Retawes' Let's Play: Counter Strike (Global Offensive)

Welcome Cave dwellers to my first "Let's Play" videos. For my debut of the several gameplays to come, I have decided to dive into Valve's tactical shooter. In this short 11 minute video, I fail at some revolutionized 'Gun Game' tagged as Demolition. In Demolition, players must either defuse or set a bomb or eliminate the entire team. Upon each round, players will receive new weapons if they have succeeded in killing or eliminating an enemy in the previous round.
Enjoy!

Retawes Review: Darksiders 2

Darksiders 2 - 18/20

With recent reports that THQ are in bankruptcy, does Darksiders 2 create salvation or damnation?


Story and Setting - 9.2/10

Darksiders 2 parallels its predecessor's plot. Framed for causing a universal dilemma, War -one of the four horseman- is imprisoned by the 'Council'(Reference to the original Darksiders). Meanwhile, one of his brethren Death, seeks to redeem his brother and prove his innocence. However, D2's story and lore involves more than just a family dispute. Death sees himself trapped between factions and conflicts that span from centuries past. Helping the 'Makers'; (The 'creators') travelling to and from the Underworld, City of the Dead and Earth, all of these tasks are laid on Death's skeleton shoulders.

One of the several zones of Darksiders 2

Speaking of the environment, Darksiders 2 is far larger than War's journey. With over four diverse maps, players will be  From the peaceful, native 'Garden of Eden'-esque society of the Makers, to the cursed, plague-driven world of the 'City of the Dead'. 3D textures in the foreground and nostalgic 2D, artwork as the background leaves the player with the possibility of further exploration than the game conveys.







Incidentally, throughout D2, there is a vast majority of exploring to do. Dungeons, forests, hidden caves, demonic halls, Vigil Games has just given players the opportunity and ability to endeavor in environmental inspections with a range of creative characters.

Death, grow an attitude!

Mentioning the chaotic cast, Vigil Games stage an array of figures and personas with fleshed out stories and characteristics. For instance, during the 'City of the Dead' area, Death meets an undead jury, king, chancellor, assassin and a centaur merchant who is the last of his kind. Although, these characters are more interesting than the game's protagonist. Death, does occasionally use wit and sarcasm in his speech yet, he never portrays a specific attribute. Sure, when you give him some 'epic' armour or a flame elemental hammer Death becomes more gruesome and surreal but his personality is rather bland. Even War was easier to understand his complexion.

On a side note, Death does have an engaging back story that relates to all of the four horseman (War, Death, Fury and Strife) and their nemesis, 'Corruption'.

Musically, the OST (Original Soundtrack) provides assorted amounts of tracks that span across all scenarios. From peaceful acoustics that emulate the calm atmosphere of the 'Makers' to the orchestral 'adrenaline pumping' battle pieces, D2 captivates the essence of video game music unlike much in the modern market. Specifically tracks such as "The Makers Theme", "Into Eternity" and "The Makers Overworld". The composer, Jasper Kyd should be rewarded on his creative tunes.

Remotely, the cast of the apocalyptic tale always heighten the bar. Characters such as the Satan-esque Samuel and the wise Crowfather feel like their voices are real and envision into a fantasy. Although, the 'Makers' seem to have a heavy Irish and Scottish accent.

Graphics and Gameplay - 8.8/10


Darksiders 2 separates itself from its predecessor in several ways. The first and most obvious of them is the additional RPG mechanics.

The mechanic essentially is a 'loot and stat' system where Death finds clothing, weapons and talismans within the chaotic world, in order to equip, sell and upgrade other items for his benefit. Each item is unique and there are arrays upon arrays of shoulder pads, pairs of scythes, hammers, daggers and whatnot to discover. Each of these individual equipment, gives Death different additional stats and upgrades to his strength, defense, health, damage, speed, resistance, elemental damage, etc. There is also rare gear and armour sets scattered through undiscovered dungeons and by completing quests.

