PS4, Knack, and Contrast Review

If you don't want to read this, feel free to watch this video review :)


Hey everyone! Today I'm here to review two launch titles for the Playstation 4, the retail title Knack, and the indie free to play Contrast, along with the system itself. Check out the review for Knack down below.

Overall, Knack, is just okay. That's it. The graphics are in no way stunning, and honestly, could have probably been pulled off on the PS3. While the story's nice, it's certainly not a bragging point. But to me, there are multiple problems with the overall gameplay. As Knack grows (or shrinks) the amount of damage enemies deal do as well. I have not yet explored a part of the game where it didn't require more than 3 hits to completely knock Knack out. At multiple points in the game, there are groups of three or four enemies together that can take out Knack in one hit, causing a plethora of restarts before you gain any ground. This also makes it so the only way you can cause any damage is by running in really fast, trying to get a hit, and then run back out, leaving us with annoying, redundant gameplay. Another flaw in the gameplay has to do with one of Knack's main damage dealers, sunstones. "Sunstones are items found around the world of Knack which can be destroyed in order to fill up Knack's energy bar in order for him to execute Super Moves."-Knack Wiki. If you use a sunstone on an enemy, and then proceed to die (you will. an incredible amount of times) in the same area, the damage the deal to enemies is undone, however, the amount of energy you used isn't, meaning that if you die after using a sunstone, the damage doesn't stay, while the energy still disappears. With overall redundant, overly difficult gameplay, mediocre at best graphics and plot lines, honestly, I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.

-------------------------------------------------------

Next, we move onto another launch title, Contrast.

Contrast and Knack are polar opposites, in all ways. The puzzle platformer game is set in a parallel 1920s world, where a young girl Didi, meets Dawn, a mysterious woman who is able to transform into a shadow and travel along lit walls. The unique gameplay is simple yet engaging, and is presented in a wide variety of ways, with every level being different from the last. The gameplay is very engaging, and lives up to its name as a puzzler, with multiple ways to progress through a level, while also keeping your mind sharp through out, always having to plan ahead. The story of the game is crafted beautifully, and is incredibly compelling. The story has twists, shockers, and even humor in it, and manages to stay fresh through the entire game, always making you wonder what's to happen next. Usually, I'm not a fan of  puzzle games, but Contrast has something for everyone. Intense (yet not too intense like some other games) puzzles, platformer elements, a unique and intriguing plot, and overall wonderful gameplay. Besides a few minor glitches (I haven't noticed one yet that hugely interfered with gameplay) this is a wonderful game that I'd recommend to anyone looking for a solid launch title.

-------------------------------------------------------

And finally, we move onto the system itself, the Playstation 4.

Unboxing by yours truly :)

Overall the system itself, IS AWESOME! *Insert rabid fangirlism here* The system immediately grabs your attention with a beautiful upgraded UI, but it also simple at the same time, letting you know where everything is, so it's easy to grasp for newcomers. One of the most interesting features of the new system is the ability to connect your PS Vita over wifi to use it as a controller, showing the action on both screens. While working with high speed wi-fi, the feature is flawless, and essentially works like off screen play for the Wii U, allowing you to continue the action when someone else wants to use the TV. This feature is not only helpful, but saves you $50 dollars on another controller. However, if your wifi is spotty at times, the remote play is essentially useless, and remote play with a USB cord, is unfortunately, not available. 

Another noticeable upgrade from the PS3 is the loading times, for example, a few months ago when the PS Store was upgraded, the loading times for it were unbearable, however, the store now loads in a fraction of a second, along with notably decreased loading times for games as well. The main gripe with the system for me, however, is how the system handles capturing gameplay. The capturing seems to turn on and off whenever it wants, making it impossible to record audio in sync, as it's impossible to tell when it will stop recording. Another problem with the capture is the fact that you can't record audio along with video, rather, having to record video and audio separately. As a YouTuber, I was really excited for the capturing aspect of the system, unfortunately, I think I'll wait for a capture card. On the flip side, livestreaming your gameplay is a much more capable and usable feature.

Another great aspect is the Dualshock 4. the new controller fits perfectly into any sized hands and is overall much better than the previous Dualshock, featuring upgrades such as a microphone jack, a clickable touch pad, and an overall upgraded, sleeker, and easier to use design.

With new, great features such as multitasking, being able to play games while they're downloading, and all the aforementioned details, this system really is, for the players. 

--

Well, that's it for my review! If you have it, what do you think of the PS4? Are you waiting for the Xbox One? Share all your comments down below, and I'll see you guys soon!

Console Wars, Which is right for you?

So recently in my computers class, I had to make a website, and I made mine about video game consoles, and which was the best.  So I figured I'd post that here, minus all the fancy formatting. Enjoy!

