GameLight - Senran Kagura Burst

Official Site: http://www.hanzonationalacademy.com/
Source: Youtube Channel ContraNetworkHD

I didn't think the game would ever be brought over to the West, but it has been done!  North America got its digital-only version launched today while Europe will get physical and digital versions sometime next year.  Senran Kagura Burst is a straight-up Beat-em-Up featuring incredibly busty schoolgirl ninjas.  I remember first hearing about this game and saw some of the screenshots to the game.  It looked really dumb.  But then they eventually showed a footage of the gameplay and I saw some combo demonstrations and was then interested.  If you can look past the copious amount of fan-service and you like beat-em-ups, this game can be very enjoyable.  The combat mechanics is similar to Dynasty Warriors where weak attacks can chain into strong ones and a powerful signature attack can be unleashed.  Furthermore, combos can be continued in the air for aerial combos similar to the Marvel vs. Capcom series where the player strikes an opponent into the air and continues another string of attacks in the air.  Animations are fluid and the attacks string together really well so that combat doesn't feel clunky.  The characters do follow the usual animé tropes, but they do give a fun personality to the cast.  The game feels a lot like an animé, overall.  It was a bold move for XSEED Games to bring Senran Kagura Burst over, but I'm glad they did.  There aren't that many beat-em-ups and we've gotten a good amount of them this year.  Senran Kagura Burst is a good addition to the beat-em-ups released this year and hopefully encourages publishers or even XSEED themselves to bring over Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus as well.

NewNews - Senran Kagura Burst Localized

Source: Youtube Channel FaheyKotaku

We've been getting a decent helping of beat-em-ups this year, and that makes me really happy.  From Code of Princess, the re-release of Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara to Sacred Citadel and the release of Dragon's Crown today, this year has made me hopeful that Beat-em-ups isn't a dead genre.  For a while, a Nintendo 3DS game in Japan has been talked about quite often here and how it has expanded to a series of manga and animé.  Senran Kagura Burst, or to some known as "booby ninjas in 3D", is a 3D, side-scrolling Action Beat-em-up with a lot of fan-service.  It features an all female-cast (as far as I know) of fighters and Ninjas in a light-hearted action-comedy themed beat-em-up.  For those who have played the game, they mentioned that the combat mechanics are actually pretty in-depth and provide a decent amount of variety and fluid gameplay.  There is also customization in the characters outfits that changes their stats and thus changing the gameplay.   The excessive amount of fan service seemed like it would have no chance of ever seeing an over sea release; however, XSeed, once again, reached out to the niche group who are interested and decided to localize the game for the Western market.  This was happy news to hear for sure, but it made me sad when I found out that it will be digitally distributed only.  I have expressed my dislike for digitally distributed games other than what Valve has provided on their Steam platform for PC, so this was a disappointing, happy news to hear.  I might just suck it up and purchase it if I have no other choice.  Senran Kagura Burst is set to release on the Nintendo 3DS eShop this Fall with no mentioned price at the moment.

Source:
-Kotaku - Oh Good, The 3DS Ninja Breast Physics Sim Is Coming To North America

GameLight - Dragon's Crown

Official Site: http://www.atlus.com/dragonscrown/#
Source: Youtube Channel IGN

About to be released next Tuesday on Playstation 3 and Playstation Vita, Beat-em-Up with ridiculously proportioned characters Dragon's Crown is set to bring one more title to the genre.  This game has gotten all sorts of criticism, but it seems some of the critics are starting to be able to look past that as they hack, slash, burn, and loot their way through the dungeons of monsters, dragons and enemies.  The game features 6 unique classes to play with 4-player cooperative mode as well as Online multiplayer.  The gameplay looks great so far and the art style is highly praise as many of Vanillaware's games have been in the past (albeit the overly sexualized character designs that keeps being brought up).  What I do not know enough of yet is how the music is going to be like.  For me, this is pretty important.  One of the greatest aspects of Code of Princess, which released earlier this year, was how fun and memorable all the music were.  It enhanced the experience I had with the game and made it one I remembered.  Dragon's Crown is available on August 6th, 2013 for $49.99 on Playstation 3 and $39.99 on Playstation Vita.

NewNews - Code of Princess 2 on PS4 and XB1 would be fun

Code of Princess 1 Site: http://www.atlus.com/codeofprincess/
Source: Youtube Channel AtlusUSA

Code of Princess for the Nintendo 3DS wasn't the best game it could be.  Equipment acquirement wasn't that big of a deal since most of them were terrible with a few select items giving the best benefits.  The Campaign was short and didn't have various difficulty levels.  All the characters had a very limited amount of move sets and abilities.  And worst of all, the game's graphics lagged a lot for the 3DS XL with the 3D on and when explosions erupted on the screen.  Despite all those short comings, the game was a whole lot of fun and I enjoyed it a bunch.  The story was light-hearted and filled with humor, the graphics were colorful and lively, and the music was just brilliant.  It seems like the game sold better than anticipated in the US.  The producer has expressed his interests in perhaps making a sequel on the PS4 and XB1.  Now imagine how great the game already was and fixing every one of those problems I mentioned above?  I'm all for it and would love to see it on the next generation consoles with 4-player cooperative local play seeing how beat-em-ups and local multiplayer games are a dying trend.  Until then, there's Dragon's Crown coming out soon published by Atlus.

