Official JP Site: http://nippon1.jp/consumer/arcadias/index.html
Source: Youtube Channel DesmaX
For the past week, I saw the name Arcadias no Ikusahime come up more than once on Kotaku and mentions how great the music is. Looking at the game's theme and gameplay, I was thinking it'd be a lot of orchestration with some Baroque period influence. And in some of the songs, there are a lot orchestration and RPG sounding songs. I decided to listen to the entire gamerip OST and see what it was all about. What I experienced was a very unique collection of genres. I hear influences from Rock, Classical, Baroque, Drum 'n Bass, Jungle, House, Oriental, Pop, Celtic, and even some Dubstep. Some songs sound like the typical Medieval period JRPG music while others sounds like futuristic Phantasy Star themed music. In videogames, music can be experimented with, combined, and utilized to create a unique theme or atmosphere for the game's experience. I like the music and the gameplay reminds me of Odin Sphere. No word of an international release has been made, but I'm hoping this game gets localized. The entire gamerip OST is up on top for you to listen to. There are 51 tracks in total. Thanks for sharing Kotaku, I might not have seen this game otherwise.
Source:
-Kotaku - Arcadias no Ikusahime is Pretty, Light-Hearted, and Fun to Play
Showing posts with label PS3. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PS3. Show all posts
Friday, October 18, 2013
Thursday, October 17, 2013
GameLight Review - Pac-Man Championship Edition DX+
Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/236450/
Source: Youtube Channel Robert Cram
Developer: Mine Loader Software
Publisher: Namco Bandai Games
Platforms: [PC], PS3, Xbox 360
Release Date: September 24, 2013
Genre: Arcade
Pros:
+ Easy to pick up and play
+ Bright, colorful, and full of energy
+ Fast-paced and exciting arcade action
+ Comprehensive and competitive leaderboards to challenge players in the world
+ One of the very few games I was willing to pre-order digitally
Cons:
- No controller support other than Xbox 360 controllers
- Game is a buggy port to PC with Audio failure and crashes at stage select
- Sadly, still no multiplayer mode of any kind
Recommended: Absolutely! If you're a Pac-Man fan, love arcade games, or looking for something fast-paced and isn't time consuming, this game is something you have to try if not buy.
I've been a long time Pac-Man fan growing up watching my father play it on arcade tables and playing it alongside him on our Sega Genesis. After a while, it seemed like there wasn't anything new to create from Pac-Man and all the adventure games that came out under its name were kooky and silly, but they weren't Pac-Man games. When Pac-Man Championship Edition had released and reached Playstation 3's PSN for demo, I got to try it out and was impressed by the dynamics of the game while still retaining a lot of the rules of the original. Still, it was released digitally on console and I'm a bit stubborn when it comes to digitally sold games on console. So I was pretty happy to hear that it was finally making its way to PC on Steam along with some new content. With DX+, new maps, skins and music is added to the game. Despite having some problems with the PC port, the game is still fun, challenging, and addictive. It's a mixture of traditional Pac-Man with snake where you lure as many ghosts to chase you down as possible before grabbing and power-pellet and gobbling all of them up for massive points. The bright and shiny aesthetics along with the energetic music creates a rather exciting experience for a Pac-Man game. It's so fast! The extra skins are kind of fun/silly if not nostalgic (Dig-Dug/Rally-X) and at least one of the songs is really good (Pac-Steps). Even if you're not a fan of Pac-Man, it should be a fun experience for newcomers with its beautiful presentation and exciting gameplay.
Aesthetics
Art-Style: Various skins provide different styles of past looks of Pac-Man
+ Colors are bright, dynamic, and vibrant making for a clean look
+ Music has a balance between laid-back and exciting which works well
+ The sound of gobbling dozens of ghosts is rewarding
+ There are a lot of sounds and graphics that have a nostalgic factor to the original
+ Dig-Dug and Rally-X skins changes the whole feel and look of the game
+ Pac-Steps is perhaps the best song out of all that's played in the game
- The Re-entrance song isn't that great. It's an extended version of the title theme
Aesthetics: 10/10
Buttons
Controller: Keyboard or Xbox 360 Controller
+ Tiny arrows around Pac-Man showing where he's going next is a great mechanic
+ Simple controls: Movement and bomb
+ The flow and movements in the game work hand in hand with the level designs
+ Controls makes it easy for anyone new to pick up and play the game
- No controller support, only Xbox 360 controllers
Buttons: 8/10
Concept & Content
Core Concept: Eat pellets and Ghosts to get the highest score
+ Game feels fresh despite staying true to the concepts of the original
+ Level constantly changes as the round progresses for dynamic gameplay
+ They made eating ghosts feel so good in this game, it's addicting
+ Level designs have a nice flow to them
+ Leaderboard are up-to-date and can tell you your standing in the world
+ Pre-order was worth it with all the DLCs that was included
+ Lots of levels, skins, music, and modes were in it for its price
- It'd be nice to have a 4-man multiplayer like the ones in arcades
- If striving for the highest score isn't your thing, there isn't much more else to give
- The audio often fails at start up and the game crashes on stage selection
- Hackers were already present on the first day of launch, ruining leaderboards
Concept and Content: 8/10
Duration
+ Just going through all the levels once will provide an hour of gameplay
+ There are a lot of challenges/trials to go through for gameplay time
+ Replay value is high if you're into getting the highest scores in games
+ The pacing of each round never lets down, they stay exciting the entire round
- There isn't much for those who want more than just "high score" leaderboards
- It can be repetitive and boring for those who don't like arcade games
Duration: 7/10
Fun
+ The vibrant atmosphere from the game makes me feel good
+ I have to play hard every time, I love the speed and excitement of it
+ Eating ghosts and the sound it makes is so satisfying
+ The easy-going music mixed with a bit of excitement is a nice compliment
+ I liked seeing some of my scores go over so many other players on leaderboard
+ The flow of each round is so fluid and the feeling I get from playing is bliss
- Having to restart the game 3-7 times because audio isn't there is annoying
- Game crashing at stage select isn't too big of a problem, but it still bugs me
- No controller support, getting sick of seeing "Xbox 360 controller only"
Fun: 8/10
Overall
It's a fun game that anyone can easily get into without going through long dialogues, getting lost, facing frustrating enemies, etc. It's a nice distraction from the other gaming you might be playing and provides entertainment in a pure form. It might not be a game players will play for long durations, but being able to play a round for 5 minutes for a break and still give a satisfying experience is a nice thing to have. For the more hardcore players, the highly competitive leaderboards will keep them busy finding new strategies and refining their reflexes with the ability to watch replays of any player's score. The game was worth pre-ordering with all the extra content that came with it, but eventually it will get a Steam sale and provide a nice price for the entire package. With its beautiful presentation and fast-paced gameplay, it's a game I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys arcade games and more so if they're a Pac-Man fan. Overall: 8.2/10
Source: Youtube Channel Robert Cram
Developer: Mine Loader Software
Publisher: Namco Bandai Games
Platforms: [PC], PS3, Xbox 360
Release Date: September 24, 2013
Genre: Arcade
Pros:
+ Easy to pick up and play
+ Bright, colorful, and full of energy
+ Fast-paced and exciting arcade action
+ Comprehensive and competitive leaderboards to challenge players in the world
+ One of the very few games I was willing to pre-order digitally
Cons:
- No controller support other than Xbox 360 controllers
- Game is a buggy port to PC with Audio failure and crashes at stage select
- Sadly, still no multiplayer mode of any kind
Recommended: Absolutely! If you're a Pac-Man fan, love arcade games, or looking for something fast-paced and isn't time consuming, this game is something you have to try if not buy.
I've been a long time Pac-Man fan growing up watching my father play it on arcade tables and playing it alongside him on our Sega Genesis. After a while, it seemed like there wasn't anything new to create from Pac-Man and all the adventure games that came out under its name were kooky and silly, but they weren't Pac-Man games. When Pac-Man Championship Edition had released and reached Playstation 3's PSN for demo, I got to try it out and was impressed by the dynamics of the game while still retaining a lot of the rules of the original. Still, it was released digitally on console and I'm a bit stubborn when it comes to digitally sold games on console. So I was pretty happy to hear that it was finally making its way to PC on Steam along with some new content. With DX+, new maps, skins and music is added to the game. Despite having some problems with the PC port, the game is still fun, challenging, and addictive. It's a mixture of traditional Pac-Man with snake where you lure as many ghosts to chase you down as possible before grabbing and power-pellet and gobbling all of them up for massive points. The bright and shiny aesthetics along with the energetic music creates a rather exciting experience for a Pac-Man game. It's so fast! The extra skins are kind of fun/silly if not nostalgic (Dig-Dug/Rally-X) and at least one of the songs is really good (Pac-Steps). Even if you're not a fan of Pac-Man, it should be a fun experience for newcomers with its beautiful presentation and exciting gameplay.
Aesthetics
Art-Style: Various skins provide different styles of past looks of Pac-Man
+ Colors are bright, dynamic, and vibrant making for a clean look
+ Music has a balance between laid-back and exciting which works well
+ The sound of gobbling dozens of ghosts is rewarding
+ There are a lot of sounds and graphics that have a nostalgic factor to the original
+ Dig-Dug and Rally-X skins changes the whole feel and look of the game
+ Pac-Steps is perhaps the best song out of all that's played in the game
- The Re-entrance song isn't that great. It's an extended version of the title theme
Aesthetics: 10/10
Buttons
Controller: Keyboard or Xbox 360 Controller
+ Tiny arrows around Pac-Man showing where he's going next is a great mechanic
+ Simple controls: Movement and bomb
+ The flow and movements in the game work hand in hand with the level designs
+ Controls makes it easy for anyone new to pick up and play the game
- No controller support, only Xbox 360 controllers
Buttons: 8/10
Concept & Content
Core Concept: Eat pellets and Ghosts to get the highest score
+ Game feels fresh despite staying true to the concepts of the original
+ Level constantly changes as the round progresses for dynamic gameplay
+ They made eating ghosts feel so good in this game, it's addicting
+ Level designs have a nice flow to them
+ Leaderboard are up-to-date and can tell you your standing in the world
+ Pre-order was worth it with all the DLCs that was included
+ Lots of levels, skins, music, and modes were in it for its price
- It'd be nice to have a 4-man multiplayer like the ones in arcades
- If striving for the highest score isn't your thing, there isn't much more else to give
- The audio often fails at start up and the game crashes on stage selection
- Hackers were already present on the first day of launch, ruining leaderboards
Concept and Content: 8/10
Duration
+ Just going through all the levels once will provide an hour of gameplay
+ There are a lot of challenges/trials to go through for gameplay time
+ Replay value is high if you're into getting the highest scores in games
+ The pacing of each round never lets down, they stay exciting the entire round
- There isn't much for those who want more than just "high score" leaderboards
- It can be repetitive and boring for those who don't like arcade games
Duration: 7/10
Fun
+ The vibrant atmosphere from the game makes me feel good
+ I have to play hard every time, I love the speed and excitement of it
+ Eating ghosts and the sound it makes is so satisfying
+ The easy-going music mixed with a bit of excitement is a nice compliment
+ I liked seeing some of my scores go over so many other players on leaderboard
+ The flow of each round is so fluid and the feeling I get from playing is bliss
- Having to restart the game 3-7 times because audio isn't there is annoying
- Game crashing at stage select isn't too big of a problem, but it still bugs me
- No controller support, getting sick of seeing "Xbox 360 controller only"
Fun: 8/10
Overall
It's a fun game that anyone can easily get into without going through long dialogues, getting lost, facing frustrating enemies, etc. It's a nice distraction from the other gaming you might be playing and provides entertainment in a pure form. It might not be a game players will play for long durations, but being able to play a round for 5 minutes for a break and still give a satisfying experience is a nice thing to have. For the more hardcore players, the highly competitive leaderboards will keep them busy finding new strategies and refining their reflexes with the ability to watch replays of any player's score. The game was worth pre-ordering with all the extra content that came with it, but eventually it will get a Steam sale and provide a nice price for the entire package. With its beautiful presentation and fast-paced gameplay, it's a game I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys arcade games and more so if they're a Pac-Man fan. Overall: 8.2/10
Monday, October 14, 2013
GameLight - Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
Official Site: http://www.lightningreturns.com/
Source: Youtube Channel SQEXMembersNA
Square-Enix is betting on Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII to be really big despite the backlash the fans had with the series. For me, I was extremely excited about Final Fantasy XIII and bought it the first week it came out. But during that time, I was still in school and did not have my Playstation 3 with me. Even after finishing school and being back home with my PS3, I never found the time to play FF13. FF13-2 came out and I eventually picked it up when it was $15 and then Lightning Returns was announced. After years of hearing how the series has become too linear, boring, and unimaginative, I am still very excited to finally getting around to FF13, FF13-2, and anticipating the launch of Lightning Returns. Although the game will be within the realm of FF13, the game play will be vastly different. With a more action-orientated, party-less RPG, Lightning Returns hopes to provide an exciting single-player experience with an open-world environment and an ever changing combat mechanic. Just this past month, Square-Enix has shown the world what to expect from this upcoming sequel. Source: Youtube Channel Square Portal
Source: Youtube Channel SQEXMembersNA
The game is looking great. I'm going to make an effort to get through FF13 and FF13-2 before the end of the year and prepare myself for Lightning Returns when it launches next year on February 11th, 2014 (February 13th for EU). The game will release on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.
Source:
-Kotaku - 17 Minutes Of Hardcore Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Action
-Kotaku - Lightning Returns Video Shows A Different Class Of Final Fantasy
Source: Youtube Channel SQEXMembersNA
Square-Enix is betting on Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII to be really big despite the backlash the fans had with the series. For me, I was extremely excited about Final Fantasy XIII and bought it the first week it came out. But during that time, I was still in school and did not have my Playstation 3 with me. Even after finishing school and being back home with my PS3, I never found the time to play FF13. FF13-2 came out and I eventually picked it up when it was $15 and then Lightning Returns was announced. After years of hearing how the series has become too linear, boring, and unimaginative, I am still very excited to finally getting around to FF13, FF13-2, and anticipating the launch of Lightning Returns. Although the game will be within the realm of FF13, the game play will be vastly different. With a more action-orientated, party-less RPG, Lightning Returns hopes to provide an exciting single-player experience with an open-world environment and an ever changing combat mechanic. Just this past month, Square-Enix has shown the world what to expect from this upcoming sequel. Source: Youtube Channel Square Portal
Source: Youtube Channel SQEXMembersNA
The game is looking great. I'm going to make an effort to get through FF13 and FF13-2 before the end of the year and prepare myself for Lightning Returns when it launches next year on February 11th, 2014 (February 13th for EU). The game will release on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.
