REVIEW: Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes for PlayStation 4

Since E3, there have been quite a few game series I have been obsessed about. Metal Gear Solid is one of those series. I have been a huge fan since I played and beaten Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes on the Nintendo GameCube. (Fun fact: I haven't beaten the original Metal Gear Solid. I need to do that.) I can remember tricking my mom into buying me Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty for the PS2. I still feel bad about that, too. As you can see, I have a history with Metal Gear Solid. There is more, but I will stop for now.

Going into Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, I knew I wasn't going to experience a six to ten hour story. I also wasn't expecting to beat the game in an hour. Taking place a few months after the events of Peace Walker, Big Boss finds himself having to rescue both Chico and Paz from an American black site on Cuba. As with any Metal Gear game, Big Boss must infiltrate the base without getting caught. Unlike recent Metal Gear games, there aren't too many cutscenes in Ground Zeroes.

The thing that bothered me the most about Ground Zeroes was how abrupt the ending was. I was expecting more gameplay during the main mission, but it comes to a sudden halt. I also felt that a lot of what you see in the cutscenes were shown at E3 2013 and in subsequent videos prior to the release of Ground Zeroes. The small amount of gameplay really makes it hard to justify its current price point on any of the consoles.

Having played MGSV on PS4 and PS3, I am really impressed by how much better the game looks on PS4. I originally bought the PS4 version of the game, but I wanted to see how different it looked, as well as played, on the PS3. Both games felt the same despite having a couple actions mapped to different buttons. The biggest difference was in the quality of the game. Ground Zeroes looks good on PS3, but it looks great on PS4. I really can't wait to get my hands on The Phantom Pain.

If you are familiar with a Metal Gear game, then you will know that the objective of the game is to avoid any confrontation with the enemy. Ground Zeroes is much like Peace Walker, as you will receive a grade after you complete a mission. In Ground Zeroes, there is the main mission known as Ground Zeroes and then there are side-ops within the mission itself. The side-ops missions are pretty fun. They also add a little diversity to the main mission of the game. Sadly, all the missions take place on the same base. Enemies will appear in different locations and the weather may be different, but other than that nothing else changes.

There are some neat features in this game, such as a Reflex feature. If Big Boss is spotted by an enemy, the game will slowdown so you can take the enemy out by any means necessary to prevent him from notifying his comrades of your location. You can also pinpoint enemies by using your binoculars. It can be really helpful when you want to know where an enemy is when you're trying to sneak around them.

Ground Zeroes is a lot of fun, but it's downfall is the length. MGSV: Ground Zeroes will cost you $19.99 on PS3 and Xbox 360; on PS4 and Xbox One, you will have to pay $29.99 for the game. It definitely is the best looking Metal Gear Solid game and I really like the new stealth mechanics thrown into the mix. I just wish there was more to Ground Zeroes than what we ended up getting. We are being constantly told that The Phantom Pain is 200 times bigger than Ground Zeroes, but I don't know how impressed I am about that considering how small Ground Zeroes is. I liked it, but my only wish is that it were a longer game. Who doesn't want more Metal Gear?

OVERALL SCORE:

7.5/10

REVIEW: Batman: Arkham Origins for PS3

The first time I played Batman: Arkham Asylum was in 2011, just a couple of months prior to the release of Batman: Arkham City. Because of Arkham Asylum, I decided to buy Batman: Arkham City. I bought it the day that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was released. Rocksteady had created two fantastic Batman games, and I was really excited for another Batman game from them. Then there were reports that the next Batman game wouldn't be developed by Rocksteady. Instead of waiting for other people to review Batman: Arkham Origins, I decided to pre-order it from the PlayStation Store instead. It was a rushed decision, to be honest.

Batman: Arkham Origins was developed by Warner Bros. Games Montréal. They have had some experience with Batman, as they ported Batman: Arkham City to the Nintendo Wii U last year.

Arkham Origins takes place five years before the events of Arkham Asylum. Batman has two years of fighting crime under his belt, but he still is rather inexperienced. On Christmas Eve, crime lord Black Mask orders a bounty on Batman's head, catching the attention of eight assassins. As Batman, the player must defeat the eight assassins hired to kill him and bring down Black Mask while he's at it. The game takes place in both Old Gotham and New Gotham (aka Gotham City).

I found the story to be pretty good. It wasn't the best story out of the three, but it is still better than the stories told in other video games that are based on comic books. The thing I liked most about the story was the relationship that Bruce Wayne and Alfred are developing as Bruce begins to obsess with his alter ego, the Batman. I thought those pieces of the game were the best moments.

If you have played the other Arkham games or you're a fan of Batman, then you will be quite familiar with the villains that Batman faces in Arkham Origins. Even though we have seen these villains before, they are still fresh. What I like best about this game is the fact that some of the villains you encounter in Arkham Origins haven't been in either of the Arkham games previously. I won't name them off, but you will quickly find out which enemies Batman will have to face once you start playing the game.

Game play is very similar to the other Arkham games. Like Arkham City, Arkham Origins takes place in an open world environment. It still contains elements of stealth and action. Batman may not have super powers like Superman and Spider-Man, but he still holds his own against any enemy he faces. As in other Arkham games, Batman is fast and agile while in combat, using his hands and feet to knock out criminals. To further aid Batman in his vigilante duties, Batman acquires a lot of gadgets. These gadgets range from the Batarang to the Cryptographic Sequencer. A lot of these gadgets have been in the other games, but they're still a lot of fun to use.

I never found fighting petty criminals boring. As you progress in the game, enemies begin to be tougher. Some enemies wear body armor, making it difficult to take them down with just your fists. I really like how many ways there are to attack enemies. You can use the Batarangs, smoke pellets, Explosive Gel, and a bunch of other gadgets to knock out enemies or distract them.

The best fights take place against the assassins. I found them to be really unique. Best of all, they're very fast paced. Even though the fights with the assassins are fast, they aren't finished in a manner of seconds. Strategy is involved, but it is fun trying to figure out the best way to defeat them. Each boss fight is different from one another, and I really liked that. Some boss fights were better than others, but I won't share which ones were my favorite just yet.

There are a number of ways that Batman can traverse through Old Gotham and New Gotham. Like in Arkham City, Batman can use the Grapnel Accelerator to increase the speed in which he propels himself to buildings. You can also visit the Bat Cave on occasion to talk with Alfred, as well as acquire new equipment. To do so, you will need to go to areas that allow you to remotely call the Batwing. I was kind of hoping that you would be able to control the Batwing, but travel is all done through cinematic cutscenes. If that wasn't enough for you, Batman is also capable of gliding. To glide longer distances, Batman can free-fall and then spread his cape to continue gliding.

I like Batman: Arkham Origins. There's a lot to like about it. It is very similar to Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City. And that is where issues begin to ensue. Because it is similar, I began to feel that it didn't add much to the Arkham world. It is important to remember that Batman: Arkham Origins is a prequel, but it makes me wonder what more the developer could have done had it been a sequel to Batman: Arkham City instead.

For the most part, the gadgets are the same. I love the gadgets that Batman uses, but it would have been cool to have seen some new ones as well. Lastly, the city is very dead. Arkham City hasn't even been constructed, but Old Gotham already is starting to look like it. Even Gotham City is dead. Everyone is mandated to stay indoors. It is hard to argue with that when the city is practically ran by criminals, though.

Overall, Batman: Arkham Origins is still a well made game. I have encountered a few glitches here and there, but they never broke the game for me. Even though Batman: Arkham Origins doesn't go far from the other two games in the series, it does a good job of maintaining what was already there. If you're wanting another Batman game to play on PC, PS3, Wii U, or Xbox 360, Arkham Origins will hold you off until another Batman game is made.

OVERALL SCORE:

7.9/10

REVIEW: Elgato Game Capture HD

I have wanted to be able to record the video games I play onto my computer for the longest time. I love playing video games, and I enjoy writing about the games I have played. I was always under the impression that you needed a certain video capture card placed inside your computer, but since I currently have a laptop, there was only so much modifications I could do to it.

After coming to the conclusion that I wouldn't be able to fulfill that desire, I gave up looking for alternatives, assuming that the video capture card was the only method. When The Last of Us arrived on PlayStation 3, I encountered a tweet with a picture attached to the tweet of a person getting ready to record gameplay on their MacBook Pro. I was vastly confused, considering how little customization one has after purchasing a MacBook Pro. I then noticed the hashtag "#Elgato."

