Scary Game for Halloween - Dead Space

Scary movies on TV, haunted houses getting constructed and people dressing up in scary and not so scary costumes can only mean one thing; Halloween night is almost upon us.

While there may be parties to attend and houses to trick-or-treat at, there is more to do to have fun.

There are plenty of choices when it comes to scary video games. However, I feel there is one game that personifies horror the best, and that is game is "Dead Space."

"Dead Space" takes place in the 26th century where humans have space travel and colonize planets. You play as Isaac Clarke, a talented systems engineer who must travel to the ship his girlfriend, Nicole, was stationed on to answer a distress call.

The game takes place on the Ishimura, the ship Nicole was stationed on as well as the planet the Ishimura was mining on. As soon Isaac's ship reaches the Ishimura, things go terribly wrong. The game then revolves around Isaac trying to find Nicole and find out what happened on the Ishimura that lead to the distress call.

As the story unfolds, we are introduced to the enemy of the game, the necromorphs, which are reanimated corpses of the ships crew. The necromorphs are also linked to a rapidly growing religious cult called the Church of Unitology. The church worships an idol known as the "black marker" and it's the reason the necromorphs are created. The church believes beconing a necromorph is the next step in life and salvation.

With all of this going on, Isaac must find his away around a failing ship and an unknown planet to stop this threat before it gets worse.

Now "Dead Space" has all the tools to be a great game, and it is, but we're here to discuss the horror aspect only.

"Dead Space" succeeds in three major areas of the horror scene: atmosphere, sounds and visuals.

The atmosphere is like a haunted mansion in space. The Ishimura is now a derelict ship with systems failing and structures falling apart. There are Blood stained walls and floors with dead bodies everywhere making it a trek no one would want to take. The bodies add to the fear because they can become necromorphs at any moment.

Necromorphs will drop down in front of you and attack relentlessly as well. It can make anyone's heart stop and is a great scare factor. If the creeping fear from the stale and too quiet atmosphere wasn't enough, things go up a notch with necromorphs coming from the ceiling, walls or even floor panels to scare you.


The atmosphere leads right into the creepy sounds that never stop. You can hear things fall down, caused by a necromorph or just from the ship falling apart. You never know and it keeps players on their toes. There are also instances of cries and moans coming from the walls. It could be a necromorph or could just be Isaac's mind beginning to break down.

There is also the fear caused by no sound at all. Music will play in certain spots and in some of the rooms you will hear the creepy cries and moans. But it many areas, there is no sound at all. The absence of sound can really amp up the scare factor because when you do hear a loud sound, it scares you into making a defensive move only to find out the sound is from a door opening for you or an elevator coming down.

The visuals go in with the atmosphere as well. The Ishimura is a very dark place. Lights flicker on and off constantly and in most areas, the power is down and it's complete darkness with Isaac's flashlight the only source of light. It makes walking through the ship a slow process. The fear of enemies coming around the corner, or ship hazards hazards hurting you in the dark is not an easy one.

If the darkness wasn't enough, the necromorphs also help wth the visuals. Some of the necromorphs look just like the ship crew, except the eyes are glowing and hollow and they look dead. However, many of them no longer look human, and are not grotesque monsters with sharp scythe-like arms and their heads look like they've been melted down to the bone. It's scary to look at and even worse when they grab on to you to try and rip your head off.


These three factors create an amazing ambiance and very scary one. "Dead Space" covers the slow almost ever-present fear from games like "Silent Hill" and "Fatal Frame," as well as the shock value and bursting enemies from games like "Resident Evil" and "System Shock."

It's the perfect game to play during the Halloween season. Not only will it scare you, but it'll also be a rewarding experience because it's a great game. So take a break from the movie marathon or the scary parties, and give yourself a healthy scare with "Dead Space." It will be worth the fear to play.

