Category: XBox one

Grand Theft Auto 5- 9 out of 10 (great replay value)

I’m old enough to have played the original Grand Theft Auto games before Rock Star Games became the juggernaut they are today. The first couple of games had mediocre graphics at best. They had very simple concepts. Steal cars. Run people over for points. Have sex with hookers to fill your health bar. While stupid in many ways, these were some of first video games that allowed you to control and play as a bad guy instead of a good guy. It was fun being a villain for a change instead of your stereotypical hero.

By Grand Theft Auto 3, I was starting to lose interest. The games were still funny, but pretty much the same old shit. Steal cars. Rob people. Run from cops. And so on and so on. I never got into Grand Theft Auto Vice City, San Andreas or V. Just recently I bought and played V. I will have to admit, it’s a very good game. Decent enough storyline. Tons of side missions to do. And very cool that you play as three different characters, all with storylines of their own and missions to complete.

(Michael De Santa. Lifelong criminal and first character you control in GTA5)

For those that have avoided and not played Grand Theft Auto V, let me give you a little background on the game. GTA5 was one of the most hyped games of all-time. In my life, it was the first game since Super Mario Brothers 3 that was hyped this much. I remember seeing at least a half-dozen commercials daily about it before its release. To date, GTA5 is the third best-selling video game in history. Sales of GTA5 currently stand at 115,000,000 copies sold.

What really made this game stand out was the open world. There are tons of areas to explore. You can customized not only your cars, but your clothes, physical appearance and weapons. You play as three characters. The game starts with you controlling a guy named Michael in a bank robbery gone wrong. Michael is a longtime crook. While he now lives a rich lifestyle due to helping the FEDS, Michael has a failing marriage and trouble relating with his two kids. Then there’s Franklin. A black man living in the more dangerous part of town. He is an excellent car thief with street knowledge. In his world, we see racism and parts of society many of us sadly wish to ignore. Last but not least, Trevor. The meth-out former “friend” of Michael’s. Trevor is unstable, crazy and shows no mercy toward those he dislikes or deems a threat.

(Franklin Clinton. To me, the most balance character of the game and overall, best one to control.)

To sum the game up without writing 35 paragraphs is simple. It reminds me of the movie Pulp Fiction. You have three characters. Each has their own set of main missions that you have to complete in order to advance and beat the game. Each has their own set of side missions you can do, which are optional. While each character has their own issues and problems they face, their storylines come together, leading to the main plot of the game. Rock Star did an awesome job with this. You can spend hours as Franklin. Completing as many side missions and exploring areas for hours and days. With a few controller outputs, bam, you are now controlling Trevor. His missions are completely different than Franklin’s. This helps keep the game fresh and gives it a very high replay value.

GTA5 is a great game. Some critics still see it as a primitive game of “beating up hookers, stealing cars and running from the police” which is not true. The game uses Satire to poke fun at politics, racism and other issues better than any gaming developer out there. With the said, the critics are also correct. At the end of the day, the game is about being a criminal. There is no redemption. Michael is still a cocky crook. Franklin is now a high class crook. Trevor is, well, still a crazy killer with millions of dollars now.

(While I find Trevor Phillips to be the funniest of the 3, I also find his missions to be my least favorite out of the 3.)

I’m happy I finally played GTA5 in late 2019. I spent about three weeks on it during the holidays. Overall I had a good experience with the game. I found the replay value to be high as there are so many missions and ways to play the game. The game has numerous endings and like RDR1 and RDR2, becomes an open world of free roam after you complete all the main missions. I am not sure the hype of why this game ranks third in sales all-time. While a very good game, I don’t see it as groundbreaking or legendary. With that said, I rate GTA5 a 9 out of 10.

