Game news: THQ Humble Bundle

THQ Humble Bundle raises over $3 million!

What is Humble Bundle?

Humble Bundle is a bundle of games that can be 'purchased' here that creates an interesting dynamic. The customer gets to choose the amount they pay (although there is a threshold for certain games to be unlocked) and where this payment goes to. Payment can go between charitiy, THQ, or a tip to the Humble Bundle company to cover there costs and so on. The threshold also changes according to where the average donation is. The current Humble Bundle is for games published by THQ and for donations above $1 you will receive a steam download key for: Darksiders, Metro 2033, Red Faction: Armageddon, Company of Heroes and 2 expansion packs. Those who pay above the average donation (currently at $5.69) will receive a 'bonus' code for Saints Row: The Third. These are all brilliant games, and you can choose to donate all of your donation to charity. It is really up to you! I payed $6 or £3.87 and donated most of this to charity.

What did you do with your donation? Let me know in the comments below!

As of writing this article, the highest donation is at $1650.01 and the total payments is over $3,000,000.

Want your slice of charitable gaming goodness? Head to http://www.humblebundle.com/ 

Game review: Realms of Ancient War

Realms of Ancient War

Genre: Action/Adventure/Dungeon Crawler
Platforms: Playstation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, and PC

Let us start our journey with a story that many veteran gamers are familiar with. The disappointing purchase. I have bought many games in my life, but there are few which I 100% would take a refund for. Realms of Ancient War (R.A.W) has made this list. 

R.A.W joins the long list in recent dungeon crawlers. At one point these games became scarce, and were probably the beneficiary of an endangered species protection law. However, it seems we have entered a phase of rejuvenation, with some major titles such as Torchlight and Diablo releasing sequels around the time R.A.W appeared on the market. So surely any developer behind a dungeon crawler would say "Hey, people love these games so lets figure out what thy like, and port it to our universe and have our own unique flair", right? If you said yes, you (like me) should be prepared to be slapped in the face with what I can only describe as the trash that is this game.

In a dungeon crawler I like to look for an immersive combat system, character customisation and some other elements that would give the game some individualistic spark. I played the trial one morning and thought 'Hey, this game could be going somewhere'. Again, I was wrong. I'm beginning to see a trend here with this game. That it's 'wrong'. The combat system is a mash button snoozefest with every mobs attack being identical, as well as their cosmetics. There is no mini map in the game, progression is the same process in every level and if it weren't for the numbers in the stats page I wouldn't even know what the difference is with any of the equipment. Only 3 classes exist in the world of R.A.W, and the campaign for each is almost a copy of the other. Playing with a friend is not fun, as the equipment is aimed mainly at your class and does not adjust for theirs. Basically, there are no features I would expect to see in this type of game.

So, how does R.A.W rate?

Just in case you haven't read the above wall of anger, I'll sum up my feelings for this game. Complete and utter rubbish. I would rather be smacked in my man parts than have to pay for this game again.

I give this game the rating: Stinking pile of s***

This will be the lowest rating I ever give a game. Some may reach the equivalent, but nothing could be worse than this. Especially for a commercial game. WizarBox (the developers), what the hell were you thinking?!

Game Review: Warp

Warp

Genre: Action, Stealth, Puzzler

Platforms: Xbox Live Arcade, Playstation Network and PC

Warp is a strange yet interesting game where you play as an alien, Zero, who has the ability to... you guessed it: Warp. I start by saying the game is strange because of the mash-up/blend of the genres. Not that they do not go with each other, but whilst playing the dynamic is constantly switching. So shall we start from the beginning?

Warp starts as Zero (you) has crashed on Earth and is taken to a top secret government facility somewhere deep under the ocean. You are then put through some novel tests by the evil scientists. Soon you find yourself within grasps of a shiny medallion looking piece of Zero, which was taken from him in experiments. There is an instant reaction, and suddenly you find yourself changing colour, being able to warp and in danger of being killed by ignorant and despicable humans (damn them!). From this point the game begins to grow, and there is a consistent addition of new content to keep you on your toes and the cogs in your brain grinding. Enemies adapt to your weaknesses (apparently zero doesn't like to wash) while you adapt to their adaptions with new powerups. The stealth element really comes into play with an RPG like upgrade system. You can make Zero stealthy and faster at warping, and enhance your other abilities to add alternate solutions to the puzzles. 

