Video Game Review: Horizon Forbidden West

Friday night my wife went to dinner with her siblings. I opted to stay home and finish up Horizon Forbidden West. What a great game! Now I am probably partial as I used to work for PlayStation and this is an exclusive title that I got for free when one of my former colleagues gave me a download code as a parting gift from the company. I also played the precursor Horizon Zero Dawn all the way through and enjoyed it so much I earned every trophy in the game (also known as Platinuming).

At the end of Horizon Zero Dawn you discover there is more to the story and another cataclysmic event about to happen to earth. Horizon Forbidden West is that continuation. You continue to play as Aloy and move from the Intermountain West to the West Coast of the United States. There are new lands to explore and more people to discover that are even more bloodthirsty than the previous game. Naturally you show your excellent fighting skills and are immediately accepted by everyone except the bad guys who try to kill you. While you pretty much have combat mastered with the robot dinosaurs from the previous game, you get to meet more advanced versions as well as superior robots with an extraterrestrial origin. The only downside is you don't get to keep your invincible armor from the first game. Its batteries are dead and that became a foreshadowing of what would happen to me in a lot of battles . . . I died.

If you enjoyed the first game, you probably will the second as well. There are various quests to complete and friends to meet along the way. Not all weapons are created equal and so be sure to use your interactions to learn about what works best for you. My son ran through the game and focused on the main story at the expense of side quests. I found those extra missions added to the story and I enjoyed searching out different areas in the hopes of gaining experience. When it came time for the final battle, I did very well and sort of breezed through it. I think I enjoyed the game much more than my son.

Today I got an e-mail from PlayStation congratulating me on my accomplishment of finishing the main story of the game. They also reported that I spent 116 hours playing the game and earned 47 trophies. I still have 14 more to go to Platinum the game and will probably do that over the next week or so. My son's total hours played came in at much less than that. I guess I took my time.

Horizon Forbidden West has an ESRB rating of T for Teen because of language, mild sexual themes, and violence. To be honest I didn't notice any strong language but I am sure it was there. As for violence, there is a lot of that and the blood to go with it. The story also includes hints at same-gender relationships, hence the mild sexual theme warning.

I highly recommend this game to anyone looking for a 100 hours of pure entertainment. If I had not gotten a free copy of the game, I would have had no problem paying the $65 when it first came out so I could play it on my PS5. It is also available on the PS4.

Video Game Review: Knack II

When Sony released the PlayStation 4, they included a number of games at launch including the original Knack. One of the design goals for the game was to showcase all the features of the new console. After a few years they followed it up with the sequel Knack II. I have to be honest in that I never really played the first one but did watch my youngest son work his way through the game. I started playing Knack II at the suggestion of my oldest son who said it made for a great couch co-op game to play with my 4-year-old grandson. The first thing my grandson would do after arriving at my house was run down to the TV room and ask to play Knack II. Naturally I indulged him.

Knack II is a great game if you are looking for a video game to play with younger children. As both players appear on a single screen at the same time, the more advanced player takes the lead and every so often, the slower player is brought up to the same part of the game and magically reappears. That makes it fun for younger players getting used to the controller. Towards the end of the game, it wasn't always me in the lead. I have to say that it really helped my grandson's gaming abilities.

Knack II is an action-adventure game that involves some level of close quarters combat combined with puzzle solving. You also have the ability to collect skill points and level-up your character. It is missing the crafting element which makes it easier to play for younger gamers. I have to say that I would find it mildly entertaining and probably wouldn't have played the game had it not been for the chance to bond with my grandson.

The game has an ESRB rating of E10+ meaning that it is a game meant for everyone with a suggested age of 10 or older. While I played it with my 4-year-old grandson, I doubt he would have been able to solve the majority of the puzzles without my help. Therefore I agree with the age suggestion. The only warning for the game is that it contains fantasy violence. You get to battle with goblins and robots.

As Knack II has been out for a few years, you can purchase a digital version for $20 from PlayStation directly or get a disk from a number of retailers for the same price. I paid $20 when the game was released through my company store when I worked for PlayStation and think that is a very good price for the game. It took me and my grandson about 50 hours to complete the game and we had a great time playing together.

If you are looking for a game to play with younger children where you can play together, I highly recommend this game. I think it would also be a fun game for older children as well. I would not recommend it for older teens nor adults unless you really are young at heart and enjoy playing cartoonish games. If you are not sure you will enjoy it, there is a free demo available to give it a shot before dropping $20.

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.

