It has taken six months to get to the finale of TellTale Game’s The Walking Dead: A New Frontier. The trudge to get through this third full season of the series has been rather painful for me and unsurprising, Telltale’s focus has already shifted to the second episode of Guardians of the Galaxy, releasing just one week following this final episode. That said, a lot has been put into marketing this final episode as a big finish for players, one tailored to deliver the best finale in the series to date. But in reality, it only served to cement just how tired this series has become.

*Spoiler Warning: Choices made in previous episodes will be talked about*

Episode five takes us back to the big finish of episode four, where following the final betrayal by Joan saw Kate come crashing through the city of Richmond only to crash into one of the city walls, causing a breach which allowed the horde of Walkers to start pouring through setting up the final battle of sorts for this entry to the series. It is a story device that will ultimately offer the player a choice between two possible endings depending on what the player picks but I will come back to how that plays out a little further on.

Family is really the main theme of A New Frontier. Fighting to protect it, trying to keep it together no matter what and ultimately, what a person may have to sacrifice to keep that family protected. It is a theme that is laid on very heavily in this finale, the opening flashback to Javier and David playing dominoes with their father just before they discover he has Cancer but is refusing to take the treatment for it lays the foundation for the animosity between the brothers we see in this series. The game in a not so subtle manner, tries to encourage the player to side more with David, to reform the brotherly bond which by the finale has completely gone. As a fan of Telltale games, I prefer it when relationship choices are my own, based upon the story and how I feel towards them. I really do not like it when the story tries to influence or directly tell me how I should make my choices in order to trigger a particular outcome in the episode.

As with previous series finale episodes, it offers plenty of opportunities for the player to reflect back on previous choices made along the way, and the dialogue for this episode for me failed to do it well. Instead we see interactions between characters, reacting to events and player choices suddenly change their view mid dialogue. Eleanor who in my playthrough is now the only remaining survivor from Prescott, is angry with Javier for the death of Tripp yet after several minutes of Javier apologizing and trying to explain what happened, suddenly thanks Javier for his forgiveness. David, depending on how you respond to him in dialogue following the earlier flashback scene, will go from having a tender moment with Javier where he explains he is a soldier first and foremost, to explain why he is pretty much a rubbish husband to Kate and father to Gabe, then goes full on douche in order to set up the player choice moment to decide which outcome you will play for in the story. It just all feels so contrived and forced that it lacks any of the emotional response it wanted from me and as in previous episodes, falls flat.

So when it does finally come to making the decision to choose the ending, it was kind of a no brainer. Honestly the way, in which the narrative leading into this finale has drilled in that no matter what choices I made that there would always be a consequence, just made me pick the one I thought would get it over with the quickest but also an honest attempt to give Javier a sort of happy ending, if you can ever have one in a Walking Dead Series finale. Kate wants to fix Richmond City to make up for causing the breach leading to the final choice of helping her or choosing to leave the city to the Walkers and go find David and Gabe, who took it upon themselves to just go off on their own. Depending on which choice you made, you will quickly see the consequence of that, which in my case was discovering what happened to David and Gabe after helping Kate fix the breach. The pace of the episode is so fast that it hinders the impact of the consequence, leaving it only to be a truly uninspired bit of dialogue following one of the most lackluster QTE moments in a Telltale game I have played yet. The big moments, so hyped up by marketing leading into this finale were disappointing, undone by poor dialogue scenes and terribly executed moments that are just swept passed in order to get to the final moments of the story.

Those final moments, well all they really seem to do and something I had suspected ever since Clementine was introduced as a strange side character early on in this game , is set up the more than obvious continuation of Clem’s adventures in a new game. Her use throughout A New Frontier for me was completely wasted, showing up just to remind fans that she was still alive and using short flashback scenes to explain what happened to her after TWD Season 2 and to justify her presence in A New Frontier. Having a new lead character in Javier was a way to refresh the series by having a different viewpoint from brand new characters but sadly the now tired standard formula for The Walking Dead of ‘good guy survivors struggle to get by who then encounter a bad guy set of survivors leading to character deaths, betrayal and a final fight to survive’, completely nullified. Michonne, the mini series from last year, also suffered from this tired gameplay setup and A New Frontier simply flows into the same standard running order of events.

