Guardians of the Galaxy Volume II Movie Review

Released: 28th April 2017 (UK)

Length: 136 Minutes

Certificate: 12A

Director: James Gunn

Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff and Kurt Russel

Drawing a surprisingly strong following in 2014, the original Guardians of the Galaxy firmly planted some less recognisable characters into the MCU fold. With the sequel, they take another step towards becoming just as well-recognised and enjoyed as their Earth counterparts.

Picking up where the last one left off, Peter Quill/Starlord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket Racoon (Bradley Cooper) and baby Groot (Vin Diesel) are mercenaries for hire, taking out an ugly looking alien as the film opens. Thanks to Rocket’s opportunistic ways, the team ends up angering their gold-painted employers (led by Elizabeth Debicki’s Ayesha) but soon come across Peter Quill’s father Ego (Kurt Russel), an interstellar traveller with more than his fair share of secrets. In turn, the team is also being tracked by Gamora’s sister Nebula (Karen Gillan) and the disgruntled Yonda Udonta (Michael Rooker) who seems to be having a bit of trouble with his band of space pirates. Everything you enjoyed in the first Guardians is here and accounted for but the comedic moments flow a lot better here and when combined with the theme of family, Volume 2 feels a lot more personal than the first. There are still some plot elements which feel rushed or underdeveloped, most notably the Ravagers as an organisation and Starlord’s eventual discovery but the film has a lot more momentum than the original; the team is split for the first half and this allows further chemistry to be created between specific characters. Things eventually intersect in a gravity defying finale that plants our heroes into a pretty impossible situation that I won’t spoil here. You’ll find it to be a tight and focused adventure all-around.

Guardians Vol II does its predecessor proud when it comes to introducing new characters while giving others more to do. Starlord and Rocket still make for some laidback moments and the former’s moments with his father contribute plenty towards the original’s plot threads. Despite this tone, the other characters often get more comedic relief; Drax really gets into it this time around and the conversations he has with newcomer Mantis (played by Canadian actress Pom Klementieff) gets many laughs out of the audience. Baby Groot’s cuteness is matched only by the hilarity involving getting him to follow instructions. Michael Rooker’s Yonda also goes through a fair amount of conflict for this entry, a welcomed upgrade from his performance in the original film. The bond between Gamora and Nebula has a particularly nuanced moment too, further reinforcing the family ties that permeate the film’s narrative. Kurt Russel’s debut in the MCU works out for the best, bringing in that eighties persona he embodied all too well in previous decades. If there’s one character lacking, it’s Sylvester Stallone’s incredibly brief appearance as a Ravager general; perhaps we may see more of him in future films.

Bursting out of the screen in a flurry of vibrant colour with some outstanding special and makeup effects, Vol II boasts the snazzier looking locales of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date with gorgeous looking planets replacing the older, more industrialised planets from before. Ego eventually takes the team to a planet and its look and style have their fair share of symbolism from an egg-shaped ship to dazzling hallways marked by vegetation. Convincing computer effects go a long way towards selling these far-off places and their size but the make-up work could be even more detailed. The look of the Ravagers and the alien races that comprise their forces contrast with the spotless gold of the Sovereign people. The action itself is kept at medium framing most of the time and the special effects never obscure the characters. Tyler Bates tossed in a wicked sense of eighties nostalgia in the original film and he does it again here with another fantastic soundtrack featuring the likes of Cat Stevens, Sam Cooke and Fleetwood Mac. The use of Father and Son in the film’s final act is one highlight, a close accompaniment the film’s central themes. Visually and audibly, Guardians II is a treat to experience; considering how the first film also took this focus and ran with it, this is hardly a surprise.

