Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Review

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One of the most popular series on the PlayStation 3 had its swan song on the PlayStation 4 when developer Naughty Dog teamed up with Sony Computer Entertainment and released Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End in 2016. The final installment in the series would follow the “last” adventure of treasure hunter Nathan Drake and his entourage of helpful partners. Would it be really the end for him, and if so, would Drake go out with a bang, or would this series finale wash away in the sands of time?

Uncharted 4 Plot:

If you have read my previous reviews on the Uncharted series, you’ll know by now that the protagonist, Nathan Drake, is a complicated person with an obsession for danger, adventure, and treasure. That means he has sacrificed many relationships, including his on-again, off-again relationship with his wife, and fellow adventurer, Elena. Even his mentor, Sully, has seen better days as Uncharted 4 comes into focus. Everyone is a bit older, and a new character is introduced to players in the form of Drake’s long lost brother, Sam who is just as treasure crazy as Drake is.

The game begins with a flashback as Drake and his brother are hunting for a treasure belonging to a pirate named Henry Avery. The two brothers come up with the idea to infiltrate a Panamanian jail to hunt for clues about the treasure where some of the pirates from the ship ended up long ago. The brothers and their friend named Rafe find some clues and a valuable idol. The prison warden wants in on the action, and Rafe ends up killing him resulting in a chaotic prison break. Drake and Rafe escape, but Sam is shot and presumed dead by Drake.

Time passes and after the events of the third game, Drake and Elena live a “boring” life where they are retired. Don’t worry, in bursts Drake’s newly escaped brother Sam and informs him that they need to find the treasure of that Avery pirate because he promised to split it with a drug lord named Hector who helped bust Sam out of prison.

Drake lies to Elena about what he is up to and takes Sam and Sully with him to go find the pirate treasure. They begin their search by stealing an idol from an auction that Rafe is it. The idol contains a map that leads them to Scotland where they find more clues that lead to Madagascar. All this time, Elena believes that Drake is doing a salvage job in Malaysia.

The trio discovers that there is a pirate utopia, where pirates from all over the world stored their treasures together. Elena finds them at their hotel where she is displeased, to say the least. She leaves red-hot and Drake asks Sully to go after her as Sam and he needs to find the treasure to save Sam’s life. They then encounter Rafe who reveals that Sam double-crossed him and that it was Rafe that actually released Sam from prison but he wanted to search for the treasure with Drake instead. Furious, Rafe shoots his gun at Drake but Sam jumps out in front and sends Drake falling down a cliff.

Elena rescues Drake and the two reconcile and head for the island that Sam and Rafe are on. They rescue Sam but he decides to forgo an escape and search for the treasure resulting in Drake chasing him until they reach the pirate ship in a cavern. Filled with treasure, as well as Rafe and his boss Nadine, the ship catches on fire from one of the many traps set by pirates. Nadine leaves the three of them to fight amongst each other as she escapes. Drake kills Rafe by crushing him with the treasure while Sam and he escape to safety.

As the game ends, Elena reveals to Drake that Sam gave her a huge cut of the treasure he took and that she bought the salvage company for Drake and she plans to revive her broadcasting career. Years later, a flashforward shows Drake and Elena’s daughter discovering their memories and treasures from their adventures.

Uncharted 4 Gameplay:

The presentation and details in Uncharted 4 will blow you away. Uncharted 2 and 3 were gorgeous on the PS3, but Uncharted 4 outshines them on the next-generation console. During my playthrough, I remember being so impressed by the water and mud physics. It all seems so realistic and responds appropriately to your every step.

You can see that the characters have aged, there are more wrinkles on them and perhaps a hint of gray at the temples of Drake. I’m very picky about hair physics, but they look great in Uncharted 4 as Elena will brush her hair out of her face or a braid will fall from her ear. I have zero complaints in the graphics department for Uncharted 4.

Puzzles will litter the gameplay like other Uncharted games. Sequences like “How do I get up there” or “How do I reach that section” that has Drake moving boxes around or climbing cliffs. There are also some stealth elements, particularly in the auction part of the game where you need to not alert anyone to your presence. One of my favorite parts of the game was driving the jeep around the cliffs and river. It felt like I was part of a true safari and to be able to drive the jeep in those exotic locations felt special.

Combat has stayed the same for most of the series. You’ll have the familiar shoot-outs and ambushes. There is plenty of action for Drake to plow through alone and with his brother. I’m not sure if Naughty Dog could have included some type of new aspect to the combat because it felt the par for the entire series of picking up a gun, looking for ammo, and firing it until you clear out the area, but I think I would have welcomed something new whether it was a different presentation of the combat or actual gameplay. I always felt like I was hiding behind a box or rock and then peering out to shoot at mercenaries. Overall, it worked fine, but it would have been cool to see something different or special for the finale of the series.

Where Uncharted 4 loses me a bit is the story. I applaud the relationship between Elena and Drake, as it seems authentic with “real feelings” of jealousy, betrayal, and anger. Drake’s brother, Sam is mysteriously never mentioned until this game and I felt like that was just a bit pushed for a surprise effect. The two brothers seemed inseparable, and if they were so close you would think Drake would have mentioned him before to Elena or Sully. I also can’t quite remember how Elena tracks them down to their hotel room, perhaps that was just an open plot hole but if her broadcasting career flounders, she should become a private detective as she always seems to find Drake at the most opportune times.

Memories:
I was very excited to play Uncharted 4 when it was released and remember being blown away by the details. I liked hunting for the treasure and thought the pirate plot was a cool one. I thought one of my favorite characters might bite the bullet, particularly Sully, but was happy to see everyone make it out alive.

Uncharted 4 Review Score:

Uncharted 4 is a fitting end to a fantastic series filled with lovable characters, adventure, and action. The series has come a long way and I’m happy to see Drake and Elena in retirement with Sully still kicking around. Some questionable plot decisions raised my eyebrows but overall this is another wonderful experience for adventure fans.

Uncharted 4 scores a 9.4 out of 10.

Do you remember when Uncharted 4 first came out? Did you think that one of your favorite characters would die? What did you think of the story? What was your favorite game in the series and do you think it will ever be revived? Let me know your memories and thoughts, I’d love to read the comments.

Giga Wing 2 Review

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I scolded the original Giga Wing in my review of it a few weeks back, and I’ve decided to review the second entry in the series hoping for some improvements. Released in 2001 for the Sega Dreamcast, Giga Wing 2 was developed by GeneX and published by Capcom. The vertical shooter would introduce players to new pilots and offer a four-player mode. Would the second installment of Giga Wing upgrade the series or would it show similar disappointments to the original?

https://youtu.be/-UITroUp8GU

Giga Wing 2 Plot:

Let’s take a look at the story from the official manual:

“The Serbenian Republic is a beautiful region in the center of the Eurasian continent, nestled between the Black and Red Seas. For decades it has been one of the most peaceful countries in the Union.

