Okay so now that I'm back, I'd like to discuss a few things:
1. I'm aiming to update my blog everyday if possible, and reviews generally will be posted on Wednesdays. However, if I can't make it on a given date, I'll just delay it until I have the review done or even the next Wednesday.
Doing this will ensure I don't get burnt out, and it also means that you now have a good reason to check the blog every day. :)
2. Speaking of which, I won't be able to have a review up this Wednesday, because I have to go help out a buddy of mine at a youth camp or something like that, and also earn some money to buy Splinter Cell: Blacklist for reviewing purposes.
(Yep, money is scarce. Unfortunately.....)
3. My YouTube Channel will cross over into my blog at one point or another, so that should be cool. I'm already cooking up a few surprises, so you guys are in for quite a few (healthy) treats!
4. If I don't post on a Wednesday at all on a given date, don't sweat it. I probably had a personal set back and need to recover. In any case, I'm sure my hardcore fans won't mind one bit.
So there you go! Enjoy the week, I'll see what I can get up before I'm gone for the weekend.
Tune in for updates here on KVR Gaming!
August 05, 2013
August 01, 2013
The "Genuine" Article
Got you, didn't I?
This time around, I'm going to be serious.
Welcome back everybody! I'm back on the blog, for real this time, and it's going to be fun.
The past month of my life has been rather chaotic, up and down, hit, and many more misses, because of one thing: Laziness.
I've gotta say one thing: It's not fun being lazy, especially when that's all you do. Just sittin' there, in front of my laptop, watching some really cool vids, not doing a thing.
I mean, who wants to break a sweat putting up the latest review on this here blog when you got episodes of Blackadder: Goes Forth to catch up on?
Who wants to worry about writing fiction, when you got lots of NerdCubed to watch?
Who wants to worry about uploading more videos when you gotta do a Survivor difficulty rerun of The Last of Us?
Until one day, I just decided that I'm wasting my time. There's more to life, and I'm wasting it.
I'm going to be getting a long break from my official work soon, but that does not mean I won't be doing anything. No, I intend to use all that time furthering my blog, my YouTube Channel, and my storytelling career.
What I'm basically saying is that I've been lazy for a month now, and I hated every single moment of it.
Rest assured, such a long break won't happen again, at least not without some reviews to cover my tracks. :)
I missed every single moment of writing reviews for the blog, and now I'm even more motivated to keep on reviewing, in spite of all the rubbish that may pop up in my life, in spite of all the "Darkness" in games these days, in spite of getting burnt out, and even in spite of tragedies, this blog is an extension of myself and I don't intend to lose it.
tl;dr: It's good to back, everyone. And now it's time to get reviewing!
This time around, I'm going to be serious.
Welcome back everybody! I'm back on the blog, for real this time, and it's going to be fun.
The past month of my life has been rather chaotic, up and down, hit, and many more misses, because of one thing: Laziness.
I've gotta say one thing: It's not fun being lazy, especially when that's all you do. Just sittin' there, in front of my laptop, watching some really cool vids, not doing a thing.
I mean, who wants to break a sweat putting up the latest review on this here blog when you got episodes of Blackadder: Goes Forth to catch up on?
Who wants to worry about writing fiction, when you got lots of NerdCubed to watch?
Who wants to worry about uploading more videos when you gotta do a Survivor difficulty rerun of The Last of Us?
Until one day, I just decided that I'm wasting my time. There's more to life, and I'm wasting it.
I'm going to be getting a long break from my official work soon, but that does not mean I won't be doing anything. No, I intend to use all that time furthering my blog, my YouTube Channel, and my storytelling career.
What I'm basically saying is that I've been lazy for a month now, and I hated every single moment of it.
Rest assured, such a long break won't happen again, at least not without some reviews to cover my tracks. :)
I missed every single moment of writing reviews for the blog, and now I'm even more motivated to keep on reviewing, in spite of all the rubbish that may pop up in my life, in spite of all the "Darkness" in games these days, in spite of getting burnt out, and even in spite of tragedies, this blog is an extension of myself and I don't intend to lose it.
tl;dr: It's good to back, everyone. And now it's time to get reviewing!
July 23, 2013
Wink, Wink.....
Notice anything different?
Yep, I changed the logo again. From now on, it will feature cover art from upcoming games which I'm 100% sure will be reviewed.
Just as an update, we may kick off the posts again with a ZIG review on August 7th, so tune in then!
Yep, I changed the logo again. From now on, it will feature cover art from upcoming games which I'm 100% sure will be reviewed.
Just as an update, we may kick off the posts again with a ZIG review on August 7th, so tune in then!
July 12, 2013
Holler!
'Sup, people? I kinda broke my rule from taking a complete break, I still kept an eye on this blog and my pageviews. (Hint: they are making me feel very warm and fuzzy inside.)
As for posts, I'm going to try and stockpile a few of those symbol posts and speak about controversial topics for some of my articles.
Regular posting will begin again next month, which will definitely feature a Splinter Cell: Blacklist Areas of Concern, and possibly another long overdue article.
