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RVA Game Cave #8: The Playstation 5 Makes A Bulky, Yet Impressive Entrance Into The Next Generation

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It’s big, it’s expensive, and — for now, at least — it’s hard to come by. Regardless, the Playstation 5 has enough to offer that, according to RVA Game Cave columnist Jonah Schuhart, you should probably buy one.

Somehow, the release of a new generation of consoles always seems to amaze. This is in spite of the fact that in recent years, console generations have become increasingly arbitrary. The jump in technological advancement between them has shortened quite a lot from previous eras, and the popularization of both custom-made PCs and mid-generation consoles (such as the PlayStation 4 Pro) has made what remains of these jumps less noticeable. Yet the sheer novelty of a new console never fails to enchant, and while the feeling of technological advancement has dampened as of late, the improvements and innovations that are there make the PlayStation 5 a delightfully impressive new machine.

Still, the PS5 isn’t perfect. As with any new gaming machine, it requires a sizable investment from one’s pocketbook. A PS5 costs either $400 or $500, depending on whether someone buys the digital-only or disc-compatible versions. Additionally, with the added costs of a PlayStation Plus subscription and at least a couple ever-more-expensive games, the total could run someone close to $600 at its most expensive. 

The console certainly looks like it’s worth that from sheer size alone. That’s not a good thing, either. The PlayStation 5 may just be the largest home console to ever hit the market. It makes the Original Xbox, which was chunky enough to double as a doorstop, look puny. It is also oddly shaped, and requires a special stand in order to lay on its side with any stability. It will invariably dominate one’s home theatre space with ease, so if you’re hellbent on procuring one, you may need to do some clearing out. That is, if you can ever get one. So far PS5s have been so popular that they are near-impossible to buy. From the day preorders for the console opened, every sale was overwhelmed, to the point that major sites like Walmart and Target crashed.

However, once the money is spent and the PlayStation 5 is sitting there all shiny and new – sleek as a fighter jet – it is something to behold, if only for its sheer novelty. That oddly shaped frame is aesthetically appealing regardless of its inconvenience, and its mighty size does give the impression that the console is powerful. Watching the PS5 run is like watching a muscle car rev its engine, even if there are PCs out there that make it look more like a secondhand Civic.

Photo From dailystar.co.uk

Extravagantly constructed PCs aside, the PlayStation 5 is an actual beast compared to its predecessors. Slight as the jump between console generations has become, it’s still noticeable. This is especially true of the games that were made for both the PS4 and PS5. Spider-Man: Miles Morales, for instance, boasts an impressive improvement in frame rate and graphical fidelity between versions. 

And in some ways, many PS4 games were made for both consoles. The PS5 is almost completely backwards-compatible with the PS4 library. Players can sync their PlayStation accounts and redownload digital PS4 games onto their new console. Alternatively, they can use a physical PS4 disc or plug in an external hard drive with digital games downloaded onto it. All of these games will run at the same quality they would on a PS4 Pro, so the PS5 all but invalidates its predecessor. As an added benefit, PS4 controllers can be used to play these games as well.

However, it is much more advisable to use the new PS5 controller, the DualSense. With its new haptic technology, it adds extra feeling to the actions players take in games. Vibration and custom resistance functions have been added to the triggers, so players can feel things like the tautness of Spider-Man’s web in Miles Morales. 

But in the end, the quality of a console is not determined by its aesthetic or its controller, but by its games. So far, the PS5 doesn’t have much to its name, but what it does have knocks its competitors out of the park. Games like Demon’s Souls Remake and the aforementioned Spider-Man: Miles Morales are terrific gaming experiences. Even the consoles pack-in games like Astro’s Playroom and Bugsnax are brimming with creative energy. These two games are ostensibly free (Bugsnax is currently free with a PS Plus membership), and are more than capable of tiding a player over until their next paycheck when they might be able to afford a new game. Even then, the backwards compatibility means that even when the player gets bored of these games, they still have a reason to use their PS5.

However, unless someone really wants one of the brand new games exclusive to PlayStation 5, they don’t really have a reason to purchase the console. $500 might be too steep for a new machine that plays 90 percent of your old games. In time, however, this will more than likely change. Unlike their competitors at Microsoft, Sony seems hellbent on retaining the appeal of their console-exclusive games. This has its advantages and disadvantages, but regardless of either, it means that as of now, the biggest appeal Sony has going for them is that their new console has games that can’t be played anywhere else. For that reason, then, the PlayStation 5 is well worth it, given the quality of the games it offers the chance to play. 

