VGCulture - New Demo for Unreal Engine 4

Source: Youtube Channel KotakuNYC

Epic Games shows off another Demo of what the Unreal Engine 4 is capable of with all sorts of technical improvements.  Smoother models, crazy lighting effects, more natural looking blur, etc.  With the Unreal Engine 4, developers of the next generation consoles and games will have more tools to work with.  This will sound a bit strange, but I'll be happy to see character models with natural looking hair as demonstrated by Square-Enix's past demo.  I'm hoping to be blown away by the next generation graphics in games rather than seeing minor improvements.

Source:
-Kotaku - Impressive Unreal Engine 4 Graphics Demo 'Infiltrator' Leaks Early. This Is Next-Gen?

NewNews - Phantasy Star Online 2 NA Launch gets delayed

Official Site: http://www.pso2.com/us/

I knew this was going to happen when it was announced last year to have a spring launch in 2013 in North America.  Not only has no news been updated on the PSO2 website, but no hints of advertisements or trailers for the West has appeared.  I can only think that Sega is planning something big for PSO2 at E3.  I honestly don't need them to tell me how awesome it is, I already know from playing on the Japanese servers!  I just want to play it in English without having to consort to using patches.

As a tribute to Phantasy Star Online:
Source: Youtube Channel zirconst

Here's hoping it's only delayed till June or July.

Source:
Massively - Sega delays Phantasy Star Online 2's North American launch

VGCulture - Hatsune Miku in Mabinogi

Event Page: http://mabinogi.nexon.net/events/hatsune-miku
Source: Youtube Channel Jeff807725

Hatsune Miku shows up just about everywhere now.  Hatsune Miku is a vocal synthesizer developed by Crypton Future Media using Yamaha's Vocaloid synthesizing technology while giving that voice a look and persona.  Being a community driven collaboration, images, videos, songs, and other such media were produced to phenomenal proportions all around the world.  Now Hatsune Miku is making an appearance in the popular Korean Online Game "Mabinogi".  Events will be held for players to grab and outfit set to look like Miku, Kaito, Rin, or Len.  Prizes can be won and VIP status will be given to all players throughout the event.

Mabinogi is a casual online MMORPG where character growth is free although a choice of preferred class can be chosen now to give a easier start but can still learn skills at any time and any order to build a character that fits a player's playstyle.  Aside from combat and dungeon crawling, player's can also take on part-time jobs such as running errands, gathering items, farming, and such to earn a bit of extra money and earn new titles.  It's one of the few MMOs I've played for a while now and have continued to play due to its easy going nature, unique gameplay, catchy tunes, and colorful graphics.  It's a fun game to relax to.

GameLight - Warframe

Official Site: https://www.warframe.com/
Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/230410/
Source: Youtube Channel ForceSC2strategy

Warframe is a free-to-play online cooperative Action 3rd-person shooter in which the player and 3 other players join together in taking on instanced missions.  I never heard of the game before today and saw it show up on Steam and immediately downloaded it to try out.  In my own way of describing it, the player takes the role of a flipping alien ninja with guns, melee weapons and powers to subdue their enemies while fulfilling missions to escort hostages, destroy cores, and assassinate.  For the most part, the combat is a 3rd-person shooter utilizing rifles, pistols, shotguns and such with close combat involving axes, blades, and hammers.  The player will acquire abilities to go stealth, deploy decoys, jump higher, and many other abilities.  From the one hour I played of it so far, I enjoyed it.  The shooting is pretty solid, and melee combat is pretty fluid.  It's super easy to group up with other player and there's the choice to play solo too.  There's some platforming and keeps the game from being just about running forward.  Despite being really entertaining, there are some problems I have with the game.

My biggest gripe with the game is that the controls can't be changed.  Melee attack uses the "E" key and I generally like having my melee attacks on my side mouse key.  Interacting with objects is the "X" key and I would like to set it to my "F" key which is actually used for switching weapons by default.  It's not too big of a problem that it would mar the experience I've had with the game thus far, but it would allow me to change the key mappings to my own comfort.  Another problem is item acquisition.  Since it's free-to-play, it's not surprising to have a micro-transaction system built in.  Some items are exclusively for those who pay real money and can be pretty pricey.  Even with in-game credits, the items are still considered really expensive and will take a while to acquire.  With that, your gameplay might be the same for quite a while before you can change things up a little.  Still, the game is worth checking out and provides a decent amount of entertainment.

