couplesgaming

[couplesgaming]

Assassins Creed Syndicate

It’s been a while. Mainly because i haven’t played many games due to the fact not many games i’m interested in have been released! However, i recieved my shiny 48th Platinum over the weekend on Syndicate and am now ready to tell my thoughts on it.

Straight away you can tell the game is a vast improvement from last years diabolical Unity. The climbing has improved loads, the story is far better, the characters are much more likeable and there are no game breaking bugs! (That i came across anyway).

Since the very first AC i have hated the climbing, you would think a game in which there is a lot of free running/parkour etc they would have focused on that and made it pretty much perfect but year after year i was disappointed. It was really frustrating trying to get away from baddies and the character (looking at you Ezio) refuses to climb even though he has done it just 2 minutes before! So you can imagine my joy when i was climbing buldings without a problem! So smooth and a great improvement. One let down though was the fact the poor climbing has been replaced with poor descent! I could not get off building easily and you can’t just jump off like previous AC games so i hope they deal with that for the next insallment.

Saying that, everything was greatly approved with the addition of the grappling hook! The way it made me glide up those buildings was magnificent! Thank you for including that devs!

Another improvement? Graphics, although Unity was great in the graphics department i feel that they put more time into making this game look great. It really shows, it’s almost like watching a tv show about London!

Now the characters - The Frye twins - Jacob & Evie. When i found out there was going to be a female character as an assassin in the main release i was angry. I am a female but somehow i just couldn’t see it working. I was wrong. I mostly played as Evie and the robe you get for collecting the Secrets of London made it much more easy to play as her. I liked Jacobs charm but i enjoyed the change from male to female. The story was great too, witty dialogue and it made sense. I loved visiting London in WW1 and seeing the differences in building etc.

I done EVERYTHING in the game, things that i didn’t have to do for trophies but wanted to do as it makes me feel as though i have truely completed the game and everything it has to offer. The London Stories were good and it was great to meet so many people we have heard about (Darwin, Dickens etc) You could tell there was thought put into them and not just sidelined but the gold star from me has to go to the PS4 exclusive Dreadful Crimes. Much like the murder mysteries in Unity but with a much longer story and many more details. I only wish they had included these in the game for everyone because we truley enjoyed playing them and trying to work out who the murderer was, unlike Unity where we kinda just guessed, we WANTED to find the killer. There was so much detail and the extra gameplay was worth it! Bravo Ubisoft! (We also liked meeting Feeny Sodd ;)...)

I have a theory that they made that game last year with the intention of it being as bad as it was so the next installment was much more appreaciated and loved than it would have been. Maybe not but it’s a possibility!

All in all the game wasn’t perfect, there was the odd bug here and there like not being able to use eagle vision or throwing knives resulting in me having to restart the game but nothing too major. A vast improvement in last years monstrosity and i hope they continue along this road and make more great AC games like this, the Ezio years and AC3 as those were my favourites. I am looking forward to the next one, please don’t let us down.

8.5/10 - Improvement! Better climbing! Great Story! Grappling hook! Dreadful Crimes! Worth every penny.

[couplesgaming]

MAFIA 3

Yes! Mafia 3 was announced a couple of weeks ago and i can’t wait!

While the trailer didn’t do much for me, the gameplay certainly did! I thought the trailer was a little boring and didn’t really do much to draw the gamer in. If i didn’t love Mafia and i saw that trailer i honestly wouldn’t buy it.

After some searching on Youtube i found gameplay videos! And i.can’t.wait! It looks amazing, graphics look good, cars look good, everything looks good.

I loved Mafia 2, the songs, the cars, the police! Everything was amazing, i loved the fact your car ran out of fuel and you could refill it, i loved being able to buy nice clothes, i love that the police stopped you for speeding. It was an amazing game. Graphics were brilliant, gameplay was fantastic, story didn’t get repetitive and I LOVE FILLING MY CAR!

