Author: Dustin Murphy

Destiny Content Discontinued for “Legacy” Consoles

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

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As a part of the growing trend of players migrating from the last generation of consoles to the next – has shown its face across multiple titles. The latest title to make to disembark from the last generation has emerged and the title? As the article title suggests: Destiny.

In the latest trend of doing so – developers and publishers – have pretty much left the “legacy” consoles behind; the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. In this doing so, Bungie has announced that they will not be new content for the two platforms. This means Iron Banner, Trials of Osiris, Live Events, New Exotics/Gear, and Rise of Iron – will run exclusively on both Xbox One as well as PlayStation 4. The team now has also gone to suggest that players looking to continue their experience should opt to getting a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. You can read their full break-down of this news on the official Bungie Blog.

For a guide to what will be available post Rise of Iron, check out the official “Legacy Console” guide.

About the Writer:

dustin_batgr_prof

Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

The Division’s “Undergound” Expansion is Now Available for PC and Xbox One

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

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The wait is finally over. You’ve seent he dangers that lurk deep below the streets of New York. You’ve seen the enemy threat that is preparing to take over the subways, the tunnels, and now sewers. Here Agents will find themselves trekking through each randomly generated dungeon together as they explore their way through these tunnels in order to stop the new and powerful enemy threat. With this threat? Comes new loot and the Hell’s Kitchen Incursion named “Dragon’s Nest”. This new incursion seeks to offer up the most threat for players as the new and most difficult one as enemies will show off their largest as well as single-most deadly threat yet.

Additionally, there’s a little surprise in there for those of you without the season pass or having purchased the content separately for $14.99. So lets take a peak at the official notes.

Additional Free Content Also Coming with Update 1.3

Additional Expansion I: Underground Feature
– New Gear Sets
•       B.L.I.N.D. – Control the battlefield with an improved Pulse skill and flashbangs with this hybrid gear set.
•       DeadEYE – Dictate long-range engagements with powerful critical strikes or accurate headshots.
•       FireCrest – Set enemies ablaze with this offensive gear set.
•       Reclaimer – Boost the entire group with this ultimate support set.

In addition, starting today Update 1.3 will add new free content for all players on Xbox One and Windows PC, and will be available on July 5 for the PlayStation®4 system.

Update 1.3
•       Find and equip 9 new weapon types.
•       Experience Hudson Refugee Camp and Queens Tunnel in Challenge mode for better rewards.
•       Play the new Heroic difficulty to unlock top-tier rewards in incursions and select missions.
•       Get the all new Alpha Bridge gear set.
•       Discover the Terminal, a new shared social space inside the Base of Operations.

Is it enough to make you wander the streets of New York a bit more starting now? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

About the Writer:

dustin_batgr_prof

Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

Sit-Rep: Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book – When Alchemy Decides to Backfire

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment
Pros:
+An astonishing soundtrack that stays true with the games locales and scenery.
+Character designs are top notch bringing Sophie and Plachta to life
+A newly implemented alchemy system that brings both new and old to life
+Outfit changing brings the game to life from being stale and boring
Cons:
–Brings forth a lack of story, which is not known in previous entries
–The battle system feels weak and troubled since the days of Escha and Logy
–New Game+ is absent in this newest title
Atelier_Sophie_Review
Much like any Atelier game, our newest title starts off pretty plain, pretty simple, and with a bit of a trademark design. In the beginning we are introduced to our playable character – Sophie. With her aspirations to become a great alchemist recognized, it’s time for he to take on the works of her grandmother whom has passed. With her family legacy being known as a renowned alchemist of the atelier arts, it’s now Sophie’s turn to try and take to such greatness. With her grandmothers book in her possession, it’s not her time to take over and begin picking up where her legacy begins.
As one would expect, the book is where much of her story will unfold as it is not just any book, but a special one known as Plachta. Working along side Sophie, Plachta will help Sophie unlock the memories hidden within Plachta to find out the memories her grandmother left behind that have since become hidden. While exploring the world in order to unlock a rather tough alchemical formulae and the memories, the two will take on extraordinary tasks as visitors will come and go within her life while they explore new recipes and materials to help create them.
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As one would expect, the Atelier titles do live up to expectations on their graphical standard. With their visuals becoming more consistent across each release; their’s a sense of tradition to the titles as they have taken on their cel-like anime approach with shading. Those of you familiar with the titles on both PlayStation 3 and even the PlayStation Vita – they’ve remained on-par as they upgraded into their 1080p standard. For those of you who visited titles like Night of azure, Dragon Ball Xenoverse or even Digimon Cybersleuth, you’ve come accustomed to what the graphics will be like. The graphics are perhaps one of the most appealing things about the game as players find themselves lulled in by them next to the songs that play throughout the game.
Even with its anime like approach to character designs, anime-like soundtracks, and traditional crafting gameplay, the game has been tweaked a bit to ensure that even the most hardcore of fans won’t get bored. With each character in the series, girl that is, remains lighthearted, loving, ditsy, cute, and even a bit damsel-ish, the games remain fun as players get underway through their tales. Unfortunately, that’s about it for this game as it does find itself a bit troubled when all-else comes into play.
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Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book – PlayStation 4 (Reviewed)
Developer: Gust
Publisher: Koei Tecmo
Price: $59.99 USD
Released: Available Now
While this game does offer up a common moniker that the series is renowned for it doesn’t fail to drop the traditional JRPG like mechanics. Combat is straight-forward within the title as players will pick what attack they want to perform, items to use, and what their combat rotation comes out to be. After a good 30-40 hours in, players will find themselves incomplete in ways if they are wanting to finish unlocking their trophies. While New Game+ has been a traditional piece of this franchise, this one falls short of doing so and leaves players with a single playthrough.
As you’d expect – Atelier Sophie is a decent game. Definitely not what was expected especially being the first one for this generation of console. Character design and soundtrack were wonderful as to be expected with the Atelier titles. The new alchemy system felt new yet familiar which was very refreshing. However it doesn’t make up for the lack of good story and feeling like you are getting nowhere fast or even a normal pace. Time management, Battle system, Leveling, and lack of a NG+ among other things kept this game from being better then it was and/or expected to be. However still looking forward to what the next Atelier game will hold for us fans. Hopefully the next time around will try a tidbit harder to bring back the love the series got from previous titles.
Our review is based on a copy provided to us by the games publisher.  For information about our ethics policy please click here.

