GameLight - Terraria 1.2 Update

Official Site: http://www.terraria.org/index2.html
Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/105600/
Source: Youtube Channel demilogic

After 100+ hours, everything that could be done seemed to have been done.  And then a huge update was talked about all year long and people got excited.  I wasn't going to be excited until it was downloaded onto my computer and I was already playing it.  I would have never guessed how much time I was going to spend playing Terraria or how much fun I was going to have when I first bought it.  Along with all the free updates that the developers keep giving to the players, it's perhaps one of the best purchases I have ever made on Steam.  With the new 1.2 update launching last night at 12AM EST, many players got to re-experience Terraria in a totally new way.  Besides having new weapons, biomes, enemies, items, bosses, etc., there also has been changes in game mechanics and world creation details that improves the game even further.  Backgrounds have been redone to look nicer but have been optimized so that it doesn't lag the game anymore.  There's seriously a LOT of new changes and improvements.  It's no wonder so many people were excited about this.  I barely scratched the surface of what has been changed and added from the 3 hours I played last night.

Terraria is an open-world Action-Adventure game that can be played online with friends if someone creates a server for it.  There is no particular goal, but there is plenty to explore and a lot to do.  It's $9.99 on Steam and a really good deal for what is offered.

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"

NewNews - Trails in the Sky on PC & Sequel on its way!

Source: Youtube Channel XSEEDgames

In the past few years, I keep hearing from friends, critics, and other gamers that "The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky" is the best RPG for the PSP.  I never got around to it despite wanting to see what was so great about the game.  Today, it was revealed that the PC version will be brought over to the West on Steam while the sequel will be worked on being brought over.  The sequel will be translated by Carpe Fulgur (Recettear, Chantelise, Fortune Summoners) which will be their first big project.  It's been a while since they've announced on working on anything.  Although I'm happy that they're moving up to work on big projects, I had hoped they'd translate even more indie gems to bring over.  The first game for PC will release this Winter while the sequel will release next year in the summer.

Source:
-Joystiq - Trails in the Sky coming to Steam, Carpe Fulgur translating sequel for PSP and PC

GameLight - Payday 2

Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/218620/
Source: Youtube Channel XCVii007r1

I was disappointed with Payday: The Heist.  It's much like Left 4 Dead 2 where you have a team of 4-players and instead of Zombies you have the police and SWAT after you.  You're still trying to escape alive, but you're also trying to gain wealth along the way.  The concept was interesting, but the game was horribly balanced.  Leveling didn't make too much sense.  Weapon acquisition was slow and class focus was confusing.  The one thing I did like was the music.  But despite that, I wasn't interested at all in looking in Payday 2 when it was announced.  I saw a lot of news for it and saw a few friends buy the game to play the closed beta.  Then one of my friends who didn't buy the game told me yesterday that they saw the beta on their list of games.  I checked mines and I saw it in mines as well.  Apparently it was an open-beta of sorts and so we both downloaded the game and tried it out last night.  At first, everything seemed about the same.  Walk around until you decide to put the mask on and start the heist and then everything came into play.  You can start a heist without causing a ruckus and there's an indicator showing whether people are suspicious of you.  That's one new factor that seemed impossible in the first one: stealth.  Then I start shooting and see all sorts of new changes: recoil and sound effects make for a strong feel of kickback and power behind each shot, smoke from the gun barrel looks more realistic, the indicator that shows whether you shot someone is more visible, etc.  To make short of what I'm trying to say: shooting feels more visceral and intuitive to the game's environment.  Enemies are still pretty tough, but they're more fair now.  In the first one, the enemies (even on the easiest difficulty) would have impeccable aim and mob the players in large numbers in kamikaze fashion.  In Payday 2, the enemies are more strategic, they hesitate when firing at times, and come in at a steady rate rather than an alarming wave.  Although I liked the music from the first game, I didn't pay too much attention to it.  But in Payday 2, I kept commenting to my friend on how good it was.  It wasn't until I looked in the description of the game on Steam that I found out that the music was done by Simon Viklund, the same guy who remixed all the songs in Bionic Commando Rearmed and led the development for that remake.  Alongside the actual gameplay of Payday 2 is everything before, in-between and after each mission: inventory management, learning skills, and purchasing equipment.  Leveling granted skill points to add into a class tree.  Acquiring money from each mission and unlocking items allowed the player to purchase equipment.  Focusing on a class tree made it easier to figure out what role a player had within a team.  Everything just made more sense and is significantly more balanced in this sequel than the first one.  I'm glad they allowed players like me a chance to try out Payday 2 yesterday before taking out the beta at mid-night and launching the game.  It convinced me that the changes to the sequel made Payday into a better game.  Payday 2 is definitely a game I'll be getting in the future, but if you're interested in getting it now it's available on Steam for $29.99.

GameLight - Hammerwatch

Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/239070/ Source: Youtube Channel theTransflash

How this game escaped my attention on Steam Greenlight is beyond me.  Hammerwatch is described to be a cooperative Action-Adventure, Hack-n-Slash with RPG elements.  It reminds me of classic Gauntlet with puzzle solving from The Legend of Zelda series.  The frantic nature of the game and its insane amounts of enemies are among some of the aspects that has gotten me really interested in the game.  The game will also support mods and so perhaps it'll utilize Steam workshop.  The game also features local, online, and LAN cooperative multiplayer.  I am lacking in multiplayer games and so it's nice to see games such as these still being made.  As far as the video shows, there will be lots of killing, lots of looting, lots of upgrading, lots of puzzles, and lots of dying.  It looks like it's going to be a lot of fun.