I know, i know, i already said that. It was the thing i loved most about Mafia 2 and that may seem sad but for as long as i’ve been playing games i’ve wanted more realism and Mafia 2 brought just that. I really hope the keep all that in Mafia 3 or i will be heartbroken. Also, if they throw in the ability to use your indicaters i may just burst!

Another thing i loved about Mafia 2 was the soundtrack. I love music from that era so i was in heaven. Mafia 2 is the only game where i have not wanted to turn the music off/down after 1 hour of playing. I loved it and that is where we first heard the song “Oh Donna��� which was awesome!

Even the collectibles in Mafia 2 didn’t feel like a filler! I enjoyed collecting them and got frustrated at certain difficult ones but it was fun.

I will be playing Mafia 2 again before the released of Mafia 3 and i can’t wait.

[couplesgaming]

Splinter Cell: Blacklist

First off i want to explain the lack of posts lately. Well, there hasn’t been many games that i have wanted to play recently. That’s about it. I have, however, returned to playing this... game to try get my precious Platinum.

I LOVE Splinter Cell. Growing up with my PS2 i used to play all the games and then restart them all again straight away and i never got bored of them. It got to the point where i WAS Sam Fisher. I was heartbroken when i found out Conviction would be XBOX only and overjoyed when Blacklist was released on the PS3 (Even though i have missed huge story plots due to missing a game)...

That changed though. When i read that Michael Ironside would not return as Sam Fisher i told myself they shouldn’t bother making the game. Michael Ironside makes Sam Fisher. I was right. This new guy is pathetic, his voice is not gruff and commanding like Mr Ironside and i just don’t buy it.

THIS IS NOT A SPLINTER CELL GAME. If Conviction is anything like this i am so glad i never got a chance to play it! Where are the days of hiding in the shadows? Becoming the shadows? The witty, hilarious dialogue? Where is the SC we all know and love? WHY DID THEY MAKE THIS?! I am not a fan incase you couldn’t tell.

The story bores me, the gameplay is not up to the standards of the previous games, the graphics are not the best and the SF voice actor needs to take tips from Michael Ironside... Even then he wouldn’t live up to him.

As someone that is a huge Splinter Cell fan i am so disappointed by this game that it brings tears to my eyes! It could have been great but when Michael Ironside wasn’t going to voice Sam they should have cancelled it. I hate this game and will gladly choose the other over this anyday.

I have the Splinter Cell Trilogy and Double Agent which i will continue to play and love. However, not as much as i used to as i’m adultt now! And if anyone asks if Blacklist is a good game and if they ask if they should play it or not i will tell them no and steer them in the direction of the originals.

All i ask now is that they never ever make another Splinter Cell game again, Even if Ironside did return i just don’t think they can make games as good as the previous.

1/10 - DO NOT BUY.

[couplesgaming]

Grand Theft Auto V

So, as i mentioned in a previous post we have been replaying this game on PS3. Mainly because i deleted my save data thinking i had gotten my Platinum but realised straight away i had one more trophy to get - Solid Gold Baby! We did actually miss playing it and enjoyed playing the story again.

One thing with replaying games again is you realise everything wrong with it. While we enjoyed the story and gameplay we thought there was something missing, Rockstar could have done so much more with this game. I enjoyed being able to swith characters but thought it could have been a smoother transition.

One thing we’ve always despised in GTA is the fact that policespawn in front of you making it difficult to lose them and if they crash into you then they’re on yo’ ass as quick as anything. It’s not very realistic in the terms of response times etc.

Other things that i would have liked in the game to be more realistic is being able to eat, i have no idea why they removed that. I would have liked to have been able to fill my car up with fuel and it running out, like Mafia 2, i really enjoyed that aspect of the game. More clothes and open shops would have been nice. I also miss being able to get fat or muscly in game.

I know that people don’t play games for realism but for me it would have made it much better and enjoyable.