In related matter, quests are another additional feature in D2. As Death aids and is assisted by several characters, Vigil Games have decided to give the player the ability to level up with quests and defeating enemies. Some quests are as simple as defeating a boss or fetching for hidden items yet some span throughout the entire game. For instance, Vulgrim (The demonic rare item selling merchant) gives you the task of finding the four chapters of the 'Book of the Dead', rewarding you as you discover each chapter. Likewise, a mysterious plant creature named 'Blackroot' demands that you search for his mystical appetite, stones enfused with enhancements.

Aside from quests, Death also interacts with other characters through purchasing items and new moves for combat. Characters such as the ghostly assassin, Draven teaches Death advanced techniques for defeating goons and bosses.

Cthulhu? As a boss battle?

Coincidentally,  Death's enemies and minions are completely varied. The minions are created based on their area and faction. For instance, there are corrupted angels in the 'Heaven'-esque society and skeleton soldiers  in the 'City of the Dead'. Incidentally, the bosses are completely unique and reflect on Darksiders 2's overall identity. Each boss, is played out with a blend of combat and puzzle formula. Just as, the (SPOILER ALERT) Colossus style boss, the 'Guardian' consists of Death using several gadgets and utilities to dismember the monstrous structure to  harm its 'weak points'. (SPOILER ALERT END)



Speaking of Death's gadgets and tools, Darksiders 2 provides a numerous amount of puzzles that the player must solve. At first, these puzzles are quite basic and just involve using one method but near the end of Death's journey, they involve all five of Death's tools (Clone/Doppelganger device, Time travel, portals, grapple hook and Strife's gun).

Lingering on to the role-playing mechanics in Darksiders 2, upon leveling Death has the option of endorsing skill points earned from leveling into the two skill trees; the magic specializing, zombie spawning 'Necromancer'; and the melee oriented, slash and clash 'Harbringer'.

"Did you just call me fat?"

Graphically speaking, the game is a mess. At times, it performs smoothly with little to no frame rate issues yet occasionally suffers from rendering, freezing  and crashing conundrums. 

Furthermore, a friend of mine had his save file corrupted as his game froze as it was saving. Although all of this can be fixed with a simple update.

Overall - 18/20

To conclude, Darksiders 2 is a surprisingly engaging game. If you ignore the graphical corruption and Death's dull personality, then you'll enjoy the creative cast, environments, tricky puzzles and in depth Role-Playing mechanics while defeating demons, completing character's conundrums, exposing secrets and proving War's innocence.

Dominatrix ALERT!

Retawes' Top 10: Video Game Characters

Here is a list of my personal favorite characters in video games many of whom are featured in 'Japanese Role-Playing Games' or 'Platformers'.

Lightning's costume in 'Final Fantasy XIII-2'

10. Lightning from 'Final Fantasy XIII'. Now, I know that XIII has been hated upon by critics and 'Final Fantasy' veterans alike, but none can detest that Lightning is a likable badass to beat. From fighting colossal beings to surviving in an artificial reality against an army of monsters, she really has no flaws in the combat and brute department! Also, she's one of the main female protagonists in a Final Fantasy game that doesn't portray the sexist 'damsel-in-distress' stereotype unlike Yuna and co.

"What'cha just call me?"

9. Axel from 'Kingdom Hearts'. When I think of 'Kingdom Hearts 2', one of the several images that crosses my mind, is Axel spinning his inferno chakrams during his boss fight with Roxas. Even though, he's whole appearance and persona is a complete mystery, I still find him to be one of my most memorable characters in video game history. I recall the year being 2005, when I discovered this hot-headed arrogant fire ball. Though, it's a shame that he isn't featured in other KH games since the 'nobodies' adventure.

Crash's guide to flirting: Spin and smile!

8. Crash Bandicoot from the 'Crash Bandicoot' series. Growing up as a late 20th, early 21st century child, nothing was better than booting up my PlayStation and spinning around evil turtles and be ridding of Neo Cortex. Crash Bandicoot was my idol. He always tackled his problems with a spin and chuckle before bolting off into the next issue. Although, I guess my attraction towards the mammal maniac was due to the whole universe and the way that he interacted with everything and everyone, with a simple smile and spin.

