Phoenix Wright - Ace Attorney Trilogy [used]

In the interest of full disclosure, I should probably point out the fact I’ve got Phoenix Wright’s silhouette, from the logo, tattooed on my forearm. I’ve played (and loved) every game in the series, multiple times. There’s a framed print of the Japanese movie poster on my bedroom wall. What I’m saying is, there’s no way I’m not going to recommend Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy, Capcom’s long-awaited Nintendo 3DS remake of… well, a Nintendo DS remake of a Game Boy Advance series. Rather than asking ourselves, “Are these games worth playing?”, let’s turn our thinking around in true Phoenix Wright style and tackle the far more important question: “Are these games worth playing on the Nintendo 3DS?”

Originally released in Japan in the early 2000s, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and its trilogy mates, Justice for All and Trials and Tribulations, have garnered a worldwide following, becoming one of the best-known series of point-and-click adventure games ever made. Since then, there’s been two further sequels, two spinoffs, and even a Professor Layton crossover, and the series shows no signs of slowing down. Ask most fans, though, and they’ll tell you the original trilogy is still where the best, most exciting storylines are to be found.

Out now on Nintendo 3DS comes Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy. It follows its eponymous hero, rookie defence attorney Phoenix Wright, as he takes on a variety of seemingly unsolvable murder cases – 14, to be exact, giving this compilation a hefty 50-60 hours of gameplay value. In Phoenix’s world, the courts have collapsed under the strain of spiralling crime rates, forcing the government to introduce a new “Initial Trial” legal system where trials must wrap up in three days or less – and suspects are guilty until proven innocent.

Typically, you’ll start each case by meeting your client at the Detention Centre, then heading to the crime scene to gather evidence, interview witnesses, and chase up leads. It may not sound incredibly exciting and, make no mistake, you’ll spend the bulk of your time in these games pressing “A” to progress through reams and reams of dialogue. This isn’t an action-packed, full-3D adventure with shooting and driving and swearing and, like, plane hijacking and all that. Phoenix Wright is an altogether more sedate experience, but that’s exactly what’s so great about it. Sitting down to play these games is like sitting down to read a pile of really exciting Choose Your Own Adventure books.

An excellent cast of zany, fully fleshed-out characters like Phoenix’s mentor Mia Fey, her spirit medium sister Maya, and hapless detective Dick Gumshoe, keep things feeling pacey and intriguing, and the games never get frustratingly difficult – evidence is usually pretty easy to find, and you won’t be allowed to progress until you’ve uncovered all the information you’re going to need in court. The main problem, really, is the lack of a quick-travel system: to get from the Studio Two trailer to Will Powers’ dressing room in the third case, you literally have to click through every location in order, as if you were walking through them in real life. Trailer. Outside Studio Two. Outside Studio One. Studio – Main Gate. Employee Area. Dressing Room. In cases with lots of locations, that can be a right pain in the arse.

When your investigation wraps up, you’ll head to the courtroom to face off against genius prosecutors in a string of intense “courtroom battles”. By keeping a close eye on the evidence in the Court Record, you’ll be able to help Phoenix spot contradictions in witness testimonies and, eventually, find the astonishing truth behind each case. The games’ hammy, Japanese-silly style makes you feel like you’re playing Street Fighter in a courtroom; text appears with flashes, shakes, and sound effects that clue you in on how characters are feeling, while interjections like “Objection!”, “Hold it!”, and “Take that!” punch their way onto the screen in big red speech bubbles. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy is guaranteed to make you laugh, but you’ll probably find yourself blinking away tears at times, too, as your favourite characters go through real tragedies and deal with real, human emotions.

With redrawn, HD animations, remastered music and voice clips, and cleaned-up dialogue, Capcom is clearly hoping this will be the definitive Ace Attorney experience for new players. You can definitely tell some love and care has gone into this release which, after the insultingly bad iOS versions, is really nice to see – but dragging a 10-year-old trilogy into the present isn’t without its problems. While the character animations look clearer and more consistent than they used to, there are some missing frames of animation and some of the graphics have a “low-quality JPEG” look about them. And the 3D evidence, which admittedly only appears as a gimmick in one case, hasn’t been touched at all – it looks horribly blocky and dated by today’s standards.

Aside from a subtle-yet-comfortable stereoscopic 3D effect (think “cardboard cut-outs in front of painted backdrops”), the developers haven’t even made any effort to modernise the games. There’s no dialogue history, no chapter-select menu, no hint system, no behind-the-scenes galleries… You get the feeling Capcom’s done the absolute minimum to get the trilogy up and running on the Nintendo 3DS. Luckily, Ace Attorney has always been about the story, so none of these downsides are enough to detract from what is still one of the best, most emotionally investing gameplay experiences around. Whether you’re a long-time series fan looking to recapture the days of your youth (“like the scent of fresh lemon”, you see?), or are just hearing about these games for the first time, you’ll struggle to find better value for money than this compilation. While Capcom hasn’t done anything really ground-breaking here, I’m happy to say Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy is absolutely the best way of playing these games.

Giving it anything less than 4/5 would be a crime so serious, even Phoenix wouldn’t want to defend me.

★★★★☆

Mike Lee

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Belle [used]

Directed by Amma Asante and starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Tom Wilkinson, Belle is a period drama, akin to Girl with a Pearl Earring in the respect that it’s a semi-accurate biopic based on a real life person from a real life painting. Out now on DVD and Blu-Ray is Belle, and it’s pretty much everything you want and expect from a film in this vein. It’s the first British film to be shot in true-4k which makes it fortunate that it’s a damn good film. It's not for everyone I grant you, you will probably hate it if you dislike period dramas and even more so if you are racist.

Belle begins with the admission by a gentleman that he has a daughter that he loves very dearly. Society however deems it negative that he has had this child illegitimately with a black woman and this raises many issues. Unfortunately he has to leave her with her aunt. This raises interesting but heavy subjects early on, and it doesn’t take long before subjects such as racism, gender inequality and slavery are introduced. The film is handled so delicately however that the plot is primarily about the usual Austen-esque sexist dreams of English Literature students. Women jumping with excitement over their possibilities of being married to a man who is essentially buying them as a status symbol, and all the other stuff that a lot of people miss and idolise yet would be shameful to admit out of context. 

While the delicate back and forth arrangements of trying to find a rich husband for the pretty girls is going on, there is also a darker sub plot that is most real and most unpleasant. The Zong case was an ongoing law battle on whether or not a fraud had been committed with someone disposing of cargo while during a voyage. The cargo in this case was a collection of black slaves that had been thrown overboard, either because the ship was running out of drinking water and therefore the slaves had to be disposed of so the white sailors could survive, or they were thrown over because they were no longer considered to be worth any money. 