 Final Score: 5 out of 10

About the Writer:

chris_adeeChris Adee is one of B.A.T.G.R.’s newest writers who seems to love three things. Sleep, games, and MOBA’s when he’s not goofing around on Warframe and SMITE. He also likes games. A lot. Oh and anime. Did we mention anime?

Ten Games You Should be Buying on Steam’s Summer Sale

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

So that wonderful time for PC gaming is upon us. The Steam Summer Picnic Sale is here and it’s in full swing. The glorious crackle of wallet fueled bonfires is here and the sound of ISP’s groaning from bandwidth usage is upon us. With games such as DOOM. Bombshell, Arma II, Arma III, Rust, The Forest, Shadow Warrior, and thousands more on sale, it’s hard to sift through all those good-to-play games in order to find ones to play. But fear not! We’re here, we brought our picnic basket, and we’re about to share with you a few of our secret video game hidden snacks you may want to bring to your digital picnic. So lets get straight to business and take a little peak into our basket to see what you may be looking over.

#10 – The Forest – $14.99 | $11.99

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So you’ve decided for this glorious time of year to take your vacation on a plane. Unfortunately, you’re not heading to the same beach we are at, but instead it’s filled with cannibals prepared to turn you into their picnic snack. Your goal is to survive, to salvage anything usable from a forest, and hope that you can outwit your unfriendly hosts. With man or woman premium steak on their menu, it’s surely time to fight back, and prepare your local fort for the best survival chances you may have. Daylight as you would assume is your best friend. Here you’ll be able to gather supplies, build your tools, and even build a safety nest to hide within.

Soon as sunset begins to roll around? Your not-so-friendly neighbors decide to invade, steal your picnic basket, and drag your body along the sandy beaches to prepare their very own moonlit picnic. What’s on the menu? You are.

#9 – The Secret World: Ultimate Edition – $59.99 | $20.39

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So you may not be one for the awesome beach side views where you’re knocking the heads off of hostile cannibals, gotcha. Instead you’re the one that likes to stay inside, read a book, and head on to take out enemies the world has never seen. Lets say the show Grimm is one of your favourites – not a problem. Welcome to Secret World, a world that exists outside of our own in many ways and special people, namely you, are chosen to help protect it from unforeseen forces. With the Illuminati, the Dragons, and a few other factions truly existing, it’s up to you to stop evil at all costs – also it’s up to you to look badass doing it in this MMO subscription-free title.

As a once monthly-subscription based game, Secret World is the book of MMO’s that decides to step away from the traditional play style of games like World of Warcraft and to create their own unique touch. If that’s something for you? Here’s your book, enjoy the shade this summer.

#8 – Shadow Warrior – $49.99 | $4.99

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You’ve decided to get a taste of the Asian sights this year. Awesome-sauce. Coming up your alley is your chance to take on the sword-wielding badassery that’s Lo Wang. If you are one for satirical puns, a humorous host, and a demonic side-kick, it’s time to get your trip through Japan underway.

As a remake of the 1997 Classic, Shadow Warrior brings back all the sword and gun wielding fun in a modern touch. With up dated mechanics, gameplay flow, and graphics? There’s nothing to pass-up here as you’ll scale your way through demon infested Japan in order to kick the living Hell out of anyone that gets in your way in order to take out those looking to ruin your vacation.

#7 – The Witcher Franchise – $79.97 | $26.52

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So your trip so far has been a wild one, so far we’ve gone from beautiful beaches that ended up being cannibalistic, to a book that took you into a beautifully written fantasy world, and now we’ve decided to go back in time. Welcome to a new fantasy Dark Age based on a fictional Europe where dragons, witches, goblins, faeries, demon’s, siren’s, elves, mages, and much-more await to test your skills as you go horse back riding. On your adventure you’ll be following the guidance of a gentleman, one who’s not truly so gentle, by the name of Geralt of Rivia. Geralt is a special hunter known as Witcher, a unique breed of slayers who hunt the impossible for financial gains and to purify the world of trouble.

With their ability to slay these creatures, you’ll get to see fantastical sights never before-seen as players push through this new and ancient world. If that’s something you enjoy, here’s your chance to see something unique as you across the mountains, through castle streets, and even caves galore. Just remember, swimming isn’t always your friend.

