"Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number" Review

     "Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number" improves on its predecessor in a number of ways, but were some of those improvements really necessary? In developer, Dennaton Game's sequel, you are now playing as multiple characters, experiencing multiple, intersecting views of the story through their eyes. The events in "Hotline Miami 2" take place before and after those of the previous game. I have to be honest, when I played the first game, I was so befuddled with the story that by the end of it, I had to have someone explain it to me. With the sequel containing thirteen playable characters, it was much harder to get a good read on the story. Most of these new characters have masks and their own special abilities for dispatching enemies. The masks were always a huge favorite of mine from the original and it's awesome to see new ones in the sequel.
     Dennaton Games definitely stepped it up with "Hotline Miami 2". The levels are bigger, the violence is as brutal as ever and the soundtrack will have your heart pumping and your head rocking. Levels take you to new areas such as a shipping yard, office building, sewers, etc. More to explore is usually a good thing, but sometimes it can backfire. Often times, even stretching your view to far sides of the levels does nothing for you as you can't see all the way across. You'll think you're in the clear, when out of nowhere, an enemy or some damn rabid dog will come charging at you out of your line of sight. Instead of a positive, these larger levels feel like a negative, impacting "Hotline Miami's" original formula of tight, but still deeply enjoyable levels. I'm not saying that developers should always stick to the same format, but sometimes, improvements are made where they aren't needed.
     Let's talk about the masks. Some masks have returned, while others make a new, violent entrance. One set of characters who both wear swan masks are controlled at the same time using the two triggers on the controller. One has a chainsaw and the other uses guns. This makes for an extremely interesting dynamic as if one of them dies, you fail a level. The zebra mask allows you to avoid enemy attacks by rolling. Tony the Tiger makes a return with his fatal fists, but this time lacks the ability to pick up weapons. While there is an abundance of playable characters in "Hotline Miami 2", there are unfortunately, fewer masks.
     "Hotline Miami 2's" overall art design is still here, but better than ever. The game's pause screen is like a VHS tape when you pause it, showing a white static line across the middle of the screen. The level selection screen has the levels depicted as VHS tapes as well. Even quitting to the main menu is called "Eject." Bright colors pierce your eyes from every direction and the violence is taken to new heights. Suck it Australia. Everything is deadlier in "Hotline Miami 2." Bullets cause fearsome carnage leaving intestines exposed or body parts blown off. Sharper weapons such as knives or machetes can decapitate enemies or slit their throats as an execution technique. Even decapitated heads can be kicked around if you walk over them. More blunt weapons such as the baseball bat can be equally brutal allowing you to pulverize your enemies' heads into bloody pulps. Also, the quick restart button obviously makes its return, keeping you playing for hours until you finally realize that you need a break.

     Remember that soundtrack from the original that blew your mind? Well, it's back, with all new tracks that will make your heart pump blood at the speed of light and keep your eyes frantically scanning your screen for enemies. Now, instead of having to scour the internet for the songs/artists, the level selection screen lists the track used for each level. Some previous artists make a return, while new ones make their debut. There are over 40 tracks in "Hotline Miami 2", all of which will make you glad you bought this game. Sidenote, get excited for a level editor that will also be coming to the game in the form of a later update. 
     All in all, "Hotline Miami 2" is an ambitious sequel with changes that made it a better game overall than its predecessor and changes that will make you wish were never changed. Make no mistake, if you play this game, you will probably end up punching walls out of frustration until your knuckles bleed.
PROS:
- Multiple playable characters
- New masks
- Intriguing, varied locations
- Incredible art design
- More brutal than ever before
- Soundtrack will blow your mind
CONS:
- Hard to follow story
- Overwhelmingly large levels
- Fewer masks
Final Score: 8.5/10

"Battlefield Hardline" Review

     

     "Battlefield Hardline" is definitely something new in the Battlefield series. The question is though, how new? "Hardline's" campaign has you playing as Detective, Nick Mendoza. You work for Miami Vice and discover that *surprise-surprise*, there are a lot of dirty cops. You being the good guy and all, you decide to try to bring as many people to justice as you possibly can. Characters are well-voiced, but many of them turn out to be very stereotypical. 
     "Hardline" takes a different approach this time around with a large number of stealth sequences in its campaign. Don't worry though, for all of you Michael Bay nutcases, there are still crazy action sequences. Whether you're driving a tank, controlling an abandoned plane's cannon or in a high speed, off-road chase, "Hardline's" got it for sure. During the stealth sequences, you have the ability to flash your badge at up to three enemies causing them to put their hands up. You may then arrest each of them by laying them down on the ground and cuffing them. Doing so will net you quite a bit of points each time. However, killing your enemies will give you no points... at all. This renders the "arrest system" effectively broken. The game should give at least some points for going  bad. The more enemies you arrest, the more weapons you'll unlock. Certain enemies have warrants out for their arrest. If you arrest them, you'll gain extra points. Enemies can be tagged and warrants revealed as well using your scanner.

