Why you should play… This War of Mine: The Little Ones

A grim, realistic portrayal of the potential ramifications of war on ordinary civilians, ‘This War of Mine: The Little Onesc’ is an experience seemingly designed and dedicated to the mature gamer.

Mechanically, it is a side scrolling survival game. You are tasked with scavenging resources to help keep your inherited family fed, comfortable and mentally stable, in the fictional war ravaged country of Graznavia, Pogoren. The survival mechanics are fine, but they are not the main attraction of this game.

A simplistic, grayscale art style supplements the narratives’ emphasis that war isn’t the bombastic, action filled experience that modern gaming portrays it to be. In fact, war leads to a people and city bereft of colour. Civilians struggle to survive in sniper filled streets and shelled, decrepit buildings. The gray theme also carries over to the interesting moral questions the game asks the player to ponder and process.

For example, during one of the nightly journeys to forage for materials and food, I decide to sneak into an elderly couples home, (luckily for them, the bombs have left their home unscathed). My interest piqued, I initially search piles of rubble in the couple’s garden, which prove fruitless. I then had a decision to make. Either I skulk away empty handed, thus wasting a nights scavenge, or I walk into the elderly couples home and see what happens. I shamefully begin to pillage the couple’s belongings, stealing the majority of their food stocks. “It’s them or us” I thought, but then they spotted me. The old man pleaded with me not to steal their supplies and to just leave them alone. Unabated, I continued to steal their belongings, trying to ignore the twinge of guilt in the pit of my stomach.

When I return home with the hoard, the on screen character reflected my feelings. Will that couple now die because of my greed? Was there another way?

Of course, these scenarios are designed to make you realise that in war, there is no clear cut, good or evil, black or white. All decisions you make are a shade of gray.

Mister Herbish Presents: Top 5 Games of 2015

 

Right people. Let me preface this list by telling you that 2015 has been one hell of a busy year professionally. I’m currently working full time in secondary education AND attending University. The result? Less time to lose myself in video games. Boo! But, at least I’ll be a classroom teacher some time in 2016. Yay!?

Secondly, I’m a huge PlayStation fan and I own a PlayStation 4 and Vita at the moment, so if any PC fans chastise me for missing some super PC games, I apologise in advance.

Enough belly aching…

(List in decending order)

This game pleased and frustrated in equal measure. I don’t think there was a better feeling in gaming this year, than timing your double jump flip JUST right, to score a last second goal to give your team victory. Watching miniature rocket powered cars fly across the arena, claxons blaring, whilst you celebrate your victory by screaming ‘get in you beauty’ down the mic is immensely satisfying. Probably not for your opponent mind you… The frustration comes when that very scenario happens to you, instead of your bumbling opponents.

If you love football (the game you play with your feet, not your hands), you will adore this strange mesh of micro machines and the beautiful game. There aren’t many game modes to choose from, but when the gameplay is so insanely fun, the basic premise keeps you coming back for game after breathtakingly furious game. The fact that this was FREE if you were a PlayStation Plus subscriber sweetens this already scrumptious cake.

As a huge motorsport fan, I’m always on the hunt for the next great racing game to plough some time into. ‘Some’ time clocks in at a hefty 103 hours in this instance. It’s the most polished sim racer since the release of Gran Turismo 4 ten years previous, with vehicles meticulously crafted to match both the interior and exterior look of the real life counter parts. The licence is impressive, with a plethora of manufacturers represented; such as BMW, McLaren and current Formula One constructors’ champion, Mercedes.

Engines sing with all the gumption of a Tenor and your trusty race engineer adds another layer of authenticity. Perhaps the most influential layer of a racing game is the handling and this game is triumphant in this department; it is the epitome of superb car control, with a multitude of options to tinker with to suit your driving style. Fancy yourself the next Lewis Hamilton? Throw off all the driving aids to test your skills. More akin to driving like your nan? ABS and traction control can be tuned, to help you feel at one with your chosen mechanical beast.

Graphics, sound and handling. The three key components to get a racing SIM revving. Project Cars is thoroughly recommended, if you’re a racing enthusiast or not and fully deserves its top 5 placing.

