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The Evil Within 2 Review

10/31/2017

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Developer: Tango Gameworks
Release Date: 10/13/17
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC (played on PS4)
ESRB/PEGI: M/PEGI 18
MSRP: $59.99 USD
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By Jose Gonzalez / DicloniusGames
You can never truly escape your past. No matter how hard you try, no matter how much you run from it, it always catches up to you. For Sebastian, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
 
In The Evil Within 2, former KCPD Detective Sebastian Castellanos enters the vivid and freaky environment of STEM yet again under the supervision of Mobius Operative Julia Kidman. This time, Sebastian enters the seemingly idyllic town of Union as he searches for answers concerning his thought-to-be-dead wife and daughter. While it looks idyllic and peaceful, Union is nothing more than a sadistic trip through his own hellish nightmare he went through in the first game. 

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Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus Review

10/29/2017

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Developer: Machinegames
Release Date: 10/27/17
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One (played on PS4)
ESRB/PEGI: M/PEGI 18
MSRP: $59.99 USD
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By Rick Warren / Gfn2112
When The New Order released, it caught the gaming industry by surprise due to something nobody expected it to have: a great story. There were plenty of memorable locations and the gameplay was extremely solid, but the game shined most when it focused on its colorful cast of characters. Whether it be a tense encounter with one of the many twisted Nazis, an optional conversation with a side character, or BJ's inner dialogue, the game remained interesting from beginning to end. Wolfenstein The New Order was perhaps the greatest reboot in gaming history, and Machinegames pulled off something truly special with their debut game as a studio. When the sequel was revealed earlier this year, I was excited, and that excitement built up all the way to the game's launch. With The New Order having been such an amazing surprise, The New Colossus had plenty to live up to. Having just finished my 18-hour playthrough, I can say that it not only met my expectations, but completely surpassed them. In fact, Wolfenstein 2 is the greatest shooter of the generation.

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5 Great Video Game Art Styles

10/27/2017

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By Rick Warren / Gfn2112
Plenty of video games rely on a realistic art style, from open world titles like The Witcher 3 to linear shooters like Killzone Shadowfall. While these games are gorgeous, and the realistic visuals suit them well, not all games would benefit from the look. Instead, some developers try to put a unique spin on their games and make them visually appealing in a different way. This week, I'll be sharing five of my absolute favorite art styles. Take a look!​

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Top 5 Creative Games

10/20/2017

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By Rick Warren / Gfn2112
Whether it's something specific like Simcity or a platform like Project Spark, creative games span multiple genres and can be widely different from one another. They do, however, share the same main trait that makes them special. That is, they give the players a set of tools and the freedom to make whatever they want. They're the ultimate way to kill time and relieve stress, providing a platform for those with and without real world artistic talent. Now, let's take a look at five of the best creative games out there!

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My Top 5 Horror Games

10/13/2017

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By Rick Warren / Gfn2112

With today being both Friday the 13th and the highly anticipated release of The Evil Within 2, I felt it would be appropriate to look at horror games for this week’s Top 5. As always, these are my own opinions and don't represent the views of the other writers on this website. There are plenty of great horror games (and plenty of them are not on this list), but below you’ll find my absolute favorites.

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Video Game Movies: A Look at the Past, Present and Future.

10/10/2017

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By Rick Warren / Gfn2112

With the Tomb Raider reboot recently releasing its trailer (and being met with mixed reactions), it’s clear that video game movie releases aren't stopping any time soon.
 
In this article, I'll be taking a deeper look at a majority of the video game movies that have released since the year 2000 (I seriously couldn't put myself through watching Super Mario Brothers). Which of these movies have failed and why did they do so? If any, which video game movies have done a commendable job so far? Will any of the currently announced movies truly be good? I'll only be giving my own opinions of the movies of the past and my thoughts on what's on the way, so if you have something of your own to add feel free to leave a comment.

