‘NHL 14′ Review

Given their yearly release cycle, some sports simulations come under constant attack for dragging their feet, or growing stagnant from a lack of competition; but that’s one problem the NHL series has rarely encountered.

With their latest release, NHL 14, has the team at EA Sports Vancouver refined their core gameplay, while adding enough new features to compensate for the fact that they won’t be releasing on next-gen platforms?

After NHL 13 brought the most polished and comprehensive hockey simulation to date (read our review), we were at a loss as to how the team would go about addressing the most nagging issues, while still making enough of a step forward with NHL 14 to make the purchase worthwhile. Luckily, the studio clearly heard the criticisms, and went about addressing nearly every issue cited.

Although the added skating animations were hard to discern on anything but a broad level (read our in-depth preview for more details), the added realism in the final product is hard to miss. The visuals may be on par with those of NHL 13, but the animations are smoother. Our issues with NHL 13 however, weren’t focused on the game’s lack of realism.

Developers often face attacks for creating a sports simulation that is too shallow – not offering the kind of depth and nuanced controls that shape the actual game – but NHL has more often suffered from the opposite problem; simply put, the gameplay was extensively layered, but the AI-controlled opponents always seemed better at putting those elements into action.

For NHL 14, most of the changes and streamlining, either directly or indirectly, help to address those issues. The execution of an offensive deke – previously requiring the use of a shoulder button and both analog sticks – has been reduced to a single button press (with the analog stick’s direction determining the type of deke), without making the change feel restricting. The biggest change to the gameplay occurs not with the puck, but what happens when two different players see their paths crossing.

Introducing a new physics collision system fine-tuned by their brethren over atFIFA, the developers have eliminated the discrepancy between simulated bodychecks and those taking place in the real world. The team had claimed that the new animations and collision detection would remove the immersion-breaking bumps and robotic hits that plagued previous installments, and in practice, the body contact has never appeared more realistic.

That may seem like a minor tweak, but the confidence in knowing that a well-guided hit will always – always – send the AI player to the ice alleviates a surprising amount of the frustration that usually accompanies a computer-delivered defeat. The AI is still not quite as close to a well-matched opponent as diehard fans continue to hope for, but the developers have helped level the playing field.

When devastating hits are delivered with the newfound confidence NHL 14 allows, yet another layer of realism rears its ugly (or glorious, depending on your own stance) head: the new and improved fighting engine, casting aside the first-person punching mini-game.

Now, players still have the ability to goad their opponents into a boxing match – but if a late or crushing hit is delivered on a star player, you can rest assured thatsomeone on the victim’s team will take exception. And when that happens, the player will have no choice but to drop the gloves. Some fine-tuning is required to keep every solid hit from inciting a fight (although some might claim even that is an accurate depiction of the current game), but our hats are off to the developers for what is, without a doubt, the one change that is sure to warm the hearts (and palms) of hardcore fans.

With the camera remaining locked to the action as the players pair off and the central fight rages, and fans pounding the glass to cheer on their fighter, the presentation is an inspired one. From a technical standpoint, the fighting is just as improved. The tutorial video may seem more at home in Fight Night than NHL, but since the added depth wasn’t necessary, it’s just one more tweak that proves the developers haven’t lost their desire to win the approval of the sport’s most dedicated, not the masses.

That’s a message made clear throughout the game, despite it sitting out the jump to next-gen. Limited in what the developers could offer fans that was ‘better’ – hindered as much by the console’s limits as their high standards to date – the decision was made to simply give their fan base more. And if you’re discussing additions to the core experience that amount to little more than fan service, the Anniversary Mode is a prime example.

With the return of blue ice, stars, and all-organ musical accompaniment, the Anniversary Mode scratches the nostalgic itch for those who prefer arcade hockey to a pure simulation. That shouldn’t be a sign that EA Sports has lessened their dedication to the game’s online component. For the first time, GM Connected lets players not only compile teams to compete in online leagues, but grant each player the same same level of control previously seen in the game’s Be a GM Mode.

For players who prefer a solo experience, NHL 14‘s new ‘Live the Life’ mode is the game’s crowning jewel. By either creating a skater or stepping into the skates of a real-life athlete, players can now experience what it truly feels like to be a professional athlete in today’s game. Whether beginning from a CHL team or trying to break into the NHL, players must now contend with on-ice performance, while managing their approval ratings among fans, their teammates, and even their own families.