GameLight - DuckTales Remastered

Capcom Blog: WOO-HOO! DuckTales is back
Source: Youtube Channel CapcomUnityVideos

I guess this was revealed at PAX East and then caught wind everywhere else.  I saw this posted on facebook multiple times but didn't care too much about it.  I didn't get to play the original NES version of the game, but it seems to carry a lot of memories for lots of gamers.  What I did do was watch the animated series everyday.  So when I decided to watch the trailer to see how "remastered" the game looked and started to hear the original theme song for the show, I instantly fell into crazy nostalgia and starting singing along with the song still knowing how it went.  It was a great move to have a sing-a-long with footages of gameplay for the trailer.  It captures the essence of what viewers of the show and players of the game remembers: the vibrant characters and environment, the catchy music, and the platforming.  Unfortunately for me it's set to release on PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii U thus far and I don't purchase digital games for consoles.  Perhaps there will be a PC/Steam version down the road.  If that should happen, I should look for the original game and play through it so I can have a better feel of comparison like I did with Bionic Commando.  DuckTales Remastered releases Summer of this year 2013.

NewNews - Steam Indie Spring Sale

Official Site: http://store.steampowered.com/sale/indie_spring2013

I thought something was up when I saw that the "special" had over 600+ games listed.  Steam is having a Indie Spring Sale where you can find hundreds of great (and horrible) indie games to buy and play for cheap.  If you don't want to spend too much but want some entertaining games to play this spring when you have a bit of free time, now is a good time to look for some through the indie section of Steam.  There's the ultra violent "Hotline Miami", creative sandbox game "Terraria", and strategic "Faster Than Light" are among the games for sale.  Seems like a pretty good start for Spring!

NewNews - Early Access added to Steam

Official Site: http://store.steampowered.com/genre/Early%20Access/

There have already been a few games in which the player can buy the game and be granted access to the Alpha or Beta phase testing of a game.  Don't Starve is one of those games and the recently listed ArmA 3 is also doing the same for its Alpha phase testing.  The Steam platform now has a dedicated section specifically for developers to put out their incomplete games for sale and testing so that they can receive feedback from the community.  By purchasing a game from the Early Access section, a player is granted an early build of game and is able to test, review, and suggest advice to the developers.  There have been quite a few games where player involvement in testing and development have been a big part of what made the game so successful with Minecraft being one of them.  With player involvement, the developers can get a vast amount of perspectives, get new ideas, and get early support on making the game.  Currently, there are about 12 games listed but will eventually grow much like the Free-to-Play section has in the past few months.  So if you find a game you know you'll like or want to help support on Steam's early access section, then you can now buy them and start playing right away.

NewNews - Register for Ragnarok Online 2

Landing Page: https://www.warpportal.com/landing/ragnarok2/index.aspx
Source: Youtube Channel GravityUS

Well, it's about time!  Ragnarok Online 2 has been talked about since 2004 and has changed quite a bit in development.  I tried the original RO2 back in 2005-2006 during its alpha/beta stages (I don't quite remember) and found it to be boring.  Apparently, so did the rest of the community in Korea and so the first version of Ragnarok was trashed as they worked on a 2nd version which has been out for a year now in Korea.  I played a bit of it on the English SEA servers and thought it was a little better, but the combat mechanics, graphics and gameplay felt like it was behind on times.  Despite that, a lot of people seem to be enjoying it so far and so the North American servers will soon be up and go into Open Beta Testing.  It's probably best to sign up for an account right now at WarpPortal before the actual launch to avoid registration crashes and such when everyone's trying to get in all at the same time.  Here's hoping for a great future for Ragnarok Online 2.

NewNews - Last day for Humble Bundle with Android 5

Official Site: http://www.humblebundle.com/
Source: Youtube Channel humblebundle

Today's the last day for the Humble Bundle with Android 5 with only 19 hours left.  The Humble Bundle is a collection of indie games that's sold at the price of your choosing with the funds going to the developers, charity, and and to those who organized the bundle to pay for bandwidth and hosting.