RVA Game Cave Issue 5: Ghost Of Tsushima — Open Worlds Done Right

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In this edition of RVA Game Cave, columnist Jonah Schuhart dives into Ghost Of Tsushima: an open-world game that, unlike many others in its category, utilizes its entire map with challenges and exciting lessons on Japanese history.

When it comes to contemporary open-world games, many fall into the same trap, which inevitably subtracts from the liveliness and longevity of the experience. This issue is almost always directly proportional to the size of the game world. After all, how do you fill a large space with a proper amount of content? Even more difficult is overcoming the challenge of making all of that content meaningful and fulfilling. Too many open-world games struggle to fill their space with activities that either fail to reward the player for their troubles or fail to entertain the player to any significant extent. 

PHOTO: Ghost Of Tsushima on Playstation 4

Take the Grand Theft Auto series, for example. In many ways they are great games, but their open worlds are often filled with meaningless — or even boring — side activities that accomplish nothing for the player, because they have nothing to do with the core elements of the game. Nobody cares about random collectible number 357, or the inconsequential golfing mini-game, because they aren’t the focus of the game — and neither are entertaining or rewarding enough for most players to invest time in. They are simply filler content so that the devs can say that area of the game world isn’t a barren wasteland of insignificance. 

However, a hero has finally emerged from the fog of unfulfilling side objectives. It brings us an open-world experience that actually fills the world with desirable, entertaining side content that rivals the quality of its core focus. Without a doubt, Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima is one of the greatest video games to come out for PlayStation 4, and it is certainly the most thoroughly enjoyable open-world game of the past few years. 

This praise would be misplaced, however, if the main focus of the game wasn’t equally or more enchanting than its side content. After all, nobody plays a game just for its collectibles. And Sucker Punch did an amazing job at creating a unique, interesting setting and story that feels as fresh as a sip from a recently popped can of soda. 

What separates GOT from other games is that it is actually historical fiction, a genre of storytelling that has remained somewhat untouched in games apart from series like Assassin’s Creed or Civilization. 

Set during the first Mongol invasion of Japan in the mid-1200s, the player steps into the armor of Jin Sakai, a young samurai whose nearly dead clan acts as a retainer for the high-ranking lords of Tsushima island, the Shimuras. At the game’s beginning, Jin and his Uncle, Lord Shimura, lead all of Tsushima’s samurai into a heavily outnumbered battle against the invading Mongol forces. Out of the several hundred samurai who fought, only Jin and Lord Shimura survive the bloodbath. Unfortunately, Lord Shimura is captured by the Mongol’s leader, Khotun Khan, who offers Shimura an ultimatum between surrendering his homeland to the Mongols or watching them burn it down. From there, it is up to Jin to save his uncle and repel the Mongol forces before they completely take Tsushima and make their way to the Japanese mainland. 

PHOTO: Ghost Of Tsushima on Playstation 4

Ghost of Tsushima’s story and setting are unparalleled in their distinctiveness. It is clear that Sucker Punch’s team went out of their way to authentically bring feudal Japan to life in a way that is both educational and genuinely entertaining. It would be fair to say that very few Westerners possess in-depth knowledge about the Mongol invasions of Japan, and GOT does an amazing job at giving players a crash course on the basic events through characters whose stories are intensely gripping and universally relatable. This game could legitimately be used in a college course on Japanese history. Sucker Punch may be an American studio, but they made this game just as well as any Japanese studio could. 

But despite that, the game’s design decisions are still incredibly Western, though definitely not in a bad way. The game’s sword and stealth combat both feel like the natural evolutions of what games like Assassin’s Creed have tried to do. But instead of the counter system feeling lazy and easy to pull off, it actually takes a fair amount of skill to fight with any sort of efficiency, especially at higher difficulties. The same can be said for the game’s stealth mechanics, which lets players turn this game’s goal from being a samurai to being a full-on ninja. 

All of that is reinforced through the side content, which finds that perfect middle ground between filling up the game’s extensive open world and feeling fulfilling. There are no useless mini-games, and the collectibles are exciting to collect. Even things like the Pillars of Honor, or the Mongol Artifacts, manage to feel rewarding despite not reinforcing gameplay. One gives the player a cool new sword skin, and the other educates them on Mongolian culture and history. Beyond that, the game’s numerous side quests (especially the Mythic Quests) immerse the player in Japanese culture and history. No other game has made learning this fun. 