The Guardian’s second outing is an A+ sequel, deepening the characters and achieving a better balance all-around; by taking its time to connect with the more distant Marvel characters, it’s still able to carve its own place in the cinematic universe, one which can only grow bigger as the franchise rumbles on.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars (Brilliant) 

Post-Play: The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt

For one of the best games ever made, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt contains numerous moments that leave a real mark on the player, solidifying CD Projekt Red as one of the best developers in the industry. It's also one of the few AAA games released that is unanimously enjoyed by almost everyone. It’s become one of my new favourite games over the past few months and for this post-play, I thought I’d combine two pieces into one. Please enjoy my personal take on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s highest peaks and most irksome annoyances.

WARNING: The plot is going to be spoiled like nothing else here so make sure to play the game for yourselves if you haven’t already.

5. Cery’s brains over brawn approach in Skellige

Shortly after arriving in Skellige, the choosing of their new king begins. Who do you choose? Hjalmar may have taken on one of the last giants but Cerys is the smarter of Crach an Craite’s children, carefully thinking and investigating before pushing forwards. The setup to her bid for leadership involves the haunting of a community, something which scares its Jarl night after night. Sure, you can handle things the traditional Witcher’s way, researching preparing and fighting but Cerys has a cunning plan. The way to trick the Hym? Throwing a baby in an oven… yes to mislead the ghost into leaving the Jarl’s settlement, he must believe his child is dead, thus driving the evil spirit away. It’s quite a shocking moment that catches you completely off-guard but once it took place, I was completely convinced that Cerys was the best heir to the Skellige throne. Afterwards, her mental prowess continues as she works with Geralt to determine who unleashed bears into Crach’s feast. I felt a real sense of pride for her as she was crowned the first queen of Skellige, a phenomenal end to Geralt’s extended stay on the islands.

4. The Last Wish

After reconnecting with Yennefer (which may or may not involve a stuffed unicorn), Geralt’s original lover has a request on Skellige, one which turns into one of the more heartfelt character quests in the game. Having read the books, much of the plot throughout makes it clear that Geralt and Yennefer are made to be together, while Triss seems to be fawning over the white haired Witcher a fair bit. With this context in mind, I stuck with the raven-haired sorceress all the way through and it came to a head with The Last Wish, a simple yet lovingly crafted venture that sees Geralt search for another genie in a bottle. In truth, Yen wants to remove Geralt’s wish to see if they still have their romance without being bound by it. Laced with references to the books and topped off with a breath-taking vista atop a mountain, the two find they’re just as in love as they ever were; a very sweet moment all-around. That final shot of Geralt and Yennefer arm-in-arm on top of the mountain really stuck with me long after I finished the quest.

3. Something ends, something begins

Reaching the conclusion of The Witcher 3 took me just over 60 hours, a massive stretch for a truly epic adventure and the ending I received was no exception. After the Wild Hunt is defeated, Ciri saves the world from the White Frost but becomes the Empress of Nilfgaard shortly afterwards. With the entire world (outside of Skellege) under her rule, Ciri will be able to enforce an ever-lasting peace, rooting out injustice wherever she finds it with the strong teachings of Geralt at her back. While she won’t see Geralt and Yennefer nearly as often, it certainly won’t be their last goodbye. It’s the best ending of the bunch in my opinion, even though in the eyes of others it may feel bittersweet; the snow that rests around White Orchard is a peaceful sight to behold while bringing The Witcher 3 full circle. Every major character has their happy ending, it couldn’t have been more final.

2. Geralt finds Ciri

After many game hours of searching, it’s finally time. Sailing into the isle of mists and helping a stranded band of seven dwarves (Snow White anyone?) Geralt’s adoptive daughter is finally found. A single violin hangs over the hut as Geralt enters; he turns Ciri over without response and a wave of heartbreak rushes through him. He cradles her in his arms and just when you think she’s gone, a light enters the room, Ciri’s lifeforce and she awakens, her arms closing around the weary Witcher and the game flashes into a memory. Like the ending of Sapkowski’s second book Sword of Destiny in motion, Geralt and Ciri run into each-other’s arms in a sunny meadow, a beautiful moment that portrays their relationship so vividly that even those just getting into the franchise will be touched by the connection they share. It’s stunning in every way possible; CD Projekt Red crammed in the emotion to breaking point and delivered characters that anyone and everyone will end up caring about, perhaps more than any other role-playing game in recent memory.

