Author: Dustin Murphy

God Eater Resurrection and God Eater 2 Rage Burst Prepare to Head West

/ Dustin Murphy / 2 Comments

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Over the past few years fans have clamored at Bandai Namco on countless forums to bring the rather niche franchise “God Eater” back to North America for another spin. As of today? Fans can stop holding their breaths as Bandai Namco has officially announced that God Eater is getting both of the franchise’s latest installments this summer on Steam, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita. Stay tuned as we will surely be bringing more information about these titles when they release. Till then? Head on over to www.daisuke.net to watch the anime up to date. You can also tune in below and watch the trailer for the upcoming installment(s)

Will you have what it takes to stop the Aragami from attacking?

 

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.

Opinion: VR is Near and it’s too Expensive

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

You’ve probably read in the latest news from websites like Game Informer, where Oculus Rift will be launching at a very steep 599 USD this year, which for some is a rather large price point to try and enjoy. Let alone is this piece as expensive as it sounds, it also means a lot of PC gamers with low to medium end PCs will be looking at heft upgrade costs in order to enjoy VR titles. Many gamers may already be meeting these specs for those that are true diehard PC gamers. Why? They like graphics and power to go with those graphics. Plus, who wants to upgrade every few months just for a few more “hours” of enjoyment?

When looking at the cost of VR gaming, I can’t say that I’ve not been excited for this since it’s coming to consoles also through both Microsoft’s HoloLens, Sony’s PlayStation VR, HTC’s Vive and the well-renowned Oculus Rift announcements. But the question comes down to why. Why would someone want to spend a few hundred dollars to thousands for VR attachments that may or may not stay alive for long? While I was fortunate enough to go hands-on with Oculus Rift at QuakeCon 2015 thanks to Tigerdirect and a few other kind folks there, the reality of it is? It’s fun, it’s new, and it allows us to feel as if we are truly in the game or even creating a game. The question now is, how much will HTC, Sony, and Microsoft push down their prices to compete with Oculus’ steep 599 USD? That’s to be debated since Sony’s leak on Amazon, which pointed at a nasty 800 dollars, double that of the PlayStation 4 itself. If that’s the case? It’ll be crippling to the company as Oculus Rift will have already been outselling them for quite a bit at 200 dollars less before taxes applied.

But this article isn’t about cost effectiveness or even the competition between four companies, rather the question – are we ready for this technology? Is this to be the future of gaming? Let’s take a look at that in all reality.

Early Days of VR

When glimpsing at VR gaming, we know it has been around for quite sometime. We saw this happen with Virtuality, which released in 1991 to arcades. The device, at the time, costs companies up to 73,000 USD in order to put in each multi-pod Virtuality system. This system featured pods, as stated, exoskeleton gloves and headsets that were the first “immersive” headsets to allow gamers to go on their virtual reality experience. Following this transition SEGA joined in as well as a few other companies to bring VR a bit more to life. Even Nintendo attempted this in a few forms; Virtual Boy and Power Glove. These feats were among the first attempts to bring VR to the home-consumer, but failed miserably in its days. Now? The technology is here thanks to these pioneers and now we are about to experience them in their fully developed appearance.

It’s still questionable if VR is even ready for the home experience. Back then? It was used as a money maker for arcades and companies wanting to bring in a few crowds at the mall. Now it is heading to the family household.

It’ll Break the Bank

It’s hard to say VR is going to be cheap when looking at the Oculus Rift PC specs to even use the headset. The headset alone requires an NVIDIA GTX 970 or greater video card, for AMD users 290 or greater video card. For processors you’ll need Intel i5-4590 equivalent or better, 8GB+ RAM,Compatible HDMI 1.3 video output, 2x USB 3.0 ports, and Windows 7 SP1 or greater. For some? This has already been accomplished and easily done, but for those who haven’t? This just made things a bit more complicated due to most users not having 2x USB 3.0 ports – especially laptop gamers with those extreme high-end laptops. Now this could be different for those who’ve purchased their laptop within the last year or so. For the rest of us? The requirements are a bit of a doozy. This can easily meet up to a staggering 1,500 USD depending on the price-tag and hardware you are wanting. If you are looking to get there? Newegg is always a great choice thanks to their daily deals as well as their tendency to mark down items.