Combat and other aspects of the game let down the concept however. As satisfying as it is to make your enemies shoot each other in the face, this quickly becomes dull and repetitive. Even with the addition of new abilities, I still felt like each situation was the same thing with a slightly different take to it. Frustrations arose with the controls, such as continuing to walk for a split second after stopping (a feature which I thought was long gone from gaming) and moving in the same direction as echoes if they were destroyed. Deaths can be frequent as well, and the checkpoint system made me rage a few times. Gameplay feels forced around every ability being something to do with the warp, and yes it starts off cool teleporting into a guy and blowing his entrails out, but the excitement drops drastically after a few kills.

So, how does Warp rate?

On my NEW (oooooo noises) rating system, Warp receives the rating: Bargain Bin

Warp is a fun game, but has its drawbacks. Get it when it's 'on sale' and you'll have a fun game which you got for cheap.

New review system and more consistent content!

I haven't posted a new blog in a while. It's not because I forgot about the blog, but that I felt I was going down the wrong path for my game reviews. For those that know me personally, I'm generally a bit eccentric and I feel that the system I had in place for my reviews held back my personality, and so my writing was a bit dry. Since I would prefer my writing to be moist... I think, I've decided to expand what I review. I will now be reviewing any games, not just free ones and will be attempting to do regular giveaways/competitions. The prizes will not be massive, but it will be something to involve and reward those who frequent the posts I make (either here or at some point on youtube). I will also be aiming to add content more consistently so there will be something new at regular interval. Subscribe via the handy gadget on the right of the page (this way --->) and keep an out for more content. Since I feel that those who read this will have not received what my blog is usually about (some form of a review) here is a video of a cat. If you're not like 99% of the interwebz, and therefore do not want to watch that video, check out one of my videos instead. Or you could be pleasured twice by one post and watch both, if you can handle that. Enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OmOKrzTYtA&feature=plcp

Game Review - Spiral Knights

Spiral Knights

Genre: MMO/Dungeon Crawler                Price: Free to play (Bundle pack available for purchase)

Notable Features: Joypad Enabled, Available through Steam with achievements

Developer: Three Rings (Sega)                 Game Link: http://www.spiralknights.com/

Gameplay

From the very beginning of Spiral Knights (SK from now on) one thing became very obvious to me. The game is designed for a younger audience. I could tell this without reading it anywhere. How? The gameplay is very simplistic. Even for a hack and slash style game, SK keeps the pace and learning curve of the game simple and steady. Players have to move around a dungeon and fend for themselves against slimey monsters and other beasts. To do this, your knight is equipped with two weapons (by default a melee weapon and a gun) and their trusty attack button. If you feel like going crazy, you can perform a charge attack by holding down the attack button. If you are picking up on my sarcastic tone through my writing, then I'm glad, because that is how it was supposed to read. The majority of the game is learnt in the first two minutes, and later a crafting system is introduced. That is all there is to SK. Even the crafting system is as simple as buying a recipe, finding the materials and clicking a button. Which is how SK is meant to be. This is a game for a younger audience, developed by a studio which is known for games for the younger audience (i.e Puzzle Pirates). Of course as an adult the game is overly simplistic (which some may relish) but for a child or young teenager the game is just right. I'd dare to say that it would be difficult to reach the games simplicity by accident or laziness. The one function I feel was overlooked and poorly implemented is the gamepad functionality. A lot of the menu's do not work as well or at all when using a pad, and often I had to go back to using the mouse when in the haven (safe area).

Gameplay Score: 4/10 I didn't play the game for very long because it was just excruciatingly boring. Never a good start.

Graphics

The graphical aspect of the game was the most enjoyable for me. Like the gameplay, the graphics are simple but they have their charms. Almost comic like in style is the best way of describing what you see without a particular genre, the animations in the game are important since they allow players to block incoming attacks. Backgrounds below the maps are simple though, and I felt like they could have added much more to the appearance. Enemies are mostly identical and I wish there was more variance in their appearance. Maps also begin to all look the same with a similar texture and layout. I believe that the graphic style can be simple without dumbing down the amount of content. Why is their a lack of variety when the game is so straight forward?