Christmas List 2020

It is that time of the year when I try to share some ideas for that hard-to-shop-for person on your Christmas list. In the past I have tried to focus on practical gifts that I would want. This year I am going to take a completely different path. In our family we have the idea of a "Christmas-Day" gift. It is a gift that you get on Christmas morning and play with for only a few days before you lose interest. This year I actually want something like that. When you only receive practical gifts, there is nothing to play with on Christmas day. This year, I want something to play with. A good example is something like a puzzle or a complex Lego set. Once you put everything together, you admire it for a bit, and then take it apart to possibly be played with at a later date.

The beauty of a Christmas-Day gift is that it is not something I would get myself. So without further explanation, here are some gifts I would enjoy receiving this year:

Just a box of Legos - This is just a set of Legos to go with my existing sets. It is great for allowing creative people to play and build.

Hogwart's Lego set - While I am on the topic of Legos, this is a set that I think would be fun to spend the day putting together. There are plenty of other large sets I would also like but this one I found quite easily.

Electronic Breadboard kit - Moving away from Legos and onto something a bit more practical yet fun is an electronic breadboard kit. This is something to get that budding electrical engineer in your family. My brother seemed to get one or two of these growing up but I never did. Perhaps that is why I studied Electrical Engineering in school as I always wanted one. No that I am grown, I would love to take some time during my Holiday break and just play with some electronic projects for fun.

Horizon Zero Dawn - Now if you get the chance to play video games on Christmas and you have a PlayStation 4, I recommend this one. It is a game that I really enjoyed playing and might be willing to play again. You can find the game at Best Buy for less than $10, which is less than I paid for my copy. Remember I work for PlayStation and so this might not be an unbiased recommendation.

Microsoft Flight Simulator - This is a game for your PC and is not one that I have played. This is something I would be interested in playing though. At $60 (from Best Buy for the standard version) it is the same price as most new video games.

If you are looking for low-cost gifts that fit into the Christmas-Day gift list, I really do enjoy a good 750 to 1000-piece puzzle. Puzzles are something you can always do with others and can be great fun for small groups.

Hopefully this gives you some ideas for that hard-to-shop-for person in your life.

The Problem with Starting a New Video Game

Several days ago I decided that I wanted to start a new video game on my PlayStation 4 console. I put the disc in the drive and waited for it to copy a few files to the hard drive. The process didn't take very long and I thought I was ready to start playing the game. Unfortunately that wasn't the case. I now had to wait for an Internet update before the game actually became available. I could play part of the game but quickly got bored and wondered why so many people enjoyed it this particular title.

The download took about an hour or two and I never waited for it to finish before quitting the game. Today I thought I would try again and see what difference the update made. Let's just say it is significant. I now have a story and natural progression to follow. I played for an hour or so this afternoon as I had the day off and earned several awards and trophies. Those little gems keep you wanting to play and made for a much more enjoyable experience.

Most gamers spend a long time deciding which video game they want to play next. Once they decide, they are patient enough to wait for updates to load. If you leave your PlayStation in stand-by mode and have a digital copy of the game you want to play, you can even start the download from your computer and have it notify you when it is done. Unfortunately that is not the way I sometimes play video games.

As someone that works for PlayStation, I have access to a lot of different games. Sometimes I will invite a group of people over to play but don't have any idea which game or games they would like to sample. This means starting a download and doing something else while we wait for the game to download and install. If I know what games people want to play before they arrive I can have everything queued up and ready to go. Unfortunately most of the groups I have had don't know what they want to play until they see my extensive library. Even then, picking a title to play can take a long time.

I don't see the trend of taking a long time to download a video game getting any better. If anything games are getting more complex and larger. I know that one of the advantages of the PlayStation 5 is that the included solid-state drive (SSD) allows you to keep a single copy of a graphical asset such as a tree and then reuse it multiple times throughout the game. I hope this means game files will shrink significantly. In order for that to happen though, game developers need to take advantage of that capability. Only after the PS5 is released will we be able to see if that has happened. I sure hope so because I really hate waiting so long for games to be really playable.

Video Game Review: Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout

Last night I had some free time and so I sat down to play one of the free games from my PS Plus subscription that came out in August: Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout. My son showed me the game when I visited him earlier this month. He has had a lot of fun playing it and so I thought I would give it a shot.

Normally I wouldn't write a game review until I have completed the game. With Fall Guys, it is hard to know when you are done as it is one of those games that just keeps going on and on as long as you are willing to play. The concept is that you and 59 other players join an online game where you try to get through a virtual obstacle course. The courses seem to be taken directly from the old 2008 television show called "Wipeout." Each run through an obstacle course narrows down the field. If you do well, you continue on. If not, you can watch other players or join another game. Once eliminated you receive points for your effort based on how well you did. You can then progress to higher levels which allow you to unlock clothing options to change your in-game appearance.