Like 1 year and 8 months overdue. No promises, but I just like wrapping up loose ends before I move onto the future. Kinda like a great mystery TV show, if you catch my drift.
So yes, prepare yourself for August and the Summer season. We will be up to our elbows in games, and we hope to see you then!
As for posts, I'm going to try and stockpile a few of those symbol posts and speak about controversial topics for some of my articles.
Regular posting will begin again next month, which will definitely feature a Splinter Cell: Blacklist Areas of Concern, and possibly another long overdue article.
Like 1 year and 8 months overdue. No promises, but I just like wrapping up loose ends before I move onto the future. Kinda like a great mystery TV show, if you catch my drift.
So yes, prepare yourself for August and the Summer season. We will be up to our elbows in games, and we hope to see you then!
July 05, 2013
IMPORTANT + TEMPORARY HIATUS
(EDIT: Two weeks should be enough, depending on whether or not I got visit my friend for a week again.....)
Hello readers!
I would like to thank all of you for your support through this entire year.
Your encouragement kept me going, and I should let you know that this came at a price of huge commitment for me last year where I nearly gave up on the blog. Long story short, it's hard work running a website like this, even when the people around you are making it even more difficult.
Please keep the support going, and tell your friends! I would love to build a huge community and I need your help.
You can also donate games for reviewing purposes if you are so inclined, just press the "donate" page above and see which ones you'd like to, ahem, donate.
But enough of that, I need to get to the important stuff:
I'm going to be taking a temporary break, possibly until August, and after much consideration, but that's the furthest I'll go.
This is based on 2 things:
1. Lack of major games this month.
2. Stress, stress, stress....
It's hard work running a blog like this and getting a review up every week, and you can be assured that I will continue to do so in the future.
And this break will only do the website good, as I'm returning with an even clearer vision and more motivation than ever before.
I just need to rest off the stress for a while. That means no Monday or Friday articles until I'm refreshed again.
This does NOT mean that you aren't going to be getting reviews, I'll see if two of my reviewers can get back in the game this month and post some material.
So in short, I need a break, but it's for the better of myself AND the blog.
God bless, and keep spreading Jesus' word wherever you go. He will never leave or forsake you.
I'll see you guys when I see you......
Hello readers!
I would like to thank all of you for your support through this entire year.
Your encouragement kept me going, and I should let you know that this came at a price of huge commitment for me last year where I nearly gave up on the blog. Long story short, it's hard work running a website like this, even when the people around you are making it even more difficult.
Please keep the support going, and tell your friends! I would love to build a huge community and I need your help.
You can also donate games for reviewing purposes if you are so inclined, just press the "donate" page above and see which ones you'd like to, ahem, donate.
But enough of that, I need to get to the important stuff:
I'm going to be taking a temporary break, possibly until August, and after much consideration, but that's the furthest I'll go.
This is based on 2 things:
1. Lack of major games this month.
2. Stress, stress, stress....
It's hard work running a blog like this and getting a review up every week, and you can be assured that I will continue to do so in the future.
And this break will only do the website good, as I'm returning with an even clearer vision and more motivation than ever before.
I just need to rest off the stress for a while. That means no Monday or Friday articles until I'm refreshed again.
This does NOT mean that you aren't going to be getting reviews, I'll see if two of my reviewers can get back in the game this month and post some material.
So in short, I need a break, but it's for the better of myself AND the blog.
God bless, and keep spreading Jesus' word wherever you go. He will never leave or forsake you.
I'll see you guys when I see you......
July 03, 2013
The Darkness 2 Areas of Concern
.....The name pretty much sums it up.
WARNING: This review contains mature subject matter and may be unsuitable for children under the age of 18.
Parental Guidance Advised.
Intro:
Players take on the role of Jackie Estacado, a Mafia boss haunted by a demonic entity known as The Darkness, which took control of him in the first Darkness game.
Jackie has to deal with rival crime syndicates on his journey to rid himself of The Darkness and reunite with his dead girlfriend, Jenny.
Areas of Concern:
Violence:
Mild Moderate Heavy Very Heavy Extreme Ban-worthy
General Violence:
A lot of gory, deliberately over the top violence, some of which is shown in slow-motion.
--You can use your demonic appendages to devastate enemies:
You can grab enemies, tear them apart, with detailed dismemberments, blood spraying all over the environment, and your demonic heads eat their hearts.
You can also slash enemies, cutting off their limbs with blood spurting out.
-You can execute enemies; your appendages grab them, and tear the screaming enemies apart, right down the middle, blood spraying, and you see the bloody carcass. You can also decapitate them, blood spurting. Some of the decapitations are more detailed, and show the enemies' heads getting pulled off as they look shocked.
One of your appendages can impale an enemy through the stomach, and come out again, blood spraying and the enemy screams.
(If you're into movies, it sort of resembles the iconic moment from Alien.)
--You can take control of a midget demon, (those two are not mutually exclusive, just so you know....) and you can execute enemies: He can rip the throat of an ignorant guard, blood spraying out all over the place, or you can jump onto him and poke him through the eyes with your nails, and the man screams with blood spraying out.
