Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag: Pirate Heist Trailer

Beyond: Two Souls Making Of - Capturing Performance

How To Get Some Of Grand Theft Auto V's More Tricky Achievements

After playing around forty hours or so of Grand Theft Auto V, I've come across some very tricky achievements and trophies that can be difficult to acquire.  Below are some of the achievements that gave me the most trouble and how to complete them.

Out Of Your Depth: The only information given by the game for this achievement is the caption, "You're gonna need a bigger boat..." which isn't much to go on.  To unlock this trophy you have to get attacked and killed by a shark in the ocean.  I have found that the easiest place for this to happen seems to be Vespucci Beach.  If facing the ocean, to the left of the Pleasure Pier will be a dock with Speedophile speed boats for you to take.  Hop on one and start venturing out into the ocean, it's best to go at least beyond the length of Pleasure Pier.  Drive around the ocean until a red dot, signifying an enemy, appears beside you on the mini-map.  This is the shark.  Hop off your boat and swim towards the shark to get its attention.  After the shark is aware of you it will circle around you a few times before diving below the surface and coming up to attack.  Once dead, you will receive the "Out Of Your Depth" trophy.

A Lot Of Cheddar: Even with the immense amounts of money you acquire by completing missions in Grand Theft Auto V, spending the required $200 million to get this trophy is no easy feat.  To get this trophy make sure you have spent at least one dollar as each character, then using any of the three protagonists open up the in game stock market to begin.  Go to any company and buy as much stock as you can with the all the money you have, then immediately turn around and sell it all back, and repeat this until you receive the "A Lot Of Cheddar" trophy.  Depending on how much money you have, it is best to attempt this after you have completed the story mode and have amassed a sizable income from "the Big One."

Los Santos Customs:  While not particularly hard, in theory, this achievement took me several tries to get right.  To get this trophy you must full modify any car in the game at Los Santos Customs.  To do this just right you must purchase at least one of every modification available at the shop, from license plate color, wheels, transmission, paint etc.  It is best to have a sizable amount of money in your bank before attempting.  (This is essentially the same as the "Pimp My Side Arm" achievement that has you fully modifying any gun in the game.)

Three Man Army: To get this achievement you must survive at least three minutes with a three star wanted level or higher with all three protagonists together off-mission.  The easiest way to achieve this is to break into the Los Santos International Airport runway and weak havoc.  Using any one of the three main protagonists call up the remaining two to hang-out.  After picking them up, drive onto the runway of the airport, this will automatically give you three stars.  Drive around and cause as much mayhem as your heart desires and after three minutes you will receive the "Three Man Army" trophy.  If you have purchased a plane hanger at the airport with Michael for example, as I had, use either Franklin or Trevor to break into the airport, otherwise you will receive no wanted level.

Kifflom!:  Possibly the longest, and most tedious, achievement in Grand Theft Auto V, to get this trophy you must complete all of the missions for the Epsilon Program, the religious cult that lives in the wilderness near Mount Chiliad.  Using Michael, go to the Internet on your phone and go to epsilonprogram.com and complete the evaluation.  From here you will be able to start doing missions for the Epsilon Program.  Once all are completed you will receive the "Kifflom" trophy.  Be warned, these missions take a lot of patience and are not the most "fun" activities to be found in Grand Theft Auto V. 

If you are having trouble with a particular achievement in Grand Theft Auto V, feel free to leave a comment and I will do my best to help you through it.  Also, look out for our review of Grand Theft Auto V: Online after it drops this Tuesday, October 1st.