This was my choice for game of the year until September. Gothic, creepy and tense, Bloodborne was as much a horror title as an action RPG. The grotesque inhabitants of Yarnham provide a stern challenge to even the most experienced hard-core gamer, proving a good gauge of your reflexes and ingenuity. There wasn’t a huge selection of toys to choose from to hack your enemies to death; however each weapon has two very unique functions, which added depth and tactical options to the combat. Throw in a gun, perhaps even a shield and you could adopt your equipment to match your play style.

I managed to battle through to the bitter end of Bloodborne’s excellent, albeit hidden narrative. You definitely had to work hard to piece together the story, but that’s what I loved most about this masterpiece. It makes you think about everything. What equipment to use, how aggressive to be, which bosses to fight. A game for the thinking man. Heaven.

Metal Gear Solid 5 is the culmination of all of Hideo Kojima’s gameplay ideas throughout the series. He somehow managed to pull off providing players with a multitude of gadgets, guns and companions and provide two vast maps for gamers to explore, and yet keep the core values which make a Metal Gear title. Stealth is still very much the ideal method to complete the majority of missions, but you’re not punished for ‘going Rambo’ and blowing up everything with a RPG.

Enemies were intelligent, changing tactics mid-way through fire fights to keep you thinking and enemy bases prepared for your attacks, by wearing helmets if your preferred method of neutralizing foes was a headshot for example.

Some will argue that the story was lacking, but I disagree. Sure, it’s not as cinematic as previous entries, but the cut scenes you do receive are supplemented by numerous audio logs, which could be listened to at your leisure. It’s a crying shame that we didn’t get the ending this game seemed to be building to (Google MGSV secret ending if you want to see the true ending) but I’m one of the few that enjoyed the final twist and the consequences it had on the whole series.

The base building mechanic added enjoyment for the micro manager in me and the online play is solid, even if it doesn’t reinvent the wheel. All of these components came together to provide a stunning game and one fitting of Kojima’s last Metal Gear.

Bethesda announced the hotly anticipated sequel to Fallout 3 and New Vegas only a few months before its release, but in that short time, the amount of hype generated was off the charts, so much so that I was trepidatious when I popped the disc into my PS4. I needn’t have been concerned.

Fallout 4 put simply is; perfection. I’ve poured 100+ hours into this game and I foresee is stealing another 100 from my life. Sure, the main quest line is compelling, full of set pieces that punctuate the game and make you think ‘that was awesome’ and the developers have once again created a rich, detailed and intriguing world, but it’s always the side quests that offer the juiciest narrative and quirkiest characters, which was true with Fallout 4. The Silver Shroud quest was a personal highlight.

The gunplay was honed and refined, following the template laid out by New Vegas and the VATS combat system offered an alternative for those who want to cling on to the roots of the series. Fallout has never been known for its graphical prowess and this theme continues in the latest entry, but there were still moments when I looked across the wasteland and saw a strange beauty from the nuclear wasteland.

The crowning achievement in Fallout 4 was the settlement building. It is a little fiddly when you first start to craft your settlements of down trodden waste landers and the game does a poor job of explaining how to shape buildings, but when you grasp the basics, the results can be amazing. I have 10 settlements in total, all with unique layouts and selling points. One has a barbeque area for example, with a fully stocked pool table, whereas another settlement has a 50ft tower of death, filled with 20 missile turrets and 4 large power generators, to keep raiders at bay.

I understand that some can’t look past the bugs and quirks of the game (I’ve yet to experience any game breaking bugs, but they are most definitely out there), however I simply can’t deny this game the top spot on the list. It is truly a marvel of current gaming and is a pinnacle that may not be topped until a certain Mr Drake comes calling in April.

What do you guys think? Let me know in the comments below.

Honourable mentions

Superbly funny, episodic, narrative driven adventure from Telltale.

Another narrative driven game, but one I became fully invested in. Sad, poignant story, with a nice twist. Problems with bugs.

Some excellent examples of episodic narratives this year. Story sagged slightly in the middle, but still an impressive and pretty experience.

Probably the game closest to pushing Rocket League out of the top 5: excellent open world, intriguing characters and amazing visuals make this a strong game for RPG fans.

@MisterHerbish – @GrumpyGamers – /GrumpyGamers – r/GrumpyGamers