#6 – Rocket League Deluxe Edition – $23.99 | $14.39

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Your trip has brought you here. The taste of futbol with cars has gotten your attention. It sounds impossible, ludicrous, and ultimately beyond enjoyable. Welcome to Rocket League where soccer, racing, and pure insanity have mixed to bring you the next big sport for cars. Here players are pitted against each other to score the most goals while pulling off insane tricks, blowing each other to pieces, and all around being an adrenaline junkie bad ass.

If that’s something you’re up for, the games name explains it all as players are put in multiple arenas around the world, sporting their national flag, and working together to be the best of the best.

#5 – Arma X: Anniversary Edition – $49.99 | $9.99

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After a weird night of a few drinks, a few tattoo’s, and somehow crossing over into Europe, you’ve been enlisted into the U.S. Military – or you’ve been enlisted this entire time. Well your duty has been yanked into combat. You, your friends, and your country are now needing you to be the best of the best. In Arma and Arma 2 (this pack contacts both games and all DLC. It does not contain Arma III), you’re goal is to fight in a hyper realistic combat setting where enemies will hunt you, they’ll attempt to kill you, and their combat mechanics are perfect.

With your friends in-tow it’s time to see just how well you can prove yourself to your digital country and survive your trip across Europe.

#5 – Kingdom’s of Amalur: The Reckoning Collection – $39.99 | $9.99

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Your military enlistment didn’t last long. Somehow you’ve been knocked back into a fantasy world by the name of Amalur. Here you’ve been revived and become the chosen one. Of sorts really, but your death has been prevented by the use of magic and science. As you’ve awoken the lab you are being tested on falls under attack in order to take you out. As enemies besiege it, it’s time for you to fight back, and survive. Why? You’re the last of your kind and the only one that has the chance to be the hero Amalur needs in its time of despair.

Here you’ll take your vacation across unique terrains ranging from lush forests, rocky valleys, and sun scorched deserts. Let alone do you get to see these, you even get to see a few beach side camping grounds that just happen to be littered with enemies waiting for you to take them out one by one. Unless you die again, then all is lost.

#4 – DOOM (2016) – $59.99 | $39.99

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So your ideal vacation was to go to Mars and see the exotic red planet. Unfortunately your trip didn’t go the way you planned and now your DOOM Slayer pal and you are having to take out the minions of Hell just to enjoy your sandwich. Unfortunately these heart-munching, flame-lobbing, cybernetically enhanced a-holes have no want to share the last few bites. So now? It’s your time to bash your way through the blood riddled landscapes of Hell and Mars in order to ruin their day – all for ruining your very own summer vacation spot where you decided to pitch up your umbrella for a few cold drinks.

This latest title from legendary studio id Software goes back to what made DOOM the series it was. It’s fast, it’s furious, it’s bloodier than Hell itself, and its soundtrack is undeniably made to be an adrenaline pumper and get you in the mood. If you were expecting Frank Sinatra or Aretha Franklin – sorry kid, those two are up in Heaven drinking whiskey and champagne watching you kick Hell’s ass.

#3 – Fallout 4 – $59.99 | $29.99

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Somehow you managed to find your way back from Hell and Mars – only to be back on Earth. Now you find yourself in 2077 after the bombs have fallen and a good chunk of humanity has been wiped out. It’s not a great place to be, but thankfully the Minute Men are there to save the day once you run into these lads. Luckily they are willing to help you settle down, have a few gasses of irradiated tea and find your missing kid. Yea your missing kid here. If you didn’t know you have one? Surprise. Now get in there and fight like there’s nothing else worth fighting for as much as this.

Did we mention you get to shoot off nuclear bombs, kill gigantic enemies, and fly around in airships? Yea that happens.

#2 – BioShock Franchise – $69.97 | $10.51

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Well your picnic hasn’t been exactly the one you want nor has your summer vacation. You’ve gone from a once peaceful plane flight to a forest full of cannibals to Mars, to Hell, and back, and now somehow you’ve managed to sink your Power Armor to the bottom of the ocean into Rapture. If blowing up nuclear bombs, detonating demons into a thousand pieces, and even fighting off Ogres galore hasn’t been your ideal path of survival – here’s your next stop. BioShock is the renowned creative child of developer Irrational Games.

BioShock’s franchise allows fans to travel deep within the waters of coastal America where a world of people have decided to break away from the government, live among themselves, and keep to themselves. Down here they’ve also learned how to harness Adam and Eve to make themselves even more powerful. This isn’t limited to the idea of wielding special abilities such as shooting bees from your finger tips, lighting a candle with the snap of your fingers, or powering a bulb just by holding it. If you like the idea of going from the ocean to a floating city above the clouds, this franchise is right up your alley.

#1 – Bombshell – $34.99 | $11.39

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So your luck has absolutely sucked to this point and it’s about to suck more once you step into the shoes of Shelly “Bombshell” Harrison who you’d swear is Duke Nukem’s twin sister. Crafted by the minds behind “The King”, Bombshell takes you on a wild adventure to fight off an alien enemy threat while moving across multiple terrains in your fight to return home. Downside? Your nemesis is not about to let that happen too easily and he’s going to make you fight for that two way ticket.

If you can manage to get out? At least you can say your Summer Vacation was one Hell of a ride, but you somehow lost your food along the way.

What are some titles you’d suggest to your fellow gamers? Let them know in the comments or just let us know what games you snagged up this year before the sales end July 4th.