While playing with my son, we had a lot of fun. When one of us would die, we would pass the controller and let the other one play. When I played alone last night, I got bored rather quickly and only played for about half an hour before moving onto something else. During that 30 minute session, I racked up 6 trophies. If you are looking to quickly rack up trophies, then this is a good game for you. It is also a great game to play with others. I wish there was a couch-coop mode as I think it would be a fun group activity. Should you want to play with a friend, you will each need your own console and TV along with a copy of the game. There is a mechanism in the game for inviting friends to play with you and I imagine it would be a lot of fun and a great way to hang out with someone but also follow social distancing guidelines.

Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is available for the PC from Steam as well as the PlayStation 4 console. If you made the effort to add it to your game library last month through PS Plus, then you could have gotten it for free. If you missed it, then it is $19.99 from the PlayStation store. While I would like to say that it is worth the $20 price tag, I am not sure I would purchase the game had I not gotten it for free. If you are looking for a casual game to play with a group of people, then it is well worth the price.

The game has an ESRB rating of E for everyone and I wouldn't have a problem playing it with my 3-year-old grandson.

Greyhound From the Comfort of my Own Home

One of the downsides of COVID-19 is that most movie theaters are closed. Sure there are plenty of older movies to watch but lately I have been wanting to see a new movie and last night I got the chance. Earlier in the day, I got an e-mail from Sony Pictures telling me I should watch their new film with Tom Hanks called Greyhound. I thought it might be about a bus trip at first and so I watched the trailer. Then I discovered it is about a naval destroyer escorting ships full of supplies across the North Atlantic at the onset of World War II. This fit right in with one of the themes of my recently completed video games.

Earlier in the day my wife told me that she wanted a date. I thought about doing a few things but COVID-19 makes it tough to go out, especially with the number of new cases in Utah getting larger every day. The movie looked like it would be a fun diversion and I knew we would have the house to ourselves. I also have a really great home theater setup complete with 7.1 surround sound and a nice-sized TV. I showed her the movie trailer and asked if she would enjoy the movie. She agreed that it would be a good watch and so we made it a date, literally.

After dinner we pulled out some popcorn, found some movie candy, and each got a cold-beverage. Then we headed down to our home theater room. Usually I stream all of my movies to my PlayStation 4 but Greyhound is only available on Apple TV+. There isn't an app for it on the PlayStation 4. At least I couldn't find one and so I had to go to plan B: run it from my laptop. Fortunately my surround-sound system has an HDMI port I can plug my laptop into and so I did that. Then I signed up for Apple TV+. They are offering a free 7-day trial and so I started with that. I did have to enter my credit-card information but will probably cancel the trial on Monday. Then I switched my sound settings so I didn't have to listen to my tiny laptop speakers and could hear everything through my home theater setup. Finally we started the movie.

Greyhound is only 91 minutes long and maximizes every second. There is the necessary character development at the beginning and then the movie jumps into the task: getting a number of ships across the Atlantic Ocean without the luxury of air cover for protection. You pretty much can tell what the movie is about from the movie trailer and it played exactly to my expectations.

I have to say I really enjoyed watching the movie from the comfort of my own home. I didn't have to worry about anyone kicking the back of my chair or making noise. In the middle of the movie, I paused it momentarily and didn't miss any actions while I made a refreshment break. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and recommend it highly.

My wife and I took a walk around the neighborhood after the movie and stopped briefly to talk with our neighbors who work in the movie industry. They confirmed that the movie was originally intended to be released to theaters but switched to Apple TV+ because of COVID-19. I found it surprising that Sony Pictures would allow Apple to show the movie instead of their own streaming service or one of the other ones. I guess Apple TV+ is looking for content and paid the best price.

Had Greyhound been released in the theaters, my wife and I would definitely have paid the $20 (the price for 2 reserved seats in Utah) to go and see it. Instead I got to see it from the comfort of my own home for free, provided I remember to cancel my subscription. Thanks Apple!

A Second Ending to God of War on the PS4

I think I have decided to try and earn all of the trophies in God of War on the PS4. During the course of the game you need to collect a few artifacts and I know I missed a few from the beginning of the game. Last night I decided to go back to the beginning and see what I missed. I battled a few bad guys and collected a few of the artifacts. Then I walked into my home and had the option of taking a nap. I decided to give it a shot and discovered the 2nd ending to the game.