With another price-tag having fallen there’s speculation from Tech Insider, there’s a possible leak that the PlayStation VR may run you a very steep 800 USD, double the cost of a PlayStation 4, and one that may just deter many possible users away. If that’s the case? Oculus Rift may just seem like the better option since a computer that meets the minimum Oculus Rift requirements could be quite accessible for those who already own desktops and are looking to upgrade to a few compatible components. While both Microsoft and HTC have yet to announce their costs for their VR devices, we can only expect that they won’t be far behind the Oculus in price in order to keep the competitive market balanced out. The downside to all this? It’s expensive and will easily set your wallets on fire to try and meet the requirements or even meet the expected qualifications for these devices.

Health Risks are Questionable

Lets just say for a moment we didn’t know jack about eyestrain and the damage it can cause if you don’t take break from your games. Not many of us knew about Digital Eye Strain, which can cause the inability to focus on long range items, sever dry eyes, blurred vision, double vision, neck and or back pain, and even those irritable headaches. While this does happen from staring at computer screens, phones, and even, guess what, TV screens. The health risk for VR? We don’t know.

Considering you’ll be staring at LED or LCD screens at extremely close proximity to your eyes, we can only imagine this would make the problem worse. Especially for gamers over the age of 40 due to the strain the eyes will have trying to focus on objects both far and close. We can only assume that the need for breaks will be quite the requirement for those of you wanting to go on long-end sessions. This is a very rocky road users walk and we can only hope that some studies are done with health risks outside of the potential motion sickness.

What Games Will Release for VR

When looking at VR it’s going to be hard to comprehend games outside of first person views to be acceptable for this platform. The issue there is not everyone likes to play FPS titles or even in FPS at all for that matter. This will make VR a hard-sale for those who prefer over-the-shoulder titles. However, for fans of titles like Elite Dangerous, Allison Road, EVE: Valkyrie, and a few other titles? You’ll be busy for hours. There’s plenty to do there, but for those who are extreme fans of Call of Duty, Star Wars, Battlefield, and a few of the other big titles? This really isn’t going to be a big seller as those players binge the games in order to become the best of the best, and with the unstudied health risks? We can only assume there will be trouble here trying to make the sale on VR games.

The best bet? To wait and see if there are any major VR titles worth considering outside of the few that will be hitting the digital stores and shelves in the very near future. Though it’ll be regrettable to see if the platforms don’t lift off as early as they are launching. Given a few more years? The time would be right as big name developers would be able to prepare their games a bit more and offer a much more diverse library for fans to enjoy. It’ll definitely be hard to sale games like Gears of War, Tomb Raider, Bloodborne, Uncharted, and Gravity Rush in a VR enviroment using third person.

Closing Thoughts

I can’t say that I’m not ready for VR. I really am, but with the health risks that are unknown, and even the questionable price tags? It’s a boat that I’m not ready to jump on and set sails with. While I think there is a chance for VR to hit the market and those that are enjoying it, and doing quite well doing so, there’s still a lot of if-and-or-but situations there. I can’t recommend for fans to place all their eggs in this basket till we see a bit more about it and how this will happen. With the current cost of gaming? I do see this being a hard market to sell to and if the Oculus Rift specs are anything we can expect out of HTC’s Thrive? This’ll be a market that makes or breaks these companies due to developmental and production costs.

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.