About the Writer:

dustin_batgr_prof

Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

Overwatch’s Fan-Made Anime Introduction is Perfect

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

winston_overwatch

So I’ve undoubtedly played a lot of Overwatch in the recent year(s). I’ve played even more since the games launch just a mere month ago I’ve been sucked into what Blizzard’s new fandom has created. From pieces of art, fan-made memorabilia, clothing options, and even computer setups. While the short-film’s have been nothing short of amazing, fans have decided to get in on what Blizzard has done effectively well in order to give their games backstory some water, and even get players to enjoy the game outside of the game.

In turn, YouTube user Izach has managed to pull off an amazing AMV that sits so perfectly well that Blizzard may want to consider this guy for marketing. His anime opening is astounding and has had me on edge watching it over and over again; mostly because I  now want a CGI movie of the game to explain more of the lore. We’re talking a full blown movie made within the games engine to produce a high quality film for us to enjoy.

About the Writer:

dustin_batgr_prof

Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

Sit-Rep: Umbrella Corps – Angry Gamers Inbound

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In the past, Resident Evil is a series that would turn heads if a whisper of an announcement leaked out into the world – that was until Resident Evil 5 came into the scene and drove the series in a downward spiral. In recent years, the downward spiral has gotten worse with titles such as Resident Evil’s 5, 6, and Operation Raccoon City. While Operation Raccoon City is a personal favourite, it doesn’t mean the title was good or even great, but was still slightly enjoyable as a cooperative game.

“I’d rather have a Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City Remaster than this pile of rot.”

A one would expect, Capcom has been renown for working on new IP’s to see what direction fans would like, and if Umbrella Corp’s is a sign of things to come – there’s no hope. Starting with its reveal last last September, Umbrella Corps began to draw attention thanks to the fandom that surrounded Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City‘s Player vs Player vs A.I. gameplay.

The idea behind players fighting against each other amidst each other, the battles got heated the moment tyrants fell onto the map, and players hunted each other’s objectives whether it was attack, defend or hold. Capcom’s oddest spin-off is also it’s worst, and it’s even worse than Operation Raccoon City. I’d rather have a Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City Remaster than this pile of rot.

Pros:
+Character and class edits offer plenty of variety for players to enjoy
+Memorable maps offer a sense of nostalgia momentarily
+Multiplayer can actually be enjoyable in short doses if players find a good lobby

Cons:
-The use of jammer packs for infected A.I is unique, its poorly implemented
-Single-player is simply a tutorial for the multiplayer and it can be easily neglected
-Lag can be rather problematic between matches and continually appeared
-Character editing is locked behind the ranked mode
-Claustrophobic closeness to player character causing major U.I. clutter

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While the idea of a competitive title following a long the lines of Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City; Umbrella Corps fails miserably, and its entirety suffers due to this. Dropping the Resident Evil moniker, Umbrella Corps. Among the many little nuances that can be problematic, the deeper troubles lie within the deeper waters, and the ones that are close to being ripped apart here momentarily.

As one would expect, Umbrella Corps is a 3v3 title, one that pits two teams of Umbrella Agents against each other amidst a zombie infested arena that takes place among familiar maps such as Raccoon City’s famed “Raccoon City Police Department”, Resident Evil 5‘s “Village”, and various other locales such as Operation Raccoon City’s “Umbrella Lab’s”.

Carrying these battles takes place in two modes that run distinctly different from one another: One-life Team Death Match and Multi-Mission Mode. While enjoyable, One-life TDM offers a minor bit of enjoyment as players will find themselves quickly disposed of by infected if not by players running around with brutal melee weapons being brandished. Much as one would expect, Single-Life TDM wears out its welcome faster than it allows for players to enter the fray – if anything, this mode should have been scrapped quicker than it was implemented.

“The lag, frame rate drops, and repetitiveness can be fixed with new content and hot fixing.”

Where the game truly shines is in its Multi-Mission Mode where players will undergo multiple scenarios in a single match. These missions consist of a king-of-the hill style capture point’s of a satellite dish, collecting briefcases for your handler, eliminating enemies in a respawn based Team Death Match, and even a virus sample based collection mission that requires players to kill infected.

While this is enjoyable for the short run, the missions can cause players to grow bored and quite possibly irritated within the hour. If Capcom wants or even wanted to save this title; they’re running out of time as the game is starving for new content among its flawed design execution. The lag, frame rate drops, and repetitiveness can be fixed with new content and some hot fixing.

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Among its many problematic designs, Umbrella Corps is a troubled spin-off for the Resident Evil franchise, which comes deeply flawed in many aspects. From poor design decisions such as a lack of modes, character design options, load-out optimizations, and even a real threat from zombies: Umbrella Corps is good as a dead the moment it launched.

However, I’d be lying if I stated that I didn’t enjoy my moments of nostalgia while gunning down enemy agents in-front of a revamped Raccoon City Police department from Resident Evil 2. Sadly my enjoyment was killed when my disappointment resurfaced when trying to enjoy the view through the games painfully cluttered U.I. that focused more on the back of my agents head. The strangest of designs comes from the games flawed map, which highlights nearby movement in buildings as sound spikes. This can be misleading to players as both infected and players can trigger a nearby sound spike.

