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Monday Gaming Diary: DOOM and Hard Reset Redux

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I loved DOOM, something Chris and I have both talked about at length. I’m so glad that I don’t have a review right now so that I can get back to the strategy guide, even though my youngest child decided that the guide needed a trim. Putting it down for as long as I had did take some time to get used to the controls yet again, especially after playing a game for work called Hard Reset Redux, a remastered version of the Hard Reset PC game for consoles.

Hard Reset Redux

I had never played, yet heard of Hard Reset, so I didn’t know what to expect other than what I played at PAX East. In many ways, it’s a lot like DOOM, but the controls are just different enough to not let me fall back into DOOM as easily as I would have liked. Although one thing I can say about HRR is that it got me into the habit of constantly rotating out weapons, something that DOOM attempted to teach me but was never able to keep me in the habit. Unfortunately, swapping weapons in HRR is ten times easier than in DOOM, and I find myself wishing rather often that DOOM took a page from HRR.

If you aren’t into DOOM or have already finished the game on Ultra-Violence, I highly recommend checking out Hard Reset Redux. The game is pure joy in many of the same ways that DOOM is. The action is fast-paced and satisfying, the bosses are quite difficult, the enemies constantly keep you on your toes, and the upgrade system is superb. The only reason why it’s not better is because the story is a bit weak and forced, and the Redux part slaps the Exile DLC at the end of the main campaign without a single transition or heads up. The voice acting was also as forced as the storyline, which was a bit grating. At least there wasn’t too much talking. It would have gotten in the way of all the machines that needed murdering.

Can you murder machines? I suppose it’s possible in this sense as the machines are a bit sentient. And not to mention evil; they’re trying to kill what’s left of the human race, for God’s sake. They need some murdering.

Although between murdering demons and murdering machines, after I finish with my guide review of DOOM, I may need a break from the FPS scene, no matter how much fun these games have been.

Hyrule Warriors Legends Strategy Guide Review

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Hyrule Warriors Legends strategy guide review Since the strategy guide for Hyrule Warriors was pretty darn great, I had high hopes for the Hyrule Warriors Legends strategy guide. Most of it should fall in line with the first guide/game, just now with Linkle, additional missions, new Adventure mode maps, and amiibo info. In other words, these guys didn’t have it easy, even if they had a base guide, if you will, to fall back on. The Hyrule Warriors Legends strategy guide does a lot to keep me happy, but I had a beef to grind with it as well. A small beef. It’s so small, those ladies from the 80s are asking where it is.

SGR Rating: 4.5/5

Authors: Garitt Rocha and Stephen Stratton
Publisher: Prima Games
Editions Available: Hardcover, Paperback, and E-Guide
Acquired via Publisher

Monday Gaming Diary: TMNT Needs to Get the SHELL Off my PS4

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It’s always interesting when I tell people what my main job is. The usual response is something along the lines of, “Oh, that must be so much fun!” and then I respond with, “For the most part, yes.” And then they cock their eyebrows at me like I’m crazy. I know what they’re thinking; you play games all day (which isn’t true), how can that not be fun?

Well, when you have to review games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan, the job isn’t that fun.

TMNT game

The actual dialogue line accompanying this shot was “Nerd Selfie.” Not. Lying.

I know this is very much a #firstworldproblem surrounding a job that many people would like to have. Oh boofuckinghoo, you have to play a game you don’t like and get paid for it. And you got that game a free review copy, so why should I feel sorry for you?

I’m not asking for pity, believe me, not even when it comes to my sad paycheck, because this is my choice. With that said, though, I still want to proclaim how this TMNT game is probably one of the worst games I have ever played.

I was a bit cautious after Transformers: Devastation killed me inside, but I wasn’t prepared for how bad this game was. I even stated in my review that the Transformers game was a game of the year contender next to TMNT. That’s just how bad the game is.

Here’s a small sample of what I bemoaned in my full review on ActionTrip.com:

Unfortunately, none of these missions are fun. They boil down to the same five or six mission types: roll a gigantic weapon ball to a warp point (I’m not joking), take down all the enemies, survive the ambush for a set amount of time, take out a scout before it alerts others, defusing bombs, and destroy a rampaging truck/helicopter/tank within a time limit. If you fail a mission, the only penalty is that you have to find another mission to complete and fill that boss meter bar. The only real motivation to complete a mission is to not find more boring things to do.

I pretty finished the game just to say I finished it, and ugh, I want those 4-5 hours of my life back. At one point, the husband watched me play and he asked me what was fun about it. I said, “Nothing.” I should never say that about an action game, much less one created by Platinum Games, whom I love and adore.

Apparently, Platinum needs to just focus on their original IPs with their own content, because this licensed path they’ve recently gone down with Activision is awful at best.

I can’t wait to get back into DOOM and actually play Uncharted 4 so I can, I don’t know, actually review some strategy guides.

Monday Gaming Diary: Oh hey, did I miss last week?

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I think it was Wednesday morning when I realized I completely forgot to write a single thing for the Monday Gaming Diary. I blame DOOM and uh, well, the end of the school year for my forgetfulness. I swear, I don’t know where the time goes during the day!confused-superman-gif

I have been working very hard on Hyrule Warriors Legends, which I can’t believe I’m still playing. I know that the original game on Wii U didn’t take me this long. I keep thinking that surely this is the last level, but nooooo three more open up. I need to look at the first guide and see if there were all of these backstory missions back then. I remember Ganondorf’s backstory missions, and I knew Linkle (still an awful name) would add in a few others, but I really don’t remember all these other missions from Cia. Maybe I blacked those out. That’s a possibility. I’m feeling the same way now that I felt when I wrapped up the Legends mode the first time; I’m ready for it to be over.

And at the same time, I want to replay this one for the Gold Skulltullas and chests, something I definitely didn’t do the first time I played. I’m terrified of playing on Hard, because the game is hard enough as it is on Normal, but if my levels carry over as they suggest, it should be all good. I hope. Please.

In the interest of getting through a review as quickly as possible, I have not used the strategy guide for DOOM like I should have, and I can see already that this thing is a must for collectibles, especially all of the secrets each level contains.

Just…don’t ask me about Uncharted 4. I may weep.

All that said, it’s time for me to look at my next review, which I need to wrap up before I head out of town for a short summer vacation. I really need that clone or the ability to hire more help.

 

Unboxing the DOOM Collector’s Edition Strategy Guide – Why Should I Buy?

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I’ve made no attempt to disguise how much I love Collector’s Editions, especially with strategy guides. I try to get the Collector’s Editions of all the strategy guides that I can, even when I don’t receive one as a review copy. They’re always more expensive than the regular guides, but they always have so many extras that they’re worth it. There’s always a beautiful hardcover, and usually some physical goodies like bookmarks or fold-out maps or even extra artwork or developer interviews in the back.

For whatever reason, the DOOM Collector’s Edition strategy guide has barely anything to make the extra $15 worth it. I’m not pleased. I’m close to livid. I explain why you shouldn’t buy this Collector’s Edition strategy guide and what Collector’s Editions should contain below. Apologies for the Keri-torial at the end.

May the content be far better than what the CE offers.

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