--You can throw objects at enemies, like poles, which impale enemies with blood spraying and gurgling being heard, and lids, which slice enemies in half.
--You can shoot enemies: Blood sprays out, staining the environment, and you hear screams, gurgles and cries of pain.
Storyline Violence:
--The Darkness slices a man's chest open, grabs the tear in the flesh and breaks it open to reveal the ribcage and throbbing lungs and heart. Your character then removes the man's heart. Blood and cries of pain are depicted throughout.
--When you first unleash the Darkness, it tears apart several enemies nearby, slicing two guys in half, with blood splattering, but it happens relatively fast and without much detail.
-At another point, an appendage is shoved down a man's throat, and blood sprays out of his mouth.
--A woman is shot through the head, blood splattering all over a table in front of her. A car then crashes through the wall behind her.
We then see your character's leg, with the tattered bloody skin being shown. At one point, a puddle of blood forms underneath it.
--Your character is crucified on a wooden beam; we see a man hitting a nail into his hand, with blood spraying out and your character groans in pain.
Later on, he tears his hand free of a nail and stabs a man through the head with it, blood spraying.
--An old lady is stabbed several times off-screen, blood spraying all over the surrounding environment.
--You are trapped inside an "iron maiden", a casket with spikes covering the inside. We hear your character groan in pain for a while, blood staining the screen, but this is surprisingly not graphic.
You are then suspended over a burning fire and we hear your character screaming, but he is rescued and he falls out of the iron maiden, blood staining the ground.
--There are several sequences where explosions go off, strewing wreckage and knocking people back.
Sex/Nudity:
Mild Moderate Heavy Very Heavy Extreme Ban-worthy
--During the course of the game, you have to go to a brothel; we see suggestively clad women, showing off a lot of skin and cleavage, some of the women are in their underwear and they proposition you.
Later on in the level, you see a woman with her head in man's lap moving up and down, and a full view of a man having sex with a woman from behind, although the angle of the scene makes it slightly less graphic. In the background, you hear loud sexual noises.
--A man talks about a woman giving oral sex, using the F-word, but the man couldn't do so because her "head was blown off". The man then talks about tearing off an old lady's "useless old t**s."
--A man is mentioned to have snorted coke off a "hooker's a**," another man says they were getting their "D***s" spit-polished, and we hear a joke about "tweakin' some n**ples."
-The word F**k is used in sexual context.
Language:
Mild Moderate Heavy Very Heavy Extreme Ban-worthy
Frequent Strong Language: Uses of C**t, F**k, S**t, C**ks**ker, D**k, Pr**k, Wh**e, T**s, D**che, B**ls, A*s, B**t**d, P**s, H**l, B**l**cks, J**k-off, and T**ser.
--God and Jesus' names are used in vain.
Spiritual Content:
Mild Moderate Heavy Very Heavy Extreme Ban-worthy
NOTE: The following section spoils the story and endings of the game. Not like I recommend this game in any shape or form, but I'm just adding the warning to be professional.
--As the name implies, you are under the control of a dark entity known as "The Darkness". The Darkness gives you special abilities, and it's made clear that The Darkness is a demonic being, also evidenced by it's appearance.
Your character tries to fight it off, but it pulls him even deeper into the, ahem, Darkness than ever.
One thing to note about the Darkness is that it can't function in light. (as in, literal light; spotlights, flashlights, bulbs, etc.)
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
John 1:5
--One aspect of the Darkness in the game is the fact that it can bring the protagonist back to life if he dies in the storyline, which happens.
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Hebrews 9:27
--In the end, your character can go into hell to free his girlfriend, only for her to transform into a demon/angel being and escape from hell, leaving your character there for all eternity.
NOTE: You can also get another ending, where it's all implied that the events of the game and all the spiritual content were in your protagonist's deranged mind.
--The protagonist talks about a priest telling him the story about hell, and if he weren't careful, he would end up there as well. He states that it's not that easy....
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John 14:6
--List of symbols:
-Black and white floor. (Masonic.)
-Five point star. (Pentagram: Satanism.)
-Ankh. (Reincarnation.)
-A miniature statue with a hand showing two fingers up, and two fingers down. (As above, so below.)
Drugs/Alcohol/Smoking:
Mild Moderate Heavy Very Heavy Extreme Ban-worthy
--A reference to snorting coke, and a few prostitutes inside of a brothel look very sullen, and talk about needing a "hit".
--You walk into a bar, (Nope, not a joke) and your demonic henchman sits on a counter and takes a swig of beer.
Gross Stuff/Gore:
--You have a demonic assistant, called a darkling, which resembles a goblin. At one point he stands on a fallen pillar and urinates all over the environment.
Morality:
Abysmal Bad So-so Okay Good Very Good
Not very good: You can kill innocents, tear apart your enemies in grotesque ways, and you are the head of a Mafia family.
Slightly countered by the fact that Jackie is willing to anything to rescue his girlfriend, which does come off as a bit, eh, sweet.
Thoughts & Impressions:
 |
| Those aren't the friendliest-looking anacondas in the world.... |
The Darkness 2, I admit, features a decent plot, but really, is it anything special?
