This year was one of the biggest years in gaming! Not only did Nintendo Kill it with the Nintendo Switch by making a system that avoids most, but not all, flaws of modern gaming systems, there where a ton of good games that where released this year. However, this year was not perfect as there some bad games as well as major disappointing games of this year. These are the Top 5s of this year. This is more of a personal list of the games that I have played this year with no real easy target as shovelwere is excluded. However, Inde-games are now included as they are reaching a major boom within the industry. With that in mind...
5th Best -- Mario Rabbits
This is the most surprising game of this year that was tacitly made like Super Mario RPG but with X-Com instead of Final Fantasy. Dispute having only 4 worlds, each world has 9 acts making this a decently long game. This is lower on the list since Ubi decided to add a season pass for this game since Wall Street expects gaming to make big bucks instead of making a good game, which is very sad but true. However, if anyone wants to get into a good tactics game with the least random numbers within the gameplay with a new twist, have a go at one of the most interesting cross-overs of this year.
4th Best -- Yakuza 0
This is the best Yakuza yet as not only you get the backstory of Yadama, but the most developed character within the series Majima Goro, A down-on-his-luck showtime manager who was shamed after talking back upon his boss and is order to assassinate a massage therapist who own property in land the Yakuza wants. Together with these two characters, they fight off the Yakuza with one of the franchise best mechanics as well as fun mini-games on the side that defines the cheesy action within Yakuza while being the best yet.
3rd Best -- Sonic Mania
What happens when you get the team that helped develop the actual good ports of Sonic games for mobile system and make them the head to develop a game influenced by Sonic 3 and Knuckles with Music from Sonic CD? This game that ended up as one of the best sonic games of all time thanks to all the love that was put within the game. Just as long as Sonic 3 and Knuckles, with unlocks as Blue Sphere unlocks bonus content as well as the true final boss as past sonic games. This is best for mods on PC and Portable on The Nintendo Switch as you can enjoy this game anywhere, anytime.
2nt Best -- A Hat in Time
To help wash the disappointment of Yooka-Layle, I decided to buy A Hat in Time, one of the best inde-games of this year. While I was tempted to play Cup Head, I completed A Hat in Time within a few weeks feeling satisfied unlike game like Breath of the Wild and Mario Odyssey which felt like completing those games felt pointless. However, A Hat in Time had so much polish they it felt better than the two predecessors Mario Sunshine or Windwaker but as much camp as the Paper Mario series. This is one inde darling that really needs love as it like a sweet dessert or appetizer before the main coarse of this year.
1st Best -- Mario Odyssey
I was tempted not to put this on the list as completing the game isn't really worth it, personally needed to keep this list somewhat free from Nintendo products to be bias on the best year Nintendo had in some time, but when one realized that it's been a generation without a good Mario game, the true open freedom that means something as there are TONS of moons within the game that is somewhat satisfying when it's intentional or not, and it's the best game to get if getting the Nintendo Switch for Christmas for good little boys and girls! Coins have meaning as they adopted the Shovel Knight money system as coins can be used for so many things from health boost to cosmetics that Mario can wear. while it's below Mario Galaxy in aspects, one can go on about how this is one of the cleanest Mario game yet.
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While these games are the best games that I have played in some time, there are some terrible games that should be avoided. These games are bad either they have major flaws that cannot be over-looked. The one that offends players, make them angry, sad, laugh at the game out of irony instead of humor, and makes players sick to the stomach levels of bad. These are the worst games of 2017:
Worst 5 -- Double Dragon 4
While there was already Super Double Dragon and the much loved Double Dragon Neon, ARK Systems decided to try to cash-on on the licence because of the success of River City Ransom: Underground. This game is the lazy as the levels are barren and empty more than Fallout with the same enemy type sprinkled here and there. There was no focus as the game has terrible direction of story, design, narrative, and even to it's completion. What a mess!
Worst 4 -- Sonic Forces
This is going to be a hot-topic, but this game everyone knew will be bashed on by the sonic critics. While there was some that will defend this game out of the campy nature of it and the Sonic Hero character creator, this game could not live up to it's hype. While some blame Sonic Mania as the reason it fail, it failed because it had the same level designer from Sonic Lost World with two new people. It's yet another Sonic game that failed because of the similar problems: bad level design, bad controls where you die on some sections from when you moved or not, bad writhing and dialog, and a incompetent villain that is infinite...And they reuse the same final boss from colors.
Worst 3 -- Mass Effect: Andromeda
Just when you think Ubi-soft can have the glitchiest face-rig since Assassin's Creed's funny and creepy glitches, EA steps in to creepy-pasta levels as this game had the craziest faces. Past this, they also have the worst lines, bare-bone, mediocre combat, emptiness by barren landscapes, and while this game generated so many funny memes, this game was more than a disappointing game by Bio-ware. This game was terribly rushed by EA as they had a deadline that Bio-ware faced, so there was no way they could have made the game as they hoped.
Worst 2 -- 1-2-Switch
What was meant to be a tech-demo for the Nintendo Switch proves that Nintendo has a hard time letting go of their past innovations of the Wii and Wii U. This game could have been included with the Nintendo Switch and maybe it would be forgivable, but it's a separate game with half-baked mini-games. However, this game is at full price for Around 60 USD or 70 Canadian dollars, skip this game at all cost, as this game feels like a con from the other great Switch games that are out there for players to enjoy.
Worst 1 -- Star Wars: Battlefront II
This game proves that Ea is the WORST company of this year. Star Wars Battlefront II shows how low a company can be willing to go with micro-transactions to sell power to younger players, causing them to be addicted to a form of gambling. The game is a slow-grind to force pay-to-win as major pay-walls treats their customers as whales and makes the game unfair and those who buy those feel dirty. Back then, transactions usually get away with this because most are cosmetics like those in Free-to-play or earned by leveling like within games like Over-Watch. While this game did disable this system after everyone calling them out including Disney, who owns the right to the franchise. This occurrence can happen again, as EA could pull this back up on any other day. But even without the micro-transactions, this game is nothing but a generic, boring shovel-ware like game that dose nothing to the franchise. No wonder Disney threats to take the licence away from EA...
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Now after the list of good and terrible games, these are the "M'eh" Games that could have been good but ended up failing impressing players either by being bland by having a bad execution in music, level design, while under good ideas, ambitions, and shows the will of most developers. These are the most disappointing games of 2017:
Disappointment #5 -- Yooka-Laylee
This game personally backed by yours truly, while I did have fun with the game, it was one of the first disappointing games of this year. For one, this game's world was huge just to have nothing in them. Completing this game was a head-ache as everything is scattered instead of leading like past rare games. If suffers the same issues as Donkey Kong 64 and Banjo-Tooie where collecting is a chore instead of a bread-crumb reward. Thankfully, Playtonic is working on these error as they port the game on the Nintendo Switch as well as becoming g a secant arty with Nintendo once again. Hopefully, the devs learn that they need to finish first instead of just finishing to a mediocre level, as agreed with Stop Skeleton from Fighting's review.
Disappointment #4 -- Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite
While this game is fun for the hardcore fans, this felt sabotaged from day one as the roister is not as good as the past games. Part of this is the fight between Sony and Disney as both companies fight for the wrights to the point that Disney is thinking of buying out and consuming Sony. While there is finally a story mode for this franchise, the writing for it is not the best as other fighters like BlazBlue and Guilty Gear not did it best, but helped define that idea for fighters. While some fans can forgive this, others are more likely to go to games like Injustice 2 that dose it better., which is highly recommended.
Disappointment #3 -- Agents of Mayhem
Just as disappointing as Gat Out of Hell, this game could have been good if the game wasn't as repetitive and unpolished as it came out. There was some interesting ideas like having animation of a Saturday Morning cartoon, having verity of different characters , and they even have risky advertisements as they posted a clip on a porn site of all things. However, all this can only take a company so far as after the launch, many devs where laid off to cut cost of lost from their past failings. Ones would hope that these devs actually find jobs within the industry.
Disappointment #2 -- Arms
While Splatoon was one of the biggest ideas finally realized on the Nintendo Switch, Arms is a game that no one really bought into because many found it lacking and over-shadowed. While there is new content coming to the game, the results is that Arms is one of the most disappointing Switch games. One of the big factors is that while it had good modes, bad ones often caused problems such as volleyball and team battles that players didn't like at all. Maybe if Nintendo cut the fat in the sequel or maybe in the next update, the game could have been a knock-out. Personally, wait for a sale.
Disappointment #1 -- Middle-Earth: Shadow of War
While Shadows of Mordor did not age well, it was a good game at the time. While most players can avoid paying for the loot-crates within the game, it shouldn't be in the game within the first place. The loot-crates caused this game to be a heavy drag, as grinding is the worst thing in gaming, as it tempts the players into buying micro-transactions which only benefits high-level players. From equipment to even the oorks can be bought from these DLCs. This is sad as the game is fun considering the major problems that was put in because of the current affairs that is micro-transactions in current games and it will be a future problem, as countries are taking action against this. This might actually be the final game for Middle-Earth as well, as it has a fitting conclusion as if Wanner Brothers knew it couldn't carry the series any further without messing with the cannon as the game dose. One can only hope a game developer takes the idea of the Nemesis system and runs well with it.
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Well, this was such a year. A year of gaming that often comes after a few and far between. As this year is coming to a close, a new one comes and things occur for both for the best and for the worst. This year was great for gaming, so ones would hope that things would get even better as new games come out. There's even games like Okami HD that's coming out in the month of December for everyone to enjoy.To everyone one and all, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Thursday, December 7, 2017
Saturday, September 16, 2017
Splatoon 2: Kid, Squid, once again!
To be honest, Splatoon 1 was a huge disappointment and a reason I didn't recommend picking the game up. One of the reasons was the game itself was on a dead console. Producing an original concepts can be a great idea, and it can save a new system, but not then the ads confuse their audience to think it was an add-on instead of a new system with a bad gimmick.
Another would be that the game did not have that much content at launch. While Splatoon did get patches that added new weapons, by the time it came out, most players have moved on to other, bigger games. Finally, while the story mode's there to train new players, the bosses where badly designed, there was no completion bonus besides the backstory of the Inklings and Octolings which can be found online anyways.
Now Splatoon 2 is out, with a a new single player story, new weapons, new multiplayer maps, but the same Splatfest with new problems. However, this is getting ahead of the review. It is a sequel as most shooters that did fix most of their past issues as a shooter. It is worth getting for those who skipped?
First off is the game play, which is is mostly the same with minor adjustments. Thankfully, the game play in story mode is much more selective as players can unlock new weapons as they move on to new worlds within the game. While the level design is not as good as the first, the game play within the single player story mode was much more improved as verity and replayability as completing the game requires to beat the level with all weapons.
The story continues as you are yet another kit as agent 3 from the first game is off elsewhere, meaning it could be DLC for another story mode, as to guest. The octolings returned and took the MacGuffins that power the city and one must get them back and defeat the big bad. While story mode is not a big focus, completing the game will give the player Hero replicas that can be used in multiplayer! This makes completing the game giving the player an advantage if they do not have the amiibos.
While multiplayer stayed mostly the same, the netcode is somewhat better but new bugs often render it's head as during the Ketchup Vs. Mayonnaise, the match making bugged to the point that teams often faced themselves and caused the internet to be very disappointing with this small hick-up. While this issue was fixed, a new one came up where the match wasn't counted correctly and the other team would won even if they where around ten percent or more. Maybe when Nintendo Launch their online service by next year, managing the servers would be less complicated. Who knows?
The worst offence, besides the slow opening news with Pearl and Marina, is Splatfest as the pairings as newcomers who skipped out Spaltoon for other games like Over-Watch, as while players are subjected to new weapons that the players cannot earn until later levels. Shooters like Splatoon needs asymmetrical balance as it feels lost from the launch of the game thanks to the added content to the game. This punishes anyone who wanted to wait the game out and to the way of entry is a very harsh slope where new players cannot enjoy Splatfest as they tend to clash with older players and it causes team imbalance, annoying older players as well. Once again, patches can fix this if new problems are introduced.
The best addition to Spaltoon 2 would be the new mode called Salmon Run, as players co-operate together to gather Salmon Eggs for this wooden bear for prizes via promotions from coins to helmets and gear that cannot be obtained though normal gameplay. This is a great way to play with friends, family and other players around the world. This is the game's hoard mode, as Salmon monsters and their bosses surface for squid-kid Calamari! Players often switch weapons within three matches, so players often have to adjust as some weapons are better for some while worst for others. When done, ask for the promotion at the front booth to get one's rewards. While it is only open on certain days, it's understandable because having this open would break the game as the rewards give big cash and prizes.
Overall, this game is a much better time than the first game, but still has some of the issues that Splatoon tends to be known for while this game is a blast to play with friends. The new content dose help with keeping the game fresh for older players but would recommend new players to play with friends and level before taking part with Splatfest. Salmon Run is a great new addition to help get cash and rewards. To those who have skipped out, now is the time to play the game. It maybe not as popular as over-watch, but it is still a chance a pace from the games of the past.
Another would be that the game did not have that much content at launch. While Splatoon did get patches that added new weapons, by the time it came out, most players have moved on to other, bigger games. Finally, while the story mode's there to train new players, the bosses where badly designed, there was no completion bonus besides the backstory of the Inklings and Octolings which can be found online anyways.
Now Splatoon 2 is out, with a a new single player story, new weapons, new multiplayer maps, but the same Splatfest with new problems. However, this is getting ahead of the review. It is a sequel as most shooters that did fix most of their past issues as a shooter. It is worth getting for those who skipped?
