Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau...

This post includes my first piece following the success of Wales today. The three feathers drawn and shaded with one standard pencil. I've included three pictures of the drawing, two have been taken with a camera and one that has been scanned.

The first picture is the image after being scanned:

The second picture is the image captured with a camera:

 The third picture is also the image captured with a camera:

Feel free to leave any feedback on the above images. Any suggestions regarding what I could draw next would be appreciated!

A New Venture...

Owing to my passion for drawing, this section of my blog will showcase my artwork. I'd love you to get involved with this segment. If there is anything you would like to see me draw, please feel free to suggest it to me. I'm always looking for a challenge to test my patience and creativity regarding my artwork.

Thought of anything? Feel free to send me a tweet or comment and I'll get my stationery at the ready!

The Month Ahead: March 2012

Since the beginning of 2012, the volume of games being released has been increasing to a slight degree. March sees a massive influx in releases and a drastic change of pace for us gamers. We find ourselves in that arduous situation once more where we must choose from an array of tantalising games. Are you slightly unsure which titles you should purchase from this bountiful release schedule? I’ll be taking a brief look at some of the titles which may aid you in determining the ideal releases for you!

SSX

Developer(s): EA Canada

Publisher(s): EA Sports

Genre(s): Sports

Mode(s): Single play, multiplayer

Platform(s): Playstation 3, Xbox 360

Release date(s): February 28, 2012 (NA) March 1, 2012 (NZ and AU) March 2, 2012 (EU) March 15, 2012 (JP)

Avid gamers worldwide have been anxious for the release of this highly anticipated title. It was first revealed under the working title of SSX: Deadly Descents during the Spike Video Game Awards in 2010.

In SSX, the player takes control of an individual to snowboard down various real-life mountains. Examples of where these mountains reside are the Himalayas and the Antarctic. This is the first game within the SSX series to utilise real-life locations as opposed to fictional courses. The game allows the player to utilise helicopters and wingsuits during their snowboarding experience. SSX also includes avalanches as you attempt to traverse the snowy landscapes.

The level design within SSX has altered slightly from previous releases in the franchise. It features greater open world gameplay and fewer invisible walls and barriers, which allows the player to experience more freedom when playing the game. SSX utilises the combo system to allow for the generation of trick points for completing various tricks and moves. The game features an eclectic range of music from the likes of Run-D.M.C to the Two Door Cinema Club.

Mass Effect 3

Developer(s): BioWare

Publisher(s): Electronic Arts

Genre(s): Role-playing game

Mode(s): Single play, multiplayer

Platform(s): PC, Playstation 3, Xbox 360

Release date(s): March 6, 2012 (NA) March 8, 2012 (AU) March 9, 2012 (EU) March 15, 2012 (JP)

Mass Effect 3 will mark the final chapter of the renowned trilogy, which will complete the story of Commander Shepard. The decisions made during Mass Effect 1 and 2 will directly affect the gameplay within Mass Effect 3. Upon importing your character, appearance and class can be altered. The character creator featured in Mass Effect 3 will include more features and hair-styles than previously available in Mass Effect 2.

The game will showcase tweaks to the combat system and cover system. The inclusion of instant melee kills and more conventional grenades will also be present in Mass Effect 3. A four player multiplayer co-op experience will also be included in the game. Upon completion of the game, the player will be granted to a New Game+ option which allows them to continue playing following the end of the main plotline. It also presents the opportunity to start the story again with their finished Shepard and collect items they may not have retrieved in their first playthrough.

Street Fighter X Tekken

Developer(s): Capcom

Publisher(s): Capcom

Genre(s): Fighting

Mode(s): Single play, multiplayer

Platform(s): PC, Playstation 3, Xbox 360

Release date(s): March 6, 2012 (NA) March 8, 2012 (JP) March 9, 2012 (EU)

Street Fighter X Tekken is an upcoming crossover fighting game. The game will include characters from the Street Fighter and Tekken series. The gameplay will be based on the 2D gameplay featured within Street Fighter as opposed to the Tekken series. The game incorporates elements such as Super Combos and EX Attacks from Street Fighter IV.