Xbox 360

The Xbox 360 is only Microsoft’s second entry into the gaming industry, yet it is not to be taken lightly.  This console came out a year before its main rival, the PS3, in 2005, and was far ahead of its time.  Although it has about the same capabilities as the PS3, there is one major difference between the two.  While PSN (Playstation Network) allows you to play online capable games for free and has paid subscriptions that offer you many benefits such as free games (PS Plus), Xbox Live (The Xbox Network) requires that you pay for online play, but at the same time offers more stable servers than PSN, thus making disconnecting from a game far less likely.  So are the few benefits of paying a fee to pay online worth it?  In my opinion, no. But that is for the consumer to decide.

Wii U

The Wii U is Nintendo’s current home console, and was the 1^sthome console released in the 8^th generation of consoles. Nintendo captured consumer gold with the Wii, targeting the casual gamer.  With this, they were able to amass a huge amount of sales, with over 90 million units sold, and still counting. However, with the Wii U, Nintendo is not finding the same success.  While the Wii U is far ahead of the Wii (In technical capabilities), sales have not been on par.  Nintendo has been constantly lowering their expected sales for the end of March, seeing how the console is suffering.  The console’s weekly sales have dipped to as low as 57,000, and some weeks the Wii has been close to outselling the newer console!  With less and less consumer interest being shown in the console, it is unknown if Nintendo will be able to recover from the spiraling downward sales.

PS3

The PS3 is Sony’s representative for the 7^th generation of consoles.  Being released in 2006, this console was leaps and bounds ahead predecessor, the PS2.  The consumer market realized this.  Within 24 hours the console had sold 81,639 units, In Japan alone.  Even being released a whole year after its main competitor, the Xbox 360, this console has proved itself to be the best console on the market, as it has matched the 360 in sales, and is on its way to passing it.  With free online capabilities, a large amount of console exclusives, and having a sleuth of apps like Netflix, why shouldn’t this be considered the best console of this generation?

PS4

Not much is known about this extremely new console.  With the PS4 only being announced February 20^th, the console itself hasn’t even been seen.  However, we do know some info.  Info such as at least 4 new exclusive titles currently being developed, that every one of Sony’s studios is working on a PS4 title, that this is an extremely powerful system (matching the strength of a supercomputer) with 8 gigabytes of ram, and that the all new, redesigned controller (as seen above) has a new share button (allowing you to livestream your gameplay) 2 touchpads, and a PS Move sensor on its top.  From what we’ve seen so far, this is likely going to be the most powerful 8^thgeneration console.

So Which is right for you?

We know that each of these consoles are finely made, and that none of these consoles offer a bad experience.  However, each console offers a different experience, some you could say, that are better than others.  So, which is right for you?  Nintendo may not be as focused on the casual gamer as it was the last time around, but they still haven’t totally moved away from that.  Nintendo’s consoles are never going to have those 1^st and 3^rd person shooters you’re going to be looking for on their consoles, however they have a wide range of exclusive titles such as Mario & Zelda that any gamer will enjoy.  However, if you’re a hardcore gamer, you will most likely want to rule the Wii U out.  The PS3 and Xbox 360 are extremely similar, and each offers a great experience to the hardcore gamer, and to a lesser extent, the casual gamer as well.  So then, it mainly comes down to online gaming.  Would you rather join PSN, which allows you to play online for free, with the option to join their subscription service PS Plus, which offers you a large library of games for free (a subscription that costs less than Xbox Live’s required fee), or join Xbox Live, that has more stable servers, and will almost always make sure you won’t disconnect from your game.  The choice is yours.

                                                                                                                          -Colby

PS4 Announcment Review!

Hey everyone! So, you may or may not know, but on Wednesday the 20th, Sony had an announcement for the PS4. The event was great in my opinion. As ridiculously long as it was, it kept me hooked. It looks like most of the rumors were true. With a sleek, redesigned controller,





sharing videos and screenshots of your gameplay are as easy as a click of a button. Along with an amazing 8 gigabytes of memory, more specs were revealed for this supercomputer like console. From the supposed leaked specs from the Xbox 720, this definitely seems to be the more powerful console. Along with releasing info about the hardware, they also released info about software. A new Infamous title,  a new IP for Media Molecule, a new Watchdogs, a new game named Knack , a new Killzone, and a new team racing game named Driveclub, and many more new games were all revealed at the event. I'd actually give the announcement event a solid 9/10, the only thing I disliked about it was the dragging on of it. Anyways, I look forward to the new console and games, and make sure to look out for it at the end of 2013!

Credit: Playstation Youtube Channel


                                                                                                                                     -Colby