And the icing on this incredibly substantive cake is that, in my opinion, Ghost of Tsushima is one of the most beautiful games to ever be made. For a game that seems to celebrate all that is awesome about Japanese history and culture, it refuses to stop at the landscape. The player will explore everything from grassy fields to snowy mountains, and all of them are surreally breathtaking. They even added gaming’s most expressive and dynamic photo mode, for players to capture every detail the developers painstakingly rendered, making this version of Japan feel as tangible and stunning as the real thing. 

PHOTO: Ghost Of Tsushima on Playstation 4

All of this amounts to a game that feels more complete than a title twice its size. It may not be as big as Breath of the Wild, or have as many things to do as Skyrim, but it is more emotionally and spiritually gratifying than either of those games could be. Somehow, it manages to juggle an open world, a varied and expressive combat system, and an Oscar-worthy plot without dropping a single beat. In the space of an hour, players will go from dueling a black-cloaked ronin in a cherry blossom field to a lesson on the samurai Bushido code, to stealthily eliminating an entire regiment of Mongolian forces, to petting a cute little fox… and not a single moment will feel out of place. 

Ghost of Tsushima gets a score of 9/10. 

RVA Game Cave Issue 4: The Last of Us Part 2

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In this edition of RVA Game Cave, columnist Jonah Schuhart dives into The Last of Us Part 2. Following its predecessor, TLOU2 challenges the player’s moral code, and captivates even its harshest critics. 

Without a doubt, The Last of Us Part II  is the single most contentious game of the year. The degree to which it has left gamers divided speaks to an artistic quality, which goes somewhat deeper than the typical standards of good and bad storytelling. It may be abrasive and provoking, but it is an incredibly gripping and exhilarating experience. The Last of Us Part II tells a brutal, deeply nuanced revenge tale, in which players are at odds speculating on the validity of its message and the quality of its narrative structure. Regardless of its quality, the story’s narrative detail, care, and the polish given to the gameplay segments would make this title worthy of any avid gamer’s appreciation. 

PHOTO: The Last Of Us Part II via Playstation

The original The Last of Us was one of the most revered story-driven games released in the past decade. It told a hopeful, positive story, set in a bleak post-apocalypse world. It primed its players for a wholly optimistic message, then annihilated their naive expectations with a brutal twist ending. The protagonist players grow attached to is sympathetic, and may seem benevolent, but his good intentions quickly turn selfish when tested. Joel is not a good person. The implied consequences of Joel’s final actions in The Last of Us were incredibly dire, and its sequel only proves those implications to be all-too-true. 

The world of The Last of Us is not forgiving. It is not kind. It takes everything from its characters, and gives nothing in return. The quality of the game’s writing, animating, and acting only serves to deliver that feeling of emptiness to the player. Its original storyline brings us to the gameplay of The Last of Us Part II. (SPOILERS AHEAD!) 

Four years after the events of TLOU, a group of ex-Fireflies track Joel and Ellie back to the town of Jackson, where they have been living seemingly peaceful, happy lives. At first their intentions are unclear, but the player’s suspicions are proven true when the group swiftly takes Joel hostage and one member, Abby, savagely beats him to death in front of his brother and Ellie. From there, the player controls Ellie as she seeks bloody revenge on those who murdered her surrogate father. Along the way, she encounters resistance from several factions… and her obstinate dedication to her goals forces her along a progressively dark, needlessly violent path as her grief and need for revenge overshadow the positive characteristics that make her relatable. 

Both Ellie and Abby pull off some needlessly brutal kills in and out of gameplay. It’s almost enough to want to stop playing given the game’s overall message. Is getting this violent really worth it? (Image via The Last Of Us Part II/Playstation)

Ellie’s story is followed and contrasted by the story of Joel’s killer, Abby. Abby’s life as a soldier for the WLF faction, and personal vendetta against Joel, have turned her into a brutal killer. At times, her actions even draw concern from her friends — who, while complicit in the murder of Joel, remain somewhat judgemental regarding the savage way in which Abby ended his life. Abby’s journey parallels Joel’s journey in the first game, as Abby is eventually put in charge of a child from the WLF’s greatest enemy, the Seraphites. The child, Lev, is a trans male who is forced to leave his primitivist society as a result of their transphobic religious doctrine. 

Abby’s desire to protect Lev from his hostile community, as well as her close interpersonal relationships with other Fireflies-turned-WLF, shed light on the ambiguous nature of the game’s world. 