Review: Earth Defense Force 2: Invaders from Planet Space – Invading Earth Got… Weird

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

 

Pros:
+Continuous reasons to play based on multiple classes and coop missions
+Highly customizable range of weapons
+Missions tend to be decent in length giving the game decent playtime

Cons:
–Mindless NPC banter tends to get old quickly
–Getting classes up to needed areas of progression for harder difficulties can be challenging

 

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Imagine a world where aliens have some reason decided that your planet would play perfect host to them. In turn they have also invaded your world with overly sized insects ranging from ants to spiders. This is the ongoing theme with Earth Defense Force 2: Invaders from Planet Space. It’s not uncommon to see enemies who wish to take over and annihilate everything using insects as their main military force. This is something that has become a theme for Earth Defense Force games and has become a part of why the games are quite enjoyable when picked up and played. Granted they don’t top the fun we could have in a good Godzilla game, but these games offer enough for players to pick them up, blow up a few hundred alien ships and insects only to move on with their day having a grin on their faces.

You may want to ask us as to why we have another Earth Defense Force review going up when we just reviewed the one for PlayStation 4. Well the reason is because XSEED Games, D3 Publisher, and Sandlot were very busy to bring these games over and did so beautifully. Thanks to the Christmas break I took, there was plenty of time for blowing up massive alien insects and ships along with the occasional Kaiju or three over the course of around 80 missions. Granted I have yet to complete all 80 no thanks to my want to play each mission with each class on each difficulty, I’ve found myself easing in at around 40 of 80 completed. Granted that may seem like a lot, imagine the fact I’ve played each mission three times on just the normal difficulty, which sets me in at around 120 missions completed even though it’s only been those forty missions three times.

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Much like in the previous game we mentioned there are a few classes, the go-to-class for those wanting pure firepower and maneuverability and an occasional vehicle will want to suit up and take the Infantry class. Those wanting jetpacks and amazing energy weapons will be selecting the Pale Wing while others will be selecting the other guy, the games support class who can call in strikes and use turrets. Sadly he’s not as fun as he sounds due to his inherently long cool downs. Thanks to the game’s capability of using both online features and an ad-hoc mode, players can go online in order to complete the missions in whatever order is available to the host in order to assure enjoyability for all those teamed up. This is the only way it seems to truly enjoy the game and play with friends and the way we highly recommend playing it so that the game is more enjoyable.

While these little things are noticeable is that the game is graphically scaled down compared to its PS4 counterpart, which is saying quite a bit as we’ve seen some rather beautiful games on the PlayStation Vita within the past few years. The most noteworthy change between these two versions is simply scale. The PlayStation 4 game, Earth Defense Force 4.1 offers a more robust scale in combat, weaponry, graphics, and scenery. While the Vita counterpart does what it can it is worth noting that combat itself seems a bit harder to do on the PlayStation Vita when it comes to moments that require quick responses when playing solo.

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Much like our more in-depth review of the two released games, the most and largest difference between these two games is the fact that this game does not have the on-screen support troops like the PS4 title does, but also the game features a lot less content than its more superior counterpart. While some may find this lacking and destructive to the title, the game is still rather enjoyable, and one that offers quite a bit of replayability due to roughly 400 collectible weapons, hundreds of ways to do each missions, but also the increase in difficulties that can be completed to unlock even better equipment.

Earth Defense Force 2: Invaders from Planet Space – PS Vita (Reviewed)
Developer: Sandlot
Publisher: XSEED Games
Cost: 39.99 USD
Release Date: Now Available

Overall? The game is fun, offers a lot of replayability, but does not offer enough for those wanting multiple goal based missions and lots of variation in what they are doing. The game offers the idea of just blowing up insane amounts of enemies at one’s own will. However, it’s not a game that will keep those that easily grow bored with repetition! If you dare? The game will hook you for hours on end.

Our review is based upon the final version that the publisher provided us with.  For information about our ethics policy please click here.

 Final Score: 7 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.

