Dead Rising 3 Xbox One Launch Title Review

"And the devil did grin, for his darling sin is pride that apes humility" 

                                          -Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Well, I made the decision of purchasing the Xbox One 1st for the next generation consoles.  Hate me if you like, but I'm american.  The first game i'm reviewing on the Xbox one is Dead Rising 3 by Capcom.  I feel Dead Rising is as much a launch staple to Xbox as Zelda is to Nintendo.

Dead Rising has always been one of my favorite underdog titles that pushed the Xbox to its limits, but fail short with a random script that never made sense.  This time around Dead Rising 3 actually did a remarkable job with presenting a well connected and a plot driven storyline.

The main character is Nick Ramos an orphan that has an interesting past and future. Nick is a young, insecure, but pure-hearted mechanic working for Rhonda Kreske at Wrench O'Rama.  For most of his life, Nick has been surrounded by bad people but protected by the tough mother figure, Rhonda, but the zombie outbreak forces Nick to mature in order to over-come his circumstances.

When the group of survivors are trapped by a horde of zombies, Rhonda establishes that Nick is a master mechanic that can build anything, and that's where the fun starts.  The best part of the Dead Rising 3 is the improved crafting introduced in Dead Rising 2.  Players no longer have to track down an work bench.  If you have the blueprint and part, then you can craft anything from combo weapons to combo vehicles.

Nick and the group of survivors escape, but soon Nick is bitten by a zombie and goes on a search for the Zombrex cure.  Nick's dilemma cause him to run into a few interesting characters and a love interest named Annie.  Later, players connect the dots and learn Annie is really Katie Greene from Dead Rising 2. Another connection is Nick is one of Carlito's time bomb children from Dead Rising 1.

Within the plot Dead Rising 1, 2, and 3 are connected by Isabella from Dead Rising 1.  Isabella is working with Marian, the villain from Dead Rising 2, but it is a 7th deadly sin bonus that I will not spoil.

Gameplay
The game itself is not visually stunning.  I admit there are improvements, such as more zombies on screen and inventory management, but honestly I feel like Dead Rising 3 could have been a Xbox 360 game.  You will run into the same glitches such as unresponsive or unintelligent NPC's in your party or invisible walls. These obstacles could be a reference to the Silent Hill franchise where developers admit they designed slow characters or glitches to handicap the player, but I attribute Dead Rising 3 design  flaws to rushing the game for the Xbox One launch release.

Graphics and Sound
Blood stays Nick as players slash through 1000s of zombies, mutants, and psycho bosses.  The graphics are a modest increase in design at best but not the innovation i'd expect from a next gen console.  Sound is a problem because I feel the zombie noise is a backtrack.  I killed every zombie in the room one time, and I could still hear zombie noises.

Storyline
I gave max points for storyline in Dead Rising 3 because this was the first time every character had a purpose in the storyline and helped carry the plot.  The psychopaths were a play upon the 7 deadly sins with Isabella being the finally deadliest sin, Pride.  I like the cameos from previous characters that I fell in love with such as Isabella, Chuck Greene, and Marian.  The only person I didn't see was Frank West, but I got a feeling the way he was referenced...a DLC may be on the way.

Score
Overall, Dead Rising 3 was a welcomed revisit to the first zombie horror survival series started in 2006. Dead Rising was the walking dead before the walking dead was created.  I have a lot of personal attachments to the game because I grew up on the Dead Rising series since 2006 to 2013.  Dead Rising 3 is not the best game of the next gen consoles, but if you're a fan of the series, you'd love Dead Rising 3.
I give Dead Rising 3 an 8.0/10.

Call of Duty Ghosts vs Battlefield 4

So there is a big debate going on about which game is better: Battlefield 4 or Call of Duty Ghosts? I will break the debate down and provide pros and cons of each game.

SINGLE PLAYER CAMPAIGN

Both games have you at war with foreign nations that have been fickle at best with USA policy over the years.  I have to give Call of Duty Ghost the edge with their choice of opponents being Latin American Alliance or "The Federation".  I never considered the amount of power our oil producing neighbors have because tv depicts latin america as authoritarian countries overran by drug smuggling warlords instead of resource barons with clear objectives and sense of self-worth and reliability.