Is Ellie justified in her vengeance simply because Abby killed her adoptive father? Is Abby justified in killing Joel, as he not only doomed humanity, but killed her father in the process? Are peace, and the sheer amount of lives at stake, worth either characters’ horrifically merciless, violent methods and goals? 

PHOTO: The Last Of Us Part II via Playstation

These are the questions that TLOU2 proposes to the player, as it progressively fleshes out the positive and negative qualities of both characters and their situations. The journey towards both characters’ eventual decisions leaves the player deeply conflicted. Players will be left adamant about their personal answers to the questions posed by TLOU2’s story, but it is unlikely their answer will perfectly align with both of the game’s protagonists. In the end, TLOU2 will force the player to perform disturbing, scarring actions in order to accomplish goals that directly conflict with their own moral code. The game’s ability to pose such a deep philosophical challenge to players only adds credence to the potency of its writing, and the skill of both its animators and actors. TLOU2 is ugly and depressing, and for that, it is all the more engaging. 

That level of engagement would be for nothing, however, if it did not remain interesting during gameplay. Just like in the original TLOU, players are given an arsenal of weaponry and craftable items to dispatch enemies. Likewise, players are expected to use a combination of stealth and open combat during enemy encounters. Seasoned players will adopt tactics that highly resemble the unpredictable, swift nature of guerilla warfare, as they duck through the game’s environments while isolating and picking off vulnerable targets. What sets these encounters apart from TLOU2’s predecessor, however, is the level of detail and complexity given to them. Environments are much more complex and varied, and any situation can be approached from a number of angles. Furthermore, enemy AI is much more robust, as groups of enemies utilize cooperative tactics that actively adapt to the player’s own approach. 

As always, enemies are numerous and smart. The player is usually a little short on ammo or resources, so they need to be smart and make a little bit go a long way, especially on higher difficulties. (Image via The Last Of Us Part II/Playstation)

This level of detail extends beyond the reach of the game’s combat as well. The story is given just as much respect in-game as it is during cutscenes. As if to drive home the point that even violent people have sympathetic lives, enemy AI have names, and their friends will often react with despair or anger when a player’s bullet flings their brains onto the wall behind them. Characters have natural, often lighthearted, dialogue during the game’s exploration segments that reveal their softer sides. Even minor details, such as Abby’s fear of heights, are brought to the forefront during certain moments. This constant humanization of deeply flawed characters (both in-game and out) are half of the reason TLOU2’s world feels as alive, and as depressing, as it is. 

Companion characters like Dina, Jesse and Lev are fairly well written overall. Most of them take some warming up to, but each one of them has a few (sometimes tragic) scenes that really sell their character by the end. (Image via The Last Of Us Part II/Playstation)

The success of TLOU2’s storytelling only services its contention. Many gamers actively criticize and dislike this title, both on the basis of its controversial revenge tale, and the political nature of characters like Lev and the traditionally non-feminine Abby. While many of these complaints are mired by personal bias and even outright bigotry, TLOU2 is not immune to criticism. As well-written as Abby’s section is, the game may be asking too much from players: it initially sets her up as worthy of hate, then immediately expects the player to sympathize with her when they step in her shoes. Spend the first 10 hours of a 30 hour game trying to kill someone, and it will never be easy to let that feeling go for the next 20. Apart from the fact that this decision only coincides with the game’s overarching themes, the reality that this switch affected many players so deeply speaks to the game’s ability to captivate and challenge even its most dire critics.

Whether TLOU2 is good or bad is nearly moot. Regardless of where the player stands, the story manages to capitalize on the captivating nature of its predecessor, and continues that legacy with gusto. No matter who you are, this game will challenge your expectations, and it will leave you with a sour taste in your mouth. Whether that sour taste is a worthy experience is up to the individual player, but the fact that it appears so potently is certainly worthy of a recommendation.

I give TLOU2 an 8/10.

Top Photo via The Last Of Us Part II/Playstation

RVA Game Cave Issue 3: Halo 2 Anniversary

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In this edition of RVA Game Cave, columnist Jonah Schuhart lets us know that Halo 2 Anniversary For PC is the best ever version of an undisputed classic video game.