Source:
-Joystiq - Code of Princess producer likes PS4, Xbox One for a sequel

VGCulture - Filler - Music - Days of Old

Source: Youtube Channel SWBeta

Anarchy Reigns (Max Anarchy) had one heck of a soundtrack.  I was instantly entranced by it the first time I played the game and heard "Ruthless".  As I played more of the game, I heard tracks I liked even more than "Ruthless".  Even after completing the campaign, I can't stop listening to the soundtrack.  They all have good beats to them, catchy hooks, and some of the best rapping/free-styling I've heard in a while.  It can be tough to find videogame music sometimes, but there is an official soundtrack that can be purchased digitally on Amazon for Anarchy Reigns.  Next week will be a busy week for all involved in the videogame industry/scene as E3's showing will be held from June 11th-June 13th.  So until then, rest up for those attending and have a great weekend to everyone.

NewNews - Dungeon Fighter Online last week

Official Site: http://dungeonfighter.nexon.net/
Source: Youtube Channel Dyran Daypray

If you've ever heard of Dungeon Fighter Online (DFO) and wanted to try it, you had better do that within the week.  2D Arcade-style Beat-em-Up Dungeon Fighter Online will shut down North American Servers on June 13th, 2013 next Thursday.  Despite its incredible popularity and income overseas, the unique MMO fighter wasn't able to hold its own in the West.  DFO combines the basic mechanics of beat-em-ups with lots of RPG elements such as branching paths for classes, numerous items to equip and consume, an on-going story, and tons of skills that can be combined for all sorts of crazy combos.  It has a nostalgic retro-look to the graphics with flashy animations.  For many players, the game got repetitive and possibly grindy when they were no longer to progress through the story and need to revisit older levels for gaining experience points and looking for better equipment.  With this, there are less players willing to stay with the game and spend money in the micro-transaction shop which is what keeps these free-to-play online games afloat.  If you like Action games or Beat-em-Ups, it's probably worth playing the game a little before it shuts down forever on June 13th.  It's always sad to see fun games like these shut down, but we got the chance to play them at the very least.

GameLight Review - Anarchy Reigns

Official Site: [Not working]
Source: Youtube Channel otakubutgangsta

Developer: Platinum Games
Publisher: SEGA
Platforms: [Playstation 3], Xbox 360
Release Date: January 8, 2013
Genre: Beat 'em Up

Pros:
+ Easy to pick up combat mechanics
+ Great music that really enhances the experience
+ Exciting online multiplayer with 11 different modes
+ A campaign mode for a single-player experience
+ Tutorial, training and simulation modes to practice for multiplayer

Cons:
- Can get repetitive, especially for those who aren't fans of Beat'emUp
- A match can get one-sided by chance depending on items and level events
- The story doesn't get in-depth and ends up being simple and vague

Recommended: Maybe, beat 'em ups aren't for everyone to begin with, and the main attraction is multiplayer which is uncertain if people still play it.

Anarchy Reigns wasn't something high on my priority list, but I got it after finding out that it was only $30 and a friend of mines wanted to play together online.  Multiplayer is pretty fun, but I was hoping for a single-player experience as well.  Fortunately for me, there was a campaign waiting for me to play.  I thought single-player was going to be like fighting games where you fight each of the characters in the game, which is somewhat true.  Single-player provides open-map environments where random events and enemies appear while quests and side-quests appear for the player to progress through the story.  Combat is a bit confusing at first, but can be picked up fairly quickly after an hour or so.  By positioning yourself and utilizing all the skills a character has, the player can take on dozens of enemies and come out unscathed.  The story is simple and a bit vague, but I suppose it's nice to have rather than having all the characters fight each other in a cliché fashion.  Despite being a sort of sequel to MadWorld, the gameplay, art direction, and story are pretty different.  The one thing that's similar is how great the music is.  At its core, Anarchy Reigns is a beat 'em up and has the mechanics that makes it a fun and entertaining experience.  Single-player is great for relaxing and fighting hundreds of enemies while multiplayer provides a competitive and exciting experience against other players.

Aesthetics
Art-style: Neo-Urban 3D
+ Dark, yet colorful, the environment is almost like walking into a comic book
+ Characters are designed with unique and quirky aspects that make them stand out
+ Level designs make for a lively environment that changes frequently
+ Simple and clean user-interface makes navigating the menu easy
+ Voice acting is pretty good, especially love Blacker Baron's voice
+ Music is so good that I put it too max and put Sfx to 75% instead
+ Amazing animations and effects for special attacks

- All special moves have 1 animation, there's no variation
- Kind of liked the over-the-top violence from MadWorld, toned down in this
- With only 4 different environments, level variety might feel limited
Aesthetics: 9/10

Buttons
Controller: PS3 Controller
+ Keys are mapped in a familiar fashion and is easy to adjust to
+ Basic combos are easy to pull off
+ Special moves are simple while still allowing complex combos to be done
+ Lock-on helps with keeping enemies in vision
+ There's counters to everything, it's just a matter of being able to perform it

- Camera controls can be a bit tricky while in combat with multiple enemies
- Keys cannot be changed/customized
Buttons: 8/10

Concept & Content
Core Concept: Utilize attacks, specials, items and grabs to defeat all enemies
+ An entertaining single-player campaign
+ An exciting and competitive online multiplayer
+ Lots of characters to choose from (18 including Bayonetta DLC)
+ 11 different multiplayer game modes!!!
+ Levels have random events adding a dynamic element into the fight
+ Story isn't elaborated very far, but it was nice to have for single-player
+ Special moves and techniques are universal in execution, but differ in ability
+ Simulation mode allows solo-play multiplayer experience for practice

