VGCulture - Music - Online Game Addicts Sprechchor

Source: Youtube Channel TensaiRyuu

Project DIVA f, featuring virtual pop idol Hatsune Miku, isn't a game the Western Market will probably get to see.  I remember hearing about Hatsune Miku showing up in Phantasy Star Online 2 in the Japanese servers.  I later found out that it was a music video featuring the lobby from Phantasy Star Online 2 within the game Project DIVA f with Hatsune Miku dressed as a Force class character.  I also saw videos of people playing Phantasy Star Online 2 seeing the video within the Lobby itself on the big-screen.  So I logged onto PSO2 and sure enough it was playing this particular video.  The song is like an anthem for online games and MMO players.  Its fast-paced beat in a exciting drum 'n bass rhythm with its catchy melody makes it one of my favorite songs from the Project DIVA f collection.  Although I'll probably never get to play the game, it's a lot of fun watching and listening to all the music videos from the game.  Also, I can't wait for the release of Phantasy Star Online 2 for the West.  I am incredibly excited for it.

GameLight - XBlaze Code: Embryo

Official JP Site: http://www.arcsystemworks.jp/xblaze/
Source: Youtube Channel arcsystemworks

XBlaze Code: Embryo is an Adventure/Visual Novel game relating to Arc System Works' Fighting game BlazBlue series that's within the same universe, but not necessarily the same world.  What exactly does this mean?  To quote Toshi Nakamura from Kotaku, "...the game is "linked" to the BlazBlue game series world, though does not necessarily take place in the same world".  Arc System Works is known for their convoluted stories within their fighting games such as Guilty Gear and BlazBlue where nothing is simple to explain.  As one who has played the BlazBlue series, I can only theorize that XBlaze perhaps takes place in an alternate plane of existence because of a temporal warp caused by the continuum shift.  Another fun idea that's much simpler is that explains everything that led up to the creation of the Black Beast, the 6 Heroes, and usage of Ars Magus.  Despite all these ideas of what connection it has to the BlazBlue series, the developers are creating this game to be played and enjoyed without prior knowledge of the BlazBlue series.  I was hoping to get an Action/Action-RPG out of this, but I suppose a Visual Novel is the best genre to focus on if they're main goal is to deliver a story.  Sadly, the Western market may not get to see this game at all BECAUSE it's a Visual Novel.  XBlaze Code: Embryo is set to launch on July 25th, 2013 this Summer in Japan for the Playstation 3 and PS Vita.

Source:
-Kotaku - XBlaze Isn't Just For BlazBlue Fans

GameLight - Fuse

Official Site: http://www.insomniacgames.com/games/fuse/#/home
Source: Youtube Channel pixelenemy

The studio behind the Resistance series releases Fuse, a team-based, third-person, co-op shooter that utilizes class-based mechanics to form a cohesive and interactive cooperative experience.  It released yesterday for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.  There seems to be a divide between those who enjoyed it and those who thought it was fun but unrefined.  With a focus on multiplayer, there doesn't seem to be many people enjoying a single-player experience.  There isn't a competitive multiplayer which means the replay value is entirely cooperative on other difficulty levels (if there is one).  From what I gather on the critics and players' sides, it seems the game was fun but not for the $60 they are charging for it.  So maybe if the price of the game was lower and one was able to find 3 other friends to join them, it'd probably be a really fun gaming experience.  Fuse is now available for Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 for $60.

