Keri Honea - 21/183 - Strategy Guide Reviews

Monday Gaming Diary: Getting Back into Reading

August 15, 2016 By Keri Honea Leave a Comment

This summer has been a weird one for me, to say the least. With the job ups and downs and traveling, I’ve felt extremely burned out when it comes to gaming. Like I’ve lost my passion, which kind of blows. It’s part of the reason why I’m so behind on strategy guide reviews, whereas the other part is that I’ve been so busy with other reviews and travel. I’m ready for it all to come to an end, where I can find more time for gaming for myself and delving back into the greatness of strategy guides. In the meantime, I’m filling up my time with reading, both books and comics.

Lately the book front has been taken over with Warhammer 40K novels. I recently picked up the novel for Quantum Break, but it’s not what expected, meaning that it’s not extended lore; it’s a novelization of the game. If it gets to be too much, I will probably chuck it and get back to the Inquisition War in WH40K.

I’ve also jumped back into comics rather hardcore, catching up with all of my subscriptions as DC and Marvel both change hands with Rebirth and post-Secret Wars. Plus, I’ve really missed keeping on top of my video game comics. I get this way every few months or so, when I decided enough is enough and something has to give. Usually that something that has to give are books and comics or this site, and I’m tired of the things I love taking the backburner.

I love reading as much as I love strategy guides, and you know what? I don’t love reviewing games I don’t care about. That’s what is going to give this time.

I say that after I turned in a review for PS4-exclusive Bound this morning, which I did not care about. That’s probably why I’m so burned out. And maybe it’s because I’m getting older. I think I need a nap.

Oh and there’s this thing of beauty I stumbled upon from WTF Marketing.

Comic Review: Deus Ex Universe: Children’s Crusade

August 11, 2016 By Keri Honea 1 Comment

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided releases just next month as a sequel to Deus Ex: Human Revolution, and I can assure you that the hype is real. This is definitely high on my personal radar for the year as well as a good chunk of the SGR staff and gamers across the globe. The sequel is based upon the aftermath of the “Aug Incident” that occurs in DXHR, but there are plenty of questions in between DXHR and DXMD. We know that Adam Jensen is working with Task Force 29 of Interpol to stop terrorism on both sides of the Aug Conflict, and we know that he’s actually a double agent trying to unearth who is pulling the strings behind the Conflict as well as Interpol. But how did he get there? And how bad is the Conflict? Deus Ex Universe: Children’s Crusade comic from Titan Books answers all of those questions.

The comic series starts in the middle of things, with Jensen already a member of the Task Force, but he’s a rookie. No one on the team fully trusts him yet, especially a couple of Aug Haters. Jensen is also already partnered with Alex Vega, another main character from the upcoming game. She’s kind of his partner in the sky in this story, though, one who taps into his augmentations to send information and get a literal eye as to what is going on. They have to play their cards right, though, as Interpol has no idea Jensen is secretly investigating them for moles. Everything Alex does to tap into Jensen and Interpol has to be done with the utmost discretion, or Jensen is likely a dead man.

During a routine operation, the Task Force learns that the Aug Terrorists are using children for their warfare tactics. Some they’re turning into bombs via their augmentations, and others they’re arming and sending them into anti-aug rallies. Jensen doesn’t want to hurt any of the children, but also has to find out who is manipulating them and why. This 5-part series covers this one mission Jensen has, develops characters we’re going to come in contact with in DXMD, and shows that nothing is what it seems.

Obviously, the Illuminati are behind everything all over again, but the question remains how they are pulling the strings and who is doing the pulling. It’s not enough to know that the Illuminati are involved; Jensen has to learn who are aligned with them. At the end of the series, the reader learns the identity of one of many of the members, which is fairly surprising over the scope of the story.

The story and art are absolutely amazing, especially the artwork. I could take so many different screenshots of the art to use as wallpapers for 50 different devices, easily. As breathtaking as the art is (bravo John Aggs!) it was the image below that made me laugh out loud.

If you played DXHR, then this should look familiar to you, as this is the screen that pops up (without the word bubbles) for the hacking mini-game. It cracked me up that they were so devoted to the game itself of Deus Ex, not just the story, that they included this when Jensen had to hack his way into a building. I personally loved the hacking mini-game, and I can’t wait to hack all the things once again in DXMD.

After completing this mini-series yesterday, I’ve been telling as many Deus Ex fans as I know to pick this comic up. I don’t think it will be imperative to read before playing the game, but a lot of background information will be filled in. Plus, it’s nice to get a sample of what Jensen will be dealing with as well as the horrors of humanity. For those who never played the first game, though, you will want to pass on the comic. Very little background information is provided on Jensen and the events of DXHR, requiring readers to be fans of the game before diving in to the comic.

Monday Gaming Diary: Catching ’em All in Pokemon Yellow

August 8, 2016 By Keri Honea Leave a Comment

Before Pokemon Go, I’ve never played a Pokemon game before. The first time I was tempted to try one out and see what was up with the hype was with Pokemon X & Y, and I can’t say exactly why that was other than I thought the Pokemon looked cool on the covers. Not the best reason in the world, but it was the first time I ever had the urge to check one out. People who play them insist they are amazing RPGs, but I never got into them because of the 90s cartoon. It proliferated Cartoon Network back in the day, and I thought the characters were just too damn annoying to get into. Now the Pokemon themselves were pretty cool, but they weren’t enough to keep me entertained, not to mention how awful Team Rocket was and still is.

