MadCap's Game Reviews - "Dragon Age: Inquisition - Trespasser"

So, we come to it at last. The thing with the very existence of excited me...and the denial of it for last gen folks by EA got me pissed off to no end.

And no, despite the best efforts of Bioware to see we could transfer our saves over to the next console generation, it doesn't help that Electronic Arts is a company run by a bunch of greedy, stupid, narcissistic douchecanoes who can't see the forest for the trees...of money that would earn by not being a bunch of greedy, stupid, narcissistic douchecanoes.  Alas, I made it clear that I will not be giving up on Dragon Age because I believe in Bioware, and I don't see fit to punish them for the stupid, greedy, narcissistic actions of their aforementioned owners.

So, anyway, Trespasser picks up two years after the death of Corypheus at the end of Dragon Age: Inquisition's main campaign (spoiler alert), with a Council being called to decide the fate of the Inquisition now that their mission is complete. Or is it? A Qunari body and some familiar magic mirrors tell of a conspiracy afoot, one that could threaten all of southern Thedas, and only the Inquisitor and their ragtag band of people who they had a high enough approval with in the vanilla game can save the day. But what is the Dragon's Breath? And who is Fen'Harel?

Unlike the last two DLCs, this one is all about resolutions. This is the end of the story for the Inquisitor and his/her companions, as well as the Inquisition as it currently exists. It is also the revelations about Solas, giving us not only the truth behind his mysterious origins, but also a set up for Dragon Age IV just as much as Witch-Hunt set up for Dragon Age II and Legacy for Inquisition.  However, it feels like there's a great deal more weight to the proceedings than in previous DLC. With The Descent, my primary issue was grand spectacle and vague hinting over actual substance.  Luckily, Trespasser doesn't have that problem.

While it does open up new questions to be asked, it answers just enough to allow us a feeling of resolution.  It also does what I praised Inquisition for doing as a whole - that is, set up the true weight and menace of a grand looming threat which the protagonist has to deal with or cataclysmic consequences will follow.

Unlike, say, Dragon Age II's vague plan of having a bunch of Dungeons & Dragons modules stitched together with a vaguely established plot sort of (but not really) serving as an arc.

Throwing shade aside, Trespasser serves as a fitting end to Inquisition's storyline as well as giving us something to look forward to in 4, whenever it should come out.  Now, that being said, was it worth restricting to just next gen consoles if EA had bothered to release the original game on the previous generation?

OF COURSE NOT! DON'T BE A COMPLETE FREAKING IDIOT!

Dragon Age: Inquisition - Trespasser is now available for Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

For the latest from the MadCapMunchkin, be sure to follow him on Twitter @MadCapMunchkin.

Also, side note. 300th blog post! Woot! Congratulations, me!

MadCap's Game Reviews - "Dragon Age: Inquisition - The Descent"

The Deep Roads. In the lore of Dragon Age, it is a place of foreboding and darkness that once served as a means of transit between the many thaigs that made up the vast dwarven empire.  Now, they are a charnel house.  A terrifying carnival show putting on full display the horrors of the twisted aberrations known as the Darkspawn. Their frenzied cries echoing through the halls of a civilization that has lost so much of itself.

...that is, until now.

The Descent is the second of Dragon Age: Inquisition's DLCs, this time going from the surface of Thedas and going into the Underdar-err, the Deep Roads.  Unlike the previous DLC, Jaws of Hakkon, this DLC cannot be taken until the player character has played through the main quest up to the destruction of Haven by Corypheus...err, spoiler alert.  Thus, it was once more time to take up the staff of Adaon Trevelyan fresh off the heels of his defeating of Hakkon, and answer to the call of a War Table quest to deal with a Disaster in the Deep Roads.

Long story short...yeah, we don't actually learn anything besides the fact that the Titans (mentioned in one bit of dialogue if you played as a dwarven Inquisitor, which I didn't) are connected to the dwarves in a deeply intrinsic manner that has yet to be fully understood.

Not much to say besides that, however.  Really, there isn't.  While we have some interesting story bits, a few creative puzzles, and even a few new enemies there isn't too much that we haven't seen before.  Also, the lack of answers isn't at all helpful.  While I'm certain this is a set up to something later - much like Origins' Witch Hunt, DAII's Legacy, and Trespasser which we'll be covering next week - it feels largely unsatisfying for what we have to go through to get anywhere for it.