Graphics Score: 4/10 The graphics look nice, but everything is the same.

Business Model

Free to play is always a trivial matter for games, and should normally always be followed by an asterisk symbol explaining how 'free' the game is. In the case of SK, the pay part of the game is simple. There is a mission DLC available which the standard price on steam is £3.99. In game, money is used to buy energy. Energy is used to descend into the clockworks, open doors in dungeons and so on. You can purchase energy, and this will allow you to play the game as much as you like. You can craft, dungeon crawl and explore to your hearts content. If you determined to have a free to play experience, you can. Players receive 100 mist energy a day. 

Business Model Score: 7/10 Although the model limits your activity in the game, you can still play a decent amount every day. 

Overall Score: 5/10 The game just wasn't for me. I'm sure I could stick a younger person on this and they could happily play with few complaints. Personally the game lacked character development, excitement and originality.

Game Review - Heroes Of Newerth

Heroes Of Newerth (HoN)

Genre: MOBA/ARTS (Action Real Time Strategy)

Price: Recently made 100% free (all heroes on sign-up)

Gameplay

Heroes of Newerth was the third game to be released by an indie games company called S2. The developer used its established lore from its previous games and the play style of a well known game, Defense of the Ancients, to create an up to date game. DotA was originally a map mod on the Warcraft 3 engine and quickly became incredibly popular, especially in South Eastern Asia. The popularity of DotA is so strong that some still play the original, even with the sequel in closed beta. When HoN was first released, it had a very similar style to DotA and there are still rumours today that legendary devoloper Icefrog (who now works for valve on DotA 2) helped at the games beginnings. However, the game is now distinctly different between its main competition, League of Legends and DotA 2. Unfortunately, between the three games, HoN has the hardest time for beginners. 

The learning curve is steep, with some playing for years and still considered low skill players. This isnt due to a poorly designed game, its just that the game is much more complicated than it seems. There is over 100 heroes in HoN, and each one plays differently. Although these differences can be minor, there is still 4 skills per hero that you have to understand, and then several skill builds to learn as well. Its easy to get the builds wrong as each depends on the situation and there is also items to consider buying. Once you understand the basics of the game and how it works, it truly is addictive. Matches are often long (38 minutes is my average over 400+ games) but maintain a fast pace . Teamwork and communication is key to the game, as well as being a good player yourself. You have to understand what your role in the team is depending on what heroes you are all playing. Your actions could mean victory or defeat. If this goes right, the feeling of success is huge. I advise playing with friends and growing as players together or learning from them if they are better and vice versa.

Gameplay score: 9/10 The game is fun, addictive and recent, consistent updates have brought the game a long way. Be warned, it can easily get frustrating due to the community. OMG NOOB is a common occurrence in the chat. This happens in most MOBA games though.

  

Graphics

Graphics on the game are great. In comparison to its competition, I certainly prefer HoN to LoL, and between DotA 2 and HoN is a hard choice for me. The game engine runs really well on my shitty laptop, and I can't even remember the last time the game crashed or froze or anything. Admittedly, the graphics are not the most complex around. To me, they capture a feel of the original warcraft engine whilst still being unique. There are a couple of faults, such as animation bugs and other UI glitches. The glitches can be common, and often bugs are fixed with updates on every Friday. Graphics is always a very subjective thing, but I enjoy the style of HoN.

Graphics Score: 8/10 They aren't exactly flashy, but they get the job done and look good to me.

