Dark Pictures: Anthology - Devil In Me

Devil in Me is one of four games and the season finale in the Dark Pictures: Anthology series developed by Supermassive Games. The story is based on HH Homes Murder Castle. The story follows a group of documentary film makers who receive a mysterious call inviting them to a modern-day replica of HH Holmes’ ‘Murder Hotel’. But on arrival, the crew soon discovers they’re being watched and even manipulated, and suddenly there’s much more at stake than just their ratings!

  

The Devil in Me encourages the player to put their problem-solving skills to good use, as the game includes puzzles. You’ll need to find codes hidden or disguised in the world, untangle old fuse boxes, and find your way out of mazes, and failure might prove to be very costly. Like other games in the series, you control their fate, whether they live or die.

 

There are rewards, but what is more interesting about this one is the collection of videos about H.H. Homes that you will need to find throughout the game. If you find them all, you can view a small documentary about him, which can be found in the bonus features.

So who was H.H. Homes? Herman Webster Mudgett, better known as Dr. Henry Howard Holmes, was an American swindler and confidence trickster who is widely considered the country’s first known serial killer. Mudgett moved to Chicago and took a job as a pharmacist under the name "Dr. HH. Homes." He built a house for himself, later known as "Murder Castle," which was equipped with trapdoors, secret passages, and soundproof rooms with doors that could be locked from the outside. Mudgett confessed to 27 murders, which he later increased to 130. Some researchers, however, have claimed the real number exceeds 200.

To gain the platinum will require more than one playthrough, and for some, it may actually require a walkthrough, but overall, it is not bad but not great either. The dialog can become tedious as there is no option to skip when replaying the game. Some trophies can be a little more tricky but still achievable, but I see it as more of a glitch problem than anything else. Like the task of collecting crime scene photos, there is no way of tracking how many you have or need, and most annoyingly, you spend too much time trying to find the right angle. Overall, it's a pretty decent list, but questionable on some things. 

Trophy List Rating 7 - Say what now?

 

Read More

Days Gone - Underrated and Untouchable

Days Gone by Bend Studio is one of the most underrated games and was overly criticized; like Assassins Creed Unity, it was destroyed in one day. Critics play a game for five minutes, then destroy it in one. They want everything tied up in a bow while putting some games on pedestals because it's their favorite game. They then destroy others by throwing a tantrum. Not only was Days Gone underrated, but it never got the sequel it deserved because of some overzealous critics trying to make a name for themselves instead of reviewing the game fairly. If you want to call yourself a critic, then play the game from start to finish. I get that some reviewers like to review games based on their own opinions, but critics are a different breed. I also notice some critics put a game on a pedestal, giving it a 10 when it's obviously a 7. This doesn't make the game bad; it makes the game average. Games like Ghost of Tsushima and Horizon Zero Dawn were not only new IPs; they did something new and brought new mechanics to the game. They told a great story, and the graphics were phenomenal. Voice actors brought the characters to life, and developers gave us the adrenaline we needed. 

Trophy Hunters Delight

Days gone is one of the most fun games I have ever played. As far as the trophy list goes, it joined other games like Ghost of Tsushima as the top trophy lists in the last decade. Getting that shiny platinum felt like winning the lottery; the feeling of achieving that trophy while having fun doing it is something you don't experience with every game. 

Days gone did everything right. from the trophy list to the in-game trophy tracker, which was perfect for trophy hunters. The story may not be an 10/10 and more of a 8/10 but everything else exceeds a 10. It had some bugs, so as most games do, that's why we have updates. Days Gone is the best zombie game I have played, and I had the most fun with it. The only thing missing from this game was co-op. Taking on hoards with friends would have been the ultimate gift. 

One Percenter

To get that shiny platinum so aptly named, you are doing what the game intended. Learning the mechanics, build up your skills, take on challenges, and the most fun is taking out the hoards and having a blast etc. If only every trophy list could make you feel so driven. Even the name of the Platinum Trophy makes you feel empowered; you are playing a game, you are in control, you take out the hoards, and you are the survivor and the hero. 

What I loved most about this game is that it directed you, so that you knew, exactly what was expected of you.  I don't need my hand held I simply need to know what the game wants. It was fun working things out for yourself, and the trophy tracker kept you in the loop without having to constantly look it up to see what you needed. Let's also talk about replay value. I have already played the game several times, and it never gets old.

This will be the first game I would actually give a trophy list 10+ because it did everything right and actually cared about trophy hunters enough to include them when developing this game. We don't want to be the reason to play we want to be included.

Trophy List Rating 

Untouchable 10 

Read More