The SMG Awards 2016

Thats two years now

So here we are with another list of winners for you, as voted by, by the members of the Show Me Games Facebook group. The winners will receive a little trophy, when I get round to it.

We’ve a lot to get through, so lets get started:

Best Retro Home Computer For Gamers

C64

Amiga

ZX Spectrum

Winner: Amiga

Best Console Ever

Super Nintendo Entertainment System

Playstation

Playstation 2

Winner: Super Nintendo Entertainment System

Best PC Exclusive 1961-2016

Warhammer 40K: Dawn Of War

Blade Runner

World Of Warcraft

Winner: World Of Warcraft

Best Portable Exclusive 2011-2016

The Legend Of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (3DS)

Dissidia 012 (PSP)

Pokemon Go (Mobile)

Winner: The Legend Of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (3DS)

Best Wii U Exclusive 2012-2016

Hyrule Warriors

Super Mario Maker

Mario Kart 8

Winner: Mario Kart 8

Best Playstation 4 Exclusive 2013-2016

Bloodborne

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

No Mans Sky

Winners: Bloodborne & Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

Best Xbox One Exclusive 2013-2016

Killer Instinct

Gears Of War 4

Sunset Overdrive

Winner: Killer Instinct

Best Game Character 2016

Nathan Drake (Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End)

Ryan Clarke (The Sims Series)

Trevor (GTA V)

Winner: Ryan Clarke (The Sims Series)

Best Multiplayer Game 2016

Overwatch

Doom

Paintballing

Winner: Overwatch

Best RPG 2016 (Including Tactical, JRPG, Western, MMO etc)

Final Fantasy XV

Dark Souls III

XCOM 2

Winner: Dark Souls III

Best Game 2016

Overwatch

Doom

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

Winners: Uncharted 4:A Thiefs End & Doom

Best Sports Game 2016

Rocket League

Fifa 17

Street Fighter V

Winner: Rocket League (for the second year running?)

Best VR game/experience 2016

Batman: Arkham VR

Until Dawn: A Rush Of Blood

Elite: Dangerous

Winner: Batman: Arkham VR

Mess Up Of 2016

Konami

No Man’s Sky

Star Fox Zero

Winner: No Man’s Sky

Best UK Gaming Events/Locations 2016

SMG’s Xbox GTA V Party

Retro Games Night @ The Batcave

Arcade Club

Winner: Retro Games Night @ The Batcave

Best Visuals 2016

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine

Battlefield 1

Winner: The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine

Most Anticipated 2017

The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

Red Dead Redemption 2

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

Winner: The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild 

Prat Of 2016

Sean Murray (No Man’s Lie)

Hideo Kojima (Attention Seeking)

Geoff Keighley (The Kojima Awards)

Winner: Sean Murray (No Man’s Lie)

Best Episodic Game 2016

King’s Quest

Hitman

Minecraft: Story Mode

Winner: Hitman

Hidden Gem 2016

Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth

Tokyo Mirage Sessions

Firewatch

Winner: Firewatch

Best DLC 2016

Star Wars Battlefront: X-Wing VR mission

Fallout 4

The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine

Winner: The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine

Best Sound Design 2016

Final Fantasy XV

Doom

Battlefield 1

Winner: Doom

Which brings us to a close this year, although I don’t agree with all the victors, that’s how a democratic awards system works.

Thank you to all who voted and added to the polls. Time to clear the field and start on the 2017 awards.

The post The Show Me Games Awards 2016 appeared first on Show Me Games - Independent Gaming Site, and Community.

• Developer: FROM Software
• Publisher: FROM Software, Bandai Namco Entertainment
• Platforms: Playstation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
• Release Date: 24th March 2016

The (supposed) finale of the series that has been brandishing death and frustration for over half a decade.

I was pretty late to the party having only starting with the release of Dark souls II but after that took my soul for over 300 hours I have been a massive fan of the whole series since. So this review is from a biased perspective. If you are new to the franchise I would see my Dark Souls 2 review as that game is probably a little easier to break into.

Dark Souls III is a great game, but in the same way that Star Wars episode VII is a great film. It is definitely for the fans. There is a heady mix of items, characters and locations spanning back over the whole series, with FROM Software’s other baby Bloodborne having an obvious impact on game core mechanics and enemy design. Combat is faster and straight swords seem to have a slight upper hand this time around rather than the slow and heavy greatswords that have ruled previously. Also bosses now have 2 or more phases to keep you on your toes and poison is a lot slower so cheesing with poison arrows is no longer a viable option.

This is undoubtedly the most beautiful game in the series and the audio is also spot on. From the eerie score, to the thunderous boss music, to the murmurings of beasts that are just out of sight it really is pleasing to the eyes and ears.

