Microsoft Revealed The Xbox One, And I'm A Bit Worried

This is my opinion, and is based primarily on the press events held by Sony and Microsoft to announce their new consoles and information released to the media after said events. It is my hope that what I have written here is proven to be be false worry rather than prophecy.

Earlier this year, Sony revealed (kinda) the successor to the Playstation 3. That presser threw numbers around and left a lot to the imagination. Almost on cue, Microsoft revealed that they too would be revealing a new console in a press event. This announcement was supposed to trump Sony's presser and in my humble opinion, it didn't. Let me explain: from the gamer's perspective, this did nothing to get me excited about a new console. Over the last few years, Microsoft has shown up at E3 with less information about their games and more about all the non gaming things the Xbox 360 can do, and with their new console, Xbox One, Microsoft has jumped into the deep end of the "everything box that just happens to play games" pool at start. This may be a great thing to convince someone who isn't a gamer into buying the new console, it does nothing for the gamer who has gone through the motions with motions with Microsoft for years.

The Xbox One, for all it's bells and whistles is suffering from jaded gamer fatigue with portions of the community as of right now. I can't get excited for something that at least based on this press event, isn't made for me. There are too many question marks as far as the console's connectivity is concerned, and too many things that seem to be required. I never thought I would ever feel pushed out of gaming, but the consoles on the horizon, in particular the Xbox One are giving me that feeling right now. Console gaming may have reached the point many gamers were afraid of: the point where the actual gaming portion has become a gimmick. This saddens me to no end, but if the new Microsoft and Sony consoles prove to not be for gamers, I can always go to a flea market or auction site and start looking for more retro consoles.

I Got Stuff In The Mail!

So, I got a few games in the mail and wanted to share with y'all.

Bioshock Infinite: Who Knew How Pretty 1912 Was?

Hype in this current gaming climate can be dangerous. Every few months, a torrent of hype builds around something in gaming that, for better or worse, stirs gamers into a frenzy. This latest thing happens to be the third installment in a franchise that has seen amazing highs and the sting of utter mediocrity. It was lauded with so much praise that it hearkened to memories of Daikatana, or more recently the utter trainwreck that was Duke Nukem Forever. This game is Bioshock Infinite, and while it was an awesome game and easily one of the best titles to be released this console generation, it was bogged down by expectations that no video game could possibly live up to.

While the first two Bioshock titles were set in the underwater city of Rapture, Infinite is set in the flying city of Columbia, decades before the events of the first game in the series.The player takes control of a man named Booker Dewitt who is charged with rescuing a girl named Elizabeth from a tower in Columbia. Dewitt's arrival and subsequent actions within the confines of Columbia prove to cause a considerable ruckus, pulling the pair into a rebellion among the primarily Black poor population of the city, pitting you at odds with what initially appears to be the supernatural. The story takes twists and turns and involves a twist that you may not see coming if you aren't heavy into science fiction stories.

Gameplay is well done, yet nothing new. Bioshock Infinite is at it's core a First Person Shooter, and you have to appreciate that genre and it's quirks in order to even remotely enjoy this game. All the elements needed to make this a great shooter are present, though: fast paced action, enemy AI that isn't utterly idiotic, responsive control, and Elizabeth's special abilities prove to be quite the asset. Boss fights in Bioshock are quite epic in the grand scheme of things, and there's a moment where the character you initially think will be your final boss fight ends up being quite an ally. The weapon variety is pretty solid, with standard fare like machine guns, shotguns, pistols, sniper rifles, and rocket launchers. Then there are the Vigors, which serves as the replacements for the Plasmids from the first two games. They run the range of defensive and offensive abilities from enemy possession to elemental attacks. It's all pretty cool, but nothing that hasn't been done before.

The best part of this game, besides it's obvious good looks,  has to be Elizabeth, as she serves as more of an assistant that a damsel. she will regularly find health and ammo refills during battles and money during calmer moments and she she picks locks during the game, making it possible to access new areas and find new items. Her presence in the game is definitely welcome, as she turns the damsel in distress trope regularly seen in games on it's head. Another notable character is the leader of the Vox Populi movement, Daisy Fitzroy. Fitzroy is the primary character of color in the game, and as leader of this rebellion movement, she proves to be a formidable character. It's sad that she doesn't take a larger role in the game, and she would be a strong playable character for upcoming DLC.

Bioshock Infinite is a solid game with stronger story elements and aesthetics than gameplay. It's easily one of the best games of this console generation, but given the general overall quality of many "major" releases this console generation, that may not be saying much. That isn't to say Bioshock Infinite isn't worth a purchase. If you need something truly special gameplay wise to get you to pay $60 or more for a game, you may want to wait for this one to drop in price.

Latest Pickups, Donations, And A Few Shout Outs

This video is a little late, but it's my way of saying thank you.

Capcom Revives some Of Their Greats

Capcom showed up at PAX East and decided to drop a bombshell of retro awesome in the form of a few HD remasters.

Einhander: Square's SHMUP Masterpiece

For the longest time, Square has been known exclusively as the "Final Fantasy people" by those who only know them for that long running series. Square is responsible for some awesome titles that aren't even tied to their landmark RPG series, especially during the days of the first Sony Playstation. One of their most underrated titles is a shoot em up that features an interesting play on traditional power up mechanics seen in other titles in the genre, an incredible soundtrack, and visuals that have held up much better than most titles from that console generation.

Einhander, which is German for "single handed" has a rather typical "Earth vs. Somewhere Else" storyline. That "Somewhere Else" in this case being being the Moon, or more specifically, the Moon colony of Selene. The game takes place during the second war between the two factions, with the player controlling a lone fighter from Selene sent to disrupt Earth military activity and be a general nuisance. Everything in this game as far as story goes has been done before, so what makes Einhander such a great experience for Shoot Em Up fans? The victory for Einhander lies in it's gameplay, haunting soundtrack, and it's shadowy visuals.

8-Bit Animal Seal Of Quality...Now On A T-Shirt

So, many readers of this blog have asked about t-shirts and other merchandise being made available so they can show their support. To figure out whether the demand is actually there, We have decided to set up a campaign via teespring.com to make a limited edition shirt bearing the 8bitanimal.com Seal of Quality available to purchase. this campaign will run through February 19th, and they won' ship if the 50 shirt goal isn't met, so go to 8-Bit Seal Of Quality Tee and get yours today.