Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus First Impressions

Months ago, I imported Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus from Japan. I liked Senran Kagura Burst, so I thought I would give the Vita version a go. A part of me didn't think that Shinovi Versus would make it to the West so soon, but that part of me was obviously wrong. But, I digress.

I really like Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus. I am not sure why I had waited so long to try it out. I don't understand any Japanese (which may be part of the reason why I found it difficult to start playing), but I have managed to figure out combat since it seems to be similar to Burst on the 3DS. I guess I will find out if I am right about that once it is released in the US.

I have played about an hour and a half of the game so far. There are three schools to choose from. I don't know the other two schools, but I believe the one I chose was Hanzo Academy. The game is a lot of fun. I like that it isn't a side-scroller beat-em-up like Burst. The camera is a little out of control sometimes, but you kind of get used to it after a while. I will continue to share my impressions of the game until the full Western release. At that point, I will write a review for the Western release of the game. I'm looking forward to that.

REVIEW: WD My Passport for Mac

I have been wanting an actual external hard drive for some time. I knew that I wanted a portable external hard drive, but it had to be USB 3.0. I had it narrowed down between a Seagate external hard drive and the WD My Passport for Mac external hard drive. I ended up going with the Western Digital external hard drive since Fry's didn't have the other hard drive. I will admit that I am not disappointed with my purchase.

The external hard drive is a lot smaller than I thought it would be.  While laying horizontally, the external hard drive stands 0.60 inches tall. It is 3.23 inches in depth and 4.35 inches in width. Not only is it quite small, it is pretty light, weighing 0.30 pounds. The WD My Passport for Mac definitely met the criteria for the portable hard drive I was looking for.

I thought the read/write speeds were relatively good. I generally get between 60 to 75 mb/s write and 80 to 95 mb/s read speeds. I have transferred a lot of videos and I really like how quick the transfers are. I transferred a 16.73 GB video in about 4 minutes. I eventually want to get a Thunderbolt external hard drive, but USB 3.0 is definitely meeting the needs I have at the moment. As you know, I have been using an enclosed hard drive to get most of my data transfers done. It is USB 2.0, so videos of that size would take what felt like forever to transfer.

As far as complaints are concerned, it would have to be the cable. I wish the cable were a little longer. It isn't a big deal, but when you're wanting other things within your reach instead of the external hard drive, it becomes somewhat of a hassle. I still manage though.

I managed to acquire the external hard drive that looks much like a MacBook Pro. I really like the design of the external hard drive. I ended up going with 1 TB for now. I felt that that would be enough for me as of right now and that has proven to be the case.

OVERALL SCORE:
8/10

Gaming Slump

Friends, I'm in a slump—more specifically, a gaming slump. Pretty sure that the title gave it away.

The number of games I have in my collection is sometimes overwhelming. Sadly, that doesn't stop me from buying a game I want even though there's a good chance I won't play it right away. When I turn on any of my consoles or handhelds, I sit looking at the UI while I contemplate which game I should play.

About an hour ago, I turned on my PS3 to play The Last of Us. I managed to play two multiplayer matches and then I chose to quit playing. Is it because I am getting older? Is it because I am losing interest in video games? Is there not enough time in my life for video games?

Here are my answers to those questions: Yes, I am getting older. No, I am not losing interest in video games. In fact, I am discovering new interests with video games. There is enough time to play games. I may not play them nearly as much as I used to as a teenager, but there is time.

As I write, I think I am beginning to understand why this gaming slump is happening. The overall reason is this: I am not playing video games the way I used to as a teenager. During my pre-teen and teenage years, I shifted over to the PlayStation brand. Games like the Final Fantasy series and Metal Gear series really caught my attention, and I first experienced them on a PlayStation. When we got a PlayStation 2, I played Gran Turismo for the first time and owned my first Naughty Dog game (Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy). I began having new experiences on the PS2 that I didn't think were possible while playing on the original PlayStation.

To get to my point, I was playing games to play games. Things really changed a little after my family got a PS3. We got our PS3 a year after it was released. At the time, there weren't Trophies. I didn't even know what Trophies were until I got Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. I managed to get Platinum Trophies on Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and LittleBigPlanet. I've actually gotten the Platinum Trophy twice on Uncharted: Drake's Fortune because I began using a new PSN name.