- Single-player length and content is very limited compared to multiplayer
- The combat system can be repetitive for some players
- Multiplayer falls apart once the community is gone
- There isn't enough references from MadWorld for the fans
- A fight in multiplayer can really be one-sided by chance (items, specials, etc.)
Concept and Content: 8/10

Duration
+ Progression in campaign is split piece by piece (quests) with a nice flow
+ Some quests requires using a weapon or vehicle which mixes the gameplay
+ Multiplayer provides plenty of modes to play, lots of gameplay time
+ Simulation is a fun mode to play to get the multiplayer experience when offline
+ 3 different difficulties for campaign, with about 50 quests

- The campaign is actually very short and story isn't elaborated very much
- Game can feel repetitive if played for long durations at a time
- A whole chunk of the game is gone if players don't play online anymore
Durations: 7/10

Fun
+ I like the characters, they're all unique in personality and combat style
+ I'm glad there was a single-player campaign for me to play
+ Combat is satisfying and is most exciting in multiplayer
+ Blacker Baron's lines and voice acting was truly the best
+ The music is so good, I can't stop listening to them.  Very catchy hooks and beats

- The campaign can get boring after playing for long durations, must take breaks
- I would've really liked to see the characters and story have more depth to them
Fun: 8/10

Overall
I really liked the art style the game took and it was an interesting change to see the characters from MadWorld in color.  The music just blew me away.  The style of RnB and electronic is similar to MadWorld and even has many of the same contributing artists work on this one, but I think a lot of the songs are even better.  The fast beats and catchy hooks make for an enhanced experience for the game.  Combat seems a bit too simplistic at first, but gets a lot more interesting when they're utilized more effectively alongside items, level events, and alongside team-members.  The game does feel like it favors a niche audience as beat 'em ups are not widely popular but has always had its fanbase.  It can be very repetitive for those who don't enjoy the game and so I would mainly recommend the game to those who know they like beat 'em ups.  Anarchy Reigns is a pretty solid beat 'em up with satisfactory entertainment and I'm glad I had gotten it.  Overall: 8/10

GameLight Review - Code of Princess

Official Site: http://www.atlus.com/codeofprincess/
Source: Youtube Channel insidegamesjp

Developer: Agatsuma Entertainment, Bones
Publisher: Atlus
Platforms: Nintendo 3DS
Release Date: October 9, 2012
Genre: Beat-em-up, RPG

Pros:
+ Story is light-hearted and humorous
+ Gameplay is simple, but can be challenging at times
+ RPG elements include switching equipment and stat building
+ Lots of replay value with over 50 characters to choose from
+ An amazing music score throughout the game
+ Online cooperative/competitive play
+ Memorable characters, moments and boss battles

Cons:
- The skills sets are rather limited and combos don't have that much depth
- There could've been a lot more character and story development
- Graphics lag when 3D is on, but doesn't look that great when 3D is off
- A lot of the equipment is junk while only a select few are useful
- Competitive arena is only for multiplayer, no customizable solo play

Recommended: Yes, fans of Action games and Beat-em-ups should check it out

It's difficult to talk about the game and not compare or even mention Guardian Heroes as the game's mechanics are essentially the same with the three rail planes, beat-em-up action, and stat building RPG elements.  The game is developed by Agatsuma Entertainment and Bones, Inc. (The animé cutscenes) with two members who worked on Guardian Heroes (the director and lead programmer).  Many would say that it's Guardian Heroes stripped down by a lot.  Unlike Guardian Heroes, it doesn't have branching story paths (there's 2 different endings though), combos and skills are a lot more limited, and there isn't a difficulty setting.  Despite those missing aspects, the game turned out to be incredibly entertaining and a lot of fun.  Even with a limited amount of attacks and skills, they chain into each other pretty well for some interesting combos.  The dialog is funny, the combat is hectic but satisfying, and the aesthetics is just absolutely mesmerizing.  This is a game I wouldn't mind going back to play again once in a while.

Aesthetics
Art-Style: 2D-Animé Style graphics with cartoon-ish 3D characters/enemies.
+ Light-hearted story of protecting a kingdom and magic
+ Animé-style cinematics thoughout the game
+ Unique and memorable characters both on protagonists and antagonists sides
+ Catchy and memorable music
+ 3D usage makes it easy to tell which plane an enemy is on
+ Flashy and destructive effects for attacks and spells
+ Some pretty good dialogue lines in some of the conversations

- Story could've been expanded into so much more than what was told
- Lots of lag and frame skipping with 3D on but graphics don't look good without it
- Lag in the graphics also causes delays in button commands
- A lot of the voice acting is pretty painful, but some are absolutely golden
Aesthetics: 8/10

Buttons
Controller: Analog and buttons
+ Easy to understand combat mechanics
+ Skills are simple commands and can be accessed on the bottom screen
+ Combos are fairly easy to pull off
+ Both analog and digital pad can be used to move

- Some commands will be delayed or won't execute entirely when lagging
- A limited amount of skills and combos for each character
Buttons: 7/10

Concept & Content
Core Concept: Kill all enemies or boss enemy to progress
+ A quirky cast of characters with fun personalities
+ The use of animé cut-scenes is effective and appropriate
+ Combat can be hectic, but has a satisfying, chaotic action sort of feeling
+ Aside from the main campaign, there's free mode, bonus quests, and multiplayer
+ Lots of characters to use in free-mode and bonus quests
+ Multiplayer allows cooperative play as well as competitive play
+ A shop and equipment system offers different builds and advantages
+ The player is free to build on any stat for all sorts of play styles