It's not to say the combat isn't involving, because it is as always. But that's only part of what we need and Descent just doesn't deliver on it.  No, not even for the price.  A few hours for a confusing ending that is not so much an ending as someone holding up a card going "Sequel Tease!"

Dragon Age: Inquisition's "The Descent" DLC is now available to download for PC, Playstation 4, and Xbox One.

For the latest from the MadCapMunchkin, be sure to follow him on Twitter @MadCapMunchkin.

MadCap's Game Reviews - "Far Cry Primal"

It's Fallout with spears and clubs!

...did I do it? Did I turn it around on the Far Cry 3 morons?

Far Cry was a series I got into, like many people I know, with Far Cry 3 which I thoroughly enjoyed.  The exotic location of Rook Island coupled with the very unique and deeply intricate story arc that Jason Brody went through to go from 20-something SoCal douchebag to fearless, bloodthirsty warrior made it an absolute hit. There was a reason to everything, there were milestones to aspire to, and a bunch of tasty heavy ordnance to mow down the unsuspecting jungle mook with.  Really, it had a great deal more to it than the typical first person shooter has these days.  It aspires to greatness and, in many ways, exceeds it.

Then came Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon.  Basically, all that but with the filter of 1980s sci-fi over it all.  Still good, and indeed even more enjoyable than the vanilla game albeit for entirely different reasons.

Then came Far Cry 4. which was...well...Skyrim with Guns as I said in my review of it. And, truth be told, I may have been a bit too nice to it.  Not that it was bad by any means, but it lacked the colorful cast that 3 and Blood Dragon had, thinking back on it only Pagan Min remains that fresh in my mind after so long.

Anyway, fast forward into 2016, and Ubisoft is taking another stab at the franchise.  Like Blood Dragon, they wanted to do something a little different.  Sadly, it wasn't getting a sequel to that 80s shlock masterpiece, so they decided to wind the clock back in the other direction...10,000 years back, in fact.  The Earth has come out of the last Ice Age and now the Wenja tribe are unifying under the banner of Takkar, the Beastmaster.  Okay, to be truthful, Takkar actually comes to the land of Oros and just so happens to start unifying the Wenja into a tribe following the destruction of his own.

But the opening cutscenes depict Wenja shaman Tensay telling the player about the exploits of Takkar and how he unified the Wenja, so we know it's gonna happen from the jump.

As far as mechanics go, we aren't too far off from Far Cry 3 or 4.  There's running, there's jumping, there's skill trees to make you run and jump faster.  The real difference comes in the weapons, and there's a tasty variety of them to scratch that caveman itch.  I enjoyed it in 4 when I had advanced enough to ride elephants and go plowing into enemy strongholds with all the subtlety of a cat being thrown into a bathtub...in a piano going over a cliff...on fire.  But I really had not anticipated how much I would actually enjoy the simple act of beating a caveman's skull in with a club.

Also, get good with the bow.  Really, it's the best weapon in the long run.

But yes, mechanics-wise if you've played either of the previous two games, you've played this.  Same goes for crafting, albeit it now extends to buildings in your tribal village and your very weapons instead of just toking the reefer. You want to make a spear? Find so much of this kind of wood and you can make it, on the spot.  No muss, no fuss.  And the best part is, you don't have to spend another three hours looking around for a pack of duct tape.

...sorry, I'm still a bit mad at Fallout 4.

However! A new feature is touted by the game.  As mentioned before, Takkar is the Beastmaster.  Following a vision quest he's sent into by Tensay (really, it's Far Cry, we expect drug trips by this point), Takkar suddenly gains the ability to bond with animals - provided he has the necessary talent to do so - and get them to aid him in battle.  Remember how you could use bait to lure animals into enemy strongholds in the previous games? Now, just have that clawed/fanged death machine walking alongside you ready to obey your every command.

Fire is also both your friend and your enemy this time around.  Fire can be used to fend off animals who would attack you, but everything will be set ablaze given the opportunity.  And with being able to set everything on fire short of your spear, you will accidentally set a field of grass or some trees on fire if you aren't paying attention. Pro-tip, keep stocked up on animal fat and you never have to worry about not having it as an option in your back pocket.