Blake Hester

Parentsbasementgaming@gmail.com

October 2013 Release Schedule

NBA 2K14
Release: October 1

Grand Theft Auto V: Online
Release: October 1

Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millinium Girl
Release: October 1

Beyond: Two Souls
Release: October 8

Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness
Release: October 8

Just Dance 2014
Release: October 8

Pokemon X and Y
Release: October 12

Skylanders Swap Force
Release: October 13

Hometown Story
Release: October 15

Wipeout: Create & Crash
Release: October 15

Worms Revolution Collection
Release: October 15

Zumba Fitness World Party
Release: October 15

Rocksmith 2014 Edition
Release: October 22

Sonic Lost World
Release: October 22

SpongeBob SquarePants: Plankton's Robotic Revenge
Release: October 22

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Release: October 22

LEGO: Marvel Super Heroes
Release: October 22

Batman: Arkham Origins
Release: October 25

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
Release: October 29

Angry Birds Star Wars
Release: October 29

Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures
Release: October 29

Battlefield 4
Release: October 29

WWE 2K14
Release: October 29
  

Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag "Infamous Pirates"

Grand Theft Auto V Review

 Title: Grand Theft Auto V

Platform(s): Xbox 360, PlayStation 3

Release: September 17, 2013

ESRB: M

There's something about the Grand Theft Auto series' over-the-top violence, freedom, and Fatty Arbuckle-esque assault of hookers that seems to attract gamers, the press, and politicians alike. With Grand Theft Auto V, Rockstar North has created its most ambitious title to date, which is sure to give each aforementioned party plenty to talk about. The fictional state of San Andreas is a sprawling landscape with seemingly limitless activities and possibilities for the player to explore and exploit. With a completely revamped gameplay and approach to open world games, Grand Theft Auto V is a game sure to be talked about for many years to come.

For the first time in the series history players are given the ability to control three main characters with individual stories and backgrounds. Michael Townley, a former bank-robber who has retired to a big house in Rockford Hills, GTA's take on Beverly Hills, with his dysfunctional family, seems content to just sit back, enjoy old movies, and drink in-between therapist sessions and outbursts of violent rage. It is these outbursts of violence that bring Michael out of retirement and bring Franklin Clinton, a street savvy hustler born from gang-related violence in the underbelly of Los Santos, into his life. Michael and Franklin's exploits soon draw the attention of Trevor Philips, Michael's former crime partner and drug-addled psychopath, who is now living in the desert of Blaine County outside of Los Santos. Trevor is also prone to violent outbursts and to kill indiscriminately, even by GTA standards. After a bittersweet reunion of Michael and Trevor, the three become a dysfunctional team hellbent on doing whatever it takes in pursuit of “the almighty American dollar.”

The inclusion of three playable characters adds a level of diversity to the gameplay. Each player has a set of skills to increase like driving, shooting, strength, etc. as well as a special ability exclusive to each character. Michael is able to slow down time during gun battles, à la Max Payne, to perform more precise shots. Franklin has a similar ability for driving which allows him to slow down time to perform more precise turns and fit in-between other vehicles as things get tense on the road. Trevor has an ability called “Rampage” that allows him to take less damage from bullets and deal out more destruction to surrounding enemies. All three abilities are fully realized, not leaving one to be less useful than the others. And integrating them into missions sometimes becomes vital for success, especially when using all three characters together. Rockstar has put a large emphasis on these character skills and upgrading them creates a much smoother experience. Not upgrading skills such as driving can create a sloppy getaway during a mission or even failure in completing it. While constantly trying to upgrade skills in games just to be able to pass through missions can seem tedious, Grand Theft Auto V does a good job of organically upgrading skills in-mission, but also leaves it up to the players to work on and upgrade skills more in-depth on their own in the world.

The diversity of almost every aspect of Grand Theft Auto V is staggering, from the different terrain you can explore in the state of San Andreas, to the missions that scour the world. There are 69 story missions, 58 side missions, and 59 pass-times for players to partake in and more. Whether the player is completing a seemingly impossible heist by the skin of their teeth or helping San Andreas residents with everything from taking pictures of celebrities to hunting for aliens, there is something always going on in the world to keep players engaged. The pacing of story missions is excellent, keeping players motivated to unravel more of the story. There is always plenty of action to keep players on the edge of their seats. Not every mission has players blowing up cars and shooting through waves of enemies though. Many missions have you on stake-outs for heists and getting gear for your operation. While these missions aren't jaw-dropping and action-packed, they give heists and more action-oriented missions a sense of importance and personal weight. You can't just go in everywhere in Grand Theft Auto V guns blazing and hope for it to work out in the end like in other entries. Some missions require planning and precise execution. It is this attention to detail and player interaction that will keep players involved and interested in what the rest of the game holds for them. And yes, at long last Grand Theft Auto V has an in-mission checkpoint system making sure that you won't have to sit through in-car conversations over and over that were interesting the first time, but lost their charm the eighth time because you couldn't get past a certain mission. I think I speak for all GTA fans when I say, thank you Rockstar, and it's about damn time.