Business Model

Before I start reviewing this section properly, I should explain the history of this games marketing. Once the game was released from beta in 2010, players had to pay $30 for an account to play the game. This was a pretty standard fee which you would expect from quite a few games. However, the game ran into serious competition form LoL which was free to play and so forced HoN to change its system to a similar one or sink. Presently, the game operates on a fully free to play system, with cosmetic changes and early access to new heroes and avatars available for purchase. With the new model also came alot of changes so that the in-game currency is alot easier to earn, and there are lots of alt-avatars you can earn quickly. Speaking as someone who has paid to play the game, not only am I impressed by the bold move, I'm happy it happened. I can easily question its originality, since DotA 2 announces it would be fully free and then HoN makes the change soon after, but the change is right. It allows balance to public games and opens up new players to the highly competitive nature of the game. Competitive scenes and E-Sports keep a game alive. For example, Counter Strike 1.6 is still a well played game despite a 2000 release. I even made a suggestion 5 months before the new model to change hero rotations and game mode restrictions so that free accounts could access them. Regardless of originality, the game is fully free, and who can argue with free fun?

Business Model Score: 10/10 Many have mocked S2 for mistakes they have made before, but the change took guts and I tip my internet hat to a fully free game for all to enjoy. 

Overall

Taking away bias from the choice of which MOBA you play, HoN is a great choice and can only grow from its current position. Sure its competition is strong, but that doesn't stop HoN from being strong too.

Overall Score: 9/10 The game isn't perfect, but with friends and updates supporting the game, its moving in a great direction and is fantastic free game!

Game Review - Maplestory

Maplestory Europe

Genre: 2D MMORPG

Price: Free to play (Buy Nexon cash for comestic changes)

Gameplay

Maplestory is a 2D MMORPG which was originally released in South Korea. The game focuses on a very simple gamplay. Classes vary the combat style, but generally it involves pushing a skill button or the normal attack to kill monsters. The gameplay never really adds any elements from that. It is a very short learning curve. All you need to learn is how the monster hurts you (the majority of non-boss monsters damage on collision, with a few that shoot projectiles). Most of the fun from this game comes from the party quests (PQ) and more are added with every update. Party quests involve you and a team of other players trawling through a dungeon or battling an epic boss. Dungeon bosses are the most challenging enemies since they can increase their defense, attack, and release minions. They can often boost the stats of the minions they spawn as well. There are also frequent updates to the game (the EU version is quite far behind the USA and Korean version) so new character types are being added to keep the game fresh. Questing in this game is unfortunately unoriginal and largely involves a 'go here kill that' mission. Or talk to this person for me, and then that person will tell you to go here and kill that. Questing is a hard thing to make original, but it feels like there is no attempt made in maplestory. There is a crafting system which has been recently released to the EU game, but again there is a lack of creativity in this system. 

Gameplay score: 5/10 Simple and enjoyable at first, the gameplay quickly repeats and can become mind numbingly simple.

Graphics

The graphics are obviously limited to that of a 2D game, so I will judge it based on that and not of the high quality we expect from modern games. Personally, I really enjoy the graphics in the game. They all have this kinda cute cartoon feel to it. The animations are simple but look good, and when using a skill they mostly feel unique and the classes don't end up feeling the same. Monsters pull funny faces when they are hit, and the backgrounds can been interesting as well. Sometimes things can be a bit too simple, but that is part of the charm. 

Graphics Score: 8/10 The graphics don't disappoint, and sometimes make me laugh. There just isn't a point where I'm massively impressed.

Business Model

I've said it before and I'll say it again, free games like this rarely miss out on a way to make money. Maplestory is no exception to this rule. However, unlike some games which are a bit forceful or add an advantage for paying, maplestory avoids this. The cash shop which is easily accessed in game offers a variety of cosmetic products. All these products change is the way your weapons or character looks, allowing for a more personalised appearance. You could easily get hundred of hours out of this game if you enjoyed it that much and not once have to enter the cash shop.

Business Model score: 9/10 Perfect for a free game, it practically feels completely free. However, character customisation feels like its purposely cut down to encourage use of the cash shop.

Overall

Overall, maplestory has it's ups and downs. How long you play it is up to personal taste and how determined you are to play a free to play game. If you have no spare cash and fancy playing something different to 3D MMORPG's, then give maplestory a whirl. Just don't be suprised if you find yourself bored due to the game repetitive nature.

Overall Score: 6/10 The game is a good idea to try if your bored, since if you enjoy it the boredoms cured and if you don't, better luck next time!

