Battlefield 2042 review

This is a tough review for me right now. I had the highest of hopes that Battlefield 2042 would be an amazing frigging game and if I’m being completely honest about it, I’d have to say this game is one the most lackluster titles available right now.    Bugs aside, where is the content? It’s like the developers cut everything out that you were expecting and said here, have a couple game modes to play online and be happy about it. Granted, the publishers often have a lot to do with decisions in how a game shapes up, so I can’t put it all on the developers. I’m looking at you right now EA!   As I was saying, the game is lacking a lot of content. No solo campaign, only a couple of the modes to pick from (that God for conquest)! There are plenty of weapons and soldier customization options, but nothing much else. Southern goes at least 2 points for lacking content.   Graphics are OK. I did expect a lot more on the graphic front of things with BF 2042, but we can’t have everything we want. I guess I feel like the maps themselves are missing detail that I have come to expect in this day and age. Graphics don’t make an entire game, but they aren’t something to overlook. Graphics are definitely an important part of immersion.    Audio is excellent! They definitely got the audio right on this one. Enemy footsteps, weaponry firing off, even voice chat audio is good in this game. I have been using the PS5 wireless headset from Sony to play through, but I believe the audio is well tuned for most outputs. It sounded great on my TV, but obviously not as immersive as a headset. Let me know what you’re using for audio and settings and if you find it satisfactory!   As mentioned above, no campaign and not much to choose from in regards to multi-player game modes. There are plenty of bugs to contend with which is normal, but these bugs are littered in there a little more than most games. I really do hold EA responsible for the faults in this game. They control the budget and make a lot of decisions and there is no doubt in my mind they messed this game all up.    What does the future of Battlefield 2042 hold? Well, hopefully more game modes, more maps and better visuals. The bugs definitely need to be squashed, but I’d take with a grain if there was more content.   All in all I’m giving Battlefield 2042 a 5 out of 10. Without the content, the game feels empty and reduced from its former glory days. Of course most long running franchises have gone downhill over the years and none of the publishers seem to care. Maybe someday they’ll open their eyes and realize they’re making mistakes and not good games. That’s just my take on it, so feel free … Read More

Call Of Duty Vanguard Review Part 3: Multiplayer

Welcome to part three of the Call of Duty Vanguard review! In the final section of this review, we’re going over the most popular aspect of the CoD series… Multiplayer! We love to play it and love to hate it! At least that seems to be the ongoing trend when it comes to CoD titles. So, without further ado, let’s get started!   Call of Duty’s Vanguard multiplayer variant is alright. It’s definitely not anything that stands out in the franchise. It feels rather plain and already done a bunch of times over. On the one hand, everyone seems to want the game to change, but everytime it does, people complain. On the other hand, everyone seems to get upset when it feels like another copy and paste. While it may be the best selling video game year after year, the developers just can’t seem to win us over no matter how hard they try.    As far as I am concerned, Vanguard isn’t anything new and it is disappointing in the sense that this game was delayed last year and they put 4 years into this one. Granted, Sledgehammer Studios had a lot of changes in personnel including leadership, but I can’t really excuse the lack of innovation this time around. Not after 4 years. I will start you off with the good and work my way down to the bad. Keep in mind, this my opinion and it doesn’t have to line up with everyone else’s and it’s not meant to be insulting to those that thoroughly enjoy the game.    Graphically, this game isn’t special on any platform. It’s obviously better looking on a PS5 versus a PS4, but not enough of a difference to really care. It’s smoother looking and all, but it may as well have been released on the PS4 and forget about current Gen platforms. It’s not bad, it just doesn’t live up to expectations.    Audio is pretty good with this title. Footsteps sound much better than they have in recent years. I can tell the difference between my teammates and my enemies when playing matches and that’s pretty important to me. When I’m rushing to the other side of the map to find the enemy team, it helps to hear them coming in from any direction. I don’t use my mini map like I should, so I don’t always look up and notice the blue friendly markers.    I feel like the sound of guns firing weapons and kill streaks has been brought back to a level it needs to be on. Since Modern Warfare, I thought the sound effects were too much and overpowered everything else in my headset and even though I made adjustments, it was still a bit much for me. I know I’m not alone in this opinion, but I also know there’s a good amount of players that disagree with me as well. All that being said, I’m definitely happy with the audio settings.   Controls … Read More

Aliens Fireteam Elite Review?

