Recent reviews by Space

One of the most beautiful games ever, a must play.

The Telltale games have been around for numerous years and have covered many franchises in their games, but now at last they have finally covered one of the most iconic comic characters, Batman. Batman is beloved by millions of fans, whether they're comicbook reads, obsessed with Nolan's trilogy, or prefer the classics. Has Telltale done justice to the Batman name and created a great new entry to his legacy? Let's find out...

Like most Telltale games, one of the main focuses of the game is the story. Batman has had numerous well-written stories in the past, but in this case they've decided to craft their own with original takes on characters and twists. You play as Bruce Wayne, billionaire with a difficult past and a huge secret. Throughout the game, you see Bruce stuggle to uphold the Wayne family name while juggling his true self, Batman. You get a good sense of the hardships he has to experience on a daily basis and really learn to understand his struggle. He's not alone though, as he has Alfred for support and to keep his morals straight, Lucius Foxx to help him technologically, and Harvey Dent to be there for him. Overall, the story is great, original, is driven by amazing characters, such as the ones previously stated as well as James Gordon, Selina Kyle, Oswald Cobblepot, and so on. The story throws in twists that have never been done in the Batman mythos, which really spices things up. To some, this might be a negative, but for those of you looking for a new take, here it is.

Another big mechanic and feature Telltale games are built on is the power of choice and consequences following those choices, and this game is no different. The game allows you to make small choices, as well as larger choices. Now, not all of these choices really make a difference, but others have big impact and can drastically change things up. At the end of the game, you get to see what the choices made you into, as well as how many people chose the choices you went with. This system adds a lot of replayability, because you can load up an episode again, make new choices, and see where the story goes.

Now, this is a game after, not just a story book, so how's the gameplay? Well, the fighting isn't anything you'd find in an Arkham game, so don't expect a lot of freedom in combat, but it is still fun. The game's fighting mechanics usually are just comprised of quicktime events. Now, I know what you're thinking... "Ugh... quicktime events..." I don't really care for them either, but honestly, it works well in this game. There is also some freedom with combat here and there though. There's certain parts where you're given the choice as to how you can take down baddies. It gives you a list of takedowns, and you choose. These don't really change anything, but it's a cool little feature.

Besides combat, there is, of course, some detective work to be done. Batman is known as the world's greatest detective (Sorry Sherlock fans), and this game definitely displays that aspect well. In certain segments, you must examine clues and put the pieces together yourself. Usually, it doesn't give you hints, so it's all up to you. These parts are quite enjoyable and it's fun trying to get into the mindset of Batman.

Other than game mechanics, the graphics have a nice artsy feel about them, the voice acting is really well done, the music is very fitting and well written, and everything blends perfectly for a great experience. In all, this game is a lot of fun, tells a great story, and has an addictive quality; it grips onto you until the very end. The twists are refreshing and you really get invested in the story. If you're a Batman fan, or someone just looking for a great story, this is definitely for you!

Do you like over-the-top 2D sidescrolling shooters? Do you enjoy shooting the crap out of zombies, rats, mobsters, zombie mobsters, leprechauns, and gasmask guys? Do you have an affinity for Italian desserts? Welp, if any of these things interest you, this game is for you.

The basic story is that Vinnie Cannoli must traverse the newly zombie-filled Thugtown in search of Frankie the Fly. The characters, especially the main character Vinnie, are great! Vinnie has a lot of fun oneliners that never really get repetitive. This game is also far from serious and has great humor and style. Speaking of style, this game's graphics have a fun and nice looking style. They're not super realistic, but they are very colorful (lots of red as well, if you know what I mean).

Now...the action, the moment you've all been waiting for. The shooting in this game is really fun! There are 8 weapons to be had, from the default pistol that never runs out of ammo, to the destructive shotgun, classic tommy gun, electro gun, flame thrower, and even a bazooka!! You'll also get grenades and Molotovs The enemies you'll encounter in this game include various zombies, like police zombies with guns, zombie butchers with knives, toxin belching zombies, and even gas-throwing, floating leprechauns. Throughout your journey, you'll also fight various gunwielding/melee weapon wielding mobsters, flame thrower and gas grenade throwing soldiers, and even rats. None of the enemies are super hard to kill, but they are a lot of fun to kill. The shooting in this game combined with the oneliners make for satisfying kills.

