Alright, I played a bunch of games over the summer and I figured if I don't at least talk about some of them before the fall rush, I'll never talk about them. So without further adieu, here's part two of my not-so consistent blog where I talk about the games I play

(Like last time, if you have any tips or criticisms towards the set-up of the blog I am all ears)

Wolfenstein: The New Order

I'm guessing this game will appear in quite a few people's "Biggest Surprise" category this year. I was definitely not expecting what I got with Wolfenstein: The New Order. And what a nice surprise. For a game that I wasn't very enthusiastic about all the way up to release, it's perhaps my favourite FPS to come out this year so far. While it does seem like we're slowly moving away from the FPS games of yesteryear that would funnel you down tight corridors, I do feel there's a right way to give a sense of freedom in a FPS and Wolfenstein is one of the games that achieves that for the most part. It gives you a bunch of toys to play with, and various approaches to most situations. I had a bunch of fun just experimenting with everything available to me. Though it is a little disappointing that you can't go fully stealth (as that was my preference), but I can forgive that because it was in service to the story. Yeah, the story, in a Wolfenstein game. And I think it's a pretty good story, too. The characters were all pretty interesting, and I really like what they did with the character of B.J. Blazkowicz. It did seem to jump from different moods a little abruptly, but I did enjoy all the stylish quirks they used in the cutscenes. The presentation all around was pretty impressive. The menus were slick and the 60 FPS on the console (PS4) looked real nice. Overall, I had a great time with Wolfestein, and it's probably going to get a mention in my game of the year stuff come December.

Favourite Part:

Mass Effect 3

I had already played through Mass Effect 3 back when it released in 2012, but I had never gotten around to play any of the dlc released after launch, including the Extended Cut. So after dipping my feet back into Mass Effect 3 years later, with all the dlc, my feelings on the game are equally as different as they are the same. I think as a whole package, Mass Effect 3 really benefits from some of the dlc. Leviathan is probably the most interesting dlc they have done, and Citadel is possibly the funniest Mass Effect has ever been. The Extended Cut fixes some of the smaller issues I had with the original ending, but for the most part it's the same ending. Overall, this is the best Mass Effect 3 has ever been. Still, even when Mass Effect 3 first released, I had a lot of fun with it despite its flaws. And for as much as I enjoyed the dlc, I still feel the same about the game today. I think it's a pretty good game with some poor design choices scattered throughout.

Favourite Part:

Speaking to the dlc specifically, my favourite part was all the banter in the Citadel dlc. Despite the strange context, it was really nice seeing all the characters unwind for a little while. It felt good to get a one-on-one with most of the characters I'd come to care about throughout the series. And Shepard himself proved to be pretty funny, which I did not expect. The twist in Citadel is something I think all fans of Mass Effect should see.

The Wolf Among Us

I had technically finished this game prior to my last blog, but I felt I had to sit on my feelings a little before forming a final opinion. And that opinion is that I really loved The Wolf Among Us. I recall being very impressed with the first episode and mentioning at the end of 2013 that this game could be a contender for my game of the year if it kept up the quality. And for the most part, I think it did. There was occasional dips in the excitement and I can see why certain twists might have left people disappointed, but having read some of the Fables comic before episode 2 was released, I think it really helped my enjoyment of the game. I love the art direction of both the game and the comics, so seeing characters I recognized in the comic appear in the game was very cool. The music, consistent with the first episode, was superb. Combined with the aesthetic, it done a great job of establishing that iconic, neo-noir atmosphere with a twist. I also had a blast trying to piece together the mystery from episode to episode. But ultimately, the main reason I really liked The Wolf Among Us (and its comic counterpart) was the absurd premise and how well they execute on it. Growing up on your standard superhero comics, it was a breath of fresh air to play a game that was based on a more unique series of comics.

Favourite Part:

Bigby Wolf. As much as I liked the character of Lee in the Walking Dead, I always found the "asshole" option to that character to be rather redundant. It didn't really change who that character was. But with Bigby Wolf, I felt in control. I could be the cop with a heart of gold, the brutal detective who believes the ends justify the means, or a sarcastic prick that was somewhere in between. This, and the long waits between episodes, lead me to playing through the first few episodes several of times just to see how different Bigby could be. And I came out impressed with how much I could affect that character. He's definitely going to be in the running for one of my favourite characters this year.

I Played Some Other Games, too

I don't have as much to say about the following games, but I thought I might as well give them a brief mention.

The Walking Dead: Season 2 - Not as good as the first season, but still a worthy sequel.

Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark - Not terrible, but quite disappointing compared to previous games in the series.

Dark Souls 2: DLC (1 & 2) - Enjoyed the first two dlc additions. Hoping the last one is equally as impressive.

Trials Fusion - My first foray into Trials games. I loved the first half, but the second half is super difficult!