I also hate that fact that around 60 - 80% of the game is driving, i would have much preferred more story and missions than filling the space with driving. A lot of the dialogue seemed predictable too and that’s not just because we played it before. Don’t get me wrong alot of the dialogue between the characters and in particular Trevor had us in stitches but it just felt like they were lacking chemistry perhaps?

I would have liked to have been able to interact with Michael’s family post game and maybe have mini games after completing them main story. I am aware there’s lots to do online but i would have liked that little bit more in the main game.

Online is fun - Despite the hours spent grinding to get to the level needed for the trophy. I haven’t played it since the heists were introduced but we are hoping to get GTAV on PS4 when it comes down in price as we refuse to pay so much for something we’ve already spent 70 odd quid on. I felt the main focus was on the online aspect of the game rather than the main game which is what happen with 98% of games now. There is so much to do but felt like there could have been more again. As i said we haven’t played since heists were introduced but i can’t wait to play them. My main issue with online is usually there isn’t much of a story and i don’t really like games that it’s pretty much just kill, kill, kill. So i enjoyed the fact it was almost story driven in this game, much like AC and BF: Hardline. It’s not just about killing.

Overall it is a good game and it’s very rare when devs take the time out to make decent games. Rockstar always take the time to make a great game and they’re often undervalued. It’s a game we could go back to time again and still enjoy it and i look forward to the next instalment but not for a few years, eh? We do hope that Rockstar announce Red Dead Redemption 2 sometime soon or even LA Noir 2 as both games were excellent and prove that if you take the time to make the game and make sure all the bugs etc are ironed out you can make a great game people will stil want to play in 5/10/15 years times.

[couplesgaming]

"ThrowbackThursday” Eternal Darkness

Eternal Darkness was released in 2002 for Nintendo Gamecube, i was 11. I played it probably 2 or 3 years later and i have to say that it’s a game that messes with your head and makes you question everything. 

You play as Alexandra as she investigates her late grandfathers mansion on Rhode Island. She comes across a book which transports her back to different time periods and different characters. 

It wasn’t a huge success unlike games today but has won numerous awards and the people that have played it have very high praise for it. The developers ‘Silicon Knights’ are now bankrupt and have disbanded. However, the game's writer and director Denis Dyack has been attempting to make a spiritual successor titled Shadow of the Eternals which i am super excited for even if it means buying or borrowing a Wii ;).

The story was well written and the atmosphere was perfect, i also enjoyed the use of magic in the game even though i’m not really drawn to games now that have magic the way Eternal Darkness did. However, those aren’t the reasons i love the game. I love the sort of jump scares you get just because it’s so unexpected and mostly i love the psychological aspect of the game. 

In the game you have a Sanity Meter which depletes when enemies see you or you fight them. You can gain sanity back by performing finishing moves and casting a restoration spell,i recommend you let it deplete though as that is when the games gets that little more crazy.

Unusual things start to happen signifying the character losing their grip on reality. You begin to hear whispers and crying which you know is the game but still creeps you out. Then the camera angle starts to tilt, your volume get lowered on the tv which of course i thought was my tv turning itself down and i literally thought i was going mad playing this for this first time as i was nowhere near the remote and could not explain the volume changing. Then, of course, you get the blue screen of death on your Gamecube which sends the player into a angry frenzy thinking the Gamecube is dead.

Other effects are walking on the roof as you enter a new room, a large number of monsters appearing but vanishing as you attack them as they’re not really there, footsteps, chain rattling, doors banging, a blade being sharpened & statues heads moving to look at the player.

One the Insanity effects have finished the character says “This can’t be happening” in a panicked tone and then everything goes back to normal which makes you think “Did i just imagine that or did it really happen?”

This is the reason i love the game so much. It messes with your head - Almost like Silent Hill in a way. As i said the story is great and is a decent length game and you do get fully engrossed in it but the head messing is the best part about it. Even after playing it again i still thought the volume and blue screen was actually happening.