- I wish the story and character's were more in-depth and fully developed
- 3D graphics are effective, but gameplay suffers from laggy graphics
- Other than certain bosses and later bonus quests, the game is very easy
- A lot of the equipment found and bought are useless, only a select few are good
- Unlike Guardian Heroes, competitive play can't be played solo
Concept and Content: 8/10

Duration
+ The game keeps me wanting more
+ Campaign is chopped up into lots of tiny sections, perfect for on-the-go play
+ Progression is a nice and steady flow fed to the player little by little
+ Tons of modes, characters, equipment, and builds for replay value
+ Despite a very short campaign, I played the game up to 20 hours

- Very short campaign
- The game can feel repetitive after a while
Duration: 8/10

Fun
+ The opening cinematic is amazing, it really set the whole theme of the game
+ I can't get over how much I love the music within the game
+ It's a great feeling when I take on a dozen enemies at once and destroy them all
+ As bad as some of the voice acting are, I really liked all the characters
+ I was really impressed with the boss battles
+ A great deal of the time played was spent in Bonus quests, they were hard
+ Getting to play as a Dragon was a treat when no other character could win

- I really wanted to see the story and characters develop, but then the game ends
- The lag in graphics was a huge issue when fighting against a boss
- Some of the Bonus quests were incredibly frustrating/irritating/dumb (Dragon time!)
Fun: 9/10

Overall
Code of Princess is far from perfect, but ironically I would consider it a classic for the Nintendo 3DS.  Overlooking a somewhat shallow storyline, laggy graphics, and a limited list of skills and attacks, the gameplay turned out to be really fun, characters were memorable, and the art and music stands out as a prominent factor to the game's wonderful experience.  This will be one of those games I'll remember and talk about while many others will probably forget or never hear about the game.  The game is not for everyone, but those who enjoy beat-em-up games like Double Dragon, Guardian Heroes, or Dungeon Fighters Online will find an enjoyable experience with Code of Princess.  Overall: 8/10

P.S. They should totally make an animé expanding on the story and characters!

VGCulture - Music: Code of Princess

Official Site: http://www.atlus.com/codeofprincess/
Source: Youtube Channel insidegamesjp

Having finally completed The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D on my 3DS, I opened up Code of Princess with excitement.  I've been listening to the soundtrack for a month or so now before last night and really liked what I heard, but to hear it alongside the game was a different experience.  This is generally true for all videogame music I listen to.  I am able to better appreciate the songs once I hear them in-game and have a better connection with what the song were meant for.  I already liked the opening song "Gather the Lights", but it blew me away hearing it along with the opening cinematic. Source: Youtube Channel dannykim0730

There are many unique songs throughout the game that emphasizes the colorful and often eccentric characters within the game.  They can be upbeat, inspiring, and playful.  It's something that really gets to me when the most recognized and praised videogame music are the generic hollywood style moods, themes and orchestration while memorable music within videogames that sound nothing like other genres of music out there are largely shrugged off as background music.  The level of music Code of Princess is at rivals with that of classic games with its catchy melodies, exciting beats, and memorable themes.
Source: Youtube Channel tangytablet

This is one of my favorite tracks in the game so far.  I fell in love with it the first time I heard it.  The quirkiness it has in the opening just leads it into a really simple riff, but it commands so much of its mood and theme that draws in the listener.  The melody is equally simple, but is also uplifting.  I have heard this song only once in the game thus far in the 2 hours I played, and it was during a major boss fight.  It really changed the mood from when I was fighting against regular enemies.  The difficulty of the boss battle mixed with this track made is so exciting and memorable.  Although it doesn't sound anything like it, it really reminds me of one of my favorite tracks from Guardian Heroes:
Source: Youtube Channel KMaelstrom

The music for Code of Princess is done by a group of 3 composers who call themselves ACE+.  It's really hard looking for information about them, but they've also worked on music for Xenoblade Chronicles.  I'm looking forward to hearing more of their music in videogames in the future.

In terms of the game so far, I wasn't expecting the campaign to be chopped up into individual quests as I was hoping for a long and cohesive play like Guardian Heroes.  Character selection doesn't change the story and there aren't branching paths.  Conversations between the characters and voice acting are odd and can be perceived as pretty bad, but the writing is pretty humorous with lots of puns and jokes which makes the seemingly bad voice acting tolerable.  Combat mechanics are rather limited with two attack buttons with a few special moves.  Also, there are conflicting art styles throughout the game between scenes, in-game sprites, and cinematics.  Despite all that, I couldn't put the game down so there's definitely something about it that makes it really fun.  I'll have a full review of it in the future.

GameLight - Fairy Bloom Freesia

Official Site: http://nyu-media.com/fairy-bloom-freesia/
Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/214590/ Source: Youtube Channel Throneful

From the developers of Ether Vapor Remaster comes an 2.5 Action game.  From what I can see, Fairy Bloom Freesia boasts itself as a beat-em-up sort of Action game with crazy combos and abilities to chain together.  There's also a leveling system in which the player will gain more abilities and types of attacks as they defeat more enemies.  The game is now available on Desura, Steam, and Nyumedia's page for $7.99.  When is Nyumedia going to bring Cherry Tree High: Comedy Club to Steam...