Source:
-Kotaku - 17 Minutes Of Hardcore Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Action
-Kotaku - Lightning Returns Video Shows A Different Class Of Final Fantasy
Thursday, September 26, 2013
GameLight - Wonder Flick
JP Site: http://www.wonderflick.jp/
Source: Youtube Channel Jeuxvideo24
From the makers of Professor Layton comes another game for mobile devices. It seems Level-5 has really taken a liking to making games on mobile devices lately and their newest RPG is no exception. More than that, their idea for this game is one that players can enjoy over many different platforms with the same progress intact. So with this "Wonder Flick" game, you can play it on iOS, Android, Wii U, PS Vita, PS3, PS4, and Xbox One (or at least that's the plan) and the progress will be kept in the cloud/servers so that you can continue where you left off on any console. As the name suggests, the player will be "Flicking" little coin icons to perform actions: Attack, using potions, defending, special attacks, etc.
What I'm more interested in is the soundtrack. Did you happen to see whose name flashed in the trailer? Nobuo Uematsu of Final Fantasy fame had his name appear in the trailer with a music note which usually tells the viewer who is responsible for the music for that trailer. Whether Uematsu will be responsible for all the music in the game is unclear at the moment, but it's something to look out for. As for the game itself, it seems rather gimmicky and heavily focused on the mobile gaming audience. But who knows, it might turn out to be really fun! Where's the 3DS version? I see this working better on 3DS than on PS Vita in terms of mechanics. The game will be available in Japan on iOS and Android in November 2013 while PS3, PS Vita, PS4, Wii U, and Xbox One versions will be available sometime in 2014. No Western release has been announced thus far.
Source:
-Kotaku - No, This Next-Gen RPG Isn't Called "Wonder F**k"
Source: Youtube Channel Jeuxvideo24
From the makers of Professor Layton comes another game for mobile devices. It seems Level-5 has really taken a liking to making games on mobile devices lately and their newest RPG is no exception. More than that, their idea for this game is one that players can enjoy over many different platforms with the same progress intact. So with this "Wonder Flick" game, you can play it on iOS, Android, Wii U, PS Vita, PS3, PS4, and Xbox One (or at least that's the plan) and the progress will be kept in the cloud/servers so that you can continue where you left off on any console. As the name suggests, the player will be "Flicking" little coin icons to perform actions: Attack, using potions, defending, special attacks, etc.
What I'm more interested in is the soundtrack. Did you happen to see whose name flashed in the trailer? Nobuo Uematsu of Final Fantasy fame had his name appear in the trailer with a music note which usually tells the viewer who is responsible for the music for that trailer. Whether Uematsu will be responsible for all the music in the game is unclear at the moment, but it's something to look out for. As for the game itself, it seems rather gimmicky and heavily focused on the mobile gaming audience. But who knows, it might turn out to be really fun! Where's the 3DS version? I see this working better on 3DS than on PS Vita in terms of mechanics. The game will be available in Japan on iOS and Android in November 2013 while PS3, PS Vita, PS4, Wii U, and Xbox One versions will be available sometime in 2014. No Western release has been announced thus far.
Source:
-Kotaku - No, This Next-Gen RPG Isn't Called "Wonder F**k"
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
GameLight - Puyo Puyo Tetris
Source: Youtube Channel puyosega
Amitie is back with more Puyo Puyo going up against Tetris! A Puyo Puyo crossover with Tetris isn't too surprising, but it's finally being made. I've been a fan of both games for the longest time as most people have who play these puzzle games. Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine and Kirby's Avalanche have been two games that didn't use the name "Puyo" in the title that I played with Puyo Pop Fever being one of my favorite iterations of the series. For Tetris, I'd say Tetris DS by was the best version of Tetris I have played for the best controls, mechanics, color scheme, and variety in modes. So how much will the game change with these two mega puzzle blockbusters put together? It doesn't seem much as both games have had versus mode in their respective games which seems to be the base concept for this crossover. It doesn't seem all that different or game changing. Why not go all out and have a super puzzle crossover! Have games like Columns, Puzzle Fighter, Puzzle League, and maybe even Puzzle Bobble (Bust-A-Move) be part of the action and have the player choose which game they want to play and challenge other puzzle players. Make it even more outrageous with 8 players instead of just 2! But in all seriousness, I hope there's more to the game than just straight up versus PuyoPuyo against Tetris. The game releases next year on PS3, PS Vita, Wii U, and 3DS in Japan. No mention of a Western release has been made.
Source:
-Joystiq - Puyo Puyo Tetris makes sense
Amitie is back with more Puyo Puyo going up against Tetris! A Puyo Puyo crossover with Tetris isn't too surprising, but it's finally being made. I've been a fan of both games for the longest time as most people have who play these puzzle games. Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine and Kirby's Avalanche have been two games that didn't use the name "Puyo" in the title that I played with Puyo Pop Fever being one of my favorite iterations of the series. For Tetris, I'd say Tetris DS by was the best version of Tetris I have played for the best controls, mechanics, color scheme, and variety in modes. So how much will the game change with these two mega puzzle blockbusters put together? It doesn't seem much as both games have had versus mode in their respective games which seems to be the base concept for this crossover. It doesn't seem all that different or game changing. Why not go all out and have a super puzzle crossover! Have games like Columns, Puzzle Fighter, Puzzle League, and maybe even Puzzle Bobble (Bust-A-Move) be part of the action and have the player choose which game they want to play and challenge other puzzle players. Make it even more outrageous with 8 players instead of just 2! But in all seriousness, I hope there's more to the game than just straight up versus PuyoPuyo against Tetris. The game releases next year on PS3, PS Vita, Wii U, and 3DS in Japan. No mention of a Western release has been made.
Source:
-Joystiq - Puyo Puyo Tetris makes sense
Thursday, September 5, 2013
GameLight Review - Bulk Game Review (9-5-13)
I have, once again, accumulated a large list of completed games that I couldn't possibly go through one by one and will give a simple review for each one.
[The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing - PC]
Genre: Top-down, Point-n-click, Action-RPG
Recommended: Yes
Van Helsing was a surprising entry into my list of games and one that I enjoyed. The game's short and offers limited character builds compared to most Diablo-esque games, but delivers a satisfying experience with easy drop-in/drop-out online multiplayer. The witty dialogue between Katarina and Van Helsing, the subtle yet beautifully memorable melodies of the music, and flashy animations of all the destruction that is done made for an entertaining Action-RPG experience.
[Alan Wake - PC]
Genre: 3rd-Person Shooting Adventure
Recommended: Yes
Alan Wake is a lot more than what I expected. The compelling story and challenging action aspects of the game kept the game interesting and the player wondering the entire way through.
[The Lord of the Rings: War in the North]
Genre: Hack-n-Slash, Action-RPG
Recommended: Maybe, Yes if you can find 2 other friends to play with you.
The game isn't entirely deep in terms of RPG or Story, but it does provide an exciting and satisfying Action Hack-n-Slash experience with the ability to cut off limbs and head as finishers. It was a mildly entertaining experience that was more fun when playing with a friend than solo.
[Kung-Fu Strike: The Warrior's Rise - PC]
Genre: Arena Fighter, Beat-em-Up
Recommended: No
I really want to recommend this game as it has some of the best Martial Arts animation I've seen in a game as well as some tight "perfect blocking" mechanics; however, the game is severely flawed to the point where even the easiest difficulty was impossible to complete. Rather than a traditional Beat-em-Up where you progress forward, the game plays much like an Arena Fighter where the player fights off mobs of enemies in a small room. It was an entertaining and hysterical game after I found a cheat to play it, but it's not worth playing through legitimately.
[Legend of Fae - PC]
Genre: Puzzle, RPG
Recommended: Maybe
I did find the game to be really fun, but certain enemies and bosses were so frustrating, tedious and difficult that it didn't seem satisfying even after over coming them. The game is rather challenging considering that it's listed as a casual game, but it was better for most of the game (not the boss battles). I would mainly be able to recommend the game to those who specifically like Puzzle/RPG hybrids as the game seems too difficult for casual gamers to enjoy and too child-like themed for most core gamers.
[Mark of the Ninja - PC]
Genre: Stealth, Action-Platformer
Recommended: Yes
Although there is some familiarity to the developer's previous work "Shank", the game really stands out on its own and a great job of creating a stealth game in 2D form. The game is challenging, thought-provoking, and satisfying when a tactic or plan comes together. It also accommodates to many different play-styles such as playing carefully and passively with stealth and no kills, being mischievous using trickery and tactics, or aggressive with straight-up massacre.
[McPixel - PC]
Genre: Adventure
Recommended: No
McPixel presents the player with a series of clicking Mini-games to save the day. Often times, clicking the wrong object causes odd or hilarious events to happen. Its novelty runs dry very quickly and each minute I spent on the game made it feel like my IQ was dropping. The game is very obscure with a lot of crude humor that was non-nonsensical with absolutely no challenge as everything is trial and error.
[God Mode - PC]
Genre: 3rd-Person Shooter
Recommended: No
Although I had fun with the game, it's not one I could easily recommend to friends. The game is obviously made for cooperative online multiplayer, but the game suffers from the inability to match-make correctly or at all which results in a lot of players playing solo. Although combat is not deep, the mechanics are simple, straight-forward, and satisfying. The game is quite challenging and has a decent amount of weapons and modifiers from "Test of Faiths" to keep it interesting. Sadly, solo play does get old and not being able to play multiplayer does provide very little to offer in replay value.
[Eternal Sonata - PS3]
Genre: Action Turn-Based RPG
Recommended: Yes
Some may complain that the game is too preachy. Some may not like how repetitive and short the game is for an RPG. But for me, the game had a nice steady flow in progressing with little to no grinding required, a decent story, and a entertaining combat experience. Along with my love for Chopin, the music by Motoi Sakuraba made for a wonderful music experience. Fans of the Tales series would probably enjoy this game.
[Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce - PS3]
Genre: Action Hack-n-Slash
Recommended: No
I love Dynasty Warriors and I thought this spin-off had a lot of fun ideas and mechanics that really deviated from the main series in an interesting way. Being able to fly around fighting Lu Bu while going into Super Saiyan mode DBZ style was so ridiculously awesome that I thought for sure this would be a great game. Sadly, I started to see how the worked and didn't like where it was headed. Essentially, the game is short and was originally made for the PSP (handheld) and thus was designed all around a LOT of grinding and replaying levels over and over again. The game was also meant to be played with 4-players with the PS3 version providing online play. I didn't think anyone would play it anymore considering how late I got it from release date, but surprisingly I connected to one other player who helped me defeat Lu Bu because it was impossible in one of the stages I was at. Still, the game was a massive grind and it was difficult to enjoy when it meant playing the same level over and over again. Certain mechanics such as air dashes and wielding two different weapons was eventually implemented into the main series which made me happy.
[Call of Juarez: Gunslinger - PC]
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Recommended: Yes
The last Call of Juarez I played was Bound in Blood, and that game was kind of slow near the end. Not so with Gunslinger. The unique story telling with the player re-enacting all that is being told, exaggerated and changed was really interesting in terms of a narrative. The gameplay was fast-paced and offered various ways of playing depending on what skills/weapons were picked up along the way. The one thing I didn't like was dueling. I hated it in Bound in Blood, and I still don't like it in Gunslinger. Overall, the game does feel fluid, challenging, and exciting. The game doesn't have a multiplayer mode, but it does provide a decent single-player experience for the cheap price of what it's asking for.
[The King of Fighters 13 - PS3]
Genre: 2D Fighter
Recommended: Yes
I was saddened by the smaller roster than what I'm used to in the KoF series, but I was also pleasantly surprised by the over all feel, refinement and quality of the game and its characters. Despite the usual characters and move sets being present, the game does feel rather fresh. The backdrops and character animations are gorgeous while still retaining the overall atmosphere of the long running series. As much as I like this iteration, I'm hoping they bring back more characters in the next game.
[Tekken Tag Tournament 2 - PS3]
Genre: 3D Fighter
Recommended: Yes
The roster contains characters new and old with an array of customizations for your favorite one. TTT2 definitely is the definitive version of a Tekken game it can get with a highly balanced character roster, shiny graphics, and super smooth frame rates. Also capable of playing up to 4 players.
[Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition - PS3]
Genre: 2D Fighter with 3D Graphics (2.5D Fighter)
Recommended: Yes
Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition held up pretty well as the definitive iteration of the game until Capcom announced Ultra Street Fighter IV at EVO this year. At this point, there are two things you can do if you want to play Street Fighter IV: Buy this version and upgrade to Ultra with ($15 supposedly) or you can wait until Ultra releases and just buy that to have the definitive version of SFIV until they decide to milk us some more. But overall, SSF4AE has everything one would want for a Street Fighter.
[Cave Story+ - PC]
Genre: 2D Action-Adventure Platformer
Recommended: Yes
I mainly bought the plus version to support Daisuke Amaya in his creation of a masterpiece. Cave Story+ mainly adds an "HD" graphics which doesn't improve the game as most people find the original graphics to be part of the charm of the game while there are two other music selections besides the original: New and Remastered. "New" changes the songs up a bit and might not sound that great to those who are already used to the originals while "Remastered" is a recreation of the originals that change very little to structure and is more of an instrument change. Cave Story+ also adds challenges and a boss rush mode to the game. Even if you don't pick up this game, go and download the original for free and play it. It truly is a masterpiece of a game that's reminiscent of classic NES games like Metroid and Megaman.
[Street Fighter X Tekken - PC]
Genre: 2D Fighter
Recommended: Maybe
If anything, it's probably better to grab the PS3 or Xbox 360 version of the game as the PC version no longer has anyone playing online. For me, I generally play against computer AI or with friends. The game is an interesting cross up of Street Fighter and Tekken with a lot of flashy abilities and techniques that can be used against your opponent. It's also annoying having to go through Games for Windows Live every time I want to play. Gamepad detect is no problem at all. I've used both gamepad and fightstick and was able to configure the controls with ease. Although the game can be played competitively (featured at EVO the past 2 years), it'll be probably more enjoyable to those who don't play as intensely.