Attention is drawn to the fact that traditionally black people were always depicted as lower, physically speaking, on portraits often servants and the like. The famous painting of Dido Elizabeth Belle is the first to have a black person seen to be equal to her white counterpart.  The film was described by Amma Asante as being a story about race interwoven through a traditional Jane Austen story, and it’s seamlessly done.  The film is very beautiful and poignant and yet nonetheless mainstream entertainment. 

The struggle of Belle and her friends and families are all very well illustrated, torn between understanding what is right and what is socially acceptable. If only Northern Ireland politicians (not all of them just most of them), would watch this film and realise that trying to enforce a law that allows people to be bigots in the name of their religion so they don’t have to serve gay people is exactly the same thing as the sexual and racial oppression we used to have. Perhaps they would watch this and suggest giving the go ahead to being racist in the name of your personal made up imaginary friend in the sky also. God they really are complete idiots. At best I think this film may iron out a few creases in the mind of an already relatively liberal minded person, but it is a film worth watching and as period dramas go, one of the best. 

Belle is excellent drama and gets 4/5.

★★★★☆

Dave Roberts

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The Top 10 Games of 2014 (1) [used]

We're finally down to our number 1 game of the year. Let's be honest, you knew this was coming, right? Did your favourite game turn up on our list? If not, let us know about it on the CeX Facebook page.

1- Grand Theft Auto V

It's a somewhat strange feeling knowing that the best game of 2014 was also the best game of 2013. But despite my near biased love for all things Grand Theft Auto related, I honestly think that Rockstar's recent re-release of Grand Theft Auto V warrants the top spot on our list. This re-release drops us back into the world we all fell in love with in 2013, but through a few new additions it makes the world, characters and story feel incredibly fresh and vibrant.

My love for the Grand Theft Auto series goes way back to 1997. Still only on disc 2 of Final Fantasy VII by the time the original Grand Theft Auto came out,  I wasn't planning to divert my attention away from Squaresofts RPG masterpiece any time soon. However, a friend of mine got Grand Theft Auto as a birthday present, so it was in my reach... plus they meant I didn't have to pay for it. Yeah, I'm a cheap bastard, sue me. Like myself, my friend was around 12-13 years old in 1997, but his parents didn't mind buying Grand Theft Auto for him. Maybe they didn't think the series would turn into the huge “murder simulator” most parents think it is nowadays, but regardless they overlooked the big 18's rating on the front. Thank you Mr and Mrs Kelly, thank you. I met up with my friend one evening after school. He had a brown paper bag in his hands, and like some kind of a drug deal you might see in an episode of The Wire, he sneakily slipped the bag into my hand. We parted ways without words, and as I peaked into the bag I read the words “Grand Theft Auto” on the CD game. Hell yes. From when I first popped that disc into my Playstation I was hooked on the series. From siding with the Krishna's in Grand Theft Auto 2, trying to figure out where the hell Donald Love went to in Grand Theft Auto 3, the shoot-out at the end of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, trying to “FOLLOW THE DAMN TRAIN” in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and bowling with Roman in Grand Theft Auto 4, the series has been with me for the past 17 years. Grand Theft Auto V is no different, and the impact it has made on the gaming community over the past year is incredible. This re-release just proves that a game created back in 2013 can still blow anything “new” out of the water.

Grand Theft Auto V deserved to be the best game of 2013 because it perfected the Grand Theft Auto formula. However, it deserves to be also named the best game of 2014 because, with some simple additions to gameplay, it still stands up even in the face of titles developed solely for the current-generation. Now out on PS4 and Xbox One, the game places the player in the sprawling city of San Andreas, and for the first time in the series the game lets the player control three entirely different characters. First up there's Michael, a former bank robber who now finds himself living the life of a bored house husband. Then there's Franklin, a young man who grew up on the streets who looks to Michael as a mentor. Finally there's Trevor, the wild card of the group. Trevor used to run with Michael back in the day, and after a few years in prison and away from a life of crime, Trevor is eager to get back into the game. However, as these three men decide to team up to try and pull off a huge bank heist, personal problems, home life, future aspirations and outside influences try and tear them apart. The story and writing here is truly excellent, and each character that you'll play as is impressively created, superbly written and very nuanced.

Outside of the story Grand Theft Auto V offers gameplay like no other game out there. Though missions are given to you by various characters across the city and often follow templates like assassination, tailing a car, drug dealing or transporting cars and vehicles, the game never treads over old ground. Throughout its entirety Grand Theft Auto V is brimming with exciting missions that impress, surprise and entertain. From thrilling to shocking to hilarious, Grand Theft Auto V's missions cover a lot of emotional ground. That said, the true genius of the game comes about between missions, and often beyond the scripted scenes of the game. Whether you decide to shoot up the city and resist the SAPD to take you alive, venture up to the mountains to take part in some dirt bike racing, climb Mount Chiliad and skydive off it, drive a pick-up truck around the rural areas of San Andreas with Rebel Radio on your radio, hunt the various wild animals across San Andreas or simply just explore the world before you, almost anything is possible here. However, though the world has been graphically improved in this re-release, what puts a whole new spin on the game is the much talked about first-person mode. While many will assume that first-person mode in a Grand Theft Auto game is gimmicky, it's ultimately hugely successfully in giving the player a whole new perspective on the city. Action feels more tense. The city of San Andreas feels more detailed and sprawling. The back roads and dingy bars feel more atmospheric. Shooting, fighting and driving feels more real. Basically, playing while using first-person mode revolutionises the gameplay, and not only makes it feel more real and tactile, but essentially improves upon Grand Theft Auto V in every way. I'm not saying I want future Grand Theft Auto games to be solely first-person based, but using this mode after finishing the game breaths new life into it. It's bloody awesome and makes non-scripted action set pieces look like scripted, highly orchestrated and nicely shot Hollywood movies.

I know some gamers will disagree with naming Grand Theft Auto V the best game of the year, but while we all have our own opinions, what is fact is that Rockstar didn't go for a half assed re-release of their year old game. No. They tweaked it slightly, but in doing so have given us a fresh perspective on a world that many of us spent many months submerging ourselves in. I play games to be entertained and immersed, and Grand Theft Auto V offers that by the bucket load. For me it all comes back to when I first played the original Grand Theft Auto on the Playstation back in 1997. As I raced around it's top-down perspective world I thought, “this is what games are about- freedom, exploration, fun and harmless fantasy”. The series as a whole nails this sentiment perfectly, but Grand Theft Auto V perfects it. Brilliant.

Grand Theft Auto V on PS4 and Xbox One breath new life into a year old release and claims our number 1 spot.

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The Top 10 Games of 2014 (4-2) [used]

2014 was the year of the next-generation consoles the Playstation 4 and the Xbox One. Well, technically they're now considered current-generation, but you know what I mean. However, while there have been many, many interesting and exciting exclusives released on both platforms in 2014, none of them have made our top 10. In fact, almost every entry on our top 10 list are playable on multiple, previous generation platforms. This next batch is no different. Enjoy.

4- Alien: Isolation

Since seeing it when I was around 6, I've always loved Ridley Scott's Alien. It's intense, creepy and though it could have turned into a super generic crappy 70's sci-fi, it remains one of the most iconic films in history. James Cameron's sequel Aliens was fantastic too, and went for a more action orientated approach. It worked though, and and propelled the heroine Ellen Ripley into new and interesting territory. I also enjoyed Alien 3. I know some people despise it, and despite it very cruelly killing off both Hicks and Newt, I found it to be a fitting end to the series. Don't even mention Alien: Resurrection. In my mind that didn't happen. Ever. But while Alien 3 did reclaim some of the bleakness Aliens lacked, nothing beats the original. Now, after loads of terrible games based upon the Alien franchise over the years, one has come along that literally does the job perfectly.

Developed by The Creative Assembly, developers mostly known for their Total War series, Alien: Isolation places you in the role of Amanda Ripley, the daughter of Alien series protagonist Ellen Ripley. Set 15 years after the events of Alien, Amanda, working together with the Weyland-Yutani group, sets out to retrieve the flight recorder of the Nostromo, the ship her mother was on when the alien first appeared. Of course, things don't go exactly to plan, but whereas Aliens: Colonial Marines took a massive piss all over the lore and history of the film series, Alien: Isolation's story is smart, non-invasive to the series and incredibly worthwhile.

Alien: Isolation takes a page from the book of Amnesia: The Dark Descent, in the way that gameplay mostly revolves around hiding, escaping, solving puzzles and, above all else, surviving. Though there are other enemies that will get in your way, your main enemy here is of course the alien- the perfect organism. The game gets incredibly unnerving when hiding from the alien, as it can often be pretty close to you. Granted there are bits where you get to wave a gun around, but Alien: Isolation is at its best when there's little or no hope, you find yourself inside a dark vent and the only way to proceed is forward. It's chilling, genuinely shit-your-pants scary and the best entry into the Alien franchise since Aliens.

For it's thrills, chills and kills, Alien: Isolation nabs our number 4.


3- Dragon Age: Inquisition

For the last week, whenever I get the time between playing all the new releases, I've been replaying Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Man, what a game! From deciding to give the serum to Zax for 1000 credits instead of the human Doctor, screwing up that female Twi'lek's dancing audition on purpose, to that big, BIG reveal, it's still one of my favourite games of all time. It was created by Bioware who in recent years have given us both the Mass Effect and Dragon Age franchises. However, over the past two years or so I've seen a massive drop in the quality of their games. Mass Effect 3 was awful and Dragon Age 2 was even worse. So personally there was a lot riding on Dragon Age: Inquisition. Could Bioware get back to their former glory, or were they condemned to slow but surely fade into a shadow of their former selves. Well, seeing as Dragon Age: Inquisition is on this list I'm sure you know the answer already, but it does indeed look like Bioware is back on form.

Taking place around one year after the events of Dragon Age 2, you take on the role of a user created character, and though Dragon Age: Inquisition does break away from the previous two Dragon Age titles in many ways, it keeps the existing lore in its end-of-the-world storyline. In terms of combat, exploration, customization and narrative, Bioware are getting back to their The Knights of the Old Republic and Baldur's Gate level of excellence. This is an RPG that welcomes and satisfies both the hardcore and casual gamer. The world presented here is an open-world, and it's one of the greatest open-worlds I have ever experienced in a game. From lush jungles, desert plains to deep dark caverns, seeking adventure in the land of Thedas stands shoulder to shoulder with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The world is massive, diverse, brim full of interesting areas and a genuine joy to get lost in.

Combat kind of plays like a hybrid between Dragon Age 1 and 2, as while you do have the flashy action based combat of Dragon Age 2 here, you can freeze the gameplay and take into deep consideration what move you'll make next, much like Dragon Age 1 and many old-school RPGs. Essentially the game fits both play-styles, and this success of how much Dragon Age: Inquisition will suit pretty much every gamer's needs is what gives it lasting power. Customization for your team is incredibly in-depth too, and this level of detail runs deep throughout the Dragon Age: Inquisition experience. Your team will grow on you both in terms of personality and in stats, the world will become your playground for adventure and 80+ hours in you'll still have stuff to see and do! Welcome back Bioware.

Dragon Age: Inquisition takes the number 3 spot.


2- Dark Souls 2

Back in the day I used to hate- and I mean HATE- games that were too difficult. You see, I didn't exactly have much patience when I was younger, especially if a game just seemed so unfair. That naturally changed over time, but I never really put it to the test until I played the original Dark Souls released back in 2011. At first it infuriated me, but when I eventually started to realise that my lack of skill was to blame and not the game itself, I stuck with it. It was a trial by fire, but it delivered an experience like no other. Now developer From Software is back at it, as the Dark Souls series has returned to kick to asses of many gamers across the globe.

Dark Souls 2 is set in the dark, grim and almost Gothic world of Drangleic. There are some absolutely incredible environments present, fused with a great sense of geography and location as each level is generally linked up with other levels. From the huge, open areas atop a cliff that give the player a view across the vast roaring ocean, to the smaller settings of merely buying weapons from a blacksmith in Drangleic, the attention to detail here is wonderful. However, this is all fancy dressing to the true focus on the game, even if it is incredibly beautiful and masterful dressing. You see, Dark Souls 2 is all about combat. But this game doesn't hold your hand like 99% of other titles out there, no, as it will excel in kicking your ass time after time.

Offering a massive selection of weapons, armour and attacks right from the outset, Dark Souls 2's combat is the best I've ever seen. If you button bash you'll die in seconds. If you keep spamming attacks you'll have your ass handed to you. Instead you'll need to keep changing up your play-style and character set-up. From using one-handed to two-handed blades, spears, daggers and even going bare fisted, there's enough customization here to suit almost any player. Enemies are fierce, never back down and are pretty much incredibly hard right from the get-go. It's not a game for everyone out there, but if you're looking for a rewarding challenge, you've come to the right place.

Dark Souls 2 almost gets the number 1 spot on our list, but ultimately gets second place.

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The Top 10 Games of 2014 (7-5) [used]

Too many games, so little time. But don't worry, CeX has you covered for the hottest games of the 2014. Our countdown of the top 10 games of 2014 is in full swing now, as we now bring you games 7 through 5. Has your favourite game of 2014 turned up on our list so far?

7- Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor

Since first seeing The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in the cinema way back in 2001, I've been a huge fan of everything Middle-Earth related. Of course, mostly recently Peter Jackson has returned to the world of Middle-Earth with his film trilogy of The Hobbit. I liked The Hobbit, you know, apart from CGI Elves and the Dwarf/Kate from Lost romance. Sadly though, The Hobbit hasn't completely satisfied my need for something more in the vein of The Lord of the Rings. After a long list of good, great and terrible Middle-Earth games by EA, Warners Bros. have all but squandered the potential of the franchise that is now in their hands. However, with the release of Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, they have given us an incredibly awesome open-world adventure.

Set in Mordor before Sauron has poisoned the land with his dark influence, the game places you in the role of Talion, a Gondorian who, alongside his family, is murdered by Orcs at the start of the game. However, after being saved from death by the Wraith Celebrimbor, Talion sets off on a journey beyond the Black Gates of Mordor in order to exact revenge. The story is your typical revenge plot, but the true genius in Shadow of Mordor shines through in it's epic open-world, it's slick combat and the truly game-changing “Nemesis System”.  The open-world of Mordor may not have typical towns, shops or any races beyond Orcs that you might want in a Middle-Earth game, but it's a world that is so well constructed that you'll find yourself pulled into it. From random Orcs settlements strewn around the map, to beautiful and stunning vistas that you'll want to just stop, relax and take in, Monolith Productions have created one of the best open-worlds to date.

Combat is very much like the Batman Arkham series, in the fact that it's free flowing, fast, furious and, of course, incredibly brutal. But the crowning achievement of Shadow of Mordor is the much talked about “Nemesis System”, which essentially creates an ever changing and always shifting hierarchy of Orcs captains and generals. Orcs will remember who you are if you took their eye during combat, they'll be promoted if they've killed you in combat and this hierarchy is a joy to mess around with, play with and, if you're skilled enough, alter in your own favour.

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor was the big surprise of 2014 and gets our number 7 slot on our list.

6- The Evil Within

Something happened to the horror genre in gaming. I can't tell exactly where it went off the rails, but how I gauge its failure is when both the Silent Hill and Resident Evil franchises went belly up. Back in the late 90's/early 2000's Silent Hill and Resident Evil were the go-to games for any horror lover. But after Resident Evil started to focus purely on action packed gameplay and Silent Hill lost its original creators, the genre as a whole kind of followed suit. Sure, we've had some pretty decent horror games since those franchises died, but nothing that compared to the likes of Resident Evil 2 or Silent Hill 3.

One man wanted to change that, and that man is Shinji Mikami, mastermind behind the best entries in the Resident Evil series, and other games such as Killer7, Vanquish and Dino Crisis. The Evil Within is a mix of many horror genres. From body shock horror, psychological horror to paranormal horror, it's a game that simply aims to unsettle and terrify you. And it works. You take on the role of a detective who is investigating the site of a bloody murder. Of course, being a horror game it doesn't all go to plan, as after being knocked out, your character wakes to find the world overrun with creatures, beasts, maniacs and, basically, some pretty f**d up people.

Gameplay pretty much plays out like Resident Evil 4, which much of the games focus being on exploration, survival and puzzle solving. The best parts of The Evil Within come through when the odds are against you and you're facing an enemy (or enemies) that are beyond grotesque. I'm talking guys with metal spikes protruding from their necks, a dude with a safe for a head armed with a huge meat tenderiser and the list goes on. It's terrifying, unnerving and well worth a look.

The Evil Within brought back the glory days of gaming horror, and easily finds its way on our top 10.

5- South Park: The Stick of Truth

I love South Park. Love it. But I also love gaming. But what would happen if both of these loves were combined? Well they already have, as since 1998 there have been many South Park games created. The only problem is that they have all been crap. From Chef's Luv Shack, South Park Rally to South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play!, every one of these South Park games were missing one major ingredient- input by the shows creators, you know, the guys who actually make South Park funny! Well this year all of that changed, as South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, after 4 years in the making, finally released South Park: The Stick of Truth to the world.

The Stick of Truth puts you in the shoes of the new kid in town, and over the course of the game you'll interact with pretty much every South Park character in existence, go up against Nazi zombies (and zombie abortions), venture to the mythical land of Canada, be abducted by aliens, cosplay and battle against fellow kids, attempt to give Randy an abortion and miniaturise yourself and fight a Gnome, all the while your parents are having sex next to you leading to your character having to Matrix dodge his fathers pendulous testicles... Yep. Well, it is South Park after all, right?

The entire town is open to you to explore, and never before have you seen the town like it is here. It suddenly feels like a real location with accurate geography. From leaving your house to go visit Stan, Cartman, the school or simply just going on a fetch quest for Al Gore throughout the town, The Stick of Truth recreates the town of South Park in perfect detail. Though gameplay and combat is essentially just your run-of-the-mill RPG, it's one of- if not the- funniest games I have ever played.

The Stick of Truth nabs our number 5 slot for being the best thing South Parks has done in 6 years.

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The Top 10 Games of 2014 (10-8) [used]

Every year countless games are released for the many different platforms that are out there. PS4, PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox One, 3DS, 2DS, PS Vita, Wii U, PC.... well, you get the idea- the list goes on and on. Due to the fact that my job depends on it, I keep up on game releases and what's going on in the gaming world. But not everyone's job relies of slaving over a keyboard and seeing 1 hour of daylight a week. I've played and reviewed many games in 2014, so in the hope of helping some of you out there cut through the bull, here are the top 10 games of 2014. First up, games 10 to 8.

10- Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

OK, technically this was originally released in 2013 for Xbox 360 and PS3, but seeing as it hit the PC this year, I think it belongs on the list. At the very least see this entry as a reminder of an epic game you probably haven't played! If you haven't, what are you waiting for? Get your ass to CeX!

When I first heard about Revengence I was a little sceptical. Originally announced in 2009, the game, simply known as Metal Gear Solid: Rising at that point, was to take place between the events of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Between those games Raiden was somehow injured and fitted with an exoskeleton. Rising was to tell that story, and bridge a very important gap in the series' time-line. But this game wasn't being helmed by series creator Hideo Kojima, and after a troubled start to production at Konami, he decided to pull the plug. However, the game didn't vanish into a obscurity as he turned to Platinum Games to try their hand at resurrecting it. Known for titles such as Mad World and Bayonetta, Platinum Games brought the game back to life.

Set after the events of Guns of the Patriots, Revengeance pulls Raiden back into the world of war, fighting and death. However, this isn't your typical game in the Metal Gear universe, as instead of stealth it relies on ultra fast combat, button bashing and taking your foes head on. The game puts all of its focus on combat, which by the way is insanely slick and varied. Whether you're kicking a foe up into the air and then proceeding to carefully slice all their limbs off during Revengeance's bullet-time moments, or taking on of the many bosses in fights that are genuinely batshit insane in their levels of awesomeness, Revengeance is completely bad-ass to the bone. Backed up by a rock soundtrack that will get your heart pounding and blood pumping, this is one of two games on our list that were previously released last year, but still wipe the floor with many recent releases.

Though I don't think it should be considered canon within the Metal Gear Solid universe, Revengeance is fast, fun and kicks ass.


9- Child of Light

In 2010 Ubisoft created the game engine known as UbiArt Framework, a powerful engine that would essentially bring back the 2D platformer games of yesteryear in stunning fashion. This engine heralded the return of Rayman, the classic Ubisoft creation that was first introduced to us back in 1995. It also brought us Valiant Hearts: The Great War, a moving game based upon real letters sent to loved one during World War 1. However, the engines biggest accomplishment came about with Child of Light, our number 9 on the top 10 games of 2014.

Child of Light places you in the role of Aurora, a young girl in 1895 who, at the start of the game, dies after succumbing to a disease. However, after her mother casts a powerful protection spell on her, Aurora wakes up in the magical land of Lemuria. The land of Lemuria is in turmoil, as a dark queen has stolen it's sun, stars and moon. As Aurora you must venture across the land to retrieve what the queen has stolen, ultimately bringing peace back to the land. The story is hauntingly beautiful and often moving, but the true wonder of Child of Light comes from its visuals and gameplay.

Gameplay is a wonderful blend of exploration, puzzle solving and combat, and the combat used here is a little reminiscent of Final Fantasy. It's simple yet effective, and can easily be enjoyed by both the hardcore and casual gamer out there. Child of Light looks like a moving painting too, and thanks to the multiple layers of graphics used, it's an incredibly stunning game to behold. From dark forests in the background, a woodland path before you, dimly lit silhouettes in the foreground that often obscure your view, to layers of smoke and mist moving through the level, the attention to detail throughout Lemuria is genuinely beautiful.

Child of Light easily takes the place of all other Ubisoft games you might be expecting in our top 10.


 8- Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

 

The year was 1999, I was 14 and my biggest (and only) obsession in life was Pokémon. Though I know that's the case with any kid nowadays, keep in mind that this was back when Pokémon was completely new. It's still a worldwide sensation today, but back in those days it was monumental. From trying to find Mew under that truck, coming across Missingno and freaking the f**k out in Lavender Town, I loved it all. Whether it was watching the anime, collecting the cards or playing the game, I was hooked. Well, I was hooked until my mother sold my Pokémon Blue cartridge that had my level 100 Gengar on it, but that's a story for another day...

But while I adored Pokémon way back then, I haven't play any of them in over a decade. That said, I was always eager to jump back into the world of Pokémon, and that came in the form of Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. A remake of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire (which I haven't played myself), it brought me straight back to my days of being hunched over my original Gameboy, slaving away to explore, discover and train new and interesting Pokémon. While I can't speak for how much of an improvement these games are on their original incarnations, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire offers up exceptional gameplay that is both challenging and incredibly relaxing.

Packed brim full of awesome Pokémon to pal up with and go on adventures, loads of bosses to fight, varied and exciting places to visit and friends to meet, Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire easily pulled me back into the world of Pokémon that I haven't experienced in over a decade. It's fantastic.

Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire offers true harmless adventure, and despite being a remake finds a way into our top 10.

The Top 10 Games of 2014 at CeX

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Far Cry 4 [used]

Back in 2004 I loved Far Cry. From hunting boar, shooting birds out of the sky, taking out bad guys with my machete or simply just going for a dip in the shark infested waters of the mysterious unnamed island, I played the hell out of it. After releasing Far Cry developer Crytek left the series in the hands of Ubisoft, who, after ruining the series with the truly awful Instincts and Vengeance, saved the series with 2008's Far Cry 2. I believe Far Cry 2 was, and still is, the best of the series. Taking place in Africa and featuring some pretty realistic survival gameplay in terms of guns jamming and having to take Malaria medicine, it was a thrilling and dangerous experience. Far Cry 3 didn't do much for me though, and now we have yet another entry in the Far Cry series. However, does it make its own mark on the franchise like Far Cry 2 did, or is it simply more of the same as what we saw in Far Cry 3. Sadly, the latter may be true.

Developed by Ubisoft Montreal and out now for Playstation 4, Playstation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC comes Far Cry 4, a game that, while better than Far Cry 3, is essentially just more of the same. This time the action takes place in Kyrat, a fictional area of Nepal. The region is ruled by the brutal iron fist of Pagan Min, a ruler on one side of an ongoing civil war. You play the role of Ajay Ghale, a guy born in Kyrat that has returned to spread the ashes of his deceased mother. However, he's got some pretty rotten luck as in doing so he's pulled into the civil war that is tearing Kyrat in two. With Pagan Min gunning for him and an entire region of mountains and jungles to explore and discover, it's up to you to decide which side you'll fight for- Pagan Min or the freedom fighters. Sadly though the story in Far Cry 4 is one of its worst elements, as it often comes across as edgy for the sake of being edgy, as if the writer based most of his research for Pagan Min on Tyler Durden and The Joker. This failure in story extends to the characters that populate Kyrat too, as I found myself completely uninterested in them, their struggle and why I should care about them. 

Right from the opening scene the visuals jump out at you. The game can be faulted as being too similar to Far Cry 3 in many areas, but not in the graphics department. Not only are they highly detailed and incredible looking on PS4, Xbox One and PC, but the world of Kyrat is also incredibly varied and different. There are lush jungles, high mountain regions that give stunning views of the Himalayas, small sleepy towns and houses made of wood and stone, and deep rivers and lakes that glisten in the blazing sun. This level of detail of course extends to the wildlife of the region too, which includes Elephants, Snow Leopards, Rhinos, Wolves and, naturally, Honey Badgers. Though not everything is out to get you, the wildlife is that extra piece in the puzzle that leads to Far Cry 4's world feeling incredible alive and vibrant. Though the map is the same size as Far Cry 3's, Ubisoft Montreal have squeezed in far more interesting areas and sights here. Very little space here is wasted, though that's pretty much the best improvement on what Far Cry 3 did previously.

At its heart gameplay is, well, the same as Far Cry 3. With the open-world ahead of you and a huge array of weaponry at your disposal, as Ajay you'll need to complete missions across Kyrat. They come in many different forms. From simple assassination missions in which you can pick off your target from the mountains using a sniper rifle, to more visceral hostage rescue missions that will have you reaching for your machine gun. There's a bevy of mission types to undertake, but if you've played Far Cry 3 you've done it all before. Completing missions will allow you to upgrade your weapons and even Ajay himself. From giving Ajay a better resistance to enemy fire, to allowing him to hold more grenades in his belt, there is something to strive towards in Far Cry 4, even if it all feels painfully similar. Gunplay remains pretty standard for the series too. It's incredibly fun at times, but I must say, I miss the realism of Far Cry 2. Granted having your gun jam every few minutes got a little annoying, but it added an extra layer of danger to an already perilous situation. Sadly, even beyond the lack of gun jamming, Far Cry 4 never really quite feels that dangerous. That in itself kind of destroys a feeling of true adventure.

But Far Cry 4 does have some pretty great moments, some of which come about when Ajay goes on various mystical quests into the legends of Kyrat. It sounds pretty trippy, but in Far Cry 4 you'll also explore the fabled place of Shangri-La. Alongside your magical pet tiger, these missions are a breath of fresh air in the game. But aside from those missions, my best moments with Far Cry 4 were unscripted and outside of the main story quest. It's true, I got the most out of Far Cry 4 when I discovered my own story, journey and path through the game. I congratulate Ubisoft Montreal on creating a game that lets the player carve out their very own adventure, but next time lets hope the main quest is a little more up to snuff.

Far Cry 4 is a little too Far Cry 3 for my liking and gets a 3/5.

★★★☆☆

Denis Murphy 

Far Cry 4 at CeX

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Xmas Buyers Guide For Great Tech [used]

It's getting close to Christmas and you still haven't bought that special someone their gift, right? Well, put away that one-way plane ticket to Mexico and listen up! CeX is here to help you in your time of need, so here's your buying guide for all things tech.

Oculus Rift

Why should I buy it?: Technically the finished consumer version isn't out yet, but the second version of the development kit (DK2) landed earlier this year. Essentially the Oculus Rift is the a virtual reality headset, but what stands it apart from previous efforts since the early 90's is that it actually works. From every head movement, lean and tilt, the Oculus Rift delivers a perfect stereoscopic image to the viewer in real-time. This excellent piece of kit put you into the game like never before, and as someone who has tried it, I can safely say that this is the future of gaming, and perhaps even entertainment itself.

Who should I buy it for?: This is primarily for the hardcore PC gamer. Being a development kit it's not exactly user friendly yet, so whoever receives this in their stocking should be knowledgeable about PCs, and not just simply the kind of person who sees a PC as a Facebook machine.

iPhone 6/iPhone 6 Plus

Why should I buy it?: Another year, another upgrade of the iPhone. While some people are happy with keeping their phones for a few years before upgrading, it's getting to the point now where phones are advancing in leaps and bounds every year. The iPhone 6 is arguable the pinnacle of smartphone market right now. Packing some pretty excellent and powerful hardware inside it's ultra thin case, Apple have blew the competition out of the water yet again.

Who should I buy it for?: You already know the answer to this, right? While anyone would love a new phone for Christmas, this will especially go down well with the Apple fanatic in your life. While Apple fanatics will simply want it because, well, it's an Apple product, thankfully it's also a pretty nice piece of kit to boot.

PS Vita Slim

Why should I buy it?: The PS Vita had a rough start, but can we all stop acting as if it doesn't have any worthwhile games? While I'm all for it's competitor, the Nintendo 3DS, the PS Vita is the most powerful hand-held gaming device out there right now, and has an ever growing library of games that is making some waves. Granted Sony themselves seem to be losing interest in it, but it's a hand-held that gets overlooked far too often. From games such as Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Gravity Rush and Assassin's Creed: Liberation backing it up, the PS Vita Slim is console gaming in the palm of your hands.

Who should I buy it for?: Buy it for the gamer in your life that doesn't want to spend all their time in front of a TV. Whether it's gaming on the train, in the back of a car on a long journey or on a break at work, the PS Vita Slim is for the gamer who wants to game when they're not, well, gaming.

Samsung Galaxy Gear

Why should I buy it?: Smartwatches are the new thing, apparently. Though I'm pretty sceptical to some degree of how they may take off, after (briefly) getting my hands on the Samsung Galaxy Gear, I see certainly see the potential. With features that cover everything from making and receiving calls, sending messages, music, health and exercise, if worn and used daily, the Samsung Galaxy Gear could become an integral piece of tech in your life.

Who should I buy it for?: This is for the person in your life who wants/needs to be on the cutting edge of technology. The smartphone market is completely new. It may work out and it may not, but one thing is certain, any tech savvy person out there will want this strapped to their wrist come Christmas day.

LaCie RuggedKey

Why should I buy it?: You should buy it because it's the only stocking filler in the world that can withstand a 100m drop. That's right, this USB, that comes in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB storage sizes, is pretty much indestructible. Sure, it's not exactly a smartphone, smartwatch or futuristic virtual reality headset, but the LaCie RuggedKey is a pretty nifty piece of tech.

Who should I buy it for?: This is for the PC user that just doesn't want to just back up their information, but also wants to keep it ultra safe. They may never have to put the 100m drop claim to the test, but you can never be too sure!

iPad Mini 3

Why should I buy it?: What's not the like about an iPad, seriously? It's that grey area between a PC/Laptop and a smartphone, and is possibly Apples best piece of tech since the original iPod. It's sleek, fast, powerful and is quickly becoming an essential for many techy and non-techy people out there.

Who should I buy it for?:  It's for the gamer who wants to chill out and play on the couch. It's for the writer you wants to jot down some ideas on the go. It's for the student who needs to study, but isn't anywhere near a PC. It's for the person who wants to merely browse Facebook and chat to friends. So anyone, really.

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Xmas Pressie Guide For Great Movies [used]

Another Christmas, another scramble to buy stocking fillers, right? It's OK, calm down, we've all been there. Thankfully though, we here at CeX are up for giving you some gift ideas. Fancy on buying someone a BluRay or DVD this year? Check out our buyers guide below!

Guardians of the Galaxy

Why should I buy it?: Though not as well known as the likes of Iron Man, Captain America or The Hulk, the Guardians of the Galaxy is probably the best Marvel film to date. It's not set on boring ass Earth, it's genuinely hilarious, it stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Salanda and Dave Bautista who are backed up by Vin Diesel playing a tree-like creature and Bradley Cooper playing a talking raccoon, it has excellent CGI and a fantastic soundtrack, and it's more or less entirely free from the story The Avengers is revving up. Basically, it's one of the best adventure films of the past decade.

Who should I buy it for?: Like the rest of Marvels films, almost anyone can enjoy Guardians of the Galaxy. Regardless of age, gender or level of interest in superhero films, it will likely please most people who give it a chance. That said, anyone who is looking for a comedy sci-fi will eat it up.

 The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Extended Edition 

 

Why should I buy it?: OK, I get it, The Hobbit series is not good as The Lord of the Rings. I know. But Predator 2 isn't as good as the original Predator, but hey, it's still fun, right? This second instalment of Peter Jackson's adaptation of The Hobbit has now been released with extra footage, in-depth making-of documentaries and general behind-the-scenes content. Still, even beyond the extras the film itself is huge fun, and packed full of stunning visuals, great performances, Orc slaying and Benedict Cumberbatch playing a fire breathing dragon, cos why not?

Who should I buy it for?: Though most people will enjoy The Desolation of Smaug, fans of fantasy films will get the most out of it. From fans of The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and Game of Thrones, anyone who enjoys their films to feature either magic, creatures or just fun adventure will love it.

22 Jump Street

Why should I buy it?: Another year, another Jump Street. 22 Jump Street sees the undercover cops enrolling into college to take down a drug dealer known as WHYPHY. The premise in itself is the perfect set-up for a good few laughs, and Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum just run with it, and not only come across like they're having a lot of fun making the film, but also massive real life bros.

Who should I buy it for?: Looking for a comedy this Christmas? 22 Jump Street has enough laughs to suit just about everyone, and though it isn't high art, it's still a cut above most comedis that were out this year. Buy it for person who wants to treat everyone to an after dinner laugh.

The Raid 2

Why should I buy it?: To put it simply, you should buy it because it's one of the best action films ever. Seriously. It's up there with the likes of Predator, Die Hard, Die Hard with a Vengeance, Terminator 2, Conan the Barbarian and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It's balls-to-the-wall martial arts action at its best, and it improves on the first one in every way imaginable.

Who should I buy it for?: Be they male or female, buy it for the film watcher that wants their body count high, their ass kicking fast and furious and their story relegated to mere window dressing. It's not so-bad-it's-good like some other enjoyable actions film either, as it's some of the most thrilling, vicious and awesome action I've ever seen on film.

Doctor Who: Season Eight

Why should I buy it?: After getting sick to death of seeing Matt Smiths cherub-like face, the latest incarnation of The Doctor is played by Peter Capaldi, and so far he's doing it excellently. Doctor Who Season Eight does have its missteps, but overall it's an excellent introduction to this older Doctor, a Doctor who seems to have a darker side to his personality unlike we've ever seen before. Featuring adventures that have The Doctor and his companion, Clara, go up against Mummies, giant spiders, Cybermen and, of course, Daleks, it's light, entertaining and perfect post-Christmas dinner entertainment.

Who should I buy it for?: Everyone loves Doctor Who. This is a fact. If you put this on after Christmas dinner this year, I can guarantee you that everyone's eyes in the room will be fixed on the TV. Whether it's for a younger or older viewer, Doctor Who offers the kind of fun that appeals to us all, and  this season offers it up in spades.

The Fault in Our Stars

Why should I buy it?: This is the tearjerker of the list. The film focuses on two teenagers who, after meeting up at a Cancer support group, fall in love. It's an incredibly bittersweet film, as why their love is often moving and tender, the looming shadow that their cancer might end their love is always present. Filled with plenty of emotional scenes and superb performances, A Fault in Our Stars has a lot of heart.

Who should I buy it for?: This is the film for anyone who isn't afraid of the idea of crying while watching a film. It's for anyone who is open to a film stirring emotions within them. It should be for everyone, but not everyone wants to feel that while watching a film, sadly. Buy it for someone close to you.

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Into The Storm [used]

Every winter the news accidentally forgets that it’s the news and not the weather and posts countless photos of weather onto our screens, usually snow.  Men in snow. Snow in men. Snowmen in women. Goats eating the carrots from a snowman’s face. It’s stupid, but when there’s a lot of weather it’s very interesting to some people. A lot of snow in London, isn’t the same as a lot of snow to an Eskimo.  A lot of wind to Winnie The Pooh isn’t the same as a lot of wind in Silverton.  Out now on BluRay and DVD is Into the storm, the Silverton story and it is a film about wind. (A Very Blustery Day is the Winnie The Pooh one, if you’re interested. It is also a film about wind but with heffalumps and woozles).

Into the storm concerns a small group of people trying to film their last days at school before going off to college. There are lots of emotions running high because the father of the central family is a bit of a bell-end and doesn’t enjoy having children anymore now that he has to do all the work since his wife died.  There are also a group of over zealous wind chasers who want nothing more than to make a documentary about wind. They act like they're making a documentary about partying with Mötley Crüe or something, because they seem to think that wind is intrinsically both very interesting and their path to riches. So long tedious story short, the wind gets really windy and starts destroying bits and pieces of everywhere in Silverton. There's a guy called Jacob, who is nervous about filming wind and he has a pretty girlfriend, and they have a life together and you know from the second that he is reminded of these things that he is definitely going to die. Now if I were to see a pillar of fire tearing a city in half I would run away as fast as I could, but Jacob decided to run at the pillar of fire faster than an Israelite escaping Egypt. (Exodus 13:21-22). He’s really annoying though. And you may say to yourself “Jacob the pleasure in watching you die is what I will get.” (Exodus - Lesson in Violence - From the album Bonded by Blood.) Pretty proud of that joke yes siree bob.

The people in the film are simply a conduit giving the ‘found footage’ element a reason to progress past or towards more wind.  While I’m on that note though, is the found footage thing not supposed to imply that this has actually occurred somewhere?  I mean we definitely would’ve heard about this if it had, I don’t think they would spend so much time dedicated to the mistakes famous teenagers do with their lives if there had been some actual tragedy going in the world do you?

Is there such a thing as wind porn? If there is, this is it.  A massive amount of tornadoes join together like some windy power rangers creating a massive wind tube. It destroys everything in the way but surprisingly kills very few people considering it rips through a school aggressively, at one point it dresses up as an man from the electric board, and robs a pensioner’s house because she didn’t ask for his ID, but really the only thing destroyed by the wind was stupid material possessions like food and shelter.