I began searching for what an Elgato was. To my amazement/excitement, I finally found what I had been looking for all this time. It was pure coincidence that I even found out about this device.

I ordered my Elgato device on Amazon. It was only $159.95 ($20 less than its original price), and goes by the name "Elgato Game Capture HD PlayStation 3/Xbox 360 360 Recorder for Mac and PC up to 1080P (10025010)" in case you want to search for it on Amazon.

Although the name of the device states "PlayStation 3/Xbox 360," you aren't limited to just recording from a PS3 or an Xbox 360. The Elgato Game Capture HD is also capable of recording from an Apple TV, iPhone, and iPad. These are the devices I have, but here's a list of what the Elgato Game Capture HD can record:

• Atari Jaguar,
• Microsoft Xbox
• Nintendo Wii U
• Nintendo Wii
• Nintendo GameCube
• Nintendo 64
• Super Nintendo
• Nintendo Entertainment System
• >Sega Dreamcast
• Sega Saturn
• Sega Genesis
• Sega Master System
• Sony PlayStation 2
• Sony PlayStation 1

(I got the list from Elgato Systems Technical Support forum.)

I mostly use my Elgato Game Capture HD for capturing gameplay from the games I play on my PlayStation 3. I plan to do more with it (such as record gameplay from the Xbox 360 we have back home in Oregon), but I really like what I am able to do with my PS3.

The PS3 does present a bit of a problem as far as recording is concerned. The Xbox 360 presents no problems at all, as all you need to do is connect an HDMI cable from the television to the Elgato device and then another HDMI cable from the Elgato device to the Xbox 360. Using the HDMI port on the PlayStation 3 is impossible due to HDCP (high definition copy protocol), so using an HDMI cable is out of the question. If you want to connect your PS3 to the Elgato Game Capture HD, you will need the PS3 cable that comes included with the PS3. I left mine back home since I never thought I would be in need of it. Fortunately, included in the box was a PlayStation 3 cable, so I was able to connect my PS3 to the Elgato Game Capture HD box without any issues. You can still use an HDMI cable for the television.

Since I've already mentioned what also came in the box, I will go onto mention what else is included. The other items included with the Elgato Game Capture HD and PS3 cable are: Quick Start Guide, USB cable, HDMI cable, and Component adapter. Elgato has you covered in case you're missing any of these cables, which is a huge plus to me.

The USB cable is very important, as you need it to hook up your computer of choice with the Elgato Game Capture HD in order to record video. The videos are then stored onto your computer to do as you please. You can record your voice while you record or you can do so afterwards when you've edited your video. Videos can be edited from the Elgato software or you can use your own video editor of choice to make any changes you deem necessary. The software is free to download from www.elgato.com.

One of the best things about the Elgato Game Capture HD is how simple it is to use it. There really is no learning curve at all. Just connect the device to your computer, television, and the console (or other electronic device) you wish to record from and press the big red circle to begin capturing what is on the screen. Once you're done, you have a couple of choices. You can upload the video onto YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter. You can even send the video via email to someone.

Other features include changing the video format to be able to play it on an iPhone or iPad. There's even a feature to be able to play it on an Apple TV. There's a lot you can do with this device, and I love it.

Not only can you upload videos onto YouTube, you can also stream videos live on YouTube or Twitch. If you have a fanbase, you can have them follow you playing a game live, which I think is really cool. When I bought the Elgato Game Capture HD, I couldn't stream videos live on YouTube. A recent update allows you to do so. This goes to show just how supportive Elgato is of their game capture machine, and I am super grateful for that. With PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, videos can be recorded in 1080p as well, which is awesome. Other devices may not record in 1080p depending on how old they are (such as the PS2).

Be aware, though, that you need to know how much storage you have left on your hard drive. Videos can take a lot of room on your computer if you're recording in 1080p, so it is always good to know how many GB is left on the hard drive.

I love how many things you can record using the Elgato Game Capture HD. I was only intending to use it for my PS3, but since I can use it to record on other consoles and machines I plan to do so. This device is so simple to use and everything you need to record comes in the box. This is what I was looking for, and I hope it is of great service to you as well if you're in need of something like the Elgato Game Capture HD.

OVERALL SCORE:

9/10