Trophies, to a certain degree, began to be an obsession for me. My focus shifted from playing games to obtaining Trophies. I have mentioned through various posts of the small competition a friend and I have about Platinum Trophies. That hasn't help with the obsession I found myself trapped in.

More often than not, I encounter a situation in which I look at how long it would take to Platinum a game prior to buying the game. Not only that, but I can't justify myself playing a game from yesteryear because they don't have Trophies. That makes writing reviews hard when I don't make an effort to play a game from the past. In fact, even wanting to write reviews for the games I have has been contributing to my gaming slump.

In reality, Trophies don't really matter. I made the unfortunate conclusion that they did, but they really don't. I will still want to increase the number of Platinums I have in my Trophy list, but I will do a better job of not making it a priority. After all, I am a gamer. I play games to play games. Trophies (or Achievements for that matter) are just a nice appendage to the world of gaming. I'm glad I took the time to write this.

I don't expect my focus to instantaneously shift back to the way it originally was when I first started gaming, but I will make it a goal. I will continue to obtain Trophies and I will continue to write about games, but I will remember what my focus: playing games to play games. "Let's play a game."

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

inFAMOUS Second Son

When Sony showed off a new inFAMOUS game during their unveiling of the PlayStation 4, I nearly exploded with excitement. It wasn’t enough that they announced the PS4 to the world—another inFAMOUS game was the icing on the cake—a delicious PS4 cake. Now I want cake…

One year later, inFAMOUS Second Son is finally released for the PlayStation 4. I managed to get my copy the day it came out. With great anticipation, I loaded the game into my PS4 and waited as the game started. Being familiar with Sucker Punch games, I knew that as soon as I hit the Start button (well, in this case the Options button), something grandiose was going to happen. Much to my surprise, it wasn’t nearly as explosive as when you start the original inFAMOUS.

Needless to say, I didn’t mind the quiet beginning. I was interested to see how Delsin Rowe would fit into the picture. Delsin is very different from Cole. Before the game’s release, we were safe in assuming that Delsin loves his powers. Cole, on the other hand, was troubled with his power. I like the direction that Sucker Punch took with Delsin. If we had another Cole, then there wouldn’t have been a need for a new character period. I would have wanted to see Cole instead of someone who acts and plays like Cole, but isn’t Cole.

For the first time in an inFAMOUS game, Second Son takes place on the west coast—Seattle, Washington to be precise. The previous two games took place in Empire City and New Marais. Despite being models of real cities (Empire City being New York City and New Marais being New Orleans), Second Son is also the first to use the actual name of the city it represents. Living on the west coast myself, I will admit that I have never explored Seattle. I have driven through it, but I am not familiar with the city.

I didn’t expect inFAMOUS’ Seattle to be an exact replica of the actual city, but that didn’t stop me from being impressed. It was really cool seeing where their inspiration came from. inFAMOUS’ Seattle is beautiful. Even when there aren’t any enemies to fight, it is just nice to be able to venture around the city and be mesmerized by how detailed everything is. From Delsin’s character model to the trees and the NPCs and the buildings, everything is stunning. inFAMOUS Second Son is definitely the best looking game I have seen on the PlayStation 4.

inFAMOUS Second Son takes place seven years after the events of inFAMOUS 2. Delsin, the main character of the game, is of Native American descent and lives in the Akomish reservation. We are quickly introduced to Delsin as he is vandalizing a billboard. Delsin and his brother, Reggie, are complete opposites. Reggie, the local sheriff, arrests his brother on a regular basis because of his acts of vandalism. The beginning of inFAMOUS Second Son is no different. As Delsin attempts to evade his brother, a unbeknownst power awakens within Delsin. It is then that Delsin begins to have the time of his life. To make Delsin even more enjoyable, Troy Baker was the man chosen to bring Delsin’s character to life. Baker does a fantastic job as Delsin. He makes the character very likeable, despite the fact that Delsin can be a jerk and a punk sometimes. Travis Willingham portrays Delsin’s brother, and the two do a great job as acting as one another’s brother.

