Video Games

The First 30 Minutes of ‘God Of War: Ascension’ is Beyond Epic!

At first I thought I was having a great day because of the new French Express mix, but then I watched the First 30 Minutes of God of War: Ascension, and now my day is a million times better!

GOW: Ascension is the forthcoming game in the God of War franchise, and it brings Kratos back in action with insane combos, incredibly (might I add disgusting) enemies, and all the ingredients of action, mythology, and advanced weaponry that make Kratos one of the best characters to ever hit PS3. 

In the new 30 minute gameplay, we get the chance to see the new title in action. The game starts off with this ugly chick with legs, one arm, and a minion of flies that can bring things to life. From the gist of the conversation, I’m assuming she might have dated Kratos or something, but he sure does plan on kicking her ass for what she puts him through.

Now of course, unless you want to be surprised when you first play the game, then I recommend you don’t watch this video (spoilers guaranteed.)But if you can’t wait and you’re curious what you will be getting your hands on, then grab some popcorn, push play, and enjoy Kratos kicking major ass! 

Cyberpunk 2077: A Futuristic Open-World RPG You Shouldn’t Sleep On [Concept Art x Teaser Trailer]

The last truly cinematic game I had the honor to play was Quantic Dream‘s Heavy Rain. One of the most impressive titles to ever release on PS3, Heavy Rain, took gaming to new heights. That title packs in great attention to plot and character decisions (the beauty of a ripple effect,) and it also places strong emphasis on innovative actor portrayals and cinematic life-like rendering. For some time I held great doubt another game was impressive would be in the making, but then I heard about Cyberpunk 2077.

Cyberpunk 2077 is an upcoming futuristic open-world RPG game by Polish video game publisher and developer, CD Projekt RED. The game is based off the iconic Cyberpunk series, which is a pen and paper based game. However, Cyberpunk is more than a game, it is a series of novels and genre of style/culture which is present in iconic films such as Bladerunner.  

Cyberpunk is a cultural statement, but never has Cyberpunk 2020 (the novels) been translated into gaming, until now. A few weeks ago, a teaser trailer for the upcoming game Cyberpunk 2077 was released, and even though it was a “teaser” that didn’t give us a big look into the plot, the stunning cinematics were enough to get everyone talking. What should we expect? How does artificial modification (the premise of Cyberpunk 2020) make its way into the game? What POV can we play from? Question after question, the Web has become flooded with speculation, but one thing that everyone seems to agree on is this is a game with great potential that shouldn’t be slept on. Pay attention!

I’m still anxious for more details surrounding gameplay and the overall plot to be released, but if the game is going to be anything like the novels (which I’ve yet to read, but have heard are great,) then I’m excited to see what CD Projekt RED has in store. So far, we know for sure it’s an open-world RPG filled with psychotic outbreaks caused by too much artificial manipulation and according to IGN, “special MAX-TAC agents, also known as Psycho Squad, are deployed to fight against those who lose control.”

If you haven’t seen the teaser trailer, then be sure to watch it below. The game reminds of Deus Ex: Human Revolution infused with Heavy Rain cinematics, but I’m just speaking from speculation. The teaser doesn’t tell us much, but from what I’ve seen so far, this is a game I’m going to be following closely.

Cinematic Trailer

Concept Art & Actor Screen Shots – Images via (http://www.geeksaresexy.net/)

Gamer Zone | 6 Games I Must Play in 2013 [New DMC Cinematic Trailer Included!]

2012 was a great gaming for gaming! So many great games came out and by far, the best game of them all (in my eyes) was Mass Effect 3. Hands down, ME3 was such an amazing conclusion to the Mass Effect trilogy, and Bioware has confirmed that they are working on another game in the franchise. Hopefully with the rumors of PS4 and a potential Xbox 720, we will experience more Mass Effect.

As the games of 2012 are still booming with replay value, 2013 is here and it signals the dawn of new games, perhaps next generation systems, and even more awesomeness for us gamers. And as usual, each year there are releases that fit everyone’s distinct gaming personality; nobody is left out in the world of gaming. So if God of War: Ascension or Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance isn’t your style, then there are so many great games coming out that will suit your gaming needs.

Personally, I’m excited about a lot of games coming out this year. I have to even buy an Xbox 360 again just to get my hands on Gears of War: Judgement, and that is alright with me.

God of War: Ascension (PS3)

But as far as PS3 only games go, I’m insanely anxious to play God of War: Ascension. Wow! Have you seen the trailer x gameplay demo? That game looks amazing and the combos are ridiculous!!! Kratos looks better and badder than ever, and the multiplayer function is a great new addition that might prove to be a lot of fun! Release Date: March 12, 2013

Gears of War: Judgement

The only reason I owned an Xbox 360 was for Gears of War. HALO was never my thing, but Gears of War wrapped me up and delivered hours upon hours of epic gaming. Oh man, and how awesome is it using a chainsaw on your gun to kill enemies? Mk 2 Lancer is one of the best weapons in gaming history! The new game in the franchise looks really good and it continues the trend of slicing and dicing up them grubs, while enjoying good old-fashioned teamwork. Release Date: March 19, 2013