First off is the game play, which is is mostly the same with minor adjustments. Thankfully, the game play in story mode is much more selective as players can unlock new weapons as they move on to new worlds within the game. While the level design is not as good as the first, the game play within the single player story mode was much more improved as verity and replayability as completing the game requires to beat the level with all weapons.
The story continues as you are yet another kit as agent 3 from the first game is off elsewhere, meaning it could be DLC for another story mode, as to guest. The octolings returned and took the MacGuffins that power the city and one must get them back and defeat the big bad. While story mode is not a big focus, completing the game will give the player Hero replicas that can be used in multiplayer! This makes completing the game giving the player an advantage if they do not have the amiibos.
While multiplayer stayed mostly the same, the netcode is somewhat better but new bugs often render it's head as during the Ketchup Vs. Mayonnaise, the match making bugged to the point that teams often faced themselves and caused the internet to be very disappointing with this small hick-up. While this issue was fixed, a new one came up where the match wasn't counted correctly and the other team would won even if they where around ten percent or more. Maybe when Nintendo Launch their online service by next year, managing the servers would be less complicated. Who knows?
The worst offence, besides the slow opening news with Pearl and Marina, is Splatfest as the pairings as newcomers who skipped out Spaltoon for other games like Over-Watch, as while players are subjected to new weapons that the players cannot earn until later levels. Shooters like Splatoon needs asymmetrical balance as it feels lost from the launch of the game thanks to the added content to the game. This punishes anyone who wanted to wait the game out and to the way of entry is a very harsh slope where new players cannot enjoy Splatfest as they tend to clash with older players and it causes team imbalance, annoying older players as well. Once again, patches can fix this if new problems are introduced.
The best addition to Spaltoon 2 would be the new mode called Salmon Run, as players co-operate together to gather Salmon Eggs for this wooden bear for prizes via promotions from coins to helmets and gear that cannot be obtained though normal gameplay. This is a great way to play with friends, family and other players around the world. This is the game's hoard mode, as Salmon monsters and their bosses surface for squid-kid Calamari! Players often switch weapons within three matches, so players often have to adjust as some weapons are better for some while worst for others. When done, ask for the promotion at the front booth to get one's rewards. While it is only open on certain days, it's understandable because having this open would break the game as the rewards give big cash and prizes.
Overall, this game is a much better time than the first game, but still has some of the issues that Splatoon tends to be known for while this game is a blast to play with friends. The new content dose help with keeping the game fresh for older players but would recommend new players to play with friends and level before taking part with Splatfest. Salmon Run is a great new addition to help get cash and rewards. To those who have skipped out, now is the time to play the game. It maybe not as popular as over-watch, but it is still a chance a pace from the games of the past.
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
Beastly Byte: Sonic Mania
It's a sad fact that both fans and critics are split among the Sonic community as many, including myself, find most Sonic games to be...meh. While Sonic 1 was a messy start and Sonic 2 aged as much as cheddar that some collage kids forgot to clean up, Sonic 3 and Knuckles has to be the best as Sonic CD did not age too well dispute still having a killer sound track. It looks bleak until the reveal trailer for Sonic Mania appears, it brought hope to most people. However, is it really a good thing?
The Good:
The Good:
- This is a love letter to Sonic that plays like how Classic Sonic would be played today
- Play as Sonic Knuckles, and Tails as they usually play
- New Jump-Dash Mechanic for Sonic speed-runners to keep on the move
- References to other Sonic and Sega games leaves a charm and shows some heart
- Colorful signature design
- Level design that fit their ascetics and gimmick
- Unlock different styles from past games
- Story told Nonverbal, giving sonic life as was in Sonic 3 and Knuckles
- The Lifes system can be dated because Shovel Knight; Use the score as lifes instead, Devs
- The Crushing glitches are still around since Sonic 2
- The Switch Version has horrible delay when it's busy running the game
- The least lifes earned in this game; Hint: Farm at the first level. It sucks, I'm aware.
- The Bonus Level Blue Sphere dose not give you lifes; Just metals for unlocks!
- There's at least one boss somebody hates
- Felt like some of the levels are misplaced at times due to difficulty
Grade: B-
While the game is fun over-all, I would not say it's a perfect game as this game has suffered the flaws of its predecessors. While this game is disappointing to those fallen for the hype, this is a game that needed to exist to fix Sonic. And it has, as Sega is happy with the results of the sales. However, this game needs patching and I don't know if the counsel ports will ever be fix. Sonic 3 and Knuckles is still the top contender, but after tweaking within the PC community, this game will be much better as the lifes system can be modded out with a more shovel knight like system. The game is good, but it is far from being perfect. Until then, wait until the PC release, as this is Sonic's most challenging game.
Friday, June 2, 2017
Beastly Battle: Phantasy Star Online 2 Vs Final Fantasy 14; F2P vs MMORPG
Just a disclaimer : Since I played since the secant open beta, I seen Phantasy Star Online 2 go though most changes for almost around four years.While I could compare it to the first game, it would be too much like an episode sequelitis done by Egoraptor about the differences between Megaman and Megaman X. However, the story in PSO1 is much darker than the one in PSO2, as PSO2 is self-aware that they are in a game, trying to be more tongue-and-cheek. But besides the point, I think many critics and fans hammered the differences to the point that I rather do a comparison to Final Fantasy 14, who had to rebuild itself because how bad it was at launch and Square Enix did it for free. While I did not put much hours into FF14O, I try my best to research into the basics as best as I can.
Phantasy Star Online 2 is a free-to-play game sequel to the first on the Sega DreamCast before it was ported to every counsels and two different PC under the sun. Back then, it was an alright but got better within the later seasons. The story was meh, but at least the gameplay is heavy focused on fast-paced action and easy pick-up and play accessibility as the game has cross-platform play with both the PlayStation Vita and now the PlayStation 4. The servers are much more stable thanks because of Sony's involvement. Not like we can expect a truce with Nintendo for a Nintendo Switch Port, but maybe they can tempt them with English subtitles and a translation system? No, I'm kidding. Otherwise, they'll lose Sony's support.
There are several good points to Phantasy Star Online 2 as well: There are item trades from Excubes to shiny stones where one can even get thirteen star rares though this, there's collector's system that can help find event rares, there are yearly contest where tokens can be collected for both all-class and main-class weapons, teams can have boost benefits from experience, mesta, and damage from building up your literal team tree by collecting team points. The class combos are much refined than universe as there no real true class combo (After the bouncer nerf patch, anyways.) one can play the game in any two classes one would want.
However, as of Season 4, the Phantasy Star Online 2 has fallen to extremism. While the the story is about the phantoms lead by a new group of evil people leading them to destroy the Earth. The Arks to fight to defend Earth, the gameplay suffers as the game is not as accessible as it was in the past. This is because if the segregation of characters based on their . It's understandable that devs want to keep the best together by alienating them from the weak. Nothing kills an online game than sectionalism between class and races, something that Phantasy Star Universe suffered from the Beast and Casts race.
For one, it contracts from their orignal mission statement of The Arks that they'll accept anyone for who they are. Two, it forces the players to stop the pace in a way to slow the players down instead of checking if they have what it takes as an Arks member. Especially a required Quest Heaven or Hell, as the trail felt as if they were meant for players to spend real life money for scrape dolls. Granted, it can be done without these actions, but this still leaves a bad taste in Free players' mouths that they are forced to pay money to pass this paywall. And three, Sega is using the game as a cash cow, as they grasped and squeezed, which is sad because the devs once loved this franchise based off their favorite books like Disk Work to anime like Gundam. Now, it's hard to tell. I know the game being Free-to-play, eventually it ends up as a divorce as because the fans and the devs forgot they are partners though metaphorically means and things just fall apart when the love is gone.
But in another house, Final Fantasy 14 Online has been through counseling with their fanbase and has come to an agreement on how they needed to fix their game and their marriage entirely . While this game that is modeled after the subscription service (unless you play for free on the Playstation 4 version till level 30, and I highly recommend playing it!) This game is complete unlike Phantasy Star Online 2 as Free-to-play games often change constantly for both better or worst. The game is huge as the players explore a extranomical land with a strong story to boot. Players can change to different races from humans, dwarfs, techs, and the Waifu/Haifu cat race known as the Miqo'te.
This is a major departure from the last Final Fantasy Online game as everything has been revamped from their failed launch of the orignal, which was a nightmare of a mess that ended as a world reboot which is cannon to the game's story. The devs of this game then made a wonderful online game where while it takes time to adjust to the gameplay yet somehow absorbing as even filling out the world's map is very rewarding as it gives completion bonuses for each overworlds. Players can have either huge homes or apartments which they can choose from, craft weapons and sell items, join guilds for and against PvP within the over-world, and play in raids with other placers with multiple classes.
There are some minor issues and that's with the paid cosmetics which most modern game industries have been embracing from free-to-play games besides the normal monthly subscription. To be safe, you have to be in a clan or else you'll be targeted by PvPs that will nuke newcomers like flies on stink, inventory management is very clunky, The devs also just recently nerfed white madges as well, as overhealing is no longer an option so weaker characters have to dodge more. Not to mention the new DLCs are going to be costly because of licensing fees, meaning other countries like Canada have to pay taxes to get the DLC. At least they don't get their milk in bags anymore.
Besides all the pros and cons of both games, Final Fantasy 14 has to be the winner because while it does have it's cost, there's been much more production value into this game despite the heavy requirements for PC users. While Season 4 of Phantasy Star Online 2 did bring some improvements within the story mode, it forgot that Arks should stay together and if Sega doesn't fix it's flaws, predictions say that interest will drop and they game will slowly die like past free-to-play games before it.
Ironic because four is a number that is closest to death in the country of Japan. In fact, outside official servers of this game have closed down as the time of the review because many players prefered to stick together as the others' translations are so mistranslated they might as well be ran by 4kids. Funny that the game that Sega crossovered with Final Fantasy 14 will end up dragging their customers away from them. Hopefully, when Season 5 comes, we could recommend Phantasy Star Online 2 again. But until then, get the liferaft ready when this ship sink right into the ocean....
Phantasy Star Online 2 is a free-to-play game sequel to the first on the Sega DreamCast before it was ported to every counsels and two different PC under the sun. Back then, it was an alright but got better within the later seasons. The story was meh, but at least the gameplay is heavy focused on fast-paced action and easy pick-up and play accessibility as the game has cross-platform play with both the PlayStation Vita and now the PlayStation 4. The servers are much more stable thanks because of Sony's involvement. Not like we can expect a truce with Nintendo for a Nintendo Switch Port, but maybe they can tempt them with English subtitles and a translation system? No, I'm kidding. Otherwise, they'll lose Sony's support.
There are several good points to Phantasy Star Online 2 as well: There are item trades from Excubes to shiny stones where one can even get thirteen star rares though this, there's collector's system that can help find event rares, there are yearly contest where tokens can be collected for both all-class and main-class weapons, teams can have boost benefits from experience, mesta, and damage from building up your literal team tree by collecting team points. The class combos are much refined than universe as there no real true class combo (After the bouncer nerf patch, anyways.) one can play the game in any two classes one would want.
However, as of Season 4, the Phantasy Star Online 2 has fallen to extremism. While the the story is about the phantoms lead by a new group of evil people leading them to destroy the Earth. The Arks to fight to defend Earth, the gameplay suffers as the game is not as accessible as it was in the past. This is because if the segregation of characters based on their . It's understandable that devs want to keep the best together by alienating them from the weak. Nothing kills an online game than sectionalism between class and races, something that Phantasy Star Universe suffered from the Beast and Casts race.
For one, it contracts from their orignal mission statement of The Arks that they'll accept anyone for who they are. Two, it forces the players to stop the pace in a way to slow the players down instead of checking if they have what it takes as an Arks member. Especially a required Quest Heaven or Hell, as the trail felt as if they were meant for players to spend real life money for scrape dolls. Granted, it can be done without these actions, but this still leaves a bad taste in Free players' mouths that they are forced to pay money to pass this paywall. And three, Sega is using the game as a cash cow, as they grasped and squeezed, which is sad because the devs once loved this franchise based off their favorite books like Disk Work to anime like Gundam. Now, it's hard to tell. I know the game being Free-to-play, eventually it ends up as a divorce as because the fans and the devs forgot they are partners though metaphorically means and things just fall apart when the love is gone.
But in another house, Final Fantasy 14 Online has been through counseling with their fanbase and has come to an agreement on how they needed to fix their game and their marriage entirely . While this game that is modeled after the subscription service (unless you play for free on the Playstation 4 version till level 30, and I highly recommend playing it!) This game is complete unlike Phantasy Star Online 2 as Free-to-play games often change constantly for both better or worst. The game is huge as the players explore a extranomical land with a strong story to boot. Players can change to different races from humans, dwarfs, techs, and the Waifu/Haifu cat race known as the Miqo'te.
This is a major departure from the last Final Fantasy Online game as everything has been revamped from their failed launch of the orignal, which was a nightmare of a mess that ended as a world reboot which is cannon to the game's story. The devs of this game then made a wonderful online game where while it takes time to adjust to the gameplay yet somehow absorbing as even filling out the world's map is very rewarding as it gives completion bonuses for each overworlds. Players can have either huge homes or apartments which they can choose from, craft weapons and sell items, join guilds for and against PvP within the over-world, and play in raids with other placers with multiple classes.