No. There are only two compelling parts to the story:
1. The relationship storyline between Jackie and Jenny, which is quite sweet and the sequel takes the time to explore it, in between all the gore and gunplay.
2. Jackie may be insane, and The Darkness could be all in his head. Whilst this is a variation on "It's all but a dream" theme, it is actually very compelling and it makes a lot of sense if you ask me.
Is all of this enough to justify the content........why am I asking that question?
Okay, so in spite of the fact that the game can be INTERPRETED to have all taken place in the protagonist's head, it's pretty obvious that I can't allow the game.
For it's sexual content and satanic imagery. Yep, I'm pretty sure the facts speak for themselves.
Is playing this game a sin? Well, it may very well cause you to stumble into sin, looking at the displays of "wickedness" on, ahem, display here.
Once again, I'm sure that some can play this and not be bothered. That doesn't mean God's not bothered, by the way. What he thinks is above all else.
If you asked Jesus, and you feel that everything's okay, well alright then. Your choice. But for Christians in general? Avoid this game....
Verdict:
BANNED (X)
For Strong (Brief) Sexual Content and Satanic Imagery.
BANNED (X)
For Strong (Brief) Sexual Content and Satanic Imagery.
Outro:
So there you go. No surprise there, but I hope the review was at least useful.
Next week, we'll probably have a review by someone else. It may look like it was easy for me to review this game, but it wasn't. I need a bit of time off, and in fact, I need to ponder where the blog is going in the future.
No, I'm not shutting it down, don't worry, but I do want to assess all the avenues it can take.
In any case, see you Friday!
Writer Bio:
Kyle van Rensburg is the Editor-in-Chief of Kyle's Christian Video Game Reviews. (KGR) He likes cookies.
July 01, 2013
Dark Times....
Dark times indeed.
I'm currently reviewing a very shady game, and let's just say that the content is getting to me. I'm normally quite subjective when I write content, but now it's very hard to do so.
Wednesday you'll see what I'm talking about. Please do note that the review contains mature subject matter. Yep....
In other news, looks like we might not have a ZIG review this week, so we'll see if it's the week afterwards.
After finishing this game, I would like to take a short break just to "recover", and so you might see a Guest Review next week.
But I'll try to make a plan to have another review up in case that plan fails again. After all, there is no rest for the weary......even though some of these games are really nasty.
I'll see you guys Wednesday! Oh, and I have an idea for Friday, just got to remember it, heh.
See ya then!
I'm currently reviewing a very shady game, and let's just say that the content is getting to me. I'm normally quite subjective when I write content, but now it's very hard to do so.
Wednesday you'll see what I'm talking about. Please do note that the review contains mature subject matter. Yep....
In other news, looks like we might not have a ZIG review this week, so we'll see if it's the week afterwards.
After finishing this game, I would like to take a short break just to "recover", and so you might see a Guest Review next week.
But I'll try to make a plan to have another review up in case that plan fails again. After all, there is no rest for the weary......even though some of these games are really nasty.
I'll see you guys Wednesday! Oh, and I have an idea for Friday, just got to remember it, heh.
See ya then!
June 28, 2013
BioShock Infinite Review (REMIX)
Shocking, absolutely shocking.
(Special thanks to ZIG for helping me out a lot during the writing of this review!)
Name: BioShock Infinite
Release Date: March 2013
Genre: First Person Shooter-Adventure
Developed By: Irrational Games
Reviewed By: Kyle van Rensburg
Game Site: www.bioshockinfinite.com
Intro:
Booker DeWitt is sent to a mysterious flying city known as Columbia, in order to find a woman by the name of Elizabeth and bring her back.
He encounters the city's inhabitants, who are *slightly* unhinged and worship a man know as Father Comstock, a psuedo-Christian "prophet" with a deadly agenda.....
Together, Booker and Elizabeth have to fight their way out of the city, in the midst of a "99% vs the 1%" war. Time is running short, but they are more determined then ever after Booker discovers that Elizabeth has mind-bending powers that could change the world around them for the better.
Or for the worse.....
Areas of Concern:
Violence:
Mild Moderate Heavy Very Heavy Extreme Ban-worthy
General Violence:
Having now played the game in the fullest, the violence level generally stays the same, but please note that when you play it, the game is very brutal.
In fact, and this may sound loony, but a few times during the game I felt physically sick watching the constant displays of brutal violence.
This is NOT for sensitive gamers.
--Enemies can be shot, we see blood spraying and staining the environment, and cries of pain are heard. With heavier weapons, you can blow heads and limbs off, with arterial sprays of blood.
You can also use rocket launchers and grenades to kill enemies, resulting in dismemberments and blood sprays.
--You can also use a three pronged hook glove to kill enemies, with neck breakings and stabbings being shown, some of which are gory with the enemies' eyes becoming bloody. You can also slice the enemies using the hook, blood spurting out. You can pick up the enemies, jamming their heads between one of the hooks, which spins and decapitates them, blood spraying all over the screen.
A few times when you slice, limbs and heads can be severed, with arterial blood sprays being shown.
--You can use "Vigors" to kill enemies: they can be set on fire, we hear lots of screaming and we see them flail around.
