Video Game Review: Star Wars: Fallen Order

 

Fallen Order is a first-person combat game set five years after the fall of the Jedi (Revenge of the Sith). You play as Cal Kestis (voiced by Shameless and Gotham actor Cameron Monaghan), who was a padawan at the time the Jedi order fell. The game does not start out with Order 66, but it is not a major spoiler to say that you do see Order 66 from Cal's perspective during the video game. The game starts out as Cal is working in a scrapyard on the planet Bracca where he has to use The Force to save himself and a co-worker, which brought the main antagonist of the game, the inquisitor Second Sister to Bracca. Once Cal is outed as a Jedi he has to escape the Empire he is helped by Greez Dritus and former Jedi Cere Junda who has cut herself off from The Force. Cal joins the crew of their ship and embarks on a mission to find a Holocron that holds the names of a bunch of force-sensitive children, with designs to keep the names out of the hands of the Empire and to rebuild the Jedi order.

Throughout the game, you travel to a bunch of different planets, some of which are recognizable from the movies (e.g., the Wookie planet Kasyyyk) and others that you would only recognize if you have read the novels or seen some of the television series such as Rebels and Bad Batch. There are four different levels of difficulty you can play the game on, Padawan, Jedi Knight, Jedi Master, and Jedi Grandmaster. In the Padawan mode, Cal can more easily block enemies, and the enemies are not as aggressive (e.g., when there are groups of stormtroopers they attack in an "evil ninja" like fashion, mostly one at a time), but in the harder modes Cal is more vulnerable and the enemies attack you more aggressively. Basically, the Padawan mode allows you to finish the story/game easier, and the harder modes make the gameplay more challenging. But, even in the Padawan mode, you can be killed by a low-level stormtrooper. 

Overall, the game is a good blend of a puzzle or strategy game in which you have to find different things, figure out how to navigate past obstacles, and the like, and a combat game in which you have to battle stormtroopers and/or creatures. It is a lot like the Batman Arkham series of games for people who are familiar with those games. Cal is aided mostly by a droid named BD-1 who follows him throughout the game and can help him along the way and is aided by some of the other human and alien characters he encounters. There are a few different "boss fights" throughout the game that get progressively more challenging, and the game tells a very entertaining story, which is a part of the overall Star Wars canon. If you are a Star Wars fan and like playing video games, it is definitely worth checking out. 

Video Game Review: Star Wars Battlefront

 

I would describe Battlefront as more of a nostalgia fest for fans than it is a game with a compelling storyline. Battlefront basically lets you play as the Rebels or the Empire at various locations from the original and sequel trilogies (depending on which version of the game you have), and if you have the ultimate edition, from Rogue One. It allows you to play as "heroes" like Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Han Solo, Jyn Erso, Boba Fett, Emperor Palpatine, etc., and also features non-playable yet still well-known characters like Jabba the Hutt and C3P0.

Basically, the game shifts between battlefronts (the front lines of the various battles from the movies) and allows you to play as the characters. This does not have an original storyline that you have to navigate through as there is in some of the other Star Wars games. This is basically a first-person or third-person (If you chose that mode) or multiplayer "shooter" game set in the Star Wars Universe. It will appeal to some people and others will probably get bored of it after a while. There are missions that you have to solve in order to get to the next battlefront, such as using the speeders to take out a certain number of AT-AT walkers on Hoth, defending or capturing the rebel bases, etc. 

I would not say the game is a must-have or a must-play. If you are a fan of the movies it is a fun way to actually play out the stories, at least a bit. If you are just a casual fan of the movies (or are not a fan of them at all), however, then this is probably not going to do much for you.

Video Game Review: Batman: Arkham Knight

 

This is, at least for now, the final entry into the Arkham series of games. It brings back Kevin Conroy to voice Bruce/Batman and is a great gaming experience, expanding on what each of the prior games has done. It is very challenging, even in the easiest setting, and has enough side quests (including allowing you to play as Harley Quinn for a portion of the game) that you will not get bored with the story. It also incorporates the use of the Batmobile a lot more, with some points in the game in which you have to use it to get through a portion of the game. It is not just used to get you from place to place as in the prior games. The graphics look wonderful on the PS4 and (at least with the disc) the gameplay is very smooth. If you are a fan of the other Arkham games, this is definitely worth the pickup.

Video Game Review: WWE 2K15 - PlayStation 4

 

This was the 2015 release of the WWE's video game. It included a lot of legacy characters, including Sting (both the Crow version and the surfer version) as this was released just as Sting started making appearances on some of the WWE documentaries and was eventually brought in for what would be a lackluster run in the ring. The graphics are awesome, but the gameplay is very hard. Much harder than a lot of other games. And, the guide does not give you any help on how to execute anything more than basic moves. That is what knocks it down a couple of stars for me.

Video Game Review: Batman: Arkham Origins

 

This is the third game in the Arkham series of Batman games. It is actually a prequel to Arkham asylum set eight years before that game when Batman was still early on in his career. The gameplay and graphics are awesome and keep getting better as more games are released. It is much more challenging than the first two games, which in a way makes sense. If Batman is in his second-year things are going to be harder for him than when he has been fighting crime for eight or nine years. The one nitpicky point is that Batman can do things in this game that he did not do in the other games, set after this one. I get that they want to keep updating the games to make them more exciting and fun, but really at this point in the timeline, Batman should be working with less advanced gadgets and have less ability than he does later on. The only disappointing thing about the game is that Kevin Conroy did not return to voice Bruce/Batman, but Roger Smith did a good job with the voice work. So, if you are a fan of the Arkham games, this is a must-play.

Video Game Review: Bioshock

 

This is a decent first-person shooter/strategy kind of game with an interesting story. I do not think it is as great as some have made it out to be. It is challenging without being overly difficult or nearly impossible like some games can be. I much prefer the Halo series and the Batman Arkham series of games to this, but if you are into games like Halo that are first-person shooter games with more of a sci-fi/fantasy feel to them (as opposed to a real-world feel), this is a decent option.

Video Game Review: Batman: Arkham City - Game of The Year Edition

 

This is the second in the Arkham trilogy of games. It continues the storyline from the first game and expands the story with a power vacuum left in the wake of Joker's defeat. It is very challenging, even on the easiest difficulty level, and I would say even more challenging to get through than the first game. The graphics and gameplay experience are great, as you would expect, and like the first game, you can find new things and go down new paths every time you play it. It is a very enjoyable game, even if you are someone that does not play a lot of video games.

Video Game Review: Batman: Arkham Asylum

 

This is the first of the Arkham games set, in part in the asylum, and then throughout Gotham as Batman has to take down Joker (who is the end boss that you have to beat). Even when the game is set on easy the game is still quite challenging. There is a lot to the gameplay that you can experience new things every time you play from the beginning. The best part is that Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill voice Batman and Joker, reprising their roles from Batman: The animated series. The graphics are awesome, and many of the other villains are included in the game. As someone who is not a huge gamer by any means I enjoy playing this one, and definitely recommend it.