Apart from the main and side missions, Grand Theft Auto V has a plethora of activities for players to partake in. Everything expected from a Grand Theft Auto release is here, partaking in races, going to strip clubs, listening to local radio, and committing mass murder are all accounted for. And yet, that's just the beginning. Bored? Go see a movie. Unhappy with your flying skills? Don't worry, you can go to flight school. Depressed because you've spent all day on your couch playing Grand Theft Auto V? You can participate in a triathlon. Out of weed in real life? Smoke some in the game. There is also tennis, tattoo parlors, yoga, darts, bars, TV to watch, mountains to climb, bounties to hunt, collectibles to collect, base jumping, barbershops, therapists to talk to, animals to hunt, and the list goes on. Rockstar North has really put the “open” in “open world game” and has created a living, breathing world where passer-by's have conversations, police officers go after speeders, and people live actual lives around you instead of walking around mindlessly in circles on sidewalks. Everywhere from the city of Los Santos to the deserts and mountains of Blaine County have their own individual feel to them. This makes exploring them a charm. The world is so big and full of activities that after thirty-three-and-a-half hours with the game, I still feel like I haven't done or seen half of what it has to offer. The price to pay for all this content are frequent texture pop-ins and the occasional muddy environment. Though, these are small annoyances rather than major complaints.

Grand Theft Auto V's gameplay has seen major overhauls compared to previous entries in the series. This is especially true in driving and shooting. Characters no longer feel like slugs to move around when traversing on foot and handle much like a standard third-person-shooter. Shooting has been made sleeker. It now features a soft auto-aim that is easy to toggle between your targets with the right analog stick making blasting your way through the numerous enemies the game sends at you in-mission a breeze. The auto-aim will also deactivate itself if after a few seconds you do not fire at a target. This eliminates the frustrating “stick” the auto aim of Grand Theft Auto IV had, which would not always allow you to move your reticle around to aim at other targets because it was stuck on an unintended target. Possibly the most noticeable change to gameplay in Grand Theft Auto V is the driving. Handling for all vehicles has been drastically improved and cars have individual weights to them that feel right while driving around. Cars don't feel glued to the street like they do in Saints Row, for example, but it is easier to drive around at top speeds and not have to worry about barely clipping a passing car and sending your car sailing into the stratosphere. All guns and cars can be upgraded and upgrades are very noticeable and helpful. For example, if you put sports brakes on a car or a grip onto a gun to assist aiming, there is a noticeable difference. And the upgrades, that can be very pricey, do not feel like superfluous items thrown in last-second by developers.

Grand Theft Auto V is primed to be at the top of many, if not all, game of the year lists this year. Rockstar North has created a living, breathing world where players can do whatever they want. While it is not a flawless game, the only noticeable flaws, like texture pop-ins, muddy enviorments, or the occasional sticking to the wrong wall while trying to take cover, are only mere annoyances rather than anything that brings the quality and enjoyment down from the experience. And yes, Grand Theft Auto V is an experience. It is something all gamers should at least see, because with the dawn of next-gen upon us, Grand Theft Auto V is our closest glimpse into what gaming will be like in the next years to come. Like many of its GTA brethren before it, Grand Theft Auto V will be the reference point for which most games, not just open world, will be based on. It has taken the genre it helped create and define and flipped it on its head and made it the best it possibly could be.

Stay tuned to Parent's Basement Gaming for our review of Grand Theft Auto V Online when it drops October 1^st.

5 out of 5

Blake Hester

Parentsbasementgaming@gmail.com

"Alternate" Ending To The Last Of Us

This is not quite how I remember the ending...



Parentsbasementgaming@gmail.com

The Last Of Us DLC Announcement Coming This Week

Bruce Straley, game director on The Last Of Us, has been teasing a reveal for The Last Of Us DLC on his Twitter account.  Time will tell whether this is more multiplayer maps or modes or if it is a reveal for long-awaited solo DLC to expand upon the campaign. 