Players are required to select two fighters from the Street Fighter and Tekken series when preparing for combat. Both sets of characters will be controlled utilising the Street Fighter 6-button system, however, the Tekken characters possess the ability to perform Tekken style combos utilising the primary four buttons in a similar manner to the Tekken 4-button system.  As the fight progresses, a three sectioned meter known as the Cross Gauge will fill up with power. Depending on how much power has been amassed, it grants the player the ability to perform various techniques and moves such as EX Attacks, Cancels and Super Arts.

The Sims 3: Showtime

Developer(s): The Sims Studio

Publisher(s): Electronic Arts

Genre(s): Life simulation game

Mode(s):  Single play

Platform(s): PC

Release date(s): March 6, 2012 (NA) March 9, 2012 (EU)

The Sims 3: Showtime is the sixth expansion pack of The Sims 3 series. The introduction of SimPort allows individuals to send performers on tour to perform shows within their friends’ towns. The player can also invite your friends to send their Sims to perform for them which also grants them the ability to customise the venue with props, lights and special effects. The player can throw items at performers if they wish such as lettuce or flowers.

Choosing not to utilise the SimPort option will not alter of hinder gameplay with any interactions that do not require SimPort. Using SimPort allows the player to unlock props, costumes and backgrounds for their Sims. Sims who visited a player’s town will default to the traits, clothes and objects that they possess in their game. Players have the ability to converse with one another via messaging whilst their Sims performed in other towns.

Silent Hill: Downpour

Developer(s): Vatra Games

Publisher(s): Konami Digital Entertainment

Genre(s): Survival horror

Mode(s): Single play

Platform(s): Playstation 3, Xbox 360

Release date(s): March 13, 2012 (INT)

Silent Hill: Downpour will be the eighth instalment in the Silent Hill series. The protagonist is a prisoner by the name of Murphy Pendleton who is stranded in Silent Hill, after the prison transport vehicle he was on-board careers off a road. The plot within Downpour will focus primarily on Murphy and unrelated to the previous instalments of the series. The events of Downpour will take place in the southeastern region of Silent Hill, which until this release has never been explored in past instalments of Silent Hill. 

The protagonist will have access to few firearms and various breakable melee weapons in Silent Hill: Downpour. It is only possible to carry one single melee weapon at a time in the game. Downpour will include side-quests that will alter depending on the individual’s playing style. Buildings that were featured in past instalments of Silent Hill such as the hospital and school will not be included in Downpour. The element of water plays a fundamental role in this title, with torrential rain being featured.

Resident Evil: Operation Racoon City

Developer(s): Slant Six Games

Publisher(s): Capcom

Genre(s): Action

Mode(s): Single play, multiplayer

Platform(s): PC, Playstation 3, Xbox 360

Release date(s):  March 20, 2012 (NA) March 22, 2012 (AU) March 23, 2012 (EU) April 26, 2012 (JP) (Playstation 3 & Xbox 360) May 18, 2012 (EU & NA) (PC)

The plot of Resident Evil: ORC will take place during the events of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. The game is set within Racoon City where the residents have transformed into zombies following an outbreak of the T-virus, a biological weapon developed by the pharmaceutical company Umbrella. The player will take the role of either an officer of the Umbrella Security Service (USS) or the United States Special Operations Force. Each side is assigned with their own individual task to complete. The members of the USS are assigned the task of destroying evidence regarding Umbrella’s illegal activities, including eliminating survivors of the outbreak. The Special Operations team is assigned with the task of exposing the actions of the company. Resident Evil: ORC will require the player to make ‘what-if’ decisions throughout the game.