Abandoned Territories Map Pack Review

With the release of the new map pack DLC for the "The Last of Us" I've had some time to play all the maps. So far, every map has been enjoyable and offer something new to the game that refreshes the experience of multiplayer.

Suburbs

All photos taken courtesy from IGN

Suburbs is the best looking map of the four.

For a map set out in the open damaged by the viral outbreaks, the trees and scenery are vibrant and colorful. It's one of the few maps where overgrowth of nature is present. Huge trees and beautiful rose bushes and tulips are everywhere.

What I like about the map is how it is built on a hill. At the bottom is more level gameplay. There's no second level on the houses so all the fighting is one level.At the top of the hill, the houses have two-levels inviting vertical shooting. The middle area's is mostly open, with RVs and trucks for cover. The houses are all on the sides with some backyard areas to move around.

This map is great for stealth fighting. With all the houses for cover and the ability to move through them or around them in the middle or far side makes it easy to hide. I really like all the vantage points to shoot at all lurking enemies and with a silenced weapon, leaves you safe for the most part.

A fun map and great edition to the multiplayer roster.

Bookstore

Bookstore is a map I had high hopes for. Unfortunately, it did not deliver as much as I was hoping.

The map is in a very closed and confined space. There is a little bit of an outside area around the actual bookstore, but not very much. All of the fighting will be happening inside.

As for the bookstore, there are two levels. It's not a very big area at all so there really isn't much room for stealth. It's possible, with all of the book shelves and multiple entrances, but really, this is a meet in the center and duke it out kind of map.

One thing I don't like about the map is all of the item boxes are on the bottom level, nothing on the top. It really de-emphasizes the top level. It's easy to go on top but there really isn't a great vantage point to shoot people on the bottom level. That's my real gripe with the map. The map description said it would involve vertical shooting game play, but that doesn't really exist. It leaves a lot to be desired and is a real let down for the map.

In the end, Bookstore is really just a basic map, and really doesn't seem worth the money.

Hometown

Hometown is definitely my favorite map of the pack.

The dimensions of the map are huge. It's like one big scrapyard. Tons of debris to hide behind like buses and cars, along with many broken down buildings to sneak through. It's also set at night time, so another perfect map for stealth.

The key to this map is sticking with the group. There are areas where you can be seen from multiple angles, inviting cross-fire action. So sticking close to team mates really helps.

The best part of this map and why it' my favorite is the scope of it all. An area full of dilapidated buildings and run down equipment, it really embodies what the world has become. So it makes sense to fight in area where you're hiding behind buses and crawling through buildings trying to find someone to attack. It's also main character from the single player Joel's hometown, hence forth the name.

The item boxes are spread out evenly as well making it a must to make a few trips around the map. Any map that makes teamwork important is a positive for me.  Combined with a great ambiance and multiple shooting angels, Hometown will be a popular choice.

Bus Depot

Bus Depot feels like the biggest of the new maps and players can get lost in the scope of it all.

As you would expect, there are many buses to hide behind and crawl on top of for vantage shooting. There are also two large areas around the actual depot center for fire-fights.

One side is the ticket center. It is split into two rooms with only one door connection them. The fighting can get filtered to that one door opening for team to flank around and enter through the opening on the other side.

The other side has a two-level building that's really just an enclosed room with stairs. It's only use is to get to a vantage point to shoot from above.

The center of the map is where all the buses are and have some good open-shooting areas for teams to participate in. There are also alley ways where people can either get lost, or filter running enemies into for easy shooting.

Giraffes will also roam around the outside of the map, which adds some scenic views for players.

Verdict

All in all, for non-season pass owners, the Abandoned Territories is $10 and it's worth it.  
8/10

Abandoned Territories Map Pack released for 'The Last of Us'

The new map pack, "Abandoned Territories" was released today for "The Last of Us" multiplayer. The map pack includes four new maps, "Suburbs," "Hometown," "Bus Depot" and "Bookstore."