It’s a great game and i would love to play it again and show Gary as he’s never played it. I may have to borrow my brothers Gamecube at some point. I do hope the sequel happens and it is done well, it’s been 13 years since it’s release and it is a game i still think about often.

[couplesgaming]

Assassin's Creed Syndicate

The next AC game announced at the start of May, is Syndicate. Set in 1868 London with 2 main protagonists which are twins. In this game you will be able to switch between characters similar to Grand Theft Auto V and is the first main game in the series to feature a female protagonist.

I can’t hide the fact i am disappointed that there will be a female lead. I don’t think it will be as enjoyable playing as a female and i’m not looking forward to it. I am looking forward to the character switch as i really enjoyed that aspect in GTA V (Which my next blog will be on as we are currently replaying).

I am also disappointed in the fact that Ubisoft are releasing another AC game only a year later. I know that it is Ubisoft Quebec instead of Montreal developing this game but i wish that they had took time out to develop and plan appropriately. 

I hope it won’t be like Unity which was a huge disappointment, you could tell they didn’t take the time on that game but despite the let down i am positive about Syndicate. I just hope they don’t prove me wrong.

When the game released i will blog again but these are just my initial thoughts on Syndicate.

[couplesgaming]

Silent Hills.

By now it has been a few weeks since Silent Hills was confirmed as cancelled and many people may have forgotten about it but i’m still very upset at the news and do hope they will change their minds as it has lots of potential. PT was one of the scariest things we have ever played and i was so excited for Silent Hills....

I’ve played (Or watched my dad playing) the Silent Hill games since they came out. I remember been absolutely terrified when he played SH1 and even he himself didn’t like to play it at night. Silent Hill 2 was the same and a few years after release i even tried playing it myself, i still, to this day, have never completed it. I was so close to end but couldn’t bring myself to do it.

That’s the thing with SH, even though you know what’s coming next you still get scared and start sweating when you hear your radio interference. I did complete ‘The Room’ myself and my dad didn’t as he didn’t like it but i think that’s because it’s not quite as scary as the other games and it was generally a hit or miss game. I felt so proud of myself having completed it. 

Homecoming was a let down. It wasn’t scary, the story lacked and the characters were unlikeable. I never want replay it as i don’t want to waste my time. Downpour really captured the feel of Silent Hill 2 and i it terrified me again. It was the fact that it was smiliar to SH2 that made me love it, the monsters were scary again, the atmosphere was chilling and the puzzles were very well done. In fact, i enjoyed it so much that we are going to be replaying it again soon.

I think Silent Hills would have been the best in the series, as i said before it has loads of potential. If they can make a demo for it as scary as they did then imagine what the game would have been like!

There is a petition online to bring it back, it has loads of followers but i don’t think it will make much of a difference. There is an Indie game in development called “Allison Road” which many are saying it’s going to be as scary if not scarier than Silent Hill(s). If the pictures are anything to go by then i can’t wait. You can almost feel the cold, chilling atmosphere just by looking at them.

Even though there won’t be a Silent Hills we can still look forward to Aillson Road and other games just like it.

[couplesgaming]

Ether One

I haven't really played many games in the last few weeks but PS Plus brought us a very touching game this month - Ether One.  First off, i encountered a couple of problems such as not being able to put things on a certain shelf which was annoying trying to get the platinum. The other problem i think i brought on myself as i was supposed to sit in a chair but i kept spamming the button to stand up so when i did i feel through the floor... And the world. The update did fix these problems but i had to start again and to be perfectly honest i didn't mind as i really enjoyed the story.