Secretly, though, it’s been rumbling with unrest and dissatisfaction. Suddenly, the Republic army erupts in a wide-spread coup against the Union garrison and announces its independence. The Union government is shaken to its roots.

Other Allied Nations make a gesture of assisting the Union’s military government. But large-scale military intervention is viewed as unwise as the balance of power shifts daily between the rebels and the Union forces.

The Union government contacts Giga Wing, an elite special forces team, to take the situation in hand. Five young aces take off and head to the Serbenian Republic.

It’s an entirely new battle!

Nothing is impossible for Giga Wings pilots!

Giga Wing is an independent group of air mercenaries originally formed by pilots of the elite Unit 100 Airborne. They played a legendary role in the last war, but have since resigned from the Unit in peacetime.

Since Giga Wing pilots do not pay tribute to any nation and aren’t bound by any law, hopeful applicants are not questioned about their past or the history of their airships. The only qualification is excellence!

Only the highest qualified aces are allowed to join. Because of this, Giga Wing pilots display a battle prowess that significantly contributes to successful battles – while engaging the minimum of pilots.”

All in all, a bunch of mumbo-jumbo but let’s take a look at the pilots you can choose from. I thought there was more than this from the manual, I believe you can play as up to eight different pilots but I could be wrong so don’t hold me to it. Anyway, here are their bios from the manual:

Kart – A hero of the previous war. It is said that his squad’s performance brought about an early end to the war. However, Kart’s entire team was annihilated in a battle at Lullie Sea, leaving him with no one to lead. After the war, Kart became a mercenary, earning the ominous nickname “Companion Killer”.

Romi – A perfect ace pilot whose skill is unrivaled in the team. As a war orphan, Romi was raised in a military institution. While there, she received special education as a fighter pilot.

Limi – The last survivor of an ancient Serbenian family. Limi keeps alive the legend of the family’s powerful canon.

Chery – Officially registered as one of the replicoids (artificial soldiers) mass-produced during the war, in reality, Chery is an original artificial human. She was found in a sanctuary.

Ralugo – Once fought for independence for his family in Serbenia, but lost to the huge power of the empire. After living as a drifter, he has decided to become a Giga Wing mercenary.

I did my playthrough as Kart. The finale of the game sees Chery blowing herself up with a bomb to stop the enemy while Romi or Limi (I can’t remember which one) dies. Kart retires and ends up becoming the president of a country or something like that.

Giga Wing 2 Gameplay:

The intro was much better than the previous game. It felt like a game that belonged on the Sega Dreamcast which I could not say for the first game. The original Giga Wing looked like it belonged on the Super Nintendo. When I started my playthrough, I noticed that the presentation and graphics continued on the improvement from the intro.

Giga Wing 2 looks much better on the Dreamcast than the first game. I don’t know what happened because they were only released within a year of each other but they look vastly different. The insane number of bullets will still kill you every 15 seconds but like the first game, you have unlimited continues. It’s both a blessing and a curse for this game because it takes any challenge out of the game but allows players of all skill to have fun and see the entirety of the game. There’s no way I could beat this game without the unlimited continues, there are just way too many bullets on screens and you will die every few seconds. Luckily, you have unlimited bombs to blast and they destroy almost everything on the screen. In this aspect, Giga Wing 2 feels more like a tech demo than an actual game, showing off the graphics, controls, and soundtrack instead of putting forth a challenge. The object of the game is to get a high score because we all know the only way you’ll fail is if you quit. A full run playthrough will last maybe 15-20 minutes.

The story added some layers to the game but the text scrolled too fast and when you can read it, it’s hilariously bad. Some characters will give facial expressions and there’s a point in the game where this girl yells “I’m going to destroy all of you!” Her face is so hilarious and scary at the same time, it made me laugh out loud while also feeling uncomfortable.

You can play the game with three other friends which I’m sure adds some fun to the game but Giga Wing 2 suffers from the exact same issues as the first game except for the presentation. The gameplay is just fun and in 2001, gamers wanted a better challenge in shooters than just getting a high score.

Memories:
No memories of Giga Wing 1 or 2 and after these reviews hopefully I forget about them.

Giga Wing 2 Review Score:

Giga Wing 2 looks better than the original but still suffers from the lack of challenge due to unlimited continues and cheap bombs. You’ll cruise through this shooter in 15 minutes every time you play it. The strange story doesn’t add much but at least the second entry looks ten times better. Any fans of shooters should expect more from a game released in 2001.

Giga Wing 2 scores a 6.1 out of 10.

Do you remember when Giga Wing 2 first came out? Did you like the first or second game better? Who was your favorite character to play as and did you laugh at the terrible dialogue? Let me know your memories and thoughts, I’d love to read the comments.

Space Megaforce Review

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Shoot ’em ups were all over the video game scene from the 80s to the early 90s, and Space Megaforce joined the genre in 1992 on the Super Nintendo. Developed by Compile and published by Toho, Space Megaforce offered two different modes, one “short game” that focused on short levels intending to earn a high score and the regular mode that features 12 levels. How does Space Megaforce compare to other shoot ’em ups that I’ve reviewed?

Space Megaforce Plot:

It happens more than you realize, but video games that come from Japan are often changed for Western audiences and what the U.S. wings of the Nintendo, Sega, Sony, and Microsoft deem suitable for North America. Japan, to put it bluntly, has more artistic freedom, their stories, and characters may seem weird or too “sexy” but it’s what they like. For one reason or another, everything gets toned down for the North American releases which to me is very disappointing. Why can’t we experience what the original creators wanted? Are our minds and eyes too fragile and sensitive, and who decides that? I begin with that paragraph because Space Megaforce comes to North America vastly different than the Japanese original. It wasn’t the first game to be changed, and there will be another million in the future that are changed. Let’s take a look at the difference between the U.S. and the Japanese version of Space Mega Force.

The year is 2048 and Earth has an alien object in the shape of a giant sphere starts destroying cities around the world. Somewhere over South America, the sphere begins to become a hub for the aliens as a base of their attack. The world desperately searches for a way to destroy the sphere but all their fighter jets have been destroyed by the aliens.

Scientists begin to build a super fighter jet and pair the newest technology with an ace pilot. He goes on to battle with the aliens eventually breaking through their defenses and destroying the orb. Kinda a boring story right?