It's available for free if the season pass was purchased, otherwise the map pack is $9.99 on it's own.

Patch 1.05 is also available for download and re-tools some online play. Some of the tweaks include:

• More balance changes to item box drops 
• Comeback weapons will spawn in more uneven games and not in close games
• Skill changes to Brawler making Brawler 1 add health when hitting with melee weapons and Brawler 2 now makes modded weapons more durable 
• Joining a match after two minutes of game time played does not count towards clan progress or missions
• Interrogation mode no longer ends in a tie unless both teams are tied in the unlock process
• Molotov fire now interrupts unlocking a box

The new maps look fun and more info will come once played.  

'The Last of Us' Multiplayer Class: Melee

Hello again, and welcome to another installment in class building for "The Last of Us" multiplayer. Today, I bring a class for the people who just want to attack and be a brutal force on the field.

This class focuses on melee attacking and really, that's it. It's a class best suited for Interrogation mode rather then Survival or Supply Raid.

Assault Class - Melee

Small Firearm - Shorty

Large Firearm - Empty

Skill Slot 1 - Brawler 2

Skill Slot 2 - Marathon Runner 2

Skill Slot 3 - First-Aid Training 1

Skill Slot 4 - Strategist 2

Purchasable Weapon - None

The reason for the shorty is just to have a weapon. Since everything you'll be doing is close range combat, having the shorty as a weapon is really the only logical choice. It has spread and great close-range damage.

No need for a large firearm since the shorty covers everything for you.

As for the skills, I've picked them because of the way they work together. Skill Synergy is important in this game to survive and excel.

Brawler 2 makes it so you can make melee weapons faster. It also adds a stamina point to melee weapons so you can instant-down enemies twice instead of once. You also gain life for every melee hit making this a very key skill.

Marathon Runner 2 makes it so you can run longer and recover to run again faster.

First-Aid Training makes it so you heal 75% faster, which is good because you will be getting hit.

Finally, Strategist 2 allows you to see near by enemies on radar even if they are not running. Extremely useful for finding unprepared prey.

Strategy

The whole idea of this class is to roam on your own and melee as many people as possible. Yes, not very team oriented, but not every class needs to be.

The obvious first step is to find a supply box with a two-by-four weapon and put a shiv on it. After that, the fun begins.

What makes this class work is the skill synergy. Each skill leads to another helping you survive and deal tons of damage.

Roam around the map keeping an eye on your radar. Once you see an enemy, make your way toward them, not running just yet.  As you get close, make a run for it and strike them with your melee weapon.

Don't stick around to long to execute your enemy. Usually, people play in packs, so finding someone alone won't happen very often. After downing someone, don't worry to much about finishing the job. Your team mates can take the kill and let you focus on the other person.

The general motion is to melee someone down, run away, regroup while the other player figures if they will pick-up the fallen player or look for you and then finish off the second player. It's all about quick strikes.

Having Marathon Runner on makes for an easy and fast escape. If any damage was taken, which usually is the case, heal up and go back out there. You will gain health for every hit, but if you're not close enough to get in another hit, running away is the best option.

That's really it. Simple task honestly. What makes this class fun is you can rack up the downs quickly and get free executions when available.

All of your parts spending will be going to armor. Armor is great for this class because you will be getting shot, all the time. Armor doesn't protect from melee damage, but it definitely stops bullets from downing you. The 50 percent reduction is key to survival. 

It's also good to know that if you align yourself right in the path of your opponent, using the melee command will lunge at them.It's not 100 percent effective, but it works most of the time.

As I mentioned earlier, this is a class better used in Interrogation because deaths are not factor in points. You will die quite a bit when learning this class so it's a good idea to practice on Interrogation mode.

It's also a good class for Interrogation mode because it's a fun class to use a defender of the safe. Downing players is more important then executions in Interrogation so a class like this is perfect. 