NewNews - Capcom's Deep Down Teased

Source: Youtube Channel cogmovie

Pictures of project Deep Down was shown at the reveal of the Playstation 4 and no word of it has been mentioned of it since then.  Well it seems like the game will be a Online Multiplayer RPG of some sort.  It will utilize a new engine Capcom has revealed called Panta Rhei and from the screenshots they've shown, it looks really good.  From the few seconds of flashing video clips up above, I suspect those are in-game footages and not pre-rendered footages.  A lot of games make their cut-scenes right in the game's engine so that the flow between story telling and gameplay is seemless.  I suspect that we'll be seeing even more of that on the next generation console games.  I'm not sure how an Online Multiplayer RPG will work just yet, but I'm excited to see what Capcom has in store for us.

Source:
-Joystiq - Capcom's Deep Down is an online multiplayer RPG for PS4

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.

GameLight - Edge of Space

Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/238240/ Source: Youtube Channel gamezplay

There are plenty of things to wait for this month: Steam Summer Sales, Terraria Update, the release of "Dynasty Warriors 8" and "Time and Eternity".  For the Sandbox game players, Terraria is the big thing everyone's waiting for until Starbound is released.  Unknown to me, another game similar to Starbound was being developed call "Edge of Space" and has passed Steam Greenlight and is undergoing Early Access Beta phase.  At a reduced price of $11.99 from it final price of $14.99, I felt tempted to try it out.  Even if I didn't particularly like it, I thought my contribution would help the developers out a little for those who will enjoy it.

Edge of Space is a Sandbox, Action-Adventure RPG experience where gameplay is non-linear and has no set goals in mind for the player.  It is much like Terraria in that it's a 2D exploration game that allows players to gather materials, build structures, and craft items to further explore more dangerous parts of the world.  Worlds are randomly generated and so will have a different experience with each world created.  The game simply provides the tools for the player to use with no real goals in mind and lets the player set their own objectives.

I was aware of having to be logged in to their servers and not having multiplayer when I bought the game, so I didn't think too much of it when I started up the game.  After an hour of playing, I was able to build a wall around me with no backwall and doors for a house.  Other than that, I created two weapons to help me fight enemies.  In other words, I was completely lost and confused.  The user-interface isn't as simple compared to Terraria, but I do have to say that it's more organized with a window menu system rather than having one long list.  The exploration is a lot more massive with huge elevations and long drops throughout the world.  The player gets a jet pack at the start of the game, but easily runs out of energy when making contact with space jellyfishes or when using it up.  Overall, I think I can eventually enjoy the game to an extent and I believe the developers will continually improve the game, but I think Starbound will provide a better affordance in terms of user-interface and tools for playing the game.

Edge of Space has a confusing crafting system despite having a better organization in the menu system and the graphics of the tiles blend in too well together and make it look muddled.  The graphics do look more realistic, but they don't work well with the rest of the game's mechanics.  But the game is still in its beta and one that can continue to improve even after an official release much like Terraria did.  If you would like to help the developers make Edge of Space a better experience and one step closer to an official release, you can purchase access to the beta and get the full release with it on Steam at the link on top.  By playing the game and giving feedback to the developers, bugs can be fixed and aspects of the game can be added and improved.  At the moment, multiplayer has been disabled and will be available again in the future.  The early access beta phase is requiring players to be online and logged into their servers in order to play.  So keep these in mind before you purchase the game.

Retroview - Exile III: Ruined World

Official Site: http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/exile3/winexile3.html


I don't exactly remember how I came across Exile 3 for Windows, but I recall looking for a game similar to Ultima.  When I was playing the game, it was a shareware that limited the player in content.  Despite that, the game provided hours of gameplay nonetheless.  The player would create a party of 6 with unique abilities, traits and characteristics that made them pivotal to the team composition.  The player could choose to go anywhere they wanted, do want they wanted and when they wanted.  There are random encounters and events that change the game up a bit which is one of the driving factors in which made the replay value much longer.  I had nearly forgotten about the game until I was recently backing up some save files for my games and came across the folder "Exile3" and realized I had played this game years ago.  The game was unforgiving with all sorts of misfortune that would kill off your entire party, poison them, curse them, or some other situation that doesn't favor them.  There weren't that many animations other than some spells or projectiles moving as most of the art assets are static images.  As far as I know, the game is developed by a man and his wife and have been making these types of games for years now with bought assets.  I unknowingly bought a game made by them called Avadon (I have still yet to play the game).  It has similar mechanics in creating a party, equipping them with items, balancing the team with different classes, and a free roaming RPG experience.  A lot of their other games did not really interest me when looking at them, but now that I know they're made by the same person as Exile 3, I'm rather intrigued by how his experience in RPG development has changed.  Avernum: Escape from the Pit was one of them.  I see actual animated characters, effects, and think it might even have music in it (or it could be just specifically for the trailer).  I wanted to revisit Exile 3, create a new party, and explore the dungeons once again, but sadly the game isn't compatible with Windows 7 and won't even allow me to install the game.  For those who still use Windows XP, the game is free now and can be downloaded and played right away.  Just click the top link and click download.  I guess it's time for me to move on and check out the new games this developer has made.