Among these small mechanics, I found myself a bit pained when my “Zombie Jammer” was broken only to find myself being attacked by zombies, Uroboros Infected, zombie dogs, and even the infamous crows. Among the battle it’s mildly easy to notice bio weapons that have been missing across the battlefield. Unlike the critical failure Operation Raccoon City; O.R.C.‘s multiplayer offered more variety as players could find themselves teaming up to down a Hunter Alpha among other bio weapons. The one thing this title does manage to pull off that none has so far? Weapon customization that allows for players to pick their weapon’s from a large variety such as SMG’s, pistols, shotguns, the attachments for the guns, and even the color pallet each gun has. Luckily the game will pull players in from each play style since the game has that amount of variety in its player load-out arsenal.

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While I’ve played many of competitive shooters that players could be sucked into, Umbrella Corps is a travesty, one that could die out even quicker than Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, which only managed to stay alive a few months after launch. Unlike Operation Raccoon City, the chances of Umbrella Corps. lasting even that long comes out pretty slim as the game is already almost dead on Steam according to Twinfinite.

If anything? This is a sign of bad things to come for this title as franchise spin-off titles already have a bad reputation. It’s time for Capcom to take notes on what has made other online competitive shooters good, or, y’know – ask the players for help. While Capcom’s Osaka studio has their work cut out for them for a new title, this is one to avoid at all costs. There’s plenty of titles out there for fans to enjoy if they are looking for a competitive team-based shooter to enjoy.

Our review is based on a copy that Blast Away the Game Review purchased.  For information about our ethics policy please click here.

 Final Score: 3 out of 10

About the Writer:

dustin_batgr_prof

Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

Famed Touchscreen eSport title Vainglory Announces Premier Partnership with Amazon Appstore

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

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Today, Vainglory’s developer Super Evil Mega Corp and Amazon have announced the title Vainglory will be supported by Amazon Appstore to support the 2016 eSports season in both North America and Europe. The season officially starts today and will run through September 11th, 2016. The top eight teams per region will compete in the Summer Live Champions in North America through September 2nd through September 5th, while the European Summer Live Championships will run from September 9th through the 11th. Additionally, as part of the program, Amazon will be hosting the championships, which are expected to set new records for both viewership and participation in the events.

In addition, the Amazon Appstore will be rewarding players throughout the season with discounts and bonus Amazon Coins, the digital currency that lets customers save up to 25 percent off in-app purchases. The season’s competitive structure and events are managed by Super Evil Megacorp and Twitch as part of their multi-year deal to enhance and grow Vainglory esports events.

“We’ve been working closely with Amazon since our inaugural Autumn Season Championship, and their passion for and dedication to Vainglory is going to make our Summer season the biggest and best yet,” said Kristian Segerstrale, COO and executive director at Super Evil Megacorp. “Amazon’s support, along with the continued work from our friends at Twitch, will allow us to put on a top-notch season for Vainglory’s community of millions. We’re excited to kick off the Summer Season today in cooperation with the Amazon Appstore.”

With Amazon’s Vainglory Summer Season beginning today with their new eSports Structure, Twitch and Super Evil Megacorp have announced their “The Evil Eight,”, which is a new tier of elite competition for both Europe and North America, which features only the top 8 teams from the regions. The teams will battle it out each weekend on twitch.tv/vainglory in eight-team tournaments, earning points in championship standings. Alongside will be a community-run “Challenger” tier of competition, with weekly Evil Eight challenger battles. The two-tiered new structure for competitions will bring forth more opportunities to broadcast the elite eight teams as they duke it out for number one. Among these matches you’ll see elite teams such as Team Solomid, G2 eSports, Team Secret, mousesports and SK Gaming, while giving up-and-coming teams a path to their own tournament victories and ultimately the seasonal championship. More details to be announced soon.

“The Twitch community has shown a lot of love for Vainglory, making it the fastest-growing mobile game on our platform,” said Nick Allen, director of esports operations at Twitch. “Touchscreen esports has a lot of potential right now given the ratio of mobile devices to PCs, with Vainglory on track to really blow the doors wide open on this movement. Adding more momentum is the new Evil Eight competitive structure, which will make broadcasts of Vainglory even more engaging for viewers.“

Summer season is poised to have 3-5 million viewers tune in to the action, doubling the number of viewers from the Winter 2015 event. The Season will culminate in the Vainglory Summer Season Championships taking place September 2-4 in North America and September 9-11 in Europe. In addition to hosting the live events, Amazon and Vainglory will be offering special Amazon Coins offers on ICE purchases and more.

About the Writer:

dustin_batgr_prof

Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

Sit-Rep: Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir – Completing the Sphere of Magical Goodness

/ Dustin Murphy / 2 Comments

Pros:
+Amazing graphics that have lived up from the game since the PS2 days
+Rich and enjoyable RPG mechanics
+Combat feels smooth and well paced on PS4 and Vita
+Frame rate doesn’t drop at all allowing for smooth combat and gameplay

Cons:
–Literally zilch at this time.

Sit-Rep Summary:
When developer Vanillaware learned that Dragon’s Crown was a diamond in the rough
Ever wondered if a game could be a hit a second time around? Developer Vanillaware definitely decided to do so. You may remember the hidden gem on the PlayStation 2. With it back, bigger, better, and more beautiful than ever – the game is a must have for JRPG Side-Scrolling Platforming enthusiasts.

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When it come’s to Vanillaware developed games, you know their games are gold, they are also games that are built with a certain… Je ne sais quoi. Having been a long time fan of Vanillaware, I wasn’t one to hesitate picking up Odin Sphere after having played it back in 2008. For many of us we would be dumbfounded by the question of why this game was remade and if it was worth picking up. The answer? That’s why we’re here.

