Video Game Review: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Before the pandemic started, I had my buddy that used to work at Electronic Arts (EA) purchase me a copy of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order for the PlayStation 4. I then payed him back the $20 for the game and brought it home. My youngest son found the unopened copy of the game and asked if he could borrow it. I was finishing up another game at the time and so I loaned it to him. Naturally he redeemed the code inside for the extra goodies and ended up paying me for the game while he kept it for about a year. He then loaned it to my older son who played it for quite awhile.

With not being able to go to the office to get another copy for myself, I was feeling a bit left out. Then my oldest son let me know the game was on sale at the PlayStation store for about the same price as my friend could get it for me. Naturally I jumped on the store and picked up an electronic copy to download. I just finished playing it and am glad I finally got the chance to run through the game.

Jedi Fallen Order is an open-world adventure game which is a genre I really like to play. It is not nearly as complex as Horizon Zero Dawn or any of the recent Far Cry games. While there are some puzzles to solve and plenty of combat, it doesn't have all of the complex gathering and crafting. You have some echos and collectibles to find but they are minor parts of the story, unlike in other games.

If you are a fan of the Star Wars movies, you will love this game. It takes place just before the original Star Wars movie and has a pretty interesting story line that adds insight into saga. You also get to explore some of the planets in the Star Wars universe. It took me about 70 hours to complete the game and I played it on my PlayStation 5 even though it was created for the PS4.

The game has an ESRB rating of T for Teen due to some mild language and violence. After all, you do run around with a light sabre slicing droids, storm troopers, and creatures in half. I would have no problem letting my grand kids watch while I play this game. The fact that you don't have a complex crafting system also makes it easier for younger audiences should they wish to play.

I found the game to be very enjoyable and recommend it to anyone that is a fan of the Star Wars movies. Towards the end, it did get to be a bit redundant but less so than many other games I have played. There is still a lot I can do should I wish to platinum the game (get every single trophy or achievement) but I also have a lot of other games that I am interested in playing. I paid about $20 for the game and feel you get a lot of entertainment for that price.

Video Game Review: Ghost of Tsushima

This morning I woke up early and finished my latest video game: Ghost of Tsushima on my PlayStation 4. I enjoyed the game so much that I achieved every trophy and platinum'd the game. That means I actually finished the game several days ago and just had a few extra tasks to do.

Ghost of Tsushima is an action adventure game, which is my favorite style. It compares well to the Far Cry series, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Red Dead Redemption. Basically you run around as a Samurai warrior trying to repel the Mongol forces attacking your island. The game is broken into 3 parts or acts. Each act takes place on different parts of the island with their own weather and unique features. I enjoyed the 3rd act as it takes place in the snowy section of the island.

As with the other games of this genre, you start off with several tutorials in the form of flashbacks to when you were a young boy learning how to become a Samurai . As you progress through the game, you learn how to collect resources that will be used to upgrade your equipment. You also acquire skills, new types of weapons, and different armor. Initially you will feel overwhelmed with all of the various combinations but it will become clear when to use certain items and when to use others. Sometimes I felt like I was constantly changing clothes.

One of the nice things about the game is that it tells you how long you have been playing each time you go to save your progress. It took me 75 hours to finish the game and another 10 hours to complete all of the trophies. That is a great value for a $65 video game. I got a free copy of the game as I work for Sony Interactive Entertainment and Sucker Punch is part of our World Wide Studios. I gave that copy to my youngest son and then purchased a disc copy for myself for only $15. If I didn't have a huge backlog of games to play, I would probably run through the game again and really get my money's worth. Yes, it is very re playable.

Sucker Punch did a great job creating the visuals for the game. All of the scenes are very cinematic. There are also some great character stories that make the game very enjoyable. If you are looking for a game that allows to to escape from reality and enter an historic world, Ghost of Tsushima is worth a play.

