Doom

Zach Goodier

Doom is a first-person shooter that reboots the original game. Now, some of you might be thinking the original is like an early 2000’s production…. No. This is meant as the spiritual reboot of the original 90’s game that, more or less, defined the modern shooter. Many of the demons will be familiar, and the game doesn’t throw a lot of story or character your way, only bloody, wondrous carnage.

Environments look and feel impressive to travel and fight in.

You play “Doom Guy,” AKA “Doom Slayer,” depending on who is describing you. You awake in a sarcophagus from Hell, in a UAC Mars facility in the midst of being overrun by demons. You quickly awake and begin smashing and blasting everything that crosses your path, and you soon meet/talk to a couple of survivors, who are each trying to accomplish their own ends: Olivia Pierce is trying to open the gate to Hell so the demonic overlords can usher in a new age for mankind, and Samuel Hayden, director of the Mars facility, who is helping you try to contain the nightmare.

Olivia Pierce is a fanatic who believes Hell will pave the way to humanities future.

The story is basically just killing demons and killing more demons, and that’s exactly why I loved every second. This is the true spiritual successor to the original game: it doesn’t throw exposition and characters at you, it just gives you a gun and points you to the demons.

Demon runes can be found by completing challenges to earn them.

So, if the story is deliberately minimal, then the entire single-player campaign is coming down to gameplay, and I am glad to say Doom delivers big time. The game has many of the classics, with some new looks and what not, and the same goes for the demons. You are running and gunning your way through corridors, open rooms with large hordes, and the deepest bowels of Hell itself. Weapons all have mods which can be swapped on the fly to alter your combat abilities, and they all look and feel unique in how they can work in your favor. Combat is fast-paced, tense, and richly satisfying, with glory kills, ragdoll physics, and gruesome carnage being cornerstones to combat.

Hell looks appropriately... well, you know.

Multiplayer is where the game does lose some steam, with all its’ modes being remakes of classic types, but the fast-paced combat is still present and enjoyable. For me, though, it’s all about the campaign, which is fantastic. With higher difficulties comes more fun, which is somewhat rare. Sure, the challenge is higher, but with the pacing, it makes everything feel faster and more exciting.

Good luck.

This is a fantastic game. It captures the essence of the classic Doom in a modern game. The graphics, pacing, and design all feel amazing. The rewards for exploration and skillful gameplay are great, with upgrades and challenges to work on, even after the campaign is over. Multiplayer is somewhat uninspired, but the look, feel, and action is all that fans of the originals should appreciate in a modern version.

Good:

-Great visuals and level design.

-Fast pacing keeps the action going and the player on edge.

-Challenges and upgrades to inspire replay.

Bad:

-Multiplayer is fairly unoriginal in concept, with most ideas already found in some form in other games.

Scully Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell

By: Robert Murphy

Saints Row IV took players in a different directions that the ones of previous generations have, instead of going from rags to riches, you go from riches to politicians. Long time leader of the Saints gets elected president and your rag tag team of lovable gangsters joins on as cabinet members. Then, an alien attack comes out of nowhere, the earth gets destroyed and the few remnants of humanity were dropped into a computer dream program like the one from the Matrix. Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell, picks up from the conclusion of all this as the team is all semi safe and flying around outer space in a stolen space ship. The day we pick off from in particular is a special one, it is red headed heart throb, Kinzie Kingston's birthday and all the surviving Saints members are celebrate and what better way to celebrate than with a good old fashion ouija board. However, unknown to all of them this board is possessed and it in turn opens a portal to Hell and sucks up the President of the United States (your former main character.) Now, you take on the role of big time muscle, Johnny Gat and optional go between Kinzie Kingston to go down to Hell and get back the President before he is married off to the devil's daughter, Jezebele. 

The name of the game for Gat Out of Hell is destruction and chaos, basically Johnny's plan for getting back the boss is to shoot the devil right in the face. An admirable plan to be sure, you will be going around the five districts of Hell during the game, the Barrens, Shantytown, Downtown, Forge and the Den to try and attract as much of Satan's attention as you can. You do this by completing Diversion mission strewn throughout the districts which are basically minigames and throwbacks to the classic Saints Row minigames we have seen before. A standard Survival mission is present where you kill off a varied wave of demons and other enemies. There is also a mission involving a capture the tower type scenario where you take over three spots in a soul extraction facility as well as a Pledge challenge where you whack frat boy demons with popped collars into a Stargate looking portal with a studded paddle. Admittedly fun for the first few times you do it but sadly this is the extent of the games range in terms of gameplay missions, there aren't any story style missions to go through that players have become familiar with and the game boils down to repeatedly doing these minigames over and over again. 