There are twelve playable characters in Resident Evil: ORC, with six characters for each team. Alongside the single player mode, the game also includes a four-player co-op experience which pits the USS against the US Special Operations task force.

With such a tremendous selection of games being released in March, the pockets of gamers are going to be stretched to full capacity. Hopefully this brief look at a handful of titles being released will aid you in making a decision regarding which ones you should purchase. I’ve also included a list of other titles being released which may capture your interest. I’d like to thank you for taking the time to read this article.

Many thanks,

Hannah

List of releases: VGReleases

Sources: IGN, Gamespot, Wikipedia

Final Fantasy XIII-2 Review

Following the release of Final Fantasy XIII, the segregation between Final Fantasy fans has become abundantly clear. Many fans were dissatisfied with the quality of the release and the apprehension regarding the release of Final Fantasy XIII-2 became apparent. I, for one, enjoyed Final Fantasy XIII immensely but still proceeded to approach this release with an unbiased opinion and open mind.

Despite the appearance of this title closely resembling its predecessor, Final Fantasy XIII-2 showcases enhancements to gameplay and an extremely engaging plotline and narrative. Although it is indeed a sequel to Final Fantasy XIII, there are clear examples of alterations throughout this title.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 features random encounters as you traverse a location. This feature allows for bountiful combat opportunities, but can be somewhat frustrating as they appear frequently and can hinder your progress. As these random encounters take place, you are greeted with an encounter circle. If you vacate so that no enemies are present within the circle, you flee the battle and are not required to engage in combat. A mog clock is also displayed upon enemies appearing .The mog clock is a countdown system that represents the opportunity to achieve a pre-emptive strike upon the enemy. The quicker you engage the first strike upon the enemy, the more opportunity there is to successfully administer a pre-emptive strike.

 Paradigms allow you to customise your party’s formation and strategy for battle. Various formations will aid you in combating enemies and bosses. A formation that allows you to defeat one group of enemies may not work on others. Players can now assign monsters to their paradigms within Final Fantasy XIII-2. Upon defeating a specific enemy, you are granted access to allocate them to your paradigm. Each monster possesses unique abilities and attributes, which can be developed within the crystarium. Upon selecting a monster, the formations available to you within the paradigms expand.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 grants you access to a trusty companion known as a Moogle. A Moogle’s bobble will glow when you are within the vicinity of special items and treasures. It may also help you discover artefacts and lead you to locations where live triggers are present. A Moogle also has a unique function known as ‘The Moogle Hunt.’ Treasure sphere and other objects which are out of phase with the current timeline will reside across various locations. These hidden objects will be made noticeable by a shimmering aura. With Moogle’s assistance, the paradox effect is dispelled and will allow access to the now-tangible object.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 places a massive emphasis on conversing with people throughout the various locations. You are able to converse with individuals and discover information that is sometimes helpful regarding the storyline. The characters may also converse amongst themselves, especially during live triggers. These live triggers appear occasionally and are an opportunity to discover more about the character and sometimes topics such as location and history. Upon receiving a question during these live triggers, there are four unique responses present, depending on the nature of the discussion. This directly affects the response of the other character you are conversing with. As you make progress, people may proposition you with missions you may wish to undertake. You are not required to partake in these missions, they are simply side missions. Upon completion, you will receive a reward for your efforts.

During selected parts of the game, you have access to Chocobos. Upon mounting a Chocobo, you may traverse the map freely with no worry of being attacked or having to engage in combat. Chocobo’s also grant you access to locations you may be unable to reach on foot. You must feed a Chocobo a gysahl green before they will allow you to mount them.

Throughout the Final Fantasy XIII-2 experience, you are required to time travel through the Historia Crux. It acts as a compass for navigating time and allows you to select a year and location that you wish to travel to. With each gate successfully unlocked, more locations become available to you. Gate seals allow you to close various locations within the Historia Crux. Upon closing a location, it resets part of their history. It can also be utilised to rewind to a point before an artefact was obtained, allowing you to complete past mysteries again.

