BattleBlock Theater - Completed

I had heard good things about BattleBlock Theater so picked it up in the previous summer sale for next to nothing - I had high expectations for it due to the praise it had received from online reviewers and YouTube playthroughs, and I was not let down.

The game is a 2D cartoon art style platformer, like  many other platformers out there such as SuperMeatBoy, it will have you smashing your head against the desk with anger due to the amount of times you fail at one specific jump only to realize you had been doing it wrong the whole time.

This is probably one of the longer platformers of it's type, the solo play through of the story took me a little over seven hours, this was on normal mode also. There is a never ending supply of user made content through the Steam-workshop, as well as a hard mode included for the main story too.

One of the most attractive features about BattleBlock Theater is that you can play local Co-Op, a feature that these games often skip over.

I absolutely loved the cinematic in between each stage as well, the dialog had me in stitches the whole time.

I wouldn't recommend doing what I did and powering through this game in 2 sessions as you will end up wanting to scream the walls down, but you should definitely pick t his game up, even when it's not on sale its a huge bargain for the amount of content and giggles you will get out of it.

The Banner Saga - Completed

After my Assassin's Creed binge last week, I took a bit of a break to wind down a tad. I started playing Banner Saga a few days ago however - I wasn't sure what to expect from it, the screenshots looked more like a point and click adventure, a genre which I normally don't enjoy as much - thankfully I was wrong.

The Banner Saga is heavy role playing game where you face numerous scenarios throughout the story, each decision you make will impact the outcome and general feel of the game.

The story goes extremely deep into Viking saga and history, which if you are interested in that sort of thing, this will already be a winner for you. The devs have done a very good job at making you feel you are part of the caravan and are right there in the midst of it all.

The game does start out quite slow, but as you get past the first chapter, it picks up pace and you keep wanting more.

The actual game play is a turn-based strategy basis. Again strategy is not normally one of my favorite genres but The Banner Saga does a very good job at introducing all the elements and features of the game at a slow but reasonable pace for you to get used to them.  By the end of the game you'll be able to blast through your turns without thinking at all, very simple (which is a good thing in my eyes).

Graphic wise, the 2D art is beautiful. It looks as if every scene has been hand drawn. Length of the game is just right - a full playthrough for me took about seven and a half hours, and this was with picking up quite a few achievements along the way.

I highly recommend The Banner Sage as it will be a welcome addition to your library if you give it a chance.

Assassin's Creed Freedom Cry - Completed

The final Assassins Creed game of the marathon and the series. Freedom Cry is actually a standalone game of Blackflag era. Although I wasn't a huge fan of Blackflag, this one did end up with me wanting more at the end.

The main character, Adewalé, who also played a part in Blackflag is one of the most bad-ass characters I've played, not just in Assassin's Creed, but gaming as a whole. The is built like a tank, and won't take any crap from anybody. Proper bad ass.

The story is very DLC style length, and leaves you wanting more after you complete the main mission. There is still plenty of side quests, challenges and hidden treasures to find once you finish it, so for a standalone game, the quantity of gameplay is actually rather impressive.

Graphics wise, very impressive. Built on the same engine as Blackflag, you will not find your self disappointed at the visual side of this title.

I would highly recommend this game. If you are unsure about purchasing Blackflag, this is probably your best starting point as the gameplay is exactly the same, almost like a long demo. As a stand alone as well, this is a very well put together game that you will certainly get a lot of enjoyment out of.

Assassin's Creed Liberation - Completed

The Assassin's Creed marathon continues. This time it's Liberation, a story set in the same time era as Assassin's Creed 3, you don't need to have played number 3 to understand the story, it's completely stand alone.

The game was initially released as an exclusive to the PlayStation Vita, but was released on Steam earlier this year renamed Assassin's Creed Liberation HD. Sadly the graphics are anything but HD, you can definitely tell that this is a port from a console since the graphical options are next to none.

I failed to follow the story after reaching the halfway point, but the game play is pretty much as you'd expect from a Assassin's Creed game, the earlier stages are actually quite challenging, but once you get your hands on the whip, taking out swarms of enemies becomes as easy as taking candy from a baby.

This is another that you'll need to play with a controller to fully get to grasps with, but the controls are simple enough to pick up once you start playing.

Although this game is good, it is definitely the worst in the series, poor graphics, and the difficult to follow story line really drag it down. I would only recommend you playing this if you are huge fan of the series or have nothing else to play and want to fill ten hours.

Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag - Completed

Aaaaaaaaaaaand more Assassin's Creed. Due to the crappy whether this weekend, I hibernated inside and finished this game over three days. #nerdout.

I feel like this game tried to be something apart from an Assassin's Creed title. If it was anything other than an Assassin's Creed named game, it would be a very good pirate sim, but because it comes with the name and reputation that the series carries, it some times falls down.  The actual regular normal "on foot" gameplay techniques are a huge improvement over the predecessors. The combat seemed flawless and you can really wrack up some cool looking combos.

Being a pirate game, I would of excepted to of really enjoyed the captaining the pirate ship, and sailing one into the heart of battle, but it just seemed very clumsy and out of place in an Assassin's Creed game and I almost wanted to skip these parts all together if possible. I just didn't enjoy them. 

Story wise, very interesting saga. Enjoyed the story more than the others in the series. Maybe it's because I enjoy the whole pirate tales but it just seems to draw you in.

This was probably the most impressive game I have played graphically. The SLI Titans in my rig very rarely have to put any effort in, but they at least had to get out of bed to churn the beautiful graphics this game can produce. 

There is huge amount of side quests, missions, activities to complete and treasures to find. The main story for me took about twenty two hours to complete, so that in it self is pretty impressive. 

Another game that you can easily get immersed into by sitting back and playing with a controller on a big screen TV. 

Would I recommend this game? Hell yes! Although if you aren't a fan of sailing boats, you have been warned, there is alot of boat type missions. The overall game is very good though. The graphics are simply breathe taking.