Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Game review: The Sims 3 (Base game)

Note: This review is for a base game only without any expansion and update patch. More feature and bug has been fixed after the version that I currently view.

If you still not familiar about any Sims game, Sims is simulator game created by Electronic Arts (EA). Player can create their own unique Sims to any looks or traits they want, and explore the town/city, with lots of career and community to explore. 
A pregnant sims had a baby come out

Gameplay
In Sims 3 base game, player can create their own Sims and house-hold, or can simply choose available household to play. Once you choose your desire sims household, you can have them watch a tv, work, meet up with other sims, or even get married and have a baby. Without any mod, every household only can have 8 sims as limit. Once the limit has reached, player will no longer invite other sims to join household, and have a baby either from WooHoo and Try For Baby action is impossible. However, player may add other sims into household with using 'testingcheatsenabled true' cheats, but player will no longer able to control the missing sims portrait from left side, as their portrait has been replaced with new added sims portraits.

There's 7 stage of sims life in Sims 3, they are start from baby>toddler>kids>teen>young adult>adult>elder. When edit or make a sims from Create A Sims (CAS) mode, player are unable to choose or make baby sims. It was always start with toddler stage. As the sims continue their life, they might have a chance to die if they are in any situation that can cause them to death (fire, hungry, drown, etc). This is rarely happen, at least in my game. Upon reach 'elder life stage', they will have chance a died once their life bar has fully green. Upon dead, Grim Reaper will appear to take the dead sims soul, living their urn. The urn can be pickup and can either be keep inside inventory, place at house (when place at outside house it will turn into tombstone), place in Moseleum, or can place in any lot or Graveyard. If the urn/tombstone is placed in player's lot, the ghost most of time will appear from his/her urn, and will do a various thing like the time they were live. In addition, player can interact with them, make a baby with them, and they can even possessed any household belonging. They then will vanish after 7am. Resurrect the dead sims is possible with 'Oh My Ghost!' opportunity, but keep in mind they will no longer can be resurrect once they return into neither World. 

If the died sims is unlucky and loser traits, Grim Reaper will refuse to take their soul and treat them as a joke, and will resurrect them later. This happen if a sims with these traits died in any condition except elderly. A playable ghost sims also wont die by anything except elderly, and instead of dead they will return into neitherworld instead. 

Playable Ghost
Player may have a ghost as playable sims. However, the only way to do this is only through 'Oh My Ghost!' opportunity, or from 'Try For Baby' action that involving ghost. While using 'Try For Baby' method, player will have 50% chance to have a ghost baby if only 1 of the parents is ghost, or 100% chance if both are ghost. The ghost baby will have a normal life like normal sims, but cannot die from anything except getting older (because they are already dead lol). However, instead die because getting old they will return to Neitherworld instead. A playable ghost sims also carrying their own tombstone inside their inventory (as their life), and player may choose to sent them into neither world anytime. Keep in mind once they are return into neitherworld, they are cannot be resurrect. If player wish to resurrect them later, player might want any of sims to cook a Ambrosia dish, which known as 'Divine Meal' and the hardest dish to served ever. Once ghost sims eat them, they will turned into normal sims, and resetting their life stage. When entering a CAS, except 'Supernatural' expansion is installed, they will appear as normal sims in CAS. 
Playable child of ghost sims appear as normal sims in CAS

Funny thing in Sims 3
One thing about Grim Reaper, after taking sims soul, there's a chance to him stay for a while before disappear. During this limited time, Grim Reaper can be interact, and can even have a baby with him (the child skin will appear as black). EA comfirmed this is a bug as he can be interact. Grim Reaper also will do a things like normal sims do like watch a TV, swimming, etc. I found out this is the most funniest things I found in the game. It is possible to add him into household after several patch and expansion. 
                 
                   Grim reaper take a peek at Telescope        Complaint when a things block him from chat with active sims

      
             Grim Reaper reading Newspaper                            Grim Reaper donated a money for fund raiser campaign

A traits also can cause a funniest seen. For example, a Coward traits will fainted if they saw a ghost, more worst is if the ghost were inside their house. A sims with Evil traits can steal a candy from baby and toddler, a sims with Insane and nevr Nude traits taking a shower/bath with casual cloth,  and many more.

Screenshot
A Rock Star sims ride an exclusive Pink Limousine
Evil sims stealing a candy

A family ghost as NPC activities

A sleeping twin

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Review: The Crew


The Crew is a race game created by Ivory Tower and Ubisoft. Unlike other race game, you'll experience a different style of gigantic map with unique style on this game.