By trying to be too complex and clever, A New Frontier only ends up becoming a mediocre experience for a Telltale Game. Players of this series will now know the layout far too well for anything to really be a surprise anymore. Now with the prospect of yet another game with Clementine returning as the lead hero, I can only hope that Telltale are looking to bring this universe to an end because for me, it really has become a Walker of its own making and needs to be put to rest. With Telltale moving into doing comic book games with DC and MARVEL now, it has the potential of telling new stories that are engaging. I simply feel that The Walking Dead has now been overused, every device they have tried to use to refresh it has failed. Episodes are too short and lack any real epic moments now with characters who change their relationship position regardless of player choice and as with this finale, when the game is so obvious in trying to push the player to make a particular choice, the freedom of player choice becomes an illusion and ends up just being frustrating.

The Walking Dead: A New Frontier is a collection of old ideas and gameplay mechanics getting reused just one time too many. It failed to refresh the series for me and is showing its age terribly now. I would like to see it put to bed finally, with the final moments of watching Clementine go off yet again on her own personal crusade, we might just get the final chapter to this universe, and that would actually give fans something to really get emotionally connected to if handled the right way.

The only way I can describe my experience with RiME this past weekend since its release is to simply say this. That this game is captivating, immersive and unforgettable in every single minute and moment I played of it. To say that RiME was an experience that took every aspect of what I enjoy most about gaming and took it to a whole new level of appreciation is really only scratching the surface of just how much this game has impacted on the way I view video games as an art form and as entertainment. RiME ended up being so very much more than I had expected and hoped for, quickly becoming the biggest and most welcome surprise of 2017 so far.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrQINQ-Jxmo

Sometimes, just getting the simplest of things right in a video game can create something truly special. When combining so many different elements with the single goal of creating an experience for players that is as satisfying as it is moving and sustaining that level from the moment the game starts to the very end of the credits is not an easy thing, which for the most parts, seldom few games manage to achieve. But when a game does successfully tick all these boxes and does so in a way that is refreshing and genuinely one of a kind, you know that you have something precious before you. RiME manages to do so many things right and in such a way that not a single moment or minute in the gameplay is wasted.

At its core, RiME is about exploring and solving puzzles. The story opens with a young boy waking up after being washed up on the beach of a mysterious island with no recollection of how he got there or where he is. It is in these first moments that RiME immediately envelops the player, wrapping it up in one of the most beautifully crafted musical scores I have experienced in gaming. The soft melody is then joined by the sounds of the waves washing up on the shore as sea gulls squawk and fly around you. Taking a moment to spin the camera around and you are presented with the visual spectacle of the ruins of an old tower structure just in the distance, rising out of the sea and rocky hills around the beach. Taking my first steps, the sound of the boys feet walking in the sand blends into the change of the music that follows you, growing bigger with each step you take moving into this island that lies before you. In just a few minutes I can already tell that this game is going to be something truly different to play.

My first instinct was to simply explore this island, showcasing perhaps the strongest element in RiME, freedom. There is no dialogue or text to read in RiME, nor does the game throw inane tutorials at the player to teach them how to move and interact with the world. Instead RiME gives the player freedom to just be in its world, allowing a fluid and natural way for the player to learn how the game works. Other than an onscreen prompt to press a button to interact with an object, RiME completely leaves everything to the player to learn just by playing. The joy of such simplicity creates a truly immersive experience right from the very start. In these early moments of freedom to test out what you can and cant do in the world, RiME directs the player’s focus and attention right where it needs to be and by doing so in such an effortless manner, the immersion into the world is instantly gratifying.