1. The Battle of Kaer Morhen

Many moments of The Witcher 3 were brilliant in their own ways but the war between Geralt’s company and the Wild Hunt at the Witcher stronghold is absolutely incredible; I haven’t played a quest this intense since Mass Effect 2’s suicide mission back in 2010; it’s the ultimate battle of the series, bringing together so many characters in an all-out assault on the Witcher’s home. The joyous reunion between Ciri and the members of Kaer Morhen is a lovely start, pushing into the planning stage and finally the siege itself. What makes it such a fantastic sequence is how every character recruited to fight gets their own moment of glory; Yennefer holds the shield up while Geralt, Lambert and Letho take on the Wild Hunt warriors together, Triss bombards them with fire, Zoltan gets a backstab in, Keira tosses the attackers around like rag dolls, Eskel duels with the Wild Hunt’s lieutenant Caranthir and Roche, Ves and the druid Ermion all lay down support. Between the Wild Hunt pouring in through portals, all the characters you recruited helping and the final devastating loss that occurs, signalling the unleashing of Ciri’s power, the Battle for Kaer Morhen has everything; it sent chills down my back the whole way through. By the end, I was almost tearing up as Vesemir’s funeral was held and every character who took part gave their own perspective. It really does deserve to stand alongside the best moments in gaming history.

Five niggling things

1. Inconsistent movement controls

For CD Projekt Red’s first attempt at an open-world game, Wild Hunt generally succeeds at allowing Geralt to traverse it at his own pace but it does have some issues here and there. When Geralt enters a building, he’s put into this walking pose with a close-camera that can make it difficult to select certain items. Diving and surfacing in water is fiddly with Geralt seeming unsure of whether to rise or dive. Fall damage could have also be dialled back as well; while holding the jump button on landing puts Geralt into a parkour roll, he seems incredibly fragile in this regard. I ended up dying far more times to falling than I did with enemies later on in the game. Yet despite these problems, the improvements to combat and open-ended nature of the world do manage to make up for these inconsistencies.

2. Roach’s handling in traversal and combat

Of all the games these days which have horse travel, Roach is the only one I’ve come across that can’t jump over obstacles, resulting in some sluggish moments. Instead of sliding down a hill or jumping a fence, Geralt’s stubborn horse will come to a screeching halt which can really hinder you in races and travelling overall. He’ll also get caught on objects which tends to happen when you’re trying to land critical sword strikes on horseback; not to mention the slow-down effect when fighting being incredibly fiddly. It’s the one area where Witcher 3 lags behind its contemporaries and the problem does occasionally get in the way of exploration.

3. Iorveth, Saskia, Aryan La Vallete and other characters missing in action

This is a problem with many trilogies and The Witcher is no exception; certain characters don’t make it from one game to the next and while Wild Hunt and its expansions hold all kinds of call-backs and references to the books and previous games, there are still some memorable characters which didn’t make the cut. The most glaring of these of Iorveth, the rogue Scoia’tel elf leader who Geralt could choose to side with back in Witcher 2; just like Vernon Roche, he’s a very detailed character, with several memorable moments. Apparently in Witcher 3 him and his band of elves are either hiding out in the forests or killed off-screen in the ensuing war between Redania and Nilfgaard. Considering how major a choice this was in the previous game, this is rather disappointing. Similarly, Saskia the feisty yet powerful woman warrior cursed to be a dragon by Phillipa Eilhart is also absent in Wild Hunt; there could have been a way to work her into a side-quest, perhaps even allowing her to join the Battle of Kaer Morhen. Instead she’s given the spotlight in the Matters of Conscience comic, released alongside the Hearts of Stone expansion. Other lost characters that could have an appearance include the Dryads from the original Witcher game and the Priestesses of Melitele featured in the books. They don’t dampen the game’s story in any major way but if you’re played Witcher 2 like I did, it’s still noticeable.