Well, in the Japanese version it’s much different. The pilot from this story is named Raz, and he has fought the sphere before and failed. The first attempt to destroy the sphere resulted in a trapped consciousness in the sphere escaping and creating a female body to help co-pilot Raz’s fighter jet against the aliens.

This female is called Thi and she instructs Raz that they need to destroy the sources of energy to the alien sphere first before trying to take it on. With her instructions, Raz and Thi begin their missions to destroy the energy sources. After they succeed in that goal, they take on the sphere and destroy it but Thi starts to act weird and enters the sphere. She frees all the other intelligent lifeforms and consciousnesses that were trapped within the sphere. The remaining pieces of the sphere leave Earth and travel to the ends of space. Raz and Thi are heroes and keep the peace of Earth. Now isn’t that way cooler than the previous crap story that North America got? There are tons of images and cut scenes that were removed or replaced from the American version too that features Thi. I don’t know if Nintendo of America thought the game was too sexy or if the female pilot was not needed but they changed the entire ending. Here are a few cut scenes that were removed from the American release.

Just a small sample of the story and images that the U.S. version didn’t receive.

You be the judge, why was this game censored or changed for America?

Space Megaforce Gameplay:

I wrote my notes down for Space Megaforce before I realized how censored it was, but the opening for the game has very little information on what is going on. There are a few images, and then a jet comes flying at you on the screen.

Right from the start, a lot is going on. Weapon upgrades will constantly fall from the top of the screen. Remember this is a vertical shooter so you’ll be flying into them. There are six different weapons to choose from, and each has six or seven upgrades available. This makes the game highly replayable. I stuck with three different weapons that I found worked for me. There was a homing missile set, a huge laser, and a circular orbs that spun around your ship and destroyed anything they touched. You power up the weapons by shooting enemies who will then drop yellow eggs. You’ll have to collect enough of these eggs until a green one comes up, once you collect a green one your weapon is upgraded. Do this routine six times, and you’re almost unstoppable.

Health doesn’t exist in Space Megaforce, there are no “one-hit kills” against you or a health bar. Instead, your ship is kept alive by how many weapon upgrades you have. The higher the number the more hits you can take which means when you are fully powered you can take up to six hits but each hit will knock your ship down a peg until your weapon level reaches zero. If you are hit when your weapon level is zero, then it’s game over as your ship explodes. You’ll be revived on the spot depending on how many lives you have left, and you’ll start at zero again to begin building up your weapons. The weapons were so much fun to use and I had a blast figuring out which ones I loved and which ones I didn’t.

As I mentioned earlier, a lot is happening on screen. Some games wouldn’t be able to handle this, but Space Megaforce does an excellent job with no slow down or enemy flickering. I came away impressed with how much it could handle. When things got to be too much you are granted a few mega bombs that will clear most of the screen for you. Dropping them is always fun as they obliterate everything.

Each level is Space Megaforce feels, for the most part, unique and boss fights at the end are a valid reward for your hard work. I’ve played a lot of shooters now after starting this website and Space Megaforce ranks up near the top for most impressive bosses, not just aesthetically but for strategy. There was a boss who cages you in and then rolls his core around in the cage to try and kill you. I thought it was awesome and a new challenge I hadn’t yet faced from a shoot ’em up. The final boss was an alien head that looked similar to the heads from the aliens in the movie “Independence Day”. He extends his long necks and fires bullets at you while being flanked by two buddies of his.

Memories:
Never heard of this game before reviewing it.

Space Megaforce Review Score:

Space Megaforce is just a terrific shooter overall filled with unique bosses, tons of actions, and a great weapon system that will keep you coming back for more. Its length is also to be commended as it will challenge you for more than 20 minutes. You’re looking at about an hour of gaming if you do a perfect run. Lots of fun to be had with this shoot ’em up on the SNES.

Space Megaforce scores a 9.1 out of 10.

Do you remember when Space Megaforce first came out? What did you think of the gameplay? Were you aware that the game was drastically changed from Japan to the North American release? What was your favorite boss? Let me know your memories and thoughts, I’d love to read the comments.

Return of the Ninja Review

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Developed and published by Natsume, Return of the Ninja was released in 2001 for the Game Boy Color. The spiritual successor to Shadow of the Ninja on the original Nintendo, Return of the Ninja has the player taking control of two separate ninjas on the quest to retrieve their clan’s secret scrolls after they have been stolen. Return of the Ninja offers both stealth and action on the handheld system. Is this game sneaky good or does this ninja game get exposed?

Return of the Ninja Plot:

I can not confirm that this is on the back of the box, but this is the gist of the plot. It comes from a walkthrough on GameFaqs.com

“What your enemy fears the most is something it cannot see: You!

A mysterious army has attacked the land of Koga and stolen an ancient and sacred scroll. As a highly trained ninja, it’s up to you to find out who is behind the trouble and recover Koga’s precious treasure. To accomplish this, you’ll need to recover six secret ninja tools hidden from the invaders. The enemy army may outnumber you a thousand to one, but you are a master of stealth – and every military leader knows that a blind enemy is vanquished foe. “

So through my playthrough, you are part of an ancient clan of ninjas and your village gets raided. The secret scrolls to your ninja ways are stolen so your elderly ninja master requests that Tsukikage and Sayuri journey to the mysterious headquarters of the evil ninjas and steal back the scrolls.

Return of the Ninja Gameplay:

I don’t play many games on the Game Boy Color, but Return of the Ninja looks great. It has a generous color pallet, and offers six stages of platforming stealth action. You can choose to play as a male ninja named Tsukikage or a female ninja named Sayuri. I didn’t play as Sayuri so I’m not sure if there’s a difference between the two and their weapons. You’ll get a few small cut scenes during certain parts of the game. It’s nothing but still images with text but I appreciate the effort and enjoyed reading what was going on in the game

Return of the Ninja lets players choose a few options before starting the game. Like I said you can choose to play as either ninja, but you can also select which stage you play after the first level. It gives you a nice opportunity to select your path or give a different level a go if you are having trouble with others.

In each level there will be helpful tools that your ninja scout friends have left for you. You’ll need to find them to progress in the level. Iron Claws will allow you to dig into dirt and sneak through the ground to enter different sections of the level. The Tabi will let you crawl on the ceiling and help become more stealthy. Ninja sandals will power up your jumps and allow you to reach new heights and levels. The Kabuto will let you glide when you jump and you’ll be able to float to other areas when you jump. Finally, the Mizugumo will transform you into Jesus Christ and allow you to walk on water.