That means pre-game and post-game interviews, additional in-game tasks from the coaching staff, and community events. Besides adding some humor to the proceedings, the extra attention provides legitimate insight into the day-to-day of a professional athlete – a true first for the series. The in-game simming from shift to shift has been streamlined, but is still one of the more irritating (and at this point, it seems, necessary) loading loops.

We would have been hard-pressed to identify significant shortcomings of last year’s game, and by addressing persistent issues in some clever ways, and genuinely offering something for every hockey fan, EA Sports Vancouver has made their last title on current consoles their best one to date.

We’re already looking forward to what the team will do with next-gen hardware, but for the next year, NHL 14 will keep hockey fans entertained (possibly for longer than usual) to say the least.

‘Diablo 3′ Console Review

Although it has been more than a year since Diablo 3 was released on PC and Mac, many consumers have yet to forget the pain and frustration associated with what is now looked back on as one of the most painful single-player game launches in history. In the 15 months since the less than ideal launch of the hack and slash dungeon crawler, Blizzard Entertainment has released a long series of updates and fixes that have all made their way over to the new console port ofDiablo 3. For how closely the Diablo franchise is associated with PC gaming, you might be surprised just how well the port plays on consoles.

All the same strengths and weaknesses identified in our initial Diablo 3 PC reviewlast summer still exist in the console port. It’s no doubt that the PC version had a few drawbacks and nagging issues that were frustrating to deal with after the game spent nearly 10 years in development. It was clear from the first act that the quality in storytelling and presentation during the cutscenes was on another level compared to the dialogue offered in-game. The problem was a bit distracting, but not enough to ruin the experience. Some gameplay flaws like the need to right-click unidentifiable items found in loot or run around in circles picking up scattered gold spewed by dying enemies slowed the action down too often. Aside from those small issues, it was clear that Blizzard had achieved its goal of introducing a new and refreshing level of depth to the straightforward combat system.

The most obvious, and interesting, change that the console port brings to the table is the remapping of the classic point and click keyboard and mouse combo to the Xbox 360 and PS3 controllers. As Monks, Barbarians, Witch Doctors, Wizards, and Demon Hunters level up; unlocked abilities are mapped to face buttons, triggers, and bumpers. Movement is controlled with the left analog stick and the right stick is reserved for dodging incoming attacks. This is around the point when most veteranDiablo players start to ask themselves, “So… How do I aim?”

Rather than give players the ability to use an analog stick to point to an enemy, the console version has players target enemies by facing them using the movement stick. Once a character’s movement is pointed in the direction of an enemy, the targeted villain will appear to be painted red. As you might imagine, this system definitely eliminates some of the precision that becomes crucial at higher levels.

Despite the freedom that is gained by running around with an analog stick instead of the traditional click-to-move system, hardcore players will likely find themselves frustrated during difficult boss fights. The movement and targeting system’s shortcomings are most glaring when bosses unleash hordes of additional minions that need to be wiped out and you’re stuck fumbling the analog stick to alternate between the swarm of targets. Players will also find themselves missing the precise click-to-move system when the ground is covered with an area-of-effect attack and they need to quickly and accurately reach a tiny few pixels of refuge.

The change in targeting systems is far less intrusive for melee classes who like to get right into the mix and throw roundhouse kicks, so spellcasters and Demon Hunters are likely to notice this change the most. The lack of accuracy becomes less annoying as characters become more powerful and waves of minions can be wiped out easily, but the importance of precision definitely reemerges in the end-game.

As the end-game approaches, consumers who already played the PC version will notice a significant increase in the quality and frequency of loot being found. In order to eliminate the largely controversial auction house feature (both the real money and in-game money versions), Blizzard made some tweaks to the stingy loot drop rates. The PC version has been criticized since its release for its less than generous drop rates and Blizzard has released several updates to adjust the system. Without the ability to buy items from other users, Blizzard made sure console players could handle the end-game by offering very favorable drop rates. You’ll notice by the time your fifth or sixth Legendary piece drops that it isn’t quite as special or celebration-worthy in this version.