Grunt hasn't had his dose of blood this morning....

7. Grunt from 'Mass Effect 2'. If there was a specific reason why #2 is my favourite space RPG of the series, it would most definitely be the characters. From dying assassins to masked crusaders, the game has it covered for variety. Although, my most favored of the bunch is the ultimate Krogan super-soldier, 'Grunt'. This guy could even take a whole Reaper army (Had I not have him die previously) on with just his raw fists and rage.

"Anyone want a slightly used Bat-Suit? I'm sure the blood'll wash off!"

6. Penguin from 'Batman: Arkham City'. So, he may not initially be from a video game, but he still is one of my most favored crooks in Arkham. With his 'deadly' umbrella and penguin army, this man has plotted to rise among the sewers and take over Gotham from time to time. However, there isn't any doubt that the sole reason that I admire him is for a laughable cause. I mean, he's a stereotypical midget who cackles like a winded witch and carries a explosive wielding umbrella as a weapon. That aside, his boss battle in AC was truly memorable as the most ridiculous villain in superhero history.

Previously on the 'Four Horseman'.....

5.  War from 'Darksiders'. One of the famous horseman, War represents everything that his name contains. With his giant claw and blade, he battles mighty demons and mythological beings to achieve their (their meaning him and his brother's) goal, 'Peace among Heaven, Hell and the Middle-Earth'. What's most unique about him is that throughout all of the hardships and hurdles that he faces, he never shows a sign of insecurity or defeat.





4. Shadow from the 'Sonic' franchise. This nemesis of the optimistic speedster is completely what Sonic isn't. Austere, harsh and borderline insane, he wields several military weapons and is usually seen driving his motor bike or battling the blue hedgehog and friends. He is even so significant and popular that he has his own spin off game, titled 'Shadow the hedgehog'. The game basically explains Shadow's depressive personality and brutal history as a military/science experiment gone wrong.

"Chaos Control"

3. Sephiroth from 'Final Fantasy VII'. This villain of the Tifa and Cloud title is a pure and utter criminal. From assassinating Cloud's crush to ruining the world, this man has done some horrible commitments to Gaia's people. However, this is what makes him so likable and admirable. With his deep connection with Cloud, this 'One Winged Angel' is a true devil, from his long and fatal 'Masamune' blade, to his cascading luminous hair transcending past his shoulder blades.

"Tell me what you cherish most. Give me the pleasure of taking it away..."

2. Charizard/Bowser from 'Pokemon'/'Super Mario Bros' series. Aside from PlayStation, whilst growing up I also owned a gameboy and eventually a gameboy colour. At the time, the only games that I owned on it was 'Pokemon Red' and a couple of Mario titles. When I played Pokemon, I remember being completely obsessed with Charmander and its evolutions. With Bowser, I really learned of his fire breathing attitude when I played the 'Super Smash Bros' series which with the addition of Charizard made the two most ideal and daring dragon like characters become one in my list. 

"The darkness may destroy my body, but it can't touch my heart"

1. Sora from the 'Kingdom Hearts' series. No spiky haired protagonist could beat this keyblade wielding teen. Even though he has the fate of various 'Disney' and 'Final Fantasy' inspired worlds on his soldiers, he is always carefree and empathetic towards others. Specifically when his friends are involved as several of his adventures revolve around Sora rescuing his best friends, 'Riku and Kairi'. 

The Square Enix Announcement and Wishlist

As many of us gamers would have noticed, Square Enix has been losing it's famed title "God of the JRPG" as of late. However, could it be that they are secretly hiding the famous Kingdom Hearts 3? 

Please...Don't Be Cancelled!

Recently, several sources announced that Square Enix had anonymously axed the action oriented game (FF VS XIII). Though this was a domino effect that started on Kotaku.com and spread like a wild fire. Of all of the sources, it was IGN that endorsed the rumour specifically as they presented various ways to explain information, whether that be through  their 'daily news' videos, articles, editorials, podcasts or foreign social networking sites such as 'Facebook' or 'Twitter'. 