-Another Vigor is the ability to summon crows: We see them swarm enemies, who scream and become bloody, and eventually collapse dead.
-The Possession Vigor takes control of machines and enemies so that they become your allies. After the effect has worn off, the enemies commit suicide, either by shooting or hitting themselves in the head, with blood spraying.
--We see a few bloodied dead bodies, blood staining the environment, and blood pools where people have been injured/killed. We also see a few enemies with burnt faces and their skulls show through, with some tattered skin.
Storyline Violence:
--A man uses a glove with three prong hooks to slice off another man's face: We see him shove the man's face against it, a lot of blood sprays, and the glove is impaled in the man's face. This happens quickly.
--When your character consumes any of the Vigors, we see him go through a violent transformation, with his hands burning off with flames, bone and bloody flesh being shown, and he screams horribly, until his hands become whole again, or his hands crack and we see the bloody flesh underneath, his hands get crystal growths and electricity comes out of them, or boils form on his hands, showing the bloody flesh underneath, until it goes away and he becomes whole once again.
--We see a man sitting in a chair with a lot of blood on the floor and a few bloody tools. His face is very bruised and grotesque, and his clothes are bloodied. He was obviously tortured to death.
--A man is shot in the head, with blood splattering on a window. The woman who shot him smears the blood on her face. Later on, a woman stabs another woman through the chest with a pair of scissors. Blood flows out and stains her shirt, and she collapses dead in a pool of blood.
--A man grabs another man and hits his head against a water basin with blood splattering, and drowns him in the small amount of water.
--We see the scalped heads of a few people pasted on a block of wood: You see their hair and bloody scalps, but not the rest of their heads.
--We hear a man talk about cutting a boy's leg off, and we see a bloody trap.
Having now played the game in the fullest, the violence level generally stays the same, but please note that when you play it, the game is very brutal.
In fact, and this may sound loony, but a few times during the game I felt physically sick watching the constant displays of brutal violence.
This is NOT for sensitive gamers.
--Enemies can be shot, we see blood spraying and staining the environment, and cries of pain are heard. With heavier weapons, you can blow heads and limbs off, with arterial sprays of blood.
You can also use rocket launchers and grenades to kill enemies, resulting in dismemberments and blood sprays.
--You can also use a three pronged hook glove to kill enemies, with neck breakings and stabbings being shown, some of which are gory with the enemies' eyes becoming bloody. You can also slice the enemies using the hook, blood spurting out. You can pick up the enemies, jamming their heads between one of the hooks, which spins and decapitates them, blood spraying all over the screen.
A few times when you slice, limbs and heads can be severed, with arterial blood sprays being shown.
--You can use "Vigors" to kill enemies: they can be set on fire, we hear lots of screaming and we see them flail around.
-Another Vigor is the ability to summon crows: We see them swarm enemies, who scream and become bloody, and eventually collapse dead.
-The Possession Vigor takes control of machines and enemies so that they become your allies. After the effect has worn off, the enemies commit suicide, either by shooting or hitting themselves in the head, with blood spraying.
--We see a few bloodied dead bodies, blood staining the environment, and blood pools where people have been injured/killed. We also see a few enemies with burnt faces and their skulls show through, with some tattered skin.
Storyline Violence:
--A man uses a glove with three prong hooks to slice off another man's face: We see him shove the man's face against it, a lot of blood sprays, and the glove is impaled in the man's face. This happens quickly.
--When your character consumes any of the Vigors, we see him go through a violent transformation, with his hands burning off with flames, bone and bloody flesh being shown, and he screams horribly, until his hands become whole again, or his hands crack and we see the bloody flesh underneath, his hands get crystal growths and electricity comes out of them, or boils form on his hands, showing the bloody flesh underneath, until it goes away and he becomes whole once again.
--We see a man sitting in a chair with a lot of blood on the floor and a few bloody tools. His face is very bruised and grotesque, and his clothes are bloodied. He was obviously tortured to death.
--A man is shot in the head, with blood splattering on a window. The woman who shot him smears the blood on her face. Later on, a woman stabs another woman through the chest with a pair of scissors. Blood flows out and stains her shirt, and she collapses dead in a pool of blood.
--A man grabs another man and hits his head against a water basin with blood splattering, and drowns him in the small amount of water.
--We see the scalped heads of a few people pasted on a block of wood: You see their hair and bloody scalps, but not the rest of their heads.
--We hear a man talk about cutting a boy's leg off, and we see a bloody trap.
Sex/Nudity:
Mild Moderate Heavy Very Heavy Extreme Ban-worthy
--The Devil's Kiss Vigor bottle has the figure of a topless woman on it, but without much detail.
--A man talks about a guy who was "bedding down with the local colour", and he says that he hopes the man who sent him to find another woman doesn't expect him to stuff (something) into her.
--A sign which says "Hall of Heroes" is rearranged to say: "Hall of Wh***s", and we also see the female statue above it has been spray painted on the breasts to make mock nipples.
--A man mentions that the "Seed of the Prophet" should have been left to dry on the bedsheets, and later on a woman talks about a man being rendered sterile and how sexual reproduction de-emphasises the characteristics of the parents.
