OXCGN’s Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon Review

review_far cry 3 blood dragon

OXCGN’s Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon Review

The definition of insanity

by Daniel Geikowski

©2013 Daniel Geikowski

far cry 3 blood dragon box art oxcgnEvery so often, there is a game that seemingly emerges out of nowhere to take people by surprise.

A game so absurd, so ridiculous, that people can’t help but be intrigued.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is about as absurd a game as we’ll see this year.

Developed by Ubisoft, Blood Dragon is an FPS that aims not to tell an engaging story, but instead tries to bombard you with many an 80′s reference in order to produce a hilarious, somewhat nostalgic experience, which quite frankly ends up bordering on the insane.

Is this blood worth shedding?

OXCGN’s Tomb Raider Review

REVIEW_Tomb Raider

OXCGN’s Tomb Raider Review

A Survivor is Reborn

by Daniel Geikowski

©2013 Daniel Geikowski

PS2CoverSheet108Rebooting a game is risky business.

On one hand, a game is usually rebooted due to a decline in popularity of a franchise, where a fresh start and new perspective is required. Therefore, various changes and mechanics are implemented, sometimes with characters being overhauled in order to generate new interest in the series.

On the other hand however, altering much of the core themes, characters or mechanics can have disastrous effects. Developers risk damaging their product even further and possibly losing the last remnants of an audience they were so desperate to retain.

Time is also a factor on the popularity of a franchise. As time goes on, and more entries are released, it is only a matter of time before fans begin to lose interest due to stale or overused mechanics, bland characters, and cliched storylines.

The latest entry into the franchise, simply titled Tomb Raider, aims to reboot the ailing series, detailing the beginnings of the young Lara Croft.

And it succeeds.

Developer Crystal Dynamics, along with publisher Square Enix, have injected the once popular Tomb Raider series with new life.

Tomb Raider successfully reappropriates the franchise for a new generation of gamers thanks to updated mechanics, along with two very important things: a believable main character and a well-told story.

See if Lara’s new adventure is for you…

OXCGN’s Crysis 3 Review

Crysis 2012 Headers review

OXCGN’s Crysis 3 Review

Best looking game on 360 to date?

by Daniel Geikowski

©2013 Daniel Geikowski

crysis3 packartGamers love being badasses.

Whether it’s being placed in the shoes of a supersoldier wielding an arsenal of weapons, a highly-trained assassin, or given superhuman powers by an ancient god, gamers love playing the one man (or woman) army.

These gamers can rejoice once more, as EA‘s Crysis 3 lets players become the ultimate badass, the perfect hunter, by using the famous Nanosuit.

It’s one thing to be given a whole bunch of neat abilities though, but players want to roam environments in which they can constantly utilise said abilities without feeling forced.

Thankfully, Crytek has once again created some diverse and gorgeous environments in which to blow enemies to hell in. Situated in an abandoned New York, nature has reclaimed the city, perfect for hunting unsuspecting prey throughout.

Crytek and EA have given players the ability to approach objectives in various ways, utilising the Nanosuit’s various abilities, as they try to defeat CELL, and the Ceph, once and for all.

Crysis 3 verdict here

OXCGN’s Dead Space 3 Review

dead space 3 review

OXCGN’s Dead Space 3 Review

A ‘visceral’ stomp?

by Daniel Geikowski

©2013 Daniel Geikowski

dead space 3 3It seems that during the course of gaming, various trends come and go, much like everything nowadays.

Whether they are visual styles, aesthetics, themes, mechanics or gameplay styles, many publishers attempt to incorporate these current trends into their games and franchises, with mixed results.

The Darkness II altered its visual style from a realistic to cell-shaded effect, reminiscent of the game’s comic origins.

Splinter Cell: Conviction ditched its primary focus on stealth and silence, opting to turn to a more “Bourne-like” action theme.

dead space 3 screenshots oxcgn #1The Fallout series was originally a top-down RPG, however Bethesda mixed things up in Fallout 3 by utilising a first person perspective, used in titles such as Oblivion, and later Skyrim.

Some hit the jackpot, while others damage their franchises by incorporating something which feels seemingly out-of-place.

Dead Space 3 is no different.

Dead Space 3 review

%d bloggers like this: