This month's games are dominated by Ubisoft titles, and we have an anime movie on the list for the first time.
Let's get to it!
- Top Game of March 2018 -
This decision was really difficult for me. It was a close race between Vermintide 2 and Watch Dogs 2, and several other factors besides the games themselves brought me to this decision.
First, each game's predecessor was crucial. Vermintide wasn't a favorite of mine, though I own it and have played it quite a bit. It was fun, but in comparison to Watch Dogs, the latter won out.
Story is a huge factor for me, and while Watch Dogs 2 started out a bit slow, it ended with a bang. The storytelling in Watch Dogs 2 is also very good, if not a bit cliche in some areas...but it's still executed well. Vermintide 2 just doesn't have much story to it. It has a story, but the main feature of the game is bashing in Skaven and Nurgle forces' skulls.
Finally, replayability. I've finished all of the main missions for both Vermintide 2 and Watch Dogs 2, and I haven't touched Vermintide 2 for about a week now. I just finished Watch Dogs 2, and I plan on diving right back in and finishing the side quests, ScoutX locations, key data points, and I'm also going to try for all the trophies as they seem like fun objectives.
So there's my reasoning--I felt it was important to let you all know my reasoning behind picking this month's top game.
Here is my brief, spoiler-free review:
Watch Dogs 2
The Story
Watch Dogs 2 picks up close to where the first left off. You play Marcus, who is a new character in the franchise. He is also not related to the first game's protagonist; Marcus is just a hacker looking to go up against the malicious company called Blume.
The missions in the game aren't very long and they're also not insanely difficult, but strategy (and a little bit of dumb luck) is required to beat them. It took me quite a while to play through the entire story line since I was on and off with it, but had I played it all in one straight shot, it feels like it would've been a short game.
The story takes you on a wild ride through the streets of San Francisco while you investigate Blume and major operators within the company. The main objective is to wake up the public and expose Blume's shady and malevolent intentions.
The story is finished up in a complex final mission, and without revealing major spoilers, it was as fun and interesting as the entire game before it. It was a blast.
Combat and other Mechanics
The game allows you to play however you want, though sneaking can be difficult (I really suck at sneaking anyway, so maybe it was just me). There are three main play styles that they give you: Aggressor, Ghost, and Trickster. There is technically a fourth, Jack of All Trades, which is just all three wrapped into one. Each role feels pretty solid.
When I play an open world game like this, sneaking is first priority because...well...it's better to remain undetected for as long as possible. Since I'm so bad at it, I often find myself sneaking in and then relying on the Aggressor skill from there on out. It's an effective play style.
One major perk of this game compared to other open world titles is the addition of the drones. Where other open world games usually only have you sneaking in somewhere and doing everything manually, Marcus has the option to fly an airborne drone or use a wheeled drone called the Jumper. From the air, you can easily assess the area while the wheeled drone allows you to hack some terminals. Both drones can drop bombs, electric shock devices, and once upgraded, the Jumper has some hilarious taunts that can distract guards.
Firearms feel ineffective in the game against armored targets. It seems far more rewarding to go a less-lethal route (unless you're playing PVP) as the stun gun can take down guards with one hit once it's upgraded. The fact the firearms are weak in the game would normally bug me, but it doesn't here. Most likely it's because you're playing as hackers...who are civilians. It feels like you're a vigilante, yes, but you're supposed to be protecting people and helping expose Blume. It feels weird to just empty magazines into Blume, the gangs, and law enforcement. I don't know if that was intentional on Ubisoft's part, but going a less-lethal route whenever you can just feels better in this game.
The World and Relevance
San Francisco is impressively mapped out and the developers made sure you have a chance to take in their beautifully crafted world by the means of ScoutX, which is an Instagram of sorts where you take pics or selfies at famous locations around San Francisco, Oakland, and Silicon Valley.
Relevance is a new mention in my review, but it's a must for Watch Dogs 2. This is also another one of the major contributing factors to why I chose it for my game of the month. During the events of Ubisoft's game, Marcus has to go around exposing Blume, a politician, and social media sites and their slimy, shady, privacy-breaching, 1984, and "Big Brother" practices.
Why is this relevant? Well, Facebook just had a major breach of security and information. Facebook, Google, and more sell your data to the highest bidder...where's our data going? Who's seeing where we live, our daily schedules, etc. It's borderline conspiracy theories...but it's also not a secret that the government and social media sites have no interest in our privacy. They spin it in a way that make us think we want things like limited privacy--They tell us it's for our safety, when in fact, it's just a great way to control us. Social media is also a fantastic echo chamber for people to voice their opinions, and more now than ever have I seen social media used as a platform to argue our beliefs. There's so much turmoil on social media that I've honestly considered deleting everything, but somebody wants everyone to argue and hate one another. Divide and conquer. Keep us frustrated and keep our minds off of the bigger problems in life.
Okay folks, you can take off your tinfoil hats now. The events and people of Watch Dogs 2 are purely fictitious, but with technology becoming bigger and more powerful every day, and with Google and Facebook recording your browsing history...with smart TVs and Alexa listening to your every day conversations...it makes you stop and think about what's really going on in the background.
Final Word
Usually I mention bugs and my frustrations with the game, but there were so few that it wasn't worth making a separate topic. Watch Dogs had a rough launch on PC, but I enjoyed it on PS4. Watch Dogs 2 seemed to have a much smoother launch across all platforms, and PS4 was no exception. My biggest complaint? When you're driving, it's really easy for your car to clip the curb in certain areas making your car stop, flip, and sometimes cause enough damage to start smoking. In the Driver SF app, there is a lady who requests you to do jumps for views on a YouTube-like platform. On several of the jumps, while I was accelerating toward the jump, I'd often clip on the road right before hitting the jump. A mild headache to deal with, but not game-breaking. That's really my only major complaint. The game is very solid.
Having just finished it, I can confidently say that it was one of my favorites in recent months. Getting any sort of continuation from the first iteration was a surprise to me, let alone a really great one. Now I'm dealing with two frustrations: The fact that I waited this long to finish it, and the fact that it's almost completely wrapped up. I want more! I hope there's a third installment announced at E3 2018.
- Top Anime of March 2018 -
There's a lot hitting the anime market right now. From the long awaited dub of the D.Gray-Man series to the continuation of hits like Black Clover and Dragon Ball Super--it's hard to pick a top show or movie each month. I try to keep my picks to anime that has wrapped up (or at least ones that are awaiting continuations). A lot of what I'm currently watching are winter titles that are just now airing.
That said, last Monday I decided to sit down and watch a movie. It's something I want to do more of and for good reason. So many classic hit anime movies are on store shelves right now, and I've only seen a few to date: Akira, the last two Dragon Ball Z films, and now Children Who Chase Lost Voices.
The Story
Children Who Chase Lost Voices is a fantasy/slice of life mash up with a lot of influence from ancient culture. It starts with a girl who lost her father when she was younger. Before leaving the material existence, he left with her a mysterious radio that--without electricity or an amplifier--plays an eerie song every once and a while; A song unlike any from the known world.
One day, a boy shows up at her favorite spot to listen to the radio, and things get weird...but in a good way.
The rest of the story plays out in the two hour feature film and tells a somber story of death and mystical adventure. Children takes the viewer on a trip through a world once thought to be purely mythological, and brings with it many heavy topics and a great reminder at the end of the film. I'll refrain from sharing that reminder (as it could mildly spoil the outcome of the film), but it's a wonderful lesson that everyone should remember.
One of the coolest parts of the film is how the writer ties in a lot of mystical topics from the real world. South America's mythic quetzalcoatl makes an appearance as well as the hollow Earth theory. The hollow Earth theory is almost up there with the flat Earth theory (in the way of "how crazy do you have to be to subscribe to this theory?"), but it's not quite as bad. In fact, Native Americans of the Hopi tribe have beliefs that their deities actually came from underground, which helps to push the theory of a hollow Earth. Again, it's out there, but fun to think about, and especially fun when any films or show puts a theory like that to work.
Artwork and Animation
Having released in 2012 in Japan, Children Who Chase Lost Voices is by no means old, but it feels like a classic. The artwork is stunning, as it is in many other anime films, and animators spared no expense when it comes to tiny details.
One thing that struck a wonderful note with me was the lighting effects of the day night cycle. It sounds like an odd thing to point out, but the artists nailed the look of the sky during twilight and night time. In certain parts of the film, the scenery is so striking, it almost takes away from the film a bit. You just want to take in the landscapes.
The character designs are another great aspect. The main three main characters are unique in their own way, and the compliment each other nicely. Their style (like their clothing, hair, and even mannerisms) set them apart from one another, and really makes them so dynamic yet completely organic. The mythical creatures like the quetzalcoatl are extremely unique, and at times...almost kind of silly looking, but in a believable way (if that makes sense).
Final Word
If you're looking for different movie that panders to odd theories about the Earth, life, and death - Look no further. It's an endearing but sobering tale of life and death, that ends on a wonderful note. There are heavy themes all throughout the film, but it's well worth the watch. Sentai Filmworks blew this movie out of the park.
Talking Points
Top Video Games of 3/2018
- Watch Dogs 2 (PS4, PC, Xbox)
- Vermintide 2 (PC, PS4, Xbox)
- Final Fantasy XV (PS4, PC, Xbox)
- Children Who Chase Lost Voices (Sentai Filmworks)
- D.Gray-Man Season 4 Part 1 (Funimation)
- Star Blazers (ongoing, Funimation, Crunchyroll)