Besides normal enemies, you'll also fight bosses. There are three bosses in the game and each one is a lot of fun, and can be challenging. The great thing about these bosses is that each one has a strategy to defeating them. They may seem undefeatable at first, but once you find the strategy, then the fun begins.

You don't have to fight this battle alone though... up to four players can play together through local multiplayer! There are also a lot of skins to choose from for Vinnie, so you can tell who's who. Overall, this is a really fun game! I definitely recommend checking it out!

Mass Effect is a strong beginning to a great scifi action rpg trilogy. The story is that a member of an elite force, the Spectres, has gone rogue and plans on releasing an ancient lifeform. It is up to our hero, Commander Shepard, and his crew to stop the rogue Spectre, Sarren. The overall story is really well done and grips you from the very beginning and doesn't let go until the very end. The characters and story alike are well written; each character feels unique. Throughout your quest to save the galaxy, you will gain new crew members and build friendships.

In terms of gameplay, Mass Effect is a third person shooter and an rpg. Throughout the game, you will encounter many shootouts. In order to partake in these though, you'll obviously need weapons. You are given 4 weapons and a grenade to blast your way through enemy ranks. The weapons include: a pistol, shotgun, sniper rifle, and assualt rifle. Each of these do not require ammo, which is a plus, but they do have cooldowns. These weapons can be upgraded with different abilities found in different areas. These abilities include additional damage, elemental damage, as well as reduced cooldown time, and kickback. These help gunning down enemies a lot and it is important to pay attention to these upgrades (believe me, I learned the hard way). Weapons can also be upgraded in your skills menu, but we'll get to that later.

Now, in order to have a firefight, you usually need enemies, yeah? I'm sure your crew doesn't want you shooting them. Well, there are a variety of enemies to battle. First off, you have the Geth, an alien race that really doesn't like Shepard. There are various Geth, such as standard soldiers, rocket troopers, snipers, stalkers (hoppy bois), these really big annoying bois (primes), and many others. Besides the Geth, you will also encounter 'krogen', which are these really tough shotgun wielding aliens that REALLY don't like Shepard (well, except maybe one of them). There are also a few other enemies, like Husks. Husks are basically zombies, they'll just run at you all madlike.

So, how is the shooting mechanics? Well, they're pretty basic, but the controls do take a second to get used to (I kept on throwing grenades in the first hour because I automatically hit 'r' to reload). If you've played other third person shooters, this one is pretty much the same. That being said, the combat is still a lot of fun and satisfying!

Shooting enemies gives you xp that will level you up. Once you level up, you will get 2 skill points (sometimes 4, depending on what level you become). These can be used to upgrade numerous skills, such as: charm, fitness (health), weapons, first aid, and so on. The skills you have depends on what class you choose. There's soldier (weapons specialist), vanguard (close quarters fighter), adept (biotec specialist), sentinel (strong shields), engineer (good at technical stuff), and infiltrator (long range). Each class has its ups and downs, so choose carefully ;) Also, you can level up your crew manually, or just allow the game to automatically upgrade them.

Some levels, instead of walking everywhere, you are given a rover to pilot, the MAKO. Some people absolutely hate the MAKO missions, but personally I enjoyed them. It takes a little getting used to, but it's not really that hard to pilot. The MAKO seats your team and you, as well as a turret on the top and a rocket launcher. These make it easy to plow through those annoying Geths.

Besides combat, you have the rpg side of the game. There are a fair few quests to do besides the main ones, as well as the ability to choose dialogue. You make important decisions in the game that will change the outcome of the ending, as well as the rest of the game. There's a lot of freedom in this game, you can even design your Shepard in the very beginning of the game! Also, the game allows you to choose two of your crew members to join you on a mission. Choose wisely! Each crew member has a different set of skills.

Other things this game has: a great soundtrack, pretty good graphics (for its time), a large map with many planets to explore, and hours of fun and entertainment. Overall, this game is an amazing action scifi rpg and definitely worth checking out!

After the smash hit of LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures and the then upcoming release of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull came Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues:

Lego Indiana Jones 2 follows the stories of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, The Last Crusade, and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (which is the main focus), as you solve puzzles, break baddies, and build your way to victory. Although the game does redo some key levels from the first game, it mostly brings in scenes that weren't in the first Lego Indy game. With the scenes that have been done before (Like the bar fight in Raiders), it gets a new spin and is a lot different from the previous level. Whilst playing this though, it is clear that the focus was on the Kingdom levels. The three original movies are split up into five separate levels, while Kingdom has three chapters, each containing 5 levels. You have to complete the first level of the Kingdom levels to unlock Raiders. (Once you beat one movie, another unlocks (Temple unlocks after level 5 of Raiders and so on)).

There are generally four types of levels you will encounter. 1: the 'normal' Indy 1 type levels. These ones take a little longer than the rest and usually have puzzles in them. The second type is the 'kill all enemies' levels. These are really simple and take the least amount of time. All you have to do is kill the enemies it wants you to kill and you call it a day. There are usually about 3 waves. It's simple, but fun. The third type is the vehicle levels. These require you to destroy the vehicles the level tells you to. It's pretty much like the kill all enemies levels, just in vehicles. The last one is the boss fight. At the end of each chapter (except for some of the Kingdom parts), you will encounter a boss. Each boss has a certain weakness to find, and can be a lot of fun. You'll find at least one of all of those 4 level types in a chapter.

In order to play the levels though, you've gotta have characters to control. The game, like all Lego games, includes a wide varity of characters to unlock. You'll see many familiar faces from the movies on your adventures. The main character, Indy, has a whip that allows you to whip objects down, swing across dangerous areas, and even drag people around. He, like all characters, can also pick up weapons, like grenades, pistols, machine guns, spears, and many more! Also, something cool to note: you can hold more than one weapon/object (torch/shovel/etc) at a time (in your inventory, that is), unlike the previous installment! It comes in handy. You can also aim where you want the whip to go and where you want the gun to hit. (Unlike in Indy 1) Other characters include wrench characters (like Mutt Williams), who can fix objects, book characters (like Henry Jones), who can translate puzzles, shovel characters (Sallah) who can dig stuff, and many more! Characters can be purchased in hub worlds.

Yes, I said hub worlds. Each level pack has a unique hub world and more or less open world. In these worlds, you can find collectable items, vehicles to buy, minifigures, and the levels. In order to get to the next level once completing one, you have to find it. This, among other features, makes this game unique in comparison to the previous Lego games. There's lots to mess around with in the hubs!

Besides all of this, there is also a hub where you can create your own levels and mess around with blocks! This is a lot of fun and provides countless hours of fun. This is also one of the few Lego games to do this. (We have Lego Worlds right now, but still). The game also had the fantastic John Williams soundtrack from the movies and local multiplayer.

Overall, this is a fantastic and unique Lego game! It's definitely one of the most underrated Lego games.

Author's note: Don't judge this review solely on the amount of time it says I've played on Steam. I got the XBox version back when it came out and I've played the game twice (Once was just one month ago). I may not be able to discuss the bugs that might come up in the PC version, but I can tell you about what I think about this game.

The Assassin's Creed series has been around since 2007, with numerous installments since then. AC Unity is the very first "next gen" Assassin's Creed, and they definitely put more time and effort into making this one perfect than they did with Rogue (which had the same release date).

Unity's story takes place during the French Revolution and sets up the main character from the very beginning with its tie-in with Rogue. Before we get any further, make sure you play Assassin's Creed Rogue before playing this. Now, the story is pretty decent, even if it is one we've seen over and over. Arno is out for redemption and vengeance as he gets dragged into the Templar/Assassin war. The game is fairly long (takes about 17ish hours to defeat the main campaign) and the levels are pretty unique. I got a Hitman vibe with the assassination targets, which was a nice change. (You can't disguise yourself though, lol).

Before we jump into the gameplay mechanics, let's talk about the characters. Arno, the main character, is a decent character, but he's far from the best main character we've gotten in the series. He can come off as Ubisoft trying to create another Ezio, but he's not a terrible character. The love interest, Elise, is a character you might not like. She's very focused on her goals and leaves little time for personal matters. The rest of the characters, with the exception of the historical characters like Napoleon, are pretty forgettable. The voice acting is fantastic though, but one thing might bother you in your play through...EVERY ONE has BRITISH accents in FRANCE. Makes sense, right?

In terms of gameplay, they've tried to spice things up here, but they don't go too far away from the previous games, just to make sure things are still familiar. The combat system is pretty good, and has been upgraded here and there. They've added a leveling system, as well as a level system for the soldiers. This way, fights can be a little more difficult (which is something AC has needed for a long time) and it's harder to be OP unless you grind (Which can be a good or bad thing, depending on who you are). The higher level you are, the better weapons you can use (max level is 5). This system is pretty good, and it gets better in Syndicate.

Now, here's the real question...are the enemies stupid? Well, there have been some improvements, but there are still really easy ways of taking all of them out. You'll fight a variety of soldiers, such as standard footmen, snipers, grenadiers, and some ax bois. Fighting a large group isn't as easy as it was in the older games, which is a nice change. In AC 1, if you were good enough, you could literally take on a crowd of 20 men at a time.

To stab these guys, you'll need some weapons. Weapons can now be bought in the 'customization menu'. There are swords, spears, pistols, rifles, and heavy weapons. Each one has different stats and are good for certain situations. There are tons of weapons to try out! Speaking of 'customization', in the menu, you can customize how Arno looks, give him better armor, and unlock skills by using skill points. Money, skill points, and items can be unlocked by completing levels. This system is pretty great and it looks like it'll be around for a little bit.

Something very noticeable is integration of a new stealth system. For the first time in an AC game, you can actually crouch and hide behind walls (I know right? It took THIS long for them to figure this out?). The cover system is pretty great, but can be used to easily kill upwards of 5 people. The game finally has more of a stealth side to it, and it helps when the enemies are higher levels than you. You can even cover-stab people, which works well. This game also sees the inclusion of a new lock picking mechanic, and it's actually good! It's similar to BioShock where you have a bar that moves up and down and you have to hit it at the right spot to unlock it. MUCH better than AC III's poor attempt at lock picking.

Another thing to note is the open world stuff. There are side missions, chests, and even murder mysteries (which are the best!) to explore and find. Your map gets so crowded with things to do and find! I'll leave you to explore ;)

In all, this isn't exactly the best AC game, but these new mechanics get improved upon in Syndicate. If you're a fan of the franchise, definitely check this out, just note that it probably won't be your favorite AC game. (But play the other games first, they are WAY better (Especially AC 2, Black Flag, and Rogue).

When Rogue was first released, it was often overlooked due to Unity's release corresponding with it. However, this is definitely not a game to overlook in the Assassin's Creed franchise. AC Rogue takes place during the Seven Years' War and acts as a sequel to Black Flag, as well as a prequel to AC 3.

The basic story is that Shay Cormac sees first hand how dangerous the American Brotherhood is and fears they're destroying the world they wish to save. Shay is then betrayed by the Brotherhood and finds friends in the Templars. Together, they attempt to tear down the American Brotherhood before it's too late. The overall story is absolutely amazing! This is definitely one of the best things going for Rogue. The story is unique and not really one we've gotten in any other AC game. It provides perspective on the franchise. Personally, I think this is the best story we've gotten since the Ezio trilogy.

One thing that fans were upset with when this was announced was that this game is only 6 sequences long (with an epilogue). I don't really consider this a negative aspect though. Sure, it's the shortest AC game (besides Chronicles, but who cares about those?). A story doesn't have to be long to be good, it just has to cover everything it needs to cover and not throw in useless stuff just to add length. Rogue does this well.