Call of Duty Ghost wins this category hands down.  Call of Duty Ghost has the better story-line and gameplay capabilities in the single player.  You can take control of a killer K9, a remote control nuclear satellite, and drones to complete the objectives of Call of Duty Ghost.  The only positive point about Battlefield 4 is the diversity in which you have a black male and asian female on your team vs Call of Duty Ghost still being an all white male club.  

MULTI-PLAYER MODE

Battlefield 4 wins hands down.  The amount of time and strategy you can invest in commander mode alone of Battlefield 4 is innovative enough to become a standard for online gaming.  Never underestimate the amount of gratitude players get from a benevolent overlord placing the necessary resources to complete a task.  Both games decided to include the option of female soldiers in the multi-player mode so no point diverge there.

GRAPHICS, SOUND, PRESENTATION

This is close.  It's really about what system you have that makes the difference. Call of Duty Ghosts seems to be consistent on all systems, but Battlefield 4 can be a lot better depending if you run it on PC with a high performing processor and graphics cards.  

I love the warning noise Call of Duty Ghosts gives you when hear a missile is locked onto your location.  I love being the noise Battlefield 4 gives you when you are dead center in a war of nations as things are exploding and falling apart around you.  I second thought, I have to give Battlefield 4 the edge in this category.  The presentation is not too polish but the quality and knowledge is there if you know how to develop it.  

THE WINNER???

Well, gamers...I have to say looking at the facts presented,  Battlefield 4 is the better game aside from the single player campaign.  I'm not big on the multi-player modes, but I have to take my opinion out in order to be a fair evaluator.  I know the Call of Duty fanatics will buy Call of Duty Ghost just because they are franchise loyalist, but veteran gamers really need to take a look at what Battlefield 4 has to offer.  

Call of Duty:Ghosts Perfect Review

What do you get when Raven software, Neversoft, Infinity Ward, Activision, and Havok games combine to develop one game? The answer is the best first person shooter game to hit gaming Call of Duty: Ghost.

Call of Duty: Ghosts takes place  in an alternate timeline that follows the nuclear destruction of the Middle East.The oil-producing nations of South America form the Federation in response to the ensuing global economic crisis and quickly grow into a global superpower, swiftly invading and conquering Central America and the Caribbean. 

The Federation decides to take over the satellites in space and attack the rival nations, noticeably the USA. After the sacrifice of the US space crew, the world is left to live in the after math of the attack.  At this point we are introduced to thee main character Logan Walker. 

Logan is the son of Ghost squad leader Elias Walker.  We later learn that Elias is in a heated war with Rorke the former leader of the Ghost squad. Rorke is hell bent on revenge and is pretty successful at it, as you battle a devoted patriotic hero turned genius villain by betrayal his comrades.  

Many combat features in the single player campaign are innovative such as using drones and ODIN a kinetic super-weapon that can target enemies from space, and playing as Riley, and vicious K9 in the ghost squad. The story is regal and symmetric with a polished gameplay.

The multiplayer in Call of Duty: Ghosts is not like the previous Call of Duty games as some new mechanics have been added to it. Maps now have areas that can be altered or destroyed. On certain maps there is a nuke-like kill streak reward, the ODIN Strike, that can be gained by killing the top player on the other team and then completing various challenges after picking up a briefcase that is dropped. The sniper rifle scopes also have new "dual render technology" allowing the player to see around the outside of the scope (although blurred) when zoomed in. On October 3, a new multiplayer type was revealed, called Squads. This features a squad that you build and you can face other squads around the world. Your squad can be leveled up and will act like a true individual. "Strikezone", "Octane", "Prison Break", "Tremor", "Freight", "Stormfront", "Siege", "Warhawk", "Sovereign", "Overlord", "Flooded", "Strikezone", "Whiteout", "Stonehaven" and "Chasm" are the maps that are in Call of Duty: Ghosts so far. The dynamic map, "Free Fall", was a pre-order bonus. The game now features playable female soldier.

Overall, this Call of Duty: Ghosts is a perfect addition to the call of duty series and a must play for all single player gaming fans.  Compared to Battlefield 4, the multi-player is lacking, but passable.  I give Call of Duty: Ghosts a 10/10.  It's perfect.

Battlefield 4 is the multiplayer King

Well, I like to say Battlefield 4 is the poor man's call of duty.  It never really grabs my attention, and when I play it...all I can think about is when call of duty is coming out.