EU players: http://www.mapleeurope.com/index-en.html

NA players: http://maplestory.nexon.net/

Game Review - Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes

Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes

Genre: MOBA/3rd person action

Price: Free to play (Earn gold or buy xp/gold boosts and heroes/skins)

Gameplay

Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes (from this point on I shall just refer to it as WoH) is a 3rd person MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) style game with a twist. First of all, the game plays in a very similar style to an MMO Player vs. Player match. Teamwork is essential for any form of success in this game, and more so than any other MOBA I have played because of the twist. What is it? WoH is a 6v6v6 online arena game, with a variety of gametypes. There's one simple rule which becomes apparent within minutes of playing this game. If you aren't working as a team, you could be attacked by 12 other heroes and simply melt in their wake. Not only is it a struggle to survive without teamwork, but every single gametype is also impossible to win without it. The gametypes are pretty easy to understand themselves; capture the flag, collect and steal artifacts and arena/deathmatch. Heroes (the character you play as) range from support/healers, magic/area damage and armour/physical damage. Each hero has a differemt style because of this, and positioning yourself poorly can lead to a quick death for you and your teammates. Because of this, WoH has quite a steep learning curve. Combat is hectic, easily disorganised and confusing at times. However, there is a large reward for marching as a team of 6 when the other two teams are mid-battle and coming out the victor. 

Gameplay Score: 7/10 The gameplay is fun and unique but has its drawbacks because of this.

Graphics

I will keep it as short and sweet for this section as I can. My laptop is pretty low spec and so I ran this game on the smoothest possible settings. That being said, the graphics are great for a free to play game, and manages to stay smooth during 18 player combat. To make a comparison that most can understand, the game is just above that of World of Warcraft with it's graphics quality. The graphics do not hinder the battles in anyway, while still being nice to the eyes.

Graphics Score: 8/10 Amazing graphics isn't needed for this type of game, and it fits its target audience well and still looks nice.

Business Model

Now this may seem like a weird section for a game review, but if you have any experience in Free to Play games (commonly referred to as F2P), you'll know that there is a way the games make money. In WoH, the model is similar to many other MOBA games in that you start off with a certain hero and there is also a free rotation of heroes. There is even a starter bundle of heroes to save you some cash if your inclined to spend some. However, those who are interested in a completely free experience are looking at a frustrating road. Playing matches earns you experience which levels you up, in turn unlocking mastery points. These points unlock advantages via a skill tree. But, and its a big but, you can only spend mastery points on a hero you have unlocked. You unlock one hero, who is pretty standard, and have 3 heroes on the free rotation. Not only will it take a lot of games to unlock a hero so that you can improve it with masteries, you will also be at a big disadvantage whilst using that hero against a player who has bought theirs (with in game cash or real). This just steepens the learning curve more, and makes the game feel like a grind somehow. Business models keep free to play games going, and if they are not enticing enough to encourage players to spend cash, then it cuts off its potential customers.

Business Model Score: 4/10 Arguably one of the most important factors of a free to play game, and I understand that this game is only in its infancy, but they have already set off on the wrong foot.

Final Judgement!

So, how do I feel overall about this game? The game itself is fun, relatively simple to grasp and potentially a lot of fun with friends. But I feel it was let down by what I can only describe as an obvious attempt to make the most money from the game. However, this heavy weighting on the shop system only makes me want to avoid the game. Why should I feel like I'm working for something which is supposed to be recreational? This spoiled the experience for me, and ultimately I didnt find myself getting addicted to this game (which a F2P game which depends on people being drawn into purchasing something should achieve). Hopefully as the playerbase expands and more people pick up the game the system will improve. With many other fantastic and hugely popular MOBA's out there, WoH has not set itself up for the easiest ride.

Overall Score: 5/10 The game was fun at first but quickly left a bad taste of corporate greed in my mouth!

If you're interested in trying the game for yourself, it can be found here!

Let me know what you think of my writing style in the comments below, it really helps me out since I'm not to confident in my writing! 