A story is nothing without its characters, and this game has a great cast. For starters, the main character, Shay, is a great character. His struggle and story are fantastic and very entertaining. The other characters joining him are all pretty darn good, and you get to see familiar faces from Black Flag and AC 3, along with new faces. None of the characters seemed out of place and they all were well-voiced.

In terms of game mechanics, there's nothing really new. The game's naval combat is pretty much exactly like Black Flag, but this isn't a problem since Black Flag had some amazing naval combat. Your ship, the Morrigan, is a lot more maneuverable that the Jack Daw and it has 'puck guns', but other than that, there's not much of a difference. You can fire canon balls at ships to either sink them or incapacitate them. Once you stop them in their tracks, you can board the ship, take out some fools, and decide what to do with the ship. You can either repair the Morrigan, salvage the ship, or remove your wanted level. The wanted level is determined by how many ships you sink. If you sink enough, a bounty hunter ship will come after you. These are usually about the same level your ship is and are easy to take down. Ships with higher levels than you are, of course, harder to take down. You can also upgrade your ship with loot collected from, well, looting.

Besides bashing up boats, you can also stab some soldiers. The combat is pretty much Black Flag's combat. You can counter hits, shoot people with pistols/a rifle, stab people with swords/daggers/the hidden blades, and so one. One new addition to the weapons however is the air rifle. Despite it being a reskin of the blow dart gun in AC 4, it's pretty cool! You can put guards to sleep or make them go berserk. Later in the game, you get a grenade launcher added onto it, which is fantastic. Guards are also nothing really new. You have your standard soldiers, snipers, swordsmen, and the big brute guys. Basically the same line-up from AC 4 and AC 3. The game isn't really challenging, but then again, most AC games aren't. (Sure, there are more difficult parts here and there, but it's nothing some grinding won't cure)

Since this is an open world game, you can travel to numerous ports, attack forts, and explore. The map is pretty darn large and there are numerous places to explore (including Sleepy Hallow!). The game looks pretty great and ran very smoothly. The graphics aren't next gen like Unity, but they get the job done. The soundtrack is also great, but the main theme is basically Ezio's Family.

Overall, there are those who don't like the fact that this game doesn't do much of anything new with gameplay mechanics, or like that the game is about 10 hours long. Look past this and just enjoy the story and the characters. I definitely recommend this game! Check out the previous ones first, but this one is definitely one of the best AC games we've gotten since Revelations.

Assassin's Creed 3 is the fifth game in the Assassin's Creed series (Even though it has a '3'), a series known for its amazing characters, fun combat, and historic settings. How does AC 3 compare to the rest of the series? Well, let's take a look. The setting for this one is the Revolutionary War in North America. You follow Connor Kenway as he discovers what being in the Assassin Brotherhood is all about and seeks revenge. It's up to Connor to take down the Templar Order sect set up in North America. The story presented in this one is definitely fun, although not the best in the series, it still does a good job. Also, there are a couple of twists thrown in to mix things up (and one of them is amazing!)

Now, let's talk about Connor for a moment. Connor is the WORST character in the entire franchise! He's nothing like Ezio at all! (Only joking). All jokes aside, Connor is different than Ezio, which is good. We don't need an Ezio every single time, and an original character is better than an Ezio clone (*cough* *Arno* *cough*). If you want to like Connor, accept him for who he is and understand where he's coming from, and don't compare him to Ezio. Connor is a little of an acquired taste, but if you pay attention to the story, you'll understand him and appreciate him. I'm not saying that he's the best character, but he's still a good one. He's serious and a stone cold killer, willing to anything short of breaking the creed to get to his goals. 

Without spoiling anything, there is another playable character in the game, Haytham. Haytham is an absolutely amazing character, and an interesting one at that. The short time you spend with him is time well spent. There are plenty of other characters in the game as well, such as Charles Lee, Lafayette, Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and the man himself, General George Washington. Except for a few annoying characters, all of the characters are great, well-written, and well voiced.  