There are some minor issues and that's with the paid cosmetics which most modern game industries have been embracing from free-to-play games besides the normal monthly subscription. To be safe, you have to be in a clan or else you'll be targeted by PvPs that will nuke newcomers like flies on stink, inventory management is very clunky, The devs also just recently nerfed white madges as well, as overhealing is no longer an option so weaker characters have to dodge more. Not to mention the new DLCs are going to be costly because of licensing fees, meaning other countries like Canada have to pay taxes to get the DLC. At least they don't get their milk in bags anymore.
Besides all the pros and cons of both games, Final Fantasy 14 has to be the winner because while it does have it's cost, there's been much more production value into this game despite the heavy requirements for PC users. While Season 4 of Phantasy Star Online 2 did bring some improvements within the story mode, it forgot that Arks should stay together and if Sega doesn't fix it's flaws, predictions say that interest will drop and they game will slowly die like past free-to-play games before it.
Ironic because four is a number that is closest to death in the country of Japan. In fact, outside official servers of this game have closed down as the time of the review because many players prefered to stick together as the others' translations are so mistranslated they might as well be ran by 4kids. Funny that the game that Sega crossovered with Final Fantasy 14 will end up dragging their customers away from them. Hopefully, when Season 5 comes, we could recommend Phantasy Star Online 2 again. But until then, get the liferaft ready when this ship sink right into the ocean....
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Beastly Byte: Zelda: Breath of The Wild; The Current Ocarina of Time
As the titles says, The Legion of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is like the current version of Ocarina of Time for reasons that will be explained within this short-skim, spoiler-free review. While it does some great things by bringing Zelda into the Sandbox genre, and it's probably perfected many aspects as well, this game has some minor flaws that cannot be overlooked. However, this game is highly praised despite all of it's issues. How dose this game hold up after all the patches Nintendo has released for the Nintendo Switch and Wii U? Personally, it a system selling for the Nintendo Switch, and with publishers putting game out for it from out of nowhere, no wonder the system is selling out.
Positives:
Positives:
- Besides the short tutal, the game is open-ended for players to explore
- The game rewards you for experimenting with the game's physics
- Challenging difficulty that pushes the players to get better at the game
- Cook food and potions that will help to aid your adventure (Stamina, Health, and boosts)
- Collect weapons and tools that can be used for combat and puzzle solving
- Different clothing to benefit Link for certain situations of cold, heat, and more
- Thanks to the latest patches, the game constantly runs at 60FPS on the Nintendo Switch
- Beautiful scenery, encoring exploration of this current Hyrule
- Best nerdy rendition of Zelda within the game
- Capture and Breed horses that you catch in the wild
- The game design is much more organic than liner past Zelda games
Negative
- While there are a few exceptions, most of the side characters are bland, boring, and meh.
- There's only four major dungeons and the bosses feel like cancerous cut-and-paste slates
- "The blood moon rises again!" is the current "What a horrible night to have a curse"
- The game is a completionist Trap, as Side-Quest feel entirely pointless
- Stealth is painfully pointless in most situations as most enemies spot link almost automatically
- Nature can still cause some slowdowns because overgrowth
- Cut-and-paste enemies with small dumb moments
- Most fights within the wild will be mostly avoided because of weapon degradation
- Would have benefited from close quarter combat balanced by stamina usage
- Weapon Degradation can vary to the players involved
- While some deaths are silly at most, can be annoying at the worst of times
- Odd difficulty slopes which the game could get too easy later on
- Putting things blunk, the Korc seeds are literal pieces of SHIT.
Grade: B-
I really wanted to give it an A, but how it's more built from the ideas of the portable side and, as stated, it's the current Ocarina of Time. While it did set up the current gameplay of modern Zelda, it will date itself very quickly as other games will out-perform it and it doesn't help that sandbox games are over-saturated in today's gam, especially by the end of the year, War of Maldor is looming overhead. However, this means if the next Zelda game that comes out is similar to Majora's Mask, a personal favorite of mine, then those with The Nintendo Switch has something to wait for. While there is DLC coming for the game, most of the cosmetics are just not worth it.
Until then...
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Beastly Bash: River City Ransom: Underground and Blaster Master Zero; New Retro Gaming
Ever since Shovel Knight, a lot of Indie and Triple-A developers are trying their best to cash-in on nostalgia as much as many studios trying to cash-in on television since then internet is literally absorbing them. While games like A Hat in Time and Yooka-lale are two of the most anticipated Collect-aton Adventure games, one by the orignal rare devs and another by a huge fan, two games grabbed my attention. These games are the kickstarted game River City Ransom: Underground and the reboot of Blaster Master known as Blaster Master Zero. An indegame and a Sunsoft masterpiece as a return of an underrated company who made challenging and classic third-party games.
River City Ransom: Underground takes place years after the first game for the Nintendo Entertainment System (or NES for short.) where a new generation of teenagers have to deal with a break-out of gang violence as they are framed with kidnapping the mayor's daughter. The characters then get ambushed by the swat them as well as Abobo who is currently the principal of the school! The teenagers escape the school only to meet the old protagonists in their auto shop, where the old double dragon's base use to be. Did the double Dragons move on to a new place? Anyways, the teenagers must fight to defeat the gangs, stop the leaders in their tracks, and discover the truth behind all the violence that is happening within the undergrounds of River City.
This game plays as much as the first River City Ransom game for both better and worst. The players collect money from their fights to buy food that they can use to, not only heal cautiously, but to boost their status and increase your endurance, learn moves so the characters can perform longer combos, adopt cats, go to a sauna, and everything anyone expect from a River City Ransom. It's fun to play with other players via local or online through the steam network system. This game is a blast to play with a group of associates and friends alike.
However, this game still needs patching and tweaking as this game cannot be recommended just as yet. For one, the netcode is per-to-per, meaning the connection can be either hit-or-miss depending on who is hosting the current game and whether or not the game will side with the players. Another issue is the game is very vague, while it dose recommend a controller, the game describes the controls as a numbered controller instead of the Xbox controller as if they were lazily ported to multiple systems. Another major gripe is the key map points are obnoxious , as some parts of the game's story happens in places that feels like place-holders until the developers place them into a proper place. Everyone know about the hidden place behind the metal fence as the biggest example. Finally, this game could have been polished over-all. It's still a fun game overall, but this is why Q&A exist, especially in the independent market!
This is why I recommend Blaster Master Zero to those who loved the orignal game or to those who want to play the game but hate sprite flickering of the old, dated NES games. One plays as Jason as he is looking for his android frog pet named Fred and stumbles on the battle tank called Sofia III, which he finds an underground world inhabited by mutants. On the way, Jason save this girl with amnesia who is the key to helping him on his adventure. This game is a great way to introduce newcomers to Metroidvania for those who are imitated by big games like super Metroid and Castlevania's DS games that rewards players for playing good. Get new weapons for your tank, gather power-ups and updates by killing kill the boss mutants, explore the map while listening the revamped music and well pixelated backgrounds,and save the underworld, save your pet frog, and return home.
There are only fewer issues with this game. For one, there is fall damage that can lead to cheap, instant deaths. This can be annoying for small, minor platforming sections which are needed for some portions of the game where Sofia III cannot reach to. Even if it seems not too far, death can come to those who are not cautious within this game. Another issue is that the game has one stealth section that feels like it was added just for difficulty spike where it doesn't belong. This can be true for most Metroidvainas, and it's far worst in those games as well. However, the other complaints can be solved depending on the version of the game as it is available for the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo 3DS. The map will appear on the bottom of the screen and hazards that are upcoming can be predicted by the ruble on the Nintendo switch. It all depends on which version that the players choose.
In the end, they are both good games to play for those who love retro and retro-inspired games. I do recommend Blaster Master Zero for now until River City Ransom Underground gets a big update that fixes the majority of it's issues. Hopefully, this means that Sunsoft has returned so many of their orignal IPs like that one awesome fighting game that no one has heard about...and many more? Besides that, there are plenty of good games coming out this year. Maybe Toejam and Earl will be good? Until then...
River City Ransom: Underground takes place years after the first game for the Nintendo Entertainment System (or NES for short.) where a new generation of teenagers have to deal with a break-out of gang violence as they are framed with kidnapping the mayor's daughter. The characters then get ambushed by the swat them as well as Abobo who is currently the principal of the school! The teenagers escape the school only to meet the old protagonists in their auto shop, where the old double dragon's base use to be. Did the double Dragons move on to a new place? Anyways, the teenagers must fight to defeat the gangs, stop the leaders in their tracks, and discover the truth behind all the violence that is happening within the undergrounds of River City.
This game plays as much as the first River City Ransom game for both better and worst. The players collect money from their fights to buy food that they can use to, not only heal cautiously, but to boost their status and increase your endurance, learn moves so the characters can perform longer combos, adopt cats, go to a sauna, and everything anyone expect from a River City Ransom. It's fun to play with other players via local or online through the steam network system. This game is a blast to play with a group of associates and friends alike.
However, this game still needs patching and tweaking as this game cannot be recommended just as yet. For one, the netcode is per-to-per, meaning the connection can be either hit-or-miss depending on who is hosting the current game and whether or not the game will side with the players. Another issue is the game is very vague, while it dose recommend a controller, the game describes the controls as a numbered controller instead of the Xbox controller as if they were lazily ported to multiple systems. Another major gripe is the key map points are obnoxious , as some parts of the game's story happens in places that feels like place-holders until the developers place them into a proper place. Everyone know about the hidden place behind the metal fence as the biggest example. Finally, this game could have been polished over-all. It's still a fun game overall, but this is why Q&A exist, especially in the independent market!
This is why I recommend Blaster Master Zero to those who loved the orignal game or to those who want to play the game but hate sprite flickering of the old, dated NES games. One plays as Jason as he is looking for his android frog pet named Fred and stumbles on the battle tank called Sofia III, which he finds an underground world inhabited by mutants. On the way, Jason save this girl with amnesia who is the key to helping him on his adventure. This game is a great way to introduce newcomers to Metroidvania for those who are imitated by big games like super Metroid and Castlevania's DS games that rewards players for playing good. Get new weapons for your tank, gather power-ups and updates by killing kill the boss mutants, explore the map while listening the revamped music and well pixelated backgrounds,and save the underworld, save your pet frog, and return home.
There are only fewer issues with this game. For one, there is fall damage that can lead to cheap, instant deaths. This can be annoying for small, minor platforming sections which are needed for some portions of the game where Sofia III cannot reach to. Even if it seems not too far, death can come to those who are not cautious within this game. Another issue is that the game has one stealth section that feels like it was added just for difficulty spike where it doesn't belong. This can be true for most Metroidvainas, and it's far worst in those games as well. However, the other complaints can be solved depending on the version of the game as it is available for the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo 3DS. The map will appear on the bottom of the screen and hazards that are upcoming can be predicted by the ruble on the Nintendo switch. It all depends on which version that the players choose.
In the end, they are both good games to play for those who love retro and retro-inspired games. I do recommend Blaster Master Zero for now until River City Ransom Underground gets a big update that fixes the majority of it's issues. Hopefully, this means that Sunsoft has returned so many of their orignal IPs like that one awesome fighting game that no one has heard about...and many more? Besides that, there are plenty of good games coming out this year. Maybe Toejam and Earl will be good? Until then...
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Beastly Battle: Binding of Issac: Afterbirth Plus Vs Anti-Birth!
Well, everyone knows that Downloadable Content can be the best thin to add on to a game or just pointless padding or a cash-grab by the gaming industry as their main focus. With the Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, it's a remake of the first flash game with all the original DLC built in. Since it was controller enable, and not flash but C++ unlike the original build, it's highly recommended. However, the developers are either growing tired of working on the game and lost the idea what the original Isaac has done, or are only doing it for the pay. When they originally released Afterbirth, it suffered from so many bugs and issues, it burned the fans as they should have waiting for the game. And as I type, Afterbirth plus has committed the same sin but worst as it made changes to the gameplay that no one has asked for. Meanwhile, a fan add-on has grabbed the attention as Anti-Birth changes the game in all the right way.
So how do they compete with one another? That's why they must face-off between one another in this review. The first thing off is how the DLC effects the gameplay. In After-Birth Plus, while there are around sixty items, twenty of the items are just reskins of the other items. What's worst is that the synergies have been heavily nerfed as the items were terrible than the last add-ons and if the play restarts when they feel like the run is bad enough, the game counts that as a death and achievements are disabled on normal, none-cheat mods.
However, Anti-Birth is a Add-on that not only made with balance in mind, but makes changes that The Binding of Isaac Rebirth really needs. While there are some copies within the add-on and some items do cancel out others, items like ice tears, missile in a jar, the bowl of tears, and other of the new 50+ weapons synergies with even the past items from the Isaac game. There's even new holy items that as just as good as the hell items from the vanilla game, adding a certain balance that was needed for some time ago. The game feels much more balanced, making Hard mode true to it's name, as it also adds new unlocks for the players as well. This is how an add-on should be made.
One of the biggest complaints about Isaac: Rebirth has music, while it did work for the atmosphere, it was NOT as memorable as the original as not only was it fitting, but very catchy as themes like the one for the shop was in the back of everyone's mind. There where some songs like the Mega Satan fight that stood out, but the basic level music is the easiest music to forget about. Thankfully, Anti-Birth is not only fitting but very catchy as well to the point that the soundtrack might as well be bought from Soundcloud. Thank you, Mudeth. This great soundtrack and for 2 dollars, it is worth it plus more!
The final point is the bosses within Antibirth Plus, as there's only four new bosses and only one new character within the add-on. The new bosses are basically glorified boss versions of the previous enemies with the exception of having random attacks. While the bosses fit the theme of delirium, which is the final boss of the add-on that shifts itself into other bosses, the design feels entirely lazy as the maps and enemies as if they copied and pasted the coding with little to no heart into the content. It feels like the DLC was not worth the full price.