This bundle includes:
-Beat Hazard Ultra
-Dynamite Jack
-Solar 2
-Nightsky HD

And these additional games are added when paid over the average price:
-Splice
-Super Hexagon
-Dungeon Defenders + All DLCs
-Crayon Physics Deluxe
-Sword & Sworcery EP

The Bundle comes with versions for Windows, Mac, Linux and Android as well as the soundtracks for all of the games.  Also, all the games should have a steam key unlock as long as you pay more than $1.  The current average price is at $6.93.  But ~$7 is an incredible deal for 9 games with each of the versions and their soundtracks.

VGCulture - Indie Games Sale at GMG

Official Site: http://www.greenmangaming.com/
Source: Youtube Channel pixelenemy

GreenManGaming is having a huge indie game sale with games like Chivalry: Medieval Warfare, Forge, and Krater as part of the list of discounted games.  There's also a huge catalog of EA games on sale but requires an Origin account to download, install and play.  Be sure to check all games right below their videos to see if a Steam, Playfire, or Origin account is needed.  For those that don't list any of those requires GreenManGaming's very own Capsule program to download, install and play the games bought.  In other news of sales, Steam is having a Ubisoft weekend sale right now as well.  Happy gaming everyone and have a great weekend.

GameLight - Ark of the Ages

Android Site: Google Play - Ark of the Ages
Source: Youtube Channel pocketgameruk

I read about this game two week ago over at Joystiq and was curious about this Action-RPG dungeon-crawler.  I never buy games for mobile devices, but I just so happened to receive a Google Play card recently and decided to give this game a try as I couldn't resist an attractive price of $2.  The game promotes online interaction with other players to receive special powers as well as using real money to get benefits.  That already made me sad to have micro-transactions in a game I already paid for, but I ignored it for the time being and went into my first dungeon.  There are probably games with better graphics than what Ark of the Ages has for the android market, but I was pretty impressed with what was presented.  Walking around felt alright, but turning does take some getting used to.  The overall gameplay feels like a mix of old school First-Person dungeon crawlers (even though it's in 3rd-person when walking around) and current day touch-screen phone games where combat consists of slashing, blocking, and using specials to fight off enemies.  The game is challenging in that enemies don't reveal how strong they are until the player starts fighting them and that replenishing curatives, buying new equipment, and fixing current weapons is expensive.  With that, the game revolves around 2 things: Grinding and paying real money to skip the grinding.  For a phone game like this, I don't really mind grinding as it's a way to pass the time and so far it's rather entertaining.  The game isn't necessarily deep in combat, story or innovation, but it provides a decent amount of achievements (better equipment, strong foes, and lots of quests) for the player to stay busy and entertained.  Some common complaints by others who have reviewed the game is that the game relies too much on paid items to get anywhere (I can't confirm that just yet), the game won't start up (worked okay for me so far), and the Gree taskbar is distracting (Yes, it doesn't go away but it hasn't been a problem for me yet).  I don't expect too much for games on phones as long as it has a structured gameplay providing entertainment.  Ark of the Ages isn't one of those games friends would talk about and share their experiences, but so far it's a great game to pass the time and have some consistency of getting stronger and progress.

Source:
-Joystiq - XSEED brings RPG 'Ark of the Ages' to Android

VGCulture - Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate Opening

Official Wii U Site: Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
Source: Youtube Channel CapcomUnityVideos

Look what CapcomUnityVideos released on Youtube today.  Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is an Action-RPG that has the capabilities to play with 3 other players locally or online (online play for Wii U only) to fight boss battle after boss battle essentially.  The monsters in the game are enormous and require a lot of patience and coordination to take down.  Players will also be hunting less threatening monsters for food and materials to continue on their quest.  The opening sure is nice.  Sadly, I'm currently busy with two new 3DS games I got and won't be able to get just yet.  For those waiting to start slashing and killing dragons and whatnot, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate releases March 19th, 2013 for the Nintendo Wii U and 3DS.

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.