Post-Holiday Game Ideas for Kids with Giftcards

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With 2015 out of the way and we’ve already begun our adventures into 2016, the question comes on what you can do to start off the New Year, but not for yourself, but for those young gamers in your house that you may just happened to have gotten consoles for during the Holiday Season. With giftcards and cash in hand, it’s hard not to see the enthusiasm in a kid’s eyes when they see the walls of games at stores, and the endless possibilities to what their money could go towards. However, when it comes to glancing at what games are available for them to get their hands on, parents may come to recognize a forewarning regarding age restrictions. These restrictions include the following: EC for Early Childhood E for everyone, E10+ meaning everybody 10+, T for Teen, and the ever-so-popular and plastered everywhere – M for Mature. There are ones such as AO (Adult Only) and RP (Rating Pending), which are rare, but do happen depending on the title in question.

The crucial part of game shopping is always finding what is right for your kid or the kids in your life be them children of your own, cousins, nephews or nieces, or even grandchildren. For some this has been hard when it comes to finding games good for kids between the ages of 10, so here we are about to break down a good list of games we think just might be right for those kids who are getting into gaming, and love their newfound hobby. So what can you expect us to show you? Below is a list of games that have been compiled and found suitable for children wanting to go on a little bit of a joyride. Granted there are more titles than listed available, but these are our top 20 picks for kids to play.

Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival (Wii U)
Animal Crossing: New Leaf (Nintendo 2DS or Nintendo 3DS)
Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer (Nintendo 3DS)
Cooking Mama (Nintendo 3DS)
Disney’s Frozen: Olaf’s Quest (Nintendo 3DS)
Disney Infinity 3.0 (Nintendo Wii U, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4)
Lego Dimensions (Nintendo Wii U, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4)
Lego Franchise ((Nintendo Wii U, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4)
Little Battlers Experience (Nintendo 3DS)
Mario Kart 8 (Nintendo Wii U)
Minecraft (PC, Android, Apple iPad/Phone, Nintendo Wii U, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4)
Nintendogs + Cats (Nintendo 3Ds)
Pokémon Alpha Sapphire/Omega Ruby (Nintendo 3DS)
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Titles (Nintendo 3DS)
Poptropica Forgotten Islands (Nintendo 3DS)
Skylanders Supercharger (Nintendo Wii U, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4)
Splatoon (Nintendo Wii U)
The Legend of Zelda: Triforce Heroes (Nintendo 3DS)
Yokai Watch (Nintendo 3DS)
Yoshi’s Wooly World (Nintendo Wii U)

With this list having focused mostly on consoles and the Nintendo 3DS, there are always great alternatives on PC, Android or iDevice depending on the app or title you are looking for. While there are also hundreds of other games available, the ones that were picked are the more recent ones that seemed more reputable based on gameplay as well as word of mouth. We hope you enjoy and please feel free to let us know what games those gamer’s in your life found themselves enjoying.

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.

Review: Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair – Despair Peeks In On Earthlings

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

Earth Defense Force 4.1_LOGO

Pros:
+Multiple classes that feature quite a bit of variation in weapons
+Rather nicely updated graphics compared to previous titles
+Online cooperative play is rather enjoyable
+Narrative of the game will remind many of Godzilla style movies

Cons:
–Intermittent frame-rate spikes can take away from enjoyability
–Enemies can at times be overwhelmingly hard to tolerate

 

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When entering the first mission it’s hard not to find yourself squinting at the ridiculously chosen type of enemy as those giant ants come scurrying across the map in a hurry. The evident choice is one of a few things that will make friends roll their eyes as the game quickly enters the cheesy category, but remains an enjoyable game that those who give it a go will enjoy. To be honest? As my first foray into the franchise, this game is rather enjoyable, loony, but enjoyable as players will take on with collecting new weapons to use for each of the games playable classes.

It’s hard not-to-say that the game carries on the legacy that XSEED Games has become known for, which is in-depth attention to detail on the games that they are working on and ensuring that they bring over the quality we would expect had we gotten the original title, which this games does seem to show off quite a bit. Their attention to the details with the voice acting offers up a great bit to show off the efforts that they have gone through in order to preserve these elements from the original title from Japan.