Overall, these tools were a great inclusion in the game and added an extra layer of gameplay. You don’t need to switch to them, instead, once you have them they are just attached to you and you can have all five powers at once. When you aren’t using your tools, you’ll be using your weapons. Tsukikage is equipped with a sword that you can slash with or you can power up a gauge to throw ninja stars.

You can kill enemies or you can try and be stealthy as you avoid them in various ways. Enemies will patrol throughout the level and if you get too close a little exclamation point pops up over their head like in Metal Gear Solid. I don’t care if I’m spotted but the game scores you based on the way you play. Each level will be scored based on enemies killed, times you were detected, and time it took to beat the level. I dillydallied most levels and wound up with a “D” or “C” ranking. The six levels usually took me anywhere from 5 to 12 minutes to beat. You’d make your way through the stage, find an obstacle that required a tool to get by, and then fight a boss.

Boss fights varied and I enjoyed that they were different each time. Some bosses moved around the screen and fired objects at you, while others slashed their sword and ran around. The final boss was a giant samurai on a horse who towered over you. The screen scrolled as you ran away from him but he was very easy to defeat as I chucked ninja stars at him.

After each level, you’ll collect a card. I have no idea what these cards do or what they are used for. Maybe they are a special power that you can activate during the game. I think they were meant to be traded between other players because there is an option to “give” them so I bet you can hook up to other players using the game-link cable and trade. It’s a cool idea but I didn’t use them at all during my playthrough.

Memories:
I had never heard of this game until searching for hidden gems on the Game Boy Color. After playing it, I can indeed say this was a great game.

Return of the Ninja Review Score:

Return of the Ninja is a fantastic game for the Game Boy Color although it’s on the short side. With numerous tools, weapons, and six different stages to play through, Return of the Ninja offers plenty of stealth and action for different styles of play. It’s not challenging but it is a good time and is a great game overall.

Return of the Ninja scores an 9.2 out of 10.

Do you remember when Return of the Ninja first came out? What did you think of the different tools throughout the levels? Was there a boss that gave you trouble? Did you play as the male or female ninja? Let me know your memories and thoughts, I’d love to read the comments.

Golden Axe II Review

The Sega Genesis had some huge arcade hits in its game library. Golden Axe was a fan favorite, but Golden Axe II took the franchise to a new level with its in-depth details, smooth mechanics, and addicting beat ’em up action. Developed and published by Sega in 1992, Golden Axe II became another hit for the Genesis. Join our three heroes again as they take on the evil lord Dark Guld. What makes Golden Axe II better than its predecessor?

https://youtu.be/N6z5iRAEGg8

Golden Axe II Plot:

After our three heroes defeated Death Adder and saved their kingdom, a new evil force has made its way to their kingdom in the form of a knight known as Dark Guld. From the manual:

“The evil lord Dark Guld should have been put away for good the last time he was defeated in battle. But now he has recouped and is back in full force. And he’s accompanied by his clan of evil followers who are creepier, slimier, and more disgusting than ever.

Dark Guld has come for revenge and he is driven by the desire to see this world revert to chaos. He has taken the powerful Golden Axe, which is a symbol of peace and prosperity, to use for his own evil purposes. His creatures terrorize every town they descend upon. Someone must put a stop to this horror!

Once again, three warriors stand up to face the oppressors. One is Ax-Battler, the fierce barbarian; the second is Tyris-Flare, the ferocious Amazon; and the third is Gilius Thunderhead, the fearless dwarf. They are willing to risk their lives to put a stop to the terror. They won’t rest easy until Golden Axe is returned to its rightful place.

It’s time to start the long journey through enemy-infested territory. Don’t the strange reptilian enemy creatures frighten you, because you’ll need every ounce of courage you can muster. Fight onward until you reach the final showdown, a battle with Dark Guld himself!

Golden Axe II Gameplay:

I really dug the opening to Golden Axe II. You see Dark Guld sitting nonchalantly on his throne looking bored as his minions wander about. The soundtrack plays, and text scrolls down from the screen detailing what you are about to face. It got me pumped up while showcasing what the Genesis could do. If I was a kid playing this it would have me going nuts.

As a beat ’em up, you’ll be mashing plenty of buttons, and Golden Axe II improves on the fluid motion of swinging your weapon. I don’t remember if this was included in the first Golden Axe but now there are small white lines behind your blade as you swing making it cut through the air. These small details don’t go unnoticed and add to the overall game.

Environments are more detailed as you wander about them. The first Golden Axe felt like a brown crumbling world with very little life. Golden Axe II has better color and has more innocent people running throughout the levels as they run for their lives. The typical combos didn’t change much from the first game as you’ll bash enemies on the head with the butt of your weapon or throw them into others. It works, but I wish they would have included a few new moves.

Magic still plays a big role in the game, but instead of mana potions, you need magic spells which are in books that are dropped by evil wizards. Gone are the midgets from the first game that you kicked to get bonus prizes between levels, they are now replaced by those wizards who will drop spell books and food to restore your life. Life the previous entry in the series, there will be a quick recap of the level you just beat and a small detailed journal about the next step in your journey in-between levels.

Enemies sprites are better this time around with more details. There are lizard men that attack not only with their swords but with their tails and the wild creatures return that you can ride only they look much meaner. It’s a bit easier to stay on them this time around as enemies don’t go flying into you every two seconds once you hop on them. I still enjoyed roasting the enemies with my fire-breathing friends and I’m glad they kept this aspect of the game. Boss fights have been improved too, with the overall characters. You’ll face minotaurs and headless knights who come in different colors and different difficulties. The final boss is Dark Guld who takes you to his private chamber. It was a strange fight as he hid mostly in the top corner where he cast a spell. I was able to defeat him rather quickly but he didn’t feel cheap like Death Adder did in the first game. The final boss for Golden Axe kept using magic over and over and it was very cheap but Dark Guld used both his sword and magic which kept it honest.

In just about every aspect of gameplay, Golden Axe II improved. Presentation, sprites, action, bosses, and speed all felt upgraded. This is a great improvement from the original and showcased what the Genesis could do.

Memories:
I never played the Golden Axe series growing up, but all I heard was how great it was. The first game was underwhelming but Golden Axe II really impressed me with the color palette and gameplay and I’m happy to say I’m a fan of it after playing it.

Golden Axe II Review Score:

The first game in the Golden Axe series was average, but Golden Axe II blows it away with superb beat ’em up action that includes better mechanics, colorful environments, detailed sprites, and a better final boss that completes the experience. If you want to experience a great beat ’em up by yourself or with a friend, Golden Axe II is a must-play on the Genesis.

Golden Axe II scores an 8.9 out of 10.