Some of you have been wondering where our Aliens Fireteam Elite review is. I’m here to clear that up for you. It just wasn’t good enough to bother publishing a review. No, it’s not a 1 out of 10 title, but it is closer to a 4 out of 10. It feels and looks unoriginal and doesn’t come close to providing a long run experience before it becomes repetitive.  Graphics are bottom barrel and controls aren’t that tight. Sure, it costs less than your typical triple A title, but even a lower cost can’t justify paying full price. No matter the price (even if it was free), it would still be a disappointing third person shooter that would be better as a poster and not much more.  Granted, that’s my opinion and not all of us will agree, but that’s my stance. 4 out of 10 and even that’s giving it too high of a score for my taste. What did you think of the Aliens Fireteam? Were you lucky enough to pass or did you play? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 

Warzone Season 5 review

Another season has dropped for Black Ops Cold War and Warzone and I like to drop my thoughts on the Warzone aspect of things. Without further ado, let’s get straight to it!    Now that season 5 has dropped, there’s really only one thing I’m excited for in Warzone at the moment. The world reveal of WWII: Vanguard! If you log into Warzone tomorrow (August 19th) at 10:30 am Pacific time/1:30 pm Eastern, you’ll be there to watch the world reveal of not only the next call of duty, but an idea of what’s also coming to Warzone.    We saw the leaks a while back and have all pretty much accepted that the next cod is infact a WWII game so, there’s really no surprise there. It’s all about what’s going to happen tomorrow! I personally feel like it has been too long for a new map. I don’t consider the reskin of Verdansk to be a new map by any means. WWII: Vanguard will surely give us a completely new map to play on and I sure hope they announce a plan to give us updated maps often, but I’m not holding my breath.   WWII: Vanguard aside, let’s talk about the current season and situation in Warzone. Along with a new battle pass loaded with the usual goodies, there have been some major weapon balances to the game. At least according to the patch notes. I can’t honestly say I see a difference in any of the weapons I’ve always played with, so you tell me if it has affected your game play.    At this point with the game, we don’t really see much of anything, but sprinkles of changes to the map and what’s available on ground, but you know what we haven’t really seen at all? Numbers of cheaters dwindling down… I know a lot of people like to assume that anyone that takes them down is a hacker, but there is a problem with cheating in this game and it’s plagued like no other MP game out there.    I have been watching streams and personally experiencing cheaters more and more online. I am sick of it. Gone are the days where I could rack up high kill counts and wins in traditional BR. I end up with cheaters on my team, cheaters in the enemy teams and it’s just gotten ridiculous. I know the difference between an aimbot mod and someone that legitimately took me down. I was just playing a little while ago and was killed just before the gulag closed. I spectated my killer and sure enough, this guy 40+ kills, wasn’t even trying to hide the fact he was cheating. Or she for that matter. I couldn’t honestly say, but anywho.    This player would be sprinting and just suddenly turn in the opposite direction, start firing and was killing people they couldn’t even see. I watched them finish the match with a bunch of other spectators that all … Read More