GameLight - Sonic Lost World

Official JP Site: http://sonic.sega.jp/SonicLostWorld/
Source: Youtube Channel IGN

I hope everyone had a peaceful and fulfilling long weekend!  I was surprised with a trailer for the newest Sonic game today which included gameplay!  It seems Nintendo has swept up another game for itself as an exclusive for the Nintendo Wii U and Nintendo 3DS.  It reminds me of Super Mario Galaxy, but there has been mention that the game shows a lot of ideas from canceled Sonic game "Sonic X-treme".  When the game was mentioned last week, I heard it was going to involve dinosaurs and time travel to the past of some sort.  That really worried me.  Then I watch this video and the first thing that shows up is 6 very cartoon-ish, villain-type characters.  Though I haven't played Sonic Colors yet, it seems to have a similar aesthetic in character design.  I'm not sure what to think of the game yet, but I am happy to see another Sonic game.  It's going to be hard to live up to Sonic Generations, that's for sure.  No official release date, but supposedly out by the end of this year.  More information will probably be available at this year's E3.

NewNews - Defiance Free Weekend on Steam

Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/224600/
Source: Youtube Channel MMORPGcom

TV show/game tie-in Defiance has been mentioned and praised by many editorials for being, well, fun.  It's an MMORPG played like 3rd-person shooter which makes me think of Tabula Rasa (I wish I had the chance to play that game).  Hearing that SyFy channel was involved in this project really worried when it was first announced, but both the show and the game seems to be doing fairly well.  The game doesn't have the best scores though.  They're not terrible, but they also leave some questions that needs to be answered.  It seems that the game itself is fun, but is repetitive and lacks content.  The developers explain that they focused on the core gameplay first and will continue to put out more content down the road.  I'm not sure what to make of this and I'm sure it's like that for many people on the fence in purchasing the game.  So this free weekend will help some of us answer some of those questions and will also be able to get the game for $41.99 this weekend from its usual $59.99.

NewNews - Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition for PC

Official Site: http://www.themortalkombat.com/
Source: Youtube Channel machinima

Mortal Kombat 9 was released for consoles 2 years ago and has since then accumulated a number of DLCs.  The Komplete Edition of Mortal Kombat was released for consoles and now has been confirmed to have a port of it for PC.  I've never been a huge fan of Mortal Kombat, but I did enjoy playing it whenever I got the chance.  Seeing how my PS3 suffers from lack of Hard Drive space due to all the fighting games I have installed on it.  So I skipped out on purchasing Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition despite it being at an incredible price of $14.99 on Amazon.  But now that it's coming out on PC, I might consider getting it for my computer since I have over 12x the space that my PS3's hard drive does.  My PC is also lacking in fighting games lately considering how much I played in college.  I just hope it doesn't require going through Games for Windows Live or Origin.  It'd be nice if it was available for Steam and just goes through that.  Also, I'm still waiting for Skullgirls to get on PC.

Source:
-Joystiq - Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition konfirmed for PC in July

NewNews - Microsoft Xbox One Announced

Official Site: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/xboxone/meet-xbox-one

Source: NBC News

So Microsoft finally revealed their new console today with the name "Xbox One".  I think it's a good decision in terms of name as I was expecting something like "Xbox 720".  It's an interesting name that can throw out a lot of catch phrases for their product such as the one on the front page that says "The all-in-'one' Entertainment System".  They can continue to use phrases like "This system is the 'one' to beat them all!" or "The Xbox is number 'one'".  But in any case, it's a decent name.

Rather than just a gaming device, Microsoft wants the Xbox One to fulfill all forms of media entertainment with music, internet, movie streaming, and video chatting.  There's a bit of controversy behind some of the design choices for the "Xbox One" though such as locking out used-games or requiring an internet connection for the initial start up.  Here's a quick run-down of the Xbox One:

Features:

- 8-core x86 processor; play games and run apps at the same time

- HDMI pass-thru; watch TV through the Xbox One

- 8GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive; Plenty of memory for all media

- Blu-ray reader for watching movies and having HD quality graphics

- Runs on Windows OS

- Improved Kinect functionality for voice/motion commands

- Updated Smartglass functionality

- Group conference skype calls

- Persistent game world changes even when not played

- Advanced AI learns how to play like you so friends can simulate playing with you

- Integrated match-matching technology for multiplayer games

- Play games while they're installing

- Supports up to 1,000 friends on buddy list

Controversy:

- Not always online, but requires internet connection to start up

- Not backward compatible with Xbox 360 and XBLA games

- Used-games requires an extra fee to play

What I don't know yet is whether an Xbox Live subscription fee will still be required and if it's needed to play the games that requires internet connection.  If that's the case, then the customer can't play any games unless they sign up for Xbox Live Subscription regardless if they play online or not.  I'm not too worried about any of this since I don't plan on getting an Xbox One, but I am afraid that this might influence similar decisions in Sony and Nintendo's products in the future.