I don’t think there has ever before been a film about a Twister or a Tornado! Or a Category 7: The End of the world. I’m not sure what the correct term for a lot of wind is now. I enjoyed it for what it was, which was a film about wind, and lots of it was quite unbelievable but at least it was original. I wouldn’t watch it again and I would be embarrassed if anyone told me it was their favourite film. Unless I had asked them ‘What is your favourite film about wind that came out in 2014’.

Into the Storm gets a breezy 3/5.

★★★☆☆

Dave Roberts

Into The Storm at CeX

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Let's Be Cops [used]

Arresting my attention this month on Blu-Ray and DVD is the new cop-but-not-cop buddy movie Let’s Be Cops. Directed by Luke Greenfield and starring Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr. as two friends who, due to a collection of incidents, end up unprofessionally pretending to be cops and fighting a Russian mafia syndicate…or something.

Ryan O’Malley (Johnson) is an ex semi-professional Football star, or American Football star as he’d be known everywhere else, who injured himself and has since spent the following eight years doing very little work and moping like a boss about his injury. Good moping means living life as fast and as ridiculously as possible, going with the flow, grinding other peoples gears and other things like that. 

Justin Miller (Wayans Jr.) is a video game designer with a passion for making good video games, but no motivation to assert himself and get anything he’s designed published. Partly because he’s constantly pressured and actively ignored by his boss played by Jon LaJoie off of ‘Show me your genitals’ and ‘E=MC Vagina’ from Youtube.

A slight misunderstanding leads them both to appearing at a party dressed up as cops, and as they are leaving they realise that all the girls in the world suddenly want to get their juices flowing all over their cop uniforms and this leaves the guys hungry for more similarly positive attention. Unfortunately a bit of pissing about leads to the bad kind of attention from some dodgy Russian blokes who want to plonk a few bullets into their bodies. So this mixed in with hilarious situations caused by their illegal behaviour leads to what is essentially quite a good film.

I started watching this film expecting it be no better than Observe and Protect, featuring the useless and unfunny Seth Rogen, but instead it ended up being much more akin to Pineapple Express featuring the fabulously talented and hilarious Seth Rogen. When I first watched it in the cinema I had never seen New Girl, now that I have it’s clear that these two were gonna play the parts perfectly. Johnson and Wayans Jr. have really good on screen chemistry ,I felt they were very convincing and really fun. Something about Jake’s constant smiling in the face of danger was endlessly charming and funny in contrast to the more realistic but put upon grimace of Wayans Jr. The characters were very believable but the script was over the top and ridiculous which I think worked very well, especially since Johnson had taken a small step away from his usual ‘nice charming rom-com guy’ role, into this slightly more mentally unstable version of that.

The only negative things I would say about the film is that the jokes were quite far apart, and I felt the film was more amusing than funny most of the time. I can safely say that nothing annoyed me more than Wayans Jr.’s character seemingly not understanding any video game terminology whatsoever. While describing a game he was demonstrating he said something along the lines of ‘this bit would be good if this cop and the other cop had to work together to clear the level’ could’ve been summed up as ‘Co-op…like Kane and Lynch’ or something to that effect. That’s mainly pedantry though.

Buy Let's Be Cops for the people who like New Girl, and a She and Him album and all be well 3/5.

★★★☆☆

Dave Roberts

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Assassin's Creed: Rogue [used]

Ubisoft have responded to the accusations of releasing the same game every year in a different package by releasing two of them this year.  The first one is Assassin’s Creed: Unity on the PS4 and Xbox One. The second one is Assassin’s Creed: Rogue. Out now on Xbox 360 and PS3, Rogue is basically Black Flag in disguise. With the slight twist on a theme, you play as an assassin turned Templar with all the majestic moral mind melting that you’d expect. I found myself sneaking up on Templars as the game started being ushered in the direction that my fate decreed by a very unpleasant, controlling and difficult to please mentor/leader.  

My character is Irish and is called Shay Patrick Cormac (spelt in the English fashion and not the Irish, I noted) and doesn’t like rules and regulations. He upsets his colleagues for being uninterested and lazy, which is fair enough accusations of a man who doesn’t know how to spell his own name. He doesn’t like the assassin’s and the way they do things, constant attempts to reclaim the bits of Eden mean that the world is suffering some massive earthquakes. Pause. Check facts. Oh they actually happened that’s awesome. The Piece’s of Eden are important for those who wish to wield tremendous power, but seemingly cause the earth to eat cities when rubbed, a bit like a grumpier version of Aladdin’s Lamp.

Shay’s storyline is based in the midst of the French and Indian war, this amongst various other things means Shay is very rarely in a position to feel safe as he is at war with practically everyone. After a mission goes somewhat wrong, Shay ends up running away and jumping into the sea to his death! Except obviously not to his death. He wakes up from a coma in the house of some people ho give him clothes and food. Some men come round to put the shake down on those ol’ folks, but Shay ain’t having none of it and gives them a dose of his assassin skills.

The game, as I’ve mentioned is basically a skinned version of Black Flag, but there are some new elements that make it interesting. The puckle gun means you can have puckle fun by shooting ships weak points with ease. There is poison gas, and the further addition of a dart gun which you can use to induce narcolepsy or ADHD.  There’s a third dart that causes the enemies to completely lose their shit, meaning that they slice ,shoot and rage at anyone or anything nearby. For those fans of 2 Kings Chapter 2 verses 23 - 24 from the bible you can also cause bears to slaughter entire villages if you shoot them with this dart. So if anyone laughs at you and calls you bald, you can do the good Christian thing and have them killed by bears.  That’s what god would do. Because he’s a megalomaniac.

So now the stories within the memories are very indicative that the Templars are the good guys, the story in Abstergo seem to imply that the Templars are complete fuckers like you always thought they were. There are little nods to various characters from the other games, as the time gap is closing.  Eventually it’ll be possible to play all of history through the Assassin’s Creed games. You could probably even run around in present day, walk into your own room and assassinate yourself. The downside of Rogue, as with all Assassin’s Creed games, and apparently Far Cry games, is that the story line takes less time to play than it did to write and the side quests are usually nothing more than:

Quest: Climb that wall, then stab that man, then follow that man then stab him too. Touch that girls bum. Do something charming. Stab that man. Stab girl. Follow man. Open treasure chest. Open man chest. Feel girls chest. Stab man.

If you like Assassin’s Creed games you will enjoy this, if you do not like them you will hate this.

Assassin's Creed: Rogue is exactly everything you expect it to be 3/5.

★★★☆☆

Dave Roberts

Assassin's Creed: Rogue at CeX

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