Anime review: Mirai Nikki (Future Diaries)

Mirai Nikki Review

Welcome to my first official review. I'm starting with what's been a recent obsession, which I'm sure any Tv/Anime enthusiast can empathise with. I found a series that I had not heard off before and was hooked from the first episode. I accidentally stumbled across the series from this video:

I was bored, it was late at night and I decided, what the hell, sometimes a 'slice of life' or high school drama series can be entertaining. That annoying yet catchy 10 hour video was completely misleading to what the series was about, and how good it was.


Genre: Action/Drama
Warning! There are some mild nude scenes in this anime (you can see that there is cleavage, not full nudity or anything at any point) and there is a decent amount of gore/violence (nothing compared to Elfen Lied, but I will save that review for another day!)


Plot (no spoilers don't worry!):
We start the series by being introduced to Yukkiteru Amano, a 14 year old middle schooler who spends his life on the sidelines while making a diary of everything he sees. When he isn't observing and making his diary, he spends his time in his imagination speaking to Deus (the god of the space time continuum). By this point (probably about 5 minutes into the first episode) I got the feeling I was correct about my initial impression, with a twist coming from the interaction with Deus. Deus gives the power of foresight to Yukki's diary and he begins using this as any normal person would. He knows the answers to his tests, any dangers approaching him in the futures and any events that happen around him. I won't go much further than this, other than Yukki is not the only person to have a Future diary.

I loved this series plot, from the first episode it was very gripping, and quite often left me guessing as to where it would go next. Even to the last episode I wasn't sure how the series was going to end. The pace of the series is just right so that each episode feels like something substantial is happening, with 26 episodes in total. The anime is of course based on a manga series and I strongly suggest you read that if you don't enjoy anime.
Plot score: 9/10 I loved this series, mainly for it's interesting and intelligent plot which kept me hooked.
The acting in this series, as I feel for the majority of Japanese voice acting, was superb. What I love so much about the original voice acting is how much each voice is intended to tell you about a character. Voice plays a big role in Japanese culture and talks about the character of a person. This translates into anime, and so the important parts of voice such as tone and tempo represent that characters personality. I feel each voice actor was spot on for the characters, and I would struggle to fault it.
Voice acting score: 8/10 The voice acting was fantastic, however due to the main characters their voice can be quite childish at times (the characters are 14, so it's still right, it just doesn't sound nice sometimes). Be prepared to hear the names of the two main characters a lot though!

Art style:
The studio that made the anime, Asread, did a great job on the series. From what I have seen of the manga, the anime captures the original artistic style and brings it to life. There isn't much to say about this other than I never felt like something was animated poorly, and I enjoyed watching the series in about 2 or 3 days flat.
Art style score: 10/10 The anime was everything you could expect artistically, and didn't disappoint at any moment.

Overall score: 9/10 I loved this series and my only complaint is that the ending is slightly different in the manga, and I preferred that ending to the anime's (if you watch the series and then read the ending online, I think most would agree with me). If you've read this review, please go ahead and watch the series. You can find it online, order it at any store that specializes in manga/anime DVD's.

An Introductory blog

First of all welcome to reading past my first three words on my blog. Do not worry I will not keep you here for long. And yes, my magical internet powers can keep you reading, so mush and read! Oh and thanks for reading the blog, magical powers or not. Unfortunately this post won't have any particular direction, put it will be informative and relatively short. The blog page's title is 'Fluxzys blog' as it is to accompany my youtube page (which is currently inactive due to hardware issues). Since I couldn't get a job this summer, I've found myself with a lot of time which I want to spend creating video's.

Since I can't currently do that, I'm using the blog format. Not only will I be covering gaming in this blog, but some of my other interests such as manga/anime, poker and other things. My main intention will be reviews, regardless of the topic. I intend to make them seem as professional as possible, but within that I will give my honest opinion (which may be quite harsh/sarcastic/poor attempt at comedic). A lot of these reviews will be of free games, or very cheap/indie games. Please feel free to send me a link to a game and I have no restriction to the genre that I will play. How do I get in touch with you? Send me a message on youtube, like my page on facebook and leave a wonderful wall post, email me at fluxzytime@gmail.com or leave a comment below this blog with your thoughts!

And to end this blog, I thought I would leave you an image of how I feel about my job finding attempts this summer!