There are definitely some big changes from this game and the ones before. First off, the combat has been changed. You still have countering and stealth kills, but the combat feels different. There are parts where it slows down and provides brutal kills. The slowing down is pretty cool, but sometimes it can get annoying. The style in which Connor fights in is different from what we've seen before. This is best left for you to discover. An Assassin's Creed game wouldn't be the same without its weapons, and there are plenty of new weapons to explore. This is the first AC game with firearms (well, besides the wrist pistol in the Ezio games). There are various flintlock pistols, as well as rifles. They take a solid 3 seconds to reload, so they're not the quickest things, but they're deadly. Other new weapons include rope darts, which allow you to hang enemies, drag them off of rooftops, and pull them close. A bow has been added as well, which allows for a more silent and faster ranged kill. Connor's main melee weapon, a tomahawk, also deals a lot of damage and is probably one of the most brutal weapons in the game. Also included with the game are familiar weapons like swords, spears, and of course, the two iconic hidden blades. 

With these weapons in hand, it's time to kill some noobs. There are a small variety of enemies, including snipers, standard redcoats, grenadiers (who wield axes and, well, grenades), commander-type soldiers, who carry a sword and pistol, and fast-acting knivemen. The AI is fairly standard, but are fun to chop down. Something new that's been added in their code is the ability to line up and shoot at you. This also introduces a new mechanic that allows you to block their bullets by using a human shield. I personally though this was a great idea, and it's great to see it being used in later AC games. Besides that, there's not much new with the enemy AI. Oh, and they still can't swim...

Other new mechanics have been added, such as lock picking. Honestly, lock picking is absolutely terrible, but luckily it only comes up twice in the main campaign. They should've taken a page out of Skyrim's lock picking. A big mechanic that has never been seen before in an AC game until now is naval combat. The naval combat was perfected in Black Flag, but here it needed work. It's decent and fairly enjoyable, but it's definitely been improved. There are a couple of missions in the campaign that utilize this, but it's not used often. You can fire cannons at enemy ships as you sail along the East Coast to get supplies, which can be used to upgrade the ship. The cannons, though, aren't quite as movable as they are in later games. Since there is a good portion of frontier in the map, there aren't many rooftops to run across. In fact, the rooftops in the cities are actually pretty well guarded, as if the game designers don't want you to parkour around. A new tree parkour (Or "Treekour) mechanic has been added. It's pretty great and entertaining and gives us that much needed parkour. Also, rock climbing as been added to the game, for even more climbing action. 

This game is jam-packed with new things, like petting animals! You can also pet wild animals really hard...with blades. Hunting has been throw into the mix to provide you with extra things to do. There's rabbits, wolves (which are hostile), foxes, bears, dear, and more, all waiting for you to kill them. I personally didn't indulge in the hunting (I'm not a hunting person, in real life and in video games), but it definitely adds more entertainment. Once you kill the animal (by either setting traps or killing them with your weapons), you can craft new items with the pelts or sell them for money. Overall, it's a well-made new mechanic and a great edition to the game. 

If you've ever played one of these games, you're familiar with the notoriety system. If you're a newcomer, the notoriety system is just a wanted system. The higher the notoriety, the more aware guards are of you. It's stayed the same throughout the Ezio trilogy so, the creators decided to change it up. Once you have one level of notoriety, when you pass a soldier, they will go after you if you stick around for too long, and it doesn't take much for this to happen. They've made it more likely that you'll be attacked by guards if you even just have one level of it. This can be annoying if all you want to do is complete a mission, or simply get to where you need to go. How do you get rid of this? Well, you can tear down wanted posters to remove 1 level of notoriety, bribe a town crier to remove 2 levels, and bribe a printing press to take away 3 levels. The new ways of removing notoriety definitely spice things up, but the new system of notoriety can get very old very fast. 

Other mechanics include fast traveling (without taking a boat) and tunnels to also fast travel in (this time, you actually get to walk through the tunnels). These two mechanics are handy when you're in a hurry to get to your next mission. 

Since we've discussed new things that have been added, let's talk about things that have been removed. Armor is no longer in the game, which does make sense considering people usually didn't wear armor in the Revolutionary War. Medicine has been taken out of the game, so you have to heal naturally. Nothing else has been taken away, but it takes some getting used to if you've played the other games first. 

