RESIDENT EVIL 6....Review

Resident Evil 6, known as Biohazard 6 is an action-adventure third-person shooter video game and the ninth main installment in the Resident Evil series, developed and published by Capcom. Capcom defines the game's genre as "dramatic horror" however there is disagreement among reviewers whether this installment belongs in the survival horror genre. It was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on October 2, 2012 and for the Microsoft Windows on March 22, 2013.

The story is told from the perspectives of Chris Redfield, a former member and founder of the BSAA traumatized by a failed operation, Leon S. Kennedy, a Raccoon City survivor and agent for the U.S. government, Jake Muller, illegitimate son of Albert Wesker and associate of Sherry Birkin, and Ada Wong, a freelance agent framed for the bio-terrorist attacks by Neo-Umbrella. They must all confront the force behind a massive bio-terrorist attack with the newly developed C-virus in cities across the world.

Concept development began in 2009, with full development beginning the following year under Hiroyuki Kobayashi, who produced Resident Evil 4, and eventually grew to have the largest staff so far to work on a Resident Evil game. The game faced both negative reactions to the control problems with the demo and mixed reviews for the drastic shift in gameplay focus for the main game, being a point of both praise and criticism for different review outlets.

Resident Evil 6 allows players to select between four scenarios with connected storylines, each with their own intentionally different design. Each scenario follows one of four main protagonists - Leon S. Kennedy, Chris Redfield, Jake Muller and Ada Wong. The player characters from each scenario will have their own partners which are controlled by either the computer AI or another human player via local or online multiplayer. When playing in single player, the player can allow another player to join in online at any time and inventories are now kept separate from each other.^[5] The game also features the Mercenaries mode, where players fight hordes of enemies, and the Agent Hunt mode which allows players to take control of random enemies in other people's games.

Players can pick up items quickly and change weapons in real time. Players are also able to move while aiming their firearms. A new feature comes in the form of tablets, in which players can recover health at the push of a button. More tablets can be produced by locating herbs. By finding various herbs and saving them before converting, more tablets can be obtained from them. If one player runs out of health, that player will have a short time to try and defend him/herself while his partner attempts to revive them. If either player is killed, gameplay resumes at the last checkpoint. The game has several primary enemies, including zombies and the newly introduced J'avo. Unlike zombies, J'avo are able to interact with each other to plan an attack, use weapons, and heal themselves.^[6] Certain enemies drop skill points when killed, which can be picked up and spent on upgrades such as increased weapon effectiveness or specific ammunition drops. Players can equip three of these upgrades which apply to all the campaigns. There are set piece events that require different approaches, such as shooting at zombies, prying through a door, and attempting to locate keys in a vehicle.^[7]

On December 24, 2012, Jake Muller, a mercenary of the fictional South-Slavic Edonian Liberation Army and son of bio-terrorist Albert Wesker, flees from the authorities during a bio-terrorist attack. He partners up with Division of Security Operations (DSO) agent and Raccoon City survivor Sherry Birkin, who was sent to Edonia to ensure that Jake escapes safely from the country so his blood can be tested for anti-bodies for the newly developed C-Virus. At the same time, Bio-terrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA) Captain Chris Redfield and his team, including sniper Piers Nivans and demolitions expert Finn Macauley fight against rebels infected with the C-Virus (referred to as "J'avo") and two large B.O.W.'s referred to as"Orgomans". However, they are attacked by a Neo-Umbrella agent that refers to herself as Ada Wong, who kills most of the BSAA members using a device that injects them with the C-virus turning them into monsters, except Chris and Piers. The aftermath causes Chris to go into self-imposed exile, being afflicted with post-traumatic amnesia. Meanwhile, Sherry and Jake's extraction from Edonia by the BSAA is sabotaged by a BOW codenamed 'Ustanak', forcing the pair to crash into the mountains, eventually leading to their capture by Ada.