The new look and style for the game is a bit of an enjoyment though as you dawn the wings of the fallen angel and gain the ability to fly, run at super speeds, jump super high and etc. Gat and Kinzie get new demonic stylings to their old looks and new abilities from some of your unlikely allies. Former enemies of the Saints are now on your side as well as two new but well known names from history aide you in your quests, a disc spinning DJ Shakespeare and a still impaling people with pointy sticks Vlad are here to help. They all introduce you to new abilities, a force stomp, an aura area shield, summoning and a blast ability all become a part of your arsenal. Each of which has a cool down system to limit your use but this can be upgraded through collecting the soul clusters that can be plainly seen from any high place. There are also ritual spires throughout Hell that unlock different effects for all these abilities such as a vampire perk to your aura that drains life from those around you and a holy stomp ability that harms nearby enemies with a flash of divine energy. 

Along with these new abilities, Gat Out of Hell features new hellish weaponry for you to find and use. Weapons modeled off of the Seven Deadly Sins are present for your destructive pleasure, Sloth being my personal favorite which is an arm charm equipped with two mini guns and rockets below the foot rest. There's also a soul sucking Sloth gun that turns souls in rockets which burst on impact and shards target nearby foes, a Greed style SMG with enough bling to make Liberace faint. Outside these big named weapons though are other guns such as the Lil' Croaker that shoots plague referencing frogs everywhere which explode on impact along with other gems to add to your chaos across the land. While the Seven Sins guns are more unique, the other guns really are just remodels of things like grenade launchers so there isn't much diversity among them but it's still a kooky element of fun for the game that we know Saints Row is famous for. 

It is a bit of a let down to see features that work so well for previous games be gutted in this stand alone DLC though. There isn't anything in the way of weapon purchasing outside of finding and then upgrading the stock weapons you are given and vehicle purchasing and upgrading are gutted from Gat Out of Hell too. Also, character customization and custom penthouse cribs are left out of the picture which made me feel that the game wasn't as stand alone as it is made out to be.

All in all, I am a bit torn by Gat Out of Hell. The ridiculous gameplay and laughs are still there as it is with the previous Saints Row titles but something about it just doesn't feel well worked out. It is incredibly fun and easy to get yourself started on the road to hell but once you realize what little there is to do, you'll find yourself beating the game and ending it before you even really began. I had just started doing more of the main minigame missions after causing serious havoc when the game chimed in with it's musical halfway point and then the final battle with Satan was shortly followed without me doing much of anything. The weapons, abilities and demonic powers/look will all be fun for you but to quote Johnny Gat, "Is this really all Hell has got to offer?"

Good:

- Crazy weapons, abilities and characters

- Hell is interestingly designed and is frankly kinda cool, despite how awkward it is to say that out loud but it's true

Bad:

- No real missions to speak of, mainly just minigames that are carbon copies from past games

- Character customization and other favored features are left out

- You could almost do none of the "missions" for the game and still reach the end, making you ask "what was the point?"

Scully Rating: 4.5 out of 10 

  

Black Butler

By: Robert Murphy

The time period is set in Victorian England and we open on a fiery seen as the Phantomhive estate burs to the ground and the sole survivor of the blaze is young Ciel Phantomhive and after losing both his parents to the fire he alone is left in charge of his family’s business. However Ciel is not alone for long, for after the fire Ciel emerges with a strange man never before seen or employed by the Phantomhive family. This strange “man’s” name is Sebastian Michaelis and he is ever present at Ciel’s side as his loyal butler but he is not only a butler, he is also a demon, yes you heard me right. Ciel has undergone a deal with Sebastian that in exchange for his mortal soul Sebastian will do all it takes to see that justice befalls the house of Phantomhive and find out what unfolded the night of the fire at the Phantomhives estate. Now with someone like Sebastian at your side, I would be frightened to be someone who is after as he possesses high levels of speed, strength and agility as well as being an expert on just about anything he is put to the task to preform by his master, making him “one hell of a butler.”