Ghost of Tsushima has an ESRB rating of M for mature. As you find hot springs around the island, you see the main character's naked backside as he enters the water and increases maximum health. I asked my wife if she found it offensive and she just ignored me. There is also a lot of graphic violence as you use a sword and will sometimes take the heads of your enemies clean off. There is also a lot of spurting blood with such close combat. I would not recommend the game for young children but teenage boys will love it. You may feel differently for your own kids.

Ultimately I enjoyed the game significantly more than I thought I would. I highly recommend the game and think most video gamers that like action adventure games will enjoy it.

Getting Better at Video Games

So you want to get better at video games? A lot of people do. The Wall Street Journal ran an article back in July about parents paying for tutors so their kids can get better at Fortnite, a popular video game. When I started playing Red Dead Redemption 2, I did really well at the beginning but then found myself struggling. I wanted to get better and so I thought I would offer a few tips from someone that works with video games every single day.

Tip 1: Practice
Anyone who has ever learned to play a musical instrument knows the importance of daily practice. Since I have started learning to play the guitar, I try to practice for an hour a day. I am not always successful and can tell when I have taken a day off. The same applies to video games. If you want to get good at them, you need to make sure you are playing regularly. Unfortunately this may cut into other activities and so you will need to decided how good you want to get. I would much rather be an excellent skier and just a mediocre video game player and so I adjust my priorities accordingly. If you are still in school, I would place education over game-playing skill. You may disagree but you will be better off in the long run.

Tip 2: Watch other Players
Let's assume that you have decided to set aside one hour per day to practice video games. That is an appropriate amount as it acts to relieve stress and hone your problem-solving skills. Don't feel compelled to just play games in the hopes that you will get better. There are a number of forums such as YouTube and Twitch that have countless hours of game-play video.

You have your own style of play and will continue to do the same things over and over. By watching other players, you will pick up tips and tricks that you have not thought about. I suggest watching games that you have completed so you don't spoil some of the secrets in your current game unless it is repetitive like Fortnite. As you go through sections that you have completed you will find yourself wondering why you didn't think to try something while you were playing the game. Perhaps there is a secret room you missed or you used a noisy gun when a silent crossbow would have been a better weapon to take out a guard.

Watching other people play a game you are familiar with is a great way to help you develop new strategies for different games. If your game of choice is something like Fortnite, it will help you see what you might be doing wrong and how to survive longer.

Tip 3: Explore Trophies and Achievements
I used to not worry about trophies (on the PlayStation consoles) or achievements (on the XBox consoles). Then I had a coworker talk about how it changed up his play and made the game more enjoyable. I decided to take his advice and looked at the various trophies available for the games I play. Sometimes you will receive a trophy simply for changing out the various weapons in the game. I am one of those people that prefers a sniper rifle to a shotgun and so I rarely pick one up. Trying to get different trophies has encouraged me to try the various weapons in shooter games and I find myself becoming a better player overall. Don't get me wrong, I still prefer taking someone down from a distance but sometimes you don't have that option and if you find yourself in close-combat situations, it is important to know different fighting styles.

Trophies and achievements will also having you looking around for other parts of the game you may have not considered. There is one trophy in the Uncharted games where you just need to wade through a pool on an abandoned cruise ship. Knowing about the trophy had me wandering through various parts of the ship I might have ignored. Needless to say I found a bunch of different collectables and improved as a player.

Tip 4: Play other Games
I would have to say that my favorite type of video game is the action/adventure genre. I still play other types of games though. Earlier I mentioned Uncharted and that is one game where you are sometimes shooting bad guys, other times solving puzzles, and maybe even driving cars. That could be why I like it as I can get bored with the same thing over and over. There are a number of specialized games that can help. If you find yourself having trouble evading bad guys in a car, try picking up a driving game for your favorite console (Gran Turismo on the PlayStation or Forza on the XBox).

Someone in the video game industry recommending you to play different games my come off as a bit self-serving. After all, the more games you buy, the larger my bonus at the end of the year. However it isn't necessary to buy a bunch of different games. There are a number of places to borrow games including public libraries and close friends. Even if you don't plan to complete the game, borrow one every once and a while just to get a feel for what else is out there and see if it doesn't help you improve your video game skills.