Retroview - 007 Nightfire

Source: Youtube Channel MORPHEUSCATANA1

It's been a while since I've played my Gamecube and I still have uncompleted games on it so I still have a reason for playing it.  I bought 007 Nightfire a little over 10 years ago and never completed because I got stuck on one of the levels.  In the past year, each time I wanted to take a break from recent games I go back and play a level.  For some reason, the game felt significantly easier for me to complete in terms of difficulty.  In terms of patience, it was difficult to sit and play through.  I finally played the last 2 levels last night and completed.  Did I really become that much more experienced in First-Person Shooters?  Perhaps I did considering the amount of FPS games I played throughout college and beyond.  I looked back at the previous levels of the games and even though I played them over a decade ago, I remember them and the events that took place.  Sure, no 007 games seem as great and memorable as 007 Goldeneye, but I think even Nightfire had its moments.  What I really miss about playing Nightfire is playing multiplayer with friends.  I think I miss doing that in most games as less games have local multiplayer and very few of my friends have interest in playing games that have them (ex: Call of Duty series).  That seems to be what put 007 games above the others early 2000.  But as online multiplayer games got more popular as well as the rise of Call of Duty, the 007 franchise just couldn't hold the interest of players anymore.  007 games ares still being made, but I rarely hear anything good about any of them.  The latest 007 games I got is 007 Goldeneye for the Nintendo Wii, and it's a recreation of the original with some modern twists such as using Daniel Craig's likeness rather than Pierce Brosnan's.  The game feels more like Call of Duty than classic 007 games, but maybe that's okay.  It felt good finishing Nightfire because I left it uncompleted for so long, but I don't think it's a game I can really enjoy anymore.  Sure there's nostalgia there, but I think I'd only be able to enjoy playing multiplayer with friends which I doubt will happen anytime soon as my friends can't handle playing with such outdated graphics.  007 movies still do fairly well such as the most recent one "Skyfall" which won an Oscar for best song for a film of 2012, but I think the popularity it had on gaming is long gone.

GameLight - KingsRoad

Play KingsRoad on Official Site
Play KingsRoad on Facebook
Source: Youtube Channel RumbleEntertainment

It's been a long time since I've played a Facebook game and my experiences with facebook games have mostly been OCD intensive multiplayer games where players attack each other or very simple flash games.  I know browser games have become a lot more dynamic and rivals games that require a large client, but I wasn't expecting a game like KingsRoad to show up on Facebook.  KingsRoad is a top-down, point-n-click, Action-RPG that has the likeness of Diablo with 3 different classes: Knight, Archer, and Wizard.  The game can be played in full screen mode and so far everything runs really smoothly.  I am really surprised by it so far, but I'm wondering how deep the game will be in terms of content.  It is free to play with the option of buying items to increase loot drops, exp gain and changing the appearance of the character's look.  Loading is fairly short too which makes it a game anyone can play anywhere without having to download a client or update and such.  Probably a really nice time killer, but perhaps not the type of game that a gamer would spend long durations on.  I'm willing to give this game a try and I think I'll give facebook games another try.

Source:
-Games for Gamers - KingsRoad

GameLight Review - Counter-Strike Global Offensive

Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/730/
Source: Youtube Channel Valve

Developer: Valve
Publisher: Valve
Platforms: Playstation 3, Xbox 360, [PC]
Release Date: August 21, 2012
Genre: First-Person Shooter

Pros:
+ Upgraded graphics to familiar levels and characters
+ Wheel dial purchase system facilitates controller/gamepad use
+ New maps and official game modes of past mods
+ Periodically gets updated with new content
+ Still open-source for modders to create custom levels and modes
+ Sound effects and animations improved for a modern feel
+ Option to practice against bots is still present
+ Nice and reasonable price with frequent sale price for the game
+ An already strong and growing community

Cons:
- The game is still really tough and new to CS players will need to adjust to it
- Hosting games can still be a problem that requires port forwarding and such
- Cross-platform play was taken out (not too big of a problem)
- Console players don't have access to mods and custom games

Recommended: Absolutely!  Fun for casual players and challenging for competitive players, Counter-Strike Global Offensive has infinite possibilities.

While not a direct sequel to the original Counter-Strike, this iteration revamps the graphics, animation, audio, and gameplay of the series into the modern day technology along with new maps and modes.  Familiar maps will have a total make over for a more life-like setting.  The game feels a lot more closer to Counter-Strike 1.6 which is sure to please those familiar with the original.  Popular mode "gungame" has been added as an official mode in Global Offensive called Arms Race where players score points through player kills and wins the match by getting the last kill with the golden knife.  Other familiar modes have made a return.  Overall it's essentially the same game, but everything feels a lot nicer.