Still, I can sympathize and support the concerns of those who do plan to get an Xbox One and must face these questionable decisions.  The listed controversies all point toward Microsoft's effort to prevent piracy and discouraging used-game sales and borrowing from friends/game rentals.  Not having backward compatibility for Xbox 360 games is understandable as it cuts down on hardware cost keeping the price more reasonable, but it shouldn't be too hard to implement compatibility with XBLA games.  I could be wrong though.  With piracy, I hope it works because it would really be insulting for all the paying customers having to go through the required internet connection and facing problems when it fails (Ubisoft has a history of games not working that requires internet connection) when those who pirate games will find a way to play without internet connection or problems.  It's happened in the past where those who pirate games have a better gaming experience than official games when they break down or fail to work because of an implemented DRM.  There has to be a better way to fight game piracy, right?

The Xbox One doesn't have a price tag yet and will probably be revealed at E3.

NewNews - Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- gets announced

YT Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/arcsystemworks
Source: Top Link

I knew another Guilty Gear game was in the making, but I wasn't sure what to expect.  This little trailer took me by surprise when it revealed that the new Guilty Gear will be featuring 3D models utilizing the Unreal Engine rather than 2D hand-drawn sprites.  I have to say that it looks incredible in that it's clean looking and still has the smooth animations of a 2D fighter.  I am elated to hear Daisuke Ishiwatari taking the position of the Director once again and continuing a great series I thought would be lost forever (lost rights to Guilty Gear but eventually bought it back).  Guilty Gear was a game I avoided when it first came out because it looked so dark.  What got me into the series was listening to Dizzy's Theme "Awe of She" and instantly falling in love with the music for the game.  I eventually tried out the game and really liked the mechanics of air-dashing, combos, and unique specials for characters and became a fan of the series.  I am very impressed with the trailer and am looking forward to the release of the newest installment in the Guilty Gear series.

Retroview - Super Castlevania 4 and Dracula X

Source: Youtube Channel DarkEvil87

I just ordered Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate for the Nintendo 3DS and I have my worries.  I love the Castlevania series and have come to embrace the Metroidvania style mechanics that the handheld series utilizes after the creation of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.  So a certain dread came over me when I heard that the newest handheld Castlevania is not being made by Konami, is not a Metroidvania free-roam gameplay, and will be touching upon the stories of Trevor and Simon Belmont.  The game is developed by the same studio that created Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (which I have but yet to play).  Since it's another studio making the game, how much of the original Castlevania do they know about?  It makes me scared of what they might have done with the stories behind the original characters within the series.  I'm not against the original style of Castlevania, but I do have some problems with it.

Super Castlevania 4 was a game I played quite a bit when I was younger and continued to play because I was never able to complete it.  Last summer, I decided to finally sit down and beat it as I'm much more experienced in playing games than I was when I was younger.  The major differences I noticed when I first played the game when I was younger was that I could control my jumps rather than committing to them.  The second major difference was the whip could be manipulated.  As a kid that played the original, these two changes were really awesome.  Supposedly, this made the game easier than the original, but I still couldn't finish the game.  Fast forward nearly 11 years later to last summer.  I'm playing the game again, but it felt different for me.  Everything was more familiar because I've played so many other games similar or more difficult than it.  I'm more patient, observant, and I utilize my items more effectively.  In Castlevania 1, items were essential in completing the game.  In Super Castlevania 4, it wasn't as essential; however, they were really nice luxury items that helped make boss battles easier.  Being more knowledgeable in game design now that I'm actually working on them rather than just playing games, I felt that Super Castlevania 4 had the right idea about the whip, but didn't quite design the game around it enough.  Other than a few parts of the game where the player can swing from platform to platform with the whip, there wasn't much else that worked with the whip other than killing enemies.  The game was straight-forward and pretty fun, but had potential for more.  From what I understand, Castlevania:LoS-MoF will utilize the whip quite a bit, so perhaps it will borrow ideas from Super Castlevania 4 and capitalize on creative utilization of the whip.