The online play works just as seamlessly as the PC version; allowing up to four players to team-up and raid dungeons without any complicated invite systems to slow down the action. That said, one of the best additions offered by the console version is the offline co-op. Slaying bosses and splitting loot with friends is one of the most exciting parts of playing Diablo 3, so it’s no surprise that the excitement is even greater when your party members are on the same couch. There’s an extra level of fun that is added by seeing your buddy’s face when his first legendary weapon drops or when you get to yell at someone in person for standing in a glowing pool of poison and wiping your party.

The only real drawback of the offline co-op mode is the need to wait around while each player pauses and adjusts his or her inventory and skills separately. A new ‘quick equip’ feature was added to the game to give players a few details about whether or not a new piece of gear is worth equipping. The ability to throw on a new helm with the quick press of a button is definitely convenient, but unfortunately the ‘quick equip’ tool doesn’t offer any specific properties about Magic, Rare, or Legendary items. As you can imagine, that means player’s will be pausing the game to analyze the items anyway. This will slow down the pace of an offline co-op game after just about every big fight.

As a matter of fact, the entire revamped inventory system will take a bit of getting used to. The menus split inventory into a number of categories. That means that an action like equipping a new ring or weapon is buried behind one or two more button presses than PC users are used to. Despite the fact that the new radial menu gets the job done, players will still find themselves a little frustrated by the tedious series of steps that need to be performed to complete simple tasks like comparing the stats on two pieces of equipment. The system is fairly intuitive, but there’s no denying that all those extra seconds wasted in the menu will slowly take away from precious time that could be spent sending demons back to Hell.

It may be a bit slower to navigate, but Blizzard did also manage to make a few improvements to the game with the new inventory menu. The updated tool now includes a junk feature, which allows players to mark loot for mass sale or salvage. Each item also only takes up one inventory slot in the new system, which eliminates the Tetris-esque organization that is needed to manage inventory in the PC version. At the end of the day, the time wasted by the new system’s clunkiness is just about canceled out by the time saved thanks to these additions.

Although we don’t know if or when the upcoming Reaper of Souls expansion will make its way to consoles, other post launch additions to the PC version, like the post-level 60 Paragon System, have already been incorporated into the console port. If dedicated players can manage to navigate the new targeting system during those punishingly difficult end-game boss fights, then the console version should have enough content to keep them busy for a very long time.

The console release of Diablo 3 gives hack and slash fans new and old a second chance to experience a title many gamers have been anxiously awaiting for 10 years. The elimination of the need to hunt down upgrades on the auction house and the lack of a painfully frustrating launch should give players a chance to actually spend their time enjoying the loot-filled action RPG. The downgrade in controller precision and the previously existing quality gap between cutscenes and in-game storytelling hold the console version of Diablo 3 back from perfection, but players will still find themselves recruiting friends to join in and sink endless hours into the addictive hunt for loot.

Will you be doubling-dipping and picking up a second copy of Diablo 3 to check out what the console has to offer?

‘Grand Theft Auto 5′ Review

What can be said that hasn’t already been said about Grand Theft Auto 5? The series has now delivered the highest rated game ever and become one of the most financially successful franchises in any medium. It’s a series so expansive and rich in detail but also base and vapid in its nature. It is also technical marvel – an experience that pushes the boundaries of what we can expect in a game, by providing a densely populated and massive world full to the brim with things to see and activities to partake in.

However, with next generation hardware right around the corner, does Grand Theft Auto 5 deliver one of the best experiences of the PS3 and Xbox 360 era – while successfully setting a high bar for the PS4 and Xbox One to follow? After all,Rockstar Games has promised that their latest title, “feels” next-gen. Read on for our complete review of GTA 5.

In many ways, Grand Theft Auto 5 is every bit the game that gamers have been dreaming of since the original Grand Theft Auto 3. Twelve years ago, that game morphed every thing that came after it, not just becoming one of the biggest jumps for a series ever, but a trend setter of game design still to this day. It was by no means the first open world game, but it was the first to commercialise it in a big way. Since then, Rockstar have been making improvements and tweaking their mechanics and the work has paid off in droves as Gran Theft Auto 5 is one of the most impressive and complete packages ever put together.