On June 29, 2013, U.S. President Adam Benford has decided to officially reveal the truth behind the 1998 Raccoon City incident and the U.S. federal government's dealings with Umbrella, believing that it will curb the current resurgence in bio-terrorist activity. By the President’s side is his friend, DSO agent and Raccoon City survivor Leon S. Kennedy and United States Secret Service agent Helena Harper, but when the venue becomes host to another bio-terrorist attack, Leon is forced to face the infected and mutated President, and kill him. Helena leads Leon to the Tall Oaks Cathedral amidst the zombie outbreak to rescue her sister, Deborah. By the time the pair reaches Deborah, she had already been infected with the C-virus, and the pair are forced to kill her. Along the way, the two encounter Ada, and Helena then discloses to Leon that she was blackmailed by National Security Advisor Derek C. Simmons, into aiding the assassination of Benford. She also discloses Simmons's affiliation with Neo-Umbrella. Shortly after escaping the Cathedral, Tall Oaks is destroyed by an airstrike. Leon and Helena then decide to pursue Simmons into Lanshiang, China while faking their deaths with aid from Ingrid Hunnigan. Meanwhile, Jake and Sherry manage to escape captivity in Lanshiang after being held captive for 6 months.

At the same time, Chris returns to duty in the BSAA with Piers and a new team, arriving in Lanshiang under the threat of a bio-terrorist attack. Chris recovers from his amnesia and goes on a vendetta against Ada, resulting in mounting casualties for his squad. Chris and Piers corner Ada, until Leon intervenes. After being updated by Leon, Chris and Piers pursue Ada to an aircraft carrier, destroying cruise missiles laden with the C-virus, while an assassin apparently kills Ada. Leon, Helena, Sherry, and Jake confront Simmons over his involvement with the outbreaks, where Sherry covertly hands Jake's medical data to Leon in case of their captivity. Leon and Helena corner Simmons, who has been infected by a J'avo, atop a train, where he confesses to having killed the President to keep him from disclosing the truth behind Raccoon City, which would have led to the U.S. losing its authority. The two temporarily defeat a mutated Simmons while Sherry and Jake are captured once again. While attempting to leave the city, Leon and Helena are warned by Chris that a missile has been launched, but they are too late to stop it. Leon discloses Jake's real identity to Chris and has him rescue Jake and Sherry in a remote oil platform. With the assistance of Ada, Leon and Helena finally kill Simmons before escaping with evidence proving Simmons's crimes provided by Ada, exonerating Helena.

In the oil platform, Chris and Piers head underground, managing to free Jake and Sherry from captivity before preventing a large-scale BOW attack from the location. When they meet up briefly, Chris reveals to Jake that he was the one who killed his father, but Jake resists the urge to kill him, saying that there are more important things than his want for revenge. Jake and Sherry manage to finally kill 'Ustanak' once and for all during their escape, securing a steady supply of the C-virus vaccine while Chris and Piers fight the host BOW, Haos. Heavily wounded, and in a desperate attempt to save Chris, Piers injects himself with a sample of the C-virus to help turn the tide of the battle, temporarily defeating Haos before evacuating. Aware that the mutation would worsen, Piers sacrifices himself by pushing Chris to an escape pod and ensuring the destruction of the Neo-Umbrella base.

In Ada's story, it is revealed that the Ada Wong that interacted with Chris and Piers was actually a doppelgänger created by Simmons, a scientist named Carla Radames, and that the real Ada Wong was aiding Leon and Sherry while destroying the Neo-Umbrella lab in Langshiang. Although presumed dead after being shot by one of Simmons' soldiers, Carla tries one last attack against the real Ada, after having injected herself with a powerful dose of the C-virus, but is killed. After aiding Leon and Helena in their battle with Simmons, Ada reaches the lab where her clone was developed and destroys everything. She then receives a call from someone, accepting a new assignment. Meanwhile, Leon and Helena are cleared for duty; Chris remains with the BSAA in command of a new squad, overcoming his guilt; and Sherry continues her duty as a DSO agent, while Jake starts a new life fighting BOWs in an underdeveloped country with his real identity covered up by the BSAA.

Concept development of the game began soon after the release of Resident Evil 5, and began full development in 2010. Resident Evil 5 producer Jun Takeuchi said that he considered a "completely new system" for Resident Evil 6, but later ruled out his involvement with the game. In March 2009, co-producer Masachika Kawata stated that the new installment was not decided upon, but that it could take Capcom four to eight years to develop. Sources familiar with the project indicated that the series would return to its roots and be "brutally scary." 