Whilst you travel to plentiful locations, you may discover a function known as a temporal rift. To progress further, you must unravel the mystery presented and resolve the anomaly. You may also encounter cinematic actions within Final Fantasy XIII-2. During the cinematic action segment, you will be prompted to complete a button sequence. Upon completing this sequence perfectly, you receive a random bonus. Decision making is a primary feature within Final Fantasy XIII-2. The game will present you with a situation and prompt you to select an action to resolve the predicament.

Owing to the difficulty of individual enemies within Final Fantasy XIII-2, you may find yourself seeking robust weaponry and items to aid you in your quest. Chocolina’s Shop appears in various locations throughout the game. The shop grants you bountiful amounts of weapons, items and accessories to compliment your character’s abilities. Each accessory possesses a unique attribute, and clever combinations will improve the capabilities of your characters. Weapons can also be optimised to focus on strength, magic and HP.

The quality of presentation within Final Fantasy XIII-2 is phenomenal which swiftly captured my interest. The inclusion of music and sound created a powerful atmosphere in specific sections of the game. I did find occasionally the use of specific tracks became repetitive but, was utilised effectively for the most part. Final Fantasy XIII-2 combines a harrowing storyline with a light-hearted connection between two protagonists, creating an emotion-wrenching experience for the player. If you were not a fan of Final Fantasy XIII, chances are this title will not sway your opinion. If you’re possibly a fan of the older releases within the Final Fantasy series or have not played the prequel, this game may present a new lease of life for you. It provides a brief summary of the prequel so this game is accessible to avid fans of Final Fantasy or those who are just beginning their journey.

Thanks for reading,

Hannah

Mass Effect 3: Multiplayer Demo

Upon discovering that multiplayer would be implemented in Mass Effect 3, it left me with an extreme feeling of apprehension. I believe many would concur that the inclusion of multiplayer within Mass Effect was not a necessity. The series is renowned for the prowess it possesses in conjuring an illustrious single player experience. With such powerful story telling capabilities and a remarkable following, would implementing a multiplayer function damage the reputation of such a successful series? I’ll be discussing the multiplayer capabilities presented in the Mass Effect 3 demo.

For those who may be apprehensive regarding story spoilers in the demo, the campaign and multiplayer modes are completely separate. Once you begin the demo, you are prompted to select a character. You must assign a class to your character before proceeding to matchmaking.  There are six classes to choose from with each class possessing unique attributes and abilities, which will aid you throughout the multiplayer experience. As you progress and gain experience points, you will unlock additional characters within each class.

Upon selecting your class, the option to customise your character is presented.  The demo allows you to customise the primary and highlight colour of your character’s armour. It also allows you to assign your character a unique name. As you level up, additional customisation options unlock such as patterns, pattern colour and lights. 

Along with experience points, you receive additional points when levelling up that are utilised to improve abilities such as weapon damage and health. As your level increases, additional weapons become available. This allows you increased flexibility when choosing a suitable kit and weapon layout. Details of a weapon’s capability and statistics are displayed which simplifies the task of choosing a suitable weapon for your unique playing style. After completing an objective during a match, you are rewarded credits which allow you to purchase packs that include additional weaponry, items and characters.

The demo allows you to create a lobby which can be toggled to private or public access. Four players are able to simultaneously partake in each match. The multiplayer sets you against waves of enemies with the primary objective of surviving. It also presents secondary objectives such as uploading data and defeating specific enemies. Completion of the secondary objectives awards you with credits, as I mentioned earlier.

There are three difficulties present within the demo, which are represented by ‘bronze, silver and gold’ categories. The demo provides two maps for you to battle the waves of enemies presented. As you traverse the map and defeat enemies, you are rewarded experience points for completing various challenges such as; achieve 25 kills or 10 headshots. There are ten waves present in the demo which become increasingly arduous as you progress.  As you complete the final wave, you are required to vacate to the extraction point and survive and combat the remaining enemies that appear for an allotted time period.

