It’s been a while since I’ve posted, mainly because I’m pretty busy with other stuff.
I still game though; it’s my ‘go to’ place in an evening for an hour to unwind and get away from the keyboard. I’ve found gaming quite tough recently, as I haven’t been able to really get into anything. I’ve spent an hour on one game, a couple of hours on another and haven’t fully committed to much.
I’ve taken to popping into a Game store whenever I see one, or those CEX type places, and just grabbing a couple of games. I have some I haven’t opened, but I’ve also found a couple of little gems.
If, like me, you’re a casual gamer with a PlayStation 4, yet to get on the PS5 hype train, and you want a title to play you might have missed. Here are the titles I’ve been playing over the summer, and whether I think you’d benefit from picking them up.
Sniper Elite 4
The first game I wanted to mention is Sniper Elite 4. This came free with PS Plus two years ago and I saved it to my console, but never played it. One night a month or so back I was fed up with my other games and thought I’d give it a go; I’m delighted that I did. I thought it would be a bit limited, just sniping a few baddies, but actually it is a fun stealth game with plenty to do. I liked the mechanics, it was simple to learn but really engrossing. In fact, I liked it so much, I paid for the additional material at the end of the game too. You play a special agent in World War II, tasked with a variety on infiltration missions in Italy. Briefly, my passion for gaming was reignited, and after completing the missions I went out and bought Sniper Elite 3. It is another decent title, but it didn’t grab me quite as much because I’d gone backwards, rather than forwards. I will pick it up at some point in the future (once my thirst for light sabres has been quenched). If you like a good shooter with plenty of stealth and some great sniping, seek out Sniper Elite 3, play it through, then be prepared to be impressed by the sequel.
Star Wars Battlefront 2
I got really hooked on Star Wars Battlefront at first; it was actually the game I was spending too much time one while off sick from work. In the end, my friends said I should write rather than play games, and I did a review of the game. I remember Battlefront 2 dropping and it being hated by everyone, so I never went near it. I was in Game the other week tapping up the assistant for a recommendation and he said Battlefront 2, because they’d just made it cheap to get all the skins etc unlocked, and there were no loot boxes. He had me at cheap! For £10 I took home Battlefront 2 and I’ve not played another game since. I do love Star Wars, and this title lets me play co-op with my mate, so we don’t fall out over who is better. It is a great game, layered with great effects that make it an authentic and exciting Star Wars experience. There’s a good story too, which I have now completed, but it gives you a chance to play as a few heroes, which is great.
Hitman 2
I did only pick Hitman up for a couple of hours, and it’s a bit of a cheat as it is a game I already have in my collection, but I’ve included it for one reason; it’s free this month. That’s right, PS Plus subscribers can get Hitman 2 for nowt, and if you’ve never played it, it is a must. I know my friend Greg is a huge fan of the series, and whilst I’ve dipped in and out at times, this was a real highlight for me. You have to be up for lots of thinking, patience and plotted gameplay, it isn’t a fast-paced shooter or anything like that, but it’s free. Even if you’re not in the mood now, save it to your library and revisit it at a later date, as I did with Sniper Elite 4.
Far Cry 4
Far Cry 4 is an old game, but at the beginning of the summer, I opted to give both it and Far Cry 3 a playthrough. I loved Far Cry 3, to date it is still the best game in the series, but upon completing it I wanted to play 4 again. Frustratingly, I had sold my copy on eBay, so I found it for £5 in CEX and gave it another go. The story is a bit disappointing when compared to Far Cry 3, and Pagan Ming is not at the level of Vass in terms of an antagonist, but the game is still a solid entry into the series. I didn’t complete it a second time though, I found one mission difficult and after three tries gave up. Why? Because whilst playing a game through a second time isn’t necessarily a bad thing, wasting time trying to complete a difficult mission I’ve already done is. Life’s too short to get pissed off with the same thing twice! My main motivation is the upcoming release of Far Cry 6, my most anticipated game of the year.