While it does follow a great deal of the formula of the previous games, it does actually bother to bring us something different with that concept rather than just retreading the same ground again.  The environments are lovely and the gameplay is, as I've mentioned with the combat, very fluid and an absolute joy.  Bringing us back to a land before time, showing us the simple joy to be found in being a beastmaster in their domain.

Sure, there are no dinosaurs, but if Far Cry 4 could pull yetis, I'm sure that Ubisoft could pull some strings with their DLC for this one. C'mon, Ubisoft! Make it happen!

Far Cry Primal is now available for Microsoft Windows, Playstation 4, and Xbox One.

For the latest from the MadCapMunchkin, be sure to follow him on Twitter @MadCapMunchkin.

MadCap's Game Reviews - "Dragon Age: Inquisition - Jaws of Hakkon"

Okay...yeah...boy is this a little awkward.

I wasn't originally going to do these out of protest, even play them.  I was finished with Dragon Age forever, I really was.

...then someone bought me the Game of the Year Edition because they knew that I had been a fan of the series...with a little less emphasis on the had been part of it.  So, call me a hypocrite if you like, I've never claimed to be anything else.  But I have come to the decision that it is unfair to punish Bioware for EA's business practices, so I'll continue to give Dragon Age patronage...and no other EA product.

...speaking of which, how are the Mass Effect games?

And while I avoid my stoning by the gaming community at large, let me get on with story such as we have it. It's once more back to the war-table as the Inquisition aids in a scholar's look into the Frostback Basin to find the remains of the original Inquisitor.  Thus it was time for me to step back into the boots of mage Inquisition Adaon Trevelyan.  Fresh off of using the Fade to burn the diseased crusty skin off of Corypheus' face, he decided to take a vacation into the snowy Frostbacks only to be besieged by a cult of Avvar barbarians known as the Jaws of Hakkon.

Thus, his holiday ruined, he decides to go and wreak a little havoc on the inconsiderate bastards by finding the remains of his predecessor and beating the crap out of their god.  I will go ahead and say that the final fight with Hakkon is a major high point for me, even if it does devolve into a slug fest with the occasion stunning attack that does nothing except waste my time and drag out the brawl even longer than it needs to be.

Also, sudden and inexplicable shielding to enemies after certain attacks? Get rid of them, Bioware. If I'm in need of padding, I'll be calling out to the Victoria's Secret shops, not you.

Mechanics wise, very little has changed beyond a few new things on the talent trees.  The Inquisitor tree in particular gets a fun little ability called Aegis of the Rift which comes into play later on, Adaon found it quite useful to block incoming projectiles so he could lay down the hurt.  However, despite the emphasis on strategy that was touted up before, it's literally a game of just making sure your group is well-equipped and of the appropriate level to be running about in the area. No muss, no fuss.

As for in-game, we get a more in-depth look at the Avvar in-game, which is very nice considering you have to learn everything else from supplementary materials and I have no interest in doing the summer reading for things that should be brought to my attention within the main form of media (and neither should you).  The Avvar really do have a very interesting culture and I would like to see more representation for them in future games in the series, possibly as a playable character background? Hint hint, Bioware.

Apart from that, not much to say. It's an adequate extension of the base game, topped with a battle against a spirit-god dragon and getting a snazzy suit of armor for your trouble.

Dragon Age: Inquisition - Jaws of Hakkon is now available for download for PC, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.

For the latest from the MadCapMunchkin, be sure to follow him on Twitter @MadCapMunchkin.

...okay, yeah, I know you were expecting Far Cry Primal.  Next week!

MadCap's Game Reviews - "Star Wars Battlefront"

Y'know, there's really no fanbase that I've ever seen that deserves the rage they kick up when they get mad as fans of Star Wars do.  Being that they recently received the first movie they can be not ashamed to call one of the franchise since 1983, it's clear to see that Star Wars fans have been through quite a bit of crap over the past thirty-two years, what with George Lucas wanting to suck out more money from it than a prostitute who just got cured of lockjaw with things like good storytelling, care for what the fans actually wanted to see, and common sense cast aside with reckless abandon.  However, I'm here to say something that I think everyone on the whole of the internet needs to hear.  So, uncover your ears, keep your hands off your keyboards and don't be clicking away to another tab, none of it.  Stop everything you're doing and read the following out loud to yourself.

"I really need to stop complaining."