Despite my scepticism regarding the implementing of a multiplayer mode within Mass Effect, I approached this multiplayer demo with an open mind. I enjoyed the multiplayer immensely despite it being somewhat arduous at times. The multiplayer requires a consistent amount of communication and strategic teamwork to achieve success and reach the final wave. The multiplayer becomes difficult when members of the team separate and attempt to defeat the enemies alone.

I still stand by my original statement that the multiplayer mode is not a necessity for the Mass Effect series, but the multiplayer experience that has been implemented is an extremely enjoyable addition.

Thank you for taking the time to read.

Hannah

The Cinema: An Oscar Winning Experience?

Having ventured to the cinema this week, I swiftly uncovered the alarming expense and annoyances involved in the cinema experience. For the most part, attending the cinema is a pleasant experience. The vast array of films on display means that there’s a choice of film for everyone. A bountiful selection of confectioneries and refreshments ensures that your hunger and thirst is quenched as you enjoy the latest blockbuster. With such a picture perfect image presented, people often neglect the extreme expense and annoyances that are associated with the cinema. This article will be focusing on observations I’ve made whilst partaking in public film viewing.

Upon selecting a film to view, you are prompted to pay a fee for your ticket. I fully appreciate that profit must be accumulated in some form, but requesting seven pounds for a film that’s being displayed for merely an hour and a half seems preposterous.  It seems increasingly ludicrous when you consider that said film will become available on DVD within a matter of months for a similar price.

Having received your ticket, you find yourself craving some of the sweet confectionaries and refreshments on display. You scuttle over fixated with the multitude of sweet treats available to you. Once you’ve selected which mouth-watering sweets you wish to purchase, you find yourself having to part with over ten pounds to enjoy them. Ten pounds may seem like an exaggerated figure, but if you examine the prices of these products meticulously, it becomes abundantly clear that ten pounds doesn’t purchase much in the cinema.

The extravagant price tags placed within the cinema would be problematic for any individual. This financial burden would double for those who have large/extended families. With film trailers constantly being displayed on the television and online, it’s extremely difficult to escape the advertisement ploys that are transmitted.

With your tickets in hand and an array of treats and snacks to devour, you make your way to your selected film. As you enter the designated screening venue, you glance at the seating area only to discover that it is full to capacity. To make matters worse, the majority of the audience are teenagers. You traverse the area, squinting in the darkness searching for a seat. As you discover one, you proceed to make yourself comfortable in preparation for the film.

To your disgust, an onslaught of popcorn and confectionaries is heading your way, followed by sniggers and mild chatter by those aforementioned teenagers. The film begins and you find it difficult to concentrate with the running commentary and comments from the individuals around you. Testing your patience further, the deafening ringing of a mobile phone interrupts the film. Not to mention the people who insist on purchasing refreshments or taking bathroom breaks religiously throughout the whole film. As you vacate the building, you find yourself agitated and confused as to the actual plotline behind the film you watched.

As I mentioned previously, for the most part, attending the cinema is an enjoyable experience. What I merely wished to point out during this article is something that we come across within everyday life. I believe that partaking in public film watching involves a level of respect. You may agree or disagree with this statement, I’m not quite sure. I feel the acts mentioned above such as the conversing during a film demonstrate a lack of respect for the people around them. If individuals merely thought about how their actions affected others or how they’d feel if the situation were reversed, I think this disruptive attitude would become redundant.

Regarding the financial burden of the cinema, I feel that prices are ridiculously inflated and major companies do not consider how this affects their audience. If prices were decreased, it would extend their audience thus generating similar if not healthier revenue. 

I would like to thank you for taking the time to read this article. I must express my eagerness in hearing your feedback regarding this article and any article I’ve included here. 

Once again, thanks for reading.

Hannah