It's a fun class and gets the job done. It may not be perfect, but running around and bashing people over the head with shiv laced two-by-fours is an enjoyable way to play "The Last of Us."

'The Last of Us' Multiplayer Class: Healer

After playing "The Last of Us" for the past few months, Ive really enjoyed the customization the multiplayer offers. I've found many set-ups that work, and some that don't. I've also noticed some that work extremely well and I wanted to bring that knowledge out for all new and veteran players of "The Last of Us."

This first set-up I bring is a support class focusing on healing that should keep any team alive and generate tons of parts.

Support Class - Healer

Healer class at work

Small Firearm - Revolver

Large Firearm - Semi-Auto Rifle

Skill Slot 1 - Marathon Runner 1

Skill Slot 2 - First-Aid Training 3

Skill Slot 3 - Reviver 3 

Skill Slot 4 - Empty

Purchasable - None


I use this set-up when I play with friends or with random players. I've always been a fan of healer roles in multiplayer games. When done right, a healer class can be the x-factor in winning a match. Many multiplayer games don''t offer this, so when it's given, someone should really play it.

I go all in for healing and reviver skills because it's essential to this set-up for obvious reasons. With all six points for first-aid and all four for reviver, no one should even come close to dieing.

With First-Aid Training 3, even a player in red health should be back to full health in about five seconds. With Reviver 3, the time it takes to revive someone should take about three seconds and the player is revived with more health then on a lower reviver skill.

The one point in Marathon Runner is important because it helps escape danger and get to a hurt or fallen team mate faster.

The weapons of choice are up to you really. I suggest getting a large firearm for the sole purpose of self-protection. However, if you feel adequate enough with just a small firearm, putting in the last two points into marathon runner doesn't hurt.

I don't recommend putting a silencer on your weapons because most of the shooting you do will be with other players, no stealth required. 

Strategy

Whether with friends or random players, sticking to at least one team mate is key. The obvious strategy is to move as one unit, so sticking around your team mates is where you need to be.

The best part of First-Aid Training is it lets you heal players while they move or shoot. When a player is shooting an enemy, keep an eye out for damage. The need to shoot with them is strong but don't make it a priority.

Finding that balance of when to shoot and heal is key. It's fine to shoot back but the number one priority is to keep team mates upright and shooting. Let them do the brunt of the work. Getting carried away with wanting to be in the fire-fight could mean the difference between winning and losing.

Take into account the terrain to dictate on how offensive you should be. If in a well-protected area where the only risk of being shot is from peaking out to shoot out of a window or over a wall, you can be more offensive. However, don't let having Reviver 3 be an excuse for letting players get downed.

If the area is more open and you and your team mates are more susceptible to fire from all sides, sticking back and just waiting to heal is the route to go. It keeps everyone alive and constantly shooting rather then having to sit back and heal themselves.

You should be spending all your parts on armor upgrades. Since you're focusing on healing, it's inevitable to get shot. Having the armor on makes everything easier. 

The role of healer sounds boring and it can be, but it's an essential part in winning. Keeping players healthy and being able to revive them quickly keeps points off the board for your opponents. Revives are just as important as executions, remember that. 

It takes a few tries to get the hang of it, but once you do it's worth it. You'll also notice the points racking up. I've made the top of the list multiple times even though I only have three or four downs with one or two executions. Players will also appreciate the support, so don't be afraid to try this class out.

New Maps coming to 'The Last of Us'

Naughty Dog has announced new multiplayer maps coming to "The Last of Us" on October 15 for season pass holders.

The add-on will bring four new maps to play, each with it's own unique variable. "Suburbs" with have a dust storm for players to contend with, "Bus Depot" has wild giraffes, "Hometown" is a night level encouraging stealth play and "Bookstore" is a two-level map adding in vertical game play.

The maps look amazing and the concept of vertical game play is intriguing. Instead of being on a level playing field, combatants will have to keep their eyes rolling to find the target or escape the threat, similar to the "Dam" map.