GameLight - Demon Gaze

Official Japanese Site: http://demongaze.jp/
Source: Youtube Channel SuperPlayUp

[This section is mostly talking about cRPGs.  Skip to the bottom for Demon Gaze]

Are Computer Role-Playing Games (cRPG)/Dungeon Role-Playing Games (dRPG) making a comeback in the game industry?  Probably not since they've always been around.  That is to say, classic dungeon crawling RPGs never died out and has always been played by a niche group of gamers.  The classic first-person perspective in a maze-like labyrinth with custom building parties, graphing out maps on grid sheets, and turn-based battles was the videogame interpretation of pen-and-paper RPGs that RPG fans loved back in the day.  It focused less on story development and more on the experience and journey through level progression.  As videogames evolved, the abstract mechanics of numbers, statistics, and turn-based feel are more hidden in place of more adventure and action orientated games that we have now such as Mass Effect 3, Phantasy Star Online 2 and Fallout 3.  One of the more prominent cRPGs throughout the decades is the Wizardry series.  I didn't play much cRPGs back in the day and the closest game I played to a cRPG was Ultima Exodus on the NES.  In the past few years though, I have been dabbling in the cRPG genre unknowingly by trying out games I haven't heard before.  I've played Legend of Grimrock and thought it was okay but got lost and haven't played it since (I probably will soon).  A few years back, I tried out the NES version of Wizardry and found it to be tough.  I played a few cRPGs on my palm pilot and graphing calculator back in high school made by fans.  I tried out The Dark Spire for the Nintendo DS just last week and realized a lot of time and dedication was needed to play that game.  In fact, most cRPGs do require a decent amount of time, patience and commitment to play through.  Etrian Odyssey had great graphics and music, but it was also super grindy.  What I'm trying to get at here is that cRPGs have always been around, but they're not talked about very often in the mainstream gaming community.  Then in the past few years, Legend of Grimrock and Etrian Odyssey 4 was talked about quite often.  Because I didn't get very far with Etrian Odyssey, I didn't bother taking a look at 2 and 3.  But when 4 came out with a demo, I decided to give it a try and found it to be a lot more easier to get into and enjoy.  That has probably been one of the biggest problems with cRPGs is that they're too much like the old school ones where they're super hard-core, making it difficult for newcomers to enjoy.  Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls for the PS3 and iOS had this exact problem as many reviews by players found it to be confusing, frustrating, and too abstract for those unfamiliar to the genre.  Despite having originated in the West, cRPGs had become a very popular genre in games in Japan and still holds true now.  This leads to the actual topic at hand: Demon Gaze for the Sony PS Vita.

[Demon Gaze article starts here]
Source: Youtube Channel kadokawagames

I apologize for having such a long rant on cRPGs, but that was my original intention for today's post.  It just so happened that I found out about another cRPG today that was released for the PS Vita in Japan back in January 24th of this year called Demon Gaze.  At first glance, it looks very Japanese with animé style graphics, lots of fan service, and animé tropes everywhere.  But in the end, the game is very much tied to its cRPG roots with first-person exploration in a dungeon, turn-based battles, and custom party management.  The animé nature of the game may bother some or many here in the West, but the game was obviously made with Japan's audience in mind.  With the success and widespread exposure Etrian Odyssey 4 has had in the West, there's a chance that Demon Gaze could be picked up by a publisher in the US and get localized.  If it does get brought over and I get a PS Vita, perhaps I'll consider checking this game out.  Like I've said before, these types of RPGs to require a bit of time and commitment to play and I'm not sure if I'll have that.  If old school dungeon crawling RPGs and animé themes is your thing, be sure to keep an eye out for a name called "Demon Gaze".  Kadokawa did file for a trademark in the US, perhaps they'll publish it themselves rather than wait for another publisher to pick it up.

Source:
-Joystiq - Kadokawa trademarks 'Demon Gaze' in US

GameLight - Shin Megami Tensei IV

Official Atlus Site: http://www.atlus.com/
Source: Youtube Channel Extagia

I was a bit weary when purchasing my Nintendo 3DS because it was uncertain whether enough games that I'd be interested in would release and make the system worth buying.  So far this year, we've got a Fire Emblem Awakening.  We're already about to start the 3rd month of the year and that's only been one game worth mentioning.  Thankfully, we have games like Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity, Animal Crossing: New Leaf as well as Project X Zone and Pokémon X&Y and Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner - Soul Hackers on the horizon.  But what will the future hold?  What else might 3DS owners look forward to?

Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne was released in Japan back in February 20th, 2003, exactly 10 years ago.  Since then, most SMT games have been spin-offs with the exception of "Strange Journey" for the NDS being part of the main series story.  In last year's Tokyo Game Show, it was revealed that Shin Megami Tensei 4 was being developed and will be released for the Nintendo 3DS.  So it seems that Japan will be able to continue the main story once again in SMT 4 for the 3DS this May.  The question is, will the Western market see this game?  That depends if it does well in Japan first I suppose.  Considering that Atlus has brought over most of the SMT games to the West, we can expect SMT4 to show up eventually.  Staying true to the SMT series, combat looks the same which worries me a little.  What can they change to make this newest installment interesting compared to the rest of the series?

