Editorial | Assassin's Creed II: 10 years later.

By Sam Coles:

I often look back at games released on the Xbox 360 and PS3 and think wow it was released that long ago, it’s hard to believe that games from that generation are 10 plus years old. When Assassin’s Creed II was first announced I was in secondary school at the time, this was when I wasn’t following the games industry at the time and I would know about new releases when I would walk into my local Blockbuster. It is considered to be the best game in the Assassin’s Creed series, while I don’t agree with that statement I can see its legacy 10 years later as it improved on every aspect from the first game. Not only that it was the setting and protagonist that captivated gamers all the way back in 2009, I want to reflect on the game and why it is special.

What immediately stands out in Assassin’s Creed II is the setting and protagonist, for one we are no longer in a war torn Jerusalem instead we are in a thriving society in 15^th century Italy. We step into the shoes of Ezio Auditore who is a cocky and charming ladies’ man, and what is great about him is that he tends to take things less seriously than Altair don’t get me wrong he does take things serious in the right scenarios but he tends to be more funny. He immediately stands out as soon as you enter the animus because he doing what he does best, taunting someone as he smirks about copulating with someone’s sister.

I think what else that has stuck with me over the years in this game are the locations and cities, the problem in the original Assassin’s Creed the cities and locales tend to blur together. Now this was due to technical limitations at the time, but everything felt drab, however Assassins’ Creed II’s cities are beautiful, colourful and vibrant from the water filled streets of Venice to the bustling markets of Florence. Each city has their unique look to them, not only that the dynamic day night cycles can dramatically change the look of the location. My favourite is Venice at night during a festival where you see the locals celebrating, where you see the masses being entertained with fire shows. It’s the subtle details that makes Assassin’s Creed II’s world feel more alive compared to the first game, which felt rather static and artificial.

The music is something that is still in my mind a decade later, composed by Jesper Kyd he was a bit of a household name with video game musical scores as he composed anything from Hitman to the original Borderlands at that point. His scores tend to be subtle and not over the top, but they can have emotional weight to them such as my favourite track Ezio’s Family, which makes me tear up do to its association of the fate of his family. Plus his tracks have tense and unnerving atmosphere and somewhat eerie, especially the tracks that play when you are exploring Venice. It’s easily one of the best soundtracks in video games and I urge you to go and listen to it.

The gameplay was given a well-deserved shake up from the first game; the problem with the original game was that the objectives were the same where you would eavesdrop, follow, pickpocket and then assassinate your target. Now that sounds fine on paper, however they play out in the exact same manner, Assassin’s Creed II ditches that formula and goes for a more organic design where do those things but you have different ways of perusing said endeavour.

Combat was more or less the same in this game as you could stand there and counter kill about 20 people in one sitting, but the variety of weapons was significantly increased. Yes you still had hidden blades but this time as a pair, which made for some fun duel assassinations plus you could use them as a stand weapon in a fight. Not only that the hand to hand combat was greatly improved, where you could feel the weight of each punch of a combo, but you could also disarm enemies and stick it where the sun don’t shine.

Climbing was improved too it felt fluid and natural, in the first game the climbing was stiff, clunky and unintuitive where it was unclear what could or could not grab on to. However in Assassin’s Creed II you had more abilities to scale a building such as a nifty high jump to grab higher ledges, and movement that was faster. It was a great improvement and it kept on improving as the series progressed.

Assassin’s Creed II back in 2009 felt like an apology to gamers; don’t get me wrong the original game is not inherently bad it was just a flawed product. Assassin’s Creed II addresses most of the problems and is truly a wonderful experience that everyone should play.

Editorial | B.J Blazkowicz: A tired killing machine

By Sam Coles:

The Wolfenstein series has always been as subtle as David Cage’s storytelling, with the action being equated with a six lane pile up. With Wolfenstein: The New Order back in 2014 I was shocked that the square jawed protagonist B.J Blazkowicz had character and flaws, where originally he was merely a face at the bottom of the screen gurning as you were shot. He comes across as tired and warn out, no matter how many machine gun toting Nazis he kills they keep coming and coming.