Do you remember when Golden Axe II first came out? Were you impressed with all the improvements that came with the sequel or did you prefer the first game? Which character did you choose, and were you able to defeat Dark Guld? Let me know your memories and thoughts, I’d love to read the comments.

Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance Review

After the release of the box office success “Gladiator” in 2000, ancient Rome became a breeding ground for video games. Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance was developed by Acclaim Studios Manchester and published by Acclaim Entertainment in 2003 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. The game itself is rarely talked about, and I, personally had never heard of it before randomly buying it at a used video game store. If you love the God of War series, you’ll love this game, and I was shocked as I played it to find how similar the gameplay is between the two. So, does Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance score as high as my God of War reviews?

Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance Plot:

The game is set in ancient Rome after the mysterious death of Emperor Trajan. With his death, the morals of the empire have ceased to exist. Now, a man named Arruntius has taken control of Rome as its new Emperor. In the previous Roman Empire, the Colosseum was used for honor but under Arruntius’ rule, the Colosseum is now a playground where he directs the battles as gladiators fight to their death for his enjoyment.

One gladiator named Invictus Thrax is a former champion of the Colosseum and is called back to entertain Arruntius. He defeats waves of other gladiators much to the delight of Arruntius but when his fight is over he defies Arruntius which enrages him. Thrax is killed by an unknown enemy and is sent to the afterlife. This afterlife resembles almost exactly the grassy fields in the movie “Gladiator”. Thrax walks the fields until he is met by Romulus and Remus who are children spirits masked by the comedic mask and the crying mask. (I’m sure you can picture what those masks look like)

They reveal to him that Arruntius killed the former Emperor by using dark magic and that it is up to Thrax to exact revenge for the Empire. Thrax travels through the afterlife facing undead, skeletons, and monsters as he obtains new weapons and powers that will help defeat Arruntius. During his journey, Thrax encounters Phobos the God of Fear, and Deimos the God of Terror who are helping Arruntius. Thrax defeats each of them twice before returning to Romulus and Remus proving that he is ready to face Arruntius.

Thrax returns to life in the Colosseum and confronts Arruntius again where he summons Phobos and Deimos again. Together they battle Thrax, but he defeats them before throwing his sword into Arruntius, killing him. Remus and Romulus grant Thrax his freedom but inform him that they will call upon him again to do their bidding for future battles. Thrax declines and takes off his helmet before walking out of the Colosseum and starting his new life as a free man.

Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance Gameplay:

Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance is a hack-n-slash adventure game with plenty of gore. When I first played this I thought that the developers ripped of God of War in the gameplay and style as it’s very similar. Except, God of War would come out two years later in 2005! If anything, God of War takes from Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance with the style, direction, and atmosphere from a game that almost no one has heard of.

Gore is the central part of the game and it shows right away with the detailed blood splatter on the sand. It’s aesthetically pleasing and realistic to cut into an enemy and watch their blood turn dribble on the sand. Aside from the hack-n-slash to enemies, there’s an execution button for special enemies that are considered to be higher class. When their health bar turns red you can push a button to watch a quick death scene where Thrax will decapitate them or cut off various body parts. The execution scenes remind me of “fatalities” in Mortal Kombat. The game advertises over 60 executions but I probably only saw about 20.

Combat is fairly easy. There are two different attacks with a quick slash and a powerful thrust and the game encourages you to switch up your attacks to build combos. I mainly just mashed the quick attack button but when enemies block your attack you’ll need to back off and switch up your attack. Each enemy you kill will grant you a bonus usually in the form of speed. You’ll face up to 15 enemies at once so you start to chain your kills together and become a blur on the screen as you move from each enemy slashing the life out of them. It’s a cool feeling when you are in the “zone” to see Thrax all over the screen wiping out an entire wave of skeletons or demons. One thing that is missing from the game is a block button. Some enemies have very powerful attacks but all you can do is roll away. A block button would have come in handy many times especially since enemies can block you, and I thought this was a missed element in the game that the developers should have incorporated.

Thrax can be powered up through various mini-games as he explores the afterlife. Each game will consist of a time limit and goal of killing a certain number of enemies on screen before time runs out. If successful, Thrax can earn an extra slot of health, magic, better weapon, or higher combo count. Speaking of magic, Thrax can unleash three different types of magic through his weapons including a fury burst, ghost warriors, and an explosive hit. Fury burst was by far the most useful and I used it throughout the entire game. Thrax also has his choice of three different weapons, a sword, a huge ax, and blades that go up his forearms. The sword was the most balanced and I stuck with that throughout my playthrough.

Boss fights only happen a few times through the game but are fun to encounter. Both Phobos and Deimos were likable characters and a rivalry was built between Thrax and them as you fight each of them three times throughout the game. The fights weren’t difficult but required more than just slashing.

During fights, there will be an automatic lock on an enemy which at first I thought was useful but the more you advanced with enemies, it became cumbersome and resulted in me dying numerous times. There were enemies that I wanted to slash at but because the lock was on someone else I would miss them completely leaving myself open to an attack. You can hit a button to unlock a target but as soon as you swing your blade it will lock back on to the closest enemy which was very frustrating.

For a game from 2003, I thought the graphics and presentation were above average. The textures looked nice and the soundtrack was appropriate. I’m just blown away that this game isn’t talked about more as it qualifies as a huge hidden gem for the PS2 and Xbox library. As the credits rolled I couldn’t help but watch them as they included “bloopers” from the characters in the game. One of these bloopers had a gladiator try out section where they would perform in front of Arruntius for the lead role in the game. A girl walks in and sticks a pitchfork like weapon in the ground and starts dancing around it like a stripper, she even humps it! This made me laugh as I wasn’t expecting it but even better, Thrax comes in for his try out and grabs the woman by the neck and chokeslams her into the tips of the pole impaling her body. I couldn’t believe it! It definitely had me laughing but I’m sure by today’s standards everyone would throw a fit about it.

Memories:
I randomly picked up this game when I went to disc traders as I mistook it for another gladiator game from my childhood. Turns out that game was called “Gladius” but to my delight, this game was excellent only problem was that my Xbox had issues running the game. I took the game back to have it looked at and they cleaned it twice through their machine wiping away any scratches.

Unfortunately, my Xbox still had issues with it but luckily I still had my wife’s Xbox so I plugged that in and had no issues throughout the entire game.

Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance Review Score:

Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance is the ghost of God of War. I cannot believe how similar this plays to the original God of War. It may be a bit rough around the edges but for the most part Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance is a must-play if you have a PS2 or Xbox. The combat is excellent and the exploration of the afterlife feels like a real adventure as you upgrade your powers, weapons, and defeat various enemies. This game is truly a hidden gem that I urge you to play if you can find it.

Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance scores a 9 out of 10.

Do you remember when Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance first came out? Have you ever heard of this game before? What other God of War like games are there, especially ones that came before the franchise? What was your favorite weapon to use as Thrax? Let me know your memories and thoughts, I’d love to read the comments.

Beetle Adventure Racing Review

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One of the games that always comes up as a “hidden gem” for the Nintendo 64 library is “Beetle Adventure Racing”. Developed by Paradigm Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts, Beetle Adventure Racing was released in 1999. Would the arcade racing game suck me in or was it a mirage for racing games? Slug bug, no hit-backs in this Beetle Adventure Racing review.

Beetle Adventure Racing Plot:

For adventure being in the title of the game, there’s not much adventure to be had. This is a racing game, so there’s no plot, just come in first place and win the racing championship over three courses.

Beetle Adventure Racing Gameplay:

Beetle Adventure Racing offers three different beetles to race in coming in different colors and stats. The red beetle was the most balanced, so that’s what I chose to race in. You can play single-player racing a single race or trying to go for the championship based on points. I did the championship, but you can also race against friends and play in a “Beetle Battle” which has combat in gameplay as you try and destroy the other players.

The racing championship was disappointing but I think I was too hyped about this game because of all the great things I heard from critics. When racing you’ll go against seven other Beetles. For most of the race, I didn’t see the other racers besides the guy in second place. Occasionally he’d pass me but only on straightaways as his Beetle had more top speed. 90 percent of the race I held a comfortable lead so I was never in any danger of truly losing.

Littered throughout the courses are breakable boxes with points, I don’t really know what these points do but the other boxes were nitro filled and if you ran over them your Beetle would shoot fire out the end for a short burst of turbo. There were boxes to break but also lots of secret passages to find. I spent most of my time on the main road but it’s easy to find the “secret” paths that are just off the beaten path. I took them a few times but didn’t notice too much of an advantage. My favorite thing to do during the race was to find the ramps and launch my Beetle off them. There was a small ramp on the first course and a huge ice ramp in the second race that launched my Beetle like 500 feet in the air. If you launch your Beetle off the track which will happen or fly off a cliff you can press a button to restart your Beetle on the track so this actually encourages risk-taking in the game as you don’t have too much to lose.

The length of the races was longer than expected. The first course takes about six and a half minutes, the second about seven, and the last about ten minutes. There’s a fourth course but you have to race on all three difficulties and win the championship before unlocking it. I was shocked that the racing championship only consisted of three courses making this a very short game. This is a game that I’d grow bored of within a day due to the lack of length. I’m sure it’s super fun with friends or battling others in the arenas but I didn’t have that option during my playthrough so unfortunately, I can’t comment on it.

Tracks are detailed with lots of decors. I think my favorite course was the second one as it has snow and at some points, it actually snows. The effect was impressive on the N64 and it was fun to race through it and head into crystal caves filled with ice. Overall, the graphics and details in the game are great. It was smooth without chunky polygons or awkward textures. One thing that did grow old was the sound of the car at top-end speed. Get used to it because you’ll hear it during the entire race. Below you’ll find descriptions of the courses from the manual.

Coventry Cove – Stately castles and charming countryside are great if you’re about 1,000 years old. Break-neck speeds and some serious air should stir things up a bit!

Mount Mayhem – Yodel-a-he-who can manage to stay on the mountain will probably win this one. These icy mountain passes and hairpin turns would panic a mountain goat.

Inferno Isle – The lush jungles and long stretches of beautiful beaches on Inferno Isle would be the perfect spot for a relaxing vacation. That is if there wasn’t a volcano spewing lava all over the place and a pack of crazed racers thrashing around the island.

Memories:
All I’ve heard is that Beetle Adventure Racing is a superb racing game for the N64 and that it’s a hidden treasure. I was disappointed in my experience with the game after reading too much into the hype. I was very surprised at just three tracks to race on with a fourth to be unlocked. If they had six or seven courses, I think this game would be a lot more enjoyable.

Beetle Adventure Racing Review Score:

Beetle Adventure Racing is a decent arcade racer with three fun courses but unfortunately, it doesn’t offer much fun over long periods of time once you complete a championship that takes less than a half-hour. Graphics are great for the N64 and there’s lots of fun to be had in multiplayer for racing or for the battle arenas but I wish the game offered more courses to race on, at least the ones that they do are fun. Beetle Adventure Racing feels more fit for an arcade rather than an actual home console.

Beetle Adventure Racing scores a 6.9 out of 10.

Do you remember when Beetle Adventure Racing first came out? What was your favorite course to race on? Did you play the Beetle Battle in the arena? Is this one of the hidden gems on the N64 and if so, what makes you like this game? Let me know your memories and thoughts, I’d love to read the comments.

1942 Review

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World War II is a popular setting in video games from the beginning. In 1986, Capcom developed and published “1942” for the Nintendo Entertainment System putting the player into a plane during… you guessed it 1942 over the Pacific Ocean. Would this early vertical shooter impress me or should it have perished in the war?

1942 Plot:

The gist of the mission for 1942 is to kill all the Japanese and take down their air force which is bizarre since it was Japanese programmers at Capcom that made this game. Imagine programming a game where the object is to kill your own people? Strange, but Capcom thought it would sell. Anyway, here’s the text on the back of the box.

“1942… you and daring fighter pilot “Super Ace” are engaged in realistic, thrilling, and challenging high-flying battles with the enemy. Over land, on the sea and in the air, your own skill and dexterity… combined with Super Ace’s flying mastery, duel enemy pilots in fighter and bomber craft.

1942… it’s airplanes taking off and landing on ocean-going aircraft carriers… disrupting enemy air warriors you must defeat by blasting ’em out of the sky.”

They sure know how to hype a game up… rolls eyes

1942 Gameplay:

This game is trash, and if you like it then you have terrible taste in video games. If you want to play this boring and repetitive flying garbage then you better play it on mute. Every two seconds whenever you shoot you’ll hear a high-pitched screech that makes your ears bleed. Seriously, how does it get through testing, and everyone gives a thumbs up to the sound effects.

So the sound is terrible, but how are the graphics? Not great. The planes have very little detail, and they are the same four planes through all 32 levels. That’s the only impressive thing about 1942 is the length of it as it takes you about an hour to beat which is extremely long for a shooter in the 1980s. Unfortunately, all 32 levels are almost identical. You’ll take off from a carrier and then take on waves of enemy planes that have no rhyme or reason for their direction. Sometimes, they’ll shoot at you, sometimes they’ll just take up space and fly around like it’s happy hour in the sky.