GameLight - Etrian Odyssey IV

Official Site: http://www.atlus.com/etrian4/home.html
Source: Youtube Channel IGN

I'm surprised the Etrian Odyssey series is still being brought over considering how niche the target audience is.  Etrian Odyssey IV Legends of the Titan makes its debut as the first in the series to launch on the Nintendo 3DS and is back for more classic Dungeon Crawling RPG.  The Etrian Odyssey series is a throwback to classic cRPGs like Wizardry where the player forms their own party of adventures with various classes to choose from, drawing their own maps, and traversing dungeons in first-person view rather than a top-down view.  I had played a bit of the first Etrian Odyssey and my experience from it surprises me that there's a market for the series in the West.  In the first game, customization and skill building was very cluttered having all the skills of a class clumped into one huge list.  Lots of preparation in equipment and skill building is needed before setting out and lots of grinding is required just to survive the initiation quest like in a lot of classic cRPG dungeon crawlers.  With such archaic systems of the past, I didn't think the series would continue to be made and brought over to the West.  I never got far with the first game and so I missed out on the 2nd and 3rd installment.  It's a game that's definitely not easy to get into and requires a lot of patience, but what got me interested in the game and kept me interested was the bright and colorful, animé-esque art style with its retro style, FM-synth produced music by none other than Yuzo Koshiro.  I've been a fan of Yuzo Koshiro ever since The Revenge of Shinobi on the Sega Genesis and ActRaiser on the Super Nintendo, and so I wasn't too surprised to see that the catchy and whimsical soundtrack was composed by him.  When I heard a fourth one was about to release on the Nintendo 3DS, I was curious if any changes would be made.  Luckily, a demo came out in the eShop market and allowed me to download it onto my 3DS.  Here's what I got from it:

-Main structure of gameplay and combat is essentially the same
-Art style is the same, but environments and backgrounds are gorgeous
-There's a skill "tree" now, so it's really organized rather than one huge list
-Enemies are no longer static 2D sprites, but animated 3D models
-A "Casual" difficulty level that makes the game easier
-Initiation quest is a lot more straight-forward and comprehensive
-An over world like map (not sure if it's new to the series or not)
-Music is an orchestral ensemble instead of the usual FM-Synth tunes
-Dungeon maps are even easier to use with the circle pad

In short, my experience with the demo thus far has been really enjoyable!  The Demo allows a maximum of 30 plays, 10 character slots (there's 30 in the full game), a level cap of 10, and everything else seems unrestricted.  I have to admit that preparing my party, talking to all the NPCs, gathering my equipment and allocating my skill points to the party took a very very long time, but it's part of the charm to the game that makes it feel so personal (as it always has in cRPGs).  Although it follows the same structure as the first game, this iteration seems a lot more tolerable for a wider audience than before.  I feel rather compelled to get the game now.  If you're even a bit curious about the game, I highly recommend downloading the demo to see if it's for you.  Etrian Odyssey releases February 26, 2013 exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS.

GameLight - Final Fantasy All The Bravest

Official Site: Final Fantasy All The Bravest on iOS
Source: Youtube Channel squareenix

I saw this little game 2 days ago on Joystiq and thought "wow, what a quirky little game that looks fast-paced and instantaneously satisfying!"  Final Fantasy All The Bravest is an iOS downloadable game for iPod/iPhones and iPad where the player controls up to 40 characters on screen by swiping and poking to fight off enemies.  The game looks ridiculous, but also entertaining at the same time.  For $3.99, this game looked great!  Then today, I found out there was a catch.  The game is centered around micro-transactions.  You want a new map?  $3.99.  You want another character?  $.99 but you can't choose who you get, it's entirely random.  Your party members have fallen and you can choose to wait 3 minutes to 2 hours or you can pay to have them revived.  A game shouldn't revolve around paying just to progress through a game.  It's like paying a whole line of tolls on a highway just to get to the beach.  The player is paying so much just to be able to have a few minutes of fun before having to pay more.  It reminds me of the comic Penny Arcade drew back in 2005 (which btw the guys over there hated this game too).  I'd love to try out Final Fantasy All The Bravest, but it's certainly not something I'd put money into.  Does Square-Enix really care that little about their fans now?  If you're willing to take the risk and give the game a shot, click on the top link and pick it up for $3.99.  I'd recommend playing on an iPad rather than a iPod touch/iPhone seeing how much area space is needed.