Castlevania Dracula X (video above) is the game I had problems with as well as many other fans did.  What was supposed to be a port of Castlevania: Rondo of Blood turned into a different game with the same assets and setting.  Rondo of Blood had a lot of challenging and creative level designs that made it difficult, but entertaining.  But for some reason, Dracula X has similar levels with diabolical changes where every part of the level had something to piss me off.  Be it falling debris and enemies, enemies that spawn out of nowhere during a mid jump, or having to get through a part in one go or forcing you to jump off and die just to restart the level, there was always something unexpected that happens that cannot be foreseen.  Castlevania's difficulty usually is designed around giving the player an obstacle and taking the time to conquer it.  In Dracula X, it was designed around creating unexpected traps and events and learning from it AFTER dying.  I have to admit that Rondo of Blood did have some of that in it such as the boss doing one last attack right before they die unexpectedly.  This would have been fine if it weren't the fact that where were lives and running out meant restarting a level.  The one design choice that was made that I fear might appear in Mirror of Fate is the multiple paths.  Without doing something very specific, the player misses out on certain levels and will get bad endings.  This is an old design practice many games had alongside extreme difficulties in order to extend playtime and replay value.  For the Metroidvania style, the player can replay the game as different characters, a harder difficulty with their items intact, or different modes like flipped mode.  With Dracula X, you just replay the game again and hope you find the specific places and events to trigger something different.  And the boss fight against Dracula at the end was possible one of the most annoying ones I have ever faced in a Castlevania game (And if you bring up Order of Ecclesia, that was just difficult, not annoying).  You essentially fight on pillars and must jump to him in order to strike him which made it really easy for him to tap you in mid-air and have you fall to your death.  Did I have fun?  Maybe a little.  It didn't leave a good impression on me though.

Mainly, the biggest problem I have when hearing that Mirror of Fate was going to be like the original Castlevania games is that it was going to be too short.  Both Super Castlevania 4 and Dracula X took me about 1-2 hours at most to complete each.  Many fans of the older Castlevania complained that the newer Metroidvania style Castelvania games were too easy.  That's probably true, yet I enjoyed them a lot; however, Order of Ecclesia proved that it could have free-roaming maps, RPG elements and still be incredibly challenging and satisfying.  I spent about 14 hours on my first playthrough of Order of Ecclesia and loved it.  I've waited for quite a while for a new Castlevania game for handheld to release once again, and now I'm worried about the outcome.  Honestly, I worried about Portrait of Ruin and Order of Ecclesia when I first heard about it but ended up enjoying both.  Maybe I'll end up really liking LoS - Mirror of Fate.

NewNews - Bonus Magic Find and Exp in Diablo 3

Official Site: http://us.battle.net/d3/en/
Source: Youtube Channel AdriaCraft

It's been a year since the release of Diablo 3 and Blizzard wants to celebrate by giving a bonus 25% Magic find and Exp gain to all players who log in and play between May 15th till May 21st.  The bonus buff stacks on top of any other magic find and exp boosts the player already has and will exceed the 300% magic find cap.  For me, I mainly want to get back in and level up my characters that haven't reached level 60 yet.  Paragon levels I have pretty much given up on and is just a nice little addition/incentive to continue playing my level 60 characters.