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While it’s hard at times to overlook just how corny the game is, it doesn’t take away that the game has quite a bit to walk away with when it comes down to how enjoyable it is, but also what brings forth the game’s replay value. What causes this replay value is quite interesting as players will find themselves delving into the same missions multiple times as each playable class such as Fencer, Ranger, and Wind Divers. As players get underway the missions can become rather repetitive as they find themselves trying to repeat them across multiple difficulties in order to get the games complete experience.

The nice part to this portion of the game? The fact you can do this in multiplayer with friends in order to keep the game more-so alive than you already have been is astounding as I’ve found myself constantly remaining in multiplayer lobbies in order to once more continue the adventure. Though this game follows a singular note, one that is painstakingly obvious. The game is all action, in that alone, that means the game is about one instance – shoot it all, ask questions later, and blow everything to smithereens before asking any, err… No questions once done. Because, well, everything’s dead. Unlike most games, this one didn’t receive much polish that would allow for the game to present itself among its next-gen peers.

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As a game that proves that it hasn’t been fully refined, Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair proves itself as a problematic game, one that looms over it is the game’s graphics engine, which many have begun to criticize as it almost stands between the PS2 and PS3 ages of graphics engines, which to say the last, is a bit dumbfounding with the power of the new-gen console as well as the capabilities of engines that are available for use. While many such as myself can look past this, it’s a critical thing to think about when it comes to games no matter how corny they are aiming to be. While this is only one of the milder complaints in comparison to frame rate issues or the likes.

The game does suffer from some of its own problems that can be noted by the sudden spikes of frame rate based on what’s going on within the game such as tons of insects, explosions, alien robots or the likes. It’s here where the game begins to show its lack-of-programming prowess in order to better utilize the console it has released on as well as the hardware available in order to ensure the game is a solid launch for all to enjoy. The brighter side of it all? There’s little-to-no lag on the multiplayer side of the game, which is nice as this is something that seems to be a rather large focal point for the title.

Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair – PS4 (Reviewed)
Developer: Sandlot
Publisher: XSEED Games
Cost: 49.99 USD
Release Date: Now Available

Even with those minor things said, Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair attempts to bring the series back for another spin so that fans will once more find themselves etching along city streets with friends in order to save planet Earth from a menacing alien threat that does not seeks to let humanity remain in peace even after several years of no encounters. If you’re one for adventure with friends as well as have the tolerance for high repetitiveness? Earth Defense Force 4.1 is right up your alley, but those seeking a lack of repetitiveness and want enjoyability based on a singular playthrough – this is absolutely not your game as the game seeks reward through repetition.

Our review is based upon the final version that the publisher provided us with.  For information about our ethics policy please click here.

 Final Score: 6 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.

Deadly Tower of Monsters Falls onto Consoles and PCs in January

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

DTOM (24)

Ever wondered what it would be like to have the option to go up or down a tower filled with insanely creative monsters that include a giant gorilla? The Deadly Tower of Monsters has you covered as you decide whether you want to whack your way up it, zap you way up or simply just burn everything to smithereens. This creative game will put players in the place to decide how they want to approach the towers of planet Gravoria as they decide whether they want to freefall or simply explore their way up it while taking every abomination possible out with the towers.

For players that decide to undertake this games form of exploration, fans will be able grab a jet pack and go flying up in order to take a leap off the side of a ledge in order to descend to their next level. Just remember to take care of those pesky enemies near your landing zones in order to do so. Otherwise Dick, Scarlet or Robot just may not be your friends anymore. Just remember, as the developers say, use your boosters wisely – gravity is a harsh mistress.

The Tower of Monsters is set to launch on January 19th on PlayStation 4 and PC in both North America and Europe. The game will run 14.99 USD on both platforms.

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.

Jack the Ripper Heads to Assassin’s Creed Syndicate Tomorrow

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We’ve all been fascinated at some points in our lives with the notorious killer by the name of Jack the Ripper. With many games under the belt of this motivated serial killer, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate brings Evie Frye to his doorstep as she hunts him down 20 years later after the events of the initial story. Releasing on Consoles on the 15th and PC on the 22nd, players will hunt down Jack and put an end to his killing spree to righ the wrongs for which he has committed.