GameLight - Code of Princess

Official Site: http://www.atlus.com/codeofprincess/
Source: Youtube Channel AtlusUSA

Code of Princess is an Action-Beat 'em Up with RPG elements that's reminiscent of Guardian Heroes back in the Sega Saturn days (and a game of fond memories for me).  There are a lot of characters to choose from and in some of the modes there are over 50 characters to choose from (including the last boss).  Two of the developers that worked on this game worked on Guardian Heroes, so some of its influence is probably still there.  What made Guardian Heroes so great was the cohesive mixture of vibrant and colorful characters, intense combat, branching story paths that brought the players to many conclusions, the exciting and memorable music, and crazy multiplayer gameplay in both cooperative campaign and competitive combat.  From what I understand, Code of Princess won't have branching story paths and the main characters will essentially go through the same storylines.  The highlight of the game is probably its ability to play online with other players cooperatively and competitively.  For cooperative play, four players can link together online to possibly play through campaign (not entirely sure yet) if not helping each other on the 100+ quests within the game.  I think competitive multiplayer is still limited to 4 players as Guardian Heroes was up to 8 (or was it 10?) players at a time.  I'm very curious about this game as I love beat 'em ups and they're quite rare now.  The game seems to have great lasting appeal and replay value, but a lot of that comes from the online multiplayer.  What usually happens is that people stop playing online as Nintendo still haven't found the best way to deliver online multiplayer on their platforms yet (although the handheld market is definitely better than what the Nintendo consoles have done).  I guess I'll be picking up this game eventually.  Code of Princess is exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS and is available at your local game store or favored online shop.

GameLight - Rusty Hearts: Reborn

Official Site: http://rustyhearts.perfectworld.com/
Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/36630/
Source: Youtube Channel RustyHeartsVideos

If anyone remembers the game review of Rusty Hearts I posted last year, then you'd remember that I really enjoyed the game.  And if you don't know about it, Rusty Hearts is a well developed Action Beat-em-up MMORPG that's free-to-play published by Perfect World and available on Steam.  Ever since then, a lot of content has been added in for those who wanted to pay for the items.  Just yesterday, a huge patch was released and the new expansion called Rusty Hearts: Reborn welcomed both new players and veteran players into the game with a lot of new content.  Avatars that once required real money is now part of the free content for all players.  A 3rd weapon of choice has been added for each class.  New dungeons, dialogues, and items have been added as well.  Here's a run down of what to expect:
-Meilin, Roselle, Edgar, and Leila are now selectable characters in character creation
-New Dungeon for the extra characters (alternate beginning story)
-New weapon focus and skill manager breaks classes into 3 paths
-Third weapon choice and focus for all classes: Glaive, Twin Swords, Demon Hands, Weapon Bag
-New Character selection User-interface (a lot more organized now)

I already had a Leila for one of the events not too long ago, but I was happy to see all the other classes available too.  The new forest area for the extra characters feels very unpolished with glitchy animations, bad translation dialogues (which really bugs me because the core game's dialogue is great), repetitive music for the first two dungeons (which also bugs me since Rusty Hearts is filled with incredible tracks), and boring enemies.  Still, the core game is there and continues for those extra characters level 7 onwards.  I'm really excited about the new weapons and am on my way on choosing a focus for one of them.  All-in-all, this was a great update for all veteran players to come back to and one that new comers would enjoy.

NewNews - Footage of Bayonetta in Anarchy Reigns

As a follow up of yesterday's post, here it is:

Source: Youtube Channel rosengalionheart

So it seems the developers were able to translate Bayonetta's fighting style and attacks from the original game into Anarchy Reign just fine.  It does make her seem rather overpowered in the video, doesn't it?  The problem right now is that she's a day-one DLC character for the Japanese version.  Her appearance in versions outside of Japan hasn't been confirmed yet, but why wouldn't they add her?  With the addition of Bayonetta to the roster, I am now a lot more interested in getting the game.

Source:
-Joystiq: Here's Bayonetta in Anarchy Reigns

GameLight - Anarchy Reigns

Official Site: http://www.sega.com/games/anarchy-reigns/

Source: Youtube Channel gamespot

Two months ago, I posted a list of some of the most anticipated games of 2012 and one of them was Anarchy Reigns.  Though I added it to the list, I honestly didn't have much interest in the game and never really looked much into it.  I made some discoveries about the game today that might have changed my mind.  Platinum Games are the developers to the game which is a plus for me as I've come to really enjoy a lot of their creations.  The game is based off the world and characters of "MadWorld" that was exclusively for the Nintendo Wii and was also developed by Platinum Games.  Finally, it is speculated that one of the playable characters within Anarchy Reigns is gun-totting witch Bayonetta!

