Picked up Metro Redux for PS4

So another HD remaster of a past game (for this example two games), but is it worth the $50 price tag? That has been the main question for those who already have played these titles. As for myself, having not played Metro: 2033 and only just starting Metro: Last Light on PS3, this will be a new experience. 4A games has done a graphical revamp of both Metro games so they run at 1080p 60fps on Playstation 4 and are said to hold their own visually against any modern shooter available today.



I have only scratched the surface of the game, but already I am highly impressed with the graphics, solid controls (once adjusted), and game play of 2033 Redux. You are given the option to choose different levels of difficulty and play style, and even though I chose the non-hardcore spartan route, the game is still difficult and I have died a few times. Combined with a constant feeling of fear brought on by the dark eerie environment and music, the difficulty helps with the games immersion into a dark world the original author of Metro 2033 likely intended.





There are moments when you can see old textures and can tell you are playing a remastered game (somewhat noticeable in the next two screenshots), but it really doesn't take away much.





Most of the graphics are well done with the smooth 60FPS game play that blows you away with deep environments, detailed character models, and sophisticated lighting seen bellow.





Hopefully the game holds my attention and will be money well spent. If the beginning is any indication of how both full games are, then that should not be a problem. If you are interested, head over to a Best Buy (or go online) as they will include a $10 gift card free with the purchase of Metro Redux. That brings the cost from $50 down to $40, assuming you make good use of the gift card. Best Buy is also holding a 50% bonus for game trade ins so if you have any games laying around you don't play it maybe a good time to take advantage. These deals end in a few days on 08/30/2014.



If I finish each of the Metro Redux games I will give them a proper review, but this could be awhile. I am currently in the middle of inFAMOUS: Second Son and the hugely anticipated title Destiny is just around the corner. So many games, so little time....

Formula 1 - Summer break is over with an interesting result at the Belgian Grand Prix

#454073842 / gettyimages.com

Well if you didn't see it.. the race for Mercedes was, in a way, predicted by Niki Lauda. Before the race he was interviewed and mentioned something to the tone that he was worried about their two drivers (Nico Rosberg & Lewis Hamilton) taking each other out. And guess what? They came together on the second lap while running 1st and 2nd with already a few car lengths between them and 3rd place. Nico tried to pass Lewis and did not back off, Lewis followed his line and his rear tire was clipped by Nico's front wing leaving Lewis's tire punctured and Nico's front wing was damaged. Mercedes has come out saying they blame Nico for the incident, fairly, as he should be more careful when battling for the lead with his teammate so early in the race. If it were another team's car it would have been called a 50/50 racing incident as Lewis was also partly to blame not leaving any room. The end result was a retirement for Lewis.

Since I am not rooting for them I could not help myself and just laughed and began to wonder who would capitalize on this Mercedes mistake. Hopes began raising that Valtteri Bottas of Williams would get them their first victory in many years.. but not surprisingly, the win went to the new super star of F1 Daniel Ricciardo. This kid has shown that Sebastian Vettel how it is done pretty much all season long with his 3rd win of the season. Nico was hot on his tail trailing him by only a few seconds in his Mercedes when the crossed the finish line. Nico was much faster but, after losing so much time getting his front wing replaced after the tangle with Lewis, there just was not enough time.

In the end it was a great race to watch with Bottas once again getting Williams on the podium in 3rd earning them much needed constructors points. Hopefully the rest of the season will continue to be this exciting... and just maybe Williams will get a win.

Picked up inFAMOUS: Second Son

Recently got myself a used copy of the popular Playstation 4 game inFAMOUS: Second Son and so far the game is a blast (get it?). A used copy of this game works fine as there is no online pass or any other benefit for buying it new that I know of. So thanks to Walmart for selling used games now and supplying me a copy for only $32.



With such great graphics, it has sparked my interest in the screenshot & video share function available on the PS4. The screenshot above was taken and uploaded with the press of a button while playing. Too bad they only allow direct upload sharing to Facebook and Twitter as I would like to directly upload to google+.



Having already played inFAMOUS 1 & 2 on PS3, getting used to the controls took no time at all and the powers already obtained in just a short period of time are pretty amazing.

Will collect screenshots and video and write up a proper review once I have completed my first play through.. if you played an inFAMOUS game before you know it is best played twice, once with evil karma and once with good karma. I started with evil so my review will be based on that.... now back to the cubicle....

The Serious Prep Work for a 24 Hour of LeMons Race

So with one of the main aspects of Lemons racing being the goofy themes, I have about a month to design and create a costume that contains a large stuffed head. Don't worry, it has nothing to do with a phallic object, or should I say, Sadly it has nothing to do with a phallic object... Either way, there will be many hours of arts and crafts put in due to my character choice for the team's theme, but I won't give away any details about it yet.

I will however display just a few examples of greatness derived from blood, sweat, tears, and more importantly inner child, that I can only hope to come close to achieving.


Photo - Judge Phil (AKA Murilee Martin)


Photo - Judge Phil (AKA Murilee Martin)


Photo - Judge Phil (AKA Murilee Martin)


Photo - David Moore

Is the LeMons racing culture crazy? Maybe.. well yes, but it is sure damn fun! Going to need to start making some runs to the craft store and dig deep for greatness...

Killzone: Shadow Fall - A quick and dirty review.

I recently picked up Killzone: Shadow Fall which is a First Person Shooter (FPS) for the Playstation 4. The story continues a few decades after Killzone 3 with the ISA (Humans) allowing the Helghast (Human descendant alien types) to live on their planet now that theirs is no longer habitable. This leads to a cold war and you follow the two main characters of the opposing races as they face escalation and possible annihilation. The campaign is roughly 10 hours long (for me anyways) on the normal difficulty, and never drags or becomes frustrating. A more avid FPS fan should play it on hard to get the most from it but I am not that dedicated and lean a bit casual with FPS games so normal gave me the right amount of challenge.

Basics - you shoot and kill humanoids, blow stuff up, and try not to die. The feature that make this game a little bit different is the addition of a multi use flying drone which shoots, shocks/stuns, hacks, provides a mobile zip-line, creates temporary cover, and can revive you. A nice element that adds a little more depth to the already crowded FPS genre.

I did not buy any of the extra content, but have and continue to still play a bit of the multiplayer which is also fun and adds value to the purchase. There are plenty of different modes and enough character customization to please almost all multiplayer shooter fans.

This game has been out for about 9 months.. so yeah this review is a bit late but is is still a good buy. You can find it well under the release price of $59.99. Lucky for me a friend told me when Best Buy had dropped the price to $20 new which was a no-brainer purchase for my first PS4 game.

Killzone: Shadow Fall is a great looking, well designed, and most importantly a fun to play first person shooter for PS4. So if you have not played it yet trade in some games, sell some blood, or do whatever it is you do to raise video game and beer money.. then buy it, grab some of your favorite beer (or cheap beer), and enjoy.