Future Press Archives - Page 4 of 8 - Strategy Guide Reviews

Dark Souls Guide Review

January 18, 2012 By Chris Nitz 1 Comment

I love Dark Souls, and I have no idea why. The game is difficult to the point that controllers fly, fist-sized holes end up in walls, and my gamer pride bleeds from the beating it consistently receives at the cold and deadly grasp of this game. Yet like a good masochist, I return for more punishment only to beat an impassable enemy or inch forward after hours of hard fought battles. This is where I feel for the poor sucker, Carol Crowdy, who had to collect so much tasty data and put it into a glorious tome of knowledge for those of us who may need a little “help” along the way.

When you first crack the spine on this book, the guide tells you to prepare to die less and then asks how many times you did die before diving into this collection of tips. From here the guide is broken down into six sections of which the first two may seem like something you can skim over, but I’d argue they are quite possibly the most useful for anyone deciding to torture their thumbs in this dark world.

The first two sections are dedicated to game mechanics and the various enemies. You may think you can skim over the game mechanics portion, but I’d urge you to take some time and study this as it’ll make character planning and development much easier. Not only does this cover souls needed for leveling and hit point curves, but it also dives into how humanity works and is useful at certain times while still detailing the basics of battling and defending. There is great advice here, so don’t skip it.

Following the 101 of how to swing a sword and not die every two minutes is a lengthy section on enemies and bosses. Hit points, attack types, and clues on how to destroy the foe at hand are listed here. I found myself coming to this section after turning into a blood stain for the 10th time and then destroying the vile beast shortly there after. It does feel a bit out of place as you have to use the index at the back to hunt down whatever it is that is blocking your progression. However, it does make it easier to study thy foe.

After reading about enemies you get to the area walkthrough portion. A rudimentary map along with item and enemy locations are provided. Key strategies, such as falling off a ladder and pulling switches to move bookcases, are pointed out and clearly marked on the map. You will be flipping among this and the enemy section a lot so utilize the index as it will save you hours of flipping pages.

Sections four and five are dedicated to the vast amount of weapons and items scattered about the world. These end up being a nice complement to the first section as it provides a great aid for planning out your character. All sets and upgrade benefits are listed here. It is also very handy to know where to find specific magic items so you don’t accidentally kill the NPC that holds that one rare ring you wanted.

The last portion of the guide covers not only how to obtain the Achievements/Trophies in the game, but a thorough breakdown on the new covenant feature. A smattering of NPC data, maps, and weapon upgrades are included too. It is a nice way to finish the guide while still providing plenty of useful and pertinent info.

Sadly, it is not all greatness here. It takes some time to get used to how this guide flows. I found I had to read sections–like how to beat a boss–a few times to get the gist of what needed to be done. Also, due to updates to the game, some content in the guide is outdated. It does not make the guide less useful, but if something is not working from the printed text then jump online for more up-to-date info.

While I still died a lot, my controller thanks Future Press for all the hard work that went into this book. It made a game that gives the player with very little plenty of ground to stand on and the tools necessary to succeed in this grim and dark world. Do not buy Dark Souls without giving this guide some serious consideration.

SGR Rating: 4.5/5

Authors: Carol Crowdy
Published By: Future Press
Editions Available: Hardback
Acquired via Publisher

Top 5 Strategy Guides of 2011

January 4, 2012 By Keri Honea Leave a Comment

Everyone else is writing up about their top 5 or top 10 video games from 2011, and I want to do the same, but hey, this is a strategy guide site! I can come up with the top 5 strategy guides from 2011 easily!

And with that fantastic intro, here we go!

5. Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Deus Ex games have always prided themselves on providing multiple methods of how to get through the game, and DXHR is probably the first one that actually does just that. It really is possible to fight your way through every level and it’s possible to sneak through every level. It’s also possible to change it up every level. This guide walks you through three possible methods to take with near flawlessness. The only problem I had with the guide was its page layout:

The problem with this style of maps in a guide like Deus Ex: Human Revolution, though, is that since there are literally three different walkthroughs for every section, logistics doesn’t allow each map to stay with each entire walkthrough.

As a result, sometimes you have to flip back and forth to see the specific locales that the walkthrough references. It doesn’t take away from the accuracy of the walkthroughs or the maps at all, but it does remove efficiency in quickly finding what you need to get back to the game, adds a bit of annoyance, and hinders the effectiveness of the guide’s layout.

But you know, for a guide to get me through a stealth game when I hate stealth without throwing a controller once, you know it’s a fantastic guide.

4. Portal 2

Portal 2 was probably the most perfect game this year. I have zero complaints about any of it, and the same went with the strategy guide.

One thing I really appreciated were the warnings/suggestions at the beginning of the single-player and co-op chapters, where it strongly urged players to only use the guide when they were stuck. I can’t recall any guide saying that, not even the original Portal strategy guide. Granted, the reason why people buy a strategy guide is for assistance, but it’s nice that the writers asked users to try to work out the puzzles on your own, because really, you won’t get the beauty of the game without trying on your own.