Character creation feels similar to previous but for the first time it is possible to create a face that doesn’t look like last nights curry on the way back up. Stats seem to be far simpler this time around and there is no stat that isn’t clear exactly what it does. Main difference this time around is that there are no hexes as such, but this seems to have been melded with pyromancy which now requires a combination of both intelligence and faith. Dying isn’t as punishing as it was, gone is the hollowing of Dark Souls 2 where you lost a little of your total health each time until a Human Effigy was consumed, this time around you have Embers which give you more health and a funky fiery glow, these are fairly plentiful and extras can be gained from helping others out with bosses.

We have a Firelink shrine again, however it is much more reminiscent of the Nexus from Demon’s souls. Andre, everyone’s favourite beardy blacksmith returns and Patches is back just to piss everyone off. One of my main gripes with this incarnation is the NPC side quests. Some NPCs just turn up and you have no idea what to do with them until you accidentally join a certain covenant and make them hostile, other NPCs will up and leave if you don’t go and speak to them and give them items in an allotted time and one, who is tucked away in a corner bloody dies once you defeat one of the first main bosses so is easy to miss completely! The Souls series has always had fickle side questlines but I found this time around it would be nigh on impossible to figure some of them out unguided.

The overall world is massive with a huge amount to explore, with plenty of secrets to keep everyone busy, from icy landscapes to fiery pits with a fitting selection of enemies for each, although some do get recycled towards the end of the game this is done conservatively and not as much as previous games have. In comparison to its predecessors, this is a very linear experience, first timers will think I am insane when I say that, but seriously, it is far clearer where you need to be going next than any of the others. I am still unsure if this is a bad thing or not. Part of me says no, as no one likes wandering into an area that is far too hard for them and getting their arse handed to them repeatedly, but on the other hand, there was a kind of glee that you got going back to an area that beat you in to submission a few levels later and beasting your way through it like a boss. Although main story (ha!) would be unaffected by a little more freedom, the already fickle NPC side quests would be further hindered so this is likely for the best.

Having only seen one ending so far, it does feel more purposeful than previous efforts and looking at the conditions to get one of the three, it better be good! The last area of Dark Souls III is Lothric castle and this is HUGE, it have several areas in one and at least 2 proper bosses. It really feels like the end of the game which pleased me as normally this is not the case.

This is “More Souls” and it should have enough of all the previous games to make you happy no matter where you started.  I wish they had done a little more  with it, as big and enjoyable as it is, there isn’t much that hasn’t been done before, aside from a few bits they shoehorned in from Bloodborne.  That being said, if you are a Xbox One or Pc user, this may feel very different to you as Bloodbornes influence is apparent.

My score for Dark Souls III is

8/10

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Bloodborne – The Old Hunters DLC. If you are reading this then it is to be assumed that you have played the main game already, if not please check out my review for the original game!

I am not normally one for DLC, I find it tends to be a cash grab by the developers and personally have only purchased DLC a handful of times. The main reason for this is that like a lot of people I refuse to pay for content stripped from a newly released game, especially when it’s just a pitiful amount of costumes or a couple of maps. This however I can say is what I like to call “proper” DLC – a whole new area of game that has been written after the games release and gives at least 8 to 12 hours gameplay depending on your character level and your ability.

Not wanting to give too much away but the setting is the “Hunters Nightmare”, throughout the original game you’re never quite sure what is real and what isn’t, and this is no different. Some bits you will recognise as it appears to be Yharnam but what it would look like hundreds of years later with the land reclaiming the streets with a lot of it in ruin, it is actually very reminiscent of the Dark Souls world. The enemies of this world are quite different than the original, mostly being either Hunters like yourself who have gone mad or other mutated beasts, although the bastard crows are still there.

There are 4 main bosses and one optional boss to find and defeat, all in a fairly linear fashion especially compared to the original game which often left you not knowing where you were supposed to be going.

You are also able to find 11 new trick (main hand) weapons and 5 off hand weapons, there are also several new armour sets and pieces. This is nearly the same amount as were available in the original game and they are all great with a return of a “Souls” favourite weapon which I won’t spoil for you here but I will not deny screaming like a little girl when a boss whips it out halfway through the battle. Some have pretty obscure move sets and others require other items to make them actually work. Although for me the best new weapon was the “Whirlygig” which is in essence a huge circular saw on a stick which does insane damage.

Difficulty wise I would say it’s on a par with the main game and depending on your character build and play style you will find some bosses harder than others but none are easy. I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed this DLC and say that it is most definitely value for money.

Bloodborne isn’t for everyone, but if you managed to make it through the main game and the beast in you is getting thirsty again then this will satiate you. Basing this review on that premise I can happily give this a

9/10.

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