You’ll get one power-up throughout the entire game that will add some bullets to your stream but other than that don’t think that you’re getting any shields or speed. What you have at the beginning of the game is what you’ll have throughout the game. You can do a maneuver that will dip your plane below the action and come back if you see a ton of bullets coming your way but you can only do that two or three times. You’ll get a twin pair of small fighter planes to cruise in the sky with you about once every four levels but they last about five seconds before being blown out of the sky. Seriously, I got the little helpers and within a half-second, they were hit by another plane. By the miracle that you get through the level with both intact and you face a boss, the twins magically disappear after the fight. You can’t even use them against boss fights!

Speaking of boss fights, boy do they get exciting in 1942. You’ll face the same oversized green plane every seven levels that shoots a few bullets from the back of the plane. You can easily avoid the bullets and take out his wings in ten seconds. Was there no creativity in Capcom back then? Why would you face the same five planes through 32 levels and then face the same boss every seven? So boring!

You want more boring? The environment is the same throughout all 32 levels. You’ll fly over the ocean for 80 percent of the level with brief periods of green land, sand, and a few dotted areas. How exciting! There’s no cut scenes or even an introduction before the game starts. Even the text suffers in translation. At the end of the game, all I got was a quick “Congratulation” and a stat of “Shooting Down – 6,184” which is what I assume was how many planes I destroyed through the terrible experience. I can’t believe I spent my Saturday night playing this game for an hour and killing 6,184 Japanese. In reality, they were the lucky ones.

Is there anything I like about this game? Well, I said the length of it was impressive, but with very little power-ups, repetitive enemies, environments, and bosses, there’s very little to praise even when this was an early NES title. I’ve played some bad shooters, and this was the worst one so far.

Memories:
I’ve tried to play this game on a few different occasions. I just could never get past the terrible sound effects and repetitive enemies. I finally forced myself to play this game as my wife and I watched the Yankees and Red Sox on television during that weird Covid season. Thankfully I had the baseball game to distract me from how terrible 1942 was.

1942 Review Score:

1942 suffers from so many issues including repetitive enemies, bosses, environments, and lack of excitement in the form of power-ups. By far the worst thing about 1942 is the sound effects that screech every second that you shoot which is all the time since this is a shooter! Even worse is that this fiery garbage game is really long! It has 32 levels of the same crap so you better mute the tv if you plan on playing. I don’t recommend this game at all, even if you wanted to see how bad it is, there are other bad games that offer more entertainment than 1942.

1942 scores a 4.2 out of 10.

Do you remember when 1942 first came out? Did you immediately turn your tv on mute? Were you able to beat the game and ignore the terrible repetitive enemies as you made your way through it? Do you like this game, if so you better explain! Let me know your memories and thoughts, I’d love to read the comments.

Pro Wrestling Review

Developed and published by Sega in 1986 for the Sega Master System, Pro Wrestling gives you an opportunity to step inside the ring and win the tag team championship in three separate leagues. Featuring four different tag teams and a two-player mode, Pro Wrestling was an early hit for Sega Master System fans. How does the game hold up over 30 years later? Hopefully better than its terrible cover art.

Pro Wrestling Plot:

There’s no plot in Pro Wrestling, but I’ll write what’s on the back of the game case.

“It’s the video match of the year: A no-holds-barred battle between you and a friend, or some of the biggest bruisers this side of the Madison Square Garden.

Just try to pin The Iron Soldier. Or wiggle away from The Giant Bull. Or just survive the cruel Crusher Brothers.

Body Slam. Drop Kick. Pile Drive. You’ll even have the notorious German Suplex Hold. All at your command.

Go for the title. Mexican League, Pacific League or World League. Whatever you do, play rough. Play to win.”

Pro Wrestling Gameplay:

Oh boy, okay let’s get this out of the way first. Does Pro Wrestling have the worst cover art in the history of video games? I mean I know that the Sega Master System is infamous for the terrible art on the box but this one tops the cake. Look at it! I didn’t know what I was looking whether that man was holding his own head or someone else’s and if it was someone else, where is his head?

You can select four different tag teams in Pro Wrestling, in the Japanese version it’s all females but for some reason, they decided to change the teams to male with the North American release. There are the Mad Soldiers, who wear masks as you see in Mexican wrestling. Next comes the Orient Express who I think are Asian. The third team is the Great Maskmen who also wear wrestling masks and finally, there are the Crush Brothers who remind me of the Hulk Hogan type. I picked the Crush Brothers for my playthrough.

Each tag team has special moves that they can pull off in matches and when it happens it’s glorious. Here’s a list of the moves for each team.

Crush Brothers: Brain Buster, Senton, German Suplex Hold, Neck Breaker Drop.

Great Maskmen: Body Slam, Pile Driver, Cross Chop, Head Butt.

Orient Express: Giant Swing, Boston Crab, Rolling Sobat, Karate Punch.

Mad Soldiers: Lariat, Elbow Drop, Elbow Smash, Neck Breaker Drop.

Aside from the special moves that occur when you hit a combination of buttons at the right time, there is the typical punch and kick. The goal of each match is to pin a member of the opposing team by draining their health bar with body blows. Once you feel that the opponent is weakened enough you can try and pin them when they are on the ground. You’ll hop on top and the ref will start hitting the mat and if he gets to three you win the match.

Overall, Pro Wrestling will take you through three different leagues, the Mexican League, Pacific League, and World League. You have to win ten matches in each league to become the champions that come with a belt and trophy. After you win the league you’ll get a short cut scene of a plane landing in the next area like Hawaii or New York. The presentation for Pro Wrestling is solid, you’ll get the teams walking into the ring, a cheering crowd, and a different ref for each league. You’ll even see the ropes on the ring jiggle if you throw someone into them.

In the first five matches of Pro Wrestling, I didn’t know what I was doing and just mashed buttons to see what they did. It was a wild experience and saw lots of action. At one point the opposing team hopped out of the ring and picked up a chair to try and bash me with. I was shocked to see that gameplay in such an early Sega Master System game. After five matches I found the cheapest way to win. The opponent no matter who it is will always charge forward at you to engage. All you have to do is kick them continuously as they move forward to drain their health just below halfway and then pin them. It takes about 30 seconds to win a match that way and that’s how I won the entire league during my first playthrough and the first time ever playing this game. It was a bit of a bummer to win like that but I wasn’t going to play when I wanted the championship belt. No matter what league you wrestling in the difficulty stays the same.