Thanks to Pokemon Go and how ridiculously fun that is, I talked to my eldest child, who loves all things Pokemon, about playing the upcoming game, Sun & Moon, together when it releases. But then I had that tug I often get when jumping into an established franchise, where I feel the need to start from the very beginning. I checked out the eShop for the Nintendo 3DS, saw that the original 3 Pokemon games were available, and then purchased Pokemon Red for the child and Pokemon Yellow for myself. Blue is my favorite color, so I honestly don’t know why I chose Yellow over Blue, and it wasn’t because Pikachu was on the cover. I thought Ash would get to choose a Pokemon at the start, which included Pikachu as an option, similarly to the show. Apparently not, as the boy started off with Charmander and I have a Pikachu who follows me around. Damn mouse refuses to stay in his pokeball.

The kiddo and I play together at night, comparing where we are and giving tips how to defeat Gym Leaders. I finally understand why this series has been so beloved for the last 20 years, and like most things, I wish I had given it a chance sooner. Although, I’m really loving this time playing with my eldest, which I doubt would be the same if I had played the games before. I think X & Y and Sun & Moon are both in our future. There are worst things, I suppose.

But now that I’m back from vacation, it’s time to get back to strategy guides. I still do that here, right? Maybe?

Book Review: Diablo III: Morbed

July 28, 2016 By Keri Honea Leave a Comment

I mentioned in my last Diablo III book review that I discovered two new Diablo III e-books and I read them both while traveling. The second one was Diablo III: Morbed, a novella of around 60 pages. I finished it before my plane even took off. Author Micky Neilson wrote one of the short stories from Diablo III: Heroes Rise, Darkness Falls, and I really enjoyed his contribution in that collection. However, despite how much it really hits home with the psychological and spiritual horror of Sanctuary, Morbed overall is rather bland and predictable. And I don’t just mean the character Morbed.

Morbed is a thief in party of adventurers. They have been tasked with investigating an island rumored to shelter a bandit who supposedly ransacked the tomb of the legendary Rakkis. Like everything in the world of Diablo, nothing is at it seems. An ancient evil slumbers in the ruins on the island, and as expected, it falls to Morbed to dispatch it.

While how Morbed comes around to quell the demonic presence is rather unexpected, the overall plot is still predictable. From the moment the demon rises, you know it’s going to be up to Morbed. Sure, you don’t expect him to be as cowardly or do a few despicable things, but you know he is going to save the day. Somehow.

Even though Morbed’s own story has a case of the blahs, the environment and other characters are absolutely fascinating. Traveling along with Morbed includes a Vizjerei wizard, a Paladin of Zakarum, a necromancer, and a druid. Each of their personalities far outshines anything Morbed has to offer, even the stoic and silent Paladin. The island itself is also incredibly spooky. While reading the initial paragraphs of the party exploring a visceral scene soon after landing, I realized that even though I was sitting, my feet were on their tip-toes. I remained that way up until Morbed fled the demon.

Morbed may be a snore, but the rest of the island certainly isn’t. Neilson’s best writing falls occurs in his description of the eerie environment, as well as everyone’s palatable fear as they broach the unknown.

The only reasons why I could recommend picking up this e-book are for hardcore Diablo lore fans and the fact that it’s really cheap. It’s a shame that the story is fairly bland, because the writing itself is top notch, especially when describing the atmosphere.

Book Review: Diablo III: Heroes Rise, Darkness Falls

July 27, 2016 By Keri Honea Leave a Comment

I am not sure how I missed the word on a couple of Diablo III e-books, but I did and I rectified the matter before I went on vacation. They were both super, super short, and I managed to read them on the plane rides to and from Colorado. Diablo III: Heroes Rise, Darkness Falls is a collection of short stories that takes place right before the star falls in the opening of Diablo III. The stories are as sweet as they are short, and they truly focus on the psychological horror that the game attempted to emulate, and yet did not because it’s too darn easy to skip through all the dialogue.

Many of the short stories are about the six classes available in the game, and how they became involved in the upcoming events for Diablo III. Several of them ended with the falling star and the main character heading off to New Tristram to check it out.

While those were fun to read, especially considering the genders the writers chose for each class, it was the last two stories that were the best out of the bunch. The last two take place in the world of Sanctuary right before the star fell, but they have nothing to do with the classes or even the main characters of Diablo III. These are two extremely twisted tales from this world that show how horrific Sanctuary truly is with the demons and angels constantly battling over it.

“Theatre Macabre: The Dark Exile” really explores the psychological horrors of Sanctuary, and taps into the king of all psychological horror–Edgar Allen Poe. I personally compare this story to “Telltale Heart”, but it’s definitely not a copy of Poe’s famous short story. Definite inspiration from Poe and his tale, but there’s more than enough Diablo to make it unique, and almost more terrifying.

“The Hunger” is not psychologically horrifying, but it’s more of the gory horror Diablo III presents at every turn. Remember those barrels of heads in the Mad King’s castle? The undead minions that could still crawl toward you even with their bottom halves missing, entrails dangling and all? “The Hunger” is the most visceral of all of the short stories, and probably should be avoided if you have a queasy stomach. There’s no way I could have read this one while pregnant, when I couldn’t handle gory violence in the slightest without getting sick.

While Heroes Rise, Darkness Falls is not required reading for the Diablo III game, it’s a nifty little insight into the world of Sanctuary that can be read at any point. No other books are necessary before delving into this short collection. That said, I cannot recommend this e-book enough for those who enjoy the Diablo-verse, or who enjoy psychological horrors, period.

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