Anti-birth adds PLUS FIFTEEN bosses and two new characters which are very unique and different, as well as new enemies that will give players a new challenge that fit the stage that they originate from. These bosses were made creatively as their patterns are much more thought out as if the players remembers how the boss attacks, it's bearable and even fair. There was thought put into these bosses and they are challenging yet balanced, making all the new bosses memorable and fun!
Honestly, Anti Birth was made with love! Something that the current developers lost as The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth lost that after they worked on the game for too long. In fact, there is gospel that the company might actually make Anti-Birth might become an official Add-on for Rebirth. It's clear that Third-Parties are what is keeping rebirth alive. While After Birth + does allow mods, they are considered cheats and can ruin the experience for very picky completionist. If anyone wants to get AfetrBirth Plus, wait for it to go on sale. Anti-Birth is for free, and it goes highly recommended!
Anti-Birth wins, hands down.
So how do they compete with one another? That's why they must face-off between one another in this review. The first thing off is how the DLC effects the gameplay. In After-Birth Plus, while there are around sixty items, twenty of the items are just reskins of the other items. What's worst is that the synergies have been heavily nerfed as the items were terrible than the last add-ons and if the play restarts when they feel like the run is bad enough, the game counts that as a death and achievements are disabled on normal, none-cheat mods.
However, Anti-Birth is a Add-on that not only made with balance in mind, but makes changes that The Binding of Isaac Rebirth really needs. While there are some copies within the add-on and some items do cancel out others, items like ice tears, missile in a jar, the bowl of tears, and other of the new 50+ weapons synergies with even the past items from the Isaac game. There's even new holy items that as just as good as the hell items from the vanilla game, adding a certain balance that was needed for some time ago. The game feels much more balanced, making Hard mode true to it's name, as it also adds new unlocks for the players as well. This is how an add-on should be made.
One of the biggest complaints about Isaac: Rebirth has music, while it did work for the atmosphere, it was NOT as memorable as the original as not only was it fitting, but very catchy as themes like the one for the shop was in the back of everyone's mind. There where some songs like the Mega Satan fight that stood out, but the basic level music is the easiest music to forget about. Thankfully, Anti-Birth is not only fitting but very catchy as well to the point that the soundtrack might as well be bought from Soundcloud. Thank you, Mudeth. This great soundtrack and for 2 dollars, it is worth it plus more!
The final point is the bosses within Antibirth Plus, as there's only four new bosses and only one new character within the add-on. The new bosses are basically glorified boss versions of the previous enemies with the exception of having random attacks. While the bosses fit the theme of delirium, which is the final boss of the add-on that shifts itself into other bosses, the design feels entirely lazy as the maps and enemies as if they copied and pasted the coding with little to no heart into the content. It feels like the DLC was not worth the full price.
Anti-birth adds PLUS FIFTEEN bosses and two new characters which are very unique and different, as well as new enemies that will give players a new challenge that fit the stage that they originate from. These bosses were made creatively as their patterns are much more thought out as if the players remembers how the boss attacks, it's bearable and even fair. There was thought put into these bosses and they are challenging yet balanced, making all the new bosses memorable and fun!
Honestly, Anti Birth was made with love! Something that the current developers lost as The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth lost that after they worked on the game for too long. In fact, there is gospel that the company might actually make Anti-Birth might become an official Add-on for Rebirth. It's clear that Third-Parties are what is keeping rebirth alive. While After Birth + does allow mods, they are considered cheats and can ruin the experience for very picky completionist. If anyone wants to get AfetrBirth Plus, wait for it to go on sale. Anti-Birth is for free, and it goes highly recommended!
Anti-Birth wins, hands down.
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Beastly Byte: Resident Evil 7; The Soft Reboot or The Binding of Ethan
After three years of a missing wife, the main protagonist Ethan runs off during work to save Mia from the clutches of redneck America. Ethan travels to Dulvey, Louisiana, to a worn-out manor of the Baker residents and is trapped and must escape the evil lurking within. However, Resident Evil has not been innovated since Resident Evil 4 and many fans feel that the mechanics and gimmicks of the game did not age well. Let's not mention the what happened afterwards because of the lost of focus on Capcom's part! Will this game be able to re-innovate the horror franchise, even though it barrows from past games like Outlast meets Resident Evil HD?
Positives:
Positives:
- The game actually use elements of horror with only small moments of jump-scares
- Saw the missed potential of the cancellation of Silent Hills and took advantage
- The 3D options make the horror experience deeper
- The limited inventory from past Resident Evils helps the horror via item management
- Over four (the quickest normal run) to over six hours of game-play
- A crafting system to help add the feeling of survival
- High quality SFX audio and an actual realistic flashlight in a horror game
- Has the charm of horror of each of the Bakers
- Classic Safe-Room music magic and horror music
- Cleaver use of shadow puzzles
- Well played scripted events that keeps everyone guessing
- The Bakers stalks the player in Madhouse difficulty, adding to the already added challeng
- The other half of the game drags on for way too long and is boring
- The common enemies of the game , while not zombies, are bland and repetitive
- There's only three bosses that reoccur as rematches within the game
- One boss is coming soon in a free DLC, so players have to wait
- The background looks out of the PlayStation 3 graphics
- Some of the voice-acting are mixed at best, molded cheese at worst
- The Game unlocks can make the hardest difficulty too easy with practice
- The PlayStation 4 pro is needed for 60fps
- The PSVR option give players the worst motion sickness
- Could have been a game on it's own if Resident Evil didn't need a shot in the arm
Grade: B
While I do want to give it an A Grade , the minor problems is what decided the final grade of the game. However, this is the focal-point that Capcom really needed to find! This game is the best possible way to go back into survival horror as the franchise. While Inde-devs helped keep the genre alive and Capcom took note from these games and famous horror movies to the point of almost plagiarism or tribute, this is a horror game the fans have been hungering for. Will it be dated as Resident Evil 4 is slowly falling into? Only time can tell. For now, Resident Evil 7 is a great Rent-to-own for the counsel players and an absolute buy for those who are planning to get it for their PC. Hopefully, Capcom is willing to push ahead and learn from their mistakes. Until then, hope that the industry can learn to not acting like Konami and Actionvision.Saturday, November 26, 2016
Beastly Bash: Best Games of 2016
Now before we begin, this is MY list of games that are the best of this year but not everyone's choice. While there are games like the Jackbox party pack which are very fun to play, these games are released on a yearly basis and will not count on this list as these are just continuations of a game franchise and has little changes between releases. These are (my) games of 2016!
Doom ('16)
While the developers had no real faith of this game's launch as they are no longer giving review codes, this game ended up being surprisingly good once everything is optimized. This game is like if Original Doom had a beautiful daughter and she has the similar attributes while bringing something new on the table. The multiplayer might have been basic, as the developers for that part of the game was made from the developers of the newer Halo games, but the real meat is in the single player campaign. Lots of hidden goodies, tributes to the orignal series, upgradables that are not over-kill like most power-fantasies like most shooters, and the Brutal Doom influenced brutal kills that benefits the players as the monsters drop health and Ammo. this game is constantly on sale on steam and is updated constantly, making it a must-get game!
Pokemon Sun/Moon
Pokemon has been a franchise that has lasted for over twenty years and I have been playing this game since I was only ten years old. Many critics have complained that the game generations stayed mostly the same, I personally feared that this generation would have disappointing as Black and White as the changes to me weren't a welcomed one . Thankfully, I was wrong as most changes do benefit not only your Pokemon in your party, but the ones in the bank as Poke-Pelago, which banked pokemon can help from growing beans, Berries, finding stones, and much more. The Poke Refresh can heal status element than the former element in X and Y, helping friendship evolutions more than ever. The only disappointment is that it leaves the player wishing for more. Hopefully, there will be a SWITCH on what's to come.
Dishonor 2
This is how one would make a sequel to a great game, as this time you play as Corvo and the new elected Queen Emily with their own special abilities; So much replay value off-the-bat! While this game is not perfect, it's more than makes up for it with it's gameplay. The challenge is just as challenging and more as the player can turn powers off to punish themselves and limit their powers to the maximum! It dose suffer from the mechanics in the past like collecting and completing the game is such a harsh task, but it's mostly optional as the players can still get the chaos and none ending...but sadly, it's not as important as the last game as the endings are tacked on and haven't evolved from the last game. Overall however, it's how a sequel should be made.
Watch_Dogs 2
Let's face it: Watch_Dogs 1 was a major disappointment as it was bullshotted, badly ported to the PC, and felt like a slap in the face as it was a bad Grand Theft Auto clone. Thankfully, Ubi tweaked everything including the PC port for the sequel and it's instead a Saints Row 2 clone, as despite the flaws of each character as being hipster douchebags, they are lovable because they are hacking to take down a white collar criminal who looks like an evil, thinner version of The Completionist. The only disappointing thing is that the combat and driving mechanics are terrible within the game, making stealth an unintentional best and fun part of the game. I know Ubi didn't want to steal from games like True Crime New York City or Dishonor which changes the story from your playstyle, this would have been higher on my list if they did so.
Darkest Dungeon
Finally, this game is fully released and just as dank, dark, and fun roguelike game in some time. The player hire mercenaries to help fight the creatures of the night as new mercenaries rise and some fall not only to death but their own vices if they are not well managed well within the village. The monster designs are fantastic in their ugly ways, each mercenary has their strengths and form attributes that can either help or hurt the party along the way, The best part is the narrator, as it fits the tone of the game and a major plot-twist that won't be spoiled for those who has not finished this game. Those who paid for early alpha and their kickstarter where not disappointed!
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Beastly Bash: Worst Games of 2016
To kick in to "This is the worst year" argument, there where games that came out this year that should be avoided at all cost. To be clear, this list will be avoiding shovel-ware games like the TMNT: mutants in Manhattan because they are merely children games meant to cash-in on a franchise. Ironically, these games are just as bad if not far worst! These are the worst games of 2016!
No Man's Sky
As everyone states, this game is more like No Man's Lie. While this is from the same developers as Joe Danger, the point that the company used Bullshot, False Advertisement used to sell a particular medium such as misleading images or gameplay. While there's laws in the UK to prevent this from happening, the US Laws absorbed it as a way to help corporate pigs to get away from the law's reach on the fallacy of Just Cause. But putting the lies aside, this game is bland: No real differences within other games, no multiplayer, a crappy interface with a even worst inventory system, and worst of all, a terrible, lazy ending that starts the game all over again. Avoid at all cost, especially since the majority of players abandoned the game since launch. Kickstart that out the window.
Resident Evil: Umbrella Corps
Another cash grab attempt by capcom via third-party company as games like Blizzard's Over-Watch is killing the competition in the industry today. While games like Battle Born came too little too late, this game was out only to make money off the dead horse that is Resident Evil. Stupid AI zombies, broken mechanics,awful character creator, the worst DLC, bad controls, terribly translated by the development staff, and nothing but repetitive maps and missions. A cheap game from a cheap company. This game is easily forgettable and is complete garbage. It's a reason people leave before they're rewarded with the worst decals.
Battlefield 1 (Single Player)
This is yet another cash-grab, bland multiplayer shooter that is being advertised as a remake of the first battlefield game. The problem is that the game is just as painfully average to the point that it's a waste of money. This game is a major slap in the face to those who loved the original game, giving Call of Duty fans the scoff at the series. DICE has not made a fun game since Bad Company 1 and it is starting to show as EA proves that money comes first over everything else. Games like Wallenstein: The New Order and DOOM'16 did better innovations than shooters like this. This game is a mess in it's single player campaign. Better of making this game a multiplayer focused game for a fraction of a cost and separate from the single player campaign. Hopefully, it wouldn't be evil as Star Wars: Battlefront, but it's highly doubted!
Paper Mario: Color Splash
Nintendo has lost focus on their RPGS because they are publishing too many from Fire Emblem to Mario and Luigi. The problem with this game is the humor is replaced with meta sarcasm. While fans can forgive them because of the graphics and the deadpooling, the gameplay is just as bad as Paper Mario: Sticker Star, hence why none-gamers call this game as Paper Mario: Sticker Star 2. They where better off porting The thousand Year door on the New 3DS instead of canceling it because of a mere leak. The gameplay is way too clunky, a problem most Jrpgs have addressed in the past. While they did fix the problem that battling isn't worth it, the card battling system is absolutely garbage. Please save up for the Nintendo Switch....
Everything Digital Homicide
When a developer attacks everyone as a game company for making terrible games trying to sucker everyone within the industry, everyone knows to keep away from their games and tar-and-feather them to hell and back. From bribing gamers to review their games, attacking every review for pointing out how bad their games are, developing by other names to avoid getting into trouble, and censoring criticism on youtube and attacking the freedom of speech which everyone should have a taste for. Thankfully, of this year, the company has closed down their doors for good. However, the term "vote with your wallets" has never been true more than ever now. Be cautious, be safe.Saturday, October 22, 2016
Beastly Bash: Nintendo Switch; how it could fail, but what can be done!
Big Disclaimer: This is merely speculations of the Nintendo Switch, formerly known as the NX. The facts on the system are subject to change within the development of the system and this is merely an opinion piece, meaning anything goes but things are most likely to change depending on how Nintendo and company handles the situation. Thank you for reading.
Nintendo has finally released the first-look at their newest system the Nintendo Switch, a Tablet hybrid of a portable game system with that or a home counsel. In theory, this is a great idea and what the Wii U SHOULD have been. By partnering up with Nvidia's shield developers, Nintendo was able to make a powerful system that is able to run most game engines including Unity. The shield didn't sell well because it requires to stream games and game streaming fails because of sync issues, so having a portable tablet that takes carts would have been a better idea.