I always try to change up the genres of video games I play to keep things fresh. While there are 6 Uncharted games that you can play (including 1 on the Vita), I have never played all 6 in a row. In fact, I have only completed 5 of the 6 as I am playing other games before moving onto the last one. I also probably should have changed genres after completing Far Cry 5 and moving onto Red Dead Redemption 2. I am getting a little bored with Red Dead Redemption 2 even though it is a great game and I loved the original so much.

Conclusion
There are probably a few other tips for helping you improve you video game playing skills. These are the ones that have worked for me. If you have any other suggestions, feel free to leave a comment. It may help someone trying to get better.

Video Game Review: Far Cry 5

I am a big fan of the Far Cry series of games from Ubisoft. I have played Far Cry 3 on the PS3 and really enjoyed Far Cry 4 on the PS4. Last night I finished up Far Cry 5 and so I thought I would write a review.

I enjoyed the other Far Cry games and so I paid full-price for the game. That means I didn't wait for one of my contacts in the video game industry to get me a deal. It is one of the only games I have ever done that with and that should show how excited I was to play the game. Now that I have finished the game, I can say the price is worth it.

As with the other games in the series, there are a number of areas to liberate and each one helps segment the game so you know how much is left to do. Once you have completed all of the main story missions in one area, you have the option of moving on to the next area or continuing to finish all of the side missions. These missions include looking for objects, hunting special animals, and clearing out bad-guy strongholds. The last story mission for each of the areas is a boss battle. In Far Cry 5 there are 3 areas with an additional boss battle at the end.

I enjoyed the game but with so many new games coming out, I opted to finish the game quickly instead of trying to do every single thing. Towards the end, things got a bit repetitive and I stopped enjoying it as much as the other games in the series. If I was to rank all 3 Far Cry games I have played, I would say that 4 is my favorite with 5 being a solid second place and 3 being last. That being said, I enjoyed them all and recommend them to anyone looking for a solid action-adventure game that runs between 30 to 40 hours. Far Cry 5 has a lot of downloadable content (DLC) should you enjoy it and want to spend more time playing.

Far Cry 5 has an ESRB rating of M for mature. There is no nudity in the game and so the rating is due to strong language and violence. There are a lot of torture-death images and some parents might not want their teenagers to see such graphic depictions. I would probably let those 16 or older play it, but you may disagree.

What to Play This Holiday Season

It feels like there are more high-quality video games being released than I can possibly play right now. I have such a huge stack of games to play I am having trouble figuring out how to get them all in. Right now I am trying to complete Far Cry 5 and rather than trying to do everything I will just do the basic minimum to get to the end of the game so I can move on to some of these other exciting games just released or soon to be released.

The sequel to one of my favorite video games was released on Friday last week and I will pick up my copy from a friend with ties to Rockstar Games. Yes, I am talking about Red Dead Redemption 2. I do want to finish Far Cry 5 before I start and so as soon as I can get back to my boat this evening, I will power through the final stages of that game.

There is also Spiderman that released back in September and has a lot of fans. My son completed the game, purchased the DLC, and has finished the first of 3 installments of the DLC. He really enjoyed the game. I don't know when I will get to that but it is on my list.

While I am currently playing Far Cry 5 on my sailboat when in the Bay Area, I am also trying to finish Detroit: Become Human back at home in Utah. I don't mind playing that game while at home because my wife likes to sit on the couch and watch me play. That is one of those games that is more movie with a few interactions than an action adventure game like most of the other games I play.

Looking ahead, there are a number of games to be released before Christmas that I also need to add to my playlist. Fallout 76 looks graphically amazing and should be an exciting follow-up to Fallout 4. Then Battlefield 5 gets released a week later. I really enjoyed Battlefield One and jumping forward in time to WWII will make for an interesting game. All of these should keep me busy through New Year's Day. Then there is a huge schedule of great games being released next year. So many games but so little time.