The New Order saga takes place in a grim depiction of a what if scenario, where the Nazis win the Second World War with a 1960’s with a more German flare. After being in a coma for 14 years after trying a last ditch effort to push back the Nazi warmachine in 1946, B.J Blazkowicz finds himself year 1960. However this is not the swinging 60’s that we know and love, no this a dystopian 60’s gripped by Nazi tyranny, they rule the world after taking over Europe and nuking New York. B.J coming to the realisation of this doesn’t believe the US would ever surrender, however he comes to terms with it and wants to pick up arms and rebuild a resistance.

In the opening of Wolfenstein The New Order B.J is day dreaming, he is dreaming of a normal life without death and destruction where he has a wife and child with the white picket fence life. However he is rudely awakened by blood and death, where he tries to save the world from Nazi tyranny. When the war is lost and the Nazis takes over the world, he is comes across as tired and this is only more prevalent as you progress through the game with all the comrades and loved ones he has lost.

It’s not just B.J that has this attitude throughout the game, his allies by the end of the game are overwhelmed by the Nazi oppression that some of them just want to end it all. What makes this more convincing is the superb performance from Brian Bloom, his voice may sound familiar if you have played Call of Duty over the years, he said in an interview that this is one of his favourite roles he has done. I understand why because Machine Games have managed to make a sympathetic character, because he was nothing more than a macho man who gunned down Nazis and that was about it when it came to characterisation. He has grizzled voice when he narrates the story, which emphasises his weariness as he reflects on those who are with him or no longer with him. It can be heart-warming some of his anecdotes, but at the same time to hear him pour his heart out over loved ones can be devastating.

When we see him in Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus B.J is a quite literally broken, his body holding on a mere hair strand as his organs are failing and his bones are crushed where his bound to a wheel chair. This legendary hero that everyone either fears or looks up to, is reduced down to a vulnerable child hence why get various flashbacks to his childhood. All he wants at this point is the support of his mother, which unfortunately is no longer around due to his father letting her fall into the hands of the Nazis due to her Jewish background.

It is heart breaking to see him at his lowest point in the first half of Wolfenstein II, because he doesn’t know if he is going to be there for his wife Anya or his twins that have yet to be born. However it is after an absurd situation which I won’t spoil, but you know exactly what I’m talking about if you have played the game he is reborn with vigour. It’s this situation that we see a rebirth of the character, where he turns back to the B.J we all know and love, where he smiles with glee as a he slices another Nazi’s throat open. It does create a bit of levity for the character in the second half of Wolfenstein II, as the game overall swaps out the sad mask for a laughing one. Some did criticise this change in tone, but I however embraced the absurdity.

What Machine Games have done with the character of B.J Blazkowicz is nothing short of amazing, they turned a square jaw action hero into a sympathetic character that is tortured and tired with his endeavours. If you have yet to experience the narrative of The New Order trilogy I highly recommend it, even if you’re not the biggest fan of first person shooters.

Editorial | Geralt of Riva: A monster hunter with a soul. (some spoilers for The Witcher 3)

By Sam Coles:

The Witcher series is something that I have a deep love for since I first played The Witcher 2 back in 2012, I have all the books that have been translated into English and I have put substantial play time in the games. What keeps me coming back is the main protagonist Geralt of Riva; he is a complex character where he constantly conflicts with his professional work and personal feelings. I want to talk about The White Wolf for a few paragraphs, where I go into the complexity of his personality.

When I first experienced The White Wolf it was 2012 when I played The Witcher 2 and read The Last Wish, and I must say the character is very different from the game to the book. For one in The Witcher 2 Geralt comes across as confused and monotone, this is an intentional decision due to his amnesia with the narrative as he recovers his memories. In the games he is more sincere where he has more sympathy for people; where as in the first few pages in The Last Wish he slices someone’s throat open because they call him a freak. It’s this juxtaposition that had me scratching my head; because they seem like different characters although that was my initial thought until I played The Witcher 3 and read Sword of Destiny.

When I first booted up The Witcher 3 I was presented with a different Geralt of Riva, he was a distort father and lover, where he is looking for his daughter Ciri and his true love (in my playthrough) Yennefer of Vengerberg. When on his journey looking for Yennefer Geralt is tortured as he loves her so much, he has a dream turned nightmare where he is back at Kaer Morhen where he is bathing while his love is in the corner applying makeup. It’s a peaceful start but he has to go and take care of Ciri as she is training on her own, but Geralt with a sly grin doesn’t want to leave Yennefer due to his deep love. The dream doesn’t end well as The Wild Hunt show up, where Ciri is then killed but fortunately it was just a nightmare.