Best selling video games of all-time

Taken from here with complete list of sources –

Minecraft180,000,000[b]Multi-platformNovember 18, 2011[c]MojangXbox Game StudiosGreen tick[3]
Tetris170,000,000[b]Multi-platformJune 6, 1984ElektronorgtechnicaVarious[d]Green tick[5][e]
Grand Theft Auto V115,000,000Multi-platformSeptember 17, 2013Rockstar NorthRockstar GamesGreen tick[9]
Wii Sports82,880,000WiiNovember 19, 2006Nintendo EADNintendoGreen tick[10]
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds50,000,000Multi-platformDecember 20, 2017PUBG CorporationPUBG CorporationGreen tick[11]
Super Mario Bros.48,240,000Multi-platformSeptember 13, 1985NintendoNintendoGreen tick[f]
Pokémon Red/Green/Blue/Yellow47,520,000Multi-platformFebruary 27, 1996Game FreakNintendoGreen tick[g]
Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus43,800,000WiiDecember 1, 2007Nintendo EADNintendoGreen tick[10]
Mario Kart Wii37,240,000WiiApril 10, 2008Nintendo EADNintendoGreen tick[10]
Wii Sports Resort33,110,000WiiJune 25, 2009Nintendo EADNintendoGreen tick[10]
New Super Mario Bros.30,800,000Nintendo DSMay 15, 2006Nintendo EADNintendoGreen tick[18]
New Super Mario Bros. Wii30,280,000WiiNovember 11, 2009Nintendo EADNintendoGreen tick[10]
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim [19]30,000,000Multi-platformNovember 11, 2011Bethesda Game StudiosBethesda SoftworksGreen tick[20]
Diablo III and Reaper of Souls30,000,000Multi-platformMay 16, 2012Blizzard EntertainmentBlizzard EntertainmentGreen tick[21]
Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal29,490,000Game Boy ColorNovember 21, 1999Game FreakNintendoGreen tick[h]
Duck Hunt28,300,000NESApril 21, 1984Nintendo R&D1NintendoGreen tick[23]
Wii Play28,020,000WiiDecember 2, 2006Nintendo EADNintendo☒[10]
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas27,500,000Multi-platformOctober 26, 2004Rockstar NorthRockstar Games☒[24]
Mario Kart 8/Deluxe27,450,000Multi-platformMay 29, 2014Nintendo EADNintendoGreen tick[i]
Terraria27,000,000[b]Multi-platformMay 16, 2011Re-LogicRe-LogicGreen tick[27]
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 326,500,000Multi-platformNovember 8, 2011Infinity Ward
Sledgehammer Games		ActivisionGreen tick[28]
Red Dead Redemption 226,500,000Multi-platformOctober 26, 2018Rockstar StudiosRockstar GamesGreen tick[9]
Call of Duty: Black Ops26,200,000Multi-platformNovember 9, 2010TreyarchActivisionGreen tick[28]
Grand Theft Auto IV25,000,000Multi-platformApril 29, 2008Rockstar NorthRockstar GamesGreen tick[29]
Pokémon Sun/Moon/Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon24,740,000Nintendo 3DSNovember 18, 2016Game FreakNintendo / The Pokémon CompanyGreen tick[j]
Pokémon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum24,730,000Nintendo DSSeptember 28, 2006Game FreakNintendo / The Pokémon CompanyGreen tick[k]
Call of Duty: Black Ops II24,200,000Multi-platformNovember 12, 2012TreyarchActivisionGreen tick[28]
FIFA 1824,000,000Multi-platformSeptember 29, 2017EA CanadaElectronic ArtsGreen tick[32]
Kinect Adventures!24,000,000Xbox 360November 4, 2010Good Science StudioXbox Game StudiosGreen tick[33]
Sonic the Hedgehog23,982,960[b]Multi-platformJune 23, 1991Sonic TeamSegaGreen tick[l]
Nintendogs23,960,000Nintendo DSApril 21, 2005Nintendo EADNintendoGreen tick[18]
Mario Kart DS23,600,000Nintendo DSNovember 14, 2005Nintendo EADNintendoGreen tick[18]
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 222,700,000Multi-platformNovember 10, 2009Infinity WardActivisionGreen tick[28]
Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald22,540,000Game Boy AdvanceNovember 21, 2002Game FreakNintendo / The Pokémon CompanyGreen tick[m]
Borderlands 222,000,000Multi-platformSeptember 18, 2012Gearbox Software2K GamesGreen tick[40]
Super Mario World20,972,500Multi-platformNovember 21, 1990Nintendo EADNintendoGreen tick[n]
Frogger20,000,000Multi-platformJune 5, 1981KonamiSega☒[41][42]
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City20,000,000Multi-platformOctober 27, 2002Rockstar NorthRockstar Games☒[43]
Lemmings20,000,000Multi-platformFebruary 14, 1991DMA DesignPsygnosis☒[44]
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt20,000,000Multi-platformMay 19, 2015CD Projekt RedCD ProjektGreen tick[45]
Brain Age19,010,000Nintendo DSMay 19, 2005Nintendo SPDNintendoGreen tick[18]
Super Mario Bros. 319,000,000Multi-platformOctober 23, 1988NintendoNintendoGreen tick[o]
Call of Duty: Ghosts19,000,000Multi-platformNovember 5, 2013Infinity WardActivisionGreen tick[47]
Mario Kart 718,470,000Nintendo 3DSDecember 1, 2011Nintendo EADNintendoGreen tick[30]
Super Mario Land18,370,500Multi-platformApril 21, 1989Nintendo R&D1NintendoGreen tick[p]
Grand Theft Auto III17,500,000Multi-platformOctober 22, 2001DMA DesignRockstar Games☒[43]
The Last of Us17,000,000Multi-platformJune 14, 2013Naughty DogSony Computer EntertainmentGreen tick[50]
Pokémon X and Y16,420,000Nintendo 3DSOctober 12, 2013Game FreakNintendo / The Pokémon CompanyGreen tick[30]
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild16,040,000Multi-platformMarch 3, 2017Nintendo EPDNintendo☒[q]
The Sims16,000,000Multi-platformJanuary 31, 2000MaxisElectronic Arts☒[52]
Need for Speed: Most Wanted16,000,000Multi-platformNovember 11, 2005EA Black BoxElectronic Arts☒[53]