This month I’m talking about Halo 2 Anniversary. If you don’t know what Halo is, I have included a step by step guide on informing yourself. Step One: Crawl out from the impenetrably dense boulder you have been living under… 

In 2014, current Halo developer 343 Industries released The Master Chief Collection for its latest console, the Xbox One. The game’s name bore no secrets. It’s Halos 1-4 (plus Reach and ODST) all conveniently wrapped up into a single package on Microsoft’s latest, highest-performing console. In short, it’s the ultimate Halo experience for any fan of the series. The Collection came with newly resurrected multiplayers for every entry, and featured the remastered version of the original Halo game: Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. For many Halo fans, though, the most exciting thing about The Master Chief Collection was the announcement of another Halo remaster, exclusively available through the Collection: Halo 2 Anniversary.

Halo 2 Anniversary was as sleek and sexy as its predecessor. The graphical improvements made to Halo 2 in the Anniversary edition put the improvements of Combat Evolved Anniversary to shame, all while still maintaining the ability to switch between classic and modern graphics at the push of a button (one of CEA’s most notable features). 

I mean, just look at Classic Sgt. Johnson vs Remastered Sgt. Johnson, above. Sarge may have already been popular with the ladies, but the facelift really doesn’t hurt.

Halo 2 Anniversary also received a total cutscene makeover; the scenes were reanimated and directed completely from scratch. The new versions looked magnificent, and every Halo fan without an Xbox One gaped, slack-jawed; like hungry dogs begging at the dinner table, fiending for that sweet, sweet remaster. 

Speaking of slack-jawed, the new cutscenes even make the Elites look pretty.

I was one of those hungry dogs, but I never caved in to buy an Xbox One, so when 343 announced last year that the Master Chief Collection would come to PC, with each game coming out individually over the course of months, I sat back in my chair and waited with the widest of grins. 

Well today is the day — or rather, March 12 WAS the day. After PC releases of Reach and CEA, Halo 2 Anniversary has finally come to PC, and I am here to tell you that… it’s pretty freaking good. What? Did you think I would tell you it’s bad? It’s Halo 2, people. Even if this version had zero improvements, it would still be one of the greatest first person shooters ever designed, with an equally potent, yet terrible cliffhanger ending. 

At 10 bucks apiece or $40 for the whole lot, the MCC on PC is a great bargain. Especially if you only care about one or two of the games (Halo 2 shown twice to flex the collector’s box).

If anything, this version of the game is the new standard for judgement. It plays better, looks better, has a wider array of control schemes, and has two fully functioning multiplayers. You could slam dunk my Collector’s Edition copy of the OG Halo 2 into a boiling tar pit for all I care. I can finally hit the right bumper to reload (which was the default control scheme between Halo 3 and ODST for some odd reason), so I no longer have to readapt to normal FPS controls whenever I want to play Halo 2. As far as I’m concerned, this is all I’ll ever need.

I don’t NEED you anymore!

It also doesn’t have as many performance issues as the original. Don’t get me wrong, this is still Halo 2. Parts of wrecked ghosts still get caught in the environment’s collision, creating a ceaseless cacophony of vehicle crashing noises. But when I slapped my original copy of Halo 2 into my Xbox 360 and gave it a whirl, I noticed a distinct drop in frame rate. It doesn’t make the game unplayable, and it may just be the 360’s emulation, but it certainly makes the MCC a better option than what was more readily available. 

I’m not sure what that abomination was doing in there. But my 360 always has an open spot for a classic.

Speaking of superior options, prepare for a bad time if you try to play this game’s multiplayer with anything but the mouse and keyboard controls. Most people associate Halo with Xbox, and that means controllers. But the series also has a long history on PC, and when it comes to accuracy, the unfortunate reality is that a mouse will always run, where a controller’s analog sticks walk. If you don’t wanna get headshot from across the map in the SWAT game mode, then I suggest you let go of the thumbsticks and put your fingers on WASD. That goes for both multiplayers by the way. I don’t care if you’re playing the classic, or the altered version of Halo 4’s multiplayer labeled “Anniversary.” You will die equally horrible, teabag-infused deaths in both. 

Personally, I choose to have my brain perforated in the classic multiplayer. I may not be able to switch to fancy graphics there, but I’m also not forced to use the Assault Rifle in a game that famously dropped it from the weapons roster for the SMG. More importantly, however, the classic appeals to a sense of nostalgia. In my case, that nostalgia is completely manufactured, since I didn’t even own an Xbox until Reach, but I doubt that many original Halo 2 fans are booting up Anniversary to play what is ostensibly a modded version of Halo 4. If that’s the kind of thing you’re into, then more power to you. But there’s a larger sense of history and retrospection to playing the game as it was originally designed.