You’ve never seen a butler like this before.

Most of the show centers around young Ciel and Sebastian as Ciel preforms his duties as Lord Phantomhive and serves Queen and country in the family business which is being the loyal dog of the empire and putting an end to any mysterious or wrong doings occur. These events usually very from mysterious murders to strange happenings in a remote town but are often seen as too daunting or delicate to be handle or entrusted to the police. And while this all seems to be an incredibly serious job and task you find yourself not feeling the seriousness as Sebastian leaves you laughing and smirking with his devilish grin and demeanor. Ciel and Sebastian bicker with one another constantly throughout the shows span and you often forget that this is a demon that wants to and will eventually one day devour Ciel’s soul. The often whacky situations the show features also bring the appeal to the show with things like a curry cooking competition or when Ciel must dress as a young girl to find out a missing girl plot is simply hilarious. The show also isn’t without its serious moments especially when it comes to uncovering the secrets behind Ciel’s parent’s death on the night of the fire as well as some serious cases involving mysterious murders, making “Black Butler” a perfect mix of funny and serious.

 Some of the amazing character of Black Butler.

Now demons alone aren’t the only supernatural thing that is going on in the show, many if not all the cases Ciel is sent to complete have a supernatural aspect to them and we are introduced to a world of unique characters. These characters that you meet are just another aspect that makes the show great for me and even though “Black Butler” revolves around Ciel and Sebastian, there are many other enjoyable side characters in the show as well and not all of them are human like I said. Perhaps one of my favorite characters, other than Sebastian, is the Undertaker who is sort of a wild card with his off brand sense of humor like hiding in coffins and his overall appearance makes him a truly unique character. All the character in the show are brought together with beautifully designed animation, characters seen in the background are unique from one another and fit the era they are set in and this of course carries over to the main and supporting cast of characters as well.

No this isn’t Code Geass, but just as cool.

What else is there to say about “Black Butler” except you should be watching it, smooth and sweet talking Sebastian steals the show whenever he is on screen as his seemingly endless knowledge and skills with just about everything makes him an amazing character. The relationship between Ciel and Sebastian is also very unique and enjoyable to watch as often time Sebastian makes Ciel feel is age but at the same time Ciel’s quick wits get the best of Sebastian at times as well. If a thing could be said about the show that may not go over well with viewers, it’s that the show was initially meant to be a romantic show about Ciel and Sebastian but was changed to what we have now. This aspect does shine through at times though when Sebastian’s affections for Ciel seem to go beyond that off a demon wanting his soul. But what remains can be dispelled as Sebastian’s true desire to feast on Ciel’s unique soul as Sebastian rarely feeds on souls that are not exceptional and that are weaker and lesser human beings. The seriousness of soul eating aside, “Black Butler” is an exceptional show with great characters and a lot of laughs tide together with serious scores of murder and mystery that comes to fall on Ciel’s life and duties to the Queen and country.

Good:

-Great main and supporting characters

-Sebastian is a truly exceptional character

-An endearing an highly enjoyable story

Bad:

-The sometimes confusing romance that seems to befall Ciel and Sebastian may not go to well for everyone

Scully Rating: 9.0 out of 10 

DMC: Devil May Cry Vergil's Downfall Gameplay Trailer

Hey, guys! Zach here, just bringing some of the latest DMC news. I loved the game, but I felt more could have been done with the story.  "Vergil's Downfall" looks to possibly contain that little bit of extra story I was yearning for.  Ok, so this trailer came out of Japan, but I selected it for 2 reasons: 1) It showcases some of the new combos and abilities you'll get to use as Vergil, and 2) It's something you might not have seen before now.  It appears that the DLC is going to possibly be set in Hell itself, which would fit the lore of the old Devil May Cry games to a certain extent.  This is set after the end of DMC, so I can't really get into too many details or I might spoil some of the main story for you.  Needless to say, I'm excited, and we'll try to get you any news we find.  "Vergil's Downfall" is set to release before the end of this month, so stay tuned, and I'll be sure to get you guys a review out as soon as I can.

Scully Trailer Rating: Looks Awesome.