Aesthetics
Art-Style: 3D Realistic
+ Textures are a lot more crisp and clean
+ Animations are smoother and more life-like
+ Levels are portrayed with more environment over plain walls of it predecessors
+ Audio for the guns are stronger sounding
+ Character models are more distinguishable and less blocky
+ User-Interface is clean and comprehensible

- Those playing CS for 10+ years will feel weird around the new buy menu
Aesthetics: 10/10

Buttons
Controller: Keyboard/Mouse, Gamepad/Console Controller
+ Movement and aiming feels as tight as CS 1.6
+ Radial dial makes it easier and faster to buy for gamepad controllers
+ Guns feel and sound a bit more stronger and visceral which affect perception
+ Crouching-jumping is still a pivotal part of the game
+ Knives portray contact a lot better than previous installments

- Radial dial system is odd for long-time CS fans as some shortcuts are changed
- For now, there aren't any saved load-out buying yet
Buttons: 8/10

Concept & Content
Core Concept: Fulfill objectives each match or by eliminating other players
+ Classic bomb and hostage modes return with revamped maps
+ Gun game mod is added as an official mode called Arms Race
+ The radial dial makes buying on control pads a lot faster and easier
+ Long time CS modders of the series brings back special servers in GO
+ AIs for bots are a bit smarter providing better practice sessions
+ Steam workshop makes sharing mods that much easier

- Hosting games is still problematic
- Radial dial system is confusing for long-time CS players
Concept and Content: 9/10

Duration
+ Core game has plenty of modes and maps to keep the player entertained
+ Playing practice mode is a fun way to pass time when offline
+ Lots of special modes and maps are available through server searches
+ Plenty of replay value with mods, frequent updates, and modes available
Duration: 9/10

Fun
+ Playing it for the first time was a cross between nostalgia and something new
+ Seeing my favorite maps with new and improved looks made me happy
+ The feel, look and sound of guns and animations is much more modern
+ I liked having the ability to make my own gun-games with any map I wanted
+ There's an infinite amount of content for me in the game to try out

- Hosting a game is still problematic and has many technical difficulties
Fun: 9/10

Overall

Global Offensive is a welcome edition to the Counter-Strike series with its improved graphics and animations with revised audio recordings.  Valve took careful steps to improve what has been established without taking away important factors or changing anything too drastically.  Honestly, the only change I'm not entirely comfortable with is the radial dial, but it's something that all players can adapt to.  The plentiful amount of maps, modes, and possibilities the game offers are limitless which makes it absolutely worth buying for any First-Person Shooter fan.  Overall: 9/10

GameLight - ArmA 3 goes Alpha

Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/107410/
Source: Youtube Channel EliteGamer

ArmA has never been a series I've been very much into.  It boasts itself for being a realistic simulator of a soldier at war in a foreign land with large maps, non-linear paths, and extreme difficulty to match up with that realism.  The past ArmA games have had issues with controls, but had the awesome option of customizing a scenario or creating a mod which spawned the DayZ mod on ArmA 2.  ArmA 3 popped up on Steam's front page yesterday and is offering pre-orders with access to the Alpha testing of the game.  Looking at the screen shots and some of the videos, I can tell there is a lot of improvement in graphics.  The landscapes and details are beautiful and really shows just how large these maps in the game are.  ArmA 3 is available for pre-order now for $32.99 or $49.99 for the deluxe version which includes digital versions of the soundtrack, maps to the island, tactical guide, and the original ArmA: Cold War Assault game.  Pre-ordering the core game grants the player access to Alpha testing and beta testing of the game as well as 3-invite passes to send out to friends to participate in the testing.