Photo credit: IGN

Hopefully new weapons and abilities will be introduced to vary the set-ups players can't use. They're a good amount of options now, but the more merrier to keep the game fresh. New customizations were announced but it seems to be on the cosmetic side like new outfits, emblems and hats.

The next pack won't arrive until late December/early January and it will be for the single-player. The last pack announced will not arrive until next year and will multiplayer focused. 

UPDATE: 'The Last of Us' adds new interrogation mode

-----------UPDATE------------

The new patch, 1.03, including the interrogation play type for "The Last of Us" was released today.

Interrogation mode plays out similar to a capture the flag mode crossed with the execution mode from the "Gears of War" franchise. The flag part is finding the safe and the execution part is interrogation.

The match is 15 minutes long. To find the safe and code, players must interrogate five enemies. The interrogations last about five seconds and if a player is shot at during the process, the interrogation does not count.

Interrogations are needed to find the enemy safe.

Once the five interrogations is reached, the safe is located and players can go to try and open it. There are three tiers to each safe. Once one tier is passed, it is saved so if it isn't finished, you don't have to start from the beginning.

As the match goes on, the safe cracking gets faster and faster until the timer runs out. If no safe is opened after 15 minutes, the match ends in a tie.

Interrogation mode is much more team based then the other two modes. It's easy to get the interrogations, but it takes a team to attack the enemy safe and protect your own.

Different strategies can be employed like setting up bomb traps around your safe or having a dedicated defender protecting it.

Interrogation is a fun game type and a welcomed addition to an already fun online experience. Try and play it with friends, as its more fun and rewarding to work with friends to win in a mode like this.

Other additions from patch 1.03 include: matchmaking fixes, stopping a person from an execution and having your teammate still alive, less time to revive someone and being able to revive a teammate from a further distance.

Hopefully this isn't the last addition to "The Last of Us" but this patch should satisfy many players for the time being.

PlayStation Multiplayer Needs Help

The PlayStation 3 has seen a huge rise since it's troubled start back in 2006. Now, the PlayStation 3 is on par with the other major consoles and even excels in some areas like graphics and original games.

However, one area the PS3 still struggles with is multi-player accessibility.

I was playing my PS3 and wanted to play "Tomb Raider" with a friend. I thought it would be easy to just get into a lobby and search for a game: Wrong.

For Tomb Raider, there was no option to create a party with friends. The only place to make one was to create a private game where you can't play other people, only friends. It shouldn't be this difficult to play a simple online match with a friend.
                                
It's possible to invite a friend to a game if there is room, but the process of inviting a friend takes too long, and when you finally send the invite the spot is taken. It's a ridiculous process and really takes away from the fun.

This isn't the case for all PS3 games thankfully. "The Last of Us" makes it a simpler process to create a party before venturing out into the online realm. The same is for many of the sports game as well.

For consoles, the best online experience comes from the Xbox 360. It's easy to join a party outside of a game and chat with friends. It's easy to join a friend in a match, so easy it only takes one button. For the PS3, it's a like a checklist: You have to go to the home page, find the friend, create a message and then the invite is sent.

If this problem of making a party in the game to find matches were the only problem, then it's really not that big of a problem, more of an annoyance. But the real problem is how hard it is to communicate with someone outside of a game.

The Xbox 360 really spoiled me on interacting with people online. It's so easy to make a party and talk with friends then go into a match. I was expecting it to be that easy with the PS3, but it's not.

There is a party chat function on the PS3, but you can only use it in the home page area and it only supports one-on-one chat. It also is only available to people with video cameras. If no video camera is attached, you can only text chat, not voice chat. If you want to bring the conversation into a game, you need to form another party in the game.

The PS3 loves to boast how advanced it is. That it's not just a game console but much more. So I don't understand how hard it is to make a chat function and invite system that is user friendly and make it easy to play with multiple friends. It really makes playing multi-player games on the PS3 a hassle.