--A woman calls another woman a w**re, who assures her that her "sexual interest" in the accusing woman's husband is non-existent.
--A man asks if you are looking for a "port in the storm", presumably a homosexual advance.
Language:
Mild Moderate Heavy Very Heavy Extreme Ban-worthy
Infrequent Moderate Language: Uses of S**t, W**re, B**ch, B**t**d, P**s, H**l, and D**n.
--God and Jesus' name are used in vain.
Racial Slurs: Several racial slurs towards all ethnic groups, too many to list here. Uses of g**k, in**ns, ch**k, and cr**ker.
Spiritual Content:
Mild Moderate Heavy Very Heavy Extreme Ban-worthy
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction." Proverbs 1:7
--The whole game setting takes place in a giant floating city built around religious extremism. A lot of angel statues and religious imagery are shown, and the citizens and villains are "Christian" in a sense. They also seem to revere the founders of America as God-like, and pray to them often. The leader of the citizens is a man called Father Comstock, who they call their "Prophet".
One part takes place in a church built in his honour, and he replaces Jesus as their object of worship. You arrive at a place where a group of people appear to be praying, and a preacher talks about how great the Prophet is and about the "Sodom" beneath them.
You are then forcibly baptized by the preacher, who baptizes you in the name of the Founders, (of America) the name of the Prophet, and the name of Lord. He then declares you "born again".
"Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help." Psalms 146:3
--There are several more spiritual and "Christian" references uttered during the game like "Ascension", "Hallelujah", and a few pseudo Biblical references to a Messiah and God. But most of the time they worship and revere their Prophet, who they say will lead them into a New Eden. We see a few of them praying and mentioning a sword, a scroll, and a key.
A lot of references to baptism, being born again, and the rapture.
--You can gain supernatural abilities from "Vigors", which are chemical drinks your character consumse. The game is unclear how these Vigors came about.
The abilities you acquire are levitation, fire, crow swarms, and possession, in which you possess objects and people so that they are on your side. It appears as if a ghostly woman takes control of them, but this is very unclear on whether or not it's an actual spirit or just there for the "cool".
The woman who gives you the bottle for the possession vigor remarks: "With one whisper, they are all ears...." It's never clarified if she is talking about spirits or if this is just a remark.
Decide for yourself.
--We enter a building. and see that it has a checkerboard floor, and a few people dressed in a way resembling the Freemasons, but with pointed hoods. They seem to be celebrating the Prophet. They also mention that they are worshiping a sword, a raven, and a coffin.
--We briefly see a Buddha statue, and a woman comments on what he represents. A woman is seen standing in front of it with her hands in the praying position, and she says that she was asking him to give her husband back.
"Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God." Leviticus 26:1
--In the game, there are "Tears", which lead to alternate universes and timelines. One enemy, a Siren, is a woman who was cloned using the Tears, and she looks ghostly and brings dead enemies back to life. This is taking advantage of the parallel universes, and it's mentioned that she exists across time, being both alive and dead, so it's not "Spiritual" per se, but sure appears that way.
Oh, and she makes some strange screeching noises, which doesn't help matters.
"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" Hebrews 9:27
--The following symbols appear in the game:
-A picture of a woman in Greek armour bearing angel wings. (No female angels were ever mentioned in the Bible. They were all described as masculine.)
-Five point star. (Satanic symbol. Very commonly used.)
-The Heart. (Sexual symbol.)
-The Devil with a red face and horns. The Vigor associated with this, the Devil's Breath, sometimes has a price tag of $666 to replenish it. This was obviously a joke on the side of the developers.
-Lightning bolt. (Lucifer falling from heaven.)
-Eye of Lucifer/One eye symbol.
-In a Chinese exhibit, we see some dragons. (False gods, represents Satan in the book of Revelation.)
-Ram's head. Used as an emblem for "Charge", has a lightning bolt on it's forehead. Dubious if this was deliberate or not. (Ram's head is often associated with satanism or African witchcraft.)
-Spirals. (Sun symbol.)
Drugs/Alcohol/Smoking:
Mild Moderate Heavy Very Heavy Extreme Ban-worthy
Mild Moderate Heavy Very Heavy Extreme Ban-worthy
--You can consume alcoholic beverages: doing so blurs your vision, but replenishes your health.
--We see an advertisement that shows children smoking a cigarette brand specifically intended for minors.
Discrimination:
--The game itself does not condone racism, but the citizens of Columbia are shown to be very racist and quite a few racial slurs are uttered. We also hear a lot of nasty jokes directed towards black and non-white people, and towards white people as well.
Once again, the game itself definitely is not racist, but the fictional people in the game are.
Scary Stuff:
--The game is fairly creepy at certain stages, but it's more tense than scary. The atmosphere is unsettling, and there are a few intense sequences where your character and his companion are in peril.
Morality:
Abysmal Bad So-so Okay Good Very Good
Your character kills a lot of people during the course of the game, but he does so (mostly) in self-defense. The villain and secondary villains are shown to have their own agendas in mind, and are willing to do anything to fulfill them.