GameLight - Castlevania Lords of Shadow Mirror of Fate

Official Site: http://www.konami-castlevania.com/mof/
Source: Youtube Channel NintendoWorldReport

Castlevania Lords of Shadow Mirror of Fate released today on the Nintendo 3DS.  I have been very worried about it ever since its reveal last year at E3 as it seems to embody the original Castlevania more than the Metroidvania that handheld Castlevania games have followed.  It's not to say that I don't like the retro-styled side-scrolling adventure that Castlevania started with since I grew up with them and love them.  The problem is that they lack content in our current day generation where paying $40 for just a handheld game had better be worth our time.  The game follows the same story arc of Lords of Shadow with the return of 2 familiar characters in the series: Trevor and Simon Belmont.  It bothers me a little that the story of those two pivotal characters might be changed in a way that I may not find desirable.  As many might be able to tell, I am very skeptical about this iteration in the Castlevania series which is pretty scary since I gave even the infamous Castlevania Judgment a chance.  Still, it's a Castlevania and I'm willing to give it a go.  I'm just not willing to dish out $40 for it at the moment, especially since I just ordered 2 games for the 3DS that still hasn't arrive just yet.  I also haven't played through Lords of Shadow yet, despite having bought it a while ago.  Guess I'll wait out on this.  It's good to know I'll have a 3DS game to buy when I finished the others I have.

VGCulture - NIS America has been Busy

Official Site: http://nisamerica.com/index.php?nav=h

Nippon Ichi Software America (NIS America) sure has been busy and seems extra busy this year.  A lot of Japanese games don't see the light of day outside its native country, so it's up to companies like NIS America to take the risk bringing it over to the States with no guarantee that they will profit or even break even with the niche audience the games are targeted towards here in the West.  Just last year alone, NIS America brought over Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2, Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland, Legasista, Mugen Souls, Clan of Champions and ported games such as Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention and ClaDun x2.  This year also has a good amount of games lined up for launch:

[The Witch and the Hundred Knights - PS3] - TBD
Very little is known about this game, but what has been shown makes Action-RPG fans pretty excited.

[Generation of Chaos: Pandora's Reflection - PSP] - Out Now Source: Youtube Channel TechGamingVideo

Just released last month on PSN for PSP, Generation of Chaos is a bit difficult to describe.  Unlike previous installments in the series, Pandora's Reflection had Sting Entertainment (Yggdra Union, Riviera: The Promised Land) developing the game alongside Idea Factory, so you know the combat will be unique and crazy like Knights in the Nightmare.  It's sort of like an RTS where characters are moving in real-time, but when characters interact, a turn-based sequence comes up.  The combat system looks really interesting, I'll give it a try when I can.

[Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory - PS3] - March 21, 2013
Source: Youtube Channel GameSpotTrailers

The fact that I haven't completed the first one and bought the second one makes it a bit overwhelming to have a 3rd one come out already.  Despite that, I am pretty excited about the release of Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory.  The combat is supposed to be even more fast-paced and the story revolved around the characters warping back to an 80's era of the Gamindustri world.  I took interest in the first game because of its many implications of game industry satire, its light-hearted humor, bright and colorful art style, and unique battle mechanics.  I have to admit the first game's battle mechanics is super tedious, but it allows for a large array of combos to customize.  I'll eventually get around to this game.

[Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness - PS3] - Fall 2013
The series Nippon Ichi Software is best known for and NIS America is most well known for bringing over has another game coming out once again.  Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness brings back the original characters in a new story with Laharl possibly having a sister?

[The Guided Fate Paradox - PS3] - Fall 2013
Said to be a spiritual successor to Z.H.P. Unlosing Ranger VS Darkdeath Evilman, this Dungeon Crawling Action-RPG hopes to bring an infinite amount of customizations and long hours of replay value in a very approachable Rogue-like style RPG that modern gaming can offer.

[Time and Eternity - PS3] - Fall 2013
Source: Youtube Channel IGN

This RPG has a unique style of presenting its art by having 2D characters walk in a 3D environment, like in Ragnarok Online, or Chantelise: Tale of Two Sisters.  The player finds out that the bride has two souls in her body and are able to control time.  The player will travel back in time over and over to find out the cause of the fateful Wedding day where the groom gets mortally wounded.  I still can't get over the narrator's voice at 1:52, haha.  But in all seriousness, the game looks really interesting.

I want ALL the games NIS America is bringing us, haha.  This is a busy year for them indeed.

VGCulture - Filler - SSBB Convenience Store

Sorry, today shall be a filler with a bit of humor and a bit of music:
Source: Youtube Channel zenryoku237