4. Trouble with loot levelling

With a slower levelling system combined with such a massive world, there will be many points where you find loot in The Witcher 3 far lower level and far less powerful than you need. On the one hand, this can be a benefit as you can sell and break down items you don’t need to form more pricy crafting components and stronger items. On the other hand though, it can feel like padding, particularly with Skellige and its endless supply of smugglers caches floating around the island waters. You can swim for miles but usually once players reach the islands in the latter half of the story, they’re already levelled up enough to outrank most pieces of loot, making some of the exploration later on feel a lot less engaging. The same also applies to the master swordsmith questline which gives Geralt a very underpowered weapon for getting an Novigrad elf named Hattori out of debt with the local gangs. Some more fine-tuning of the loot system would have held the open-world package together a lot more.

5. No giant creatures or deadly hazards in the game world

This last thing also relates back to Witcher 2, specifically the Kayran battle that took place in its first act. The boss was at least five times the size of Geralt, towering over him and lashing with its snaking tentacles. You felt daunted by this grotesque creature in Assassins of Kings and it stands as a missed opportunity that CD Projekt Red didn’t include any similar sea monsters for Witcher 3; imagine while swimming in the depths of Skellige you came across a massive sea monster in its natural habitat and your only choice was to hit its weak spots with the crossbow and swim away. It would add a real danger to underwater exploration and really showcase the deadliness of monsters in the world of the Witcher. You could also do the same to the edges of the map; rather than warping back, instead have an undefeatable monster come crashing out of the woods.

Fast and Furious 8 Movie Review

Released: 12th April 2017 (UK)

Length: 136 Minutes

Certificate: 12A

Director: F. Gary Gray

Starring: Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Tyrese Gibson, Chris Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, Scott Eastwood, Charlize Theron, Kurt Russel and Helen Mirren 

Having reached its peak with Furious 7 in 2015, the franchise continues with what could be the first of a new trilogy. Also known as “The Fate of the Furious”, Fast and Furious number 8 sits somewhere in the middle of the quality spectrum.

Taking place after the departure of Paul Walker’s Bryan O’Connor, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) stumbles across a mysterious woman in Cuba named Cipher (Charlize Theoron); she shows Dom something telling, a revelation that causes him to break off from his original team and work for her instead; with the ability to hack just about any infrastructure on the planet, Cipher’s quest for coercion and supremacy is book-ended by the typical Fast and Furious fare; easy-going character chemistry and action sequences set to full blast. It’s a well-established formula at this point that does show its age in some ways. The first act is rather weak, with a massive jump cut that thrusts the audience right into the first action scene without any kind of build-up. Dom’s turn away from family also moves too quickly for its own good, opting instead to deliver the eventual reveal further on; there’s never a moment for the characters to fully react to the betrayal. It’s also the first of the series to pop in a plot thread for a sequel. Luckily things do pick up through the rest of the film as the action brings some more twists and turns into the mix. It’s certainly darker than other films in the series, aiming to give its antagonist more sinister mannerisms and to this effect it succeeds, lowering the amount of sunny racing ventures for a more technological affair. Fast and Furious 8 has taken a step back or two, resulting in a less memorable plot than before.

The characters are mostly bound to their archetypes, though some bring more detail to bear. For a mostly square-jawed actor, Vin Diesel does take his character a step further here, showcasing some more emotion. The others including Tyrese Gibson, Chris Bridges, Michelle Rodriguez and Nathalie Emmanuel all play off each other without issue; it’s a fairly safe approach. Some of the best camaraderie this time comes from Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and previous antagonist Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) who bounce insults off each-other with such reckless abandon that you can’t help but get into it. The main cast may remain strong but when introducing new characters, 8 falls short. Charlize Theron’s Cipher may have a dangerous power at her fingertips but there isn’t that much else to her as a character. Helen Mirren really doesn’t do anything here either; she shows up for about five minutes to make a link with Jason Statham and then gets off screen, perhaps coming back for the next couple of films they’re bound to put out. New characters aside, the back-and-forth between the team remains on top form.