When I finished the game a few weeks ago, I watched as credits scrolled and then quickly dismissed them so I could continue playing. I thought I had completed the main story and patted myself on the back for a job well done. So imagine my surprise when I saw the second set of closing credits. Considering I work in the video game industry, I probably should have watched the credits to pay homage to any friends I know that may have worked on the game. Full disclosure: I probably know at least one or two people that worked on the game as that is just how this industry works.

The second closing scene before the credits makes it very clear that the developer, Santa Monica Studios is planning a sequel. I don't want to give away too much and so if you enjoyed the game but didn't see the second closing, go back to the start of the game and take a nap. You won't be disappointed.

Game Review: God of War on PS4

Last week I finally finished playing God of War on the PS4. This is a different game than God of War on the PS3 or PS2. In the first 3 games, Kratos runs around killing all of the Greek gods so that by the end of the 3rd game there is nobody left to kill. So he moves up north and starts taking care of those evil Norse gods. This time he has his son to help him and the son makes a good accomplice as you run through the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed playing the game and put in something like 70 hours to complete the game. I would have done it sooner but decided to spend a bit of time honing my battle skills and ranking up so I wouldn't have a problem with the final boss battle that is so common in these types of games. I'm glad I did as I completed the event in one take and didn't die several times in the process. Now I am going back through the game finishing side quests that I missed earlier.

I have to warn you that God of War is one of those games that you don't want to quit. You'll find yourself justifying a few more minutes of play until it is 3 in the morning. If you lack self-control, you may want to avoid this game as it is one of the more addictive that I have played.

God of War is only available on the PlayStation platform and so if you are a fan of PC games or other consoles, you will be disappointed that you can't play it. I also have to say that it is the best of the God of War games and I have played most of them.

The game has an ESRB rating of M for Mature. This is because of violence and strong language. Earlier God of War games had cartoon nudity and so I couldn't really recommend them. This one I can for older teenagers and young adults as well as middle-aged men looking to spend their evenings killing bad guys.

I do have one more warning for you if you plan to play this game. Budget getting a new controller. I played God of War 3 remastered on the PS4 and ruined a controller in the process. This version of the game has put a lot of wear-and-tear on the left analog stick of my new controller and I will probably be replacing it in the near future as well. Those things are not cheap!

I got my copy of the game using my industry discount but think it is well worth the $30 you can get it for at most retail outlets.

A Fun Group Game

Saturday night I found myself at home with my youngest son along with my oldest daughter's husband. We probably should have been attending one of two family events happening that evening but rebelled and told our wives we didn't want to go. My youngest son suggested we find a video game that the three of us could play together. I had one that I had been wanting to play for a long time after playing it at work with some of my colleagues. The game is called Helldivers and is available for the PlayStation 4 console as well as the PS3, PS Vita, and the PC. We played it on the PS4.

We started up the game and immediately jumped into play without waiting for an update to load. That limited some functionality and so every time we completed a level, it wouldn't upload it to "Galactic Command." We didn't mind as we just wanted to spend a little time together killing time and bad guys.

The first time I played the game, it felt like being a part of the 1997 movie "Starship Troopers." You and up to 3 of your friends (if you have enough controllers) are sent to various planets with specific missions. As we just started the game, we had a number of really easy missions where we landed, cleaned out an area of bugs, robots, or cyborgs, and then got extracted. When we got that down, the missions got a bit more difficult and we had to do things like find some keys, get a black box, and then get extracted. For the most part, we kept the difficulty of missions to super easy while we got used to the top-down view of our players. As all 3 of us shared the same screen at the same time, we couldn't advance on the map unless we all moved in the same direction and stayed together. The moment one of us tried to go up while another tried to go down, scrolling stoped and we got stuck until we cooperated.

One problem that I experienced initially is that I kept losing track of which player was me. All of the characters have your name below them but I would get so caught up with one of the other players that I switched my attention to the wrong avatar and got scolded for not moving in the right direction. After about an hour of play, I figured it out and never lost track of my character again. It also took about that long for me to figure out the controls as I am more used to 1st-person views in the games I play.

I know I tell people to limit video game play to about an hour but we played for a couple and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. When my youngest son's wife returned from one of the family events for the evening, I suggested we might want to stop playing. My son pleaded that we do one more mission that would finish the planet and allow us to get some extra experience points. I gave in and it surprised him that he convinced me to play one more game so easily. Fortunately it was he who got in trouble with his wife and not me. We finished up the game and had an enjoyable evening.