And that’s what the Halo remasters have really come to be about — retrospection. The series has such a powerful, seminal reputation. You don’t see many high school kids singing bathroom a capella versions of other video game themes. When a person can press a button and see how far gaming’s graphical capabilities have come in the past couple decades, it gives you a new perspective. You can see how much has really changed, and appreciate the things that modern video games have to offer. And when you can press that same button again, and get transported back into the video games of yesteryear, you can truly relive some glory days. It’s a simple, binary choice, but one that makes Halo 2 Anniversary from The Master Chief Collection a worthy buy, especially at only $9.99 when purchased individually.

There is no numerical score for Halo 2 Anniversary. This is a piece of gaming history. You already know it’s good.

Top Image: Xbox Game Studios/343 Industries. All other images by Jonah Schuhart

RVA Game Cave Issue 2: DOOM Eternal

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Our RVA Game Cave columnist Jonah Schuhart returns with a glowing review of DOOM Eternal, which he calls “a gruesome, indulgent power fantasy of immense proportion.” That’s a good thing, right?

DOOM Eternal is an amazingly indulgent experience. It’s a five-star, all-you can eat buffet table that never runs out. Almost everything on the menu is delicious and there is always more. It is infinite, it is “Eternal…” because that’s what DOOM Eternal is all about: giving the player more.

And by “more” I mean “more of what they already gave us in the last game, DOOM (2016).” DOOM (2016) was a triumph for old-school first-person shooters. It was all the best parts of the original Doom series mixed with other classics like Quake and the early Halo games to make a bombastic, engaging single player experience that laughed in the face of modern shooter conventions. 

That mentality carried DOOM (2016) to victory. It became one of the most celebrated games of that year due to its refreshingly classic, ultra-violent gameplay; amazing graphics and head-bangingly djenty soundtrack (created entirely by my one true love, Mick Gordon). 

DOOM Eternal picks up where 2016 left off, and gives us more of that sweet, rip-tearing action (scored with even more of Mick Gordon’s lovely, dulcet tones). Of course, you’re still the Doomguy, the big mean green machine destined to turn demonic hordes into bullet-ridden mounds of flesh pudding. You’re also still equipped with an impossibly extensive arsenal of guns, movement options, and special abilities, with which you are to complete your gruesome task. 

Seriously, the Doomguy is completely stacked with over-powered bullshit in this game. He’s got shotguns that shoot grenades, a double jump, two mid-air dashes, a one-hit kill chainsaw, a 12-barreled minigun, a shoulder-mounted flamethrower, an extendable arm-blade, and much, much more. I barely scratched the surface of his utter litany of gun options (he gets a lightsaber, for God’s sake). Even if I did list them all, that would still be less than half of it, because almost every weapon and ability has like, eight upgrades. I mean, come on people, your double barreled shotgun starts with a grappling hook on it, and by the end of the game that grappling hook sets stuff on fire. It’s so over-the-top and bonkers, in the absolute best way.

Almost all of it is useful too. The levels and enemies are designed in such a way that no one weapon will solve all your problems for very long, and staying in one place is a death sentence. Pretty much everything in the game is designed to make you juggle all of your weapons and abilities at any given time. 

This means that the basic gameplay loop from DOOM (2016) is still in effect. Run around the map raining hot lead upon demons while avoiding damage, run out of ammo, use your one-hit kill chainsaw to make an enemy drop ammo, restock your guns, rinse and repeat. The only thing that’s changed is that there’s more of it. 

Things like the newly added mid-air dashes just add more mobility to the Doomguy’s already mobile frame. He already runs like a cheetah hopped up on Four Loko, but now he can basically fly. What ties additions like these together is the way the rest of the game is suited to them. DOOM (2016) had a decent amount of vertical space in its levels, and with these new aerial options, that amount of vertical space has increased in Eternal. Arenas now often come with two or three different vertical layers to them, and Doomguy can transition between them seamlessly with his aerial movement options. It expands on the formula initially established in DOOM (2016) in a very comfortable and natural way.

You could argue that there is a downside to this. DOOM Eternal definitely begins with the assumption that the player has some familiarity with the core systems. Things are harder this time around. Levels are more intricate, the gameplay is more complex, and the demonic enemies are more challenging and varied. It might be tough for a brand new player to feel comfortable in DOOM’s hectic gameplay. However, since Eternal is a direct sequel, it is understandable why the game wastes no time in providing fans with a fresh, engaging experience from minute one. 