Anarchy Reigns is an arena-based, multiplayer beat-em-up.  I think that's what worries me the most about this game is that its main gameplay relies on online multiplayer.  There are so many online multiplayer games that are developed but lose their community really quickly after a few months of its release which renders the game pretty pointless thereafter.  If there's a chance that it has 4-player split-screen just like old-school local multiplayer, I might be interested enough to get it myself.  There are tons of characters, all with their own special abilities.  The campaign allows the player to choose between two characters with two different stories to them.  Even so, the core concept of the game seems to be competitive online multiplayer.  The game is set to release on July 3rd this summer for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

Source:
-Joystiq: Bayonetta making a cameo in Anarchy Reigns

GameLight - Asura's Wrath

Official Site: http://www.capcom.co.jp/asura/

Source: Youtube Channel gamespot

Asura's Wrath is an Action-Adventure Beat-'em-Up announced back in 2012 to be an over the top game influenced by Buddhism Mythology and Japanese Animé.  The player takes the role of Asura, demigod guardian of Heaven and Earth, to exact revenge against his former allies who had killed the emperor, his wife, and kidnapped his daughter.  A demo was released just a short while ago.  Though I didn't get the chance to try it out, many who did claimed it was boring and repetitive.  From the gameplay footages, it seems that a lot of boss battles consists of quick time events where the player presses the buttons on the screen.  The styling of combat are similar to animé series' such as Dragon Ball Z, Hokuto no Ken (Fist of the North Star), or JoJo no Kimyō na Bōken (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure) where Asura's attacks pummels his enemies with hundreds of strikes and at incredible speed.  That sort of over-the-top action sounds really entertaining, but many who have played the demo fear that the whole game is played just like what was available for the demo.  Others are staying optimistic to the case and believes that there's more to Asura's Wrath than was was presented to the public in the demo.  Here's a trailer to the opening of the game:

Source: Youtube Channel gamespot

I think Asura's Wrath might be a game I'd enjoy; however, I probably won't be getting it right away as I'm far behind my Action-Adventure games with Ninja Gaiden Sigma 1 (yes, 1!!!), Devil May Cry 4, and a yet to be open Vanquish (I'm even farther behind RPGs. C'mon 9 of them???).  I recently finished Bayonetta and it felt pretty lengthy to play even if it was just 12-13 hours of gameplay time.  I can't Action-Adventure games for long durations, especially if they're difficult.  Even if I wanted to play Asura's Wrath, I think I'd need to pick up Castlevania: Lords of Shadow first before I get around to buying it.  Asura's Wrath releases on February 21st, 2012 for $59.99 and if you pre-order from Amazon you get the Guardian Mode and Iconoclast Mode in the Devastator pack.

NewNews - Rusty Hearts Update Delayed

Official Site: http://rustyhearts.perfectworld.com/
Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/36630/?snr=1_4_4__13

While everyone was waiting for Battlefield 3's release on October 25, I was waiting for the release of Beat-em-up MMO Rusty Heart's 4th character Natasha.

Source: Youtube Channel SintSuke

Natasha is unique in being the only character out of the four to use a non-melee weapon and abilities that don't fall into a combo (such as deploying a turret).  So the problem right now is that it's the afternoon of October 26 and Natasha is still not playable.  I checked the official page and found out that there was a problem in trying to update the game last night to implement her in.  It is now set to update sometime today in the evening, and the anticipation is driving everyone nuts!  I know for sure that when I log in there will be Natashas everywhere, but that's what usually happens when a new character is introduced to a game.

To those who haven't come across this magnificent game: Rusty Hearts is a Free-to-Play Online Beat-em-up where players journey through sewers and a castle to put down the evil Vlad from his reign of terror.  Players can party up to 4 players and fight countless monsters.  There's also the option for competitive PvP if you like fighting other players.  If you're still in the dark as to what Rusty Hearts is, read my review.  Or better yet, click either on the official site or steam page on top to play as it is a free online game!

My main interest in Natasha is the faster attack speed compared to the other characters (well, maybe except Tude) as well as her flashy combos that has a similar resemblance to Dante from Devil May Cry when choosing "Gunslinger" style.  Also, it might be easier to stay out of harms way as Natasha is the only ranged character in the game.  The only thing I'm worried about is damage output and input.  It doesn't matter how flashy her combos are if she can't deal that much damage and loses half her hp bar from one hit.  I guess I'll find out when the update finally launches.

GameLight Review – Rusty Hearts

Official Site: http://rustyhearts.perfectworld.com/

Source: Youtube Channel steparu

Developer: Stairway Games

Publisher: Perfect World Entertainment

Platforms: PC (Available on Steam)

Release Date: July 27, 2011 (Close Beta Start)

Genre: Beat-Em-Up, RPG

Pros:

-Satisfying, arcade-style beat-em-up mixed with RPG elements

-Interesting characters, humorous dialogue, and captivating combat

-Unique animé-style, cel-shaded 3D graphics makes it easier to distinguish surroundings

-Fast-paced and easy to learn, but still challenging and engrossing to the advanced player

Cons:

-A lot of items are exclusive to those who pay with real money

-Going through the same dungeons multiple times can get repetitive

-Some of transitioning in attacks feels sluggish and clunky

I’ve been waiting for the global release of Rusty Hearts for quite some time now (1-2 years) and was very happy to hear that Perfect World Entertainment was going to publish and host the game.  The game is what I hoped it to be: fast-paced, instant gratification, challenging, and reminiscence of great beat-em-ups of the past.  With classic style beat-em-ups becoming a dying trend in the game industry, it was exciting to see Rusty Hearts bring some of it back while breathing new life into the genre with MMORPG elements such as questing, party gathering, looting, and equipment acquiring.  Since it’s an online game, it’s not as straight forward as retro beat-em-ups where the player just keeps moving on to the next level and beats the game in half an hour.  But the different objectives given to players by the in-town NPCs, different skills learned, and varying difficulty levels keep the game fresh, even when running through the same dungeon 5-10 times.  If you’re looking for a game you can instantly enjoy or a good cooperative game to play with friends, I would definitely recommend checking Rusty Hearts out.