Source:
-Joystiq: Final Fantasy All The Bravest hits iOS tomorrow
-Kotaku: The Slow, Excruciating Death Of Final Fantasy

GameLight Review - Breath of Death VII

Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/107300/

Source: Youtube Channel zeboydgames

Developer: Zeboyd Games
Publisher: Zeboyd Games
Platforms: PC (Steam), Xbox 360 (XBLA)
Release Date: Jul 13, 2011 (Steam)
Genre: RPG

Pros:
-Reminiscent of classic turn-based RPGs
-Fast-based combat (I wish Pokémon battles were this fast)
-Not too long of a game, even for an RPG

Cons:
-Although a parody, the game wasn't exactly a laughing riot
-Doesn't have much in dynamics, but at least the game's consistent
-Geared towards a very specific demographic

Breath of Death VII is a straight-up, turn-based, RPG that parodies many games, old-school RPGs and itself.  It's definitely for those who are tolerant of classic RPGs and grew up with it as it doesn't really derive itself from being to different or innovative.  The combat is fast to get in and out of so random encounters aren't as painful to get through as they are in classic RPGs.  The branching level-up system changes the way the player wants to build their party and can really determine how successful they are in the harder difficulty levels.  The game isn't very long, and it does have some entertainment value out of it; however, it got boring after a while and wasn't particularly memorable.  It was a fun distraction while it lasted and those who grew up with classic RPGs will able to appreciate it more than those who didn't.

Aesthetics
Some of the design choices are those prior to Dragon Quest/Warrior such as having no background in battles and is seen from a first-person perspective.  A lot of the sprites and moving screens are more influenced by 8-bit games than 16-bit ones.  The characters aren't particularly interesting, but they each have their moments.  The whole game felt like it was made in RPG Maker 2000, and so the maps and level designs aren't very complex.  A lot of the tile sets are reused throughout the game and enemies will have color changes to show that they're a higher level version of the same type.  Everything seems to be used effectively in the game for its purpose of showcasing an old-school game, and the main complaint would have to be that the level designs made it a bit confusing to navigate through in the last part of the game.  It's because it's "not" complex that it was easy to get lost since a lot of places looked the same.  The music were taken from newgrounds with permission by various composers and in some way has made a somewhat cohesive soundtrack for the game.  The game's graphics and audio weren't bad, but they weren't incredible either even though it's a parody game.  I guess I felt like more could've been done with it, yet leaving how it is now is fine too.  Aesthtics: 6/10

Buttons
If you've played ANY RPG before, this game should be fairly easy.  Go from one place to another, buy better gear, farm and grind if the next area is too hard, and optimize your party's abilities/equipment.  Navigating through the game is pretty easy when you're not lost and the ability to run in the map makes trekking through it less painful when they're so big.  Combat was very easy and figuring out the best course of action didn't take too long.  Controls were extremely simple: movement, confirm, cancel.  There really isn't much to talk about the controls as they are what they were in the retro RPGs and that simplicity is what set RPGs apart from cRPGs (computer RPGs that required drafting out maps and memorizing spells) and made it more mainstream.  Buttons: 10/10

Concept & Content
The concept is very simple: its own take on classic RPG.  There isn't much in terms of content aside from higher difficulty levels and a score attack which is pretty much playing the entire game over again.  The one aspect I really liked about the game that more turn-based games should do is how quickly the player gets in and out of battle.  I don't need a 5-10 second transition in and out of battle every time I have to fight an enemy as it wastes a lot of time.  The branching level-up system was interesting, but it probably affects higher difficulty levels more than the lower level ones.  There were a few videogame references from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Gauntlet, and Final Fantasy, but they were mere nods to those games rather than a full blown joke.  There were a few moments where it did make me laugh and some of the character dialogues were commendable, but there weren't that many considering the game was only 4 hours worth of gameplay.  The game didn't have too much to offer, but it stayed true to the classic RPG taste.  Concept and Content: 6/10

Duration
The length of the game is debatable.  I was actually happy with the 4 hours I got out of it because any longer than that would have felt dragged out.  RPG fans might not like how short the game is considering it's an RPG.  The overall progress was variable as some parts felt just right for the game flow while other parts very slow.  The replay value is through its harder difficulty levels and score attack.  Aside from that, there isn't much to the game.  It was meant as a short parody.  Duration: 6/10

Fun
I didn't have high expectations from the game and kind of knew what I was getting into.  Despite the game being so short, it did take me a while before I completed it.  It was hard playing through the game for long durations.  It wasn't particularly captivating, but there were moments when I really enjoyed the game.  After completing the game once, I really didn't have the motivation to play through it again.  I liked the fast-paced combat and the silly quips the characters had, but exploration was boring and finding my way out was kind of a bother when a lot of branch points led to a dead end or back to the beginning of the map.  It was fun while it lasted.  Fun: 7/10

Overall
It wasn't that bad of a game, but I didn't get much out of the experience either.  If anything, it was a great distraction from all the First-Person shooters I've been playing.  The retro-style graphics were a nice touch, but the lack of battle backgrounds felt kind of empty.  The game is so familiar that it doesn't really spark much intrigue past the interest in playing something retro.  Those who grew up with old school RPGs or is looking for a simple game to play may enjoy Breath of Death VII, but I feel most other gamers will lost interest after the first town.  Overall: 7/10