Like its predecessors, Fast and Furious 8 doesn’t skip a beat when it comes to action which is well handled yet again, mixing up the explosions and pyrotechnics with an increasing scale; there’s nothing as bombastic as crashing a Ferrari through a skyscraper but it has its fair share of moments, some of which have more of a plausibility to them. One of its best sequences involving a horde of self-driving cars is very reminiscent of The Blues Brothers, mashing the vehicles together in an explosive set-piece. At other points it gets completely ridiculous, especially with a jailbreak sequence involving Johnson and Statham in a claustrophobic hand-to-hand fight. When it comes to action, variety is still the franchise’s biggest strength, mixing and matching all sorts of different scenarios. Fast 8 keeps up that trend effortlessly; add to that the continued use of loud, pumping rap songs and you have the same wild ride that has pulled in so many audiences.

The Fast and Furious series rumbles on briskly with number 8, another sound action romp that stumbles in its first act and new characters. After such an extended drive, the series formula is beginning to wear thin at this point, but it still delivers where it counts.

Rating: 3/5 Stars (Fair)

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Game Review

Released: 19th May 2015 (Worldwide)

Developer: CD Projekt Red

Publisher: CD Projekt

Certificate: 18

Formats: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Format Played: PC

Since its beginnings in 2007, The Witcher series has transcended its original literary material to become one of the most beloved role-playing franchises in the gaming industry; it’s been a slow but committed rise for CD Projekt Red as well who have refined their craft with every new release. The trilogy (and indeed the entire series) comes to a close with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, an outstanding and triumphant production on every level.

Following on from 2011’s Assassins of Kings, The Witcher 3 takes place in a time of chaos; what remains of the Northern Kingdoms has thrown itself against the Nilfgardian empire to the south in a bloody war and the witcher Geralt of Rivia (played by Doug Cockle in English) is caught up in the events when two women missing for years return to his life; his original lover Yennefer and their adopted daughter Ciri whose immense power has brought the attention of the Wild Hunt, a spectral group of elven riders bent on domination. Between the war, invading spectres and keeping those close to him safe, Geralt must find Ciri as the end of the world approaches. The story is vast, expansive and filled with deep, memorable characters voiced perfectly by a quality cast while also taking Geralt to several settlements each with their own individual issues that need resolving; the search for Ciri (which often dip into playable flashbacks) is only the tip of the iceberg as every side quest has its own unique story to tell; even the monster hunting quests come with their own unique twists that make you question their motives and the unfortunate humans caught up in their deeds. Sex and violence make many appearances in such a grim and often brutal world, but it’s all handled very maturely, respecting the deep story and characters; at times the story grows incredibly dark, but it also finds time to mix in a fair bit of comedy and some incredibly emotional moments that tug at the heartstrings. Of course, you as a player get to shape this plot and the choices you make can have some dire consequences down the line, extending all the way up to the ending which diverges based on key moments through the main story. Even if you’ve never played a Witcher game or read any of the books before (Though this gives a lot of extra context!), Wild Hunt offers plenty of insight for newcomers; there’s a full character encyclopaedia and the game also allows you to determine choices from the Witcher 2 and bring them into the current save. In addition, the game also shows short vignettes when booting up or reaching key plot points so you’re always up to speed on Geralt’s journey. All told, The Witcher 3 offers a cohesive, absorbing and conclusive tale that should be held as one of the best fantasy narratives in recent memory.