If you're familiar with AC, then you know that there's a modern story that connects with the past. Here, we see Desmond Miles and his group once again, trying to stop the Apocalypse. Say what you will about the previous modern day story, this one is actually pretty darn good! There's some fun moments and the story is actually great.

In the end, Assassin's Creed 3 may not be the best AC game, but it's definitely a fun sequel. I definitely recommend checking out the rest of the series first (Especially the Ezio Trilogy!), but this one is one you'll definitely not want to skip out on.

Fan favorite Ezio Auditore is back for another episode in his story! AC: Brotherhood takes place RIGHT after the events of Assassin's Creed 2 (So, if you haven't played AC 2, definitely play that first) and Ezio is in search of the Apple of Eden as he attempts to save Roma from Templar control. This game's story is really good and it's a great followup to AC 2, and the twist at the beginning is great!

Since this is a sequel to AC 2, you'll see a lot of familiar faces as you play through. Each character is great and well-written, including the main antagonist, and none of them ever feel boring. They all feel like they belong in the game. Ezio himself, like always, is fantastic. You get the sense that he's matured a lot through is journeys and you get to continue to see him grow as a character.

The setting as well is great and beautiful. The map is rather large, even if you don't really get to go anywhere else besides Rome. There's even flags and treasure to collect, if you're into that sort of thing. The graphics look even better than AC 2, despite there not being much time in between the two. The colors are vivid and the game runs smoothly.

Now, onto the real reason you want this game (Well, besides for the story and Ezio). The combat system in this game is so far one of the best combat systems we've gotten in an AC game. There's not too much of a difference between AC 2's and Brotherhood's combat system, but it's still fun and satisfying (Not very challenging though saddly).

Obviously, you're going to need weapons to go into combat. You'll find a nice variety of weapons in the black smith shops, from light, sharp, and fast swords, to heavy and powerful ones, to the typically one-hit kill wrist pistol, as well as hammers, maces, and even daggers for those quick kills. Of course, you also get two hidden blades (Eventually ;) ) The weapons are all well designed and feel fantastic when using them. Also, you'll find armor in the smithing shops that will boost your resistance to attacks, as well as add more health points to Ezio.

Since you have all of these weapons, it's time for some slicing and dicing (And we're not talking about carrots here). You'll fight an assortment of different enemies, from heavy armored powerful axe/large sword wielding dudes, to light-on-their-feet daggermen, to the basic hammer/sword dudes, pistol dudes (SO annoying), lancemen, and light armored swordsmen. So, yeah, you probably won't run out of things to stab anytime soon. Some of the enemies can be a little challenging, especially when they group up, but they're not all that difficult (And still can't swim! If they just asked Ezio for swimming lessons, maybe he'd do it). They are, however, fun to kill.

Tired of fighting bad guys alone? Well, this is Assassin's Creed BROTHERHOOD, right? Where's the Brotherhood? Well, guess what...you can now rescue civilians and train them to be assassins! Once you save civilians, you'll be able to put them to good use and train them up. You can call your men/ladies into battle and they'll take out soldiers for you. In fact, if there's not too many soldiers, you don't even have to lift a finger! Once you have enough, you can call in an arrow storm to take out some fools! Awesome! You can also send these guys on missions for you in different areas in Europe/Asia (They'll send you postcards, I'm sure of it!). On missions/contracts, they can gain more levels (max level is level 10) and even get you some much needed cash! Once they've leveled up, you can upgrade their armor or weapon, free of charge. This is a great new mechanic and thankfully made it to Revelations.

If you need more people for your Brotherhood, all you have to do is take out 'Borgia Towers'. These are restricted areas that are controlled by Borgia (Templar) Captains. Take out the captain, destroy the tower, and the area's yours (Along with an extra slot for another assassin in your Brotherhood!).