You, the player, play as a restorer at a company called  Ether Institute of Telepathic Medicine, work through the thoughts of a woman with dementia and try to retrieve her memories. There are times when you get so immersed in the story that you feel lost yourself and picking up objects to take them to your shelf 'just incase' but not really knowing why you would need them or what signifigance they hold. The game  very much reminded me of 'Gone Home' and i feel that if you like that then you will love Ether one. Have you ever heard a song or smelled a specific smell that has taken you back to a fond memory? Well that's what this game is about. Only dementia sufferers might smell a smell or hear a song and know that it means something to them but they just don't know what and it's the restorers job to help the sufferer remember but playing through the memory to get the answers.

It's a short game but there's plenty in it and the ending just made me want more, either more Ether One or more games by White Paper Games, the puzzles are well placed and are optional so that is a bonus but if you want the full story and experience then i suggest doing all the puzzles. Working your way through the lonely and empty town you are joined by Phyllis, the "voice in your head" advisor who guides you through the memories and quite frankly doesn't know how to shut up! I didn't mind though, it made it seem less empty.

The story and ending is heartbreaking and i'm not ashamed to say i cried like a baby. If you've played it yourself and you're confused about the ending then there are plenty of theories online. However, i believe that it was left the way it was so you could draw up your own conclusion about who you are and what exactly happened in Pinwheel etc. I also think it was made to confuse you and leave you with more questions than answers in the way a dementia sufferer would be. 

It's a great, emotion adventure game with plenty of heart and if you played it when it was first released and you encountered bugs which have put you off playing on then i urge you to try again. You will not regret it.

[couplesgaming]

Never Alone

Another free Playstation Plus Game, another game we watched before playing, another game that would be well worth the money if it was not free on plus.

You follow a young girl called Nuna and her Artic Fox friend. We played this local co-op so I was Nuna and Gary the Fox (Very fitting, haha) and we worked well together doing the puzzles. 

The Story is based on Alaskan Folklore and you’re trying to find the source of a Blizzard that is affecting your village. You start off being saved from a polar bear by the brave little Arctic Fox which becomes your friend and joines you for your journey. The same polar bear tries to attack you several times during the game but working together ensures you live.

You are given a Bola very early into the game which a big crazy man does not like. He wants your Bola and will stop at nothing to get it, even trying to murder a little girl! Again, working together ensures you survive.

You reach an area in the game with Aurora’s (Aurora Borealis) which are actually spirits and you have time things perfectly so as to not be grabbed by them and taken away.

Some time through the game your Arctic Fox has his neck broken by the crazy man i mention before (All over a Bola!) But fear not he is then transformed into a boy/fox (I did not like this) and he continues with you on your journey.

You eventually reach the source of the blizzard and it turns out to be a giant blizzard man using his Adze to hit some ice and causing the blizzard. You steal his Adze and he begins to chase you. You run all the way back through the Aurora’s and puzzles and everything else in between. When you get the village the blizzard man asks for his adze back and you break it on a rock and give it back. After this the girl is reunited with her family and the blizzard has stopped.

Your Arctic boy fox friend moves on but not before telling you that if you need to find your way home again to just look up for him.

It’s a great game with some flaws. Gary playing as the fox kept getting stuck and things didn’t move when they were supposed to. As the little girl i kept getting stuck on walls and spirits which was very frustrating but they are just minor bugs and doesn’t take too much away from the game and the story. You also collect owls throughout the game which gives you facts and information.

Donna’s Score - 8/10 - If it weren’t for the bugs i would have given it a 10. The story is enjoyable and i loved playing co-op with Gary.

Gary’s Score - 7/10 - Story was good but the mechanics of the game not so good. Being able to play local Co-op with Donna was a big plus and made the game more enjoyable.

[couplesgaming]

Valiant Hearts: The Great War.

Despite already watching this i knew we had to play it when it became available on PS Plus. It still had the same pull as last time. You follow 5 characters; Emile who is French, his Son-In-Law Karl who is German, American Freddie, cute doggy Walt and Anna, the Belgian nurse. It’s a puzzle based game so 95% of the game is puzzles which are fun and not too confusing or frustrating.