Visually this game, just as the musical score and audio effects are, is quite simply astonishingly impressive and moving. This is a beautiful world in which to be in and you may find yourself as I did of stopping just to spin the camera around to take it all in. The art style is delightful and is so vibrant in its use of colour to set the tone of each location you explore in the game and far removed from the attempt to be as photo realistic as possible that more and more modern games attempt to have, but so often trip over themselves in doing so. Instead RiME encapsulates the use of light and colour and attention to the smallest of details to create its world. The detail in the animation alone of the boy’s movements to that of the wildlife in this game is so refined that it creates a believable living world that comes to life increasingly more as you progress into it. The lovely touches of the wind blowing through the trees and tall grass and the audio swirls around the boy is subtle but impactful that to put the controller down for a few moments just to take it all in is a reward in itself. The number of times I literally stopped what I was doing to watch the sun set, absorbing how the light changed the setting of the environment I was in as it set, to seeing it become something different as the moon rose and the thousands of stars filled the night sky above me only to have the sun rise again, and feel the warmth of colour as the light brought the landscape to life once again. The use of the visuals to set the tone throughout the game, along with the music is just majestic. Without dialogue or text to tell the story, the music and visuals help the story unfold around the player with cut scenes making full use of both to connect the player emotionally to the boy and the world.

The puzzles are a traditional style of being presented with a puzzle to solve, and using the environment to solve it in order to open a new area or find an object needed to progress further. All the puzzles are logical and so eloquently designed in order to keep the player in the world without having the frustration of failure. The solution will be there if the player is observant enough and some will use a trial and error approach  to teach the player what do so that when the same style puzzle appears later in the game, the player will have the knowledge in what to do but without the problem of being too repetitive. The satisfying in successful problem solving allows a nice flow in the game; this is not designed to be over challenging and in doing so, keeps the player completely immersed in the experience and in going forward. The world also has secrets and collectibles to find, rewarding the more adventurous players who like to go exploring but never punishing the players who simply want to play the story and keep moving forward.

I also really came to appreciate the lack of violence in this game as there is no combat, no beating up of enemies or fighting bosses. This is all about telling a story through the exploration and puzzle solving as the boy progresses further into this mysterious world. The story begins to unfold with a gradual pace that will tug at the heart strings. Trophies and Achievements will pop up and are so cleverly named that they become a part of the story telling, helping to give hints at what the overall meaning of the story is without revealing too much about it whilst playing. I was completely emotionally attached to the story by the end, I felt every moment of joy, fear and sadness the boy experienced, so much that I am writing this a full day after completing the story due to having to take some time to process the story because it connected to me on such a personal level which I did not expect. It is delicate in how it delivers its final message so not to rip the player out of the story too harshly, giving the player the chance to be reflective of each of the steps they took throughout the game to get to the end. Though not a very long game, it is just long enough not to drag out the story too much and squandering the pace and flow of the experience it wants players to have. Though I do not personally believe there is such a thing as a perfect game, RiME is perhaps the closest I may ever come to experiencing that very thing, it is faultless in what it want it wants the player to feel every moment they are in the game. The blending of music, visuals and gameplay is remarkable, though it is similar to PS4 exclusive ‘Journey’ in many ways, for me it raises that bar set so high by Journey, in every way.

RiME is something very special. I have deliberately avoided talking too much about the story it tells because it needs to be played to appreciate it properly. It does so many things right and in such a refreshing way to be one of the most moving and emotional gaming experiences I have had and I do not say that lightly. It is moving, emotional and inspiring to play this game and if you devote a day or two sessions to play it fully, it will leave you satisfied and rejuvenated in how much an art form video games can truly be. The power in the smallest of details of the animation combined with the magical musical score to do the story telling give RiME a heart and soul that drives everything that makes this experience so very special.

When I first saw a trailer for RiME back in 2014, something about it even then just gripped my imagination. Three years later and after completing the game, it was well worth the wait. To experience such high quality in every aspect of a game is very rare these days, but to have one that so connected with me on such a deep level, something that many players of the game have also said they felt on completion, is a rare one indeed.

RiME is a beautiful game in so many ways, it certainly deserves a place in your collection and an experience I know will stay with me for years to come.

I can still remember playing the original Shadow Warrior game and just being in awe of the crazy action, insane enemies and a main character in Lo Wang that rivalled the great Duke Nukem himself with his tongue in cheek humour and cocky confidence in the face of danger and humping demon rabbits…yup that was actually a thing. It has been a lengthy wait for the console release of the sequel following its PC release last year but despite some niggles; the wait was indeed worth it. It was time to once again, get me some Wang!