Diablo 3 had a rough start and many people ended up not liking the game.  People still voice very loudly of how much they hate the game.  But that's okay, there is still a community of players who enjoy the game and are still playing it.  I didn't like how the story evolved and concluded, but I did enjoy the game a lot and is the reason why I played it for over 200+ hours and still plan to play once in a while.  I'm actually hoping for an expansion for Diablo 3 with new classes, a new chapter, and lots of extra goodies.

NewNews - Cards, Levels, and Prizes on Steam!

Official Site: http://steamcommunity.com/tradingcards/

The Steam platform is going to get a bunch of updates soon, and those who participate in the beta can check it out now.  What started out as a method of distributing the games for Valve turned into a very effective and favorable program and service distributing everyone's favorite PC games and indie games (now with application software).  I didn't like the Steam platform for the longest time because of how buggy, slow, and resource heavy it was just to run it.  Even when my friend bought me Team Fortress 2 and I was finally force to use Steam to play the game, it was slow, buggy and full of problems.  But sometime in 2010, there was a huge change to the platform that caused it to run more smoothly, quicker, and with less errors.  Then the occasional sales became seasonal, which became weekly, and now daily sales exist.  This not only changed my mind about the Steam platform, but also my perspective on digitally distributed games.  I'm still against digital download games on consoles, but I've become a bit more open minded about them now.

For the main topic at hand, Valve is working on some more updates for Steam to enhance the already social aspects for the users.

Trading Cards
While playing games like Don't Starve, Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Team Fortress 2, Portal 2 and Half-Life 2, the player can get random drops of trading cards for that game similar to getting items in Team Fortress 2 and DotA 2.  These cards can be collected and crafted into badges which also leads to other goodies available.

Badges
By crafting badges, you can show it off on your profile and earn prizes or privileges such as emoticons to use in chat, profile backgrounds, and coupons for other games or DLCs.

Steam Levels
I've always wondered what the "Steam Rating" was, and it's just gauge on the amount of hours of gameplay put into the past 2 weeks.  Well it seems Valve wants to give us something more persistent with "Steam Levels".  I suppose crafting badges and playing games will increase one's steam level and will grant them access to profile showcases, extra friends list slots, and more.  I don't know how I feel about having "Extra friends list slots".  That shouldn't be something limited.

Profile Showcase
As a player's steam level rises, they'll have more access to their profile showcase and show off their favorite games, items up for trade, workshop mods, Greenlight submissions, or favorite screenshots.  Vanity is a huge social element in gaming, and this favors that aspect.

Profile Update
It's no surprise that the profile page will look different with the ability of Profile Showcase.  Aside from that, hovering over a friend's avatar will tell you their steam level and such at a glance.

Recent Games Page
This is getting an update too.  Aside from the time and achievements, media such as workshop mods, videos, screenshots, and guides for the game will show up along with a badge.


This is a lot of interesting ideas.  The only thing I don't feel very good about is having a limited amount of friend list slots.  Why in the world would you limit that when it's one of the aspects that bring more users into using the platform?  If you're interested in testing out all these neat updates and features, you can participate in the beta by clicking on the top link, scroll to the bottom, and click "Steam Trading Card Group".

Source:
-Joystiq - Steam Trading Cards enter beta

GameLight - Metro: Last Light

Official Site: http://enterthemetro.com/us/
Source: Youtube Channel gamespot

I've bought, but haven't played Metro 2033.  Metro: Last Light continues the story of Metro 2033, but it seems a little different.  Having not played the first or this one yet, I'm not sure what to expect.  From what I understand, Metro: Last Light is supposed to be dark, gritty, and really tough.  I see comments on comparisons with the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series in that it's sort of a survival, open-world first-person shooter type of game.  From the video, the game looks kind of slow.  But I can see how it can be pretty intense with limited resources and such a vast map to traverse in.  There are many games that look boring in video form but are incredibly fun when played.  I'll probably give the game a chance once I've completed the first one.  Metro: Last Light is now available for PC, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