The collectables are great in this game as when you collect each one you are given information on the object and its uses during that era. During each section of each chapter you are given facts about the war which is great for anyone interested in the war and even for those not so interested.

Even after watching it and knowing what was going to happen i couldn’t help but think Karl was going to die and never make it back to his Wife and child or even Walt which i can’t think about without tearing up. I’m not ashamed to admit that i cried like a baby when i thought they were going to die even though it hadn’t actually happened.

As the end of the game draws near you play as Emile who is being constantly belittled and shouted at by his commanding officer. He orders Emile and his men to battle even though it’s guranteed death. Emile reaches his breaking point and hits his C.O on the head with his shovel causing him to die.

Without saying too much; Emile’s actions prove fatal for him and at the end of the game his final letter to his daughter is being read out as we watch the depressing actions unfold. Even as i think about it now i have tears rolling down my cheeks.

It’s a fun, puzzle filled, emotional game and if you can see through your tears it’s definitely worth playing. Even if not on PS Plus this game is worth every penny and more. I rarely connect to characters the way i did to those in this game (And Papo & Yo) and the story keeps you hooked.

Donna’s Score: 10/10 - What else is there to say. Amazing game.

Gary’s score: 9/10 - The only problem i had with the game was the trophy that you have to save Karl without any mistakes as i didn’t realise if i just let him die after making a mistake it didn’t count. Other than that it’s a good game and i highly recommend.

[couplesgaming]

What a game! - Battlefield: Hardline

So it's now been a week since my first post on Hardline and i've now completed the story and got pretty much all of the trophies. I have to admit, the story really lacked. It just doesn't have the same pizzaz as the other games. It was boring and felt like it really struggled at times and that ending? Pu-lease! That has got to be one of the worst ending i've seen so far.

I've had a few glitches and things during my playthrough (Which you can see HERE) such as enemies glitching through the floors and murdering me, mainly on episode 10 in the mansion. I also kept killing one of the men in the mansion and as soon as he died he respawned over and over again. I just couldn't stop shooting!! There's also the weird pull that you get when you try get close to an edge, even if you're not right at the edge, the game decides it wants you to get caught or die and an invisible force starts pushing you off and you have to turn and run the other way! Being spotted through walls and floors was very frustrating and forced you to go loud.

What's up with not being able to jump over medium sized fences? I mean, it was possible to do in other games, right? (I can't remember, it's been a while) So why have they decided that these men you play as are just so unfit that they can't get over a fence taller than your shins? Very frustrating when trying to run away!

A few glitched trophies happened too. I had to jump into the mansion with a dirt bike twice before i got the trophy and i followed PS3T guide to the Graceful Exit trophy on episode 5 and they stated that if you get caught you should restart checkpoint, fair enough. So i got caught once or twice for not being fast enough and got to the end but no trophy? Wth? I read up on other trophy guides that you have to do it without restarting checkpoint! So i wasted about 20 minutes being sneaky after restarting checkpoint for nothing. However, i accidently found out that if you quit to menu just as you get caught and then go back onto the episode it starts you just before you get caught and you can finish it and the trophy will pop.

I've only got 2 online trophies left but now i’m finished with the story i’ll hopefully get these in no time. I'm not looking forward to "Menz in the hood" and it really seems like it's going to take alot of time. Luckily i have Donna to steal the controller and kill all the baddies for me (:P), there was also a fun 5 minutes playing it lastnight where she had the left side of the controller and i had the right and we co drove the car, so that was fun. 

The car shooting is pretty unrealistic at the speeds the cars are driven at and it's annoying when you have to run over someone 3 times before he dies. The general shooting is ok, alot like other games but it feels if they aren't as powerful as other games and it takes alot of bullets to kill a guy even sniping a guy in the head doesn't kill him first time.