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Knack 2 Review

10/10/2017

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Developer: SCE Japan
Release Date: 9/5/17
Platforms: PS4 
ESRB/PEGI: E/PEGI 7
MSRP: $39.99 USD
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By Rick Warren / Gfn2112

Where were you when the sequel to one of the greatest games ever made was revealed? No, I'm not talking about The Last of Us. I'm obviously talking about Knack 2, the sequel focused on the most beloved character in PlayStation history. All jokes aside, the original Knack was a solid launch title that did what it set out to do. It wasn't anything outstanding, or even memorable, but it had potential. When Knack 2 was announced, I was ready to see a better game that improved on the foundation of the original. I found just that with Knack 2... but the improvements weren't as large or as numerous as I had hoped. ​

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Top 5 Indie Games

10/6/2017

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​By Rick Warren / Gfn2112

In the gaming industry, the term "indie" is thrown around constantly. What defines an indie game? Is it simply the independence of a game studio? Unlikely, as games like The Witcher 3 are never considered indies. Is it the price, or is it the length? Again, I'd answer no to both of those suggestions. In most cases, indie games are a combination of those three. They're smaller, cheaper and made by a studio that is not owned by one of the many large game publishers. These are the kind of games that I'll be looking at for this week's list, and I'm excited to share my favorites. 

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Friday The 13th: The Game Review (Several months later...)

10/4/2017

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Developer: Gunmedia, Illfonic
Release Date: 5/26/17
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC (played on PS4)
ESRB/PEGI: M/PEGI 18
MSRP: $39.99
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​Written by Dustin Ardouin / DaLoNeGunMeN

In May of 1980, a relatively low budget horror movie produced by Sean Cunningham and Paramount pictures started taking the nation, and teenagers wallets, by storm. 'Friday the 13th' was released that spring. On a $550,000 budget, the film’s final box office take was just shy of $60 million (59.8). Today that would be considered a HUGE success for an R rated horror film. In just a little under a year, the franchise 'officially’ started with the release of 'Friday the 13th Part II’ in April of 1981. On a bigger budget, this time around $1.25 million, it brought in only $21.7 million and was not as huge of a success as the first film was. But it did lay the framework for future titles, by bringing back to life and beginning the legend of one of the greatest slasher killers the silver screen has ever seen. Jason Voorhees.

Now, 37 years after big screen appearances (including a trip to hell, a trip to space, and a reboot) Jason is being brought back to our video game consoles (Yes, there was a NES version of Friday the 13th in 1989, but is widely accepted as one of the worst games ever made) with Friday the 13th: The Game'. Created by indie studios Gun Media and Illfonic its available now for PS4 and Xbox One via digital download and PC via Steam.  It was released on May 26th, 2017 and has had a bit of a rough start...to say the least.  Amidst all the glitches/bugs/delays both Gun Media and Illfonic have been hard at work hiring new personnel, and releasing patches/free content to try and gain some of its fan base back. Let’s take a look at 'Friday the 13th: The Game' and I will give you an honest fans opinion of on playing, from the perspective of someone who has been playing this game since launch, and was a backer during its Kickstarter, which launched in 2015 back when it was titled 'Summercamp Vol 1'.

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Batman The Enemy Within - Episode 2 Review

10/4/2017

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Developer: Telltale
Release Date: 10/3/17
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC (played on PS4)
ESRB/PEGI: M/PEGI 18
MSRP: $4.99 USD (episode)/$24.99 (season pass)
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By Rick Warren / Gfn2112

After a terrific opening episode, I was fully prepared for "The Pact" to disappoint in some way. Instead, I found another solid showing that further cements Telltale's Batman universe as one of my favorites in the character's deep history. Like previous episodes, "The Pact" was packed (yes, I know, I'm sorry) with classic Batman elements, as well as major twists on things that usually remain constant. One of those twists was Harley Quinn, as she received a complete redesign and a brand-new personality instead of the one Batman fans have gotten used to. While I've never been a fan of her in the past, Telltale managed to make me a fan of their version. In fact, Harley Quinn carried the entire episode, with this re-imagining being the best take that I've ever seen on the character. ​

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