The development of the game was led by Hiroyuki Kobayashi, who is stated by Capcom to be aiming to "deliver the most impressive Resident Evil title ever both in terms of scope and production values." Capcom also noted that the game is meant to be "a giant stride forward in the evolution of the series." The staff wanted to give the game a new setting with director Eiichiro Sasaki wishing to place it in China. While the country of Edonia was not modelled on any country from Europe, it was given an Eastern European air. The character of Jake was also made to attract new fans. The game has a development staff of more than 600, making it Capcom's biggest production to date. In May 2012, Capcom announced they expect the game to sell 7 million copies by the end of this fiscal year. However they have recently lowered their expectations to 6 million due to the games reception.

An official trailer was released on January 19, 2012. On April 10, 2012, a second trailer was released which detailed the game's plot further, also revealed that the release date has been moved from November 20, 2012 to October 2, 2012. At Microsoft's press briefing at E3 2012, the first gameplay demonstration was shown, depicting Leon and Helena fighting zombie hordes in China. A playable demo of Resident Evil 6 was scheduled on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Marketplace on September 5, 2012. Capcom later announced that the demo would become available for both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 owners on September 18, 2012. Early access to the demo was included with Dragon's Dogma. As a result of criticism of the first demo, Capcom brought a different version of the demo to the San Diego Comic-Con 2012, modifying various parts of its gameplay. A new playable demo was released on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Marketplace on September 18, 2012.

METAL GEAR RISING : REVENGEANCE...(Review by IGN)

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance tries not to waste a moment of your time. In the 4-6 hours required to complete its campaign, you’ll cross the globe, have sword-fights with skyscraper-sized mechs, team up with an A.I. dog, explore a science facility with a remote-controlled robot, leap over missiles to chop up helicopters, and fight a metaphor for American evil. Rising is as silly as it sounds, and it knows it.

Developer Platinum Games accomplishes a lot in a short period of time, and while it sometimes gets in its own way, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is a tight action game whose campaign moves as quickly as its excellent combat. It’s all killer, no filler, with more than enough incentive for repeat play-throughs.

The most consistent issue in Rising is its cutscenes. To its credit, you’re rarely made to watch what you’d rather play, but the story bits, interesting though they are for fans, ultimately intrude on the fast-paced flow of combat. The convoluted plot starts as lucidly as the series has ever been, but spirals out of control almost immediately: the assassination of a recovering country’s leader sends Raiden, a cyborg ninja, after a terrorist cell that’s kidnapping kids and infiltrating America’s political infrastructure.

The events of Raiden’s retaliation range from goofy and fun, stylish and cool, to overwrought metaphor. The geo-political lecturing seem engineered specifically for fans of Metal Gear Solid 4’s melodrama,

Developed through a partnership with Platinum Games and Kojima Productions, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance aims to deliver pure, exhilarating action in the Metal Gear universe.

but it doesn’t connect well with the action. Ultimately, the conversations and character cameos are pure fan-service that everyone else can skip without missing a beat. The relentless act of actually fighting terrorists is what matters here, and there’s little need for motivation when the action is this fun.

Rising propels players toward a boss battle every 45 minutes, introduces new enemy types regularly, and unleashes waves of cyborg soldiers to slice with a sword. This is a tight action experience without an ounce of fat, and Rising’s pace is just as quick as its technical melee combat. The Metal Gear series traditionally relies on stealth and silenced weapons, but the moment-to-moment action of Rising is an aggressive and elegant alternative.

The light and heavy attacks have a natural chemistry that makes every sword slash feel empowering, so combat never feels like you’re budgeting quick but weak strikes vs. slow and strong ones. Each combo flows into the next with grace: lifts, knock-downs, stuns, spin-kicks, aerial juggles, and other specialized attacks feel as fantastic as they look. Raiden’s exaggerated acrobatics lend a hypnotic sense of style to each attack, especially as you unlock additional moves with earned currency. By the end of the campaign, and as I began my second run through it, Raiden felt like a balletic badass, using his heels as often as his hands to wield his weapon. Seeing that style is as much a reward as the satisfaction of brutalizing an enemy with a flurry of katana hack-and-slash, sliding underneath someone, redirecting attacks, canceling combos, or letting loose in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance’s hook: Blade Mode.