Another mark against Eternal is its less-than-graceful approach to boss design. Two of the major bosses basically become regular enemies, as they appear over and over again in normal battles. One of these bosses, the Marauder, is designed in such a way that he completely distracts from the core gameplay loop. Instead of juggling all of your enemies and resources simultaneously, the Marauder demands all of your attention, forcing the player to run away from him while clearing out all the other enemies before finally focusing on the “boss.” In general, the other boss battles get better as the game goes on, but they don’t really start to shine until the final two. And by then the game is already on its last two levels. Too little, too late.

Perhaps less of a main attraction, but certainly worthy of merit is Eternal’s online mode. It moves forward from (2016)’s standard pvp deathmatch-style game modes and creates a unique, asynchronous experience. By asynchronous, I mean that not every player plays as the same character. In Eternal’s online, only one player controls the Doomguy, while two others control a demon of their choice. You can play as fan-favorite enemies such as the Arch-vile, the Mancubus, and even the brand new Marauder (who is much more enjoyable to play than he is to fight).

The player controlling Doomguy is tasked to eliminate the two demon players as fast as possible. If he can’t kill them both quickly enough, then any dead demon player can respawn, effectively putting the Doomguy at square one. In contrast, demon players only need to kill one Doomguy, and they have the advantage of being able to summon lesser demons to harass him. It’s a 2v1 scenario, and can feel wildly unbalanced based on how good the demon players get at strategizing. This means that Eternal’s online probably won’t make it to the annals of esports fame, but it is certainly somewhat enjoyable. All in all, the online can be good for a fun time, but it is decidedly overshadowed by the single player experience. 

In terms of story, DOOM Eternal does a great favor to fans by finally clearing up the vague plot it established in DOOM (2016). In (2016), the Doomguy was no longer just a regular space marine in a bad situation (as he was presented in early Doom games), he was renamed as the DOOM SLAYER: a nigh invincible force of nature hellbent on pulling a one-man genocide on all of demon-kind. Heck, nobody was even sure if the original marine and the SLAYER were the same person. We know that in (2016), he had some vague connection to an inter-dimensional order of knights and a great betrayal that led to their downfall, but nothing was quite fleshed out.

(Warning: Minor Spoilers Ahead)

Well DOOM Eternal stops dangling the carrot in front of us and gives us some answers. The SLAYER and the Marine are one and the same. After Doom 64, Doomguy locked himself up in hell to wage his eternal war, and somehow traversed dimensions to wind up on the doorstep of the alien Argent D’Nur people. Through determination and pure rage, Doomguy was able to make his way from mere gladiator in their society to venerated member of the Night Sentinels (the aforementioned order of knights), and eventual demi-god of kingly renown. The crux of the plot in Eternal comes as the SLAYER faces off with the godlike beings that ruled the Argent D’Nur people, but eventually betrayed them to the demons in order to gain further power. 

This plot elevates Doomguy from a mere hollow shell through which the player can project themselves, to a true-blue legendary figure. There’s something awesome about knowing you’re this unstoppable, mystical force with centuries of history behind him. You’re not some Joe Schmoe with a shotgun, you’re the god-damned DOOM SLAYER, and any demon with a head on their shoulders better not be in the same room unless they want it removed with some 12-gauge buckshot. At the end of the day, the plot is nothing to write home about, but it makes the power fantasy much more potent, and the game more enjoyable as a result. 

In summary, DOOM Eternal is an amazing successor to DOOM (2016). It adds more to all the things that made its predecessor shine in all the right places. It’s a gruesome, indulgent power fantasy of immense proportion that satisfies all the gory cravings fans of the game have always had. Its single-player campaign makes the player feel epic, and despite some lackluster bosses, tends to succeed in anything it attempts. It’s online may not be the main event, but it’s not unenjoyable, and is certainly worth a few late-night gaming sessions with the bros.

I give DOOM Eternal a 9/10. 

Images: DOOM Eternal

RVA Game Cave Issue 1: Devil May Cry 3 for Switch

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Which button is X again? In the debut issue of RVA Game Cave, columnist Jonah Schuhart reviews The Devil May Cry 3 for Switch — and finds that the release cranks it up another notch by giving an old game some smokin’ new features. 