     To be honest, I would've rather watched both "Bad Boys" movies than played "Hardline's" campaign. At least the movies would have shown me a good time. Developer, Visceral Games has used just about every single cop TV show/movie cliché in the book during the game's campaign. From hotel shootouts to warehouse shootouts to a weed grow house shootout. It's all here. Of course, you can choose to go through these sequences stealthily if you please. The game has you playing in many different locations including a swamp, island, hotel, warehouse and others. Probably one of the coolest parts about "Hardline's" campaign is the fact that the entire thing is set up as a television show. After each mission, or "episode", an icon from the next "episode" will pop up in the corner of your screen saying "Next episode playing in 30 seconds", like Netflix. If it was a television show though, I guarantee it would be cancelled by the end of its first season. Whenever there's a dull moment in "Hardline's" campaign, the game just throws a crazy action sequence your way to keep you entertained. It's funny how the one thing that made a game series boring is the one thing that vitalizes it. 

     Graphically, "Hardline" passes. Character models shine with excellent attention to detail, as well as the little things in environments such as street light reflections in puddles. Destructible environments are also available, but the scale of how destructible they are is pretty small. Visceral Games tried to craft an original Battlefield campaign, but just about every idea they had fell victim to another cliché. Even all of the celebrity appearances in "Hardline's" campaign couldn't save it. There were barely any original ideas here. During the campaign, I was frequently arresting the same exact character model, hearing the same lines of dialogue over and over. It felt so lazy on Visceral Game's part. Even the ending is HUGE sequel bait, but I still kind of enjoyed it.

     Multiplayer in "Hardline" is very different from past games in the Battlefield series. It's cops vs. robbers this time with seven game modes and nine maps. Out of those seven game modes, only two modes from past Battlefield games have returned; Conquest and Team Deathmatch. The other five, which are all new game modes are Hotwire, Heist, Rescue, Blood Money and Crosshair. "Hardline's" multiplayer is almost always at breakneck speed. Hotwire has most players in high speed chases trying to secure marked cars while gunning each other down. When in a vehicle in Hotwire, which range from motorcycles to big rig trucks to muscle cars, players can stick themselves out of the windows for drive-by shooting. 
     Heists have the robbers trying to break into a vault and steal the cash. The cops must stop them from reaching their extraction points with the money. Rescue has the robbers holding hostages, while the police must rescue them. There are no respawns in this mode. In Blood Money, both the cops and robbers are trying to retrieve money and return it to their respective team sides. Sides can be raided to secure more money and the first side to reach the money goal or whoever has the most money when time runs out, wins. Crosshair is a little bit like Rescue; there are no respawns. In Crosshair, the cops are keeping a criminal turned witness safe that they need to get an extraction point and the robbers must kill him before he gets there. Destructible environments seem to be more prevalent in multiplayer. Cover can be obliterated, making you an easy target. Maps also have events that can be triggered by players causing small or humongous levels of destruction. 
     "Hardline's" multiplayer progression system is still relatively the same as past Battlefield games, except for a couple of changes. Instead of unlocking new weapons based on your rank, most weapons can now be purchased with the money you earn from the game modes. Attachments are earned through kills. Certain items will be awarded for completing specific challenges. As always, you can carry extra things such as gadgets or first aid kits. I appreciated the ability to purchase weapons instead of the traditional level-progression system. Sound in multiplayer is pulse-pounding and will keep you on your toes, scanning your environment for threats. For some reason, multiplayer's sound sounded better to me than in the campaign.
     "Battlefield Hardline" still looks about the same as the previous Battlefield games only this time it's cops vs. robbers. The game's disappointing campaign made me shrug and I was worried that the multiplayer would be a disappointment as well, but luckily, that was not the case. There have been some great changes made, along with some new additions, but not enough has been done here to make this feel like a totally new experience.
PROS:
- Campaign's episodic format
- New, varied multiplayer modes
- Better weapon unlocking system
- Breakneck speed multiplayer
- Impressive graphical details
CONS:
- Disappointing story
- Story clichés everywhere!
- Broken arrest system
- Not a totally new Battlefield experience
- Repeat character models and dialogue
- Stereotypical characters
Final Score: 7/10