Rising is gorgeous on PC, and runs smoother than it does on console.

Once Raiden slays enough cyborgs, he can briefly enter the time-slowing Blade Mode and slice his sword in any direction, instantly killing (or severely wounding) nearly anyone with precision strikes. The results are often uncomfortable and/or hilarious. You can chop off legs (or one, if you’d rather), decapitate someone at the eyes, and turn weakened enemies into various, disgusting pieces with a swivel of the mouse or a flick of the right stick.

And on PC, you're going to want a controller. The mouse and keyboard controls, while serviceable, don't enable the melee combat's precision and finesse offered by a controller.

Blade Mode is a fun, sadistic parlor trick, but it’s more than a cheap and easy way to win. Slowing time plays a strategic role in combat. Bisecting cyborgs reveals their fuel-filled spines, which Raiden can rip out to replenish his health. Blade Mode also plays a defensive role, which turns a silly finishing move tool into something more skill-based. Cutting protects Raiden from incoming objects (choppers, missiles, other ridiculous things), and wrecking an enemy’s weapon prevents them from using it. Slicing certain special enemies’ appendages also plays into the upgrade economy, giving you bonus currency to unlock more health, weapon power, and more complex combo arrangements, all of which carry over into a new game plus that holds even more blade types, costumes, and other secrets to discover. Everything feeds into making you feel like a talented combatant who’s truly earned satisfying improvements.

The only thing that really holds back Rising’s combat is the secondary weapons. Killing bosses allows you to acquire their staffs, sais, and swords, but switching to a secondary tools come with a catch. Alternate weapons replace one of your two normal attack buttons, which neuters katana combos. On top of that, alternating between two weapons doesn’t flow together as well as the evolving sword strikes. Switching from one to the next in the middle of a combo has a disjointed feel, a bit like interrupting yourself, as though your new blade wasn’t built to work in tandem with the sword. Despite the cumbersome transitions, these extra weapons strengthen Rising’s variety. The sai, for example, doesn’t deal much damage, but it disrupts cyborg A.I. functions, giving Raiden the opportunity to obliterate a stunned opponent.

The erratic camera poses additional issues as well. Rising is such a fast-paced game, with wild combat that encourages unpredictable attack patterns, that it can’t always keep track of Raiden in the thick of battle, especially when large-scale bosses eat up most of the on-screen real estate. Unless you’re acutely aware of your next move, Raiden can get lost in his own chaos from time to time. Having to come to a complete stop before changing from grenades to a rocket launcher, or a heavy blade to a faster crowd-control weapon is another inconvenience that’s antithetical to Rising’s go-go-go mentality. The improved performance on PC, though, goes a long way. With sharper graphics it's visually superior on PC, while a stronger frame rate makes combat more responsive and run smoother. Additionally, the PC version includes all of the DLC costumes and story expansions in a great game that's a steal at $30.

source :  http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/01/10/metal-gear-rising-revengeance-pc-review

Sony VR Headset May Feature New PS4 Project

  Aside from the delivery of remaining pre-ordered PS4 consoles and the upcoming exciting games, there's another device that many PS4 fans are waiting for--the Sony VR headset.

A developer for the PS4, nDreams, has been one of the more spotlighted creators because of an interesting new project that could hint at the possibility that the PS4's VR headset is actually being used in the creation of a game.

The sixth axis has found a screenshot that was captioned in a very interesting way. Captioned with "A screenshot from one of our VR prototypes," the photo features a screenshot that was the same one used for the PS4 title that they were reportedly working on.

Sony Guarantees effects like these on the coming PS4 games 

While there is no way to verify if this new project actually involves both the PS4 and Sony's upcoming VR headset, the fact that nDreams is reportedly going working on ambitious projects is already something to take note of.

This isn't the only rumour running about regarding Sony's VR headset. It seems that the virtual reality headset will really be making an appearance at the CES 2014. Gamepur reports that the Sony Press Conference will be held at January 6 at 5 p.m. PST while Kaz Hirai's keynote will be held on January 7 at 8:30 a.m. PST. Any one of those can be the venue for when the Sony's PS4 VR headset can be revealed.