Shadow Warrior 2 is at its core an over the top blend of extravagant shooting and melee combat, spiced up with some crazy magical powers as Lo Wang returns to once again take on the dangers of the demon world whilst keeping the shenanigans of the local Yakuza in check. With an opening that instantly immerses the player back into the World of Wang. I did have to take a moment just to appreciate how beautiful the visuals are with lighting and map design just creating a beautiful world for Wang to run around in, complimented by amazing audio effects for movement and weapon use and of course some amazing puns and lines of dialogue from Wang. It just feels like just how an arcade popcorn style of game should feel like from the very moment you hit that start button.

The running theme of Shadow Warrior 2 has to be the sheer OTT delivery in just about everything it does from the variety in enemy character design to some of the best looking weapons I have seen in a shooter to date. Each time you collect some of the more epic weapons such as the Tron themed dual laser swords to the legendary heavy weapons from defeating top tier enemies, all with outstanding names. The downside is that this game has terrible hit detection at times for certain weapons, which even if at point blank range can completely miss their shot making what is a very cool looking gun, completely useless. By the end of my first playthrough I had collected a whole bunch of great weapons but after trying them, simply kept to my standard set up till the end.

The story is very popcorn film in that it is forgettable story that simply drives you forward, sending you on repetitive missions which only really requires Wang to kill every enemy to complete the objective. I completed the game on Normal in just 6rs 45mins, so it is not long at all even with side missions offered that feel like padding more than a part of the story itself. Completing the side missions will help level up Lo Wang’s abilities and give new weapons and the game itself will warn you if a main campaign mission is possibly too difficult to take on at your current level if too low, but then on any difficulty that is not set to “Who Wants Wang” (Hard Difficulty) or “No Pain no Gain” (Insane Difficulty) the game will not really offer too much of a challenge. It does have a New Game + which can be activated after completing the main story, allowing you to start a new game on any difficulty you choose but keeping all the skills and weapons from your fist time through. This is rather awesome and a great way to tackle the more difficult modes and level all your powers and weapons to their maximum.

Of course that is all well and good until you hit the issue that hit me whilst preparing to write this review. I completed the game on Normal, with a whole array of fantastical weapons and powers ready to take the game on Insane difficulty for a real challenge, so started New Game + and completed the prologue and safely exited the game to the main menu once at the opening safe hub area in the game. Upon resuming that game however, I discovered that I had lost a whole bunch of mission progess and weapons with the game putting me in a mission about halfway through the main story, losing weapons, skill level and upgrades I had collected in the later stages of the game without any warning or reason. The game had simply dropped me back almost halfway through my first playthrough with no way of loading a later checkpoint. Annoying is an understatement at this point, and is an issue that after checking social media, appears to be sadly all too common right now.

What urks me the most about Shadow Warrior 2 right now is that considering what a long wait it has been to get this finally on both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, that it has released in a less than stable and polished state. In addition to the above issues of poor weapon hit detections and losing half my game progress overnight, there were times when the frame rate would drop hugely during big combat sequences with animations from fighting multiple enemies dragging frame rate down to silly levels. I also suffered times when enemies who can grab Lo Wang from range to pull him close to them all Scorpion from Mortal Kombat style, would result in me either falling through the map completely or somehow being put inside of a wall but with enemies still be able to detect and hit me. The only way to cure this was to exit to the main menu and then resume the game. This is just not acceptable in a game that has taken months to reach consoles after the PC launch.

I really loved this game; it has fast paces action that appeals to my fondness for both gunplay and melee combat. The story whilst short and forgettable, still offers plenty of things to do and to kill, with side missions constantly offered to give more content to clear. The visuals and audio effects are stunning at times and Lo Wang is a character that quickly got into my heart in the first game and even more so now. But the issues this game has launched with make it a real chore at times to smile through and forgive, and having lost half my progress was really the final straw in otherwise a fun experience.

Hopefully some patching can resolve the issues because Shadow of Warrior 2 is the type of arcade action game that is a great way to game outside of the big blockbuster titles that we are constantly being hit with. Start the game, destroy every enemy that lands in your way with any delightful weapon of destructive power in your arsenal with a few laughs thrown in along the way, should be a great way to spend a few hours. It is a shame that the problems this console version of the game has right now stop it from being a must have in your collection buy, and instead more of a “wait and see if they can patch it and by then it will be in the sales” final product.

The adventures of Lo Wang deserve your attention but also deserving of a game far more polished than this console port has been released as.