GameLight - Final Fantasy XIII-2

Official Site: http://na.square-enix.com/ffxiii-2/

Source: Youtube Channel gamespot

Final Fantasy XIII-2 released for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 last night at mid-night.  I've done my best to keep all materials of FF13-2 to a minimal for me since I haven't played through FF13 yet (The story does follow up from the first iteration).  It's sad, I bought FF13 on the first week it came out and I have yet to find the time to play it yet.  Since I am playing 9 different RPGs on PS3 right now, not even including FF13 which makes 10, FF13-2 is a low priority on my want list.  However, that doesn't mean that I don't want it at all.  I still love Final Fantasy very much, no matter the form or presentation it might show up in.  Right now, there are large rifts between among the community of people who stopped playing any Final Fantasy games, ones who never played it and love it now, veteran fans who hate it now, and some who still love it.  With the release of a very "noob friendly" FF13 and a "boring" FF14, the gaming community still wonders if there is still hope for the franchise, especially with the release of FF13-2.  So far, the game has been getting an average of high 70's low 80's on Metacritic after 16 hours of release.  The combat system is changed up a bit and so provides a slightly different experience for new players and returning ones.  A lot of players (not critics) seemed to not have liked the changes in FF13 in that it was too linear or easy.  For a series that didn't change its formula for 10 iterations, it's difficult to stay fresh and still please everyone.  FF11 was an online game and created an entirely different community and FF12 was so different that fans weren't sure what to make of it.  Much like what Koei had to face with their long running Dynasty Warriors series (changed everything in DW6 and a lot of fans hated it and then refined the old with the new in DW7 creating one of the best in the series), Square-Enix worked hard on addressing the problems with FF13 and accentuating everything that worked in FF13-2.  From what I've ready on critics' opinions on FF13-2 so far, the maps are a lot more open and the combat is a bit more dynamic from its "auto-attack" counter-part.  The graphics are still spectacular and just pure bliss to look at.  New characters are brought to the scene and the story continues from the first one which should be a real treat for those who liked FF13.  I'm definitely getting FF13-2, but not on the first week this time.

GameLight - Pokémon Plus Nobunaga's Ambition

Official JP Site: http://www.pokemon.co.jp/ex/ranse/
Wikia Page: http://koei.wikia.com/wiki/Pokémon_Plus_Nobunaga_no_Yabou

Source: Youtube Channel ThePokemonCompanyCH

A new Pokémon game is coming out (at least in Japan)!  But it's not what most are expecting.  Nintendo has teamed up with historical war game developer Koei in creating Pokémon plus Nobunaga's Ambition, a Tactical Strategy RPG for the Nintendo DS.  When I saw the video on Kotaku, I was excited.  "Whoa, Sengoku era warlords fighting with Pokémon?  Awesome!"  The article shared on Kotaku was written by Brian Ashcraft (I go to Kotaku specifically to read stuff he writes) and he explained his reaction of watching the trailer with his 8-year old child.  They were both perplexed and confused with why they would do such a cross over.  This is not surprising as it's a strange mash-up.  I told my father, once an avid player of Nobunaga's Ambition back in the NES days, about the cross over and he thought it was absolutely absurd.  "It's just too strange."

Just some background on what Nobunaga's Ambition is about: It's part of a long series of historical strategy games developed by Koei based on Japan's Sengoku Period (1467–1573) where many feudal warlords seeked to conquer and unify Japan.  Among those leaders was a man named Nobunaga Oda who held one of the largest armies and was a forced to be reckoned with.  Games based off that time period are numerous and should be familiar in one name or another.  Some of these games, aside from Nobunaga's Ambition, that is based off the history or references historical figures are: Sengoku Basara (known as Devil Kings in the Western market) (Capcom), Onimusha (Capcom), Samurai Warriors (Koei), Kessen 3 (Koei), Shogun: Total War (Electronic Arts, Sega), Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties (Microsoft Game Studios), etc.

I'm guessing that the team behind the Pokémon franchise wants to try something new and grab a new audience, specifically those who are interested in historical Japan/the matured audience exposed to the history.  In all honesty, I'm really sick of the same Pokémon games that have been spewing out over and over.  So whenever Nintendo decides to develop or have another company develop a new type of game like Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, Pokémon Pinball, or Pokémon Rumble, I get excited and am willing to try it out.  With a crazy mix between Pokémon and Samurai fighting, I say "why not?"  I'm hoping that it gets brought over to the Western market, though I'm not sure how well it would sell.

Source:
-Kotaku: Watching the New Pokémon Trailer with an 8-Year-Old

GameLight - The Binding of Isaac

From the creators of Super Meat Boy comes a hardcore dungeon crawler:

Source: Youtube Channel iamjamesid

While the trailer is rather disturbing, the game does look interesting.  From the Steam page: "The Binding of Isaac is a randomly generated action RPG shooter with heavy Rogue-like elements."  It's definitely a reminiscence of "The Legend of Zelda" when going into a dungeon.  The graphics are obscure, grotesque, and down-right odd, which makes it difficult to decide whether that's a good choice to look unique or an uncomfortable one.  I really liked Super Meat Boy a lot, and I'm very excited to see what Team Meat will do for this game.  The game will release on Steam for $5 in September.  You can check it out on:
-Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/113200/?snr=1_4_4__13

NewNews - Diablo 3 announces auction house with real currency

Here's a video I found which explains some of the changes and announcement made for Diablo 3.  You can alternatively read the source article on the bottom:

Source: Youtube Channel OMFGcata

So Blizzard has decided to allow players to auction off and bid for items in-game with real money.  The reasoning behind this was that the same activities were done on sketchy websites and in-game dealers who were willing to sell items for real money.  This was allowing 3rd-parties to earn money off the game (or rip off a poor kid who didn't know better).  So in a way, Blizzard is trying to look out for the players; however, a lot of people have been saying that it is an act of greed.  That could be the case if Blizzard is earning money off of it, but I don't know how that would work yet.  I suppose if you look at Team Fortress 2 and Valve's change in business model for it, it makes more sense.  Valve places items for high prices and players still buy them.  Of course, Blizzard also mentioned that items can still be auctioned with in-game gold.  I never liked auction houses in online games.  Items were always at high prices and unless they were the best equipment that a player could get, it eventually becomes useless later on.  If it is the best, it would take a long time to get the amount of currency in-game to be able to get it.  I am curious about the auction house allowing the use of real money though.  It makes me wonder if I can make any money off the game if I just auctioned off rare items instead of buying or bidding.  I'm not sure how crazy I'll play when the game comes out since I barely touched Starcraft 2 after I bought it the first week (even got the Collector's Edition too).  We'll see...

In addition, Blizzard announced that the game will require a constant connection to the internet (be it single-player or multiplayer online).  It's not a surprise to me at all since Starcraft 2 was like that.  It's not too big of a problem, but I feel a lot more disconnected from the game when it requires it.  I feel like I'm always on an unstable line to be able to play my games when they require a constant internet connection.  I suppose I'm used to it already from playing games on Steam.  Regardless, I am still ecstatic about Diablo 3 and can't wait to play it when it comes out.

Source:
-Gamasutra: Blizzard Reveals Real Money-Powered Diablo III Auction House
-Joystiq: Diablo 3 to feature player-to-player real money auction house for virtual items 

GameLight Review - Terraria

Official Site: http://www.terraria.org/
Buy it on Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/105600/

Source: Youtube Channel demilogic

Developer: Re-Logic
Distributor: Steam
Platforms: PC
Release Date: May 16, 2011
Genre: Adventure, Indie, Action, RPG

Pros:
-World is randomly generated which makes exploration for each new world different
-Lots of items, equipment, tools, weapons, materials and content
-Non-linear, you can play the game anyway you like.  It's a sandbox-like game.
-Multiplayer provides many ways of playing including Role-Play, Player versus Player, and Co-op
-New content is regularly added to the game

Cons:
-Gathering the needed materials can be a grind
-Setting up Multiplayer can be a hassle and has some lag sometimes
-You'll have so much fun that you didn't realize the sun is already up

Terraria is exactly the type of game I need after a long day's work and competitive gaming becomes to frustrating to play.  Terraria has a good balance between relaxing gameplay and fast-paced action.  There is no ultimate goal set for the player, so the player is free to choose what they want to do.  Some like to build incredible buildings like art pieces, some like to explore and fight monsters, and others like to compete against other players.  When a world is created, it is randomly generated and allows the player to explore, gather materials, and fight monsters in an on-going adventure where in-game time affects the gameplay and new content is regularly added like an online game would for their MMORPGs.  It is easily explained as a 2D version of Minecraft with more combat and exploration along with the building but has its own special aspects that makes it unique and captivating.  For $10, you can easily get 50-100+ hours out of playing Terraria and even more if you play with friends or other people online.

Graphics
The developers decided to go with a retro pixel art style as their main medium.  Because of this, the game runs very smoothly even on the highest resolution.  The game captures the nostalgia of classic 2D games through its pixel-based sprites, some platforming, and even costumes referencing to many 2D retro games such as Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda.  The decision to stick with pixel-based sprites also makes it easier for the developers to create new content and quickly add them to the game.  It's also an easy way for players to be able to quickly determine the environment around them due to its simplicity in color contrast and differences.  Even with the classic pixel art, the game still has some lighting effects, particle effects and such which gives it a bit more modern feel.  I couldn't imagine the game in using flash-based vector art or 3D models in a 2D environment.  It would lose its unique charm without things looking so retro.  All the measurements are block based which makes it easier to program randomly generated worlds.  All that's missing is having even more content for the game to expand its library of things to collect and do.  Graphics: 10/10

Audio
Here's where it gets a bit weird.  The music in Terraria are composed of orchestral sounding instruments, 8-bit soundchips, and some electronic drums and synths.  It sounds awkward at first, but it quickly fits in the game.  The music is actually very imperative to the gameplay.  It signifies cues throughout the game to let the player know what's going on.  There's music to tell when it's day time, when it's night time, when the player is 100 meters below the surface, when they're in a corrupted area, etc.  Each track is about a minute long, and they might get annoying to some people (I like it).  I can't say I love it, but the music is catchy, memorable, and works rather well with Terraria.  The sound effects are the usual "swoosh" and "bang" of swords and guns with a few recordings of the player going "ow" or "splat" after the player dies.  You will probably hear "splat" a lot in the beginning as it's not an easy game.  The music and sound effects aren't stellar or mind-blowing, but they really work with the game and more than satisfactory.  Audio: 8/10