The use of gadgets were good, i loved being able to grapple up buildings and zipline across them. It adds a whole new level to the game. In a way it reminded Donna alot of Splinter Cell which she loves, especially all the sneaking and killing (Not Blacklist though). The T62 - CEW was a brilliant feature and it was a good way of getting around without shooting too many guys. It's very useful in Episode 5 when you're trying not to get caught. 

I still haven't figured out how to change my god damn spray paint! And the Battlelog very rarely works. I had this pre ordered for over 7 months at £36 and i have to be honest and say... It was not worth the wait or the money. If i knew how bad it was going to be i probably would have waited until it was alot cheaper but Donna just loves getting me Battlefield on release day and the pre order bonuses!

6/10 - I definitely prefer BF3 for the military style but will never be better than Bad Company (Play the Bad Company series first before any other BF game as you won't be disappointed). It was good for trying to change it up a little bit but i think they should stick to military and hope that they go back to that for the next installment. Not worth the money - would wait until it's under £20 if you haven't already got it.

[couplesgaming]

Battlefield: Hardline - First Impressions

Finally after 7 months of having it pre ordered for Gary’s birthday it has been released and has turned up at our door! Obviously with it just being released today in the UK this isn’t going to really be a blog but just Gary’s thoughts and first impressions.

I’m only on the second mission so far and have got to say that i am severely disappointed with the graphics. For being on a next gen console i would have expected a lot better but then again i don’t think any game on PS4 so far has had amazing graphics and is barely a step up from last gen.

So far it feels like it’s lacking a little extra oomph but is enjoyable. It gives a very much “been there, done that” experience and i very much believe that going away from military probably wasn’t the best idea. Saying that, i don’t think it’s a terrible game so far. I do like that it’s a bit different but i miss the military.

I tried a little bit of online inbetween missions too (Played the beta and didn’t really think much of it at the time). Multiplayer is good but as i stated before it feels like it needs something extra. It has bigger maps but bigger isn’t always better (Wink wink, nudge nudge).

Obviously as i’m so early into the game and MP i will reserve my judgement and scores until i’ve finished it. I just thought i would give you my first initial thoughts!

[couplesgaming]

What a game! - Sahdow or Mordor

So, my lovely uncle got me a really early birthday present. Shadow of Mordor. Now, Gary loves Lord of the Rings etc but i've never really fancied it (Although i have promised to watch it with him) and i thought i would hate the game. For this reason I didn't watch the cutscenes which i always do the first time i play a game but i got the general gist of the story.

My first 5 minutes of the game didn't go too well... (Click for video). I think i deserve mad props for going against this beast though! Apart from it's heavy feel when running and climbing the game mechanics work well. The upgrades are a little pointless in my opinion as you only use the same two or three moves for easiness!

Alot of the side missions are the same and can get a little boring. The camera angles are largely to blame for our anger as the camera kept moving when we tried to kill people. It's a very likeable story and if you like Assassin's Creed then you'll more than likely enjoy this game as it's very similar. Whilst saying that, it is definitely better than the latest AC installment: Unity which is a whole other can of worms!

We can't help feel like it wasn't made to the best of it's ability and lacked something we couldn't quite put our fingers on. It doesn't have much replay value unless you want to be a very angry gamer but it's maybe something we will return to one day. (I have my platinum but Gary doesn't... As usual!) It's not an all bad game and has very enjoyable points and some of the dialogue is on point.

Donna's rating: 6/10 - It's a real hit and miss game and we think that you should make up your own mind as we both loved and hated it.

Gary's rating: 7/10 - Didn't live up to it's full potential but as a LOTR fan it was a fun game to play.

[couplesgaming]

What a game! - Papo & Yo

We started playing Papo & yo at the weekend and i can tell you that we were not emotionally prepared for the story. We played the demo a few years ago when it came out and knew that  it was going to be an emotional story (Especially as the title translates to Father & I) but decided against buying it at the time. It came up on Playstation Plus this month and we jumped at the chance to be able to play it from start to finish.

