Does anyone remember 'Libero Grande' on the PlayStation? Few probably do, but as far as I know it was the first soccer game to not let you be God and control a whole team, instead just one player. I always liked the idea of what that game tried to do but it was not executed without gameplay issues. Other soccer series included this feature down the line with PES and FIFA allowing you to play as one player in modes such as 'become a legend' mode in PES. While unfortunately you can't play 11 on 11 here, Rocket League follows that idea, but instead the gamer controls a car instead of a soccer professional, on a field that probably more closely resembles an ice-hockey rink. It started on PS3 with 'Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars', which I snapped up once I learnt of it and it was fun to play but the mechanics and finer details have definitely been improved here, as has its immense popularity. Like Tetris, it's a simple idea perfected. I've put days into this, emotion, threats and fist pumps. I feel bad at times for not paying anything for something I've spent so much time with as it was 'free' for PS+ members when it was released. I also dislike it because it's taken time away from other games I've hardly touched in 'to play' pile. Addictive, fun, easy to pick-up but hard to master.
Gameplay 5/5
Graphics 4/5
Sound 4/5
Difficulty 5/5
Originality 4.5/5
A story of a broken family coping with their father's illness and demise. The poster kind of makes it seem like they are a happy family, but they're anything but. Candice Bergman's character is extremely annoying in this. She's infuriating to listen to almost every time she speaks. The story is relatable and if you have older parents it will make you think about their and your future. I became less interested with this though as it staggered through the final act where nothing surprised.
I have never been a huge Wu-Tang or RZA enthusiast, but this is still underwhelming and doesn't sound like I expected it to. He has tried something different, but it doesn't work. I dislike the male singer (I think it's the same person) on about three of the songs, some of the choruses are poor, RZA feels like he goes missing on a number of songs, the rapping is uninspiring, and for a producer so heralded, there is nothing that good.
Best Tracks: Celebrate Life
Why does there seem like an over saturation of tennis games, yet none of them are bringing anything new to the table, or are worse than what we were getting decades ago? I played this on Xbox One and the frame rate was abysmal. The amount of times it stutters is incredible. Graphically, it does the job, but it should be better for the age we're in. In terms of the presentation, the game lacks trophy presentations and any interesting cut-scenes. The inability to challenge calls, as it plays such a major part in tennis these days, is a glaring omission, as is the lack of doubles! The gameplay is too basic. It could use something like an extra power shot that is hard to pull off - ala Top Spin. The serving as well is too simplistic, and the net play isn't fluid enough. Some will find the game too easy as the player still has stock abilities, meaning that in career mode the progression of increasing your player's ability isn't needed and is meaningless. The other issue with career mode is the need to play best of 3 sets instead of just 1, or even shorter sets up to 3 games, like so many tennis games have done to reduce the boring grind of playing the easier matches. The game has some licensed players, but doesn't feature the biggest in the game, with the unlikable Kyrios on the cover probably turning people off from the jump.
Gameplay 3/5
Graphics 3/5
Sound 2.5/5
Difficulty 3.5/5
Originality 2/5
Daz posted news of his retirement in a post that has since been deleted not long before this album dropped, so it mustn't have seemed like a good idea to hang the mic up just yet. The biggest issue I've had with recent Daz music is that he doesn't seem to produce anymore and his albums have followed the current trends instead of having that bangin' west cast production that he was known for. I don't know if he has here or not, as I can't find any credits, but the production is all likeable with variety throughout the tracks. There are lots of well-known features from both of their partners in NORE and Kurupt, MOP, Conway the Machine and Curren$y to name a few. Worth checking out if you're a fan or either artist.
Best Tracks: Guidelinez, Concrete Jungle, Monstaz, Nobody