Pro Wrestling is a very fun game and it’d be a blast playing against someone but I didn’t have that luxury. This is a game that needs to be revived for today and it’d be perfect to play on the Nintendo Switch. The graphics are sharp and the characters are fun. I was surprised at the in-depth level of skill that you can choose to use. I did a neck breaker drop and lost my shit when I pulled it off. It makes you feel like a total savage when you execute a move like that.

I was able to beat Pro Wrestling in less than 30 minutes after discovering the kicking glitch. If you want more of a challenge, try to perform higher-level moves or play a friend. This would be so fun as a four-player match on the Switch.

Memories:
I never played this game growing up but I was aware of the cover because of how infamous it is. Who would have thought that a terrible game cover would mask such a fun game!

Pro Wrestling Review Score:

Pro Wrestling shocked me with how much fun it is with the presentation, easy-to-learn controls, and addicting gameplay. It doesn’t present much of a challenge but I couldn’t wait to start the next match to see if I could pull off some crazy move or watch as the computer picks up a chair to smash my head in. Very solid game for the Sega Master System, if only it was revived it’d be a huge party game hit.

Pro Wrestling scores an 8.2 out of 10.

Do you remember when Pro Wrestling first came out? Which team did you use in the wrestling league? Were you able to pull off any super moves? Did you kick your way to victory like I did? Let me know your memories and thoughts, I’d love to read the comments!

A Way Out Review

After the critical success that was “Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons”, game director Josef Fares followed it up in 2018 with “A Way Out” when Hazelight Studios teamed up with Electronic Arts to release the game for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. A Way Out is a 100 percent co-op game that requires two players throughout its entirety. Would A Way Out find the same success that Brothers did or would this game be stuck in the dark?

A Way Out Plot:

You and a friend will take control of Vincent Moretti and Leo Caruso, two men who have been sent to prison. Leo is rash, reckless, and quick to anger while navigating through the prison system while Vincent is calmer, thinks before he acts, and likes to avoid confrontation. Set in 1972, these men meet through a prison fight as Vincent helps Leo fight off an attack from a gang of prisoners who are working for a man named Harvey who wants Leo dead.

Slowly, Leo begins to trust Vincent and the two develop a plan to escape prison. After a series of successful thefts including stealing a chisel, sheets, and a wrench, the two escape the prison and begin a life of running away from the police. Vincent has a wife who is pregnant but they have been on the outs for some time. Leo has a wife and a boy who is probably around ten. Leo’s wife is fully aware of the criminal lifestyle and she’s on board with it as she defends him and hides him from the police.

Vincent wants to work with Leo to kill Harvey as he has a hidden history with the man. Vincent’s brother introduced Harvey to him and Vincent began to launder money for him at the bank. When it became too much, Harvey killed Vincent’s brother in front of him and framed him for the murder. Leo was working with Harvey to steal a very expensive and rare jewel before trying to sell it. When Harvey and Leo try to sell the jewel to a buyer it goes bad when Harvey betrays the buyer and kills him before turning the gun on Leo. Harvey escapes in a car and runs Leo over knocking him unconscious as the police arrive.

Before the two travel to kill Harvey, they stop at the local hospital where Vincent’s wife has gone into labor. They stop by and say hi before the police are called where they must escape in a wild chase. After surviving the hospital scare, Vincent and Harvey travel to Mexico to take down Harvey once and for all. The two infiltrate his mansion killing Harvey’s guards before shooting him to death.

As Leo and Harvey travel back from Mexico in a private plane flown by Vincent’s friend, Leo encourages Vincent to write a letter to his estranged wife and tell her how he feels. When the plane lands the police are waiting for them and surround the plane with guns pointed at them. Vincent steps aside and turns a gun on Leo revealing that he was an undercover cop the entire time and that his mission was to escape with Leo and track down Harvey. The story of Harvey killing Vincent’s brother and framing him for murder was made up, but Harvey did kill his brother who was part of the police force when he acted as the buyer when Leo and Harvey tried to sell the jewel. Vincent was listening in an unmarked van just a few feet away.

Leo steals a gun and holds Vincent hostage before shoving him into a cop car and leading the police on a wild chase to a warehouse. Vincent and Leo are now pitted against each other in a shoot-out to the death. If Leo kills Vincent, he is shown with his family leaving town as Vincent’s funeral proceeds. Before he leaves town, he gives the letter to Vincent’s wife. If Vincent kills Leo, he delivers the news in person to Leo’s wife and son before rekindling his relationship with his wife.

A Way Out Gameplay:

A Way Out is the most co-op game I’ve played. It was tons of fun to play with my wife as we worked together on almost everything from chiseling away at a toilet as the other watch out for guards, to fighting off prisoners together or running from the cops and so many more instances. The entire game is about teamwork. Both Vincent and Leo are likable characters and you can interact with every character in the game. You’ll have dialogue options that can change how characters speak back to you.

To progress through the game, you’ll have to work together on various objectives. Sometimes the game will present two options to an issue, Vincent will come up with a plan that is typically less chaotic with Leo countering with some action-packed sequence. You both have to agree on what to do before proceeding. My favorite sequence throughout the game was when I was driving the beat-up truck that my wife and I stole as she was in the bed of the truck shooting the cop cars that were chasing us.

The ending to A Way Out was brilliant and it left both my wife and me with our mouths open. We didn’t see that “betrayal” coming with Vincent revealing he was a cop. I was Vincent, so my wife was pretty salty about my character betraying hers. The fact that the game makes both players work together so closely throughout the entire game and then pit them against each other for the final sequence is genius. Naturally, I won the shootout but if there was an option to spare Leo I would have. My wife on the other hand was out for blood. The final moments of the game has each player beating each other as memories flashback before one of them takes control of a gun and fires a fatal bullet. The environments were great throughout the entire game but the graphics were a little rough around the edges. There were some strange slowdowns in action sequences and textures on objects like hair weren’t sharp.

Memories:
I purchased A Way Out randomly after hearing about it. There was a huge sale digitally and I got it for something like $5-$10. It made fun a really fun weekend with my wife and it’s a game we’ll always remember, especially when Vincent turned on Leo.

A Way Out Review Score:

A Way Out is a great co-op experience and a unique video game overall. The ending is perfect and the game offers various elements including stealth, puzzles, shootouts, and car chases. It’s on the shorter side and can be completed in less than ten hours. Once you beat the game, you probably won’t replay it unless you find a new friend who doesn’t know the twist. Either way, Josef Fares made another great experience.

A Way Out scores an 8.8 out of 10.

Do you remember when A Way Out first came out? Who did you play it with, your friend or your lover? What did you think of the plot twist? What’s your favorite co-op game? Let me know your memories and thoughts, I’d love to read the comments!