As expected, this caused an outrage among critics and fans alike. With the game in development from 2006, it was near obvious that it would have been cancelled soon enough. In fact, there hadn't been a trailer or any leaked information in at least a year!

However, this whole speculation was completely disproved by Square Enix producer Yoichi Wada, post JRPG fan rebellion. He praised on 'Twitter',

"There's someone making a false rumour that 'Versus' was cancelled.....just a minute ago, the regular 'Versus' meeting ended. If you saw the presentation of the city, I'd knock you off your feet!"

What did I just hear? Sound the alarm; ring the bells as the Otaku Goddesses have granted us a gift from their respective womb!


Now, am I the only one who's praising this man and vilifying Kotaku for temporarily screwing the video games industry? Incidentally, Mr Wada concluded with suggesting a significant announcement during early September for the Final Fantasy franchise. Now, I don't want to sound gullible or obnoxious here, but I have a pretty good theory that this announcement has something related with "Versus XIII".

Furthermore, I believe that the announcement will involve four different contrivances. Initially, there will be a new release date that optimistically is in 2012 but realistically in 2013. Along with some press information indicating that "Versus" will be on both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. To continue, the announcement will betoken some news on the story and gameplay with some sort of trailer or preview. Conclusively, the "Fabula Nova Crystalisis" final should be renamed. With various latest generation's JRPGs having the name XIII, it would be ideal to change the name to a more simplistic and less specific title specifically "Final Fantasy XV".
None the less, I will be anticipating this press release and will be reporting on it as I hear it.

Retawes (Movie) Review: Snow White and the Huntsman

Snow White and the Huntsman - 9/10

From Hansel and Gretel to "Sleeping Beauty", everyone knows of the famous fairy tales. However, Director Rubert Sanders has decided to take a dark fantasy fling to the iconic story of Snow White.

Snow White's soldiers looking pretty bad-ass!

Essentially, the plot is similar to the classic but possesses a more adult and serious tone to the films. In the magical world of Tabor, the Queen has died of a fatal illness and the King has married a mysterious woman that could only be related to evil itself. This vague villain named Ravenna desires the inevitable, immortality which results in her assassinating the King with her only witness being her step-daughter, Snow White. A decade pasts and Queen Ravenna know rules all of Tabor which causes plagues and disaster to torment the lands. Though, Queen Ravenna isn't the only royal mistress that lives on as Snow White, whom is now trapped in the castle's prison defines a plan conquer the land back from the evil witch. Now, even though that Snow White is famous for being the purest soul on Earth, she's going to need some help to defeat the infamous evil queen. From the seven dwarves to the "mighty" Huntsman, Rubert Sanders really tries to intertwine these various fairy tales.

No! My Skincare!

Incidentally, the writers and casting crew should also be congratulated on bringing in such a remarkable cast. For instance, Charize Theron who plays the malicious Queen Ravenna is undoubtedly a very cold looking person so ideally playing as a cold hearted character was no difficult task. However, when the Queen soliloquies her insecurity of age and absorbs the young's youth to stay healthy is such a gripping and cascading idea that portrays some of the dark, adult fantasy that this movie provides.

If there was but on criticism that I would have with the movie, it would revolve around Kristen Stewart and her bizarre obsession with frowning or showing a unpleasant face at all times!

Note aside, this movie is brilliant from start to finish. An absolute 10/10 if it weren't for Kristen Stewart's mouth movements and awkward scenarios. Kudos, Rubert Sanders.....You've done well!

Retawes Recap #2

Retawes Recap #1

Welcome to my new youtube oriented segment "Retawes Recap". Retawes Recap is basically a 10-15 minute summary of the latest gaming news (In the past 1-3 weeks). As I have a tendency to go off topic, these videos may become more of a discussion than summary of the topics in our gaming society.

Note: As this is my first video/vlog, I am particularly more nervous than I have ever been! So, please ignore my occasional "ums", awkward pauses and such as I only speak from my mind and not from a piece of paper. This is so that my 'fans' or 'viewers' get to understand what I am like or about without any edits or without portraying myself as someone I am not. Hope you enjoy!