Wild Hunt takes place in a massive open world which while not quite fully interconnected, still bursts with detail, things to do and places to explore; all of it is endlessly intriguing and you’ll be hard-pressed to find another open-world with this level of immersion. It even extends right down to the little touches, with settlements commenting on the results of side quests upon revisits and the shifting of entire cities depending on story progression. Travelling via foot, horseback and later by boat, exploring the five separate regions plots hundreds of points on the map with fast travel points ensuring that traversing it all never slows to a crawl; the question marks you run into could be bandit camps, monster nests, lost treasure caches, places of power (for extra upgrade points) or even full-on side-quests. In one of the game’s more brilliant moments I stumbled across an abandoned village rigged with traps, bumping into an important character and directly initiating a quest from there. Other activities include horse racing and fist fights which come with their own rewards. The only limits placed on you are the high-level creatures that can swipe Geralt down in one or two swipes early on. Quests are divided into four categories; story, secondary, monster contracts and treasure hunts and there isn’t a single weak link between them with each offering plenty of player choice unbound by a morality meter; main quests tell the story with excellent dialogue and appearances from all sorts of fascinating characters, side quests expose you to all kinds of twisted and often heart-wrenching tales and monster hunter quests are often a journey of discovery and discipline. Finding and slaying monsters adds them to the bestiary where you can read up on their weaknesses and plan accordingly while the rewarding treasure hunts can give Geralt some of the strongest equipment in the game; these lead into the extensive crafting system which includes potion brewing with ingredients and full-on armour and weapon sets built by blacksmiths. Some of the best moments in the game are character quests reminiscent of the loyalty missions in Mass Effect 2, contributing massive developments to specific arcs throughout the game. With such a massive world to explore, it can become overwhelming but a detailed journal is always on hand to keep track of every activity. Incredibly, none of it ever feels repetitive either as the game sees fit to switch up the tasks depending on location and characters. The final cherry on top is Gwent, a simple yet powerfully addicting card mini-game that’s set to receive its own standalone title in the future; it takes a little while to get into as your deck starts off weak but it’s hard not to get hooked further down the line, especially when the bigger tournaments pop up. CD Projekt Red’s magnum opus is gargantuan in its scale; it will take at least 60 hours or more to finish every quest and that number can be tripled if you plan to explore everything alongside the two meaty expansions that followed its release.

With some gaps in gameplay throughout the series, the final act of the trilogy presents The Witcher series at its most refined and polished. Some issues do persist with finicky movement and controlling horses can feel stiff but otherwise it’s a fluid ride all the way through. The user interface is incredibly well organised with quick access keys leading to all the essentials and other shortcuts such as a quick tap of the x key to call Geralt’s horse do well at streamlining things. Geralt himself is far more versatile here, clambering up ledges, diving beneath the waves and sliding down hills in a very organic fashion, opening the game world up for full exploration. When it comes to the combat itself, gameplay is easily the most precise and tactical of the entire series. Geralt is locked into a combat stance, protecting his back by pointing towards the enemy; if you've played the more free-wheeling combat of Witcher 2, this can also take time to get into. Swapping between steel swords for humans and silver swords for monsters, you’ll block, parry, dodge, tumble and use potions and bombs to come out on top and as you go through the game Geralt will acquire further upgrades depending on which upgrade trees you specialise in. A fully upgraded igni sign allows for a stream of flames for example. Levelling up feels considerably slower than other RPGs but it also affords you more choice in abilities; specializing in combat allows for deadlier sword strikes while upping alchemy will increase Geralt’s tolerance to potion toxicity. In addition, mutagens (which are also craftable) can be paired up with specific abilities, granting even more health points, magic intensity or sword damage. What makes it all continuously enjoyable even after 50 hours of play is the vast array of enemy behaviours. Human enemies wield different weapons and monsters react differently with hundreds of unique animations; it’s a challenge in itself to identify behaviours and adapt accordingly. Combined with the levelling system, which brings more powerful loot as the game goes on, The Witcher 3 delivers the most rewarding gameplay in the series aside a few hiccups but none of them are enough to dampen the experience overall.