[Sniper Elite Nazi Zombie Army - PC]
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Recommended: Maybe
The game isn't very deep and can be considered very repetitive to some players; however, it was straight-forward and mostly enjoyable for me. Using a sniper rifle against Zombies doesn't seem to be the most practical method of taking them down, but it is pretty satisfying seeing the bullet travel in slow motion as it breaks and tear the legions of the undead apart. The game can be played 4-player cooperatively online on higher difficulty settings and make for an interesting multiplayer experience, but the game is mostly about kiting and fetching items still. It'd definitely be fun to play with 3 other friends while on voice chat though.
[Way of the Samurai 3 - PS3]
Genre: Action-RPG, Simulation
Recommended: No
I've waited so long to get any one of the Way of the Samurai games in the series, and I had finally gotten the third one. I did have some fun with it, but it's simply not a game for everyone. The game is very open-ended and does little to teach you how to play (on purpose) so that you can explore, experiment and learn along the way. You pretty much try your best to be a Samurai by not killing people unless you really need to, helping others, and fight for a cause you believe in. The first few hours were a confusing mix of doing odd jobs that were either dumb, boring, frustrating, or pointless. I then learned that it was just method of earning money rather than to progress the story. A number of decisions can affect the outcome of a playthrough and give one of over 20 different endings. If you have the patience, don't mind poor quality development (graphics, sounds, animation, etc.), then the game can be rather entertaining and even memorable in some events. I found the ridiculous nature and hilarity that can come about from screwing around in the game to be some of the most fun I had in the game. But other than that, I'd say the game caters to a very niche group of players.
[Skullgirls - PC]
Genre: 2D Fighter
Recommended: Yes
I have ignored Skullgirls up till now and eventually Pre-ordered it when I found out it was going to release on PC. I've heard a lot about the comprehensive tutorial and how great it was and I finally understood why. It teaches all the most fundamental basics of a 2D fighter to the player that no other Fighter teaches and thus allows the player to use the same basics and bring them to any other 2D fighter and have an easier time to learn how to play. Story mode is rather short, but it does provide some personality behind each character. There isn't a versus mode against AI and so Single-player only has Story Mode and Arcade Mode to rely on. I kind of wish there was an endless mode or survival mode of some sort for Single-player. The game is a lot of fun and runs really smoothly online. Combos are pretty easy to pull off compared to most fighting games. This game is a must for those who want to get into Fighting games and hasn't played one before.
[S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl - PC]
Genre: First-Person Shooter, Survival
Recommended: Yes
If you're bored with linear First-Person Shooters that shuffle you from one point to the next, you should definitely check out STALKER. This open-world, first-person shooter, survival game was a fresh experience with lots of non-linear gameplay providing a lot of side-quests, bonus items to find, and all sorts of loot to gather and manage. The elements in the game resemble a lot of what made DayZ popular: open world exploration, looting enemies, finding food and drinks to stay satiated, etc. Surprisingly, there are still people playing the game online which is the closest to resembling DayZ. There are two iterations in the series that follow this that I'm looking forward to playing once I find the time.
[Bleed - PC]
Genre: Run-n-Gun Platformer
Recommended: Yes
The game's not particularly long nor is it very expensive ($5), but it was really fun. The game tries to capture the charm and difficulty of classic run-n-gun games in a fast-paced action environment with lots of enemies, the ability to air-dash and slow down time, and tough boss fights. The game can be played 2-player cooperatively as well if you attach a controller. The game can be incredibly challenging on higher difficulty settings.
[Cortex Command - PC]
Genre: Sandbox, Action, Strategy
Recommended: Maybe
It's not a very straight-forward game and is very conceptual. Once you figure out how the game works, it's really up to you to "make" it fun. A lot of the controls for moving and shooting are pretty clunky and unruly. This is what usually makes it frustrating for most players. Still, there is a lot that the player can do and can provide a lot of entertainment for those patient enough to build their level and rules to fit the scenario they want to play.
[Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara - PC]
Genre: Beat-em-Up
Recommended: Maybe
A port into the modern generation, Chronicles of Mystara brings the classic Arcade, Dungeons & Dragons, beat-em-up "Tower of Doom" and "Shadow Over Mystara" to the modern generation consoles free of the need to keep stuffing in quarters. I have never played the originals, so this was a fresh experience for me. I understood why it was so revered as I played through the game: multiple story/level paths, collectible equipment, various skills and items to utilize, challenging and memorable bosses, and 4-player cooperative multiplayer. This port allows online cooperative play, but sadly no one plays it anymore (I was able to join 2 games during the first day I bought it during a sale). Then there's playing 4-players locally. The problem is that it didn't recognize any of my controllers which leads me to think that it only uses Xbox 360 controllers like a lot of PC games nowadays. Because of these two factors, I couldn't easily recommend this game as most beat-em-ups are more fun with more people.
[Sacred Citadel - PC]
Genre: Beat-em-Up
Recommended: Maybe
Sacred Citadel has the same exact two problems as D&D: Chronicles of Mystara: No one plays online anymore and it only recognizes Xbox 360 controllers. Even beyond that, the game offers little in variety. Although there are specials moves and abilities, the most effective strategy is to trap all the enemies in a corner and repeatedly stun-lock them there. The game would definitely be a different experience and be a lot more entertaining if you played multiplayer as other strategies come into play with multiple players.
[Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 1 - PC]
Genre: Platformer
Recommended: No
Sonic 4 tries very hard to capture the magic and nostalgia of the original trilogy but fails to do so in the most important factors. The levels resemble very closely to other levels in past Sonic games such as the first level, the Casino zone, and the Mechanical laboratory. Some of the backdrop really are impressive, but some of the other aspects in terms of graphics just didn't do very well for gameplay. Animation, in particular, causes Sonic seemly move slower, feel heavier and clunky, and some of the hit-box detection really doesn't match up with the model. A lot of the gimmicks and level designs also really slow down the flow of the game. There's also a lot of points in the game where unexpected things happen. The very last boss was nothing but unexpected things one after another. If it weren't for the fact that I had a few dozen lives by then, I would have been furious having to start over that level every time just to figure out what the heck Dr. Robotnik/Eggman was going to do next. I did not enjoy Sonic 4 very much.
[Monaco - PC]
Genre: Action, Strategy
Recommended: Absolutely, If you can find friends to play with
As a single-player game, Monaco is just challenging and rather frustrating. But playing with friends really changes the game. Hilarity and shenanigans ensue as you and your friends try to coordinate a plan to sneak into buildings, steal money, and get out alive as traps, alarms, guards, and dogs cause all sorts of havoc. Unfortunately, the game uses Xbox 360 controllers for local I think since my gamepads weren't recognized in the game. But online multiplayer with my friends really was a lot of fun. The game is also compatible with the Steam Workshops which presents an infinite amount of possibilities for the game in the future.
[Rush Bros. - PC]
Genre: Platformer, Racing
Recommended: No
What really got me interested in Rush Bros. is that it featured music from Infected Mushroom. It takes music and matches the levels moving parts, traps and doors to the beat as the player races through it to get to the goal. At first, the game is pretty solid with a lot of potential for speed runners playing competitively. But as I got to the later levels, most all the levels I came across involved a lot of traps, getting lost while trying to find keys to a locked door, mechanics that took the player back where they were 1-2 minutes ago, and showed how flawed some of controls in the game were. What's more, a lot of the levels didn't follow the beats of a song correctly which made it ridiculously hard to predict the pattern of certain traps. There were even a few level I found that were impossible to complete. I don't mean to say "very difficult", I literally mean impossible as it presented no form or method to get across certain points. The game has some good ideas, but the game overall is highly unrefined and broken.
Whew, that's it for now.
[The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing - PC]
Genre: Top-down, Point-n-click, Action-RPG
Recommended: Yes
Van Helsing was a surprising entry into my list of games and one that I enjoyed. The game's short and offers limited character builds compared to most Diablo-esque games, but delivers a satisfying experience with easy drop-in/drop-out online multiplayer. The witty dialogue between Katarina and Van Helsing, the subtle yet beautifully memorable melodies of the music, and flashy animations of all the destruction that is done made for an entertaining Action-RPG experience.
[Alan Wake - PC]
Genre: 3rd-Person Shooting Adventure
Recommended: Yes
Alan Wake is a lot more than what I expected. The compelling story and challenging action aspects of the game kept the game interesting and the player wondering the entire way through.
[The Lord of the Rings: War in the North]
Genre: Hack-n-Slash, Action-RPG
Recommended: Maybe, Yes if you can find 2 other friends to play with you.
The game isn't entirely deep in terms of RPG or Story, but it does provide an exciting and satisfying Action Hack-n-Slash experience with the ability to cut off limbs and head as finishers. It was a mildly entertaining experience that was more fun when playing with a friend than solo.
[Kung-Fu Strike: The Warrior's Rise - PC]
Genre: Arena Fighter, Beat-em-Up
Recommended: No
I really want to recommend this game as it has some of the best Martial Arts animation I've seen in a game as well as some tight "perfect blocking" mechanics; however, the game is severely flawed to the point where even the easiest difficulty was impossible to complete. Rather than a traditional Beat-em-Up where you progress forward, the game plays much like an Arena Fighter where the player fights off mobs of enemies in a small room. It was an entertaining and hysterical game after I found a cheat to play it, but it's not worth playing through legitimately.
[Legend of Fae - PC]
Genre: Puzzle, RPG
Recommended: Maybe
I did find the game to be really fun, but certain enemies and bosses were so frustrating, tedious and difficult that it didn't seem satisfying even after over coming them. The game is rather challenging considering that it's listed as a casual game, but it was better for most of the game (not the boss battles). I would mainly be able to recommend the game to those who specifically like Puzzle/RPG hybrids as the game seems too difficult for casual gamers to enjoy and too child-like themed for most core gamers.
[Mark of the Ninja - PC]
Genre: Stealth, Action-Platformer
Recommended: Yes
Although there is some familiarity to the developer's previous work "Shank", the game really stands out on its own and a great job of creating a stealth game in 2D form. The game is challenging, thought-provoking, and satisfying when a tactic or plan comes together. It also accommodates to many different play-styles such as playing carefully and passively with stealth and no kills, being mischievous using trickery and tactics, or aggressive with straight-up massacre.
[McPixel - PC]
Genre: Adventure
Recommended: No
McPixel presents the player with a series of clicking Mini-games to save the day. Often times, clicking the wrong object causes odd or hilarious events to happen. Its novelty runs dry very quickly and each minute I spent on the game made it feel like my IQ was dropping. The game is very obscure with a lot of crude humor that was non-nonsensical with absolutely no challenge as everything is trial and error.
[God Mode - PC]
Genre: 3rd-Person Shooter
Recommended: No
Although I had fun with the game, it's not one I could easily recommend to friends. The game is obviously made for cooperative online multiplayer, but the game suffers from the inability to match-make correctly or at all which results in a lot of players playing solo. Although combat is not deep, the mechanics are simple, straight-forward, and satisfying. The game is quite challenging and has a decent amount of weapons and modifiers from "Test of Faiths" to keep it interesting. Sadly, solo play does get old and not being able to play multiplayer does provide very little to offer in replay value.
[Eternal Sonata - PS3]
Genre: Action Turn-Based RPG
Recommended: Yes
Some may complain that the game is too preachy. Some may not like how repetitive and short the game is for an RPG. But for me, the game had a nice steady flow in progressing with little to no grinding required, a decent story, and a entertaining combat experience. Along with my love for Chopin, the music by Motoi Sakuraba made for a wonderful music experience. Fans of the Tales series would probably enjoy this game.
[Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce - PS3]
Genre: Action Hack-n-Slash
Recommended: No
I love Dynasty Warriors and I thought this spin-off had a lot of fun ideas and mechanics that really deviated from the main series in an interesting way. Being able to fly around fighting Lu Bu while going into Super Saiyan mode DBZ style was so ridiculously awesome that I thought for sure this would be a great game. Sadly, I started to see how the worked and didn't like where it was headed. Essentially, the game is short and was originally made for the PSP (handheld) and thus was designed all around a LOT of grinding and replaying levels over and over again. The game was also meant to be played with 4-players with the PS3 version providing online play. I didn't think anyone would play it anymore considering how late I got it from release date, but surprisingly I connected to one other player who helped me defeat Lu Bu because it was impossible in one of the stages I was at. Still, the game was a massive grind and it was difficult to enjoy when it meant playing the same level over and over again. Certain mechanics such as air dashes and wielding two different weapons was eventually implemented into the main series which made me happy.
[Call of Juarez: Gunslinger - PC]
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Recommended: Yes
The last Call of Juarez I played was Bound in Blood, and that game was kind of slow near the end. Not so with Gunslinger. The unique story telling with the player re-enacting all that is being told, exaggerated and changed was really interesting in terms of a narrative. The gameplay was fast-paced and offered various ways of playing depending on what skills/weapons were picked up along the way. The one thing I didn't like was dueling. I hated it in Bound in Blood, and I still don't like it in Gunslinger. Overall, the game does feel fluid, challenging, and exciting. The game doesn't have a multiplayer mode, but it does provide a decent single-player experience for the cheap price of what it's asking for.
[The King of Fighters 13 - PS3]
Genre: 2D Fighter
Recommended: Yes
I was saddened by the smaller roster than what I'm used to in the KoF series, but I was also pleasantly surprised by the over all feel, refinement and quality of the game and its characters. Despite the usual characters and move sets being present, the game does feel rather fresh. The backdrops and character animations are gorgeous while still retaining the overall atmosphere of the long running series. As much as I like this iteration, I'm hoping they bring back more characters in the next game.
[Tekken Tag Tournament 2 - PS3]
Genre: 3D Fighter
Recommended: Yes
The roster contains characters new and old with an array of customizations for your favorite one. TTT2 definitely is the definitive version of a Tekken game it can get with a highly balanced character roster, shiny graphics, and super smooth frame rates. Also capable of playing up to 4 players.
[Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition - PS3]
Genre: 2D Fighter with 3D Graphics (2.5D Fighter)
Recommended: Yes
Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition held up pretty well as the definitive iteration of the game until Capcom announced Ultra Street Fighter IV at EVO this year. At this point, there are two things you can do if you want to play Street Fighter IV: Buy this version and upgrade to Ultra with ($15 supposedly) or you can wait until Ultra releases and just buy that to have the definitive version of SFIV until they decide to milk us some more. But overall, SSF4AE has everything one would want for a Street Fighter.