Review of Game:
So, after playing through this game, how does it hold up?
The gameplay is simply amazingly designed: Fluid, deep, challenging, yet very streamlined, all at the same time.
The usual gunplay makes an appearance here, but with a twist: Vigors.
Vigors are special abilities, sort of like "spells", if you want to put it that way, which can be used to devastate enemies.
Devastate enemies in ways like summoning a swarm of crows to pick apart foes, making them vulnerable to your bullets. Or Possession, which if upgraded, can turn a hapless mook to your side for a short period of time.
Then you have Shock Jockey, which you can use to zap stronger enemies and unload your weapon of choice into them whilst they are defenseless for a few brief moments.
Elements like these could have made the game overpowered, but that's where Salts come in: Salts power the Vigors, and after they are depleted, you are left with the plain old silver fire-spitter to defend yourself with.
The game by itself is all fine and dandy, but the introduction of Elizabeth helps elevate it even more.
Rest assured, this is one sidekick you won't have to babysit. Elizabeth can take care of herself, even supply you with ammo and Salts to plow through enemy lines with.
She won't fire at enemies though, so you're on your own. This is not a bad thing, however, since that would have stolen most of your fun.
All in all, the gameplay adds up to make a fun, challenging, yet refreshingly simple game experience.
BioShock Infinite features one of the finest stories told this year, right alongside The Last of Us, even though I personally believe the latter won out.
The most compelling piece of the story is the relationship between Booker and Elizabeth.
The dynamic between them is one I won't spoil, but let's just say that like the aforementioned The Last of Us, there are a lot of conflicts and emotional scars which come to light.
Now, I initially complained about the complete 180 the ending took in the plain version of this review, but after much soul-searching and claptrap, I'm thankful they had the guts to make such an astonishingly ambitious climax.
I'm not the biggest fan of the ending, that I'll say, because it actually feels like it's not complex enough. It could have blown my mind a lot more, but it just gave me a headache.
Still, such risk-taking should be commended, and with that, we were given one of the finest games of this generation.
This game sets itself apart from the rest of the pack by having a unique art style, as opposed to complete photo-realism.
That's not to say there's no eye candy here and there. The colour palette of the game deliciously stood out on my computer with it's super-awesome 1920x1080 LED monitor and excellently.......great GTX 650 Ti.
The "retro" design of the game, mixing steam-punk with early 20th century aesthetics, is breathtaking to say the least.
So, what I'm saying is that, this game is indeed amazing, providing that you can tolerate the content.
I was surprised to find that after reading up about this game, the depiction of violence courted some controversy. I guess that people are finally now getting fed up with sensational violence and demanding better stories.
Is the violence ban-worthy? That's up to you, but it's actually the usual for shooters these days. I assume that it went against the game's message or something like that, which I actually agree with.
Violence should get less of a lip-licking portrayal, and more of an upsetting, cold, and emotionally engaging depiction.
As for the spiritual content, well, the game itself is not clearly spiritual when it comes to the Vigors and Siren enemy, and the portrayal of people following a false prophet is actually something I agree with, so I can excuse the prayers towards the false prophet.
There is one minor instance of a woman praying to Buddha, so I'm still unclear on whether or not that should be a big issue. People praying to a false prophet, and one person praying to a false god? Pretty much the same thing. Keep this in mind if you consider purchasing this game.
At the end of the day, everybody will have a huge argument about the religion in this game, when we forget, our beliefs aren't based on religion, but on a relationship with Jesus. You can argue the fine print on that, saying that it's still religion, but I don't care.
But wait, we're supposed to condemn this game! And I shall do so, sending forth the fire from hell and burning it at the stake!!!!
.....by giving it a Mature Gamers Only.
So now that you've gone through this review again, why did I choose said verdict? And why do I stand by it?
Because I fully agree with the message. It features one of the best depictions of pseudo-Christian sects and cults in movies, books, games, you name it.
I also changed a lot of my own views on fantasy material in fiction after this review, and decided that it's ultimately up to the individual to ask the Holy Spirit and decide for themselves what their verdict is on the select game.
We all get that one work of art which challenges our preconceptions, our ideals, our judgements. BioShock Infinite was one such work of art. And work of art, it was. I can say that it is a video game which changed my life, albeit not in an earth shattering way, but still, it caused a change.
And for that, I hope that it goes down the halls of time as one of the greatest ever. And God willing, may this review be there as well in our all time best.
Gameplay:
The gameplay is simply amazingly designed: Fluid, deep, challenging, yet very streamlined, all at the same time.
The usual gunplay makes an appearance here, but with a twist: Vigors.
Vigors are special abilities, sort of like "spells", if you want to put it that way, which can be used to devastate enemies.
Devastate enemies in ways like summoning a swarm of crows to pick apart foes, making them vulnerable to your bullets. Or Possession, which if upgraded, can turn a hapless mook to your side for a short period of time.
Then you have Shock Jockey, which you can use to zap stronger enemies and unload your weapon of choice into them whilst they are defenseless for a few brief moments.