Poker Club Review – Going by The Book

While I am not an avid gambler, I do enjoy the thrill of a good game of poker. Before the events of 2020, I was in Las Vegas for work and lost a good chunk of change at the tables. One of my colleagues (who won a lot of money) would always ask “What does the book say?” before he made a decision, referring of course to the proverbial manual on how to properly play poker. Poker Club on PS5 feels like it was made with this hypothetical “book” in mind. Advertising itself as an immersive poker simulation, the promise rings true from a developer like Ripstone that has made the most faithful chess games I’ve ever played. The game isn’t afraid to throw its own book at you, but does the experience come together to truly capture the spirit of the game? Let’s find out. A Cut Above Other Poker Titles, But Not Quite a Winning Hand Considering Ripstone’s other work on chess titles, I think what worked really well there was a combination of excellent presentation, detail, and customization. It also did a superb job of teaching how to play the game, which really helped the experience feel complete. The first thing I noticed in Poker Club was how it kind of throws you into it without much care for those who may not know the rules or strategies. There is a spot on the main menu to learn more about these things, but the delivery is simply walls of text instead of interactive training sessions or something more engaging. It also doesn’t help that the text is incredibly small on a 4K display. Not even squinting could save me here, I had to get up and approach the screen just to read what it was saying. In terms of onboarding or welcoming beginners, it feels very much lacking compared to what it could have been. Moving past this, exploring the menu reveals options for single and multiplayer modes, along with variations like single or multi-table tournaments, and a number of other variations. In all, you’ll have 10 variants to choose from, but thankfully it’s quite easy to just get into a game quickly. While the loading times are incredibly fast on PS5, the pace of the matches may be slower than some expect. People will take their time online in some cases, which is unavoidable, but the animations, the dealer themselves, and the other aspects of the game all flow in a relatively calm manner. The way the cards are dealt, the slow slide of someone placing chips onto the table, it all feels authentic but can be a little slower than other poker simulators. One thing I found particularly satisfying was how you could hold the right trigger to flip your cards up and check what you’re working with. The close-up of the hands and cards here really added to the immersion for me, making me feel like I was truly at a table, stealing a … Read More

Demon’s Souls Remake Review – PS5

Demon’s Souls… Before the Dark Souls series grew the popularity it has today, there was Demon’s Souls on the PS3. I didn’t personally know a single person that enjoyed Demon’s Souls, but for me, it was a perfect fit. I didn’t mind dying repeatedly to learn my lessons and figure out how the game works. I sunk many hours into the original and the remake had managed to suck me back in.    Demon’s Souls is just as it sounds. You are the slayer of Demons and other unruly creatures that need to be eradicated in order to bring peace and safety to the land of Boletaria once again. This is no simple task and this is no simple game. It is riddled with challenges and secrets that will call for a second, third or fourth playthrough, but this game is not for the faint of heart.    Developer Bluepoint, has recreated the cult classic and they did do an excellent job keeping it true to its roots, but I am going to get this out of the way now. My personal opinion in regards to it being a PS5 exclusive, is that it really doesn’t live up to what I would expect from a next gen release. It is definitely a step up in regards to playability and graphically when compared to it’s PS3 predecessor, but feels like it would have been a better fit for the PS4 system and played with backward compatibility on the PS5.    The game features a choice between fidelity and performance mode. I didn’t honestly see any difference in the graphics when playing on fidelity mode, but I did see a difference in gameplay when using performance mode. I highly recommend performance mode when playing. If there is any value to fidelity mode, it doesn’t compare to perks of performance when it comes to faster/consistent frame rates.    The cinematics are excellent and very polished in detail. Watching a cutscene is generally short and is really where the next gen feeling comes in. When playing the game, it is nice to look at, but at the same time, it does again, look like a game that was released a few years ago. I know, I know, graphics don’t make up an entire game, but we can’t mention a PS5 exclusive without mentioning the graphics and being a PS5 exclusive makes the graphics a tad bit more important than usual this time.     In regards to audio, I have to say that not all of the sound effects lineup in the game. Audio is a huge part of immersion and I really expected to hear something special from this game. I felt like some of the sound effects had a delay. The sound of my footsteps would continue for a second after I stopped walking. The sound of an enemy groaning or breathing heavily would make it appear as if they were right beside you, when in fact they were quite a ways away. … Read More

Black Ops Cold War Reveal – How Cool Was That?!