Today I looked at what it would cost to buy the game today. You can get a basic version for $20 and that is well worth the price. The version I have is on disk and currently sells for $40 but we never got into any of the extra features that come with a higher purchase price. Helldivers is rated T for Teen by the ESRB because of cartoon violence with blood and gore combined with some mild language. I don't remember any language in the game other than the game's title.

My son, son-in-law, and I had a great time playing and I highly recommend it if you are looking for a family bonding activity with at least two other people. If you are by yourself, the missions are almost impossible and so you will want to partner with people online, which is also an option.

Video Game Review: Red Dead Redemption 2

Last week I finally finished Red Dead Redemption 2 and so I thought I would provide a review of the game. It is a long one so plan to spend close to 100 hours if you want to finish it. I completed all of the story missions including the 3 epilogues. There are still a few side quests that I can go back and do but my son wanted to play the game and so it is time for me to move onto something else.

As I have stated in the past, I really enjoyed playing Red Dead Redemption on my PS3. I anxiously awaited the sequel when it was announced. Once it released I contacted one of my close friends who used to work at Rockstar Games and had him help me get a copy for $20. Then I patiently waited as it took an hour or so to copy all of the information from the 2 provided discs to my PlayStation 4. Fortunately I still have a PS3 on my boat and practiced guitar with Rocksmith 2014. Plan to have something else to do during the loading time or you will be bored.

The game started out well as I relearned all of the controls. Many people refer to the beginning of the game as a horse and snow simulator. I didn't mind it at all as I love the snow. Once I got familiar with the game, I sort of got frustrated as I felt forced to do tasks go against my style of play. If I was to give myself one piece of advice it would be to make your own choices and not feel like you owe anything to anyone else in the game. Once I figured that out, I started enjoying the game more.

Rockstar spent a lot of money creating the game and they did a phenomenal job. There are still areas that feel a lot more polished than others. The last few sections of the main part of the game really kept my attention and I wished that more of the game had the same level of finish.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is really 3 games in one. There is the main part of the game where you play as Arthur Morgan. In the Epilogues you change characters and play as John Marston who is the main character in the original Red Dead Redemption. That means RDR2 is a prequel to RDR. Then there is an online portion of the game where you create your own character and perform separate missions using the same map as RDR. All sections of the game combine to create high-value if you are looking for a video game set in the late 1800's.

I played the game knowing I would be doing a review and so I looked for a number of elements so I could comment on them. Firstly the game is rated "M" for Mature and says it includes violence, strong language, drug use, nudity, and sexual situations. I know that some parents are concerned about nudity and the only that I saw during the game was in paintings found in an art gallery. In other words, I wouldn't worry about it in this game. As for the rest of the content, yep, it is all there.

There is a lot of content for a $60 video game. Right now, that price has dropped to $35 and is well worth it at that price. If I didn't have a friend in the industry that got me the game at a nice discount, I would have gladly paid the original asking price. I highly recommend the game for young adults but would be a cautious parent getting this for a teen.

Video Game Review: Detroit Become Human

This evening I finished the game Detroit: Become Human on the PlayStation 4 and have to say that I enjoyed it. It is from Quantic Dream, the same studio that created Heavy Rain. I have to say that I enjoyed Detroit a lot more even though they are very similar. If you are looking to play a game that is more like a movie where you can make choices that effect the outcome, then I suggest taking a look at Detroit: Become Human.

The game starts out with you controlling an android that tries to keep another android from killing someone. You then go through the story playing as several different android while they all become self-aware. Unlike any of the Telltale games, your choices really do effect the story and you are shown how through a nice flowchart at the end of each chapter. This is something new to this game that didn't exist in Heavy Rain and is a welcome addition.

Detroit: Become Human is one of those games where someone can watch you play and still enjoy the story line. My wife came and joined me on several occasions. She would ask if it was the "robot game" and then sit down until I finished the chapter before going to do something together. Each chapter only takes between 15 to 30 minutes to complete. The final one takes a bit longer.

The game has an ESRB rating of M for Mature due to partial nudity, violence, and strong language. I wish the game had a setting to dial back the language as I think it didn't add that much to the story. As for the nudity, there are several scenes where you see androids without any skin, but they are more mechanical than human. During the course of play, you enter an android strip club but everyone is wearing rather modest swimsuits as opposed to being nude. That is one of the scenes my wife watched and had it been risque, I might have lost my game-playing privileges at home.

If you are a late teen or older looking for a fun interactive movie that runs about 20 hours in length, then I can recommend Detroit: Become Human. I picked up the game at a huge discount using my industry discount but you can find it right now for about $40 at places like Best Buy.