When looking at remakes, we’re critical on if a game can live up to its celebrated remake. With buttery-smooth 60-frames-per-second framerate of side-scrolling action that plays just as smooth as it sounds. With improvements upon the games combat and RPG mechanics, one would wonder if this game could be one of the best experiences possible. Truth is? This is one of the best experiences I’ve had in a long time for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita. As one would expect, the game runs equally well on both platforms, graphics don’t even feel compromised in any form of matter. While many would expect it to run a bit chuggy on the PlayStation Vita, the game runs crisp, clean, and even looks as good as one would expect. For those of you who played Dragon’s Crown, expect this kind of performance without the touch-screen gimmicks that take away from the experience.

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Unlike the PlayStation 2 version. Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir runs splendidly due to how the overall upgrades the game received. If you’ve played the PlayStation 2 version, you’re familiar that the game would come to a screeching halt as a brontide of groans came from fans during moments of high combat animations. With beautifully accentuated performances, the new one also offers up a new experience with a new combination of weapons, allowing for a unique blend of combat.  With new special attacks, and alchemic potions in the mix, everything works quite well with one another and offers up a unique twist in combat.

As pretty and uniquely made as the game was when it first released, the new one is much like Dragon’s Crown where players can find themselves distracted quite easily with each minute that passed while playing. Much like previous titles of them, the game made me run circles in order to keep playing through each place while candlelight’s, torches, sunbeams, and even vibrantly-colored plants sprawled across my screen. If there’s anything that I couldn’t stare at? It was the flashing blue light on the side of my PlayStation Vita when coming back from my loops of distraction and appreciation for the games artwork.

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When adventuring on through each scene, it was nice to be able to find myself lost in the game that you’d have been sure was crafted carefully by hyperactive adults who needed a way to become focused on the goal at hand. With five characters at the helm for players to enjoy, players will find themselves wanting more and more when they step away from the game. With each map carefully crafted, characters feel alive, enjoyable, and even immersed by the world around them. With action being constant and unrelenting, players will be able to find themselves entranced while swapping between their basic attacks before using their spell abilities known as “Phozon Skills” that alow magic to be used in order to assault their enemies. Thank to this, players can go from freezing enemies in front of them before tossing out a fiery bomb in front of them from their inventory thanks to their alchemy.

As one would expect, combo’s come in hand while maneuvering between aerial attacks, spells, and potions. Doing so makes higher combat rankings come in at an easier pacing while moving forth through the game. With the end of each battle easily approaching, victory loot becomes essential in order to take out harder to defeat enemies from giants, to dragon’s to elves, to fairies and even more. Some enemies will test your ability to platform due to attacks that come in forms of ranged barrages, long-reaching spider like legs, and even spells that could knock a player around like a rag doll.

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Much as one would expect, the game lives up to its genre tag rather well as an action RPG with rich elements of both. With a large array of diverse weapon skills from characters such as Gwendolyn’s capabilities as a caster, Oswald’s abilities as a bone-crushing warrior, and even characters such as Pooka Prince Cornelius who bring the game to life with brooding-comical. With skills being upgradeable by collecting Phozon Prisms, players will find themselves immersing in the RPG like elements in order to make their characters more powerful.

Thanks to carefully designed maps and pieces of artwork, Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir is an enjoyable game where players will find themselves using food in order to boost stats, and conveniently move between warp points to remove the use of tedious backtracking. Anyone that’s played any side-scroller knows this can become a rather troublesome ordeal thanks to worlds growing rather large. Players that explore, however, will find themselves digging through rather large nooks and crannies for improved gear, items. Even large stashes of hidden treasures become available for those that take time and effort to do so.

Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir – PlayStation 4 (Reviewed), PlayStation Vita (Reviewed), PS3
Developer: Vanillaware
Publisher: ATLUS
Price: $59.99/$49.99/$39.99 (PS4/PS3/PSV)
Release Date: Available Now

While each story shares a similar theme, each one is unique. Such as Oswald, Gwendolyn, Velvet, and even Mercedes who bring this very world to life. While each character, as stated, has their own story arc that is creatively incredible, I’d have to say each comes with a nice twist of fates as they intertwine into one large story arc that will leave players jaw dropped. With how well it’s crafted, one could easily call it Vanillaware’s very own Odysseus as it will definitely be a game that’s around for years to come. With musical tracks such as Ringford Forest’s where players will find themselves humming a long at some point with the games percussion’s that come to life. With talented voicing from actress Karen Strassman, players will find themselves hooked for hours to come thanks to the amazing talents across the board. If you’re one for original Japanese dubbing, you’re in for a treat as it can be found within the games option menus.

Overall, Vanillaware’s Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir is here to stay and runs without a hitch. With such an artistically creative masterpiece that takes art, music, and voice dubbing to a whole new place – consumers won’t be disappointed from the moment they boot up their game and move save files across both PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4.

Our review is based on a copy provided to us by the games publisher.  For information about our ethics policy please click here.

 Final Score: 10 out of 10

About the Writer:

dustin_batgr_prof

Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

Sit-Rep: Asemblance (Light Spoiler Warning)- Can You Assemble the Truth?