NewNews - Phoenix Wright 5 release in the West Fall 2013

Japanese Site: http://www.capcom.co.jp/gyakutensaiban/5/
Source: Youtube Channel GamesHQMedia

We finally get confirmation that Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney 5 - Dual Destinies is going to be released in the West this Fall, yay!  Unfortuantely, it's also been confirmed that it will be released digitally only, boo!  Phoenix Wright 5 will bring back our favorite protagonist back to the series once more with a new sidekick helping by reading the emotions of those on testimony.  Prepare for a brand new adventure with 3D graphics for the Nintendo 3DS.

As for my stance on a "digital only" release, I never really liked the idea when it was first conceived and has only changed my perspective a little throughout the years.  With most consoles (PS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii) and now handhelds (PS Vita, Nintendo 3DS), games sold digitally are the same prices as retail and almost never gets a price drop; games rarely get a sale on digital distributions; games can't be borrowed or shared by friends because the games are locked onto the system or account; and they take up even more memory space than when just having the game that require an optional/require install which eventually leads to un-installing games if you run out of space and re-installing them if you want to play them.  Digital releases do have their conveniences for the customer such as not having to go to the game store to grab their game and not having to switch out discs/cartridges to play multiple games but it takes away other great aspects of retail sold games.  My opinion of digital distribution changed a little when Valve's Steam platform provided better services and great deals on a daily basis.  Games that I really like that I want to pay more money will generally lead me to buy a boxed version of the PC game (Diablo 3/Guild Wars 2), but having great deals of under $10 per game on Steam allowed me to play games I'm interested in without having to invest so much on them.  I'm not looking forward to an all digital market.

Source:
- Joystiq - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney 5 hits west as Dual Destinies this autumn

GameLight - Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate

Official Site: http://teamninja-studio.com/doa5/us/top.html
Source: Youtube Channel GamesHQMedia

I never did pick up Dead or Alive 5 when it released.  I was really happy that it came out for the PS3 and was going to buy it, but I had built up such a large backlog on my PS3 that I decided to cool it with buying games for it until I clear some of the backlog up first.  In the past month, I've been eying Dead or Alive 5 on Amazon for $20 but kept resisting.  Then just these past 2 weeks, it was revealed that Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate (PS Vita version) was going to be released on consoles as well.  This means more levels, more modes, more characters, and more content with the possibility of a $40 price tag.  A trailer was released on Gametrailers today (but I couldn't find the embed so I grabbed another alternate on YT) and it shows the arrival of Momiji from the Ninja Gaiden series.  It won't be released until Fall, so I guess I'll do a bit more waiting before picking up the game.  Hopefully I'll have finished some games before then.

GameLight - Hellraid teaser

Wiki Page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellraid
Source: Youtube Channel Eurogamer

By the minds behind Dead Island, Techland releases a teaser to their upcoming game "Hellraid".  Dead Island Riptide had just recently released and was panned for being nearly the same game as the first Dead Island with very little improvements.  So it's a natural response for those same players to get excited over something that looks so different with the same engine.  Hellraid was originally a mod made in Dead Island by someone within Techland and became a legitimate project when it reached the higher ups in the company.  Hellraid will feature a first-person perspective, hack-n-slash, Action-horror cooperative experience for up to 4 players with randomly generated content (not sure what that means yet, but I'm hoping it means random events, levels, and items).  It will feature 4 classes (Warrior, Paladin, Mage and Rogue) each with their own special abilities much like in Dead Island's character archetypes.  The game's level design looks atmospheric and combat looks fast-paced and exciting.  Such display in the teaser reminds many gamers of games like Hexen 2, Oblivion, The Dark Messiah.  I'm not too sure about the "horror" part of the genre yet, because it reminds me of Painkiller where all the undead enemies just runs towards you which becomes less scary after a while.  Still, the screenshots when it was first announced and this little teaser has struck me interested.  I'm excited and looking forward to the release of Hellraid.  I just hope it doesn't disappoint.