The world of Los Santos is dense with detail and ripe for activity. Players only have to walk down the street to find something to pass their time, be it saving a helpless lady, playing tennis, flying a helicopter, or getting in a high speed police chase. The game’s design, which still includes a few head-scratching choices, is hard to fault when it offers this much. Grand Theft Auto 5 is a jack of all trades – and even a master of some. The real star of your time in Los Santos is the variety. Even when taking on the garden variety missions, the sheer diversity of each one is impressive. Long gone are the days of tailing or killing an NPC, now replaced with days of jumping out of airplanes and blowing up scenery. Although, this diversity really comes into play during the game’s heists – which act as chapter breaks for the main narrative, offering choice and spectacle in droves. Take on a bank quietly or loudly? Take someone with less skill or a smaller cut percentage? The choice allows for extensive reply value (a welcome addition as any completed missions are now replayable from the start menu) making the game feel less linear than previous outings.

The real invention of the game comes with a completely new central mechanic lets players freely switch between the three lead protagonists Michael, Franklin and Trevor. This is used both on the fly as you cruise around Los Santos as well as in missions. When used in missions, the gameplay allows for rewarding flexibility – as players are presented with a choice of achieving one goal.

This idea is pushed even further as each protagonist has a unique special ability – be it slowing down time on foot with Michael, slowing down time while driving with Franklin, or entering a berserker mode where you can take and deal out copious amounts of damage with Trevor, players can explore the perfect approach to achieve any objective. A mission’s success can ride on using these abilities at just the right time. There are still some elements of gameplay such as shooting and flying that are unwieldily, and could use further refinement, but it’s easy to forgive Rockstar for the quality of some their sub-mechanics, simply due to the sheer number on display.

While the game clearly pushes the boundaries of what is possible from a design standpoint, especially on seven year old hardware, it is at its most interesting when focusing on its characters. The game’s three protagonists are compelling and seeing the interplay between Michael De Santa and Trevor Phillips is one of the its delights. As ex-bank robbers and best friends, their relationship is wrought with tension that is always threatening to boil over. Michael has retired from the life of crime, but a loveless family and dissatisfaction at a reclining lifestyle has left him wanting more.

Trevor is another side of the same coin, a sociopath who never gave up his life of crime and is still at odds trying to get a big score. While the early portions of the game keep them separate, the narrative doesn’t truly kick in until they are reunited after a ten year break. Freely switching between protagonists, the audience ends up knowing about the lies that the two have kept from each other – creating great character-focused tension.

The dysfunctional dynamic is enhanced further by Franklin Clinton, a gang banger who is taken under the wing of Michael. Franklin is trying to escape the entrapments and dangers of urban culture in favor of a more lucrative lifestyle. Being new to the crew, it is clear Franklin is meant to help ease the audience into the history between Trevor and Michael. Franklin is a solid character, but within the group’s narrative arch, he’s somewhat of a bystander – since his story and missions are more busy work than story advancing. While he adds a necessary flavor to the group, he is often a third wheel. Franklin serves as an example ofGrand Theft Auto 5′s narrative stumbles – a game full of many compelling facets that doesn’t always have the sophistication to pull them all together.

GTA 5 is a game of masterful quality in both design and execution but it doesn’t always have the depth to say anything profound. The game has a cultural cynicism but it fails to say much by attacking the easiest targets with old arguments. It is a shame because if the writers lifted up the hood just a little more, they could have presented a more compelling argument than “capitalism living is too materialistic.”GTA 5 by-passes some real missed opportunities to talk about our society a little deeper, which is frustrating because it could have said a lot about our culture today by framing it in this hyper-realized world. It never truly hurts the entire experience, but for a game that is remarkable in its ambition, it is disappointing that GTA 5doesn’t have more ambition in its subtext.

Still, Grand Theft Auto 5 is a journey well worth taking. It displays an astonishing amount of variety, a real ambition to innovate previous gameplay, and a narrative about three people trying to find friendship in their messed up and broken worlds, making it one of the most emotionally impactful in the series. Rockstar Games has offered an experience with a few flaws – but flaws that don’t break the core (and extremely enjoyable) gameplay. The franchise has never been about painting the Mona Lisa – and is, instead, more about inciting meaningful controversy to get people talking. That is very much the case here, offering players a twisted trip into a dysfunctional reality. It is just well and good none of that dysfunction sheds itself onto the gameplay experience, one that serves as a great bow for the current generation of gaming, and simultaneously sets the bar for the next one.