Video Game Review: Horizon Zero Dawn

In January I started playing Horizon Zero Dawn while spending evenings on my sailboat in the Bay Area. That means I only got to play for an hour or two on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings. Last week I finally finished the game. I have about 100 hours into the game and completed all of the side missions except tutorials. I also only have a few other tasks until I complete all of the trophies.

A lot of my coworkers and friends have played Horizon Zero Dawn and encouraged me to do so. I hesitated playing it because I knew it would take a long time to complete. I am glad I did though as I thoroughly enjoyed the game. My youngest son also loves the game and I can see why. The story is very compelling and while I thought some of the tasks would get old, it turns out I needed that much time learning how to take down all the different machines available in the game. I also discovered that having the shield-weave armor really helps when trying to take down some very difficult enemies. If you decide to play the game, I highly recommend doing a bit of research and making sure you acquire it as early as possible.

Horizon Zero Dawn is an open-world game that allows you to go anywhere and do missions in almost any order. Towards the end of my game, I discovered there were plenty of earlier quests I hadn't done and so I went back and completed them before the final battle. Completing everything helps ease the difficulty towards the end.

Horizon Zero Dawn is rated T for Teen because of blood and violence. I enjoyed the game and highly recommend it for anyone over the age of 12. You can find a used copy of the game for around $25 and new for $30. It is well worth that price. I would also spend the extra money and get "The Frozen Wilds" DLC as I want to continue playing the game. I am a big fan of the PlayStation 4 console and this is a console exclusive so it is not available for the PC nor the Xbox platforms. That may be a deal breaker for some.

Be Careful What You Like

This morning I got up early and thought I would play Rocksmith on my PS4 to help me get in some guitar practice before work. Imagine my surprise when I turned on my PS4  and saw that I had liked the movie "Let's Talk About Sex." I've never even seen the movie but the title might make some question my taste in movies.

So how did I "Like" a movie I have never seen? Well it is quite a funny story. Someone turned on a PlayStation 4 that I have logged into before (there are a lot of them), signed in as me, found a movie with a shocking name, and selected the thumbs-up icon indicating that I liked the movie. It is a funny practical joke and I know who did it. Yes, I will be sure to get back at the person in an equally harmless way. However it brings up an important point: how do you un-like something on social media?

When I saw my movie recommendation on the What's New part of the PS4 interface, I immediately jumped in and un-liked the movie. Unfortunately that didn't do anything and the What's New section on the PS4 still registered that I liked the movie. Next I figured I would like another movie. Keeping with the theme of liking movies I haven't seen, I liked "Rogue Elements." It is a skiing movie I have yet to see but contains some skiers my kids grew up skiing with on the Snowbird Ski Team. Now the What's New section says that I like 2 movies and lists them both. I hoped that the new like would overshadow the old one but that didn't happen.

Rather than waste any more time on it, I figured I would let it stand. Now I wonder what the recommendation engine is going to do with the 2 likes for movies I have never seen. Perhaps the next time I log into my PlayStation I will be inundated with ads for ski porn (the link goes to Urban Dictionary . . . not a website that would be unsafe for work).

Video Game Review: Battlefield 1

Last night I finished playing EA's Battlefield 1 on my PlayStation 4. I started playing the game as I wanted a well-done title that didn't take a lot of time. Battlefield 1 definitely fit that criteria and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. I only completed the campaign for the base game and didn't try any of the online play nor did I download any of the extra content. If I didn't have such a backlog of games to play I would give both a try.

I have to confess that my history of World War I is very shallow and that serves as the time period for the game. My understanding is that EA put a lot of effort into making the game historically accurate and that made the game very appealing. I always enjoy learning new things and doing so while playing a video game makes it more worthwhile. I especially appreciated knowing that the German tank in the recent Wonder Woman movie was actually British and I got that from this video game.

There are 5 different stories once you complete the opening section of the game. Each story can be played independently of the others and I took around 2 hours per story. I thought I would enjoy the flying one (Friends in High Places) the most and confess it is very well done. Several people in my office that have played the game would agree that it is the best one of the group. However last night I played the Arabian desert story (Nothing is Written) and enjoyed it even more. Part of my preference has to do with the character development as well as the environment. I have spent a bit of time in Southern Utah over the past week and the Arabian desert looks very similar in some regards. I felt very much at home. All 5 stories are very well done and enjoyable to play.

We have seen a lot of games set in World War II and I appreciated a new venue for this type of game. It helps put things in perspective and shows the importance of constantly improving technology.