Story
The story starts when protagonist, Alex Taylor, was trying to escape from police. He then agreed to work with Zeo, the police officer. He then trying to find the king of race, V8, who was stole the V8 title from his brother, who were killed because of sabotage.

map inside The Crew


The unique of The Crew
When you try out The Crew, you'll guaranteed surprised of how large of gigantic map offered in this game. The map is covered most US including Detroit, Las Vegas, Miami, and many more. More unique is, there's no 'loading' as 'transaction' in any map, means player is freely to drive anywhere he want. Unlike Need For Speed series, instead of drive over the street, player also will experience and can drive through any deserts, mounts, forest. This can be driven from various car, from different specs and performances, thus making this a very great games. More important is, you can drive everywhere with your friends, and even can participate various multiplayers challenge.

Gameplay
If you think The Crew is like NFS series, you are definitely wrong. Different from NFS series (especially Underground/old Most Wanted) who is focus on street spec/performance and car visual customization, The Crew is focused more on performances in many way, which could be advantage and disadvantage of every map in this game. There is 5 specs to try, which will be unlocked base on player's driver's level which is:

1) Stock Specs
Nothing special with this spec. This is available spec for every cars. Player may modify the vehicles visual customization such as stickers, but not allowed for modify its physical appearance (like adding spoiler) and tuning the performance. Obtaining performance parts while completed missions using this spec will only result the parts got scrapped.

2)Street Specs
This is the first available specs to buy on the very beginning in game. Street specs are exclusively for on-road drive, with a downside of car getting a little slow while taking the off-road.

3)Dirt Specs
Similar with rally function, Dirt specs allowed player to take the off-road with a good speed and control. The unique of this specs is player can customize its physical appearance into rally car, with a 'monster' tyre.

4)Raid Specs
Similar with Dirt specs, but Raid specs will turned your car into 4WD. The suspension, rim, everything. With Raid specs, player will now drive towards extreme off-road and have no problem while hiking the mountains. The only downside of raid is it is opposite of Street specs, so player wll have a greatly reduced speed when drive through onroad while using this specs.

5)Performance Specs
Advanced from street specs, this specs will allowed player to tune their car into high-end tuning. This specs is specialist to drive on-road with high speed, and definitely not suitable for taking off-road.

6)Circuit Specs
Same like performance specs, but car with circuit specs will go even further with extreme speed and better control.

Ford Focus in Raid Spec

Note: There is few upcoming specs from Wild Run expansion which expected to get release on November 2015. These new specs consist monster truck specs, drag specs, and drift specs.

With using these specs, player can rise up their level through Story Missions, side missions, and even in faction missions. Keep in mind that these specs are not are always available on all cars. For example, Volkswagen Golf GTI only have Street Specs, while Aston Martin Vantage only have Performance specs. However, all specs will available for purchase on few car, especially the only available car for player to purchase on earlier game.

When player drive freely through driving roam, player might encounter another players. If you invite other player to join Co-op mission with you and they accept it, you will automatically became a Crew leader, while the player accept your co-op will become your crew as well. Keep note this only happens if both of you are not in any crew yet. Unless you guys online in same time in future, your crew list will be reset. It was a good idea to adding them as friends through uPlay (PC) first if both of you, and your friends wish to stay in same crew.

Player also might encounter a police while free-roaming. When a police shown in minimap, a 'Police Watch' warning will appear. If player drive badly like hit the traffic or any obstacle, or even hitting the police, they will start chasing you. Sadly, speeding seems not an issue for them.

Also in this free-roam, player will encounter lots of traffic as like in real life. Few road contains lots of traffics. Sometimes you also might encounter a firefighter and ambulance. The game also has a night and day time.

Here is what I thought about game:

Pros:
Gigantic map that almost represent real US

Detailed map

MMO features. Though only 8 player per lobby/session..

Crew (team) feature. While in crew, player can help their friends in their mission, even can versus other crew through Crew VS Crew

Good graphic

Various specs and mission to explore, thus making this game is very different with other race game, making its unique

Weekly/Monthly Challenge


Cons:
Bad physics. Player are more likely to 'fly away' if they hit any car, or get hit instead

Horrible support and marketing strategy. Yes, very, very horrible.. DLC cars is expensive. Also a mircro-transaction inside game as well.. More worse is, all new adding non DLC car are only specialist for Season Pass owner. It seems user without season pass owner wont get any update or benefit from new adding content, except graphic overhaul update from Wild Run later. This is the only reason why most player just leaving this game and rather to wait NFS 2015 instead. This is very sad, such potential game has this horrible marketing..

Require too much strong connection to play, or you'll FOREVER DRIVE ALONE

Various unknown bug awaits you. As a horrible support from developer, they are seems not interested to fix it, and only release the fixed patch (through overhaul update), which taking about one year from the date they release this game

Very misleading trailer from real product. 

Cheaters everywhere.

Poor story plots and very least of exaggeration of animations. 


Horrible Ai.   

My gameplay screenshots

Tuning Nissan 370Z

Some player inside free roam

Volkswagen Golf GTi in The Crew

Some wild animals hanging out

Shuttle Launch

A firetrucks lol

Customizing Aston Martin Vantage8