While fighting, you might take a few hits so, you'll need to heal up. For that, you'll need some medicine (Just pop some pills, you'll be fine!). Where are you going to get this medicine though? The back alleyway? Nope. Uncle Mario's meth lab? Definitely not. You'll find different venues all over Rome that will sell you much needed supplies (including a doctor that will get you that medicine). Most of the stores are closed though so, you have to upgrade them so they're open. Doing this gives you a discount. There's a tailor, who can dye your clothes and give you storage upgrades on throwing knives, medicine, and the heavy weapon upgrade. The doctor, of course, gives you heals, medicine, and poison. There's also an art merchant, because who doesn't love some Italian art?

If you're looking for side quests, this game's got it! There's 'shop quests' that allow you to get the best armor (and I believe the best sword) in the game by completing them. All you have to do is find different needed materials around Rome. There's also Leonardo's Machine levels where you help destroy Leonardo's war machines he's been forced to make for the Templars. These are always fun and are usually action packed! (Do all of these and you'll get a reward ;D) There's also some other side quests scattered around, but I'll let you do the exploring. Also, DO THE CRISTINA MISSIONS!!! (BUT MAKE SURE YOU PLAY AC 2 FIRST!!!). If you're stuck on how to get the Cristina missions, they're based off of total sync. Once you reach a certain level of total sync, they will show up on the map (And a message will pop up).

Overall, AC Brotherhood is one of the best editions to the Assassin's Creed franchise. I HIGHLY recommend getting this game, but like I said before, make sure you play Assassin's Creed 2 first! You won't regret it!

Before superpowers and fighting Satan were a thing comes Saints Row the Third. Saints Row 3 is an open world third person shooter with a whole lot of comedy, epic action sequences, and memorable moments. Without spoiling anything, the story takes place after Saints Row 2 and the Third Street Saints got a movie deal. Now, they try to promote their movie, but things go wrong and they discover a plot to get rid of them, but they're not going down without a fight. Overall, the story is pretty great and a lot of fun. Personally, I played this after Saints Row 4 and Gat Outta Hell, but I definitely like the story in 3 the best.

Character customization is one of my favorite things to do in a game, and Saints Row 3 provides you with a lot to work with in terms of character customization. There's a lot of things to change on your character, from voice to skin tone to whatever else you can imagine. The customization options are easy to understand and the system is probably one of the best character customizations I've experienced (Besides maybe Saints Row 4).

Speaking of which, another thing this game does well is characters. All (well, except for one) of the characters are very memorable, each are unique, and well-written. If you've played the previous games, you'll definitely recognize some familiar faces, but there are plenty of new characters to meet. All of the voice acting is really well done and getting to know these characters is an enjoyable experience.

Now, everybody's favorite subject, weapons and combat. There are a varity of normal and peculiar weapons in this game. You'll find normal weapons like assualt rifles, pistols, smgs, snipers, but then things get weird and crazy. I'll let you discover some of the unique and mayhem-causing weapons for yourself ;) The combat is pretty basic, if you're familiar with third person shooters, you'll do fine. Combat is, however, spiced up with those unusual weapons!

In order to be in combat, you obviously need enemies to fight, right? There's a fair amount of different enemies. You've got your basic dudes who have pistols and smgs, they come in a varity of different flavors (Like the Syndicate or Kill Bane's dudes). You've also got harder soldier guys, who have armor. Shield bearing guys, super speedy Sanic girls, and shotgun punks add some more challenge to combat. In all, the combat is satisfying and a lot of fun, but not anything all that new.

Being that this is an open world game, there are of course cars. Most of the cars/bikes/trucks/tanks handle well and are fun to drive. There are helicopters too that allow for a speedier way to get where you're going. The driving mechanics aren't really anything new, but like I said, still provide fun. The radio stations are pretty great too. In this game, you also get several different HQs where you can upgrade yourself, upgrade the gang, customize cars, and even get cars out of your garage. This feature is fantastic and definitely something I'll miss when I replay Saints Row 4.

In the end, Saints Row the Third is a terrifically fun and hilarious experience. Most of the levels are unique and are very entertaining! If you've only played 4 or just want to get into the series, or just want a fun game, I definitely recommend this game!