Thankfully, the rest of the Portal 2 strategy guide is great and doesn’t hide behind this suggestion to mask any deficiencies. The guide is divided by campaign, chapter, and then chamber. The start of every chamber has a clear map–multiple maps if the level has multiple areas–with marked orange and blue portal placements. Each placement is numbered to correspond with the numbered paragraphs in the walkthrough. So if you just look at the guide whenever you have a quick question, it’s extremely easy to find what you need within seconds.

My favorite part of this guide still to this day is its blue and orange cloth bookmarks that were included with the Collector’s Edition.

3. Uncharted 3

I know I haven’t reviewed this guide yet, but I can say it’s the best damn guide I’ve ever seen Prima Games publish and Piggyback Interactive write. I know that Piggyback and I have had not the best relationship, but they completely won me over with their guide for Uncharted 3.

I’ll put it this way: I found all 101 treasures during my first playthrough with no problems.

2. Skyrim

This is another guide I haven’t reviewed yet, and I really haven’t gotten that far in the game. Why? Because I can’t take three steps without stumbling onto another side quest! I had to close the guide so that I wouldn’t discover any others.

I am amazed that a guide could take on something as massive as Skyrim and be so damn accurate with everything. It has over 600 pages to prove it.

1. The 3rd Birthday

I wasn’t a fan of this game at all, but damn if it wasn’t the best strategy guide I have ever come across.

I honestly finished the game weeks ago, but I’ve had the hardest time sitting down to write a review for the guide because it was perfect. All I want to say is just that: it’s perfect. Perfect design, perfect advice, perfect organization. It’s really hard to elaborate on that, hence why it has taken me so long to write more than five words about it.

Every guide should follow The 3rd Birthday strategy guide’s structure. The first page of each mission has maps of the areas Aya will explore, all clearly marked with items, enemies, and exits. Each map is labeled as “Area #”, and then consequently in the walkthrough, each section marks which area Aya is in. It’s plainly easy to find exactly where you are at any given time. Also on this front page are a list of the mission’s Feats, which are sort of like the game’s Trophies–if the PSP had any Trophy support. The Feats are also mentioned again when the best time (or only time) Aya can accomplish them, and they are placed in clear, callout boxes so there is no risk of missing them.

This guide has become my personal bar that other guides measure against. It just goes to show you that you can make a stellar guide about any game, no matter how big, how hyped, or how mediocre.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution Strategy Guide Review

October 18, 2011 By Keri Honea Leave a Comment

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a hybrid of RPG, third-person stealth, and first-person shooter elements. As such, it’s rather complex in terms of approach due to its free nature in allowing players to choose how they want to play. You want to get through the game without killing anyone (other than bosses)? You can do that. You want to kill everyone you see? You can do that too. The choices you make throughout the game, in terms of approach and the sidequests you choose, greatly affect the game’s overall outcome, thereby allowing players to have several different experiences. If you played Heavy Rain, then you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Since the game is so diverse and in a sense, adaptable, the strategy guide for Deus Ex: Human Revolution had to be as well. As a result, FuturePress produced one fat tome that definitely presents all of the ins and outs in Adam Jensen’s world, and there are different strategies laid out for the three main ways you can approach each chapter: stealth, stealth combat (focused on non-lethal combat), and combat. The guide was fantastic in so many, many ways, but unfortunately, FuturePress’s typical design layout with the numbered maps made following along a little cumbersome, especially when the strategy referred to maps on previous pages.

If you’re familiar with FuturePress’s guides, then you know what I’m talking about, but for those who aren’t, let me explain. FuturePress is always great with supplying numerous maps in their guides. They typically present a large, overview map in the beginning of a chapter and then create smaller, individualized maps for each section you’re tackling. With each smaller map, they mark what locations they discuss in the written walkthrough with letters. This way, when they say, “Go to Position A,” you can look at the map and see exactly where they are talking about. There is actually a bit of a learning curve when it comes to efficiently using these maps with the walkthroughs, and it’s very easy to get confused as to where to go or figuring out where you are. Once you become used to it, it becomes second nature.

The problem with this style of maps in a guide like Deus Ex: Human Revolution, though, is that since there are literally three different walkthroughs for every section, logistics doesn’t allow each map to stay with each entire walkthrough.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution Strategy Guide

As a result, sometimes you have to flip back and forth to see the specific locales that the walkthrough references. It doesn’t take away fromt he accuracy of the walkthroughs or the maps at all, but it does remove efficiency in quickly finding what you need to get back to the game, adds a bit of annoyance, and hinders the effectiveness of the guide’s layout.

I also found some trouble with the divisions of the walkthroughs. The routes and plans the walkthroughs provide greatly differ among one another. So if you try to follow the stealth path but get stuck about halfway through, it’s extremely rare to be able to simply flip over to the combat walkthrough and pick up right where you are. You can either try to finish the stealth route, load an earlier save and start over, or completely wing it. You can probably guess which option I picked rather often.

Everything else with the Deus Ex: Human Revolution strategy guide was flawless. I have not missed a single Praxis kit–unless I didn’t have the specific aug to go fetch it–and when I needed to pick up some extra nuke software, I easily found exactly which shop I needed. Not to mention, I know I wouldn’t have gotten half of the traveler experience without the guide’s help. Unless it’s a sidequest, I rarely stray from the main path in this game because I’m so focused on what to do next and I really try to do things stealthily. Without the guide safely telling me where I could go and how to do it without getting seen, I know I wouldn’t have been able to augment Jensen as much as I have.