GameLight - The Showdown Effect

Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/204080/
Source: Youtube Channel VirTualGamers

This game was released back in March and was one I had somewhat of an interest in.  I had thought it was a game similar to Shoot Many Robots where it was a single-player run 'n gun platformer.  I had planned to get it when it went on sale, and it did today for $4.99.  That's when I realized that the game was entirely multiplayer.  The game is closer to games like Soldat or Gunster: Rain of Bullets where players run around to kill each other in a 2D platformer style gameplay.  Developed by the same team who made Magicka, The Showdown Effect takes references and influences from 80's and 90's movies for a whacky multiplayer experience.  The game does seem pretty fun with running up walls, sliding while shooting, flipping around the level and cutting each other with a katana; however, the fact that it's a multiplayer only game worries me.  Unless there's a strong community behind a multiplayer game, the game's practically pointless no matter how fun the game is.  Judging from the weak responses from forums to data collection, there doesn't seem to be that many people playing the game.  I could be wrong though and many people are playing it despite it not being talked about that much (much like MAG on the PS3, a strong community with very little mention in the media).  The game also has a new patch released today that adds 2 new levels and 2 new characters for free (which is surprising to me considering how many DLCs were made for Magicka).  With that, there's a chance that a community might have been re-established (Awesomenauts went through that and has a decent amount of players on now).  So if you're interested, click on the top link and grab "The Showdown Effect" for $5 and start shooting, flipping and slicing away.

GameLight - Solstice Arena

Official Site: http://www.solsticearena.com/

It is evident that Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas (MOBA) or DotA-like games have become a popular genre in the market of games, and thus many developers try their shot at making the next successful MOBA.  One particular game that's in the works is Solstice Arena.  The "A Bit Lucky" team joined Zynga in the project in hopes of delivering and exciting mobile experience to the masses.  Many problems arises with this project.  Lots of MOBAs are available for PC, consoles, and mobile devices, so what exactly do they have to offer over others?  (Hopefully something better, right?)  Zynga has proven themselves to be successful in the past, but much of their revenue comes from casual players.  Considering on how complex and steep the learning curve is for most MOBAs, can they really attract casual players to the game?  They also claim that the game is both for casual players and hardcore players.  For hardcore players of MOBAs, communication is key to good teamwork.  Will they be able to provide that for hardcore players?  I'm not saying that this will be a bad game or that they should give up, but they are valid points to address when they're developing the game.  I wish them the best of luck and look forward to testing it out when it releases.

VGCulture - Humor - LoL My Bear Tibbers

Game Site: http://na.leagueoflegends.com/
Source: Youtube Channel PlagueOfGripes

There's always tons of fan made League of Legends videos, made everyday.  This one, in particular, just happened to be really funny.  Have a good weekend everyone.

GameLight - Blade Symphony

Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/225600
Source: Youtube Channel punyhumangames

So I was surfing through Steam's early access section and saw a trailer for a game called Blade Symphony.  Made by the team who modded Half-Life 1 and created Dystopia, this competitive multiplayer provides a variety of swords and styles for players to duel with each other.  It boasts itself for being a technical game so that winning would be based on skill and patience rather than button mashing and persistence.  Looking at it, it kind of reminds me of Gunz: The Duel.  It's $15 on steam's early access right now and can be played upon purchase; however, the game is considered in beta and will continue to change and improve as time goes on.  For more information on Blade Symphony, check the top link.

GameLight Review - Zombies.