...yes, you read that correctly.  No, I'm not saying it because the dark times of Star Wars are over (there are still at least two more films that can be easily ruined).  No, I'm not saying that because I'm a shill for Abrams or Disney. I'm saying it because I'm sick of hearing from everyone about how "Star Wars is ruined forever".  People, if we can get past Jar Jar Binks, we can get past EA making every single Star Wars game from now until the end of time.

Star Wars Battlefront is the third in the Battlefront series and the first to be brought to us by EA DICE, and everyone and their mother has an opinion of it. Most of them are bad, hatred-filled spewings declaring it the end of Star Wars games.  Uh, internet, just because everything's not going to be Knights of the Old Republic again doesn't mean that you need to condemn it to the Seventh Circle of Hell out of hand.  You could just condemn it because it's your standard modern day shooter done up with various multiplayer maps with bots in place of actual enemies.

And that's really it. It plays well as a shooter, but doesn't offer anything else new.  Strip the graphics and you can convince yourself you're playing a Call of Duty game.  It's the superficial trappings over some mechanics from somewhere else that they're more prevalent (sound familiar?), la de da, we've all seen it before.  There's nothing new or innovative and one really is dumb for expecting such things from any EA product that doesn't have Bioware attached - and even that is starting to be a particularly flimsy claim. You wanted a story? Don't make me laugh.

The only real major criticism I have for the game is the size of the maps.  I have literally - I swear this is true - gone from one end of a map to the other without once encountering a single enemy, which allowed me plenty of time to enjoy the recreations of scenes that are vaguely like the planet from the Star Wars saga that I'm supposed to be on.

So, am I going to defend this game? Absolutely not.

Am I going to ask people to not act like its the coming of the Anti-Christ and now nothing will be good again ever? You bet.

I mean, really, if we can get beyond The Force Unleashed, we can get beyond this, people!

Star Wars Battlefront is now available from Electronic Arts and EA Dice for Microsoft Windows, Playstation 4, and Xbox One.

For the latest from the MadCapMunchkin, be sure to follow him on Twitter @MadCapMunchkin.

MadCap At the Movies - "Deadpool"

Once in a lifetime there comes a character that defines a generation.  In comic books, this generally means redefining what it means to be a hero.  Wade W. Wilson...is not that hero.  What he is is Deadpool, the Merc with a Mouth, and an absolutely fun fun fun time.  Yes, he can get incredibly grating to some, but one has to accept that there is some kind of mass charm about the man that all the good guys just don't have.

Deadpool is the epic tale of Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) fresh out of his mouth being stitched shut days (which are apparently not canon anymore) going to hunt down Ajax Francis (Ed Skrein) in order to fix up his face after the experiments that made him immortal...and so ugly that he looks like chain smokers have been using his face to put out their cigarettes for the last decade.

In Highlander-style (albeit with Reynolds' narration) we are told the story of Wade from his days as a merc with a soft heart who falls in love with escort Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) and later learns that he has terminal cancer as interposed with him in the "present" hunting down Francis so that he can get a cure for his terribly shriveled looks. It's really a very excellent movie, if a little predictable in terms of how the plot flows.  I've seen some critics accuse it of being "formulaic".  Well, yes, critics.  That's rather how it works.  When the entertainment finds a formula that works, it will beat that dead horse until its congealed into a pile of dust.

Ant-Man followed a formula that was brought to us by Iron Man and both those movies were awesome.  Really, stop being such pretentious dicks.

Regardless, the formula is completely aided by the zany madcap (no relation) antics of Wilson as he shoots, stabs, and snarks his way through life's challenges that crop up when you face off the Weapon X program.  The jokes are almost nonstop, a tribute to the essence of the character himself.  Reynolds shows that he shines when his mouth isn't stitched shut, and the words put into his mouth by writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are absolute gold when delivered by him.

The action scenes are also top notch - the one in the beginning has made its way into my top ten favorties of all time - as Deadpool is indeed a Merc with a Mouth and one of the greatest combat specialists alive, regardless of how addled his brains are.  Deadpool is also not one to be hindered by impaling, gunshots, or (self-)dismemberment, either, and as one would expect, there is a realistic amount of blood and gore with only a single Gory Discretion Shot in the entire film (and, considering the noises we hear, I don't want to know what he did).