To be completely honest, since stealth games are NOT my forte, I would have rage quit Deus Ex a long time ago if it weren’t for this guide. I really can’t recommend this strategy guide enough, but that recommendation comes with the caveat of be prepared for the walkthrough layout to be initially confusing and, at times, inefficient.

SGR Grade: 4.5/5

Publisher: FuturePress
Editions Available: Collector’s Edition and Paperback
Acquired via Publisher

Deus Ex Strategy Guide Giveaway!

September 6, 2011 By Keri Honea 6 Comments

UPDATE! Winners have been chosen. Please check out the drawing below…

I was pleasantly surprised by an additional shipment this morning of not just one, but TWO Deus Ex: Human Revolution strategy guides. One is the paperback version, and the other is the gorgeous, hardback collector’s edition.

Sooo, strategy guide giveaway, anyone?

Here’s how this will work…

There are 3 ways to enter for this giveaway. At 4pm CST TODAY, I will draw one name from a hat for the Collector’s Edition, and then the second name I draw will win the paperback edition. You can enter for the drawing by doing the following:

Commenting on this post directly on the blog.
Following @strategyreviews and RTing the giveaway announcement.
Becoming a fan of SGR on Facebook and leaving a comment on the Facebook page.

Remember that EACH entry will count has one entry in the contest, so your name could be in the hat up to 3 times.

Huge thanks to Future Press for making this giveaway possible.

Ready? Set? GO!

And the winners are…

Congratulations, Nick and Blake! I’ll be in touch soon regarding shipping!

Portal 2 Strategy Guide Review

May 25, 2011 By Keri Honea Leave a Comment

Part of the fun of playing games in the Portal franchise is trying to figure out all of these insane puzzles yourself, as it really is VERY rewarding to do so. At times that reward feels like you’re an idiot for making things really hard on yourself, but it’s still immensely satisfying no matter what the aftertaste is. However, patience runs thin for many of us, so for those puzzles that do make you pull your hair out because you have no idea where to go or how to get to a certain point, Future Press’s Portal 2 Strategy Guide is your life line for keeping you away from Cave Johnson’s insanity.

One thing I really appreciated were the warnings/suggestions at the beginning of the single-player and co-op chapters, where it strongly urged players to only use the guide when they were stuck. I can’t recall any guide saying that, not even the original Portal strategy guide. Granted, the reason why people buy a strategy guide is for assistance, but it’s nice that the writers asked users to try to work out the puzzles on your own, because really, you won’t get the beauty of the game without trying on your own.

Thankfully, the rest of the Portal 2 strategy guide is great and doesn’t hide behind this suggestion to mask any deficiencies. The guide is divided by campaign, chapter, and then chamber. The start of every chamber has a clear map–multiple maps if the level has multiple areas–with marked orange and blue portal placements. Each placement is numbered to correspond with the numbered paragraphs in the walkthrough. So if you just look at the guide whenever you have a quick question, it’s extremely easy to find what you need within seconds.

And if you just don’t understand how to implement their advice, you can use the little QR codes at the top of every chamber. Register your strategy guide online at Future Press, and then you can type in the QR code and watch a short clip of how to solve the puzzle. Just be prepared to perform a hefty face palm after you watch the videos.

In addition to the maps, the strategy guide does include various screenshots with the walkthroughs to help point out where you should place your gels or your portals. The maps do a fairly great job of depicting portal, light bridge, and funnel placements, but they don’t show where to place the gels. I find this to be a good thing, because otherwise the maps would be a mess of blue and orange. Instead, the screenshots depict a mess of blue and orange, but at least there, it’s easier to decipher and that’s what you’re going to be seeing anyway.

Within the walkthrough paragraphs, there are also callout boxes–marked with a nifty Aperture Science logo–for speed tips, hidden Achievements/Trophies, warnings, etc. I most likely wouldn’t have racked up half of the random Achievements without these callout boxes, because I never would have thought to head to certain areas or do certain completely random things. I was too busy laughing at all of the dialogue or trying to figure out how to make a jump without dying.

Of course, in true Future Press fashion, there is more to the guide than help with the single-player and co-op campaigns. There is an artwork section, explanations of the Portal universe, interviews with the devs in the Collector’s Edition, AND a speed run guide for the first Portal game. I personally didn’t try out the speed runs because as I stated earlier, I didn’t enjoy the first game. However, I did watch the movie clips, and I can attest that these guys definitely know what they are doing. I watched most of them with my lower jaw in my lap.

However, my personal favorite feature of the Collector’s Edition guide is the two woven bookmarks included: one is orange and one is blue.

To make a long story short, the Portal 2 strategy guide is flawless and offers everything anyone could want to get the most out of both Portal games and the Portal universe.

SGR Rating: 5/5

Authors and Publisher: Future Press
Editions Available: Paperback and Collector’s Edition
Acquired via Publisher