Graphics

The majority of the game is based on an animé-style character and theme design using Cel-shaded 3D rendered models as its main look.  Because of the simpler graphics, I was able to run the game at full resolution and at the highest quality on my laptop, though the graphics lagged a bit so I switched the resolution down.  I would’ve liked to see graphics a bit more advanced for the game, but I think the developers desire to create an edgy look on the game works with the path of art style they chose.   Character dialogues have 2D versions of themselves next to the text.  Dialogues are usually 1-3 sentences by each character while they exchange quips and witty responses.  It makes reading the quests and character dialogue much more tolerable.  The conversations taken place among the characters in the game are actually quite hilarious considering the darker mood set by the darker color choices.  Despite having a heavy use of black, grey, and maroon, there’s a sense of vibrant contrast and colors throughout the game.  Franz is fitted with an extravagant coat, Angela has a bright red spiky hair, Tude has light blond hair, and upcoming character Natasha has a pastel violet hair which makes all the main characters stand out from the rest of the environment.  This makes is easier for players to keep track of where their characters are in dungeons as most of them are dark and in a very somber tone.  The graphics aren’t the best, but they work really well for the game.  It’s unique and distinguishable as its own game when compared to other online games.  Graphics: 8/10

Audio

I want to start off by saying that I really like the music.  It sounds similar to the style in music for Land of Chaos Online, and I’m wondering if it’s the same composer.  The compositions are subtle, but alluring.  In dungeons and boss battles, the music is exciting and in-your-face.  There are parts in the game where the characters have voiced-over dialogues, and they’re rather decent.  I generally cringe at English voice-acting when an Asian made game is brought over, but the voice-actors gave a sense of life in the characters through their dialogues and quips with each other.  I can’t really tell what the characters are saying when using their skills, and it’s possible that they’re spouting words from the original Korean version of the game (which I don’t mind).  The sound effects and flashy animations make all the attacks looks powerful, stylish, and devastating.  I’m not sure why, but some of the voice-over parts have problems where they skip over each other and off-sync from the texts.  This happened in the Steam version of the game and not the Open beta version from the official host.  I think the team that worked with the audio did a superb job for the game. Audio: 9/10

Gameplay

The easiest way for me to describe the game is to say that it’s like a 3D version of Nexon’s Dungeon Fighters Online.  The character walks around an open town to collect quests, purchase equipment, gather their party members and then instance into a dungeon together.  It may be that I’m not that far into Rusty Hearts yet, but the dungeons are a linear path (though it may not be later on, I’m not sure).  So it’s very much like retro beat-em-ups of going from one part of the screen to the next.  The combat is very basic with attacks being able to chain up to a certain amount of times while character skills can further continue the chain.  Each character starts with two special attacks and can later acquire more as they level up.  Players can block by holding down the Z key, but they can only execute it when they’re not moving or attacking.  A portion of the action bar can be spent to dash out of an attack in the middle of a combo.  The gameplay is very straight-forward in that the player must defeat all the enemies to advance forward, but the combat can be tricky as each enemy has their own special ability and attack to prevent the player from progressing further.  A lot of the attacks feel sluggish and clunky, but I suppose it’s to emphasize the amount of strength that each attack has when connecting each hit to the enemy.  It’s quite annoying in the beginning, but you’ll get used to the timing and be able to play more tactically that way.  It can be considered rather repetitive as many quests require the player to go into the same dungeons over and over again, and when the player isn’t advancing towards new skills.  One must understand that the game is a beat-em-up and that it mostly involves a lot of combat.  To some, the game might be more of a button masher than anything.  Players can easily jump into a party by using the party finder in town and gather up 4 players to get through each dungeon.  For the paying items in the game, some of them do give paying players an advantage; however, a majority of the items are for aesthetic purposes with outfits and accessories to dress the character up.  I am so keen on playing games such as Rusty Hearts now since they don’t require too much time to fully enjoy the game and the core game is playable right from the start (I do love my MMORPGs, but too many of them require that you hit a certain level before you start instancing or PvP).  There hasn’t been a free online game recently that has made quite a good impression as Rusty Hearts has.  Gameplay: 9/10

Overall

The game has high quality development in aesthetics (graphics/audio) and concept (gameplay).  I was really excited to be able to play it after waiting for it for so long.  Even better, Perfect World has added Rusty Hearts to the Steam program which makes downloading and updating much easier.  The game isn’t complicated and a ton of fun.  I also must commend the localization team for the translations, dialogue, and voice over dubbing.  The texts for quests are interesting and humorous, the dialogues between the characters give more personality to them, and the translation seems to be holding up very well so far.  I hope that more online game publishers AND developers learn from Rusty Hearts in creating dialogue that players care about.  I love the lore in a lot of games, but I don’t need to read 5 pages worth of dialogue to know that I’m supposed to kill 10 rabbits and bring them back.  I wish Perfect World Entertainment the very best in running Rusty Hearts and hope that more people will try out this magnificent game.  Overall: 8.7/10

GameOn - VGCC - Hack 'n Slash & Beat 'em Ups

It feels like a while since I've done a GameOn segment.  Just as a reminder, GameOn is when a week's worth of posts follows a common theme that touches upon the interests, controversy and/or culture of videogames.  This week I'll be talking about Videogame's Common Complaints (which I shortened to VGCC for convenience) in certain genres.  Some of these explanations can turn out to be long discussions, so I'll do my best to shorten them and keep them open ended for the reader to poke at their own opinions on things.  Today, I'll be talking about Hack 'n Slash & Beat 'em Up games.  I've wanted to do this one ever since I started this blog, and the main target of interest for gamers to bag on is the "Warriors" series by KOEI (now known as TecmoKoei due to their merger).