"DmC Devil May Cry: Definitive Edition" Review

   

     DmC Devil May Cry: Definitive Edition  is largely the same game as its previous "non-definitive" version released back in 2013. However, this time around, you'll be experiencing the game in 1080p and 60fps. You play as infamous demon-killer, Dante. Dante is the spawn of an angel and a demon; a "Nephilim." The redesign of Dante by developer, Ninja Theory, is audacious. Dante is a huge, arrogant douche. However, this is not a bad thing. Ninja Theory took a bold risk with the character and it paid off. Dante is that one guy that deep down, everyone wishes they could be like; filled to the brim with confidence. He's got a cool hairstyle, muscles, a sweet jacket and doesn't give a shit about anything.

     When first asked to help save the world from Demon King, Mundus (who wants to enslave mankind), Dante's words are "Why should I give a shit?" He is eventually persuaded by his brother Vergil, and Kat, Vergil's helping hand. The majority of the game takes place in "Limbo", the realm between the real world and the demon world. Combat in "DmC" is tense and gratifying. Each time you fight you have the ability to build up your combo and score big points as you fight a multitude of enemies. Dante has many ways to dispatch his demon enemies, such as his sword, two guns, "Ebony and Ivory", scythe (Osiris), a large axe (Arbiter) and two large, but handheld "ninja stars." While in combat, Dante can also pull himself towards enemies or pull them to towards him. Having the variety of weapons is great, but can make combat a little complicated when you want to switch things up. When things get heated and Dante is surrounded by demons, you'll probably find yourself gravitating towards a certain weapon instead of switching it up. The game does fix this problem in most circumstances though due to different enemy types requiring specific weapons in order to damage them. Different weapons can be accessed through holding the trigger buttons down or with the d-pad. If you ever feel overpowered in combat, you can use Dante's new ability, "Devil Trigger", which when activated will launch your enemies into the air for easy killing. There is a plethora of different demon enemies. Also, any combat upgrades purchased can be "unpurchased" if you want to try out other ones.

     As you build up your combos, a voice will scream how good they get. You'll hear words such as "Sadistic" or "Sensational." Hearing these words is encouraging, letting you know that you're kicking demon-ass in combat. The small visual boost the game receives from its 1080p upgrade is nice, but nothing to get excited about. The change to 60fps is helpful in combat, creating a much smoother experience all around.

     Graphically, "DmC" still looks the same as its last-gen version. The same textures are still there and not much has been redesigned. Additional enhancements include a manual lock-on for combat and a new mode called "Bloody Palace" that pits Dante against waves of enemies. There is also "Turbo Mode", which speeds up the game by a full twenty percent. All dlc has also been bundled with the game, including various skins and the "Vergil's Downfall" dlc. For anybody who is looking for a greater challenge, "DmC" has it, with seven difficulty modes. Voice-acting is believable and the characters are portrayed well. There are A LOT of annoying puns and the game's humor can be overbearing at times. The game also does an impressive job of comparing itself to the real world. Examples are how the news is evil and its sole purpose is to control the population and keep it in fear, how mankind has freedom, though all they do with it is fight each other and a soft drink called "Virility" that controls the population and makes it weak. The game's set pieces really bring it to life. When playing in "Limbo", buildings will come apart to form platforms for fighting or traversal, black ooze will rise up from the ground and the world will crumble around you. The designs of the demons are scary-detailed. The way Dante's weapons pulverize his enemies is a work of art.

     Boss fights are similar to those of the "God of War" series. You pay attention to an enemy, wait for an opening, attack and then repeat the cycle. Most bosses have multiple life bars while Dante only has one that is much smaller. Boss design is grotesquely and visually impressive ranging from fighting an acid spewing succubus to a giant fetus attached to its mother. You will gag frequently during these boss fights. While the boss fights are entertaining, none of them are quite as fun as the actual combat itself. The overall sound of the game is crisp and clear and while I may not be a fan of screaming in music or loud metal, the game's soundtrack fits well. 

     Unfortunately, if you're looking for a story-driven game, "DmC" isn't for you. You fight waves of demons, watch a cut scene or two, then move on to the next mission. It's a hack 'n' slash, and an awesome one at that.