You play as a young Brazilian boy called Quico and you are guided through the game by a  young girl named Alejandra and a robot doll called Lula. You meet Monster early on in the game and despite his appearance he seems harmless. As the story starts you realise that the monster is Quico's dad and are led to believe he abuses his child. As the story progresses you can't help but love Monster, he's fun and friendly and plays football with you (We played football for about half an hour, it was just too cute). What's not to love? That is until he eats some frogs and turns into an angry, raging monster that attacks you. It's not his fault though! Don't hate him, it's those frogs! Just feed him a lovely rotten fruit and he's back to his good old self.

When you meet your robot friend Lula early on in the game you quickly fall in love with him too. So when monster is on one of his rampages after the demon frogs jumped in his mouth and he kills Lula you can't help but feel torn. On one hand you love Lula and he's there for you and helps you but on the other hand Monster didn't know what he was doing and you can't be mad at him.

Later in the game you save Lula and Alejandra tells you that you have to guide Monster to the Shaman to cure him from his poisonous frog addicition. So Quico guides him to the Shaman which end up with Lula sacrificing himself to help you get to land and a very poignant scene in which Monster turns into your dad and then back into Monster (This part alone made me cry for a good 10 minutes). When you get there you are told that there is no Shaman and there is no cure. You must let Monster go.

I have to admit that i need a good 15 minutes or so before i could play on. I did not want to find out what happened next. However, i manned up and carried on.  You then get onto the most depressing part of the game and not something i will ever forget. Monster is on an island opposite you and you press a button. Out comes bottles (Of Jack Daniels, Monster is my kinda guy... Er, Monster) that you put into a pipe leading to Monster, on the other side they come out as poisonous frogs that Monster eats and goes into a rampage. You eventually, after alot of tears, get him to the final part of the island where he falls asleep.

Quico then pushes him off the cliff into the abyss which then lead Quico to follow a path back into the real world. Well, from what i could see through my tears, i think that's what happened. I cried through the credits. I cried collecting the hats and i cried telling everyone i know about it. It's a brillaint game and very powerful.

As someone that has went through a similiar experience with their dad i can say that this story was done really well and didn't set out to make the dad/Monster look like a bad dad or  horrible person. He has demons and only he can help with that. There is no magical cure (Although i don't agree with the pushing off a cliff) and it takes a long time to get past the addiction. It really hit home with me and i think that's one of the reasosns i loved the game so much.

Apart from the raw emotion everything is perfect (Despite hitting a few invisible walls that shouldn't have been there which resulted me having to quit and do it again). The puzzles are fun and simple. A few were challenging (We really had to stop and think about them), they do get a bit repetitive by the end of the game but i think that's true for almost every game.  I would definitely recommend this game if you haven't already played it.

Donna's rating: 10/10 - Will play again when my heart can take it, worth the money if you don't have PS+.

Gary's rating:  6.5/10 - A bit glitchy and controls were a bit dodgy at times but otherwise a good game.

[couplesgaming]

Couples Gaming  - Hi.

Hello, welcome to our new blog! We’re a couple and our names are Gary and Donna. We’re in our early twenties and love playing good games & the odd bad game, heh heh heh. We actually met through playstation and have been together for 5 years this April and next year on our 6th anniversary we are getting married! So you can call us Mr & Mrs gamer ;),

Donna is the one who will mostly be doing the writing (and lets face it alot of the thinking too, haha) Gary will be giving me his perspective of the game and we will put both or thoughts on the games into one review. 

It will mostly be a review blog but occasionaly there will be our thoughts on upcoming games etc. I haven’t written in a few years so please take it easy on my writing, it will improve i promise!

That’s it! Just thought we’d post a little introduction to get us started and to let you know who we are and what our plans are.

[couplesgaming]

She will remember that you were there, Corvo.

[couplesgaming]

Eyyyyy.