Life is Strange – 9 out of 10 (sleeper hit)

(Max Caulfield. She will steal your heart with comments like “Are you cereal” like she did with me.)

Life is Strange is one of those surprise games. Before I downloaded episode 1, I had never heard anyone mention the game. It wasn’t one of those games that was hyped like Grand Theft Auto 5 or Red Dead Redemption 2. While the game received mediocre reviews overall, the game has one of the most loyal fanbases I’ve ever seen. You can count me as one of these fans.

I will start this review a little different. I will begin with the bad in the game. The graphics are out of date. A few cut scenes are terrible, as mouths of the characters don’t move while they speak. Some of the script is beyond stupid. I feel the writers were pressured into completion and just threw dialogue in there at times. The plot has more holes it in than a porno script. Normally all of this leads to a game sucking. Not the case with Life is Strange.

Why do we love this game? Max Caulfield and Chloe Price. That’s why. I am near 40 now and I can relate to them growing up. In high school I went through the whole “punk look” like Chloe, wearing leather jackets, gauges in my ears and combat boots. Deep down inside I was a nerd more like Max. Like Chloe, I had a couple of close friends that moved away.

Making decisions in the game actually matter. The first time I played, Frank Bowers hated Max. Second time I played the game, he was mostly nice. All of this was based on things I said and did toward him. During my first ever play through I made some dumb choices. This led to me watching the sweet Kate Marsh commit suicide. That was a shocking moment I did not expect.

(I still hate Mark Jefferson.)

The game had a lot of shocking moments. Nathan Prescott goes from rude prep to a crazed stalker. Frank Bowers, mean drug dealer, becomes a major ally in helping solve the mystery of Rachel Amber. Mr. Wells is shown to have personal issues such as heavy drinking, due to him being a coward and letting the rich elite snobs push him around, such as not punishing Nathan for having a gun. David Madsen, mostly portrayed as mentally unstable due to war, ends up saving Max. Then ole Mr. Jefferson. The beloved teacher who turned out to be the mastermind behind Rachel Amber’s death, the kidnapping of numerous girls and the dick who shot Chloe Price.

Life is Strange was the first game in a longtime to actually make me sad. When I saw Mark Jefferson shoot Chloe, I can recall yelling at my TV because Max was too weak to use her rewind power. Watching Kate die almost made me reset and start over, as I didn’t want to see her commit suicide. Having to pick on sparing Chloe or Arcadia Bay was stressful. My first play through I spared the Bay. Having to watch Chloe get shot again, well, it sucked. Sucked bad. Add a funeral scene with sad music at the end, damn you developers.

(Yeah, let’s just add as many sad scenes as we can toward the end.)

Max and Chloe have both became favorite video game characters of mine. The chemistry between the two was done well. Chloe is rebellious, but deep down inside she strives to be Max. Max on the other hand, learns to be more self-confident through the chapters as she spends more and more time with Chloe. Chloe learns from Max and offers to give her life for the greater good. A first as throughout the game before that point, everything was about Chloe. She was against her mom getting remarried, upset when she found out Rachel was seeing Frank and would go off anytime Max disagreed with her.

Life is Strange is a great video game. It has a very nostalgic feeling to it. People of the same age group of Max and Chloe can easily relate to them. Someone my age can too, as I’ve been through many of the things they have. A great story and great characters can win people of any age group over. Life is Strange does that well. I am happy I discovered this game by pure accident back in 2015.