Elements like these could have made the game overpowered, but that's where Salts come in: Salts power the Vigors, and after they are depleted, you are left with the plain old silver fire-spitter to defend yourself with.
The game by itself is all fine and dandy, but the introduction of Elizabeth helps elevate it even more.
Rest assured, this is one sidekick you won't have to babysit. Elizabeth can take care of herself, even supply you with ammo and Salts to plow through enemy lines with.
She won't fire at enemies though, so you're on your own. This is not a bad thing, however, since that would have stolen most of your fun.
All in all, the gameplay adds up to make a fun, challenging, yet refreshingly simple game experience.
Story:
BioShock Infinite features one of the finest stories told this year, right alongside The Last of Us, even though I personally believe the latter won out.
The most compelling piece of the story is the relationship between Booker and Elizabeth.
The dynamic between them is one I won't spoil, but let's just say that like the aforementioned The Last of Us, there are a lot of conflicts and emotional scars which come to light.
Now, I initially complained about the complete 180 the ending took in the plain version of this review, but after much soul-searching and claptrap, I'm thankful they had the guts to make such an astonishingly ambitious climax.
I'm not the biggest fan of the ending, that I'll say, because it actually feels like it's not complex enough. It could have blown my mind a lot more, but it just gave me a headache.
Still, such risk-taking should be commended, and with that, we were given one of the finest games of this generation.
AudioVisual:
This game sets itself apart from the rest of the pack by having a unique art style, as opposed to complete photo-realism.
That's not to say there's no eye candy here and there. The colour palette of the game deliciously stood out on my computer with it's super-awesome 1920x1080 LED monitor and excellently.......great GTX 650 Ti.
The "retro" design of the game, mixing steam-punk with early 20th century aesthetics, is breathtaking to say the least.
So, what I'm saying is that, this game is indeed amazing, providing that you can tolerate the content.
Quality Verdict: Amazing (A+)
I was surprised to find that after reading up about this game, the depiction of violence courted some controversy. I guess that people are finally now getting fed up with sensational violence and demanding better stories.
Is the violence ban-worthy? That's up to you, but it's actually the usual for shooters these days. I assume that it went against the game's message or something like that, which I actually agree with.
Violence should get less of a lip-licking portrayal, and more of an upsetting, cold, and emotionally engaging depiction.
As for the spiritual content, well, the game itself is not clearly spiritual when it comes to the Vigors and Siren enemy, and the portrayal of people following a false prophet is actually something I agree with, so I can excuse the prayers towards the false prophet.
There is one minor instance of a woman praying to Buddha, so I'm still unclear on whether or not that should be a big issue. People praying to a false prophet, and one person praying to a false god? Pretty much the same thing. Keep this in mind if you consider purchasing this game.
At the end of the day, everybody will have a huge argument about the religion in this game, when we forget, our beliefs aren't based on religion, but on a relationship with Jesus. You can argue the fine print on that, saying that it's still religion, but I don't care.
"Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." 2 Corinthians 3:6
But wait, we're supposed to condemn this game! And I shall do so, sending forth the fire from hell and burning it at the stake!!!!
.....by giving it a Mature Gamers Only.
ReMix Conclusion:
So now that you've gone through this review again, why did I choose said verdict? And why do I stand by it?
Because I fully agree with the message. It features one of the best depictions of pseudo-Christian sects and cults in movies, books, games, you name it.
I also changed a lot of my own views on fantasy material in fiction after this review, and decided that it's ultimately up to the individual to ask the Holy Spirit and decide for themselves what their verdict is on the select game.
We all get that one work of art which challenges our preconceptions, our ideals, our judgements. BioShock Infinite was one such work of art. And work of art, it was. I can say that it is a video game which changed my life, albeit not in an earth shattering way, but still, it caused a change.
And for that, I hope that it goes down the halls of time as one of the greatest ever. And God willing, may this review be there as well in our all time best.
Verdict: (17+)
Mature Gamers Only (MA)
(For Strong Spiritual References justified by context, and Gory Violence.)
Mature Gamers Only (MA)
(For Strong Spiritual References justified by context, and Gory Violence.)
Outro:
Original Outro:
Phew, this may have been the most difficult game for me to review thus far. I had a lot of conflicts over what to rate it and if it's a good decision for gamers to play it.
Phew, this may have been the most difficult game for me to review thus far. I had a lot of conflicts over what to rate it and if it's a good decision for gamers to play it.
But I hope that this review informed you, and that you enjoyed the read. I will see you guys next Wednesday if all goes well, so tune in then!
ReMix:
So, how do you guys like that?
Please note that this won't happen every Friday. This was more of a concept show-off. The next ReMix Review will be posted on a Saturday. Stay tuned for updates when the next review will get an Extreme Makeover, right here, on KVR Gaming!
ReMix:
So, how do you guys like that?
Please note that this won't happen every Friday. This was more of a concept show-off. The next ReMix Review will be posted on a Saturday. Stay tuned for updates when the next review will get an Extreme Makeover, right here, on KVR Gaming!
Writer Bio:
Kyle van Rensburg is the Editor-in-Chief of KVR Gaming. He likes cookies.
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