The single player campaign is a story-line involving a mounting war between Russia, China and the USA that is hyped to be a provocative emotional and patriotic experience, but all you really experience is a none-sense story filled with objective points and unlocks. It lacks the subtlety and grace to make you the feel any empathy for the story-line.  Be prepared to start-over as you must gun through all the shooting galleries of soldiers in order to advance on each level with a non-intelligent NPC team that never follow directions.  The single player mode embarrasses itself with a limited play-though and dynamic compared to the multi-player capabilities.The epic battles players really want is a sub-menu away in the multi-player mode.

Battlefield 4 holds an advantage in the mutli-player mode against all first-person shooters.  Commander mode returns and allows players to move squads and emphasizes the symbolic relationship between commander and soldier that can be critical in a team living or dying. Battlefield 4 multi-player hinges between spectacular destruction and changing variables in the weather.  The incredible scale and destructibility on the multi-player map is unrivaled. The only draw back is a generation gap in the gameplay capabilities of the PC and  8-year old consoles that are pushed to the limit.  The console version scales back on the online player count degrading from 64 players on PC to 24 players on Xbox 360 or PS3. Texture changes look awkward, but it doesn't hinder the experience to the point where it is unplayable.  It's just a notable visual dynamic between the PC and consoles on.  It is not as mentally or tactically simulating when there is less at stake or fewer things to think about.

Overall, Battlefield 4 is what it is.  Only a handful of redeeming fights lets Battlefield 4 off a linear leash on the single player campaign,  but those who play the game come for the multi-player mode alone.  I give Battlefield 4 an 7.5/10.

Assassin Creed 4 Black Flag Review

Does being a captain with a life of plundering prizes, promises of adventure, sailing the west indies while encountering legends like black beard the pirate thrill you? 

This time around Ubisoft has gamers unravelling a conspiracy between high-ranking Templars within the British, Spanish and French empires who, under the guise of cleaning up piracy in the Caribbean, have used their positions to locate the Sage - later identified as Bartholomew Roberts  - who is the only man that can lead them to the Observatory, which they intend to use to spy on and blackmail world leaders.

Assassin Creed 4 Black Flag is historic action-based open world game featuring a fun and carefree pirate know as Edward Kenway. Edward is a British privateer-turned-pirate and eventual member of the Assassin Order; father of Haytham Kenway, and grandfather of Ratonhnhaké:ton, the two playable characters of Assassin Creed 3.   I won't spoil too much of the storyline, but Edward makes a name for him by battling against famous pirates such as Black beard, Mark Bonnar, Benjamin Hornigold, Calico Jack, Ralph Ineson, and Anne Bonnie (whom which Edward shares a romance with)

AC4 has some innovations that will leave players with a more enjoyable experience this time around.  Some of the pitfalls of previous Assassin Creed titles were the repetitious task of tailing a target and being forced to hear their drawn out dialog until you are able to assassinate the target. This time around AC4 married the vertical city base traversal of AC2 with the energetic world movement of AC3, so players can enjoy assassinating a target instead of dread it.  Ubisoft learned from the mistakes by opening with a lean story that is action driven juxtaposed to the AC3 that was heavy worded.  Edward is more interested in money instead of the goals of some secret society. Edward is a relate-able character that enjoys the thrills of life: money, fighting, sex, and infidelity.  Edward's vices gets players familiar with every crack and curvaceous of the island beauties in west indies that the player will be sure to enjoy.

With over 40 hours of gameplay to explore, plundering tombs and sailing across massive islands with an inspiring core storyline filled with assassinations and forbidden romances. AC4 captures the spirit and l the golden age of pirating as gamers feeding off trouble and turmoil, clearing the decks of a Spanish galleons and assassinating targets in manners never before seen. 

Graphically, It's one of the best looking games of 2013.  It placing an emphasis on well lite, tropical locations and the amazing water effects of the open seas.  Minimum load, perfect sounds of waves clashing as you set sail into the orange sunset wherever the wind takes you. A world brimming with places to go, loot to plunder, and people to stab.

Overall, Assassins Creed 4 Black Flag is a prequel to AC3 that has a main storyline that can't be missed. The multi-player mode puts you in a cat and mouse mode that was introduced in the brotherhood.  If you are like me and never played the Assassin Creed titles, then this is the best game to get you involved with the franchise.  With more fluid gameplay and fun driven storyline, I give Assassin Creed 4 Black Flag a 9.0/10.