[Cave Story+ - PC]
Genre: 2D Action-Adventure Platformer
Recommended: Yes
I mainly bought the plus version to support Daisuke Amaya in his creation of a masterpiece. Cave Story+ mainly adds an "HD" graphics which doesn't improve the game as most people find the original graphics to be part of the charm of the game while there are two other music selections besides the original: New and Remastered. "New" changes the songs up a bit and might not sound that great to those who are already used to the originals while "Remastered" is a recreation of the originals that change very little to structure and is more of an instrument change. Cave Story+ also adds challenges and a boss rush mode to the game. Even if you don't pick up this game, go and download the original for free and play it. It truly is a masterpiece of a game that's reminiscent of classic NES games like Metroid and Megaman.
[Street Fighter X Tekken - PC]
Genre: 2D Fighter
Recommended: Maybe
If anything, it's probably better to grab the PS3 or Xbox 360 version of the game as the PC version no longer has anyone playing online. For me, I generally play against computer AI or with friends. The game is an interesting cross up of Street Fighter and Tekken with a lot of flashy abilities and techniques that can be used against your opponent. It's also annoying having to go through Games for Windows Live every time I want to play. Gamepad detect is no problem at all. I've used both gamepad and fightstick and was able to configure the controls with ease. Although the game can be played competitively (featured at EVO the past 2 years), it'll be probably more enjoyable to those who don't play as intensely.
[Sniper Elite Nazi Zombie Army - PC]
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Recommended: Maybe
The game isn't very deep and can be considered very repetitive to some players; however, it was straight-forward and mostly enjoyable for me. Using a sniper rifle against Zombies doesn't seem to be the most practical method of taking them down, but it is pretty satisfying seeing the bullet travel in slow motion as it breaks and tear the legions of the undead apart. The game can be played 4-player cooperatively online on higher difficulty settings and make for an interesting multiplayer experience, but the game is mostly about kiting and fetching items still. It'd definitely be fun to play with 3 other friends while on voice chat though.
[Way of the Samurai 3 - PS3]
Genre: Action-RPG, Simulation
Recommended: No
I've waited so long to get any one of the Way of the Samurai games in the series, and I had finally gotten the third one. I did have some fun with it, but it's simply not a game for everyone. The game is very open-ended and does little to teach you how to play (on purpose) so that you can explore, experiment and learn along the way. You pretty much try your best to be a Samurai by not killing people unless you really need to, helping others, and fight for a cause you believe in. The first few hours were a confusing mix of doing odd jobs that were either dumb, boring, frustrating, or pointless. I then learned that it was just method of earning money rather than to progress the story. A number of decisions can affect the outcome of a playthrough and give one of over 20 different endings. If you have the patience, don't mind poor quality development (graphics, sounds, animation, etc.), then the game can be rather entertaining and even memorable in some events. I found the ridiculous nature and hilarity that can come about from screwing around in the game to be some of the most fun I had in the game. But other than that, I'd say the game caters to a very niche group of players.
[Skullgirls - PC]
Genre: 2D Fighter
Recommended: Yes
I have ignored Skullgirls up till now and eventually Pre-ordered it when I found out it was going to release on PC. I've heard a lot about the comprehensive tutorial and how great it was and I finally understood why. It teaches all the most fundamental basics of a 2D fighter to the player that no other Fighter teaches and thus allows the player to use the same basics and bring them to any other 2D fighter and have an easier time to learn how to play. Story mode is rather short, but it does provide some personality behind each character. There isn't a versus mode against AI and so Single-player only has Story Mode and Arcade Mode to rely on. I kind of wish there was an endless mode or survival mode of some sort for Single-player. The game is a lot of fun and runs really smoothly online. Combos are pretty easy to pull off compared to most fighting games. This game is a must for those who want to get into Fighting games and hasn't played one before.
[S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl - PC]
Genre: First-Person Shooter, Survival
Recommended: Yes
If you're bored with linear First-Person Shooters that shuffle you from one point to the next, you should definitely check out STALKER. This open-world, first-person shooter, survival game was a fresh experience with lots of non-linear gameplay providing a lot of side-quests, bonus items to find, and all sorts of loot to gather and manage. The elements in the game resemble a lot of what made DayZ popular: open world exploration, looting enemies, finding food and drinks to stay satiated, etc. Surprisingly, there are still people playing the game online which is the closest to resembling DayZ. There are two iterations in the series that follow this that I'm looking forward to playing once I find the time.
[Bleed - PC]
Genre: Run-n-Gun Platformer
Recommended: Yes
The game's not particularly long nor is it very expensive ($5), but it was really fun. The game tries to capture the charm and difficulty of classic run-n-gun games in a fast-paced action environment with lots of enemies, the ability to air-dash and slow down time, and tough boss fights. The game can be played 2-player cooperatively as well if you attach a controller. The game can be incredibly challenging on higher difficulty settings.
[Cortex Command - PC]
Genre: Sandbox, Action, Strategy
Recommended: Maybe
It's not a very straight-forward game and is very conceptual. Once you figure out how the game works, it's really up to you to "make" it fun. A lot of the controls for moving and shooting are pretty clunky and unruly. This is what usually makes it frustrating for most players. Still, there is a lot that the player can do and can provide a lot of entertainment for those patient enough to build their level and rules to fit the scenario they want to play.
[Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara - PC]
Genre: Beat-em-Up
Recommended: Maybe
A port into the modern generation, Chronicles of Mystara brings the classic Arcade, Dungeons & Dragons, beat-em-up "Tower of Doom" and "Shadow Over Mystara" to the modern generation consoles free of the need to keep stuffing in quarters. I have never played the originals, so this was a fresh experience for me. I understood why it was so revered as I played through the game: multiple story/level paths, collectible equipment, various skills and items to utilize, challenging and memorable bosses, and 4-player cooperative multiplayer. This port allows online cooperative play, but sadly no one plays it anymore (I was able to join 2 games during the first day I bought it during a sale). Then there's playing 4-players locally. The problem is that it didn't recognize any of my controllers which leads me to think that it only uses Xbox 360 controllers like a lot of PC games nowadays. Because of these two factors, I couldn't easily recommend this game as most beat-em-ups are more fun with more people.
[Sacred Citadel - PC]
Genre: Beat-em-Up
Recommended: Maybe
Sacred Citadel has the same exact two problems as D&D: Chronicles of Mystara: No one plays online anymore and it only recognizes Xbox 360 controllers. Even beyond that, the game offers little in variety. Although there are specials moves and abilities, the most effective strategy is to trap all the enemies in a corner and repeatedly stun-lock them there. The game would definitely be a different experience and be a lot more entertaining if you played multiplayer as other strategies come into play with multiple players.
[Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 1 - PC]
Genre: Platformer
Recommended: No
Sonic 4 tries very hard to capture the magic and nostalgia of the original trilogy but fails to do so in the most important factors. The levels resemble very closely to other levels in past Sonic games such as the first level, the Casino zone, and the Mechanical laboratory. Some of the backdrop really are impressive, but some of the other aspects in terms of graphics just didn't do very well for gameplay. Animation, in particular, causes Sonic seemly move slower, feel heavier and clunky, and some of the hit-box detection really doesn't match up with the model. A lot of the gimmicks and level designs also really slow down the flow of the game. There's also a lot of points in the game where unexpected things happen. The very last boss was nothing but unexpected things one after another. If it weren't for the fact that I had a few dozen lives by then, I would have been furious having to start over that level every time just to figure out what the heck Dr. Robotnik/Eggman was going to do next. I did not enjoy Sonic 4 very much.
[Monaco - PC]
Genre: Action, Strategy
Recommended: Absolutely, If you can find friends to play with
As a single-player game, Monaco is just challenging and rather frustrating. But playing with friends really changes the game. Hilarity and shenanigans ensue as you and your friends try to coordinate a plan to sneak into buildings, steal money, and get out alive as traps, alarms, guards, and dogs cause all sorts of havoc. Unfortunately, the game uses Xbox 360 controllers for local I think since my gamepads weren't recognized in the game. But online multiplayer with my friends really was a lot of fun. The game is also compatible with the Steam Workshops which presents an infinite amount of possibilities for the game in the future.
[Rush Bros. - PC]
Genre: Platformer, Racing
Recommended: No
What really got me interested in Rush Bros. is that it featured music from Infected Mushroom. It takes music and matches the levels moving parts, traps and doors to the beat as the player races through it to get to the goal. At first, the game is pretty solid with a lot of potential for speed runners playing competitively. But as I got to the later levels, most all the levels I came across involved a lot of traps, getting lost while trying to find keys to a locked door, mechanics that took the player back where they were 1-2 minutes ago, and showed how flawed some of controls in the game were. What's more, a lot of the levels didn't follow the beats of a song correctly which made it ridiculously hard to predict the pattern of certain traps. There were even a few level I found that were impossible to complete. I don't mean to say "very difficult", I literally mean impossible as it presented no form or method to get across certain points. The game has some good ideas, but the game overall is highly unrefined and broken.
Whew, that's it for now.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
GameLight - Chaos Code
Official Site: http://www.fkdigital.net/chaoscodeps3en/
Source: Youtube Channel PlayStationAsia
Another overseas fighting game has made its way to North America as a downloadable game on PSN. Chaos Code is a 4-button 2D Fighter with a lot of modern mechanics such as air-dashing, double-jumps, invincible frame dodges, specials, grabs, and cancels. If I were to compare it to any fighting game, I'd say it's closest to The King of Fighters series with a bit of Melty Blood. I'm not sure what to think of the game by looking at it, but it is $11.99 so I might try it out. Honestly, I think Phantom Breaker looks a bit more interesting, but no release date for that game has been made yet for North America. Chaos Code is available for download at $11.99 on the Playstation Network for the Playstation 3. Keep in mind that the game doesn't have online play at the moment, but will possibly feature it in the future as the developers patch it in.
Source:
-Shoryuken - Chaos Code Now Available on PlayStation Network in North America
Source: Youtube Channel PlayStationAsia
Another overseas fighting game has made its way to North America as a downloadable game on PSN. Chaos Code is a 4-button 2D Fighter with a lot of modern mechanics such as air-dashing, double-jumps, invincible frame dodges, specials, grabs, and cancels. If I were to compare it to any fighting game, I'd say it's closest to The King of Fighters series with a bit of Melty Blood. I'm not sure what to think of the game by looking at it, but it is $11.99 so I might try it out. Honestly, I think Phantom Breaker looks a bit more interesting, but no release date for that game has been made yet for North America. Chaos Code is available for download at $11.99 on the Playstation Network for the Playstation 3. Keep in mind that the game doesn't have online play at the moment, but will possibly feature it in the future as the developers patch it in.
Source:
-Shoryuken - Chaos Code Now Available on PlayStation Network in North America
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
VGCulture - Hatsune Miku Project DIVA F Controller
Play-Asia Site: Hatsune Miku -Project Diva- F Controller for PS3
Source: Youtube Channel shinstc
Holy mother of rhythm game controllers, I want this so bad! So I managed to nab myself a physical copy of Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F in fear that they all get sold out, but I had nothing to worry about (which might be bad in terms of sales and for future plans of porting the 2nd game). I had come across a controller created by Hori that was made for the game specifically and thought it was an interesting design. When I looked it up online to see if there were any video demonstrations for it, I realized I was looking at a "mini" version and that this was the original version (shown in the video above). The Original is larger, the buttons light up, and has a swipe pad rather than an analog stick. It's so shiny and has that arcade feel to it! It's also really expensive. It was $499 when I checked it up online last night at Play-Asia, but due to the release of Project DIVA F yesterday, it seems they have lowered the price down to $399. Not to mention shipping costs $50+ depending on where you live in the world.
This is a picture of the Mini version that has no light up buttons, no swipe pad, but it lighter and smaller for easier transportation and usage on your lap. Still, the cheapest ones I've found that isn't used is around $145 at eBay or $168 at Amazon. As much as I want the controller, I can't justify the purchase of it. It's more expensive than the fightstick I bought and will be mainly used for one game as opposed to my fightstick where I play over 20+ games on it (Fighting, platformers, shoot-em-ups). After seeing the controller, playing on controller doesn't seem as much fun anymore. The controller design reminds me of an old music rhythm game called Pop 'n Music.
Source: Youtube Channel bootsee
For those who are a bit more dedicated and want an authentic arcade experience with Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F, you can grab the original controller at Play-Asia on the link on top or the Mini version from your select online store such as Amazon. Maybe I'll get a mini if it drops down in price.
Holy mother of rhythm game controllers, I want this so bad! So I managed to nab myself a physical copy of Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F in fear that they all get sold out, but I had nothing to worry about (which might be bad in terms of sales and for future plans of porting the 2nd game). I had come across a controller created by Hori that was made for the game specifically and thought it was an interesting design. When I looked it up online to see if there were any video demonstrations for it, I realized I was looking at a "mini" version and that this was the original version (shown in the video above). The Original is larger, the buttons light up, and has a swipe pad rather than an analog stick. It's so shiny and has that arcade feel to it! It's also really expensive. It was $499 when I checked it up online last night at Play-Asia, but due to the release of Project DIVA F yesterday, it seems they have lowered the price down to $399. Not to mention shipping costs $50+ depending on where you live in the world.
 |
| Image from Amazon.com |
Source: Youtube Channel bootsee
For those who are a bit more dedicated and want an authentic arcade experience with Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F, you can grab the original controller at Play-Asia on the link on top or the Mini version from your select online store such as Amazon. Maybe I'll get a mini if it drops down in price.
Monday, August 26, 2013
NewNews - Project DIVA F for Retail
Source: Youtube Channel HatsuneMiku
I didn't realize they were bringing a retail version of Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F for North America. One of my biggest gripes of the game being brought over was that it was going to be digitally sold only, and that made me decide not to get it. But now that it has a retail version coming out...I'm just hoping there will be copies left after tonights launch because I didn't pre-order it. So yes, if you were looking forward to the game and want a physical copy of the game, North America will be getting them! Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F releases tonight for $49.99 retail and $59.99 digitally (as far as I've heard) for the Playstation 3 only. No release for the PS Vita has been announced for the West yet.