While the game is far from perfect, the beautiful story and awesome two main characters make up for the bad. I give this game a 9 out of 10. This game was the sleeper success story of 2015.

Life is Strange Before the Storm – 6 out of 10 (a major let down)

(Max Caulfield and Chloe Price. Great chemistry which led to one of the most sad endings in video game history. Taken from Life is Strange.)

I discovered the original Life is Strange by luck. I downloaded episode 1 from the PlayStation store for free, knowing nothing about it. At first all I could think was “Man, this game is geared toward teen girls and dudes who think the Notebook is a good movie.” Lucky for me I kept playing and gave the game a chance. This game became the sleeper hit of 2015. The game even to this day has a radical fanbase and following. I may or may not have a tattoo of Max Caulfield.

The story and plot had many loopholes. There is an excellent video on YouTube showing this seen here. With that said, there are so many reasons people like me fell in love with the game. First, look at Max Caulfield and Chloe Price, the main two characters. They are fun. Cute. Funny. They are so different and yet, so very much alike. The game has a very nostalgic feeling to it as you watch Max and Chloe reconnect as friends.  Most of us have lost a close friend due to them moving away. The majority of us can relate to Max and Chloe in one way or another.

(Chloe Price and Rachel Amber from Life is Strange Before the Storm. 90% of the time I am ready for the damn cut-scene to just end!!!)

For those that have never played it, let me sum it up quickly. The game starts with a dream with Max waking up during the worst tornado in history. She then wakes up in class. Goes to the bathroom and witnesses Chloe getting shot. She then discovers she has the power to rewind time and change things. The entire game is based on choices, which all effect the game. Some in minor ways, while others effect the game in major ways. The game is based on the butterfly effect. Got it? Good.

Now, let’s fast forward to Life is Strange before the Storm which plot and story actually takes place before the events of Life is Strange. You play as Chloe and lead her on her journey with another girl named Rachel Amber. No special power. Just you sneaking into concerts, uncovering the truth about Rachel’s parents and fight a few drug dealers along way. Sounds neat, but far from it.

  1. I find way too many loopholes with this game. Many characters that we know from the original Life is Strange are so different in this game, it’s like the writers had no clue about the original story. Frank Bowers is seen as a mean drug dealer in the original. This game shows him as very calm, mainly toward the females. David Madsen, Chloe’s stepfather, is portrayed as mostly easy going and caring. In the original he is very sexist and strict, even smacking Chloe during an argument. Nathan Prescott is seen as shy and timid. He is a bully in the original.
  2. Rachel Amber is a boring side character. When Chloe tagged along, I enjoyed her company in the game. Knowing how the game started, all I could do was think about not letting her die. With Rachel, I could care less if she was in the scenes at all.
  3. In the original, you felt like your choices mattered. You can either save or not save a girl from suicide. You can help people from dangerous situations. In this game you backtalk people which leads to some of the laziest video script writing in history.
  4. The original had a sad ending, no matter what you choose. You can either save Chloe and watch the entire town get wiped out by the tornado or spare the town by sacrificing Chloe. This game, you simply tell Rachel about her dad’s murder plot or not. Sounds cool, but its hella not.
  5. The original has more chapters and takes longer to play. This one is a major letdown.
  6. The game really doesn’t explain anything. What made Rachel save Chloe at the beginning? Why did she all of a sudden want to be best friends with her? In the original, we know that Max and Chloe grew up together and were like family. We know that when Max moved, Chloe went through a downward spiral.

Now for some praise. I lost my father in 2017. He had dementia for the final three years of his life. Unlike Chloe’s father who died young and suddenly, my father lived to be 84 and we watched his decline. I can relate as I have dreams almost weekly of my dad. Most are about him and me watching sports, comedy or fishing. We talk and joke just like we did when he was alive. The Chloe dream scenes with her father hit home with me, as I’m sure they do with a lot of people.  

I did think the downward spiral of Chloe is done well in this game. Early in the game we see that Chloe is still pretty close with her mom. Overtime their relationship falls apart. We know from the original that Chloe hardly even speaks to her mom, as her mom talks to Max about losing her. We also see Chloe slowly become the punk rocker chick that we as fans love. That part was well done.

(Chloe being shot the second time in Life is Strange. One of the saddest moments in video gaming history.)

Overall, this game isn’t terrible. Just a major letdown for me after loving the original. It has some great moments but falls way short of what made Life is Strange awesome. I give this game a 6 out of 10.

(Hey, yo, ya dad plotted to murder your birth mother. Let’s dye my hair. Basically the ending of Life is Strange Before the Storm.)