Battlefield 1 has been available for a while and you can get an all access pass that includes new downloadable content as well as the original game for around $25. That is about what I paid for my copy of the game and is a good value for the price. It has an ESRB rating of M for Mature because of violence and strong language.

Video Game Review: Uncharted 3 Drake's Deception

Monday evening I finally finished playing Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception on my PlayStation 4. This is a game I started playing with my son over Christmas last year but didn't have time to finish until now. Rather than pick up where I left off, I started over a few weeks ago. I'm glad I did as I had forgotten a number of the controls. Besides, the beginning of the game is a lot of fun and worth playing over again.

I have mentioned that I am a fan of the Uncharted series of games and really looked forward to finishing up the original trilogy. I have to say that my favorite of the 3 is the last one. I felt that Uncharted 1 and Uncharted 2 were the same story with just a bit different window dressing. I think that 2 did a much better job telling the story than 1 but they had a lot of similar elements. Uncharted 3 continues to share some of those elements but also has a lot of new elements that increased my enjoyment.

I felt like the end of both Uncharted 1 and 2 required me to fight some pretty difficult battles with superhuman monsters. Naturally I would die and have to restart the battle.  Eventually it got rather tiring and only my desire to finish the game kept me playing. With Uncharted 3, the end battle also felt difficult but I didn't have to worry about superhuman monsters. I will confess I didn't make it through without dying once or twice, but the battle felt more natural and I enjoyed it significantly more.

Uncharted 3 is part of the Remastered Uncharted Collection game available for the PlayStation 4 and has an ESRB rating of T for "Teen." There is some mild language and violence but I have and would allow my teenage boys to play the game. If you have a PlayStation 3, you can find the game for that platform relatively inexpensively and it is definitely worth the price.

Now that I have finished Uncharted 3, I will take a bit of a break and play a different type of game. Playing the same game series one after another can lead to a bit of a burnout. Once my next game is complete, I am really looking forward to Uncharted 4 and will play that.

E3 2017 Impressions

I am not able to attend E3 in Los Angeles this year but have tried to keep up with all of the game releases coming from the various studios. I am impressed with what I have seen and think we have a number of really good games soon to be released. Unfortunately there is no unbiased way to talk about what is expected to come out. I have my favorite video game companies and also work for one. So instead of naming specific game titles that I am looking forward to playing, I thought I would talk about trends.

First, the graphics all seem to be getting much better. We have had the XBox One and PlayStation 4 consoles out for a few years but the games now being released seem to be much better graphically than the launch titles. This is because the game engines have had time to evolve and can now take advantage of the hardware included in the latest consoles. We all benefit. I also noticed that there are a lot more games being shown in 4K. They sure do look good. Well at least the demos do.

The second thing I noticed from the show this year is how many games realize that the story matters. Perhaps it is the type of game that I am more likely to play, but video games have evolved from a circle munching dots on the screen to complex scripts that draw the players into the story. More and more, video games are starting to resemble blockbuster movies.

I normally am not a fan of sports games. This year I have seen quite a few sports games that are really tempting. I may even pick up one or two and give them a shot. Look for reviews in the future.

While it may be fun to be at E3 for a few hours, I am not sure the chaos would be worth the trip and so I have stayed home this year. I think I am actually getting more out of the show because I can pick and choose what I watch without having to wade through the large crowds. Yep, it is a great show this year.

Virtual Reality: A New Way to Watch Videos

This past weekend I wanted to do some research on an area that interests me: 360-degree video also known as virtual reality or VR. There are a number of videos on YouTube filmed using 360-degree technology. So I loaded the YouTube application on my PlayStation 4 Pro and put on my PlayStation VR headset. I could have also done the same thing with my Google Cardboard and a smartphone so PlayStation hardware is not required. You can also use an HTC vive or Oculus Rift.

YouTube has a whole section of 360-degree videos with lots to choose from. I like to rock climb in the summer and so I selected a video on one of the USA's toughest climbs. Even though the video is in 2D and VR is capable of 3D, I still felt immersed in the action. Rather than having to scroll around with a mouse to see different perspectives, I could just turn my head. I found it so interesting I had my youngest daughter who is a professional rock climber watch and later my wife. Both found the VR experience significantly better than viewing something similar on a flat TV or computer monitor.

I spent about an hour watching VR videos and have decided that I much prefer a low-quality VR video to a well-made TV documentary. I have to confess that most of the videos I watched were documentaries. I tried watching one Star Wars fan film and while it was put together very well, didn't appreciate it as much as the other real-life experiences I enjoyed.