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War got its first official reveal (August 26th) and it was definitely a different kind of experience. At least it was for me anyway.    For the first time in CoD history, a game was revealed from within a game. I’m talking about Black Ops Cold War being revealed within the Warzone. If you haven’t heard about the initial reveal, I’m going to fill you in a little and explain. Unfortunately, if you did miss the reveal, you won’t be able to  try again at this point. Sorry if that’s disappointing. I wish I could tell you otherwise.    Playing through the Know your history game mode, you’re chasing clues and figuring out where to go next. You’ll be on a timer, so if you don’t get it right the first time, you’ll have to do it again. The game mode is active for 1 hour at a time, but it’s not a difficult puzzle to work through, so you should have no problems.    Once you have completed all the clues/missions during the play through, you will be treated with the reveal trailer. Of course, the trailer was all over the web almost immediately after the mode first dropped, so you might have watched it already, but don’t let it discourage you from playing it anyway. You’ll be treated to several drops along the way and a couple more once it’s been completed.  Not only will get a few cool drops in-game, but it’s also a lot of fun to play. I played with two of my friends and we had a blast. We were laughing as we would get into gun fights along the way and figuring out exactly what to do next. We actually completed it on our first run with 1 second to spare on the clock. Phew! That was a close one!    The Know your history mode was a huge success for the Call of Duty franchise and it has people itching for more. Not only do we expect to see more announcements like this in-game down the road, but there is also speculation that this could have very well be the start of some new game modes within Warzone.    As it is, Warzone gets different style game modes dropped in and out, but it mostly caters to BR and Plunder. While we have seen some large scale TDM modes so far, a lot of us are touting the idea of a National Treasure (The movie. Sorry if you don’t know it) type game mode. Where a clue leads to another clue and so on and so forth.    I personally think it would be cool if we did have a National Treasure mode where all the squads had to track down different clues and not all the same ones like with Know your history. As players collect their intel, they have to survive until they have found the last clues before the timer runs out. If … Read More

Warzone – Season 5 thoughts

There is no doubt in my mind that you have heard about the Battle Royale phenomenon that is Warzone. Hugely popular and in my opinion, extremely fun when you allow yourself to enjoy the game.    I know that some of you are thinking “What?! Enjoy a Call of Duty?” Yes, I said I have extreme when I allow myself to enjoy it. Much like other gamers, I get frustrated with the cheaters and issues with the game itself at times, but for the most part, I thoroughly enjoy Warzone.    That being said, I have reached somewhat of a standstill feeling with season 5. The battle pass is a lackluster this time around, although one could technically argue that every pass has had its faults thus far. Regardless of that, I’m not here to nitpick season 5 or discuss the past seasons that are behind us. Sure, the stadium has finally opened up and wouldn’t you know it? Choo-Choo! A train has been added to the map as well. A new operator has been released and there’s a couple new weapons. Aside from these additions that we have come to expect with each season, there hasn’t been a whole lot added. Most of the gamers I have spoke with seem to be dissatisfied with season 5 and I have to say that I don’t feel that this is a typical case of being entitled as much as it is a literal lack of content. Cue the “How are you going to complain about a free game, you entitled twirps!” chimers.    Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s move on, shall we? Excellent!  Check out this solid win in Warzone trios! https://youtu.be/m2KBAmVqXus So anyway, I think a lot of players were hoping the damn would have broken open op by now or that nukes were going to be set off and destroy the map and offer us a new playing field to battle on. While that all would have been cool to see happen, we can’t really be upset over something that hasn’t actually been confirmed is going to happen. I know many of us would like to see some significant changes by now, but it is August, so my guess would be we are going to see some major changes in October. Possibly sooner, but I think the CoD universe is going to make us wait just a little longer before seeing any meaningful additions or changes.    If you’re a big Call of Duty fan, you probably know that I’m getting at the next Black Ops games. Black Ops has been getting teasers in the Warzone. While we haven’t had an official reveal yet, publisher Activision says Warzone has made the company rethink the way it reveals games and it seems as though Black Ops will get a reveal in Warzone. Are they taking a few pages from the devs at Epic? Will we see an actual video reveal during a movie night in … Read More