It’s here where Geralt’s character from the books (in Sword of Destiny) and games meet on equal ground, because in The Witcher 3 he tends to be more sincere and sympathetic, well if you choose to play like that which I did. The only time he is violent towards other humans in this game is when he has to defend himself, this mostly stems from the people’s outlook on Witchers as they see them as freaks and unnatural.

I found that I really cared about Geralt more in The Witcher 3, it’s due to the fact the he is for a lack of better words human. The humanisation of his character in this game is beautiful, because he really cares about his daughter Ciri. There was one moment that really got to me in The Witcher 3 where he finally finds Ciri, but it doesn’t look good as her mortality is slipping away from her, we see Geralt shedding tears which is something I didn’t expect from the monster slayer. This really got to me, as it was the first time in the series that showed that Witchers aren’t always these heartless killing machines they can love given the right situation. It’s with Geralt’s love for his daughter that fills her with life, with a touching flashback when she is a child where they run towards each other and hug; it’s a moment that really sticks in my mind for The White Wolf’s characterisation.

Not only that his love for Yennefer shows that he can smile and have passion, yes they both but heads often but that is why the dynamic of their relationship works because they are both stubborn when it comes to certain subjects. When conflicts are put aside between the two, they show nothing but undying love for each other, it’s this sort of chalk and cheese relationship because Geralt tends to take a more forward approach were as Yennefer is more methodical and intellectually charged to a situation. However when they are in a romantic scenario, all disagreements disappear, this is where we see Geralt act like a teenager who has found his first love as he loses all feeling in his legs.

Geralt of Riva is a man of many layers, yes first and foremost he is a professional but his personal feelings conflict with him as a father figure and lover. He constantly says he has no emotions because of the mutations, which to quote Regis in the Blood and Wine expansion “Is that what you say when you are upset”.  He always puts those who he loves first, and in The Witcher 3 we see this sensitive side of the character which we didn’t really see in the first two games. He is easily one of my favourite characters in all of fiction, and you should experience his trials and tribulations in both the books and games.

Editorial | Metal Gear Solid 4 11 years later: "War has changed".

By Sam Coles:

If you know me in person or follow me on Twitter you would know I love Metal Gear Solid, it’s a series that I have been following for about 15 years now. It a series that knows when to laugh, but it also brings across a serious message about war and how nuclear weapons are…. Well for a lack of better words bad. A game that gets a lot of flak in the series is Metal Gear Solid 4; honestly I don’t understand why as it was a stunning conclusion to Solid Snake’s story. It was certainly a better finish for the series compared to the Frankenstein mess that was Metal Gear Solid V, as it had a solid (no pun intended) story and tied everything up. I just want to talk about MGS 4 in an editorial format, and why it is my favourite in the series.

“War has changed” is the first set of dialogue we hear from Snake, the world has plunged into war where it has become normal and is a part of the economy. Everything is monitored with I.D tag soldiers, weapons, gear and vehicles from emotion control to battlefield control. Snake is now an old man due to accelerated aging due to the Fox Die virus within his body, he has one last mission before he dies and that is to hunt down and kill Liquid Ocelot. It is genuinely heart breaking seeing Snake struggle throughout the story, as his body is slowly breaking down and I had several moments where I shouted at the screen “Come on Snake”. The story is very emotional especially towards the end, as Snake in the final hours of the game only sees one way out, by putting a gun in his mouth and pulling the trigger.

This even extends to the gameplay with how old and tired Snake is, as he has to struggle with stress levels and his body giving him trouble, where would groan with pain as his back gives him trouble giving away his position. Although very flexible and agile for an old man, you really feel his weighty and stiff nature that comes with his aging.

Speaking of gameplay, it’s often a joke in gaming circles as people often give snarky comments such as “Metal Gear Solid 4? Great movie”! While yes the cutscenes are over indulgent and go on for upwards of 40 minutes to an hour and a half (yes really), it works for this game as it is this big bombastic conclusion to what was then a 21 year old series.