Even though I was pretty fond of Delsin and Reggie, I had a hard time with the story. inFAMOUS Second Son isn’t quite as good as inFAMOUS 2. You had a sense of urgency and despair in inFAMOUS 2. The supporting cast can also be a little forgettable. I often found myself trying to remember what Delsin’s purpose was in the game. Second Son’s shining moments are most certainly in the gameplay department. I enjoyed the story, but it falls short of the great story that was told in inFAMOUS 2. In spite of my problems with the story, inFAMOUS Second Son is a great game and I never once regretted my purchase.

As I have stated countless times, gameplay is where Second Son shines the most. And I’m not just talking about the flashy powers that Delsin gets. Second Son is a lot of fun. Some of the missions get a little repetitive (there is only so many times I want to use my DualShock 4 as a spray can), but more often than not I found myself loving Delsin’s powers. I felt that Second Son truly allows you to “enjoy your power.” From being able to shift Delsin into smoke to the agile abilities gained through neon powers, Second Son does a profound job of demonstrating how awesome each power is.

inFAMOUS Second Son also uses the DualShock 4 in a way that isn’t annoying. I never felt forced to use the touchpad and most of the controls made sense. I’m just glad that I never had to use the DualShock 4 to guide a projectile.

Being an open world game and much like its predecessors, Second Son features a karma level. You can choose to play the game as the hero or as the villain. Whenever I am given the opportunity to make choices in a game, I tend to play as the hero first. It is interesting to see how Delsin’s persona differs in the choices he makes. He may be a jerk, but I never thought he would do half of the things he would do choosing the evil karma.

I may have had some issues with the story and its characters, but inFAMOUS Second Son really is a great game. As far as gameplay is concerned, it is the best in the series. The use of multiple powers is pretty awesome and quite beautiful to behold. Second Son’s Seattle is a sight one has to see in order to believe. This game does a great job of utilizing the power of the PS4. From fluid gameplay to amazing lightning, inFAMOUS Second Son is a worthy successor to Cole’s legacy.

OVERALL SCORE:

8.8/10

REVIEW: Mophie Juice Pack Helium for iPhone 5/5S

Towards the end of November, I bought my fiancée and I each a Mophie juice pack helium case. I liked the idea of being able to charge my phone without having it connected to the wall for two to three hours. Another incentive was the fact that it was on sale. Usually priced at $79.95, I managed to acquire our cases for $55.95 each. Yet another reason to be thankful for Thanksgiving week.

My case is blue and her case is pink. I thought about getting the green case since I have this thing about getting green cases for my Apple products. In the end, I choose the blue one. Regardless of the color, the case does what is supposed to do: charge your phone.

The Juice Pack Helium comes in metallic black, metallic silver, purple, green, pink, red, or blue. It is the thinnest of the Juice Pack cases and comes packed with a 1500mAh battery. I'm pretty impressed by how thin this case is considering that it comes with a battery inside of it. Not only is it thin, it is also pretty light. The case alone weighs 2.44 oz. The Juice Pack Helium will provide up to 80% more battery life. This case will work for both the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 5S. I have the iPhone 5.

Included with the Juice Pack Helium are a micro USB cord and a headphone adapter. Because the headphone jack is so far into the case, you will need the headphone adapter to plug your headphones in to listen to music or whatever you are watching. I am grateful they included it. It is possible to insert your headphones into the headphone jack, but there is always the possibility that you aren't completely plugging your headphones in.

Having 80% extra battery life has been great, but I wish I had gotten the Juice Pack Air or the Juice Pack Plus instead. They would have cost more money, but having to charge my iPhone around 20% is kind of a pain. I usually wait until I am at 5% to 10% battery life.

My experience with the Mophie Juice Pack Helium hasn't been great either. Lately, my phone has been dying around 15% to 25%. That makes absolutely no sense to me. I have also made sure that it wasn't my phone by charging it the old fashion way. Doing so has had my phone last down to the wire.

I can't say I recommend buying the Mophie Juice Pack Helium. As light and as thin as it is, 80% more battery life doesn't cut it. If you are wanting a case that can charge your iPhone 5 or iPhone 5S, then I recommend looking at the Juice Pack Air or the Juice Pack Plus. They are a bit more expensive and there aren't as many color options, but they both cover your phone completely. The Helium doesn't cover the part of the phone where the volume buttons are. It isn't that big of a dael, but why not have your case cover your entire phone? Also, the Air only weighs 2.68 oz, so it isn't like it will weigh much more than the Helium case.

