A new gaming experience could provide support for those who experience anxiety. Zuzia Whelan learns more
Tag: Games
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Have a holly jolly #GamesMas
Christmas should be a time for casual idleness on the couch, where vigorous action requires little more than a stern digit on the R2 button. Here are three games that our readers will be playing this holiday season.
Far Cry 4
This year, jump into virtual action in Kyrat, a region perilously perched upon the Himalayas and ruled by a deranged king with an unhealthy interest in your recently deceased mother.Where the Far Cry series has previously excelled, the fourth installation sneers dominantly. The game is ruthless; voluminous side-quests and tangential missions exist with the sole purpose of luring the player away from the main story.
“Far Cry 3 was a stellar roaming game,” says DJ Campbell (21). Although he hasn’t played the fourth title in the series yet, DJ is looking forward to taking a blood splattered selfie with Kyrat’s leader Pagan Ming.
“The third game was a massive jump up from the second,” DJ said. “If this game is in any way like the third one I will be happy, but obviously I am hoping that it is going to be better.”
Cast as both the hero and target, the main protagonist Ajay Ghale, travels to Kyrat to realise a promise made to his mother on her death bed to return her ashes to her home country. The latest instalment in the series creates an even headier and immersive environment and just like Far Cry 3, there’s something lethal lurking around every corner.
Kingdom Hearts HD II.5 ReMIX
Released just in time for the Holidays, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMix is a re-mastered compilation of Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix. The games, which had previously been exclusive to Japan, are now available for the first time across Europe.
Re-mastered cinematic cuts from the Nintendo DS title Kingdom Hearts Re:coded will also be included in the compilation for Playstation 3.
The Kingdom Heart series heaves elements from the Final Fantasy titles and fuses them with the world of Disney. Sounding like both an uplifting and ridiculous basis for a game, this imaginative JRPG has long polarised players.
For Aaron Corentin (22) it’s this combination that he finds appealing about the games: “It combines three of my favourite things; Disney, games and the Final Fantasy Series.”
Aaron says that the 2.5 ReMix has been his most anticipated game of 2014, as he has long been an enthusiast “I’ve been a major fan since 2003.”
Jak and Daxter
‘Tis the season for nostalgia and while everyone else is watching Miracle on 34th Street for the 34th time, many gamers are sitting down to review their favourite titles.
“I’ve always been a fan of platform games,” says Cian Cowley (22), “like Spyro, Crash, Sly Racoon and Ratchet and Clank.”
Cian expects to be playing Jak 3 by the time Christmas rolls round; once he tires of GTA: San Andreas of course. The first Jak title was released in 2001 and the series has featured a consistent story-based platform showcasing a healthy mix of action, racing and puzzle solving.
Jak 3 represents the pinnacle of the series to many, having received unholy support when it was released back in 2004.
“I was about 12 when the Playstation 2 first came out” he said, “…so it has a bit of nostalgia.”
Write to us at @TheCity_Dublin and let us know what games your going to be playing this #GamesMas!
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Ubisoft not commenting on speculation about a port of Rogue
Much focus, not all positive, has been placed on Ubisofts next-gen addition to the epic Assassin’s Creed series. But, the unique plotline behind Assassin’s Creed Rogue has many next-gen gamers wondering if there will be a port of the title to the new platforms.While Assassin’s Creed Unity is set in Paris on the eve of the French Revolution, Rogue reels the player into 1751 North America. Rooted in the midst of the French and Indian war, the main protagonist offers a revolutionary appeal that sets, Shay Patrick Cormac, apart from his predecessors; he is an Assassin Hunter.
Following a grave mission that goes wretchedly wrong, Shay is betrayed by the Assassins who, surprise surprise, seek to end his life. Thwarted by his fellow brethren, Shay strikes up a mission to slay all those who deceived him.
Rogue offers a radical new experience to face the Assassin’s Creed universe from the perspective of a Templar. The move comes at a crucial phase in the series lifespan, as many begin to question the longevity of the Creed titles.
The dual nature of Shay’s character means that the player can utilise not only the deadly skills of the Master Assassin, but also those of the enemy. Never seen before weapons and skills such as Shay’s lethal air rifle may be equipped for both short and long range combat and an enhanced eagle vision can be used to spot hidden Assassins in crowds.
Rogue also boasts a diverse open world for exploration where three distinctive environments can be explored; including New York City which has been fully recreated as it existed in the 18th century.
The expansive Naval Playground that is the North Atlantic Ocean will provide a showcase for the games newly improved Naval Gameplay. Rogues builds on the award winning naval experience of Black Flag IV and will feature new enemy tactics and weapons such as a Puckle gun.
Whilst it is unknown if anything could ever bring down the Assassins series, Ubisoft has made one thing clear; Shay Patrick Cormac could bring down the Assassins.
Assassins Creed: Rogue is out November 14.
Images and Video Content courtesy of Ubisoft and assassinscreeduk -
Inquisition helps Dragon Age back to its Origins
It’s reasonable to assume one of the most popular Internet searches of 2012 may have been ‘games similar to Elder Scrolls: Skyrim.’ Moving on became a must when predicting the next load screen was more entertaining than slaying an Elder Dragon with little but a Cheese Wheel; but where to move on to?
Of course, Dragon Age II emerges as one of the top results for similar games. Yet, the lackluster second installment in the series compares about as flawlessly as an Argonian to a Dunmer.
Whilst it is unintelligible to compare two games so crudely, the release of Dragon Age: Inquisition draws ever closer, and BioWare’s inspiration has allegedly been drawn from the revolutionary 2011 fantasy epic.
Speaking to Wired.com, Ray Muzyka (BioWare co-founder), confirmed Bethesda’s influence over the upcoming game by revealing that designers were “checking out aggressively” games such as Elder Scrolls: Skyrim.
One of the most woeful weaknesses of Dragon Age II was the inability to choose between multiple character races. Fans slammed BioWare’s new direction as they were cast into the body of the blandly human, Hawke.
Wisely so, DA: Inquisition harks back to its origins by enabling the player to select from four race sets. Intriguingly, Bioware has proclaimed that the Qunari will be added as a playable race. It should prove interesting to see how they have resolved the question as to why a Qunari would become an Inquisitor.
Among other things, DA: Inquisition marks the return of the tactical camera. This will be particularly cherished by heightening tactical capabilities during heated battles as the player is able to pause the action and micromanage their party members with the enemy’s information in mind.
Although developers appear weary of tagging the game with ‘open-world’, it presents expansive landscapes and a new level of immersion that was impossible with previous titles. Inquisition centers on freedom for the player – but not enough to get lost in, the tight storyline that is typical of BioWare should wrap everything together nicely.
Whilst the influence of Elder Scrolls: Skyrim cannot be denied, to accuse BioWare of rehashing the ideals achieved by Bethesda would be naïve. Rather, Inquisition has imbibed the knowledge of the fantasy role-playing criteria set by its rival and primed to surpass them.
Perhaps the New Year may embark a new quest for gamers to find a title similar to Inquisition – and we might just end up back in Helgen.
Dragon Age: Inquisition will be released November 21.
Video and Images courtesy of EA games.
Dragon Age: Inquisition Screen courtesy of EA
Dragon Age: Inquisition Screen courtesy of EA
Dragon Age: Inquisition Screen courtesy of EA
Dragon Age: Inquisition Screen courtesy of EA
Dragon Age: Inquisition Screen courtesy of EA
Dragon Age: Inquisition Screen courtesy of EA
Dragon Age: Inquisition Screen courtesy of EA
Dragon Age: Inquisition Screen courtesy of EA
Dragon Age: Inquisition Screen courtesy of EA
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