‘FIFA 14′ Review

Last year’s FIFA 13 was a bit of a disappointment in that it failed to iterate on the previous year’s improvements in any appreciable ways. Like many sports games released over the past few years, FIFA 13 left the impression that the series was standing still – biding its time for the inevitable next-gen jump.

And now that the next-gen jump is almost upon us, and FIFA 14 is available for all to consume, recommending the current-gen iteration becomes all the more challenging. But, despite the knowledge a crisper version of FIFA 14 is right around the corner, EA Sports has still made some improvements to the current-gen version that make it worth recommending.

For starters, the on-the-field play feels greatly improved for FIFA 14. While dribbling, passing, friendly and enemy AI, and shooting have all found a nice sweet spot, the way players jostled for position always felt a bit lacking. In FIFA 14, that has all changed, with players now able to muscle their way to the ball even if a defender cuts them off. It’s a detail that might go unnoticed by some, but one that goes a long way into improving the realism of the game.

Speaking of realism, a big change for this year – at least one that soccer fans will notice – is the way player physics work when shooting. Now, the game will take into account the trajectory and speed of the player to determine what type of shot they are capable of getting off and what animation to use. For example, if a player stumbles before a shot they will lose significant power and they might end up throwing their whole body into a shot, which makes it more difficult for them to field any potential rebounds. It’s another subtle touch for FIFA 14, but one that fans will appreciate for the realism it adds.

Additionally, the decision to tone down last year’s first touch mechanic, and to add a new “Protect the Ball” button makes it so players aren’t constantly turning the ball over the second it reaches them. Players can now more easily collect a past in stride and turn up field without worrying about the ball jumping 5 yards in front of them.

Aside from that, though, FIFA 14 is a mostly recognizable experience, especially to owners of FIFA 13. That isn’t to say the game is lacking, only that there aren’t many big changes, save for those previously mentioned – and those aren’t necessarily justification enough for another yearly purchase.

At the same time, some of the finicky issues that have plagued FIFA in the past are still present this year, including inconsistent player auto-switching and a wide difficulty gap between the “Semi Pro” (Medium) and “Professional” (Hard) levels. On Semi Pro, for example, players can score at will, as the AI barely poses any threat on offense or defense. Yet on Professional, things escalate to a real match, but one that, for the novice player, will be extremely challenging. There’s little middle ground for newcomers to develop their skills without getting hosed every match.

All the usual suspects for modes have returned as well, from Be a Pro, to Career, to FIFA Ultimate Team. As with this year’s Madden, Ultimate Team adds a new chemistry mechanic that increases the viability of a team based on individual player associations. However, in FIFA 14 those associations are boiled down to whether two players are from the same country, club, or league, not their play style. So, matching up a player from the MLS with a like-minded counterpart from the Premier League doesn’t boost the Ultimate Team’s chemistry. It’s a strange way to use the mechanic and, to be honest, players will have better success if they simply go after the most skilled footballers.

With the next-gen version of FIFA 14 a little less than two months away, gamers have a difficult choice to make: pick up the game now or wait to see what improvements the next-gen offers. After significant time with FIFA 14 it’s hard to recommend the game to anyone but the most die-hard fans, as the improvements are subtle and don’t fundamentally change the gameplay. The modes have been tweaked and adjusted, but, again, there isn’t anything to justify the $60 price tag for owners of last year’s game.

That being said, the gameplay in FIFA 14 is much more refined when compared toFIFA 13, so those who do pick up the game will find a more enjoyable experience overall. Not to mention the realism that the collisions and shooting add to the proceedings make the game look as close to real soccer as it ever has. But two subtle, but in my opinion needed, improvements aren’t going to outweigh a lot of the same-ness that pervades the game overall. Picking up FIFA 14 now won’t leave gamers dissatisfied, but it might be worth waiting to see what the next-gen has to offer.

Have you had a chance to check out FIFA 14? What do you think of the game? Let us know in the comments below.

‘Europa Universalis IV’ Review

Whether it’s crafting a game where murdering eight sons to unite Russia and Scotland seems like a good idea or making a Reservoir Dogs trailer for a game about magic, Paradox Development Studio and Paradox Interactive have seemingly perfected the craft of developing engaging and deep strategy games.