Gameplay
Terraria turned out to be a lot harder than I thought, which made me like it even more.  The game challenges the player to adapt to situations, even if the player is free to do what they want.  I didn't know too much about building my own structure, so I spent most of the time in the beginning flattening lands, gathering wood, and killing slimes.  When night came, I experienced the difficulties of not having a house to protect me and was slaughtered by zombies and floating eyeballs 7 times within the night-time in-game.  So much of the gameplay is about exploring, learning from mistakes, venturing off to unknown territories to gain new items and materials, and making the game what the player wants out of it.  I like the exploration and fighting aspects of the game, but I also like some of the more leisurely tasks as well.  So in the game during daytime, I collect materials and build my house.  At night, I forge new weapons, decorate my house, go outside to fight bosses, and organize my backpack.  When I feel ready, I journey off underground or off to the sides of the maps to more dangerous areas to see what I can find.  The player has a ton of things they can do: mine, build, craft, fight, explore, hunt for treasure, PvP, Role-Play, etc.  The reason why it's called a sandbox game is that the world is the player's sandbox, and they can do what they want in it.  It has the exciting aspects of finding new weapons like in Phantasy Star Online (one of my favorite games) and exploring new areas that are really dangerous like in Demon's Souls (became one of my favorite games).  The player can also choose to play on "Hardcore Mode" which really tests the player's ability to play safely and smart and not die.  Normally, a player would lose half the money they carry if they die, but in Hardcore mode, you lose EVERYTHING and your health goes back to the default amount max capacity.  I will try that one day.  Aside from the fighting, exploring, and finding treasure, gathering certain ores (mainly hellstone ores) can be a drag and take hours to get the amount needed for the equipment you want.  And if you play Hardcore mode, it'll just make you want to cry.  I hope the game continues to expand.  Gameplay: 9/10

Replay Value
There are 3 different world sizes (small, medium, large) to create and the positions of areas and items each time a world is made.  The developer is also trying to create enough content so that it allows players to create character builds to have varying play styles.  Along with multiplayer, PvP, hardcore mode, and starting new characters, the game can last quite a while.  For those who mainly play until they've found all the secrets in the world and items, it gets to a point where there's nothing more rare or stronger to get anymore.  So the game isn't perfect for constant replaying, but it's great for those who can be creative in how they play.  Replay Value: 9/10

Overall
I can't express enough of how great of a game this is.  It's a mix of casual with a bit of hardcore with a lot of unexpected surprises.  It's relaxing to gather materials and build structures but it's also exciting fighting bosses and spelunking deep into caves to find treasure.  There are things the developers can do to improve the game such as adding more content, making multiplayer more accessible to the players, and continue to expand the game, but it's enough now to fully enjoy the game in its present state.  For $10, you can spend dozens of hours that you'll continue to have fun with compared to many $60 games that you might spend 7 hours to complete and toss aside (though not all retail games are like that).  What'll be even better is if you can get a few friends to play as the game truly shines during multiplayer.  I haven't been so captivated by a game since I played Demon's Souls (spent 80 hours on that thus far).  Terraria is truly a compelling game that no one should miss out on.  Overall: 9/10

GameLight - Terraria

Official Site: http://www.terraria.org/

Source: Youtube Channel demilogic

Terraria is a game I HAVE to talk about.  This was recently part of the Steam's Summer Sales and was featured on the last two days of the sale (if you scroll down, you can see them in the images).  It's a phenomenal indie developed game that mixes the sandbox aspects of building with exploration and action/adventure of side-scrollers.  To give (a possibly bad, but helpful) example, the game is like the new generation Castlevania series in that you can freely travel around the world within the game, but everything around you can be manipulated, gathered and recreated like in the indie developed game Minecraft (an equally fun and compelling game).  Terraria is often compared to Minecraft as the "2D version", but I think the difference is drawn in that Minecraft has more of a building and social aspect while Terraria is more of exploration and combat.  The game doesn't have a tutorial and pretty much plops the player right into the world that is randomly generated.  I started off the game like I did in Minecraft and walked around while cutting down trees and picking up dirt blocks.  I had to leave when I first started and came back only to find myself being at night in the game where everything is hard to see.  Suddenly, I start seeing zombies and flying eyeballs close in on me and eat away my life while striking them only scratches a piece of their health off.  I was in danger, I didn't have a strong weapon, and I didn't have shelter.  I had died 6-7 times in the span of that one night in-game time, and that was enough to teach me my first lesson: build a shelter.  Thinking about it, I could've built a barricade around me with dirt blocks and waited out the night.  But I think that's something I like about the game: you learn how to play by learning from your mistakes and experiences (like in Demon's Souls!).  Yes, the game can be a bit intimidating since everything seems kind of confusing, but it was the main attraction in that I could die as many times as I want and the most that will happen is that I get brought back to the spawn point (which is probably bad when playing on large planets).  It made exploration fun and exciting.  There is so much that can be experimented with.  Later, I joined a friend and I started learning more about how the game works.  There are deep caverns underneath that you can dig into and collect ores to craft items and equipment.  I learned how to make a shelter and protect myself from the monsters at night and how to create weapons so that I have an easier time fighting when I need to.  The combat can be anything from easy killings to insane challenges, especially the bosses:

Source: Youtube Channel NeptuneYT

If you like sandbox-like games where you have a lot of freedom of what you want to do as well as classic 2D action games, then you gotta check this game out: http://store.steampowered.com/app/105600/