During my weekend research I could only find one 3D VR video and it documented a fashion shoot. Normally I wouldn't have bothered as I am not interested in watching models parade in front of the camera, however, I discovered something very important. When we take a 3D object like a human being and flatten it into a 2D photograph, we distort the person much more significantly than I realized. This is where we get the phrase, "The camera adds 10 pounds." While I enjoy watching 3D movies and even have a 3D television, a VR experience puts you much closer and I realized how skinny most fashion models are. I actually found them to be much too thin and unattractive.

Another thing I noticed during my hour-long journey through VR videos is that you don't know where viewers will be looking. If you want to put text on the screen, you have to put it in multiple places. One video only placed it where they expected you to be looking. If I looked somewhere else, I had the potential to miss it. Other videos placed the text in 3 different areas so I had a much higher chance of seeing it. I appreciated that as it gave me the freedom to look around all of my surroundings and not have to focus on one area.

I think virtual reality has the ability to change the way we watch videos. While I am not sure I want to watch a full movie in VR, I do think that travel videos and documentaries are much better with the technology. Now if I can only create a huge playlist of skiing videos, I might be able to make it through the summer.

What Makes a Bad Video Game

Recently I had the chance to play a video game on my PlayStation 4 console. The reviews for the game indicated that it fell well short of expectations yet I decided I wanted to play it for myself. The largest number of comments indicated that the game could be played in 4 hours and that made it too expensive. As I could borrow the game for free and I wanted a short game, I disregarded the reviews and started playing.

The more I played, the more I realized that the game fell short in more ways than just length-of-play. The characters need to be likeable and you want them to succeed. That didn't happen. At first I thought I could like the main character but as the game progressed I found him to be too self-centered and arrogant. Had the game lasted much longer than the 4 hours, I probably would not have finished it simply because I didn't like the main character. Knowing it was a short game, I pushed through the pain to complete it.

The main character isn't the only one I didn't like. Pretty much all of them were cold and unlikable except for one. Unfortunately he didn't have enough screen time to make up for everyone else. I would have liked to do a lot more with him in the game.

Another problem with the game is that it contained enough surprises and reveals that once you played through the game, you were done. Sometimes a short game can be enjoyable if you can play it over and over. An example is that my oldest son really enjoyed playing the relatively short Until Dawn over and over. 

One would think that spectacular graphics help create a great video game. In the case of this one, it had great graphics but that wasn't enough to make up for the other faults. I have also played a number of really great games with less than stellar graphics.

You may be wondering the title of this really bad video game and I will politely decline to give it. There are already a number of horrible reviews for the game and so one more won't make much of a difference. However I know how much work goes into a video game and don't want to belittle the development team any more than has already been done. It also underscores the importance of looking at reviews before buying a very expensive game.

Video Game Review: God of War 3 Remastered

Last week I finally finished God of War 3 Remastered on the PS4. The game began life on the PlayStation 3 as a continuation in the God of War games. I played both God of War and God of War 2 on my PS3 this summer and found them to be very entertaining. As the original 2 games were developed for the PS2 and later remastered for the PS3, I found it fitting that I played the 3rd volume as a remaster as well.

As I have stated before, I have spent time in the offices of Santa Monica Studios and while I don't work for the studio, I want to make sure that I disclose that I do have friends that work there and occasionally visit them. However I still try to remain as objective as possible in my video game reviews.

God of War 3 is a continuation of the first 2 games and the game play is very similar. The 3rd title does contain a bit more refinement and the graphics on the PS4 are just amazing. You continue to fight against the Gods of Olympus and sometimes enlist the help of the titans while other times fighting against them. There are a few new weapons to master and a bunch of new puzzles to solve.

Several of my gaming co-workers told me to avoid playing the same video game franchise one after another. That is great advice. I'm not sure I would have found the game nearly as enjoyable if I jumped from 1 to 2 and then to 3. By throwing other games into the mix, I found it to be a lot of fun going back to the series. Now I am excited to play the upcoming God of War 4.

God of War 3 is rated M for mature and it deserves this rating. While there isn't any strong language, there is some nudity and a lot of graphic violence. The nudity is along the same lines as that found in the first 2 games but not encountered until much later in the game. As for the violence, you run around beating people, sometimes ripping them apart. I wouldn't recommend eating while playing the game. I also wouldn't recommend the game for anyone under the age of 18. This is not a kids' game.

God of War 3 Remastered has been out for a while now and you can purchase it for around $20. It took me about 12 hours of play time to get through the game and so that works out to be a great value. While the previous 2 games are of a similar length, I felt like I got through it very quickly.