However, Nintendo had problems in the past with advertizing and relations, causing them to falter within the gaming industry. From cheap networking to third-parties being shunned by Nintendo. And after not so long since the reveal, there's already a major backlash towards the new system at question that needs to be addressed to nintendo. Here's some of the major concerns about the council and perhaps some ways for Nintendo to fix it down the line.
Nintendo has finally released the first-look at their newest system the Nintendo Switch, a Tablet hybrid of a portable game system with that or a home counsel. In theory, this is a great idea and what the Wii U SHOULD have been. By partnering up with Nvidia's shield developers, Nintendo was able to make a powerful system that is able to run most game engines including Unity. The shield didn't sell well because it requires to stream games and game streaming fails because of sync issues, so having a portable tablet that takes carts would have been a better idea.
However, Nintendo had problems in the past with advertizing and relations, causing them to falter within the gaming industry. From cheap networking to third-parties being shunned by Nintendo. And after not so long since the reveal, there's already a major backlash towards the new system at question that needs to be addressed to nintendo. Here's some of the major concerns about the council and perhaps some ways for Nintendo to fix it down the line.
Nintendo Network
Let's face it, Nintendo fails at networking. From disconnections in Splatoon to their attempts to making the gamecube an online gaming attempt as well as a 3D counsel in the past. While this is a minor complaint, Nintendo is missing out with games multiplayer since everyone these days are distant from themselves, a reason Online games with social features are a must in these times. Nintendo has released Miitomo as a social way to get their fans to meet other oddballs. Hopefully, Nintendo will fin a way to take advantage and use their earning to improve their network system. Maybe a HD remaster of PSO1. Please?
Third-Party Abandonment
Nintendo tends to make friends as much as a lone wolf company usually make friends and leaving them in a bloody mess. Even with most of the supporters and more that the released list from Konami, Activision, and Capcom who know how to piss their fan bases off. While there are Third-Party support for the system, there was a similar support as the one promised for the Wii U and the third-party didn't even touch it with a thirty foot pole. In fact, there's word of a backlash within certain companies because they lost faith in Nintendo's innovation in hardware. If Nintendo doesn't follow up with building up Public Relations with the third-parties, it could happen again and Nintendo would suffer for it.
System Size
Remember when the Nintendo 3DS first released? It was rather tiny because it was first designed for the Japanese and Asian demographic, which have tiny fingers. Judging from the reveal trailer, the switch tablet is close to the size of an Samsung phone. Most would think it's for children, but we all know they tend to smash those things more times and as often and it's being advertised towards adults. It's not known as how heavy the counsel is, but it should be light from the looks of things. While they COULD use the screen for Virtual Reality, Or VR for short, big handed people would find the controler painful to use. Releasing an Nintendo Switch XL or American version would probably fix that issue, but that would also increase the price and weight causing more problems. This is a system that really needs a protective case.
Battery Life
Battery life can either make or break a portable system, as many other tablets can last from three to twelve hours. From the rumors from reliable sources, the battery life is only up to three hours, as the same annoying levels of the Wii U gamepad. This issue can KILL the system on a portable level, something Nintendo is known for since the invention of the Nintendo Gameboy and the pokemon series. While the battery life can be fixed with third-party hardware, that would however clash with the dock Nintendo made. While a proper case with built-in batteries extend the controller, it has to have good batteries to sell!
Competition
It is true that Nintendo innovated the fusion, but the fact that everyone predicted this would happen means everyone will follow suit and make knock-off. However, it's not these fools Nintendo will have to worry about. It's the companies like Microsoft and Sony that will try to follow up on the idea like they did with motion controls and now with VR. While first party games will keep the fans at bay, the third-party developers are more likely to make games for the competition more over because they have a deeper history with them because of multiplayer, graphics, and mostly the money they made from the different counsel developers. Microsoft has the capabilities and the power to fallow behind with their own line of tablets as they made during Windows 8's lifespan. While they have failed as well as their phones, they can make a recovery just like the Android line of phones.
In the end, the Nintendo Switch is one thing that might make or break Nintendo's success after the failure of the Wii U because of Nintendo's mismanagement of the system. There is still hope for the system to be successful if Nintendo advertise the features better. There are speculations that Nintendo will port most of their Wii U titles thanks to digital distribution, but it's confirmed that the Nintendo Switch is not backward compatible. More likely it will be an enhanced ports like EVERYONE is doing for the next gen consoles. It's hard to speculate when the only words are those of rumors and speculations, but when your company can't contain the leaks that are mostly accurate, Nintendo needs to release the info via more Nintendo directs, otherwise, Mario himself can't even clean up this mess...
In the end, the Nintendo Switch is one thing that might make or break Nintendo's success after the failure of the Wii U because of Nintendo's mismanagement of the system. There is still hope for the system to be successful if Nintendo advertise the features better. There are speculations that Nintendo will port most of their Wii U titles thanks to digital distribution, but it's confirmed that the Nintendo Switch is not backward compatible. More likely it will be an enhanced ports like EVERYONE is doing for the next gen consoles. It's hard to speculate when the only words are those of rumors and speculations, but when your company can't contain the leaks that are mostly accurate, Nintendo needs to release the info via more Nintendo directs, otherwise, Mario himself can't even clean up this mess...
Monday, October 3, 2016
Beastly Bash: Disappointing games of 2016!
Wow, this year has been the worst for everything from gaming as steam greenlight publishes tons of shovelware from garbage developers to death killing good stars from their depression, cancer, or what not. For most of us, it was the failed or false promises that these developers delivered on. These are the disappointing games of 2016! Note that shovelware games are excluded because that would be a waste of everyone's time.
5 - Mighty Number 9
This is on the bottom as I knew it would be a waste of four million dollars. "Better than nothing" was the biggest understatement of how bad business can go within the gaming industry. Graphic that look like something made on a playstation 2 muddy graphics, forgettable music, and overall mediocre experience. This is one of the games that caused doubt with kickstarter games, as many other fear that the same thing could happen to other developers. When DUSK did better and with a quarter of the budget, one knows something is wrong. While there are worst games out there, wait for it to go on sale to look at it and DON'T GET IT AT G2A! So many fools have to pay for that legal mistake...
4 - Project Scissors: Nightcry
This is one game that was under the radar since it's kick-starter has managed to reach it's goal for around three hundred thousand dollars, but from the look of things, should have been left in the oven for at least one more year. Since it's from the original developer and his company Nude Maker (Ew, I know) to make this game, it feels like they reuse models from their past porn games. Don't ask, it just looks that way as the first playable character. At least the first person to die is reboot Dante? Honestly, if the mechanics were tweaked, its camera angles where like Clock Tower First Fear, a better chapter mechanic, and a better save system, it would have been a great horror game. At least it has cheese?
3 - Street Fighter 5
Capcom, we know how painful developing a game could be at times, but it doesn't excuse leaving the fanbase starving for more content and feeding them like a neglected pet forgotten by their owner. While Capcom did release fighters for free to earn with fight money, the game itself was more of an early access by a Triple-A developer. While big game companies did this before (we're looking at you Warner Brothers!) and could have been worst, other fighting game players have to go to other games like the latest King of Fighters 14 on the Playstation 4 to get their fix. It would feel better if they managed to actually complete making their game before releasing it. Sadly, it was released in it's unfinished launch. Now to go for a burger...Wait a minute.
2 - Star Fox Zero
Nintendo has no idea what to give to their fans anymore. While they're busy making the N-X, their fusion of home and portable gaming system, they shoved their forced gemic on platinum games like Nickelodeon forced them to make shovelware games. No spit that the controls is what killed the game to most critics. It's a reason third-parties didn't support your system. That's why Microsoft and Sony abandoned their motion control because they knew it wouldn't last long. Should have focused on 3D that's a step-up from the 3DS. A 3D headset that could have thrown the Oculus Rift out into the used electronics section of a Goodwill store. Thats where I found mine for my review. I also found an old PS1 and Xbox original. Seriously!
1 - Duex Ex: Mankind Divided
Mankind is divided alright: The game is literally broken up so that Square-Eniq having a sequel, this game has mixed reviews on the PC port, Man and Augments are fighting even though they have no reason but that of the same plot of X-men without the linking plot threads, no real punishment system in place for both lethal and none, and an ending that was somehow worse than Human Revolution that leaves more questions than answers! While they did improve the gameplay, it's to the point that it makes the game too easy like a overprotective parent bribing the kid to lose in a fist fight only to find out he was really weak after all.
Monday, September 26, 2016
Beastly Byte: Another Metroid 2 Remake; Advanced Remake
Let's face it, since Metroid: Other M has jumped the shark since Nintendo doesn't not know what the fans want anymore by making Samus an utter daf. Meanwhile, many game devs like Kojima have to make games on their own or bailed gaming on their own to prevent the curse of Peter Molyneux to where everything they made after their best hit turns into cancer. While there are fan games made from time-to-time, especially Phyco-Waluigi, tons of Earthbound Hacks, and the flood of Sonic games, fan remakes are often a risky thing since afterward Nintendo took the game down. However, what hits the internet usually stays on the internet; no way to hide you shame!
However, has the game advanced much from being remade to the PC?
Well...
+ Added plot from the lore that fits into the cannon
+ Game soundtrack influenced by the Metroid Prime series; Huge plus!
+ Save Stations now heal and refuel; no need to travel to the old healing/reloading locations
+ Game map re-haul
+ Shows Metroids currently need to hunt; can switch back to classic anytime
+ More hidden goodies while old short-cuts still exist
+ Designs based of the game-boy advance games
+ Map Blimps showing where collectibles are, making completing the game fun and easy
+ Power-ups from past metroid games are back and serve a function of the game
+ Built on either exploring or speed running; A Metroid tradition
+ The story such as Creature log and back-story is on the side and is not intrusive
+ Game-flow for the story is straight-forward even for main upgrades
- Not a good starting point for newcomers for the series!
- The game can be brutal even after the patching to 1.1
- The Omega Metroids are health sponges; even if one fallows a pattern, they take time to take down
- Steep difficulty curve at the near end of the game
- Slows down because of the mentioned difficulty curves
Sadly, the purpose of corporate companies is to make money. Many companies, while they do allow mod support, are more likely to be in to gain profit for power sake. Which is why many critics fear gaming might become soulless. With games that are coming out half-baked in early-access, failed kick-starters, broken promises and lies, it's no wounder people have been carefully voting with their wallets more than ever now. With game developers fan-ficking to catch their audience, we can only hope gaming would grow-up...and only time can tell.
Thank you and pleasant dreams....
However, has the game advanced much from being remade to the PC?
Well...
Positives
+ As a remake, it blows the original out of the water+ Added plot from the lore that fits into the cannon
+ Game soundtrack influenced by the Metroid Prime series; Huge plus!
+ Save Stations now heal and refuel; no need to travel to the old healing/reloading locations
+ Game map re-haul
+ Shows Metroids currently need to hunt; can switch back to classic anytime
+ More hidden goodies while old short-cuts still exist
+ Designs based of the game-boy advance games
+ Map Blimps showing where collectibles are, making completing the game fun and easy
+ Power-ups from past metroid games are back and serve a function of the game
+ Built on either exploring or speed running; A Metroid tradition
+ The story such as Creature log and back-story is on the side and is not intrusive
+ Game-flow for the story is straight-forward even for main upgrades
Negitives
- Not a good starting point for newcomers for the series!
- The game can be brutal even after the patching to 1.1
- The Omega Metroids are health sponges; even if one fallows a pattern, they take time to take down
- Steep difficulty curve at the near end of the game
- Slows down because of the mentioned difficulty curves
Grade: A
While this game dose have issues for newcomers to the Metroid series, this is a great game for those who skipped the original game. This game has even beat the original to many critics and fans alike, which is why Nintendo has order a claims take-down since the company tries to sell the dated original on the virtual counsels. While fan games are technically illegal, it did help many project makers into game developers themselves like Christian Whitehead and other modders from games like Fallout and Elder Scrolls. this shows that there is a place in the market for remakes and mods to prove to show off the creativity of one's heart and or mind.
Sadly, the purpose of corporate companies is to make money. Many companies, while they do allow mod support, are more likely to be in to gain profit for power sake. Which is why many critics fear gaming might become soulless. With games that are coming out half-baked in early-access, failed kick-starters, broken promises and lies, it's no wounder people have been carefully voting with their wallets more than ever now. With game developers fan-ficking to catch their audience, we can only hope gaming would grow-up...and only time can tell.
Thank you and pleasant dreams....
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Beastly Bash: Samsung Oculus; A taste of 3D
Ever since the 90's, many game devs have been fighting and backstabbing just to be the first one in the market from those 3d glasses for the PC to the Nintendo 3DS when Nintendo stole the blueprints from Sony, sad to say. With the Oculus, while people did back this project on kickstarter, it was seen as betrayal when Google came in and bought the invention from the developer. While this isn't new when you consider the PlayStation brand was suppose to be a deal brand between Nintendo and Sony. So could 3DVR be the next big thing?
While this is a spin-off protect of the real product, it is just a(n) accurate as the main product itself. However, there is the problem with the product already as exclusives and DRM (Digital Rights Movement.) While there's ways around this via mods and work-around, most programs are locked in and out thanks because of the limits caused by the Oculus store. While they are now lifting off the DRM slowly from the hardware, it still burned their core audience to not trust the management of the Oculus store.