I didn't realize they were bringing a retail version of Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F for North America. One of my biggest gripes of the game being brought over was that it was going to be digitally sold only, and that made me decide not to get it. But now that it has a retail version coming out...I'm just hoping there will be copies left after tonights launch because I didn't pre-order it. So yes, if you were looking forward to the game and want a physical copy of the game, North America will be getting them! Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F releases tonight for $49.99 retail and $59.99 digitally (as far as I've heard) for the Playstation 3 only. No release for the PS Vita has been announced for the West yet.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
NewNews - Destiny on PC?
Official Site: http://www.bungie.net/en/Destiny
Source: Youtube Channel destinygame
Don't tease me like that Joystiq! Apprently, Kotaku did the same in an original post for this video. The game is set to release for PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. What a lot of players want was a release for PC as well as many First-Person Shooter fans like playing on their computers with a keyboard/mouse, ability to type messages to communicate, and (usually) better graphics. But Bungie hasn't confirmed a PC release yet. So when I saw that it was going to be released on "PC" as well on Joystiq's post, I got so excited. But seeing Kotaku's note on their post made me double-check on the official website to see no version for PC. Perhaps this is hinting/pressuring Bungie to add in a PC release as well. My guess is that they are highlighting the new consoles (PS4/XB1) as much as possible. Destiny on PC is still very possible, but no real confirmation has been announced yet. The game's looking great and I'm looking forward to seeing more.
Destiny is a First-Person Shooter developed by Bungie, the original creators of the Halo series, with open-world gameplay, online experiences, and RPG elements such as leveling up, gaining skills and grabbing loot.
Source: Youtube Channel destinygame
Don't tease me like that Joystiq! Apprently, Kotaku did the same in an original post for this video. The game is set to release for PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. What a lot of players want was a release for PC as well as many First-Person Shooter fans like playing on their computers with a keyboard/mouse, ability to type messages to communicate, and (usually) better graphics. But Bungie hasn't confirmed a PC release yet. So when I saw that it was going to be released on "PC" as well on Joystiq's post, I got so excited. But seeing Kotaku's note on their post made me double-check on the official website to see no version for PC. Perhaps this is hinting/pressuring Bungie to add in a PC release as well. My guess is that they are highlighting the new consoles (PS4/XB1) as much as possible. Destiny on PC is still very possible, but no real confirmation has been announced yet. The game's looking great and I'm looking forward to seeing more.
Destiny is a First-Person Shooter developed by Bungie, the original creators of the Halo series, with open-world gameplay, online experiences, and RPG elements such as leveling up, gaining skills and grabbing loot.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
NewNews - Diablo 3 expansion? Yes, Please!
Official Site: http://us.battle.net/d3/en/reaper-of-souls/
Source: Youtube Channel Diablo
We all knew it was coming, but we never knew when it was coming. Today, Blizzard has announced that they are working on releasing an expansion for Diablo 3 with the subtitle "Reaper of Souls". It's known and understandable that many players did not like Diablo 3, but I thoroughly enjoyed the game and have been waiting for an expansion to be announced and here it is! I still play Diablo 3 to level up my other characters, but I have pretty much given up end-game as it has just become a repetitive chore of running through the same levels over and over to slowly level up my paragon level and "maybe" getting an upgrade to my equipment. So it was natural that I was excited for an expansion as it will mean new characters to play, an extra Act, and more content. Here's a quick run down of what is known about the expansion:
-New class: Crusader; similar to D2's Paladin?
Source: Youtube Channel Diablo
-Level cap raised to 70; new runes/skills for everyone!
-Act V in addition to the 4 acts before it
-Main enemy will be Malthael, the angel of death (watch video at top)
-New enemies to fight; unsure if previous acts will have new enemies
-The "Mystic" NPC will be able to re-roll stats on items and change their look
-Paragon level applies to an account rather than one character and has no cap
-Loot Runs: (Hopefully) Randomly generated dungeons for end-game. Kotaku has described it as "Completely random dungeons, with several levels and a random boss at the end." It could be set levels and be picked at "random", but I'm hoping for randomly generated levels like in Diablo 2.
I am excited for new characters, a new Act to the story, more skills and abilities for the characters I already have, new bosses, and I'm especially excited about Loot Runs if it's randomly generated dungeons. Diablo 3 was lacking an end-game content where things could stay fresh and keep me playing and so this might be the answer to that. Since it's Blizzard, we might not get to see this expansion for a while, but it has been announced for a release in 2014. Getting a year from them is better than having to wonder how many years later we'd have to wait before we got to play it. I am so ready for some more Diablo 3!
Also, the console version of Diablo 3 will be releasing on September 3, 2013 if you had planned on getting it for console instead. Some benefits of Diablo 3 on console is being able to play offline without the need for constant internet connection (no lag/disconnections), playing 4-players locally on one system with your friends, having an action-controller scheme similar to Gauntlet over the point-n-click experience, and playing on a large HD Television set.
Source: Youtube Channel Diablo
We all knew it was coming, but we never knew when it was coming. Today, Blizzard has announced that they are working on releasing an expansion for Diablo 3 with the subtitle "Reaper of Souls". It's known and understandable that many players did not like Diablo 3, but I thoroughly enjoyed the game and have been waiting for an expansion to be announced and here it is! I still play Diablo 3 to level up my other characters, but I have pretty much given up end-game as it has just become a repetitive chore of running through the same levels over and over to slowly level up my paragon level and "maybe" getting an upgrade to my equipment. So it was natural that I was excited for an expansion as it will mean new characters to play, an extra Act, and more content. Here's a quick run down of what is known about the expansion:
-New class: Crusader; similar to D2's Paladin?
Source: Youtube Channel Diablo
-Level cap raised to 70; new runes/skills for everyone!
-Act V in addition to the 4 acts before it
-Main enemy will be Malthael, the angel of death (watch video at top)
-New enemies to fight; unsure if previous acts will have new enemies
-The "Mystic" NPC will be able to re-roll stats on items and change their look
-Paragon level applies to an account rather than one character and has no cap
-Loot Runs: (Hopefully) Randomly generated dungeons for end-game. Kotaku has described it as "Completely random dungeons, with several levels and a random boss at the end." It could be set levels and be picked at "random", but I'm hoping for randomly generated levels like in Diablo 2.
I am excited for new characters, a new Act to the story, more skills and abilities for the characters I already have, new bosses, and I'm especially excited about Loot Runs if it's randomly generated dungeons. Diablo 3 was lacking an end-game content where things could stay fresh and keep me playing and so this might be the answer to that. Since it's Blizzard, we might not get to see this expansion for a while, but it has been announced for a release in 2014. Getting a year from them is better than having to wonder how many years later we'd have to wait before we got to play it. I am so ready for some more Diablo 3!
Also, the console version of Diablo 3 will be releasing on September 3, 2013 if you had planned on getting it for console instead. Some benefits of Diablo 3 on console is being able to play offline without the need for constant internet connection (no lag/disconnections), playing 4-players locally on one system with your friends, having an action-controller scheme similar to Gauntlet over the point-n-click experience, and playing on a large HD Television set.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
GameLight - J-Stars Victory Vs
JP Site: http://www.bandaigames.channel.or.jp/list/jump45/pc/index2.html
Source: Youtube Channel nbgi
Another Jump Super Star game is about to release and the Western market is probably not going to get it again! Yay.....Still, it's pretty cool to watch the teaser for it and see what they're doing for this game. Instead of being released on a Nintendo portable (first two were released on NDS), the newest Jump Super Star game is going to be released on the Sony PS3 and PS Vita. Rather than looking like Super Smash Bros. like they have in the past, the game is looking more like Street Fighter, or rather more of a traditional Fighter. But the video doesn't accurately portray the actual gameplay, so I'm not exactly sure how exactly the game mechanics will be. I was able to play the first two games because NDS didn't have region lock, but I don't think I'll get the chance to play the newest Jump Super Star anytime soon. The game is set to release sometime this year.
Source: Youtube Channel nbgi
Another Jump Super Star game is about to release and the Western market is probably not going to get it again! Yay.....Still, it's pretty cool to watch the teaser for it and see what they're doing for this game. Instead of being released on a Nintendo portable (first two were released on NDS), the newest Jump Super Star game is going to be released on the Sony PS3 and PS Vita. Rather than looking like Super Smash Bros. like they have in the past, the game is looking more like Street Fighter, or rather more of a traditional Fighter. But the video doesn't accurately portray the actual gameplay, so I'm not exactly sure how exactly the game mechanics will be. I was able to play the first two games because NDS didn't have region lock, but I don't think I'll get the chance to play the newest Jump Super Star anytime soon. The game is set to release sometime this year.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
GameLight - Divekick
Official Site: http://divekick.com/
Greenlight: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=132842911
Source: Youtube Channel gamespot
Mentioned two weeks ago, Divekick was played at EVO 2013 this year and has been greenlit on Steam to be released soon. Divekick is a crazy, two-button, 2D-Fighter where players try to Divekick their opponent to win the round. The game looks ridiculous and I think that's part of the charm to why it's talked about so much. There's a lot of jumping and dive kicking and it seems kind of bland in that sense. But what the developers want to capture in this game is the feeling players get in fighting games when both players are down to the last hit and desperately try to get that last hit in there. So when it comes down to it, it's all a mind game. Trying to lure your opponent into attacking with your own jumps and kicks while keeping safe and looking for openings and mistakes that your opponent makes is a fundamental in a lot of fighting games when trying to bait and punish, and that's all that Divekick is about. The developers also wanted to provide a fighting game without complex mechanics that players would have to practice religiously for just to be able to compete. So what's left is a comprehensible fighting game that any and all players are capable of playing.
I didn't think too much of the game after watching a few gameplay videos, but watching it in action at EVO and seeing how there's 14 characters with a story mode has attracted me. Story in fighting games has always been a nice addition that I enjoy, even if it's a short cut-scene presented at the end of an arcade mode as I generally don't play competitively. I look forward to Divekick and hope others will be able to enjoy it too.
Greenlight: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=132842911
Source: Youtube Channel gamespot
Mentioned two weeks ago, Divekick was played at EVO 2013 this year and has been greenlit on Steam to be released soon. Divekick is a crazy, two-button, 2D-Fighter where players try to Divekick their opponent to win the round. The game looks ridiculous and I think that's part of the charm to why it's talked about so much. There's a lot of jumping and dive kicking and it seems kind of bland in that sense. But what the developers want to capture in this game is the feeling players get in fighting games when both players are down to the last hit and desperately try to get that last hit in there. So when it comes down to it, it's all a mind game. Trying to lure your opponent into attacking with your own jumps and kicks while keeping safe and looking for openings and mistakes that your opponent makes is a fundamental in a lot of fighting games when trying to bait and punish, and that's all that Divekick is about. The developers also wanted to provide a fighting game without complex mechanics that players would have to practice religiously for just to be able to compete. So what's left is a comprehensible fighting game that any and all players are capable of playing.
I didn't think too much of the game after watching a few gameplay videos, but watching it in action at EVO and seeing how there's 14 characters with a story mode has attracted me. Story in fighting games has always been a nice addition that I enjoy, even if it's a short cut-scene presented at the end of an arcade mode as I generally don't play competitively. I look forward to Divekick and hope others will be able to enjoy it too.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
GameLight - Deadly Premonition on PC
Official Site: http://www.deadlypremonitionthegame.com/
Source: Youtube Channel Goufunaki
I've never heard of the game until just a few months ago when a friend was referencing the game and talked about the whistle theme and the awkward sandwich scene (shown above). It was apparently a cult hit on the Xbox 360 when it released back in 2010 that deemed it worthy of a re-release on the PS3 as a director's cut earlier this year. Deadly Premonition is an open-world, Psychological- Horror survival game that has its awkward moments like the one above that makes it a bit funny from time to time. I've heard that the game is so bad that it's good, and that's all I really know about it. The fact that it might have a chance on Steam means a possibility for a very cheap sale on it. If that's the case, I'd definitely give the game a chance. I've really gotten into horror games in the past few years. What I hate about horror "movies" is that character's in them make poor decisions. The biggest difference between a horror "movie" and horror "game" is that I had control over the decisions and can fight back in the game and still have the same scare. I'm trying to search for horror games that are fun and engaging that can still be scary. Perhaps Deadly Premonition has some of that with quirky scenes, memorable moments, and freaky enemy designs. There has to be a reason why there's a handful of gamers that enjoyed this game, right? If you're as interested as I am in trying the game out on PC, log into your Steam account and upvote it on Steam Greenlight so we can get it up on Steam ASAP so we can get a sale by the time Winter Steam Sales rolls in.
Source:
-Kotaku - Deadly Premonition on Steam Could Happen, With A Little Help
Source: Youtube Channel Goufunaki
I've never heard of the game until just a few months ago when a friend was referencing the game and talked about the whistle theme and the awkward sandwich scene (shown above). It was apparently a cult hit on the Xbox 360 when it released back in 2010 that deemed it worthy of a re-release on the PS3 as a director's cut earlier this year. Deadly Premonition is an open-world, Psychological- Horror survival game that has its awkward moments like the one above that makes it a bit funny from time to time. I've heard that the game is so bad that it's good, and that's all I really know about it. The fact that it might have a chance on Steam means a possibility for a very cheap sale on it. If that's the case, I'd definitely give the game a chance. I've really gotten into horror games in the past few years. What I hate about horror "movies" is that character's in them make poor decisions. The biggest difference between a horror "movie" and horror "game" is that I had control over the decisions and can fight back in the game and still have the same scare. I'm trying to search for horror games that are fun and engaging that can still be scary. Perhaps Deadly Premonition has some of that with quirky scenes, memorable moments, and freaky enemy designs. There has to be a reason why there's a handful of gamers that enjoyed this game, right? If you're as interested as I am in trying the game out on PC, log into your Steam account and upvote it on Steam Greenlight so we can get it up on Steam ASAP so we can get a sale by the time Winter Steam Sales rolls in.