GMG Page: http://www.greenmangaming.com/s/us/en/pc/games/action/zombies/
Apple iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/zombies/id568711604?mt=8
Steam Greenlight: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=100672678
Source: Youtube Channel touchgameplay

Developer: BigNic
Publisher: BigNic
Platforms: [PC], iOS
Release Date: October 08, 2012
Genre: Top-down shooter

Pros:
+ Incredible, high-quality chip-house tunes by BigNic himself
+ Simple concept, challenging levels
+ Light hearted and humorous all the way through
+ Super cheap and affordable
+ Highly destructive environments

Cons:
- Can be extremely repetitive
- No multiplayer mode, would've been a fun addition
- Earlier weapons become obsolete as newer weapons is all you need
- The game gets easier as you progress due to the weapon acquisition

Recommended: Maybe, buy the soundtrack if anything

I first took notice to the game during a promotion to get it for free but missed the opportunity.  I liked the music from the trailer and decided to look up a few more of the songs and loved them.  Thus, I purchased the game when it went on sale (then again, the game is only $4) and tried it out.  Despite looking retro with the pixel art, the sound effects, voices and music sound more modern and realistic than trying to be retro.  The humor is self-described as being dry, and yet it still made me laugh so it managed to be funny.  A lot of the humor is based of office-space environments and the hierarchy within a big corporate company.  The gameplay is  a lot like other top-down shooters where the player runs towards the goal while mindlessly shooting down enemies without getting killed.  The game is actually pretty challenging and interesting in the beginning when the weapons are weak, but quickly becomes insane and mindless as the player receives the stronger items.  What really contributed to the experience of the game is the music.  They possess a lot of energy, is really easy to get into, and sounds so new/fresh.  If anything, the music is what really made the game enjoyable.

Aesthetics
Art-style: Retro-style 2D pixel sprites
+ Cute little pixel sprites!
+ Despite looking so retro, the game gets pretty dang bloody
+ Destructible environment satisfies my desire to destroy everything
+ Sound effects played a bit part in making destruction feel so satisfying
+ The voice acting and writing are weird and dry humor, but they made me laugh
+ Hands down, some of the best music I've listened to in an indie game

- Very little changes in environments throughout the game
- Projectiles are ridiculously small, they're 2-4 pixels flying through the air
- It's really hard to tell where you're going in some levels
Aesthetics: 8/10

Buttons
Controller: Keyboard and mouse
+ WASD move and mouse aim/fire feels familiar and easy to pick up
+ Easily switch between weapons with mouse scroll or number row keys
+ Keys can be customized/changed

- Get stuck in everything, from corners to sides to walls to chairs
Buttons: 7/10

Concept & Content
Core Concept: Kills zombies, save survivors, destroy everything
+ The humor in the cut-scenes between each level had its charm
+ Being able to destroy anything and everything was satisfying
+ It's obvious that the music was a big part of the game's development
+ The game is simple but still entertaining

- The game gets easier as the player gets farther in the game
- Bosses were funny, but ultimately similar and boring fights
Concept and Content: 7/10

Duration
+ Each level is fairly short, so there isn't a lot of time commitment in playing
+ The game is very short, but it feels like it's at a decent length
+ Endless mode allows the player to continually kill an infinite stream of enemies

- I can't play for long durations, the game gets way too mind-numbingly boring
Duration: 7/10

Fun
+ The music is what really got me to play the game, amazing work
+ The art style, humor and sfx all worked cohesively to make this game fun
+ Despite the game getting easier, I still had fun blowing everything up
+ It was a really good game for me to play to kill some time
+ I was really shocked to find out this entire game was made by one guy

- It's a shame boss battles weren't more dynamic, interesting designs though
- I did have fun with the game, but I don't feel compelled to play it again
Fun: 8/10

Overall
If you have low expectations and are not bothered by mindless top-down shooting gameplay, Zombies might be able to provide and entertaining experience.  It's a really good game to kill time and/or relax to.  Everything that BigNic put into contributed to making this regular top-down shooter a experience of its own: the retro style graphics, the energetic chip-house tunes, and the humor.  I did enjoy the game, but it's not one I find myself playing again.  The music, on the other hand, will be something I'll be listening to often.  If you're interested in the game, but want it on Steam platform, go upvote it on Steam Greenlight right now.  Overall: 7.4/10