However, dose the 3D work? Yes, but to a certain point. The major flaw of the hardware is it's limited by the limitations of the phone and whether or not the person is comfortable with goggle-scope used for the 3D. What made the 3DS successful was it was 3D without the motion sickness known in most 3D Technology in past hardware.
Sadly, if one plays a face-paced game, for example, this would cause the worst-case motion sickness for those who want to be amerced in games like Minecraft or classic games like Original Doom. For more relaxed or paced games from puzzles and simulation games, this is fine as there's little or no movement, but that defeats the original purpose of 3D immersion. While there is some plausibility of playiblity, it's also limited by phone cool-down time --Literately!
Basically, the Samsung phone heats up if it's used for too long because the apps over-heat the graphics in the phone. While graphics are the least worried part of the experience of 3D, especially games like Doom and Doom II, it's yet another crappy limit people have to deal with, or better yet, get the HTC vive.
As stated, this is merely a small taste of 3D gaming that can be bitter-sweet to those who wanted to be swept away by such innovation. While it was a step in the right direction, other hardware like the Nintendo 3DS did it much more comfortably. The straps are tight to prevent slippage, but are more akin for kids than most adults meaning its open to third-party pandering for more hardware parts. It's a literal headache waiting to happen as well as the eyesore!
Could it be used on the PC with the current apps? Maybe, but it will take some time as the current apps are still currently being worked on. But by the time when they get it working, the player base is better off for third-party hardware like the HTC Vive as that was built as a pediment system instead of temporary solution, but you're better off with other, better solutions.
Wait it out...
While this is a spin-off protect of the real product, it is just a(n) accurate as the main product itself. However, there is the problem with the product already as exclusives and DRM (Digital Rights Movement.) While there's ways around this via mods and work-around, most programs are locked in and out thanks because of the limits caused by the Oculus store. While they are now lifting off the DRM slowly from the hardware, it still burned their core audience to not trust the management of the Oculus store.
However, dose the 3D work? Yes, but to a certain point. The major flaw of the hardware is it's limited by the limitations of the phone and whether or not the person is comfortable with goggle-scope used for the 3D. What made the 3DS successful was it was 3D without the motion sickness known in most 3D Technology in past hardware.
Sadly, if one plays a face-paced game, for example, this would cause the worst-case motion sickness for those who want to be amerced in games like Minecraft or classic games like Original Doom. For more relaxed or paced games from puzzles and simulation games, this is fine as there's little or no movement, but that defeats the original purpose of 3D immersion. While there is some plausibility of playiblity, it's also limited by phone cool-down time --Literately!
Basically, the Samsung phone heats up if it's used for too long because the apps over-heat the graphics in the phone. While graphics are the least worried part of the experience of 3D, especially games like Doom and Doom II, it's yet another crappy limit people have to deal with, or better yet, get the HTC vive.
As stated, this is merely a small taste of 3D gaming that can be bitter-sweet to those who wanted to be swept away by such innovation. While it was a step in the right direction, other hardware like the Nintendo 3DS did it much more comfortably. The straps are tight to prevent slippage, but are more akin for kids than most adults meaning its open to third-party pandering for more hardware parts. It's a literal headache waiting to happen as well as the eyesore!
Could it be used on the PC with the current apps? Maybe, but it will take some time as the current apps are still currently being worked on. But by the time when they get it working, the player base is better off for third-party hardware like the HTC Vive as that was built as a pediment system instead of temporary solution, but you're better off with other, better solutions.
Wait it out...
Friday, July 22, 2016
Beastly Bash: Pokemon Go and Miitomo; Nintendo's Moble Games
Well now, look who has crawled into the mobile market, even though they said that they weren't, because they're like a handicap man who lost their run-away wheel chair. What's also sad about this is that it's the only way to survive in today's market if you make just one small mistake which was the mismanagement of the Wii U. Not to beat a dead horse, but this is a good system that Nintendo did not know what to do with. The system did have good launch titles, but I got a PC Game machine since I knew Nintendo would scare off third-party with their limited system specs as well as the bulky gimmick that is the game-pad while they could have improved their 3d like what the HTC vive beat them to.
So the first game is Miitomo, a social game staring Miis where the player make friends, gain in-game coins to buy clothes, gain game tokens or spend coins to get gifts for you Miis, and the big part of the game is to feed-back all the questions the Miis gives on a daily basis. Personally, while it is a social game that's fun and less punishing , it's more of a social experiment for Nintendo to see what their main core audience is like. While some take the program very serious, most are just doing silly, uncensored nonsense. Yes, this is a game not meant for the young ones as there is a lot of horrible stuff that can happen in Miitomo.
It is a fun app to pick up and play as like tomogachi life it is not as punishing and less soulless than Miitomo...and it didn't cost forty dollars and make buyers feel like garbage. However, this is a free-to-wait app as there are micro-transactions to buy coins, so please keep this away from children and children-at-heart as these people are very self-destructive. Thankfully, since this app is not as addictive and less destructive as Pokemon Go, I recommend this one.
There is a huge social group for Pokemon Go and because of this, this boosted Nintendo out of financial crisis and has managed to make millions off the micro-transactions from Nintendo fans. In this App, the trainer travel realistically on foot and toss pokeballs in VR to catch Pokemon, power them up via crystals earned from trading spare pokemon in, visiting real places to get free items, get fired from your workplace and save thirty percent in some stores. This game help push nerds out of the door for them to at least try to tan theirselfs for heaven's sake, but there's a problem...
Pokemon Go is one app that I wouldn't recommend because it was badly rushed! There are news that horrible things has happened from planed muggings using tracers, trespassing players that caused issues for home owners, the rivalries from the clans causing violence occurring between fractions which is suppose to be a friendly game, to even the classic case of murder/homicide.A proper heads-up to the authorities would have prevented this as they know the danger of playing Pokemon Go!
There was no warning nor release date for this app given at all! As said this game is incomplete, as trading is currently not in the game and Battle is so bare-bones as it's nothing more than a button-masher as trainers take over. I know the trademark battle-system is grounded to be gameboy exclusive, but that dose not excuse the blandness of the battle system.
Granted, it wasn't made by Nintendo, but a third-party company who made shovel-were games. I personally think they where caving into the pressure, which is why they where forced to push the product out the door. Maybe in a later update to improve the game, this will become water under the bridge, but judging from the drop of 3DS sales, I don't think that is the case as cellphones and tablets has over-taken the mobile market as new cellphones can even emulate most games. Personally, Nintendo would somehow use the mobile market to survive, but only time will tell if they're going the way of Sega....
So the first game is Miitomo, a social game staring Miis where the player make friends, gain in-game coins to buy clothes, gain game tokens or spend coins to get gifts for you Miis, and the big part of the game is to feed-back all the questions the Miis gives on a daily basis. Personally, while it is a social game that's fun and less punishing , it's more of a social experiment for Nintendo to see what their main core audience is like. While some take the program very serious, most are just doing silly, uncensored nonsense. Yes, this is a game not meant for the young ones as there is a lot of horrible stuff that can happen in Miitomo.
It is a fun app to pick up and play as like tomogachi life it is not as punishing and less soulless than Miitomo...and it didn't cost forty dollars and make buyers feel like garbage. However, this is a free-to-wait app as there are micro-transactions to buy coins, so please keep this away from children and children-at-heart as these people are very self-destructive. Thankfully, since this app is not as addictive and less destructive as Pokemon Go, I recommend this one.
There is a huge social group for Pokemon Go and because of this, this boosted Nintendo out of financial crisis and has managed to make millions off the micro-transactions from Nintendo fans. In this App, the trainer travel realistically on foot and toss pokeballs in VR to catch Pokemon, power them up via crystals earned from trading spare pokemon in, visiting real places to get free items, get fired from your workplace and save thirty percent in some stores. This game help push nerds out of the door for them to at least try to tan theirselfs for heaven's sake, but there's a problem...
Pokemon Go is one app that I wouldn't recommend because it was badly rushed! There are news that horrible things has happened from planed muggings using tracers, trespassing players that caused issues for home owners, the rivalries from the clans causing violence occurring between fractions which is suppose to be a friendly game, to even the classic case of murder/homicide.A proper heads-up to the authorities would have prevented this as they know the danger of playing Pokemon Go!
There was no warning nor release date for this app given at all! As said this game is incomplete, as trading is currently not in the game and Battle is so bare-bones as it's nothing more than a button-masher as trainers take over. I know the trademark battle-system is grounded to be gameboy exclusive, but that dose not excuse the blandness of the battle system.
Granted, it wasn't made by Nintendo, but a third-party company who made shovel-were games. I personally think they where caving into the pressure, which is why they where forced to push the product out the door. Maybe in a later update to improve the game, this will become water under the bridge, but judging from the drop of 3DS sales, I don't think that is the case as cellphones and tablets has over-taken the mobile market as new cellphones can even emulate most games. Personally, Nintendo would somehow use the mobile market to survive, but only time will tell if they're going the way of Sega....
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Day of the Tenticle: Maniac Mansion's sequel
This is one of the many point-and-click games that many have messed out since it came out during the business part of life. There's even players that are not aware that this game is actually a sequel to the DOS and NES game. Thankfully, is located on the computer Weird Edd's room for anyone that is curious or wants to play-though the game that it was based off of. To sum it all up, a group of high school students go off to stop a mad doctor from experimenting on a woman to find out that it was all because of a pet purple tentacle brainwashed him to do his evil deeds. He has returned with a brand new pair of arms thanks to pollution pumps by Dr. Edison himself. It's up to one of the last main protagonist, Barnard, and his two friends Hoagie and Lavern to stop Purple.
To do so, Dr. Edison tries sending them into the past, but due to the doctor being cheap, things go wrong as Hoagie is sent 500 years in the past to America's past while Lavern is sent to the dark future where purple took over the world. Hilarity ensures as they out-smart the awkward creatures as they slapstick and humor they way onto adventure. While they are far apart, they can transfer items from their inventory from their portijons, the put-houses converted into teleporters to help variate from past point-and-click games made in the past by devs of Double Fine, former devs of Lucas Arts games. And since Disney no longer making games thanks to the back-lash of shovel-ware like Infinity, not only can Capcom capitalize on this but it means that Lucas Arts can focus on remaking other past Lucas Arts games in the fallowing years.
But back on subject, the art-style has been revamped from the pixel lines to it's
new cartoon-like art style with the option to switch back and forth just like the monkey island remakes in the past. Like the Monkey island remakes, the verbs have been reorganized into an action wheel, which takes time to get use to. The music has been remixed as well, making the experience more like an interactive cartoon more than ever. While the changes seem minor, one can easily appreciate how the developers make this game playable as DOS*BOX can have compatibility issues with some computers these days. While the art is only a small change in the long run, it is a fun colored adventure for both fans and new comers alike!
This game is a blast that must be experienced as most point-and-click games like this should. Talking too much about this game would give this game some injustice. While the game dose smell of 90's adventure cheese, the remake recaptures what made the original great while fixing issues with the DOS-BOX version as it doesn't run on most modern PCs. This game comes highly recommended.
...
It's a point-and-click game, It speaks for itself...
To do so, Dr. Edison tries sending them into the past, but due to the doctor being cheap, things go wrong as Hoagie is sent 500 years in the past to America's past while Lavern is sent to the dark future where purple took over the world. Hilarity ensures as they out-smart the awkward creatures as they slapstick and humor they way onto adventure. While they are far apart, they can transfer items from their inventory from their portijons, the put-houses converted into teleporters to help variate from past point-and-click games made in the past by devs of Double Fine, former devs of Lucas Arts games. And since Disney no longer making games thanks to the back-lash of shovel-ware like Infinity, not only can Capcom capitalize on this but it means that Lucas Arts can focus on remaking other past Lucas Arts games in the fallowing years.
But back on subject, the art-style has been revamped from the pixel lines to it's
new cartoon-like art style with the option to switch back and forth just like the monkey island remakes in the past. Like the Monkey island remakes, the verbs have been reorganized into an action wheel, which takes time to get use to. The music has been remixed as well, making the experience more like an interactive cartoon more than ever. While the changes seem minor, one can easily appreciate how the developers make this game playable as DOS*BOX can have compatibility issues with some computers these days. While the art is only a small change in the long run, it is a fun colored adventure for both fans and new comers alike!
This game is a blast that must be experienced as most point-and-click games like this should. Talking too much about this game would give this game some injustice. While the game dose smell of 90's adventure cheese, the remake recaptures what made the original great while fixing issues with the DOS-BOX version as it doesn't run on most modern PCs. This game comes highly recommended.
...
It's a point-and-click game, It speaks for itself...
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Beastly Byte: Star Fox Zero: Starting over yet agian
Star fox has been remade and rebooted as much as Conker Live and Reloaded, but unlike that game, this game actually has heart put into this game with respect for those that has fallen. However, it has taken the original story and adds variations that is different from the past Star Fox games. So in the end, how dose this play out and how different is the game?
Well...
Positives
+ This game is very colorful! Almost smooth 60 FTP, great graphics, and great story
+ The story stays close to the N64 original, while safe, it has it's charm
+ Co-op controls makes the game fun to play with a friend, if one has any
+ New ship transformations unlocks to use in the game, the ones unused from Star Fox 2
+ New challenge mode which is an actual challenge
+ No quest in the game feels the same; Has great verity in each level
+ Game has great replay value because of the multible paths
Negatives- The game was originally designed as a rental since the Nintendo 64 Blockbuster days, making the game four to six hours long. Too short in today's modern games!
- The controls are glued to the game-pad, causing sore wrist for those not use to the controls.