Tomb Raider 

Perhaps it’s because I’m a woman and I admire strong feminine characters, but I have always been a huge fan of Lara Croft, Tomb Raider. I played almost all the games in the franchise and I’ve loved the complexity of puzzles and insane adventures. Before there was Nathan Drake, there was Lara Croft. And the new game in the franchise is a complete reboot that revisits the character with new design, new story line, and a new approach to how Lara Croft evolves into the iconic Tomb Raider. This game is a must-have for those who love the series and a good old-fashioned adventure. Release Date: March 5, 2013

The Last of Us (Ps3)

I remember first seeing the world premiere of The Last of Us on the 2011 VGAs and blogging about the illusiveness of it’s announcement. Of course, since then many details and footage of this game have been released and now I’m super stoked to get my hands on this. I’m a sucker for games that require survival skills, and The Last of Us is exactly the game I’ve been waiting for. Oh and it’s from Naughty Dog, the folks who bring us Uncharted. So yeah, you know it’s going to be good! Release Date: May 7, 2013

DmC: Devil May Cry

Now I’ll gladly admit I haven’t played much of the DmC franchise, but upon seeing the cinematic trailer for the fifth game in the franchise, I’m down to play. The game looks pretty good and I’ve enjoyed bits and pieces of previous DmC I have slightly played, so I’m adding this one to my list as well. Oh and the brand new cinematic trailer is amazing! Dante looks like he is ready to handle business! Release Date: January 15, 2013

Aliens: Colonial Marines

Seeing how it is that I’m such a big fan of the Alien franchise, there is no way I’m sleeping on this game! This game is the movie that should have been produced after Alien 3. So when you play this game and see the footage, you’ll see how it truly does appear like a true sequel to the film. Sounds pretty radical, and if you’re a true sci-fi/fantasy fan, then I think you’ll love what this game has to offer. Watch the footage and see for yourself how awesome this game might actually be.  Release Date: February 26, 2013

That’s all for now! I will be posting more gaming news as usual, so stay tuned! Oh and if you’re wondering about GTA V, hell yeah I’m excited to play it! But there isn’t a release date yet Watch the trailers here: http://thinksoul25.com/2012/11/14/yeah-its-here-gta-v-trailer-2/

Feel free to chime in with comments on some of the games you hope to play in 2013. Got any favorites so far?

Related articles

• ‘DmC: Devil May Cry’ Trailer Shows Dante’s Devil Trigger (gamerant.com)
• 2013 Games Preview: DmC: Devil May Cry (g4tv.com)

Contra Shattered Soldier 2: An Awesome, Yet Oh-So Underrated Ps2 Favorite [Gameplay Video]

Even though I was born in Columbus, Ohio, I didn’t live there for a long time. Most of my life has consisted of moving back and forth between Maryland and Colorado, but when I did live in Columbus I enjoyed visiting the 24/7/365 video rental store in German Village. Whenever my brother came home on the weekends, we would randomly go rent a game at 2am for less than $2.

The store was (it’s no longer in business) was the best place to go at any time of the day to try out new & old videogames on the PS2 and other systems. I remember so many late night strolls down to the store, and I even remember stopping by the store to pick up games before a blizzard hits. I fell in love with a lot of games when I was at that store, such as Dreamfall: The Longest Journey, Dynasty Warriors, Escape From Monkey Island, and Ecco The Dolphin: Defended of the Future, but by far the game that impacted me the most was Contra: Shattered Soldier.

For years I’ve gone on epic rants about how amazing Contra: Shattered Soldier is, especially if you have the amazing opportunity to play co-op. Personally, I’ve played the game solo and co-op with my brother, and I found that it was much more fun playing co-op and taking on some of the most disgusting alien bosses I’ve ever seen.

If you’re faint of heart, then don’t even bother playing this game. Well, it’s not crazy gore or anything, but some of the alien bosses just look so disgusting and gross. I mean bug guts everywhere gross! But oddly, it is what makes this game so awesome and an instant Ps2 classic in my opinion.

But gross alien bosses and weird creatures with alien bodies but creepy gigantic human faces isn’t what makes this game awesome, it’s the progression of each stage in the two-dimensional gameplay style. In most first-person games you can spray bullets everywhere and now that sooner or later it’s going to hit, but in a 2D game where you shoot matters; hitting large targets and small targets in the midst of obstacles is something that makes Contra: Shattered Soldier an amazing game.

There where a lot of games that hit the PS2 that really caught my attention, but I’ll never forget paying $1 a day for Contra: Shattered Soldier and staying up late nights to beat it. And once my brother and I finally beat all those disgustingly awesome bosses, we headed to the video store between 3-4am and selected the next game we’d hope to conquer. Yet, Contra: Shattered Soldier would always be a game we would talk about for years to come. As I said before, it is an instant favorite that shouldn’t be slept on.

Here are some great videos that show how awesome the game is, as well as how disturbing and disgusting the bosses are. The turtle boss with the morphed-human-like butt face is the so gross! It even spits out acid, body parts, and bugs. LOL. But it’s a hell of a time shooting at it. Ah, good times…

For more of my thoughts on video games, dudes feel free to add me on Facebook @www.facebook.com/Jazei25 and follow me on twitter @thinksoul25