Warzone – Tips for a BR win

So, Warzone has been out for a month today and it should come as no surprise that the free to play title has reached over 50 million unique players thus far. With more Gamers downloading the game everyday, not everyone is prepared for the Warzone. I have put together some of my best tips to try and help out new and not so new players to help give you a little extra edge.  Where to drop…  This is an interesting topic as some players just want to drop into chaos and start a gun fight as quickly as possible and others like to drop somewhere unpopulated, so they can start looting and try to get a headstart for better weapons and equipment. Idf you’re new to the game, I would suggest taking a look at the map to see where the circle is located. Try dropping just outside of the circle and watch for enemy players to see where they go. This gives you a moment to breathe and pick up items as you decide on your game plan.    Once you land…  You’ve made it to the ground and it’s time to prepare for battle. Even if you didn’t see enemies dropping into the same site, stay vigilant. You never know when a squad or a solo commando will try and take you out quickly. You’ll want to ransack houses, buildings, whatever you see. As soon as you get your first armor plate, put it on for maximum health. Pick up whatever weapons you think you’ll do best with, but I highly recommend grabbing silenced weapons when possible. This will keep you off the radar and give a good opportunity for a surprise attack.  https://youtu.be/39HPo4-MtfU Loudout Drops…  perhaps one of the most important tips I can offer in Warzones Battle Royale mode, is grabbing a loadout drop. Loadout drops do come into the game on their own, but I like to buy one in the beginning of the match. A team that works together can easily pool the money together to buy a loadout drop early on. While I personally think loadout drops shouldn’t be a part of the game, they are and if you don’t utilize them, you are at a disadvantage.    What should be in your loadout?  Well, this is definitely up for debate, but I have a few suggestions that I think work well in the field. As far as weapons go, you should really go with what you are most accurate with. I use the M13 in both BR and Plunder for its incredibly low recoil. Using the perks Cold-Blooded, Ghost and Tracker are a great combo to stay off the radar and move comfortably through the map. Using Tracker can help a lot when trying to pinpoint a diligent enemy, but I also like to switch that out with Tune Up to reduce the revive time by 25%. It really depends on the players I’m partied up with. Slap a Heartbeat Sensor on … Read More

DOOM Eternal Review

DOOM Eternal (and DOOM 64) has been out for a few days and I have to say, what a crazy few days it’s been. Crazy as in, the game is crazy fun. I take a lot of games fairly seriously, but with DOOM Eternal, it’s just serious fun and that’s all anyone really wants from a video game at the end of the day.    So, before we get into it, it is important to know that this is a direct sequel to DOOM 2016. If you’re interested in learning about what brought events to unfold, you will want to venture back to DOOM (2016) and play through it. Other than that, let’s get into the nitty gritty of things.  DOOM Eternal takes place 2 years after DOOM (2016) and things have gotten a little grim. 60% of the earth’s population has been wiped out and the planet is overrun with demons and the like. The only hope is you, The DOOM Slayer! Back with a slew of new weapons, it’s time to fight for the Earth’s salvation and send these demons back to hell!   Graphically, DOOM Eternal delivers the goods. There is a lot of detail in the environment, but even more so in the characters you come across. Fighting off hordes of demons is rewarding in many ways, but taking a moment to actually look at the fine art of these grotesque creatures is pretty amazing. As I played through, I just couldn’t help but look in awe at what I was about to cut in half with a chainsaw. Definitely one of those “take the time to smell the roses” scenarios, but don’t gock for too long. They do want you dead after all.    The gameplay is smooth and the controls setup well. It is easy to navigate through your arsenal of weapons and move your Slayer around the map. Add some maze like puzzles to the mix and a badass storyline and you have DOOM Eternal.  Your weapons available are much more than meets the eye here. You can add two modifications to each gun you carry and have one active. If you don’t care much for the active mod you have on, you can switch it to the other (so long as you have unlocked both mods) and see what works best for you. While you can always run out of ammo, you have a trusty chainsaw at your side. Just slice one of those demons in half and they’ll drop ammo for you. The same goes for health and armor. You can perform a glory kill to gain extra health drops and use flame belch to gain extra armor.    Along the way, you will be able to upgrade more than just weapons. You will be able to upgrade your Slayer’s suit and other abilities such as your dash recharge rate.But there is actually a little more this title has to offer you. Grab a copy of DOOM Eternal and you’ll receive … Read More