- No real completion bonus, as most of the high scores are bragging rights
- No online play, which most modern games have in today's age
- The controls, like in splatoon, takes time to get use to, adding artificial difficulty where it shouldn't be there
- There just needs to be more options; There's an old saying that's being overused for a reason!
- Stealth missions in this game SUCKS because of bad controls
- Comes with a tower deference game, which should have been a game of it's own to lower it's cost
C+
As much as I want to support good games like this, this game still needs a patch or two. Because of it's short total gameplay, this is most likely a rental thanks to Star Fox's original design. Star Fox is still a fun arcade game, but players prefer the original StarFox 64 as its holds up as a classic. It also doesn't help as remaking the game twice in a row is very redundant when players take in consideration that StarFox 3DS was only made a few years ago. With all due respect to those who has fallen, it's a good game. However, personally recommend waiting until a price drop or a humble sale to grab this game. Until then, thanks for reading!
Well...
Positives
+ This game is very colorful! Almost smooth 60 FTP, great graphics, and great story
+ The story stays close to the N64 original, while safe, it has it's charm
+ Co-op controls makes the game fun to play with a friend, if one has any
+ New ship transformations unlocks to use in the game, the ones unused from Star Fox 2
+ New challenge mode which is an actual challenge
+ No quest in the game feels the same; Has great verity in each level
+ Game has great replay value because of the multible paths
Negatives- The game was originally designed as a rental since the Nintendo 64 Blockbuster days, making the game four to six hours long. Too short in today's modern games!
- The controls are glued to the game-pad, causing sore wrist for those not use to the controls.
- No real completion bonus, as most of the high scores are bragging rights
- No online play, which most modern games have in today's age
- The controls, like in splatoon, takes time to get use to, adding artificial difficulty where it shouldn't be there
- There just needs to be more options; There's an old saying that's being overused for a reason!
- Stealth missions in this game SUCKS because of bad controls
- Comes with a tower deference game, which should have been a game of it's own to lower it's cost
C+
As much as I want to support good games like this, this game still needs a patch or two. Because of it's short total gameplay, this is most likely a rental thanks to Star Fox's original design. Star Fox is still a fun arcade game, but players prefer the original StarFox 64 as its holds up as a classic. It also doesn't help as remaking the game twice in a row is very redundant when players take in consideration that StarFox 3DS was only made a few years ago. With all due respect to those who has fallen, it's a good game. However, personally recommend waiting until a price drop or a humble sale to grab this game. Until then, thanks for reading!
Saturday, April 9, 2016
Clock Tower Series: Where did it all go wrong?
Disclaimer: Please note that this is a retrospective piece originated for Valentine's day but due to delays, the project was put on hold. The research may not be 100% accurate, so please take the articular with a grain of salt. If you are easily triggered by sexism in games, this is your warning. Thanks, and good reading!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Clock Tower series; Where do I begin?
It started out as a exclusive japan only Super Nintendo game that's a point-and-click game. Why it didn't have a PC port is a good question since games since Windows OS was found during the 90's. While Maniac Manson, Uninvited and other point-and-click games where on the NES, Clock Tower predates quick click-action found like in today's action games like The Walking Dead telltale game to Until Dawn, as Clock tower has multiple endings depending on what the player dose within the game.
In Clock Tower 0: The first Fear, the player stars as Jennifer, a fifteen year old girl (which is the legal age in japan) who is on her way to being adopted by her new step father with her three friends, however, the caretaker for the girls went missing. While the girls grew cowardly to go out, Jennifer volunteers to look for her. Just when she reaches the hallway, the girls screamed and Jennifer goes back to check on them. To her horror, she finds them missing and then the game starts. Depending on who dies and which path Jennifer takes, there are endings from A-E, with A being the best and cannon ending. This ending system was later adopted by games like the Dead Rising series as a way to have multiple endings.
In the end, only Jennifer and Helen survive as Scissor-man. This antagonist who stalked and killed the other girls is actually based off a a Grimm tales about a monster who cut the thumbs of bad children who suck their own thumbs. Clearly, there must be something more going on about that. Apparently, the caretaker is actually scissor-man's mother who sent them there just to be his sacrifice. You also out-wit her and she meets her demise depending on your ending... or Jennifer dose if she fails the QTE. This game is Japan exclusive, but this just in there are repo game companies that can help players get the game legally.
After the PlayStation's launch, game companies where split-off between Nintendo, Sega, and Sony. As expected, Sony took off with most of the Japanese horror licenses like Silent Hill, Resident Evil, and, of course, Clock Tower which was then re-released with a bonus added content within the game. Of course, the game was japan exclusive as well but not it's sequel Clock Tower 1, as it was the first game to hit the US/UK. (and yes, even the PS1 version been translated. so check that out.)
Clock Tower 1 takes place years after clock tower first fear, where Jennifer is being treated by a therapist while Hellen works as a reporter/writer for the local newspapers to help support Jennifer by researching the origins of clock tower. However, someone posing as scissor-man starts going on a killing spree, cutting and killing citizens within the city. This time, however, BOTH characters are playable with their own story and levels. While most of the gameplay stayed the same, it was now in playstation 3D graphics...which sadly made the game dated unlike first fear.
In the end, it ends up that there where more than one killer this time, as on Jennifer's end, it end up this one boy did the killings to be a yandero to her. Meanwhile, the physiologist of Jenifer lost control out of curiosity for the scissor-man's mind and how he lost himself like how players play the Genocide route on under-tale, as the mask and scissor-man's scissors possesses him. However, the boy Hellen met earlier ended up as scissor-man's twin brother. Jennifer/Hellen then take it upon themselves to seal the boy once in for all. While this was a happen ending for these two, this game suffered from "engrish" translation and voice acting, adding cheese to an already cheesy game. It also ended the original storyline made for the first two games, meaning the devs have to make a new one from scratch...w
...But before moving on to the next game, HUMAN entertainment was facing major debt as the Clock Tower games did not sell to well. This is where thing got awkward: The head developer Hifumi Kono made a porn game studio called Nude Maker just to survive around the 00's. This was caused by the spin-off of the Clock Tower called Ghost Head, or what the US called Clock Tower II. This later taunted the game developers as later installments are somewhat taunted the series with perversion later in Clock Tower 3 and Domento, also known as Haunting grounds.
Clock Tower II is one of the worst horror games on the Playstation One. While it dose start off like normal in the first chapter, things got very bad as this game is the Batman and Robin of horror games. Too many zombies that constantly spawn in almost every room! This adds a layer of annoyance like if players getting a call every five minutes from a jealous ex. There was also a new mechanic as the main character was possessed by a demon known as Bates, the only thing interesting in the game. Depending on who's in control at the time, different things happen and can even give one a different endings. However, switch is a pain as it's based on an emulate and misplacing it can be a pain and Bate's gun-play can be annoying as it's out-of-place, killing the horror gameplay the series is known for! This game was a flop commercially and critically, causing the devs to sell their rights to Capcom who handed it to the ex-devs of Sunsoft. The moral is if it's not broken, don't fix it.
Clock Tower 3 will be the last of the spin-off games based on this series with mix results. While it did have a cult fallowing, this game was still a flop. For one, it was during a bad time when horror games began to fall off the radar thanks to the first-person shooter boom during the time. Another issue is that it was too campy and took the stalker-horror to the wrong direction. The developers did try to take it back to how the original clock tower worked, but in the game took a too anime feel to where it should have been an entity all alone.Why reboot scissor-man into twins?! It's like they took influences from bad horror movies at the time. This game took two steps forward only to fall onto it's face as it don't have the endings of the past-games.
Now for Domento, known in the west as Haunting Grounds? It's just way too lewd. I would talk about the game if it wasn't a controversial mess. After all, if the main protagonist was running for her life just to be impregnated just to reincarnate a the main antagonist. If that doesn't speak controversial game, then nothing will. It also doesn't help that the unlocks are lewd cosmetics that are based on the ending of the game. While this game dose have SOME mechanics such as a dog side-kick, it's not a good horror game as the character designs are too distracting. It also did help that the main focus at the time was Resident Evil 4, but at least that's a better action horror game that is highly recommended dispute how the game aged.
If you want to check the series out, the fan-translations of the first game is out on boot-leg on the SNES and the Playstation One. Maybe if the stars a placed properly in alinement, you can get them on the Playstation Store. The first two games are recommended to those who want to look at survival horror games of the past. Thankfully, there is a game in development called Night Cry done by the same original developers, so I do wish them luck on the project as Triple A gaming has not been the same since the gaming industry has been crippled in other countries.
...Just make sure Nude Maker take a cold shower, please...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Clock Tower series; Where do I begin?
It started out as a exclusive japan only Super Nintendo game that's a point-and-click game. Why it didn't have a PC port is a good question since games since Windows OS was found during the 90's. While Maniac Manson, Uninvited and other point-and-click games where on the NES, Clock Tower predates quick click-action found like in today's action games like The Walking Dead telltale game to Until Dawn, as Clock tower has multiple endings depending on what the player dose within the game.
In Clock Tower 0: The first Fear, the player stars as Jennifer, a fifteen year old girl (which is the legal age in japan) who is on her way to being adopted by her new step father with her three friends, however, the caretaker for the girls went missing. While the girls grew cowardly to go out, Jennifer volunteers to look for her. Just when she reaches the hallway, the girls screamed and Jennifer goes back to check on them. To her horror, she finds them missing and then the game starts. Depending on who dies and which path Jennifer takes, there are endings from A-E, with A being the best and cannon ending. This ending system was later adopted by games like the Dead Rising series as a way to have multiple endings.
In the end, only Jennifer and Helen survive as Scissor-man. This antagonist who stalked and killed the other girls is actually based off a a Grimm tales about a monster who cut the thumbs of bad children who suck their own thumbs. Clearly, there must be something more going on about that. Apparently, the caretaker is actually scissor-man's mother who sent them there just to be his sacrifice. You also out-wit her and she meets her demise depending on your ending... or Jennifer dose if she fails the QTE. This game is Japan exclusive, but this just in there are repo game companies that can help players get the game legally.
After the PlayStation's launch, game companies where split-off between Nintendo, Sega, and Sony. As expected, Sony took off with most of the Japanese horror licenses like Silent Hill, Resident Evil, and, of course, Clock Tower which was then re-released with a bonus added content within the game. Of course, the game was japan exclusive as well but not it's sequel Clock Tower 1, as it was the first game to hit the US/UK. (and yes, even the PS1 version been translated. so check that out.)
Clock Tower 1 takes place years after clock tower first fear, where Jennifer is being treated by a therapist while Hellen works as a reporter/writer for the local newspapers to help support Jennifer by researching the origins of clock tower. However, someone posing as scissor-man starts going on a killing spree, cutting and killing citizens within the city. This time, however, BOTH characters are playable with their own story and levels. While most of the gameplay stayed the same, it was now in playstation 3D graphics...which sadly made the game dated unlike first fear.
In the end, it ends up that there where more than one killer this time, as on Jennifer's end, it end up this one boy did the killings to be a yandero to her. Meanwhile, the physiologist of Jenifer lost control out of curiosity for the scissor-man's mind and how he lost himself like how players play the Genocide route on under-tale, as the mask and scissor-man's scissors possesses him. However, the boy Hellen met earlier ended up as scissor-man's twin brother. Jennifer/Hellen then take it upon themselves to seal the boy once in for all. While this was a happen ending for these two, this game suffered from "engrish" translation and voice acting, adding cheese to an already cheesy game. It also ended the original storyline made for the first two games, meaning the devs have to make a new one from scratch...w
...But before moving on to the next game, HUMAN entertainment was facing major debt as the Clock Tower games did not sell to well. This is where thing got awkward: The head developer Hifumi Kono made a porn game studio called Nude Maker just to survive around the 00's. This was caused by the spin-off of the Clock Tower called Ghost Head, or what the US called Clock Tower II. This later taunted the game developers as later installments are somewhat taunted the series with perversion later in Clock Tower 3 and Domento, also known as Haunting grounds.
Clock Tower II is one of the worst horror games on the Playstation One. While it dose start off like normal in the first chapter, things got very bad as this game is the Batman and Robin of horror games. Too many zombies that constantly spawn in almost every room! This adds a layer of annoyance like if players getting a call every five minutes from a jealous ex. There was also a new mechanic as the main character was possessed by a demon known as Bates, the only thing interesting in the game. Depending on who's in control at the time, different things happen and can even give one a different endings. However, switch is a pain as it's based on an emulate and misplacing it can be a pain and Bate's gun-play can be annoying as it's out-of-place, killing the horror gameplay the series is known for! This game was a flop commercially and critically, causing the devs to sell their rights to Capcom who handed it to the ex-devs of Sunsoft. The moral is if it's not broken, don't fix it.
Clock Tower 3 will be the last of the spin-off games based on this series with mix results. While it did have a cult fallowing, this game was still a flop. For one, it was during a bad time when horror games began to fall off the radar thanks to the first-person shooter boom during the time. Another issue is that it was too campy and took the stalker-horror to the wrong direction. The developers did try to take it back to how the original clock tower worked, but in the game took a too anime feel to where it should have been an entity all alone.Why reboot scissor-man into twins?! It's like they took influences from bad horror movies at the time. This game took two steps forward only to fall onto it's face as it don't have the endings of the past-games.
