communicate even more directly (a system we hope to see adopted by more developers).
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More than anything, it is absolutely baffling that this game was released just one year after AC3 – the game Ubisoft claimed their top designers had been hand-crafting while other teams handled the spin-offs. Some glitches or hiccups were fully expected in the shift to an aquatic open world, but the finished product is seamless, groundbreaking, and immensely refreshing.
Even the modern plot created around Abstergo Entertainment seems to spawn from a renewed enthusiasm from Ubisoft Montreal to silence their critics. The less said about that side of the story the better, but the commentary offered on interactive entertainment in today’s world is aimed squarely at their gaming audience. It’s neither rife with in-jokes nor ‘meta,’ and a welcome change in perspective on the Templar/Assassin conflict.
‘Refreshing’ could be applied to several aspects of the game’s design, with performances and an attention to detail that place it among – if not ahead – of the franchise’s best. And with no discernible shortcomings when placed next to its American-Revolution-predecessor, Black Flag is the step into next-gen that many fans have been waiting for.
The FIA World Rally Championship is entering a new era with a new champion for the first time in 10 years, but the official game continues to feel like more of the same off-road action. Milestone has made some intelligent changes from last year's game, but many of its more flaky mechanics remain untouched, and some good elements, including classic cars, have been removed entirely. The thrill of the perfect hairpin powerslide is still present, but WRC's core content sorely lags behind its competitors.
Like previous WRC games, and indeed the majority of racing games based on an official series, WRC 4 places you in the shoes of an up-and-coming driver seeking to reach the pinnacle of his chosen discipline. You begin the game by naming your driver and co-driver and selecting a manager to guide you through your career. You shouldn't spend too long choosing your manager, though, because you're simply choosing from a selection of photos rather than making a decision that has any real influence on your career progress.
If you've played previous WRC games, starting yet another Career mode from the bottom of the ladder in the slow, understeering Junior WRC cars seems like a waste of time initially. Thankfully, Milestone has recognised this problem, making the initial seasons shorter to speed up your progress towards the actual World Rally Championship. Junior WRC has only two events, but the seasons become slightly longer as you progress through each support class, eventually reaching a full complement of 13 rallies in the WRC proper. If you'd rather race full seasons in all of the car classes, you can do so via the Rally mode outside of Career mode. The rest of Career mode feels old-fashioned, with slow first-person 3D menus and the usual setup of choosing team contracts and reading emails from your manager.
WRC leans more heavily towards simulation than Dirt, but it's still accessible thanks to the typical suite of optional assists, such as braking.Once you're out in the mud and gravel, the handling feels very similar to last year's game. It's exactly what you'd expect from a rally game, with a heavy emphasis on maintaining momentum by sliding the car through tight corners. WRC leans more heavily towards simulation than Dirt, but it's still accessible thanks to the typical suite of optional assists, such as braking. The biggest control differences from last year are noticeable only if you have a steering wheel. WRC 4's wheel support is a significant improvement over wheel support in the previous installments, with full support for 900-degree wheels and H-pattern shifters, offering a much more authentic experience if you're equipped to take advantage of it. If you're a steering wheel user, this is a game that you absolutely should check out.