OVERALL SCORE:

6.2/10

REVIEW: Tomb Raider Definitive Edition for PS4

Ever since I played Tomb Raider on the PlayStation 3 I have wanted to write a review for the reboot. It was the first Tomb Raider game I have ever finished. It wasn't my first Tomb Raider game, but the reboot of the franchise has made me a fan of the series and of Lara Croft. I have only really played Tomb Raider: Underworld and a demo of one of the PS1 Tomb Raider games, and this version of Tomb Raider is much more intense than either of those.

Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition is the re-release version of the Tomb Raider game we got last year on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. When I played Tomb Raider on the PS3, I thought the game looked fantastic. I immediately pre-ordered Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition for the PlayStation 4 the moment I found out about its imminent release. I loved playing the single player story and I had been itching to play it once more. I never expected to play it on PS4, though.

Developed originally by Crystal Dynamics, Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition was optimized for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One with some help from Nixxes Software and United Front Games. The PS4 version was done by Nixxes Software and the Xbox One version was done by United Front Games. I have only played the PS4 version of the game since I don't own an Xbox One.

If you played Tomb Raider last year, then you are already familiar with the story. Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition is Lara Croft's origin story. She is on her first expedition in a search for the lost kingdom of Yamatai. Following her gut, Lara suggests that the team head east of Japan and end up shipwrecked on an island. Separated from from her team, Lara must struggle to keep herself alive, as well as the others. This is when Lara's wits and skills are put to the test.

Much like last year's version of the game, I still enjoy the story that is being told in Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition. It hasn't changed, and I am okay with that. Camilla Luddington does an amazing job portraying Lara Croft. She is by far the best voice actress in the entire game. Although the supporting cast is still a letdown in the PS4 and Xbox One versions, Luddington is still able to hold the game's story together.

Where Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition shines are in the graphics and the enhanced controls. When I played Tomb Raider on the PlayStation 3, the graphics blew me away. I know that it looked better on PC, but I mostly game on a dedicated gaming console. That being said, I wasn't sure how impressed I would be. I once owned Madden NFL 25 and that game failed to impress me. It didn't look much better than the PS3 version of the game. Battlefield 4 and Lego Marvel Super Heroes do look amazing on the PS4, but I feel as though Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition does an even better job of taking advantage of the next-gen hardware. The game runs at 6o frames per second. Its natural resolution is 1080p. Everything about Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition is simply breathtaking. It has been several months since a game has made me want to stop playing and simply take in what I was looking at. The last game to do that for me was The Last of Us. The game runs silky smooth. The character models looks fantastic. It has taken me a while to get used to Lara's new face, but I like it now. She looks more realistic, and even looks more like her voice actress.

The controls feel tighter in the re-release as well. If there was one thing I didn't like about Tomb Raider last year, it was the controls. For some reason it felt somewhat difficult to maneuver Lara during certain points of the game. That hasn't been the case for me in the re-release. I haven't had any trouble playing the game as far as controls are concerned.

I also feel that the Quick Time Events aren't as difficult to perform in Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition as they were in last year's game. I often found myself dying because I kept screwing up on the QTE moments of the game. There is a learning curve, but I don't feel it is quite as steep as it was before.

Like other games, Lara acquires new weapons and equipment to further aide her as she searches for her team and a way to survive the island they're on. The equipment she acquires can be pretty awesome. I won't say too much about it. You will just have to find out for yourself.

I never really got to play any multiplayer when I bought Tomb Raider on the PS3. I hadn't heard too many great things about it. I have played online a couple of times, but the lobbies are pretty dead. There aren't many people playing online. I am hoping it is because they're busy playing the story mode. There isn't anything great about the multiplayer. Honestly, I am only attempting to play online for the trophies. Once I have all the online trophies, I probably won't play online. There aren't many modes to choose from. What makes it worse is that when you find a game to play, there aren't many people to compete with. I wasn't sure why they included multiplayer when Tomb Raider came out last year and I'm still unsure as to why it was ever thought of.

Aside from the weak multiplayer, everything else is great about the game. The visuals are definitely the best part of the game. Everything from Lara's hair to the plants blowing in the wind. It all just looks great. I definitely can't wait for more Tomb Raider. Until then, I will continue to play Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition on the PlayStation 4.

OVERALL:

8.5/10