Hopefully the PlayStation 4 will fix all of this. It really doesn't seem that hard to fix honestly. Still, Sony has promised and new and better way to play games so it's time to stay optimistic and hope Sony pulls through.

An Ode to Sonic CD

Sonic the Hedgehog has been my favorite game series since I was a kid. The First game I can remember playing was "Sonic The Hedgehog 2" when I got a Sega Genesis for Christmas when in elementary school.

Since then, I've played almost every Sonic game I can get my hands on. One game always seem to elude me however, "Sonic CD." Thankfully, Xbox Live gave me the opportunity to finally play this game, and it was worth the wait.

I always thought "Sonic CD" was released a year or two after "Sonic & Knuckles," but it actually was released a year after "Sonic 2." Back when there wasn't the internet at my finger tips, I had no idea that the two major people responsible for the first sonic game couldn't agree on the second. So they broke up and decided to make their own sonic games.

Since the Sega CD console wasn't cheap, more people played "Sonic 2." However, "Sonic CD" was released to good acclaim and became a hidden treasure. I never knew why, but after playing it the past week, I see why it is.

"Sonic CD" in the grand scheme of old sonic games pretty much embodied the trend in the videogame industry at the time. Sega was in an arms race with Nintendo for video game supremacy. Both companies were trying to one-up each other with games and gadgets. So "Sonic CD" took the first sonic game and tried to do as many new things as they could leading to the story, game play and atmosphere being innovative.

When you think of a Sonic game, the story is pretty simple. Sonic defeats the mad scientist Robotnik and his machines to keep the world clean and natural. "Sonic CD" actually played that out without anyone having to read a manual to understand it. The opening cinematic sums up the story well enough. Sonic finds a small world Robotnik is trying to control.

The player then finds out the new game play mechanic that makes this game special. Sign posts throughout the game labeled "past" or "future" allow sonic, when traveling at a constant high speed, to go into the past or future of the level.

This added a completely new angle to playing sonic. Sure, getting through the level as fast as possible was still there, but it came with a cost. It would lead to the "bad future."

This leads to the atmosphere. With Robotnik and his robots on the planet, he wants to turn the world into one huge industrialized mechanic nightmare. If player's reach the bad future, the background and level become polluted with smog and poisoned water. The level's music even gets somber and more mechanical, destroying the once beautiful land.

However, going to the past, the level is prehistoric, untouched by modern technology. The music is simpler and there are less hazards and enemies. There is a machine creating the robots, and if Sonic destroys it, it makes the good future where the world is in perfect balance with machine and nature.

It makes finding the past sign posts, and avoiding the future ones a challenge. No other Sonic game from the Genesis era played like this. Most levels followed a linear straight forward path. "Sonic CD" challenged that and made huge levels to explore. It's a nice mix of speed and exploration, a unique experience in a retro Sonic game.

It's also fun to see each level in the past, present and good/bad future. The same level can look drastically different. Another level, tidal tempest, is a water level at the foot of a volcano in the present. There are structures in the background resembling a shrine.

In the past, the level looks as if it's now in a cave of a volcano, before man has changed it. In the good future, the level now looks like a clean futuristic temple. The rock formations blend in smoothly with the added metal, like it belongs together. In the bad future, no more natural rock remains, replaced with decrepit structures and Robotniks face everywhere.

The attention to detail was second-to-none and it really makes "Sonic CD" stand out. This game also brought us Metal Sonic and Amy Rose, two characters represented in the modern Sonic games.

It's amazing to look back and see what game developers accomplished with the limited technology they had. Playing it now, it really doesn't feel like the game has aged. I felt that rush of playing a new game, even though it was released 20 years ago.

I'm glad I've been able to play and appreciate this game. There are still a few other Sonic games I need to play, but being able to cross this game off the list has been a rewarding and entertaining experience.