Source: Youtube Channel MyKOEITV

Repetitive Gameplay
This is probably the most common complaint people use whenever a new Dynasty Warriors or recently "Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage" game comes out.  True, the goal is usually the same with killing hordes of men and then either beat the last guy or escort an ally to safety; however, it's not the goal that's important (or fun) but the journey there.  The truth is, Dynasty Warriors and other Warriors games have much more depth to them than most gamers think.  Some of these Warriors games contain 40-60 characters, each with their own attributes, weapons, style of play, and skill sets.  All characters have the capability to grow like in RPGs where the player can earn experience points by fulfilling goals and killing enemies to receive more power, items, weapons, and abilities.  The game gets more interesting when the player has a stronger character and plays on a harder difficulty level, because playing on the easiest mode really can feel repetitive since you only have to whack away without blocking, dodging, or parrying.  Others will complain that the "Repetitive Gameplay" they refer to is the same game that KOEI releases with different maps, graphics, and modes and that the core gameplay is the same.  Well...games like Super Mario Bros., Call of Duty, and Final Fantasy have gone through lots of graphic changes and some new design concepts, but the game is essentially the same which still makes them great (for the most part).  I personally like the additions of custom characters, destiny and xtreme mode, and the 7th Dynasty Warriors that's coming out will have an extension of the timeline into the Jin Dynasty with new characters and a conquer mode.  My guess is that some people don't actually think that the Warriors series is repetitive, but that Hack 'n Slash and Beat 'em Ups just don't interest them.

Button Masher Game
A follow up to repetitive gameplay and the "main reason" for being monotonous for most players is that the game seems to be based solely on mashing on the same two attack buttons throughout the entire game.  If you're playing on the easiest level, it will definitely feel that way since there's no immediate threat.  For the Dynasty Warriors series, you can't win simply by using any sort of combo throughout the game when playing on normal and above (especially Chaos mode).  Dynasty Warriors prides itself on being a strategy hack 'n slash rather than be an all out action game.  Being in the right place in the right time is pivotal to winning because even if you're an incredible player, your main general may not be and get overwhelmed by 100 men trying to maim him (or more closer to what the game is like, juggled to death).  When fighting certain generals, you have to execute more singular, vertical attacks to deal the most amount of damage while keeping them off the ground in order to prevent them from retaliating when recovering from an attack when compared to using horizontal attacks against dozens of lackeys.  It certainly doesn't feel like a simple button mashing game once you get past hard mode and into the really difficult missions.  The player has to fight through enemies, strategies, and time.  Fist of the Northstar: Ken's Rage is a bit on the button mashing side with a linear path rather than an open world and with every attack doing devastating damage.  But this is how I look at it: each type of enemy will still have a certain way of defeating them and the game is more of an arcade beat 'em up in 3D rather than 2D like in the old days with Final Fight or Double Dragon.  These games are much more than what critics and certain gamers are claiming, it really depends on the preference of the one playing the game.

Dumb Artificial Intelligence (A.I.)
If the computers were really as dumb as some critics say they are, why is it that they still lose from them?  The problem here is not that the AI is entirely "dumb," but rather "unrealistic".  Dynasty Warriors has always been about "over-the-top" martial arts fighting with one warrior fighting against ridiculous odds like Keanu Reeves fighting all those Smiths in The Matrix Reloaded.  It was the developer's choice to design the AI to be competent enough to give a challenge, but not so much as to have every little soldier fight like a real player.  Could you even imagine that?  You would be infinitely juggled by smart enemies the second you let one of them touch you.  What's funny is that the main generals in Warriors Orochi are capable of doing so and thus the player has to formulate strategies against that.  I do have to admit that the allies are pretty dimwitted when it comes to survival or aiding in battle.  Characters you're supposed to protect run in on their own, bodyguards that are supposed to heal you fail when you need them the most, and tons of your own men stand in the middle of nowhere when they're needed elsewhere for battle.  Koei has continued to improve the quality in the computer AI and sometimes it works and other times it doesn't.

I'm not saying that some of these complaints are entirely wrong since some critics do bring up good points on the way Koei develops their games.  Such as all those expansions that came along with Dynasty Warriors.  Xtreme Legends and Empires were great additions to the game; however, why weren't those contents in the game to begin with?  If the original game with the 2 expansions all combined together, it feels more of a complete game.  For me, I have followed the Dynasty Warriors series since the 3rd release (in the West, the 2nd in the East) and have gotten every Xtreme Legends expansion for each release (didn't bother with Empires).

Source: Youtube Channel GamersDigestNet

Since then, I have become a fan of the Warriors and support the designs and concepts of the special attacks within Samurai Warriors, the 3 character system within Warriors Orochi (such a fun game), the even crazier version of Dynasty Warriors in Strikeforce, capturing the immense power of each character within Fist of the Northstar: Ken's Rage, and the awesome space battles in Dynasty Warriors Gundam.  I'm not really digging the changes within Dynasty Warriors 6 which killed off the combo system, unique character animation/weapons, and taking out things like custom character and special modes.  I'm having high hopes for Dynasty Warriors 7 and will continue to hope for a release of Warriors Orochi Z.  (I have no idea of what Troy Warriors of Legends though; I kind of don't care about that one).