Source:
-Kotaku - Deadly Premonition on Steam Could Happen, With A Little Help
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
GameLight - Time and Eternity
Official Site: http://nisamerica.com/games/time_and_eternity/
Source: Youtube Channel IGN
Toki to Towa, what happened? The hand drawn, animé-style RPG doesn't seem to please the masses as the game launched yesterday. I didn't look too much into the game as I don't want anything spoiled when I finally decide to try the game out myself. From what I've seen though, the gameplay mechanics don't really extend as far as its basic ideas of dodging and attacking. I liked the idea of a more action-orientated turn-based RPG much like the system Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars used back in the Super Nintendo Days. One of the problems I see right away is that you only play as Toki and Towa; you play as two characters throughout the entire game. For JRPGs, a lot of the stories told are through character development and relationships between one another. So could this perhaps be the problem: lack of depth in combat, story, and gameplay? It's true that the combat doesn't seem to offer much in terms of variation and selection. I was hoping that each character had a plethora of skills to learn seeing how it's only two playable characters in the entire game. And I was hoping that it would have a fun, humorous, light-hearted story to go along with it. I can't be sure of any of this unless I watch more gameplay videos, and there's a surprising amount uploaded already. I'll eventually give this game a try as it doesn't seem worth it to get at $50 right now.
Source: Youtube Channel IGN
Toki to Towa, what happened? The hand drawn, animé-style RPG doesn't seem to please the masses as the game launched yesterday. I didn't look too much into the game as I don't want anything spoiled when I finally decide to try the game out myself. From what I've seen though, the gameplay mechanics don't really extend as far as its basic ideas of dodging and attacking. I liked the idea of a more action-orientated turn-based RPG much like the system Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars used back in the Super Nintendo Days. One of the problems I see right away is that you only play as Toki and Towa; you play as two characters throughout the entire game. For JRPGs, a lot of the stories told are through character development and relationships between one another. So could this perhaps be the problem: lack of depth in combat, story, and gameplay? It's true that the combat doesn't seem to offer much in terms of variation and selection. I was hoping that each character had a plethora of skills to learn seeing how it's only two playable characters in the entire game. And I was hoping that it would have a fun, humorous, light-hearted story to go along with it. I can't be sure of any of this unless I watch more gameplay videos, and there's a surprising amount uploaded already. I'll eventually give this game a try as it doesn't seem worth it to get at $50 right now.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
GameLight Review - Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
Official Site: http://www.konami-castlevania.com/castlevania-lords-of-shadow/
Source: Youtube Channel IGN
Developer: MercurySteam, Kojima Productions
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: [PS3], Xbox 360, PC
Release Date: October 5, 2010 (PS3, Xbox 360), August 27, 2013 (PC)
Genre: Action-Adventure
Pros:
+ Does a lot of things right that other Action games do wrong
+ Controls are tight, responsive, and well designed around the game
+ Aesthetics are quite beautiful with a cinematic-like atmosphere
+ Puzzles are present, but they're never too complex to hinder progress
Cons:
- This games has a serious case of identity crisis
- Despite having well crafted aesthetics, the themes are painfully generic
- Although levels are separate, there's still a LOT of running around to do
Recommended: Maybe, Action-Adventure fans will like it. Castlevania fans may or may not be able to enjoy the game.
I've played games where they've had good ideas but executed badly and I'll feel only a little indecisive about whether I liked the game or not. But never have I been so conflicted with a game because it's well developed but doesn't live up to the expectations of a franchise. I try my best to be as unbiased as possible when playing a game and I do not like fanboyism, yet every little aspect that takes ideas from other games and the factors that take away from what makes a Castlevania game disgusted me and clawed at the back of my mind as I dredged my way through the game. I enjoyed playing the game, but I also didn't like it at the same time. Do you see how contradictory my thoughts on the game are? The exploration has some linearity in it to prevent the player from getting lost yet it's opened enough for them to find secrets and replay levels. The combat is well thought out and addresses many problems that other Action games suffered from such as camera angles, blocking, enemy AI, platforming, and even the dreaded Quick-time events. The graphics are beautiful with colorful landscapes, huge boss battles, and well crafted level designs. Despite all this, the game suffers from a serious case of identity crisis. The combat is like God of War, some of the boss fights is practically Shadow of the Colossus, the exploration is Uncharted, and the themes of levels are very similar to games like Garshasp: The Monster Slayer. Although the music works really well with the atmosphere and has won a few awards, it's incredibly cinematic and overly dramatic on parts where it's not even that important as well as being forgettable and generic. Gabriel Belmont is such a cool looking characters with intricate designs on his armor with one heck of a skill set utilizing his whip and sub-weapons, yet he still manages to be a boring character with a personality of a brick. To sum it all up in one sentence: It's not a Castlevania game. It's a reason that even I find dumb to even down-grade such a well developed game, but it's how I felt and still feel when playing through and finishing the game. Had this game been presented as a new IP and be simply called Lords of Shadow with no ties to Castlevania, I might feel differently about the game and perhaps accept it lovingly a lot more. But the fact that it's much more widely accepted than the older 3D Castlevania games hurts my pride as a Castlevania as the previous iterations of the series has always stood out as unique and original while this version screams of generic themes and cliché tropes of medieval fantasy despite being such a solid Action-Adventure experience. I don't think I'll ever be able to get over it and so I'll say that I liked it as a game but not as a Castlevania game.
Aesthetics
Art-Style: 3D Medieval Fantasy
+ Great scenery in landscapes, atmosphere and environment
+ Despite no installation required, load times are short and textures are nice
+ Well crafted enemy designs, especially the bosses
+ The effects, slow-motions and color worked well with the game mechanics
+ Sound effects and animation delivered a visceral combat experience
+ Cues for QTE and exploration were subtle yet effective
- The whole medieval fantasy theme was a bit too generic and didn't stand out
- Music was very cinematic and forgettable
- Some of the "epic" music was just so exaggerated that it felt comical
Aesthetics: 8/10
Buttons
Controller: PS3 Controller
+ Tight controls that are responsive and designed around the game well
+ Perfect blocking is utilized much better than most games I've played
+ Platforming is pretty spot-on
+ Combat is free-flowing and feels really good
- Some jumps and wall collision aren't very solid in some levels
Buttons: 8/10
Concept & Content
Core Concept: Fight, climb, and fulfill objectives to progress to the next chapter
+ A solid combat experience that's both challenging and enjoyable
+ Exploration is generally easy to navigate through and offers re-playability
+ Boss fights usually have multiple tiers to fight through adding depth
+ Although there is a predictable outcome of the story, there is a surprising ending
+ Puzzles are interesting but usually not too complicated to hinder progress
+ Some levels had interesting solutions to progressing such as riding on enemies
+ There were a plethora of abilities and skills for gain
- The story starts off okay, but quickly becomes predictable and uninteresting
- Gabriel Belmont can't decide whether he has an accent or not and has a personality of a brick
- Nothing in the game is innovative, they're just really good mechanics of existing ones
- One particular puzzle was too esoteric and confusing to make any sense
- Most of the skills were useless in combat and only a few were practical
Concept & Content: 7/10
Duration
+ A good length of gameplay provided with a nice steady flow
+ Revisiting levels and multiple difficulties provide a decent amount of replay value
+ I liked how lengthy and challenging some of the boss battles were
+ Combat definitely was the highlight of the game that made up most of the game time
- I hated certain puzzles that involved nothing but running around everywhere
- A few levels made no sense in terms of pathing and involved getting lost
Duration: 7/10
Fun
+ I liked how it addressed and resolved every problem I've had with 3D Action-Adventure games: Camera Angle, multiple enemy combat, Quick-Time events, platforming, puzzles, etc.
+ Although an idea rip from other games, I did enjoy the boss battles
+ Combat is a lot of fun and there are lots of skills to use and gain
+ I'm not too fond with most of the puzzles, but platforming was okay
- Honestly, my first reactions were "It's God of War..."
- Ugh, Quick-Time Events, though it's done a lot more elegantly
Fun: 7/10
Overall
To put it simply, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a solid Action-Adventure game. It's not inspiring, innovative, or original as its own, but it does improve and utilizes the same game mechanics much better other in its genre has done in the past. If you're a long time Castlevania fan, forget everything you know about Castlevania or better yet don't even think of it as a Castlevania game and you'll be able to enjoy the game a lot more. It's a lot to look past, but at its core Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is an enjoyable experience. Overall: 7.4/10
Source: Youtube Channel IGN
Developer: MercurySteam, Kojima Productions
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: [PS3], Xbox 360, PC
Release Date: October 5, 2010 (PS3, Xbox 360), August 27, 2013 (PC)
Genre: Action-Adventure
Pros:
+ Does a lot of things right that other Action games do wrong
+ Controls are tight, responsive, and well designed around the game
+ Aesthetics are quite beautiful with a cinematic-like atmosphere
+ Puzzles are present, but they're never too complex to hinder progress
Cons:
- This games has a serious case of identity crisis
- Despite having well crafted aesthetics, the themes are painfully generic
- Although levels are separate, there's still a LOT of running around to do
Recommended: Maybe, Action-Adventure fans will like it. Castlevania fans may or may not be able to enjoy the game.
I've played games where they've had good ideas but executed badly and I'll feel only a little indecisive about whether I liked the game or not. But never have I been so conflicted with a game because it's well developed but doesn't live up to the expectations of a franchise. I try my best to be as unbiased as possible when playing a game and I do not like fanboyism, yet every little aspect that takes ideas from other games and the factors that take away from what makes a Castlevania game disgusted me and clawed at the back of my mind as I dredged my way through the game. I enjoyed playing the game, but I also didn't like it at the same time. Do you see how contradictory my thoughts on the game are? The exploration has some linearity in it to prevent the player from getting lost yet it's opened enough for them to find secrets and replay levels. The combat is well thought out and addresses many problems that other Action games suffered from such as camera angles, blocking, enemy AI, platforming, and even the dreaded Quick-time events. The graphics are beautiful with colorful landscapes, huge boss battles, and well crafted level designs. Despite all this, the game suffers from a serious case of identity crisis. The combat is like God of War, some of the boss fights is practically Shadow of the Colossus, the exploration is Uncharted, and the themes of levels are very similar to games like Garshasp: The Monster Slayer. Although the music works really well with the atmosphere and has won a few awards, it's incredibly cinematic and overly dramatic on parts where it's not even that important as well as being forgettable and generic. Gabriel Belmont is such a cool looking characters with intricate designs on his armor with one heck of a skill set utilizing his whip and sub-weapons, yet he still manages to be a boring character with a personality of a brick. To sum it all up in one sentence: It's not a Castlevania game. It's a reason that even I find dumb to even down-grade such a well developed game, but it's how I felt and still feel when playing through and finishing the game. Had this game been presented as a new IP and be simply called Lords of Shadow with no ties to Castlevania, I might feel differently about the game and perhaps accept it lovingly a lot more. But the fact that it's much more widely accepted than the older 3D Castlevania games hurts my pride as a Castlevania as the previous iterations of the series has always stood out as unique and original while this version screams of generic themes and cliché tropes of medieval fantasy despite being such a solid Action-Adventure experience. I don't think I'll ever be able to get over it and so I'll say that I liked it as a game but not as a Castlevania game.
Aesthetics
Art-Style: 3D Medieval Fantasy
+ Great scenery in landscapes, atmosphere and environment
+ Despite no installation required, load times are short and textures are nice
+ Well crafted enemy designs, especially the bosses
+ The effects, slow-motions and color worked well with the game mechanics
+ Sound effects and animation delivered a visceral combat experience
+ Cues for QTE and exploration were subtle yet effective
- The whole medieval fantasy theme was a bit too generic and didn't stand out
- Music was very cinematic and forgettable
- Some of the "epic" music was just so exaggerated that it felt comical
Aesthetics: 8/10
Buttons
Controller: PS3 Controller
+ Tight controls that are responsive and designed around the game well
+ Perfect blocking is utilized much better than most games I've played
+ Platforming is pretty spot-on
+ Combat is free-flowing and feels really good
- Some jumps and wall collision aren't very solid in some levels
Buttons: 8/10
Concept & Content
Core Concept: Fight, climb, and fulfill objectives to progress to the next chapter
+ A solid combat experience that's both challenging and enjoyable
+ Exploration is generally easy to navigate through and offers re-playability
+ Boss fights usually have multiple tiers to fight through adding depth
+ Although there is a predictable outcome of the story, there is a surprising ending
+ Puzzles are interesting but usually not too complicated to hinder progress
+ Some levels had interesting solutions to progressing such as riding on enemies
+ There were a plethora of abilities and skills for gain
- The story starts off okay, but quickly becomes predictable and uninteresting
- Gabriel Belmont can't decide whether he has an accent or not and has a personality of a brick
- Nothing in the game is innovative, they're just really good mechanics of existing ones
- One particular puzzle was too esoteric and confusing to make any sense
- Most of the skills were useless in combat and only a few were practical
Concept & Content: 7/10
Duration
+ A good length of gameplay provided with a nice steady flow
+ Revisiting levels and multiple difficulties provide a decent amount of replay value
+ I liked how lengthy and challenging some of the boss battles were
+ Combat definitely was the highlight of the game that made up most of the game time
- I hated certain puzzles that involved nothing but running around everywhere
- A few levels made no sense in terms of pathing and involved getting lost
Duration: 7/10
Fun
+ I liked how it addressed and resolved every problem I've had with 3D Action-Adventure games: Camera Angle, multiple enemy combat, Quick-Time events, platforming, puzzles, etc.
+ Although an idea rip from other games, I did enjoy the boss battles
+ Combat is a lot of fun and there are lots of skills to use and gain
+ I'm not too fond with most of the puzzles, but platforming was okay
- Honestly, my first reactions were "It's God of War..."
- Ugh, Quick-Time Events, though it's done a lot more elegantly
Fun: 7/10
Overall
To put it simply, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a solid Action-Adventure game. It's not inspiring, innovative, or original as its own, but it does improve and utilizes the same game mechanics much better other in its genre has done in the past. If you're a long time Castlevania fan, forget everything you know about Castlevania or better yet don't even think of it as a Castlevania game and you'll be able to enjoy the game a lot more. It's a lot to look past, but at its core Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is an enjoyable experience. Overall: 7.4/10
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
GameLight Review - Bulk Game Review (7-3-13)
I seem to have accumulated a very large list of games I want to review but don't have enough time to go through each one individually.
[Dragon Age 2 - PS3]
Source: Youtube Channel IGN
Recommended: Absolutely
Dragon Age 2 is an Action-RPG adventure with multiple builds for each class and decisions done throughout the game affects character relationships and events.