Now for Domento, known in the west as Haunting Grounds? It's just way too lewd. I would talk about the game if it wasn't a controversial mess. After all, if the main protagonist was running for her life just to be impregnated just to reincarnate a the main antagonist. If that doesn't speak controversial game, then nothing will. It also doesn't help that the unlocks are lewd cosmetics that are based on the ending of the game. While this game dose have SOME mechanics such as a dog side-kick, it's not a good horror game as the character designs are too distracting. It also did help that the main focus at the time was Resident Evil 4, but at least that's a better action horror game that is highly recommended dispute how the game aged.
If you want to check the series out, the fan-translations of the first game is out on boot-leg on the SNES and the Playstation One. Maybe if the stars a placed properly in alinement, you can get them on the Playstation Store. The first two games are recommended to those who want to look at survival horror games of the past. Thankfully, there is a game in development called Night Cry done by the same original developers, so I do wish them luck on the project as Triple A gaming has not been the same since the gaming industry has been crippled in other countries.
...Just make sure Nude Maker take a cold shower, please...
Friday, April 8, 2016
Zelda: Twlight Princess HD; For those who missed out!
Well, this is one of my favorite Zelda games as it's actually a sequel to Majora's Mask. However, the Game-cube and Wii port has not aged well because of the aged graphics of the Nintendo Gamecube and the insanity that is the Wii's controls where one thing everyone wants to forget. Nintendo has also re-released Wind Waker HD and it ended up as a great port of a classic. However, can the same be said about Twilight Princess HD? The answer: Maybe, but only if one missed out.
Twilight Princess takes place after Majora's Mask, as country boy Link helps heard goats on the farmstead as an erran boy. While preparing to deliver a gift to Zelda, he gets ambushed and the children get kidnapped as well as Link's love interest who ISN'T Zelda. In fact, he dreamed of her in one sequence in the game. Link is one chick magnet, for better or worst. This was built as a different, dark Zelda game just as or even close to Majora's Mask. Personally, it may be close to Majora's Mask but it's not as dark because of the theme of duality. Majora's Mask is a based off Africa's designed metaphor about grief and death, so it will always be the darkest Zelda. I will not spoil more of the game from here on out, but link dose have this wolf forum which is known as Wolf Link.
Gameplay-wise, the mechanics did remain the same for both better and worst partly because many of the old glitches still exist as the game is not a remaster, that and the fact Nintendo themselves think glitches are fun. Sadly in this cases, they are what causes some issues which should have been ironed out. The worst case happens is the ice level as not only the evil that is slide puzzles happens, but a bug with the mid-boss, which is focused on distance combat, had that one bad screw up : He just would NOT attack! The problem was that the play would have to go up too close for it to attack for his weak spot to open up. The sad thing is the dungeons lay-outs has to be one of the best for Zelda games, but it gets messed up by small mistakes like this one. It's pure laziness in these respects.While they did add short-cuts like in Wind Waker HD, it it NOT a true game changer as these are optional and not noticeable in retrospects. Why was the Wii U game-pad made again?
While the gameplay dose stay in tact, sadly the frame rate dose drop from sixty frames to even choppy twenty or less in some busy areas! This is noticeable in areas like Farron Woods as this problem was NOT fix from the past ports of the game. There's also some areas in the game where they have a lot on monsters can also cause a lag as well, like being crammed in an elevator with sumos during a sporting event! Maybe getting this game as a digital download would fix this mess or adding an instal feature to help the load can fix this issue, but this is one fix that Nintendo really needs to work on.
Wolf Link is one of the main mechanics which is used to hunt Poes for their souls, get to areas that link cannot go to normally, dig up treasures, and using his new wolf skills to become a blood-hound, using it on key-story parts of the game. However, wolf link dose lose it's use to those who want to finish the game. There is a new Wolf Link's challenge which give you something that was really needed within the game: the biggest wallet since the way to get the other wallets suck. It is very challenging, as Wolf Link faces enemies that only link can easily accustom to. This would have been better if Wolf link have items and upgrades as well. It's not like he can use link's swords or shields as demonstrated, but with human link is much more useful that Wolf Link.
The world map may not be huge as OoT but it dose not have the long travels of the Wind Waker, as later on Wolf Link can teleport from warp points that opens up after beating up dark beast. While back tracking is very bad, as it is a flaw. It was because of the limitations of memory space for both the GameCube and the Wii Port, so this is why the game is shaped that way. The game will force ones to back-track into sections once visited, as Link is able to access places he wasn't able to go before...Which is dumb because he could have visited these areas but Link couldn't because the plot demands it!
In the end, this is a good Zelda game, but this game can easily date itself too easily because of it's flaws. For those who missed out and needs a game for the Wii U to help buy time for the next Zelda game, this is an option. However, those who played this game for either the GameCube or the Wii won't feel left out, even with the added social features. While it's it is FAR from a bad game, getting this game might not be for every Zelda fan. I personally had fun replaying the game, but prepare just in case your nastolga glasses start to crack, shatter, and explode. That tends to happen to some nerds....
Twilight Princess takes place after Majora's Mask, as country boy Link helps heard goats on the farmstead as an erran boy. While preparing to deliver a gift to Zelda, he gets ambushed and the children get kidnapped as well as Link's love interest who ISN'T Zelda. In fact, he dreamed of her in one sequence in the game. Link is one chick magnet, for better or worst. This was built as a different, dark Zelda game just as or even close to Majora's Mask. Personally, it may be close to Majora's Mask but it's not as dark because of the theme of duality. Majora's Mask is a based off Africa's designed metaphor about grief and death, so it will always be the darkest Zelda. I will not spoil more of the game from here on out, but link dose have this wolf forum which is known as Wolf Link.
Gameplay-wise, the mechanics did remain the same for both better and worst partly because many of the old glitches still exist as the game is not a remaster, that and the fact Nintendo themselves think glitches are fun. Sadly in this cases, they are what causes some issues which should have been ironed out. The worst case happens is the ice level as not only the evil that is slide puzzles happens, but a bug with the mid-boss, which is focused on distance combat, had that one bad screw up : He just would NOT attack! The problem was that the play would have to go up too close for it to attack for his weak spot to open up. The sad thing is the dungeons lay-outs has to be one of the best for Zelda games, but it gets messed up by small mistakes like this one. It's pure laziness in these respects.While they did add short-cuts like in Wind Waker HD, it it NOT a true game changer as these are optional and not noticeable in retrospects. Why was the Wii U game-pad made again?
While the gameplay dose stay in tact, sadly the frame rate dose drop from sixty frames to even choppy twenty or less in some busy areas! This is noticeable in areas like Farron Woods as this problem was NOT fix from the past ports of the game. There's also some areas in the game where they have a lot on monsters can also cause a lag as well, like being crammed in an elevator with sumos during a sporting event! Maybe getting this game as a digital download would fix this mess or adding an instal feature to help the load can fix this issue, but this is one fix that Nintendo really needs to work on.
Wolf Link is one of the main mechanics which is used to hunt Poes for their souls, get to areas that link cannot go to normally, dig up treasures, and using his new wolf skills to become a blood-hound, using it on key-story parts of the game. However, wolf link dose lose it's use to those who want to finish the game. There is a new Wolf Link's challenge which give you something that was really needed within the game: the biggest wallet since the way to get the other wallets suck. It is very challenging, as Wolf Link faces enemies that only link can easily accustom to. This would have been better if Wolf link have items and upgrades as well. It's not like he can use link's swords or shields as demonstrated, but with human link is much more useful that Wolf Link.
The world map may not be huge as OoT but it dose not have the long travels of the Wind Waker, as later on Wolf Link can teleport from warp points that opens up after beating up dark beast. While back tracking is very bad, as it is a flaw. It was because of the limitations of memory space for both the GameCube and the Wii Port, so this is why the game is shaped that way. The game will force ones to back-track into sections once visited, as Link is able to access places he wasn't able to go before...Which is dumb because he could have visited these areas but Link couldn't because the plot demands it!
In the end, this is a good Zelda game, but this game can easily date itself too easily because of it's flaws. For those who missed out and needs a game for the Wii U to help buy time for the next Zelda game, this is an option. However, those who played this game for either the GameCube or the Wii won't feel left out, even with the added social features. While it's it is FAR from a bad game, getting this game might not be for every Zelda fan. I personally had fun replaying the game, but prepare just in case your nastolga glasses start to crack, shatter, and explode. That tends to happen to some nerds....
Friday, January 22, 2016
Telltale games: The game! As in all of them.
Now that I am back from Christmas break, it's time to start the new years off by preparing for the new year: a brand-new audio chair, a gaming mouse, a few steam sale games, a future home to look forward to, and...The Sims 4. Whelp, time to review that later. As for now, there's a review that I have been putting off for quite sometime and that's how everything telltale has ever made.
First off, the story is a mixed bag within the telltale line up. While the games the company made where good, especially The Wolf Among us, the company should at least focus on one game at a time. However, the is biggest weakness of Telltale is that they try to multi-task. While it's good for normal games, episodic games tend to be rushed since they used the same system since Tales of Monkey Island in the last generation.
Fans and critics noticed this while season two of The Walking Dead, while it wasn't awful, it suffered from bad writing as most of the team was busy with The Wolf Among Us. When they pushed the finally of The Fables game, the ending didn't really have an impact because the focus was switched to The Walking Dead season two. While the story did get better in Season two, it didn't step up as much as the first. There was a similar issue with King of Thrones and Tales of Borderlands, as production where split-up there as well.
Since the company been using the same system, that means the animations are dated and stiff. While it's not as bland as Ubi-soft's Assassin's Creed series, telltale haven't updated their system since the Devil's Playhouse, the third season of the Sam and Max telltale game series. Of late, The Odd Gentlemen has stole the spotlight with their King's Quest reboot, as their animation is much more fluid than that of telltale's past and a few of their current games. Now would be the best time to use the spare time to update their systems, but knowing that the company is now working on a Batman licensed game, they probably wont have the time as they're finishing the mine-craft story series.
The biggest problem however is that the choices in their games of late have no real bearings or changes nothing big in the end. While adventure titles often have multiple endings, or in this case, have choices that impact the rest of the game, the choices in games didn't matter. For example, in the walking dead season one, the player has a choice to save one character or the other, knowing the character will help out down the line though different outcomes. However, that part of the story can easily be forgotten and has no real impact within the story and the characters are often killed off later within the series; so no matter what one dose, both the characters are boned and can never really be saved! This hurts replay value and makes the choices lob-sided as it really doesn't matter as life goes normally as nothing changes and everything stays the same.
Now how would they fix it? Get a new system while making future games. Tempt the companies involved to update to a new system because they would make a profit. To be perfectly honest, why did they remove the original point-and-click for the PC version? It was for the counsel ports of the games, yes, but most people prefer that timeless mechanic of the classic Point-and-click controls on our PCs. Even the remaster of Grim Fandango has that benefit of the new interface that still have the point-and-click system while still having the controller support that is not too intrusive. This reboot is a good example of good mixed controls.
While telltale in the past have developed good games in their resume of games, telltale games do need to step it up in the current age of adventure games. While not all their games are terrible, past games like Jurassic Park is an examples of how telltale games could fail in today's market. Their latest game with Tales of the borderlands has to be their recent decent game, so take a look into that game. Have a Happy New Year!
First off, the story is a mixed bag within the telltale line up. While the games the company made where good, especially The Wolf Among us, the company should at least focus on one game at a time. However, the is biggest weakness of Telltale is that they try to multi-task. While it's good for normal games, episodic games tend to be rushed since they used the same system since Tales of Monkey Island in the last generation.
Fans and critics noticed this while season two of The Walking Dead, while it wasn't awful, it suffered from bad writing as most of the team was busy with The Wolf Among Us. When they pushed the finally of The Fables game, the ending didn't really have an impact because the focus was switched to The Walking Dead season two. While the story did get better in Season two, it didn't step up as much as the first. There was a similar issue with King of Thrones and Tales of Borderlands, as production where split-up there as well.
Since the company been using the same system, that means the animations are dated and stiff. While it's not as bland as Ubi-soft's Assassin's Creed series, telltale haven't updated their system since the Devil's Playhouse, the third season of the Sam and Max telltale game series. Of late, The Odd Gentlemen has stole the spotlight with their King's Quest reboot, as their animation is much more fluid than that of telltale's past and a few of their current games. Now would be the best time to use the spare time to update their systems, but knowing that the company is now working on a Batman licensed game, they probably wont have the time as they're finishing the mine-craft story series.
The biggest problem however is that the choices in their games of late have no real bearings or changes nothing big in the end. While adventure titles often have multiple endings, or in this case, have choices that impact the rest of the game, the choices in games didn't matter. For example, in the walking dead season one, the player has a choice to save one character or the other, knowing the character will help out down the line though different outcomes. However, that part of the story can easily be forgotten and has no real impact within the story and the characters are often killed off later within the series; so no matter what one dose, both the characters are boned and can never really be saved! This hurts replay value and makes the choices lob-sided as it really doesn't matter as life goes normally as nothing changes and everything stays the same.
Now how would they fix it? Get a new system while making future games. Tempt the companies involved to update to a new system because they would make a profit. To be perfectly honest, why did they remove the original point-and-click for the PC version? It was for the counsel ports of the games, yes, but most people prefer that timeless mechanic of the classic Point-and-click controls on our PCs. Even the remaster of Grim Fandango has that benefit of the new interface that still have the point-and-click system while still having the controller support that is not too intrusive. This reboot is a good example of good mixed controls.
While telltale in the past have developed good games in their resume of games, telltale games do need to step it up in the current age of adventure games. While not all their games are terrible, past games like Jurassic Park is an examples of how telltale games could fail in today's market. Their latest game with Tales of the borderlands has to be their recent decent game, so take a look into that game. Have a Happy New Year!
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