I would go into the deep character bits (of which there are at least three), but that's not really what you go to see this movie for.  You go to see either your favorite character gorily dismember bad guys while spouting one-liners or you go to see Ryan Renyolds gorily dismember bad guys while spouting one-liners, there's no middle ground.  I will say, though, that that marketing technique seems to have worked well for Fox and Marvel.  For the first time in recent memory, the theater was actually packed and I mean packed to the point of people coming in during the opening credits looking to sit on armrests in lieu of unavailable seating kind of packed.

So, I do owe Fox an apology.  Yes, you made one movie right.  Now go fix the X-Men franchise and we'll talk about celebrating.

Deadpool is now in theaters  from 20th Century Fox and Marvel Entertainment.

For the latest from the MadCapMunchkin, be sure to follow him on Twitter @MadCapMunchkin.

..."Chikah-chi-kaaah".

MadCap's Game Reviews - "Shovel Knight"

Between the time when the oceans (of fans) drank (up) Pac-Man and the rise of the sons of Skyrim...there was an age undreamed of. And unto this were games such as Castlevania and Mega Man, destined to where the crowns of balls-breakingly difficult games upon a trouble brow.  It is I, he who has no relation to either of them, who alone can tell you of a game that homages them both and many others of the era.

...and this story has been told by many game reviewers. Never let it be said this chronicler is timely.

And now to drop the Mako impression and get down to the nitty-gritty of an awesome game. And it is an awesome game, make no mistake.  Brought to us by Yacht Club Games, Shovel Knight is a story about a knight (who, as his name suggests, wields a rolling pin) who returns to the land after a period of mourning the loss of his lady love the Shield Knight (who, as her name suggests, wields a pair of bolt cutters) to find that the entire land has been taking over by the evil Enchantress and her knights of the Order of No Quarter (who, as their name suggests, are a rather pacifistic bunch).

In all seriousness, the game begins and Shovel Knight is immediately thrown into a quest to get to the Tower of Fate - defeating all eight of the Knights along the way. And along the way he finds friends and foes such as the Mighty Troupple King and, of course, the Knights of the Order of No Quarter. Despite my amusing snarky version of the Rule of Three, they are not pacifists and each have their own unique level that Shovel Knight must traverse à la Mega Man and like Mega Man, the levels do have their own uniqueness beyond just being themed.  Some levels have to be traversed vertically as opposed to horizontal side-scrolling. Others have areas that go pitch black and others still are coated in ice which makes maneuvering Shovel Knight far more difficult.

And there are more besides that, but Shovel Knight is determined never to give up - bouncing around on enemy heads via his excellent shovel.  Much like Scrooge McDuck's cane in Duck Tales, the shovel is used for both combat and utility, such as digging up piles of refuse for gemstones that can be turned into weapon, armor, health, and magic upgrades (not that you'll need the last two, but I'll get to that).

In addition to his weapon armament of choice, Shovel Knight also has certain spells at his command such as fiery wand and a war horn which are charged with magic potions that he can find out. When he runs out, he's unable to use them further, but enemies will more often than not drop them upon death, so upgrades are definitely not a bad thing, but are by no means necessary provided you're smart with your attacks and don't go in guns blazing.

With those techniques aside, it's a standard platform with some combat elements. There's no RPG elements like gaining experience or leveling stats. The only thing that really comes close are the health, magic, and weapon upgrades, all of which are taken care of by money (or, in the case of health, special tickets that are found in the world).  It's a fun ride, for certain, from beginning to end, but there is no denying that it remembers its classic gaming roots well.  Almost too well, in face.

The 8-bit style is a throwback to the days of the NES, as well as the gameplay style in which you have legions of insta-kill pits and spikes.  Why? Because those retro games did it, so we have it here, too. It's unnecessary, sure, and it was also unnecessary back then, but it forces modern players a little out of their comfort zone by actually forcing a little more effort from the player.  On the whole, Shovel Knight is an enjoyable romp that has actually given me a bit more a challenge than I would have expected from a modern-day game.  With enjoyable gameplay, a touching story, and kickass 8-bit music, I highly recommend it.

Really, there's nothing more I can say that hasn't already been said.  If you haven't played it, then go get it now!

Shovel Knight is now available from Yacht Club Games for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, OS X, Linux, Playstation 3, 4, and Vita, and Xbox One.

For the latest from the MadCapMunchkin, be sure to follow him on Twitter @MadCapMunchkin.