When the gameplay did kick in, the game would go “Here you go get your objective, we don’t care how”. The freedom that Metal Gear Solid 4 had with its gameplay was almost limitless, you could gain trust with the resistance fighters in the Middle East chapter to push back the enemy, roll around in a barrel until you vomit or the classic cardboard box. The controls were updated to fit a more modern style i.e. Gears of War, yes you could run and gun but it was a great way of having more holes than the average flute because you were still very fragile. Stealth was more fun to pull off in this game, because they finally added the ability to both crouch and walk, yes this may sound trivial but Metal Gear was always a few steps behind its contemporaries.

I remember this game being quite the show case for the PlayStation 3 in terms of its visuals, and I must say even over a decade later I’m still impressed with graphical fidelity this game show cases. Character models have an insane amount of detail for game from 2008, not only that the motion captured animations with beautiful directed cinematics are truly superb. The frame rate does chug a lot which I don’t remember, especially in the Middle Eastern chapter where it would stutter like an unindexed derailleur on a bicycle but honestly it calms down after that.

Metal Gear Solid 4 even after a decade since its release truly is a special game, yes it can be rather verbose and you wonder when some scenes are going to end. However it was a stunning conclusion to Solid Snake’s story, with emotional scenes that genuinely made me cry. If you have a PS3 knocking about still I would highly recommend playing this game, as well as the rest of the Metal Gear series, it is something I truly hold close to my heart.

Editorial | Why Red Dead Redemption is special to me.

By Sam Coles:

In 2010 when I had just turned 17 years old, I was in the middle of studying my first year of A-levels. It was the hot months of May and the pressure of my work was getting the better of me, where I just zone out and worry about various problems. However there was one thing I was focusing on at the time, and it was a little game that was called Red Dead Redemption which I had been watching all the marketing material. When I finally got Red Dead Redemption in my hands, I was enthralled and all of my worries just disappeared. I want to talk about why this game is special to me, and why you should play it if you haven’t.

Red Dead Redemption starts off slow intentionally slow, but this is great build up as we get an overall outlook of the world of 1911 in America where the way of the outlaw was coming to a close. I remember at the time not being too fond of this introduction, but as I have gotten older I have a new appreciation for it as adds layers of context to the world, whether it is about religion, politics and overall prejudice to certain races and groups. It’s this opening that the main character John Marston has this sort voyeuristic outlook, as he sits there in silence rolling his eyes at the cynical attitudes of the new “civilisation”. It adds a layer of depth to John Marston and this is very impressive considering he doesn’t say a word for 10 minutes, then when he does speak he sees that he has to move on from his old ways but he doesn’t like the new civilised world.  

Exploring the world was where I quite literally got lost, where I would ride for miles upon miles with no particular goal. What heightens this exploration is the dynamic soundtrack, where it will trigger with certain events or when you are just exploring. The soundtrack when you are out exploring is almost diegetic in a way, because it feels like it is a part of the world and John Marston’s life. I remember getting in from Sixth Form and just playing the night away as I explore the plains of New Austin helping out the locals, playing poker and getting into the gun battles with bandits and lawman. It was a world that I could just runway, forget about my worries and feel like the hero of the Wild West.

The characters were another aspect that made the game special to me, yes a lot of them were one note never to be seen again later in the story but they are fun nonetheless. You first meet up with the tough rancher Bonnie McFarland; she takes no prisoners and will defend her homestead no matter what. You have the erudite and scheming Nigel West Dickens, who is a snake oil salesman who has a silver tongue that will make you part ways with your money, to the charismatic yet crazy gang leader Dutch Van Der Linde. All the characters are superbly written which made care for them, or they gave me more motivation to kill them I’m looking at you Captain De Santa!

Even when I play Red Dead Redemption in 2019 it is still a beautiful game, it’s astonishing how well this game has aged, yes there are few rough edges here and there to remind you that it is a mid gen 360 game. However it’s the lighting and impressive draw distance that makes me cry with joy, with how magnificent it is. It’s the subtle things that are still amazing to look at today, with the expertly animated horse to the footprints left in the sand as you slowly walk through town as you hear your spurs clang. It’s not often that I praise a game that is old for its visuals, as most games that shoot for realism age terribly, but Red Dead Redemption is one of the few exceptions.

Red Dead Redemption is a game that I hold close to my heart, it was a time where everything was getting the better of me. Being able to be alongside John Marston’s quest for well…… Redemption was fantastic in 2010 and is still great in 2019. It’s a timeless classic that I will one day show younger generations and my children, it’s a game that I think everyone should experience as it has a special place in video game history.