The Devil May Cry series is best known by Action Game fans (like me) and wisened-up nerds who remember when playing Halo multiplayer meant taking a nine-hour road trip to shoot people they had only talked to in AOL chat rooms. This series has been one of Capcom’s staples since its inception in 2001, and for good reason. The adventures of Dante  — also known as Wacky Woohoo Pizza Man — have grown increasingly more impressive with each iteration. The combat has been refined, the characters have become more likeable, and the action has become more balls-to-the-wall. 

However, even though the series’ most recent addition, Devil May Cry 5, completely outshines its predecessors in almost every respect, it is still very much worth it to go back and appreciate the OGs. Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition for the Nintendo Switch proves this with little to no doubt. The gameplay and absurd, campy storylines are as refined as they were when the game first came out in 2005, and are even improved with the new additions made on this re-release. 

Image via Devil May Cry 3 for Switch

If you’re not already aware, the Switch is a hybrid portable/home console. It functions as a tablet with detachable controllers (joycons) on either side. Users can remove the joycons and slide the tablet portion into a dock, which displays the games onto a television. Thankfully, the Switch does not detract from the game’s playability at all. I felt virtually no slowdown, so the port to this new console feels like it’s been well executed. 

The joycons, while smaller than an average controller, did not affect playability for the entire 20+ hours I sunk into this version of the game. I suppose I still would’ve preferred a regular controller at the end of the day, but so far, no game has convinced me that spending $60 on a Switch Pro Controller is worth it. This game is no exception. The only negative aspect I would attribute to DMC3 for Switch would be playing the smaller screen outside the home — it can be difficult when making sense of the hectic combat, but it doesn’t make the game unplayable by any means. In fact, I beat most of the game in the Switch’s mobile configuration. 

Being able to play this classic game anywhere certainly has its benefits, too, though I can’t say it was especially new for me (since any DMC fan with the PC version and a half-decent laptop has been playing this game on the go for years now). The biggest motivation for hardcore fans to buy this game comes with the addition of its “Free Style” game mode, and a new multiplayer function added to its Bloody Palace mode. 

Image via Devil May Cry 3 for Switch

“Free Style” officially adds a function that PC gamers using game mods have enjoyed in DMC3 for a while now. In DMC3 and its sequels, the protagonist, Dante, has access to four different styles of combat: Trickster, Swordmaster, Gunslinger, and Royal Guard. These styles can do a variety of things, from giving Dante an invincible dash/teleport, to adding new moves for his primary weapons. In general, they greatly increase the depth and freedom afforded to players during combat. In later games, Dante has been able to switch between these styles at any point in the game, with a simple press of the directional pad — which further increases the player’s versatility. In the earlier DMC3 edition, Dante was limited to one at a time, and could only switch his style in the menus between missions or at designated upgrade locations in the game’s levels. “Free Style” changes this, and gives Dante that instant style-switch that later iterations get to take advantage of.

The “Free Style” mode also allows Dante to switch between all five of his guns, and all five of his primary weapons, at any time as well. Previous versions of the game forced players to choose two of each at a time. This addition is great, because it lets Dante have the appropriate weapon for almost every situation. Unfortunately, Dante is also pigeonholed into having these weapons in a strict order. Technically, the player can bypass this by holding the weapon switch button and flicking the right stick in the appropriate direction, but that means they have to take their thumb from the face buttons, and that’s a complete no-no in most circumstances. This almost makes the traditional gameplay a more enjoyable and versatile experience, were it not for the novelty of style-switch being in an official version of the game. 

Vergil. Image via Devil May Cry 3 for Switch

Thankfully, the player can still choose to play the game the traditional way, without style-switch or ten weapons at once. To do so, they need to do play under a separate “save” file, meaning they have to regrind for all of their weapons and upgrades just to play the game through parts they’ve likely already beaten. 

The final addition made to this version of the game is its multiplayer “Bloody Palace” mode. Bloody Palace is a gauntlet of 100 levels that the player must complete in sequence, and now they can do so with a friend. One of the players controls Vergil (the game’s second playable character). Somehow, the developers of this port managed to design it without split-screens or making players fight for control of the camera. For the most part, it seems that two skilled players can conquer all 100 Bloody Palace stages.

All in all, DMC3 for the Switch is an amazing port. It’s a great way for new players to enjoy a classic entry in the series (though they might find some of the PS2-era game design decisions frustratingly difficult). It’s also a great way for experienced DMC vets to enjoy the game in a new way. At the end of the day, it’s the same great game fans of Japanese action games have worshipped for 15 years, but with even more content. 

I give Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition for the Switch an 8/10. 

Top Image via Devil May Cry 3 for Switch