Stay tuned to Parent's Basement Gaming for more info on The Last Of Us DLC

Parentsbasementgaming@gmail.com

Grand Theft Auto V: Day One

It is officially 4:13am and I have just wrapped up playing I don't know how many hours of Grand Theft Auto V.  I feel I have already done so much in the game and have hardly even scratched the surface.  The scope of this game, both literally and narratively, is astounding and honestly slightly intimidating upon the first few hours.  I am holding off on indulging too much on my own personal thoughts on the game since I have not finished it, but I will say this, from what I've played already I feel that all "serious" gamers, be them a GTA fan or not, should at least try Grand Theft Auto V out  I feel we are getting a small taste into not only what the next generation of gaming holds for us, but also what the future of gaming holds for us.

On that note, I am going to bed.


Blake Hester

Parentsbasementgaming@gmail.com

Beyond: Two Souls "Guilt" TV Spot

Grand Theft Auto V Is Officially Out!

Today, September 17, 2013, marks a historical day for video game enthusiasts everywhere, Grand Theft Auto has officially out!  I have my copy and am one quick (slow) install away from playing it.  Stay tuned to Parent's Basement Gaming for an official review within a week or so, it is a very long and big game, so bear with me.  That is, of course, you are one of the estimated 6.5 million people who have already purchased Grand Theft Auto V.  In that case, what are you doing here?  Get out there and explore Los Santos!



Blake Hester

Parentsbasementgaming@gmail.com

Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX Review

Title: Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX
Platform: PlayStation 3
Release: September 10, 2013
ESRB: E10+

Kingdom Hearts is a combination, that on paper, feels like it just should not work. The campy and over the top humor of classic Disney films and characters mixed with the serious undertones of Final Fantasy and Square Enix seem like such a stark contrast that it's hard to believe that anyone ever actually came up with the original concept in the first place. Yet, here we are eleven years later with the release of Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX, and despite an obnoxious name, the magic remains and the basic joy felt in the original PlayStation 2 game is not only still here, it is expanded upon.

Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX features three products and two and a half games, the first of which is Kingdom Hearts Final Mix. An HD port of the once Japanese exclusive, this game is best thought of as a director's cut for the original Kingdom Hearts. For the most part it is the same game. But, also included are new weapons, enemies, bosses, etc. This new content will keep you busy and engaged no matter how seasoned of a Kingdom Hearts veteran you are. Second up is Kingdom Re:Chain of Memories which is an HD port of the 2007 card-based battle game for the PlayStation 2 which was a re-release of the original Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories released for the Game Boy Advance in 2004. Third at bat is Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, pronounced three-five-eight days over two, which was released for the Nintendo DS in 2009. However, this port is not actually playable. Instead you are given a cinematic retelling of the game that runs just under three hours.

I'm weary of high-definition re-releases as many of you all may remember I noted in my article, "Virtual Impotence." It seems that even though these games of yesteryear indeed look amazing in the current-gen ports, the gameplay we seem to remember as so fun and inventive has aged horribly and has fallen far short of anything that resembles fun or inventive. In saying that, it is with great joy that I can say that Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX does not fall victim to these woes. In my twenty-plus hours with just Kingdom Hearts Final Mix it was always easy to jump in and the controls were much improved over the original. User interface has been vastly changed to handle much more smoothly during combat and traversal and feels a lot more like playing the original Kingdom Hearts 2 which had a more stylized approach to controls than its predecessor. While everything feels sleeker to control, the game's platforming sections can become very tedious, needing precision skill to jump across even the smallest of gaps. This can create immense frustration and it feels that in refining controls, somehow the platforming, which is one of the game's staples, was overlooked. The camera has also been assigned to the right thumb stick, as opposed to the original which used the L2 and R2 buttons to maneuver the camera. While this gives a more natural feel to operating the camera, it has a tendency to act irrationally in tight quarters. This was especially troublesome for me during a section of the last battle of the game where my adversary had a particular move thats speed caused the camera to wildly move back and forth trying to track him, leading to me dying over and over...and over.

Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX looks spectacular. Cut scenes still grab your attention and animations, especially of Disney characters, are still very charming and amusing. It's one of the best looking HD ports to come out and at times looks like it could have easily come out this generation. It seems a lot of care went into this title and that it is truly made for fans that want to relive the joy they got out of the original titles rather than just an old game with some new bells and whistles slapped in a new box. All three titles support a trophy system that is truly engaging and it is fun to try and get as many as possible.

In reading about this game before its release I was very curious as to how they were going to pull off this “Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days Movie.” Could they really fit a twenty-plus hour game into just three? Personally, I enjoyed it, a lot more than I actually thought I would. While three hours seems like a long time, the cinematics are very engaging and flow together nicely to keep you interested in what is going on. It is also just as beautiful as the other two entries in the package. Characters look great and more voice acting has been added to flesh out this story. If you have not played the original Nintendo DS game, as I had not, it might be better just to watch the cinematics to get caught up on the winding story that is Kingdom Hearts.

As a huge fan of the series, I am completely satisfied with Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX. While there are some very annoying issues that lie within that are not that easy to overlook, the over-all experience is still magical and the inclusion of trophies and other bonuses is sure to keep the player putting the disc back in long after the credits roll.

4 out of 5

Blake Hester 

Parentsbasementgaming@gmail.com 

Grand Theft Auto V Companion App

Rockstar Games has just announced a companion app that will be compatible with Grand Theft Auto V called, the iFruit.  This free app works directly with the player's  individual copy of Grand Theft Auto V and has two features, "Los Santos Customs," and, "Chop The Dog."

Los Santos Customs will give the player the ability to modify cars at any location from a tablet device that they will then be able to drive later in the actual game.  Everything from paint jobs, spoilers, and even the ability to make and reserve custom license plates will be available.

Chop The Dog lets players interact with Franklin's canine companion, Chop.  Players will be able to walk Chop, play with him, pet him, and even teach him tricks, amongst other things.  All of which will provide benefits for Franklin when actually playing Grand Theft Auto V on console.

The iFruit application is available now for iOS devices at the app store.  iFruit is coming soon for Android Devices through Google Play and Windows Phone as well as coming to PC and Mac.

Grand Theft Auto V comes out tomorrow, September 17th for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.  Stay tuned to Parent's Basement Gaming for an in-depth review.

Parentsbasementgaming@gmail.com

Grand Theft Auto 5 Map Leaked

After being spotted on Reddit by a NeoGAF user, a leaked map of Los Santos has been making its rounds on the internet.  If you don't want the map spoiled, go away now! If you do want to check out Grand Theft Auto 5's map before you get a chance to explore Los Santos yourself when GTA5 is released September 17th, scroll on down to see the full picture.

Parentsbasementgaming@gmail.com

Virtual Impotence

*Contains light spoilers of BioShock*

With a few weeks in between reviews, I have taken the chance to go through my backlog and play some games I had yet to have a chance to play. One of those was 2007's BioShock. I had played BioShock Infinite when it came out and absolutely loved it, but for some reason had never gotten around to playing the original. After being heralded by some as “the best game of the current generation,” or even one of “the greatest 100 video games of all time,” by Time Magazine, and winning countless awards, my expectations and anticipations were set pretty high. Then something weird happened. It didn't live up to those expectations. The game felt dated to me, I had difficulty with the shooting mechanics, and the whole game felt clunky to play, and it got me to thinking. Games that have come out in the past 15 years seem to be period pieces, rather than works of art made to stand the test of time, though should still be respected for their influence on games that after that expanded on their original ideas.

Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy BioShock immensely. I did not see the Atlas-Fontaine twist coming, the pacing of the story felt right, despite a disappointing ending in my opinion, and it was definitely not UN-fun to play. But it felt like a game that in 2007, no pun intended, would have been a, “game-changer.” So shouldn't that mean that to someone who picks it up now, only six years after its release, it should still be just as jaw dropping as it was to those who played in 2007? It frustrated me. Everything felt right as far as presentation goes, Rapture's art-deco theme is a beautiful environment that, though graphically looking slightly dated, was able to grab my attention for the whole duration of the game. I enjoyed the story and the pacing of the game immensely, but I couldn't manage to get over how clunky I felt that playing the game was and it made getting from one stage to another a chore that I was only willing to accomplish to see where the story was going to take me. I accept that the game is not particularly easy, and I enjoy a challenging game as much as the next guy, so I started to assume that this was just a game I was not very good at and should come to terms with that and enjoy it for what it is even if it was proving to be very frustrating for me to get through. Until I had the same problem with another game.

In 2000, at the ripe age of six years old, I adored the in-line graffiti simulator, Jet Set Radio. The bright colors and cel-shaded art captivated me and I would go to my friend Sam's house all the time to play that and the original Sonic Adventure on his Sega Dreamcast at any chance I got. So, when I stumbled upon Jet Set Radio on the PlayStation Network, it seemed like a no-brainer to purchase it. After downloading it, I instantly started it and was immersed back into the world of Tokyo-to. As Professor K re-introduced the story of the GGs to me, I was ready to paint the town red...and blue, green, and several other colors. What I found though, to my dismay, was an insufferable game that was almost impossible to play. Gone was the speed and ease of skating around and doing tricks I so distinctly remember from my childhood, and in their place was a very slow game that was so hard to control that I gave up and deleted it after around thirty minutes.

I'm not here to say what games are great and what games are not. I can only give my opinions, popular or not. Is it the nostalgia of games from our past that make them retain this sort of legendary quality in our minds? Is it the enjoyment we received from these games that burned a picture into our more youthful brains? Who can forget finally beating that bastard Sephiroth at Olympus Coliseum in the original Kingdom Hearts after what felt like at least a hundred attempts? Or the first time you got decapitated with a chainsaw in Resident Evil 4 and you just watched your limp body laying there, spewing blood? I cite these two games as examples because they are two of my all time favorite games that I still talk about and that have left a lasting impression on my gaming psyche. That being said, I have not played either since at least 2006. Would these games still be marvels of technology to me now? I can't say for sure, but after my experience with the aforementioned Jet Set Radio I have apprehensions about playing Kingdom Hearts -HD 1.5 ReMIX for my review when it is released September 10^th. What if it doesn't live up to how spectacular I remember it being?

Now, just because a certain game may not live up to your memory of it, I personally do not believe that doesn't mean that those games aren't great in their own right. Technology is changing at such a rapid pace all around us that things become out-dated daily. It is unfair to look at a game, I will go back to BioShock as my example, for being clunky in 2013 and not respect what it did for its genre and games as a whole in 2007. While certainly games can retain their playability through decades and still be immense amounts of fun, Super Mario for example still controls great and is great fun to still play in my opinion, but I don't think great can just be categorized on playability alone. The size of the ripple effect a certain title casts its influence on into the gaming world can also be what makes a game great. At the time maybe BioShock's gameplay was ground-breaking, and now it feels clunky and dated to me, but it was the game's influence on others to build upon and expand that original idea that makes that game great. It's risky ventures to focus on story rather than combat like Telltale Games' The Walking Dead did, which won VGA's 2012 game of the year award. In a time of vast changes in gaming, both aesthetically and internally, it is no longer enough to base a game's quality solely on its face alone. Because whether you enjoyed a game or not, it may be what's inside that influences your favorite game to be the way it is.

Blake Hester

Parentsbasementgaming@gmail.com

Beyond: Two Souls Demo Announced

Sony has recently announced that Quantic Dream, the developers behind Indigo Prophecy and Heavy Rain, will be releasing a two-stage-demo of their new IP, Beyond: Two Souls, on October 1st in North America and October 2nd in Europe.

The demo will feature two stages from the game.  The first, "Jodie and Aiden," follows Jodie, played by actress Ellen Page, as she puts her psychic abilities to the test through various experiments.  The second demo, "Hunted," puts you in the role of an older Jodie trying to escape from Government agents.  As more details come out PBG will be sure to let you know!

Beyond: Two Souls is available exclusively for the PlayStation 3 on October 8th



Parentsbasementgaming@gmail.com