I wasn't too interested when I tried the first Dragon Age game and so I didn't pay too much attention to Dragon Age 2 when it was about to be released. But a demo was available on PC and PS3 and tried both. On PC, it was a bit difficult to target enemies efficiently when everything was moving so quickly and having to use the standstill planning pause made gameplay slow down. But it's an entirely different experience on PS3 where everything is faster and plays like a 3rd-person Action game. Combat is satisfying and exciting as well as challenging and strategical. What I really loved about the game was the writing and dialog. It was a lot of fun choosing the different types of responses and having different reactions from the characters depending on those choices. This is a game I would definitely recommend to most gamers.
[Alpha Protocol - PC]
Recommended: No
Alpha Protocol is an Action-RPG Espionage where the player can level-up skills and attain abilities while making choices throughout the game that can benefit or hurt the main protagonist.
I was very excited to finally play Alpha Protocol, but I had so many problems with it that it was difficult to enjoy. The game is not optimized well for PC and it would skip a lot when I was using my older laptop. Even at the lowest settings, it would have a problem with a steady frame rate. When I got a new computer and the graphics ran smoothly, it was the gameplay that bugged me. Combat is mediocre and stealth could have been fun if it worked correctly. Enemies sometimes would have an acute sense of your presence behind them despite sneaking and being out of their line of sight. Hacking lock picking were mini-games with frustrating floaty controls. Eventually, the game crashed on me and even after re-installation it wouldn't work. I looked up all the possible endings and thought it was interesting on how many endings were possible, but the gameplay, crashes and bugs just made this a mess of a game that I would not have anyone go through.
[Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City]
Recommended: No
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City is a 4-player cooperative, Third-Person Shooter with competitive play and single-player with Computer AI.
My curious mind has, yet again, brought me to buying Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City because of the low scores it got on Metacritic. I had to find out what was so bad about the game. I imagine the game could've been mildly entertaining with 3 other friends to play with, but it's pretty much a nightmare playing with the computer AI. The computer AI isn't very smart for enemies and even less so for allies as they rush into the middle of a fire-fight. Weapons are imbalanced as shotguns are useless in damage, range, and fire rate; snipers are low in ammo capacity, aren't strong enough, and have low fire rate; while an automatic weapon is probably what you want as they have a larger ammo capacity, about the same amount of damage as the other guns, and have a higher firing rate. You could headshot an enemy with the strongest enemy and they wouldn't die. The hit-box and bullet collision with objects around the environment aren't very accurate. A lot of the class skills are pretty useless with a few of them having some nice perks. A big bosses are flawed in design. If you get hit once by the boss, you are dead as the duration of your character's animation to get up is slightly longer than the time it takes for the boss to strike again causing a stun lock that you can't get out of. In short, the game is imbalanced and broken. I have to admit it was mildly entertaining since it was a third-person shooter and I like those types of games, but this game is far too underdeveloped to be enjoyed thoroughly.
[The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D - 3DS]
Recommended: Yes, especially if you haven't played it yet.
The Legend of Zelda is an Action-Adventure game with challenging combat and light puzzles.
I never got to play the original, so I was pretty excited to play this. I was complaining the whole way through playing whenever I got lost and didn't know what to do or if I thought a boss was too tedious because it was just a lot of waiting, dodging and timing rather than fighting. But the puzzles, music, story, and whole experience truly is magical and one I finally understood why so many people loved it. The game does have some slow downs at some parts with the 3D on, but nothing too serious. The 3D effects were really good and the revamped models and textures look much better from the original. I probably wouldn't want to play the game again anytime soon as it did cause some frustration, but it's a gaming experience that I'll remember.
[Ys: The Oath in Felghana - PC]
Recommended: Yes, for the Hardcore Action-RPG fans
Ys: The Oath in Felghana is a top-down, Action-RPG, Hack-n-Slash with very challenging gameplay and boss battles. It's a re-make of Ys 3: The Wanderers from Ys which was played as a 2D side-scroll, Action-RPG.
Ys 3 for the SNES wasn't a very good game in terms of design and mechanics, but it was one that I enjoyed and liked for what it was. I played through Ys 3 last summer when I bought Ys: The Oath in Felghana so I had an idea of what they changed in the remake. All the problems that Ys 3 had was not present in Ys: The Oath in Felghana. I loved the arranged soundtrack and the story is faithful to the original. But combat is significantly better with a very fast-paced, hack-n-slash, Action-Platforming with some very light puzzles. The game isn't particularly long, but it was well worth playing through.
[Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier - PC]
Recommended: Yes
Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is a 4-player cooperative, Tactical Third-Person Shooter.
Unlike RE: Operation Raccoon City, the Computer AI allies are fairly smart in this game. They might even be better than human players. The game can be played with 3 other friends in campaign mode and requires a lot of team-work and coordination. The game does its best to force players not to run-n-gun and instead play smart. The game is slower than your typical military shooter made nowadays set by the standards of Call of Duty, but it does provide a different experience because of it. There are a lot more stealth missions and some of them can be frustrating when you're not allowed to raise an alarm. But for the most part, the game was exciting and challenging.
[Rage - PC]
Recommended: No
Rage is a open-world First-Person Shooter set in a post-apocalyptic world.
From the gameplay and trailers shown, the game looked exciting. But playing through the game felt like a drag. Enemies are super resilient and take quite a bit to take down. Because of the amount of enemies that show up, I spend most of the time hiding behind cover and just picking enemies off one by one as they approach. It wasn't until the last hour of the game where there are practically no cover to hide behind that the game felt a bit more exciting and hectic. To describe the game in one word: boring. At least for me, I heard some people enjoyed it.
[Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 - PC]
Recommended: Maybe
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is a Tactical Military First-Person Shooter known for its Multiplayer. But seriously, single-player is worth playing!
I honestly should stop buying Call of Duty games, but I've been hooked ever since Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. I was especially hesitant to get Black Ops 2 as I was disappointed with Black Ops 1. For Black Ops 1, the story was really good, but the gameplay was dreadfully boring and some parts of the game's graphics weren't very good. Multiplayer was unbalanced, constantly suffered from lag, but at the very least introduced 2-player online multiplayer where you and a buddy could play online together on one system. Considering that most of my friends have become sick of CoD and the PC version was on discount, I bought it on PC instead of PS3 this time around. I was pleasantly impressed by the game's change in UI, multiplayer mechanics, lack of lag, balanced gameplay, and one heck of a single-player campaign. Multiplayer is fun, but still not as good as what I experience in Modern Warfare 2. The Single-player campaign, on the other hand, really surprised me. The narrative and plot drew me in and was enticing. The gameplay had its ups and downs for the first half of the game, but it picks up and is really amazing after the midway point. I got super emotional at one point in the game and was so shocked at my own reaction to that part of the game. I really got into some of the fire fights and especially some of the events near the end. The game also has multiple endings depending on the choices made throughout the playthrough. Call of Duty isn't for everyone and many gamers are sick of it by now, but I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the game. It is a bit pricey compared to how much I spend on my other games, but I liked the experience I got out of the game.
[Dynasty Warriors 7: Xtreme Legends - PS3]
Recommended: Maybe
Dynasty Warriors 7: Xtreme Legends is a Tactical Hack-n-Slash that expands the content from the original game. The original is not required to play this one.
I loved Dynasty Warriors 7. It was an incredibly well developed game and one of my favorites for the PS3. So it was no surprise that I went and bought Xtreme Legends for it (but at a discount). The game had 3 new characters, some new weapons, Legends Mode, Challenge Mode, and a Remix Mode allowing the new features to be used in the original game. Honestly, I probably wouldn't have been very happy buying the game at full price ($40, I got it for ~$26). Challenge Mode isn't that attractive for me and I didn't play the new characters all too much. So I pretty much got my gameplay experience entirely from Legends mode. I was hoping for a custom officer mode to create my own characters, but it wasn't present. Xtreme Legends just allowed me to play Dynasty Warriors 7 a little longer before Dynasty Warriors 8 releases, but I can't say that it was incredibly worth it. I would have gotten Empires if it wasn't digital download only as that might have provided more gameplay content than Xtreme Legends. But for the hardcore Dynasty Warriors fan, Xtreme Legends could provide a LOT more gameplay for them.
[Bastion - PC]
Recommended: Yes
Bastion is a Top-down Action-Adventure game with some light RPG elements.
The game is aesthetically unique and pleasing with simple gameplay mechanics that is extended with the sheer amount of content it provides as an indie game. There are tons of weapons, lots of item builds, plenty of quests to fulfill, and an array of gameplay modifiers from the God Shrine to make the game even more challenging. Besides the story, music and art style, the one thing that made the game great was the narrator. It was one of the aspects in the game that really stood out. The amount of content provided allows the player to build an item and weapon set that matched the playstyle they wanted to use to get through the game. It's not too long of a game, but it does provide replay value to extend the play time.
[Ether Vapor Remaster - PC]
Recommended: No
Ether Vapor Remaster is a 2.75D shoot-em-up.
Ether Vapor Remaster looks cool and has some good music playing, but it doesn't have good design choices. I don't mind a game being difficult and actually am attracted to challenging shoot-em-ups; however, when the difficulty is because of poor design choices, it's just frustrating. Enemy bullets in the game are fairly long in length and the screen size isn't very big, so avoiding them is a bit more difficult. What makes it broken is that enemy bullets blend in too easily with the player's own bullets and can't be easily seen. When 5-10 enemies are shooting at once, it gets really messy and in turn causes the player to die quite often. Other times, bullets are unexpected and come at the player very quickly without warning. Another mechanic is the player has a very limited amount of shield and continues. Getting a game over meant having to start the entire game over again. As the player plays longer and dies more often, they more shield charges and continues. But having to do this while dealing with bullets blending in the background or your own bullets and dying every other turn makes it into a frustrating experience rather than a challenging one. The game plays as a horizontal shooter, vertical shooter, 3D shooter, and 2.5D shooter depending on the scene. I tried enjoying the game, but the frustration I got out of it wasn't worth it.
[Soul Calibur 5 - PS3]
Recommended: Yes
Soul Calibur 5 is a 3D-Fighting game.
I didn't like how a lot of the characters looked alike in Soul Calibur 4 due to the custom character creation engine they used. They look a lot better now. A lot of people complained about how stats on items in character customization in SC4 restrained them from aesthetics in order to have optimal fighting abilities. That has been taken out. There wasn't much of a special mode for SC4, so they had a story that focused on the children of Sophitia. In short, the developers tried their best to fix what was perceived as broken from SC4. For the most part, I think SC5 is a solid fighting game. Story mode was very short, but I liked it. The character creation tool is pretty intuitive and a lot of fun to mess around with. The introduction of the super was a bit surprising, but it does add a new element to the game. I also got the game new for an extremely cheap price just after a mere year from its release. I missed out on SC3 and wasn't entirely happy with SC4, so SC5 is one I'm satisfied with.
[Shank 2 - PC]
Recommended: Maybe
Shank 2 is a 2D Action game.
Visually, Shank 2 looks a lot better than Shank 1. In terms of gameplay, I really didn't like how Shank 2 was designed. Rather than being able to switch between weapons to accommodate for each situation, the player can only bring one of each type (sidearm, range, and throwable) which didn't even matter since sidearms are pretty useless and throwables have such a limited capacity. Instead of carefully setting a well designed scenario for each section of the game, I felt like each section of the game in Shank 2 had one of every enemy which rendered the player useless in every situation. Grabbing a lesser enemy opened up to larger enemies ramming into the player. Fighting a larger enemy opened up to ranged enemies. Fighting the enemies flipping and dropping kicking the player opened up to enemies that throw molotovs everywhere. The most effective strategy I had to use throughout the game to get through ridiculous situations like those was using throwing knives and zone every enemy out with them which was long, tedious, and extremely boring. Having to utilize regular attacks, side arms, items in the environment, throws and throwable items gave Shank 1 variety and strategy to work with. But doing anything other than throwable items and ranged weapons would generally get the player killed because every type of enemy was present on the screen. It's a mess of a single-player campaign and didn't have a good of a story as the first one. The one thing that was significantly better than the first game was multiplayer. In Shank 2, there is an assortment of characters of choose from and play with a friend online or locally in a survival match against waves of enemies. Multiplayer Survival made up for not having a co-op campaign. So if anything, I would recommend getting the game mainly for multiplayer.
[Super Meat Boy - PC]
Recommended: Absolutely, but mainly for Hardcore gamers
Super Meat Boy is an extremely challenging Platformer.
It took me a while to finally sit down and play through the rest of the game, but I finally got through the game and beat Dr. Fetus...at least in the light world. I actually did a review for it before back when it was released in 2010 (wow, it really took me that long to complete it?) and the only change in stance I have about the game is that I said the music isn't very "memorable" when it totally is now after playing for the past 2.5 years. It doesn't catch on right away, but it has a very distinct melody for each of the tracks and is a whole lot of fun to listen to even out of the game. I think it's even more worth it to get it now than it was before as new levels were introduced and Super Meat World was added in which players can make and share their own level creations with the rest of the community. Despite being incredibly difficult, each level takes less than a minutes or two to complete. So failing is only a short drawback. This is a game I would definitely recommend to gamers, but it's not for everyone because of how difficult it can get.
Whew, that is it for now. It's good to unload this heavy list and get on to the other games.
[Dragon Age 2 - PS3]
Source: Youtube Channel IGN
Recommended: Absolutely
Dragon Age 2 is an Action-RPG adventure with multiple builds for each class and decisions done throughout the game affects character relationships and events.
I wasn't too interested when I tried the first Dragon Age game and so I didn't pay too much attention to Dragon Age 2 when it was about to be released. But a demo was available on PC and PS3 and tried both. On PC, it was a bit difficult to target enemies efficiently when everything was moving so quickly and having to use the standstill planning pause made gameplay slow down. But it's an entirely different experience on PS3 where everything is faster and plays like a 3rd-person Action game. Combat is satisfying and exciting as well as challenging and strategical. What I really loved about the game was the writing and dialog. It was a lot of fun choosing the different types of responses and having different reactions from the characters depending on those choices. This is a game I would definitely recommend to most gamers.
[Alpha Protocol - PC]
Recommended: No
Alpha Protocol is an Action-RPG Espionage where the player can level-up skills and attain abilities while making choices throughout the game that can benefit or hurt the main protagonist.