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

Pros:
+Captivating narrative that intriguingly blends Twilight Zone and The Matrix ideologies
+Absolutely beautiful use of music, voice acting, and environmental elements
+A voiceless protagonist adds an immersive feeling, as if players are the character
+Every decision influences the outcome of the game including multiple ending
+Playing the game at night, lights off, and with headphones makes it all the better

Cons:
–None, quite literally none unless you count addictive gameplay.

Editor’s Note: We’ve decided to change the name of reviews to sit-rep. With doing this, Asemblance is the first title that will hold this title as we move forward with the name. In regards to the review, it contains light to moderate spoilers.

Review Summary:

Asemblance is a title that blends the likes of titles such as The Matrix (ever wanted to be stuck in your own memories to fight for the truth? Here’s your chance), Twilight Zone, and a sense of scientific works that even agent Dana Scully (X-Files) would be fighting to escape  – Asemblance blends ideologies from multiple genres to bring one of the most immersive and mind-screwing titles in modern times to both PC and home consoles. The game is a must have at the $9.99 price title for the entry episode to a possibly ongoing series.

 

The Full Debrief

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When I originally found out about Asemblance, I had been watching video previews of the upcoming title through Sony’s YouTube channel and browsing the internet. Stumbling upon a bit of news about Asemblance, I’d been curious to what Nilo Studios was up to. With titles such as Outlast, Slender, Soma, and even The Stanley Parable under my belt, I was curious to what this one was about. A person stuck in a machine, reliving his pr hers memories, solving a psychological situation from their past? Why not? What could go terribly wrong with this idea?

If you’ve ever seen the Twilight Zone, you already know that the idea of being able to alter ones memories has been an impressive feat. Even in the real world, the idea is there, and the idea to control the subconsciousness is an important ordeal. The games opening is fairly simple, one that offers players the view of a small room, which they’ll become familiar with, that is lit red due to the current situation that’s causing the alarms to go off. After a second of the alarms going off, the games narrator is pleasantly soothing as he comes on screen alerting us that there’s actually not a emergency situation, but instead was simply testing us. Within the opening minutes we are asked to express how we feel, with how I was truly feeling at the time, I decided to go with confused and angry. While it seemed reasonable, the A.I. informs me that he wasn’t expecting that answer, it was outside of what he was expecting, but he understands the response.

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When looking around the room, there was something interesting about it. With each step I was able to notice something unique about it – the atmosphere. Let alone was their the dull hum of the machine near me, but the air conditioner, the flow of air, and the subtle hint of my characters steps as the character made his or her way way through the room back to the console, the area lived and breathed. This wasn’t just a quickly designed small space, but one made to be realistic and believable. After a few moments of taking in the area around me, it was time to check in with the computer, select the memory I would want to see, and go into it. The first was a place where you’ve met the woman of your life. By entering the memory you get to see something entirely new. A forested area, one that could be real from the look of it. One that lived with the soft whispers of grass, leaves, and branches within the wind while lightly entranced with a song that brought forth the feel of relaxation as well as serenity.

After spending a few minutes in the memory, it was time to step out and return to the lab where the A.I. would inform me of a place with better times, happier memories, and a place that I, the player, and assumed character – found happiness within. Within minutes it was time to enter a new one, my office, one where I would work in order to learn how to return to memories and alter them. Or find lost ones perhaps. It was made a point to state I loved being here, that I was consumed by my work, and thus is where I would be more than at home. Within this room there were a few things to interact with. A machine with a tape, a computer, and plenty of pieces of paper to read in order to figure out what my next goal was. For fans of P.T. and the Stanley Parable, this game is a perfect example of what games could be given the proper art direction, subtle hints to puzzles, and an ideology of exploration.

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After exploring for a bit it was quite easy to realize – my choices mattered as each memory was entered. Let alone did I learn ways to bypass the games A.I. to continue on searching for clues I was blocked from, I was given the decision to approach each memory differently in order to solve my past, and uncover what had happened to the woman that apparently has meant so much to me. With the superb sound quality, narrative, and voice acting. I found myself tripping through each moment as if they were truly the Twilight Zone. Each memory altered by the clues and puzzle peaces I found. Some allowing me to see my characters lady that captured their heart, and even find an idea of what had happened to her. The question the game had offered up? What had happened? Was I the simulation or was the simulation me? Were each of my memories planted before me predetermined so I would have to solve a case in order to bypass everything that happened?

The question is quite simple in this psychological title that at times, had me hurrying through each puzzle, hitting new orders in order to alter each of the memories. Each time? A new outcome, a new ending, and an entirely new take on a story that was already, in ways, predetermined. A part of me? Knew the outcome was predetermined. Something happened, she was sad, she felt lost, alone, and betrayed. It was all my character’s doings. A question remains though – What if all if it never happened and the memories were all fake and thus I found the corrupted file I did within my eight hours of gameplay? Sure I could have walked away after the first ending, but what if there was more? A final truth I missed? This is a question the game strikes up with each waking moment, with each step taken, and each moment that players reflect upon the path they have taken.

Asemblance – PC, PlayStation 4 (Reviewed)
Developer: Nilo Studios
Publisher: Nilo Sutdios
Price: $9.99 USD
Released: 6/21/2016

If there is anything this game makes us question, it’s a question about the decisions we make. What if we didn’t drink the coffee we bought, what if we had gone to our favourite spot to reflect instead of going to the movie? What if we said one thing differently? The game is all about action, reaction, and making the players feel immersed, but confused as well as moments appear forth making them re-do their situation in order to find alternate ways about their story. This is something Nilo Studios has done well and has caused me to keep returning to a game that involves 4 rooms, 3 memories, and one that has been corrupted. Welcome to the world of Asemblance where your reality and your perception of the truth is at question. Can you outwit an A.I. that seeks to keep you there? If you believe so, this game will immerse you to an extent you question your own existence and your reality and will be a must have for any PlayStation 4 or PC owner.