Europa Universalis IV comes after the well-received Crusader Kings 2 and appropriately picks up right where its predecessor left off. Instead of worrying about dynasties is the 4X (explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate) followup, players now embody a nation throughout the ages of the Renaissance and industrial revolution, competing against hundreds of other nations of varying sizes in a game which gets complicated very, very quickly. Europa Universalis features a learning curve so steep that new players will have to accept they’ll be losing more often than not, but that’s what makes the game so good.

History buffs will be blown away at the in-depth accuracy of Europa Universalis IV, which features several hundred years worth of accurate history along its timeline, running from the year 1444 and allowing players to play through until 1820 as Europe expands to the New World. Gamers can choose any nation through this timeline (allowing for hundreds of choices) and watch as their nation either expands through war, trade or intrigue – or, as often as not, gets hindered and butchered by a surprisingly intelligent AI nations who crafts their own alliances and perform actions to their own agendas. Players can also play multiplayer online or via LAN.

The ability to help in the crafting of these alternate-history timelines is one of the best and most entertainment aspects about Europa Universalis IV. Players will enlist generals and merchants to their cause, encouraging trade routes where required and embedding themselves into national-scale politics, even organizing royal marriages as a diplomatic strategy.

Players can set ambitions for themselves to achieve (the AI does this as well), and conflict is always afoot somewhere across the map. The AI will act upon their ambitions straight away, immediately throwing challenges and soldiers at most players. Moving armies across the the world results in a small, numbered soldier icon trotted along a curved line through various countries and provinces – it doesn’t sound very exciting, but most of the entertainment in Europa comes from the deep layers of strategy, as opposed to the graphical interface – or lack thereof.

When not warring, peacetime is just as busy for players as the game keeps them focused on economic research. This also presents the best time to build up forces as players will be guessing which nations to trust and which ones to betray. These so-called ‘chess-matches’ bring an air of uncertainty, anxiety and a downright fear for a game which, graphically speaking, is barely more advanced than Risk. To play the strategy game, players must navigate through a series of menus to invest in various technologies, religious and cultural items. The layers of menus in the interface is a design choice gamers must get used to in Europa and may be confusing for newcomers.

Empires will rise and fall as the years continue, and negotiating through a sea of threats while absorbing smaller nations is one of the things that makes Europa Universalis so fun. It’s all about diplomacy, as ties are strengthened and some cut loose for the greater good of the nation. The Republic of Hungary could exist where France does today, and Newfoundland could be a Spanish Colony, but it’s something players will have to roll with if they wish to succeed. Plenty of unique events will pop up as the game goes on, forcing players to adapt and make instantaneous decisions which can affect the state of their own nation, or impact the opinions of others. When players learn how to appropriately fight and expand, the objective is always to conquer – the more of the map a player controls, the more influence they have on the world.

As it seems to be with all Paradox Games, the biggest thing the game has going against it is the strenuous learning curve. Though Europa provides an in-game tutorial and an optional in-game hint system, the interface is so full of options that new players will have to find themselves adopting the Dwarf Fortress mantra – “losing is fun”.

The complexity of Europa is a necessary evil however, as it is what allows for such amazing, intriguing political plots to unfold – and that’s what makes Europa Universalis IV one of the best strategy games on the market. Players who rise past the initial confusion of a complicated user interface will uncover a detailed, well-oiled simulation capable of unfolding a dynamic world that will keep dedicated gamers on the edges of their seats for some time.

As in-depth as the strategy is, Paradox doesn’t deliver on the graphical front. Whilst the same board-game layout from spiritual predecessor Crusader Kings 2 makes a return, albeit in brighter colors, the animations of moving soldiers look dated and tired. This is certainly not a game for those who require visual stimulation, which is undoubtedly one of the greatest barriers between Europa and a fanbase who might have otherwise loved this kind of game.

Despite those flaws, Europa Universalis IV provides such a deep, challenging and unpredictable experience that it will leave hardcore strategy fans sailing back for more. This isn’t a game for the feint of heart – the game stretches through almost 400 years of history, but at times it feels like it’ll take that long to learn it. Once it’s mastered, however, each playthrough brings a fresh set of challenges and consistent entertainment.