I was very excited to finally play Alpha Protocol, but I had so many problems with it that it was difficult to enjoy. The game is not optimized well for PC and it would skip a lot when I was using my older laptop. Even at the lowest settings, it would have a problem with a steady frame rate. When I got a new computer and the graphics ran smoothly, it was the gameplay that bugged me. Combat is mediocre and stealth could have been fun if it worked correctly. Enemies sometimes would have an acute sense of your presence behind them despite sneaking and being out of their line of sight. Hacking lock picking were mini-games with frustrating floaty controls. Eventually, the game crashed on me and even after re-installation it wouldn't work. I looked up all the possible endings and thought it was interesting on how many endings were possible, but the gameplay, crashes and bugs just made this a mess of a game that I would not have anyone go through.
[Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City]
Recommended: No
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City is a 4-player cooperative, Third-Person Shooter with competitive play and single-player with Computer AI.
My curious mind has, yet again, brought me to buying Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City because of the low scores it got on Metacritic. I had to find out what was so bad about the game. I imagine the game could've been mildly entertaining with 3 other friends to play with, but it's pretty much a nightmare playing with the computer AI. The computer AI isn't very smart for enemies and even less so for allies as they rush into the middle of a fire-fight. Weapons are imbalanced as shotguns are useless in damage, range, and fire rate; snipers are low in ammo capacity, aren't strong enough, and have low fire rate; while an automatic weapon is probably what you want as they have a larger ammo capacity, about the same amount of damage as the other guns, and have a higher firing rate. You could headshot an enemy with the strongest enemy and they wouldn't die. The hit-box and bullet collision with objects around the environment aren't very accurate. A lot of the class skills are pretty useless with a few of them having some nice perks. A big bosses are flawed in design. If you get hit once by the boss, you are dead as the duration of your character's animation to get up is slightly longer than the time it takes for the boss to strike again causing a stun lock that you can't get out of. In short, the game is imbalanced and broken. I have to admit it was mildly entertaining since it was a third-person shooter and I like those types of games, but this game is far too underdeveloped to be enjoyed thoroughly.
[The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D - 3DS]
Recommended: Yes, especially if you haven't played it yet.
The Legend of Zelda is an Action-Adventure game with challenging combat and light puzzles.
I never got to play the original, so I was pretty excited to play this. I was complaining the whole way through playing whenever I got lost and didn't know what to do or if I thought a boss was too tedious because it was just a lot of waiting, dodging and timing rather than fighting. But the puzzles, music, story, and whole experience truly is magical and one I finally understood why so many people loved it. The game does have some slow downs at some parts with the 3D on, but nothing too serious. The 3D effects were really good and the revamped models and textures look much better from the original. I probably wouldn't want to play the game again anytime soon as it did cause some frustration, but it's a gaming experience that I'll remember.
[Ys: The Oath in Felghana - PC]
Recommended: Yes, for the Hardcore Action-RPG fans
Ys: The Oath in Felghana is a top-down, Action-RPG, Hack-n-Slash with very challenging gameplay and boss battles. It's a re-make of Ys 3: The Wanderers from Ys which was played as a 2D side-scroll, Action-RPG.
Ys 3 for the SNES wasn't a very good game in terms of design and mechanics, but it was one that I enjoyed and liked for what it was. I played through Ys 3 last summer when I bought Ys: The Oath in Felghana so I had an idea of what they changed in the remake. All the problems that Ys 3 had was not present in Ys: The Oath in Felghana. I loved the arranged soundtrack and the story is faithful to the original. But combat is significantly better with a very fast-paced, hack-n-slash, Action-Platforming with some very light puzzles. The game isn't particularly long, but it was well worth playing through.
[Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier - PC]
Recommended: Yes
Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is a 4-player cooperative, Tactical Third-Person Shooter.
Unlike RE: Operation Raccoon City, the Computer AI allies are fairly smart in this game. They might even be better than human players. The game can be played with 3 other friends in campaign mode and requires a lot of team-work and coordination. The game does its best to force players not to run-n-gun and instead play smart. The game is slower than your typical military shooter made nowadays set by the standards of Call of Duty, but it does provide a different experience because of it. There are a lot more stealth missions and some of them can be frustrating when you're not allowed to raise an alarm. But for the most part, the game was exciting and challenging.
[Rage - PC]
Recommended: No
Rage is a open-world First-Person Shooter set in a post-apocalyptic world.
From the gameplay and trailers shown, the game looked exciting. But playing through the game felt like a drag. Enemies are super resilient and take quite a bit to take down. Because of the amount of enemies that show up, I spend most of the time hiding behind cover and just picking enemies off one by one as they approach. It wasn't until the last hour of the game where there are practically no cover to hide behind that the game felt a bit more exciting and hectic. To describe the game in one word: boring. At least for me, I heard some people enjoyed it.
[Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 - PC]
Recommended: Maybe
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is a Tactical Military First-Person Shooter known for its Multiplayer. But seriously, single-player is worth playing!
I honestly should stop buying Call of Duty games, but I've been hooked ever since Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. I was especially hesitant to get Black Ops 2 as I was disappointed with Black Ops 1. For Black Ops 1, the story was really good, but the gameplay was dreadfully boring and some parts of the game's graphics weren't very good. Multiplayer was unbalanced, constantly suffered from lag, but at the very least introduced 2-player online multiplayer where you and a buddy could play online together on one system. Considering that most of my friends have become sick of CoD and the PC version was on discount, I bought it on PC instead of PS3 this time around. I was pleasantly impressed by the game's change in UI, multiplayer mechanics, lack of lag, balanced gameplay, and one heck of a single-player campaign. Multiplayer is fun, but still not as good as what I experience in Modern Warfare 2. The Single-player campaign, on the other hand, really surprised me. The narrative and plot drew me in and was enticing. The gameplay had its ups and downs for the first half of the game, but it picks up and is really amazing after the midway point. I got super emotional at one point in the game and was so shocked at my own reaction to that part of the game. I really got into some of the fire fights and especially some of the events near the end. The game also has multiple endings depending on the choices made throughout the playthrough. Call of Duty isn't for everyone and many gamers are sick of it by now, but I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the game. It is a bit pricey compared to how much I spend on my other games, but I liked the experience I got out of the game.
[Dynasty Warriors 7: Xtreme Legends - PS3]
Recommended: Maybe
Dynasty Warriors 7: Xtreme Legends is a Tactical Hack-n-Slash that expands the content from the original game. The original is not required to play this one.
I loved Dynasty Warriors 7. It was an incredibly well developed game and one of my favorites for the PS3. So it was no surprise that I went and bought Xtreme Legends for it (but at a discount). The game had 3 new characters, some new weapons, Legends Mode, Challenge Mode, and a Remix Mode allowing the new features to be used in the original game. Honestly, I probably wouldn't have been very happy buying the game at full price ($40, I got it for ~$26). Challenge Mode isn't that attractive for me and I didn't play the new characters all too much. So I pretty much got my gameplay experience entirely from Legends mode. I was hoping for a custom officer mode to create my own characters, but it wasn't present. Xtreme Legends just allowed me to play Dynasty Warriors 7 a little longer before Dynasty Warriors 8 releases, but I can't say that it was incredibly worth it. I would have gotten Empires if it wasn't digital download only as that might have provided more gameplay content than Xtreme Legends. But for the hardcore Dynasty Warriors fan, Xtreme Legends could provide a LOT more gameplay for them.
[Bastion - PC]
Recommended: Yes
Bastion is a Top-down Action-Adventure game with some light RPG elements.
The game is aesthetically unique and pleasing with simple gameplay mechanics that is extended with the sheer amount of content it provides as an indie game. There are tons of weapons, lots of item builds, plenty of quests to fulfill, and an array of gameplay modifiers from the God Shrine to make the game even more challenging. Besides the story, music and art style, the one thing that made the game great was the narrator. It was one of the aspects in the game that really stood out. The amount of content provided allows the player to build an item and weapon set that matched the playstyle they wanted to use to get through the game. It's not too long of a game, but it does provide replay value to extend the play time.
[Ether Vapor Remaster - PC]
Recommended: No
Ether Vapor Remaster is a 2.75D shoot-em-up.
Ether Vapor Remaster looks cool and has some good music playing, but it doesn't have good design choices. I don't mind a game being difficult and actually am attracted to challenging shoot-em-ups; however, when the difficulty is because of poor design choices, it's just frustrating. Enemy bullets in the game are fairly long in length and the screen size isn't very big, so avoiding them is a bit more difficult. What makes it broken is that enemy bullets blend in too easily with the player's own bullets and can't be easily seen. When 5-10 enemies are shooting at once, it gets really messy and in turn causes the player to die quite often. Other times, bullets are unexpected and come at the player very quickly without warning. Another mechanic is the player has a very limited amount of shield and continues. Getting a game over meant having to start the entire game over again. As the player plays longer and dies more often, they more shield charges and continues. But having to do this while dealing with bullets blending in the background or your own bullets and dying every other turn makes it into a frustrating experience rather than a challenging one. The game plays as a horizontal shooter, vertical shooter, 3D shooter, and 2.5D shooter depending on the scene. I tried enjoying the game, but the frustration I got out of it wasn't worth it.
[Soul Calibur 5 - PS3]
Recommended: Yes
Soul Calibur 5 is a 3D-Fighting game.
I didn't like how a lot of the characters looked alike in Soul Calibur 4 due to the custom character creation engine they used. They look a lot better now. A lot of people complained about how stats on items in character customization in SC4 restrained them from aesthetics in order to have optimal fighting abilities. That has been taken out. There wasn't much of a special mode for SC4, so they had a story that focused on the children of Sophitia. In short, the developers tried their best to fix what was perceived as broken from SC4. For the most part, I think SC5 is a solid fighting game. Story mode was very short, but I liked it. The character creation tool is pretty intuitive and a lot of fun to mess around with. The introduction of the super was a bit surprising, but it does add a new element to the game. I also got the game new for an extremely cheap price just after a mere year from its release. I missed out on SC3 and wasn't entirely happy with SC4, so SC5 is one I'm satisfied with.
[Shank 2 - PC]
Recommended: Maybe
Shank 2 is a 2D Action game.
Visually, Shank 2 looks a lot better than Shank 1. In terms of gameplay, I really didn't like how Shank 2 was designed. Rather than being able to switch between weapons to accommodate for each situation, the player can only bring one of each type (sidearm, range, and throwable) which didn't even matter since sidearms are pretty useless and throwables have such a limited capacity. Instead of carefully setting a well designed scenario for each section of the game, I felt like each section of the game in Shank 2 had one of every enemy which rendered the player useless in every situation. Grabbing a lesser enemy opened up to larger enemies ramming into the player. Fighting a larger enemy opened up to ranged enemies. Fighting the enemies flipping and dropping kicking the player opened up to enemies that throw molotovs everywhere. The most effective strategy I had to use throughout the game to get through ridiculous situations like those was using throwing knives and zone every enemy out with them which was long, tedious, and extremely boring. Having to utilize regular attacks, side arms, items in the environment, throws and throwable items gave Shank 1 variety and strategy to work with. But doing anything other than throwable items and ranged weapons would generally get the player killed because every type of enemy was present on the screen. It's a mess of a single-player campaign and didn't have a good of a story as the first one. The one thing that was significantly better than the first game was multiplayer. In Shank 2, there is an assortment of characters of choose from and play with a friend online or locally in a survival match against waves of enemies. Multiplayer Survival made up for not having a co-op campaign. So if anything, I would recommend getting the game mainly for multiplayer.
[Super Meat Boy - PC]
Recommended: Absolutely, but mainly for Hardcore gamers
Super Meat Boy is an extremely challenging Platformer.
It took me a while to finally sit down and play through the rest of the game, but I finally got through the game and beat Dr. Fetus...at least in the light world. I actually did a review for it before back when it was released in 2010 (wow, it really took me that long to complete it?) and the only change in stance I have about the game is that I said the music isn't very "memorable" when it totally is now after playing for the past 2.5 years. It doesn't catch on right away, but it has a very distinct melody for each of the tracks and is a whole lot of fun to listen to even out of the game. I think it's even more worth it to get it now than it was before as new levels were introduced and Super Meat World was added in which players can make and share their own level creations with the rest of the community. Despite being incredibly difficult, each level takes less than a minutes or two to complete. So failing is only a short drawback. This is a game I would definitely recommend to gamers, but it's not for everyone because of how difficult it can get.
Whew, that is it for now. It's good to unload this heavy list and get on to the other games.
Friday, June 7, 2013
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.
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.
Thursday, June 6, 2013
GameLight - Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F
Playstation Blog: Project DIVA F for PS3 in August
Source: Youtube Channel cymusic0102
I just mentioned this game just last Friday and how the Western Market was probably never going to see it. Well I have been proven wrong today as Sega has announced a North American release of its Music Rhythm game Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F for the Playstation 3 in August of this year. What's more, there will be a Demo released on June 11th next week to download off of PSN. As happy as I was to hear this, I realized that the game will most likely be distributed digitally and not physically as a disc. As far as I know, the game will be released digitally only. I have expressed my dislike for digitally distributed games on consoles and am immediately saddened by the fact that this game will be digital only. Still, the game sounds very interesting with a lot of content: 38 songs, 90 outfits and accessories, and all 6 of the official Vocaloid characters. I'm hoping the game will be released for $20, but I have a feeling it might release for $40-$50. If it was released as a physical copy with a really nice box and disc art, I'd probably feel okay about spending that much for it. In any case, I'll be trying out the demo next Tuesday and will keep an eye out for its release. Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F will release for the PS3 this August digitally on the PSN store.
Source:
-Joystiq - Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F synthesizing North America this August
Source: Youtube Channel cymusic0102
I just mentioned this game just last Friday and how the Western Market was probably never going to see it. Well I have been proven wrong today as Sega has announced a North American release of its Music Rhythm game Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F for the Playstation 3 in August of this year. What's more, there will be a Demo released on June 11th next week to download off of PSN. As happy as I was to hear this, I realized that the game will most likely be distributed digitally and not physically as a disc. As far as I know, the game will be released digitally only. I have expressed my dislike for digitally distributed games on consoles and am immediately saddened by the fact that this game will be digital only. Still, the game sounds very interesting with a lot of content: 38 songs, 90 outfits and accessories, and all 6 of the official Vocaloid characters. I'm hoping the game will be released for $20, but I have a feeling it might release for $40-$50. If it was released as a physical copy with a really nice box and disc art, I'd probably feel okay about spending that much for it. In any case, I'll be trying out the demo next Tuesday and will keep an eye out for its release. Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F will release for the PS3 this August digitally on the PSN store.
Source:
-Joystiq - Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F synthesizing North America this August
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