Rising above its slightly controversial graphical downgrade, Wild Hunt looks breath-taking, even when running on less powerful hardware. The weather effects look absolutely gorgeous and the same holds true of the environments which are often deceivingly beautiful, given the dangers they conceal; lush green forests, snow topped mountains and bustling towns, the environmental variety here trumps everything seen in previous iterations. Scaling tall mountains and hills gives way to some breath-taking vistas; often I would pause, taking screenshots of the vast landscapes. The music is even better with relaxing travel pieces seamlessly accompanying the environments and immersing the player in the adventure. Combat pieces feature an antagonistic blend of Celtic cries and string instruments, heightening the intensity of battle. Being able to navigate a region without any load times is very impressive but one of the biggest improvements to the presentation is the facial animations; far from the blank looking faces of games past, every character emotes in a convincing way, further contributing to the believability of the game’s story and characters. Excellent voice acting makes every line hit home and the character designs, be they human or monster, are all exceptionally detailed and well animated. The game runs well too, with the only dips in framerate coming from the busier settlements in the game. Wild Hunt moves past the goal of pushing current hardware to the limits, instead allowing its meticulously crafted art design to carry the personality and tone.

All in all, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is simply an incredible game. The rich story and characters, the challenging and accurate combat and the beautiful yet unforgiving world, it all sits at the apex of open world design, pulling together in one of the best role-playing games of all time. For a less well-known developer on a drastically reduced budget, that’s a truly staggering achievement.

Rating: 10/10 (Exceptional)

Controversy Clocking Episode 9: The entrance of the shoot-n-loot sub-genre

The current console generation has played things relatively safe with shooters continuing to push the biggest sales. In amongst the heavyweight military shooters that shift big sales every year, another sub-genre has formed, that of the loot-based shooter; in recent years it has become an amalgamation of the worst trends in gaming, some of which I have previously mentioned on this blog. It’s a formula that has manipulated consumers into paying for a poor value product and parts of the industry are beginning to gravitate towards it, putting out their own imitations in pursuit of profits.

In 2014, Bungie and Activision’s Destiny was released; as the most anticipated game of that year, it stood as the most successful new IP, later coming in as the third bestselling game in the United States. Of course, success breeds competition and other companies have gravitated towards the sub-genre of shoot-n-loot and its specific formula; a quasi-MMO set in an “open world” strung together with repetitive grindy gameplay towards the goal of unlocking the best loot which is often randomly determined. The precursor to this sub-genre was Gearbox’s Borderlands, beginning in 2009; it was released at a time when ways of nickling and diming the player weren’t viewed as top priorities and as a result, the series drew a strong following for its wacky personality and rewarding loot-based gameplay. There weren’t any obstacles preventing the game from latching onto the player and pulling them into the action.

Nowadays with profits being the primary focus, companies feel they can make a fairly bog standard shoot-n-loot game while putting in less effort; instead they hype up the game at events and press releases, overpromising and underdelivering in the process. The narratives in these games have become bland and uninteresting, the game worlds almost completely devoid of anything interesting to do and the focus on multiplayer often goes towards uninspired, repetitive mission design that has players taking on the same mobs of enemies repeatedly, only with increasing health bars that take longer to chip off. This sub-genre incorporates some of the most egregious business practices in the industry; a frustrating loot system that emulates gambling, a detailed road-map of pre-order bonuses and future paid DLC and microtransactions that bait players into paying real money when they grow tired of the endless grind, something entirely based on numbers and statistics, rather than player skill. Whenever a player completes a mission in a game such as Destiny or The Division, the rewards given are often entirely luck-based and the frustration of getting a lacklustre item compels them to continue the grind. While player counts do slope off over time for this sub-genre, they nevertheless have a real knack for duping people into paying full price on launch, practically guaranteeing strong early sales.

The most disappointing aspect of these lazy products is that they often top the sales charts as gamers blindly follow the hype and put down their money, only to be met with a product that becomes dull and monotonous after the first five to ten hours. The recently released Ghost Recon: Wildlands has become the highest-selling game of 2017 so far, beating out the likes of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Horizon Zero Dawn. Both Wildlands and 2016’s The Division are essentially carbon copies of Destiny’s formula with Ubisoft’s stamp placed on them. They’re competently designed but woefully hollow in their execution; as long as the gaming community continues to support these lazily produced titles, there’s a chance that other companies may want in on the easy cash-grabbing tactics. This in turn will result in less innovation, fewer risks and the chance of future AAA titles blending together.