PROS:

- 60fps

- Super-cool Dante

- Improved and variated, satisfying combat

- Real world comparisons

- Difficulty options

- New game modes, plus all previous dlc

- Amazing art design

CONS:

- Largely the same game as its last-gen counterpart

- Overbearing dialogue

- Boss fights are not as fun as the actual combat

- Disappointing story

Final Score: 8/10

"OlliOlli2: Welcome to Olliwood" Review

     Welcome to Olliwood. For anyone who has never played "OlliOlli", it is a simple enough to grasp, yet incredibly hard to master, 2D skateboarding platformer. OlliOlli2 is an all around better experience than the first installment. It adds new tricks, new grinds, new stages, manuals and a soon to be added split-screen multiplayer mode. Each level in "OlliOlli" features five challenges to complete. While you only need to finish the level to move on to the next one, completing the challenges offers a nice sense of accomplishment for the player. For each level you "five-star", a pro version of that level is unlocked. The short explanation; a WAY HARDER level.

     

      It's clear that the developers, Roll7, went for a much cleaner, smoother experience this time around. The first game was essentially 8bit, while OlliOlli2 isn't pixelated at all. It's the little things in games that matter the most; like certain animations, fine-tuned controls, eye catching environments and extra content. OlliOlli2 has all of these. The game's controls are essentially set to the left stick, triggers and "X" button. The left stick is used for tricks and grinds similar to EA's "Skate" controls. If you ever have a problem with executing a trick or a grind, just look it up in the game's handy "Tricktionary". The "X" button is used for landing your tricks and pushing for more speed. You're going to want to tap it right before you land in order to achieve a perfect landing, awarding you more points for your trick or combo. Depending on when you tap it, you'll be awarded an either okay, sick, perfect, sketchy or sloppy landing. Landing manuals allows you to continue your combos for as long as you want; that is, until you screw up. A smile will light up your face each time you land a trick or a long combo and see your score shoot up.

     While the environments for each stage in the first game were different, they remained dull. The sequel changes things up by adding a splash of color and creativity to each of its five stages. "OlliWood" is just how it sounds, a Hollywood-esque stage with palm trees and skyscrapers in the background. Some levels even have movie sets. "Curse of The Aztec" is reminiscent of the "Indiana Jones" films with skull statues, molten lava below you, volcanoes, trees with hanging monkeys and spike traps. "Gunmetal Creek" is a Western Stage with dynamite you must avoid, a chugging train and canyons in the background. Cool sidenote-stages have ramps to boost your speed if you trick off of them. "Gunmetal Creek's" ramps are revolvers that shoot when you trick off of them. "Carnival of The Dead" is an abandoned theme park filled with hazardous waste, carnival rides in the background, bright colorful lights and roller coaster tracks you can skate up and down on. It rains in this stage as well, creating a beautiful scenery. "Titan Sky" is a futuristic stage with giant robots in the background, along with flying cars and floating platforms. Each stage brings something new and fresh to the table, keeping you on your toes.

     OlliOlli2 has quite a few things for the completionists out there. As I said before, there is a pro level for each level you five-star. If you five-star every level, you unlock "RAD MODE", a new difficulty mode. There is also "Daily Grind"; a daily contest where you only get one shot at a stage to score your highest among the other players on the leaderboards. There are "Spots", which are basically shortened versions of each level without challenges. The "Skatepark" offers tutorials for each skill just in case you ever need a refresher course. The game's soundtrack is top-notch. Each track fits perfectly, never being too fast or too slow for the game's pace. 
     When I first started playing OlliOlli2 I loved it, then I hated it, then loved it again. It's an endless cycle. It's quick reset button similar to Hotline Miami allows you to repeat any level instantly if you fail. If you're like me, you'll spend hours trying to five-star each level. Even after I beat a level, I found myself going back trying to beat my high score. Time flies when skating through "OlliOlli's" world. In that time, your thumb will ache severely, your throat will be soar from yelling at your TV and you might even hate yourself a little bit. However, I promise you that completing the level challenges is rewarding. To know that your effort paid off and you have those stars to show for it is a great feeling. Roll7 clearly has a deep passion for making video games and I hope they keep putting as much love into their other games as they did for "OlliOlli."

PROS:
- Incredible art style
- Fine-tuned controls
- Extra content for completionists
- Perfect Soundtrack
- Difficult, but rewarding gameplay
Final Score: 10/10