Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Review

Sic Parvis Magna

Reviewed by Mason Manuel

I had been forced behind flimsy cover in the form of a stump that was being disintegrated by bullets by enemy forces. My primary weapon was clicking on empty and my subpar pistol was close to following suit. Frantically looking around for escape, I saw only one option. With fingers crossed, I sprinted away from my homey stump (which had all but been shredded into a twig) and jumped straight off a ledge. But Nathan Drake is far from suicidal. With a lucky throw, my multipurpose grappling hook snags a tree branch and flings me straight into enemy territory, allowing me to perform a kickass superman punch on an enemy soldier. Without pressing any buttons Drake suavely picks up the enemy’s rifle full of yummy ammo with a cocky “let’s do this” for good measure. Completely unscripted, with next to no helping hands from in game mechanics, this scene illustrates the beautiful combat developer Naughty Dog has created to make their best game ever, and quite possibly the best of the year.

Firewatch Review

Burning Bright

Reviewed by Mason Manuel

If you were to ask someone unfamiliar with gaming what video games mainly consist of, they would probably cite something action heavy like Halo or Mario. They wouldn’t necessarily be wrong; after all we get big budget triple A war simulators every year i.e. Call of Duty. But they are not completely right either. Games like Firewatch prove this. You won’t find a hint of action in its roughly 8 hour long campaign. The closest you get to violence is chopping trees with an axe. But despite this lack of explosions and gunfire, Firewatch proves itself to be the marker of a new generation in gaming.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Review

Solid Throughout

Reviewed by Mason Manuel

  “Sun will soon be setting.” I smiled to myself. This was the announcement I had been waiting for from my nifty little iDroid gadget. Ahead of me lay a base with some very yummy resources ripe for the taking if I could pull it off. The problem? I needed to do it stealthily or else I would be swarmed by a gang of Russian soldiers. Luckily I had come prepared.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Review

The Witcher 3 (2015)

Developed by CD Projekt Red

Thrill of the Hunt

Reviewed by Mason Manuel

          57 and a half. That is how many hours that my in game window told me I had spent galloping the vast expanse of a war torn Tameria by the time my campaign was over. I can honestly say that when the credits rolled I released a heavy sigh as if I had finished a long and hard day’s work. That’s not to say The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is not fun to play. In fact, it is one of the best games I have ever played. Just be prepared to commit yourself fully in mind, body, and soul to the adventures and well-being of your protagonist.

Batman: Arkham Knight Review

Prepare for Knightfall

Reviewed by Mason Manuel

            There was a time when the involvement of Batman meant certain death for video games. There was no one who could seemingly grasp the true unstoppable force of Bruce Wayne’s alter ego while still accounting for his most prevalent weakness of not being a super powered being. Even if they could, no one could find a way to make a player feel that they had control over the awesome might of the Batman. And then the players were gifted with Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham Asylum and superhero games would never be the same again. I would argue that no one has even come close to reaching the standard that Rocksteady has created for their Batman saga and I strongly doubt we will see one soon. Because now we have the finale to Rocksteady’s Batman trilogy, Batman: Arkham Knight and holy s**t, it’s a beauty.