Our review is based on a copy provided to us by the games publisher.  For information about our ethics policy please click here.

 Final Score: 9 out of 10

About the Writer:

dustin_batgr_prof

Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

Three Years of B.A.T.G.R.: A Letter from Dustin – Shifting Perspectives

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

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At Blast Away the Game Review there’s always something unique happening here. Whether it’s us having the honor to work with new developers, working with big publishers, or even just finding some news of our own – or simply finding out what peaks your interests. As Blast Away the Game Review grows, so does our interest in what our focus is going to be, what our “niche” will focus on.

For the past three years Blast Away the Game Review has been an independent journalism website or blog, whichever you prefer to see it as, and we won’t argue that point. Our goal over the past three years has been to both expand with new companies, finding new writers, and finding new ways to cover games as well as the hardware that drives them. We’ve been doing unboxing videos via YouTube to ensure that you have a new variety of items to look forwards to and to save yourself the trouble of opening that collector’s edition. With our fourth year almost here, on July 13th, I’ve had to do a lot of thinking. There’s always that going on and let me tell you – it’s dangerous.

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For our third year active, we, meaning the team, and I have noticed our focus has been a lot on Japanese titles with a mix of big and little publishers. While that will remain our focus, our fourth year will bring interesting changes as we’ve been working with the wonderful teams at all the publishers we currently work with. For our fourth year you may see a little less expanding in the companies we work with and a focus pushing on the ones we work with now. While that, to some of you, may be detrimental, we feel it is for the best of interest on both parties. As we do align a focus to what our “niche” is, we want you to know nothing is truly changing in regards to most of the content you’ll see here.

This entire shifting of perspectives is because you are important to us, so is your interaction on our social media, here on our website, and our overall growth as a whole. While we are already quickly pushing towards the 6.7k readers mark, which is already over half of what we had last year, we’re still looking at growing more. However, this also means one thing – we want more feedback from you, we want to see more interactions with you, our reader. Not just with our team, but with each other, which is why today? I’m proud to announce that we are opening up our Facebook Group to you all. Not just family and friends, but to the public. We are also proud to announce we’ll be working with The International Players Lounge on Facebook to help bring light to an amazing community.

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As our fourth year gets underway, so does our need for knowing what you our reader wants to see, what would make you more interested in commenting, interacting with us, and giving us your thoughts/opinions in regards to topics or news we cover. If you want to contact us directly? You can always hit us up through our Contact Us form where we are glad to respond soon as we get the email. In turn, with this info, what would you like to see more of? We ask you, our reader, because this to B.A.T.G.R. as a whole is important, it is what drives us, not just the ability to work with the people we do, but you as well. You can also take a short survey below to let us know what you want to see more of or would like to see change in coverage. The survey is powered by Google Forms and we do not request any personal information.

Want to take the Year 3 Survey? Please do so! We look forwards to any feedback possible.

With our 3rd years end quickly coming up, I would like to personally take a moment to thank the following publishers, former B.A.T.G.R. members, and current B.A.T.G.R. members in helping make Blast Away the Game Review what it is today.

Past Members

  • Jesse Olvera, former Vice President and Critic
  • Josh Turner, former Senior Writer and Junior Editor
  • Johnny Walker Red, former PC Game Reviewer, and Tech Enthusiast
  • Aaron Johnson, former Junior Editor
  • Casey Neal Todd, former Editor-in-Chief
  • Angie Morrison, former Nintendo Writer, Enthusiast and Reviewer
  • Justin DeMaio, former PlayStation 4 Game Reviewer
  • Kennard Daniel Prim, Contributing Writer

Current Members

  • David Murphy, Vice President, and Bethesda Game Studios Enthusiast
  • Shannon Cusick, Future YouTube Content Creator
  • Annie Helseth, PC Enthusiast, Game Critic, and Digital Artist
  • Greg F, Camera Guy, Localized Game Enthusiast, and that dude
  • Devon Day, Tech Guru, and Audiophile
  • Sarah Gibson, the lady behind the scenes, Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward fan
  • Christopher Adee, Junior Writer, that guy, and Warframe junkie

Publishers, Developers, Communities and more

  • Bungie
  • Bethesda Zenimax
  • Nintendo Entertainment America
  • Koei Tecmo
  • Eletronic Arts
  • Ubisoft
  • Bandai Namco
  • Square Enix
  • Blizzard Entertainment
  • Nilo Studios
  • XSeed Games
  • OnePR Studio
  • Sega
  • Atlus USA
  • Idea Factory
  • NIS America
  • Digital Extremes
  • Final Boss Entertainment
  • Sony San Diego Studio
  • id Software
  • Tripwire Interactive
  • Zenimax Online Studio
  • QuakeCon Event Staff and Planning
  • Oklahoma Retro Gamer Society
  • Pixels Without Borders
  • N4G
  • International Players Lounge

Special thank you to all of you, our readers. Thank you for a wonderful third year and we look forwards to many more with you.

About the Writer:

dustin_batgr_prof

Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.