For those looking forwards to the DLC, the content will be available for Season Pass holders for free as well as upcoming DLCs the Last Maharaja mission pack, a Long Night (Season Pass Exclusive) and the Streets of London gameplay back as well as other exclusive items for Season Pass holders. For those who are looking to get this DLC alone? Prepare to shell out 14.99 USD for the added content.

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.

KOEI TECMO and SCEA Announce Nioh for PlayStation 4

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

NIOH_05

Sony’s PlayStation Experience was filled with exciting announcements. As of this weekend our friends at Koei Tecmo officially announced their newest project in development by Kou Shibusawa, Hisashi Koinuma, and Team NINJA. Their upcoming title is coming exclusively to the PlayStation 4 at an unrevealed date.

In this upcoming title by Team NINJA, Nioh will allow players to traverse across a war-torn Japan. As they do players will battle demons as a character by the name of William, a blonde-haired swordsman who comes as a fierce warrior and an in-depth knowledge of the blade that allows him to survive and fight through a demon ravaged land that once belonged to the samurai. Known as Yokai, the demons that William will take on inhabit the lands in dangerous locations and in dangerous numbers. These enemies will push players to the tipping point of their skills as they go into supernatural sword battles that will assist them in taking out multiple targets while also honing their samurai skills, patience, and strategy to take on their upcoming foes.

Official Information:

Offering a deep and original storyline that takes place during the Warring States Period of Japanese history alongside strategic sword-fighting action, Nioh will challenge players in a way that makes every mission and accomplishment feel earned and worthwhile. More information on this comprehensive, action-packed RPG experience will be released in the coming months.

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.

Senran Kagura Estival Versus Limited Edition Announced

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SENRAN KAGURA ESTIVAL VERSUS_PS4_02

If you’re a fan of Senran Kagura you love the games silly and comical antics, the humour behind each character, but also the fact the game franchise has had amazing soundtracks even up to this point. Today XSEED Games has announced that they will be releasing a new limited edition in called the Bountiful “Endless Summer” Edition that features an art book, collectible character cards, and a 2-Disck Soundtrack. This edition with be available for both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita versions of the game when it launches in Early 2016.

For those unfamiliar with the series, the series is a 3rd person brawler that pits players as one of two dozen characters through each of the schools. Each character will feature new moves, more story, more attitude, and even more destruction with online matches that players will be able to undergo (PS4 version supports 10 players, PSVita version supports up to 4). With all the original characters returning, they will feature upgraded moves for players to master while new characters will feature entire new skill sets, along with a story that’s equal parts sexy and shocking, serious and scandalous, busty and bouncy.

Developed by Marvelous Inc. and Tamsoft, and published in North America by XSEED Games, SENRAN KAGURA ESTIVAL VERSUS is coming Q1 2016 to PS4™ and “PSVita” systems. The limited Endless Summer physical release has a suggested retail price of $59.99 for PS4™ system and $49.99 for “PSVita” system, while the digital release of the game on the PlayStation®Store will be available for $49.99 on PS4™ system and $39.99 on “PSVita” system. This title has yet to be rated by the ESRB.

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.

Review: Just Cause 3 – Just Causing Some Chaos

/ Dustin Murphy / 2 Comments

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Just Cause 3 takes places one step further as franchise hero Rico Rodriguez as he helps arm a rebellion, take down a tyrannic leader and faces down some of his most explosive tours of destruction yet. Now it’s time to see just how far he’s gone with our review for Just Cause 3.

Pros:
+Open-world activities feel like they matter based upon the side-mission undertaken
+Gorgeously crafted islands, scenery and city locales
+Movie-like graphics that help provide a cinema-like experience
+Action-packed story that delivers at every turn

Cons:
–Small frame-rate spikes during high-action sequences
–SAM turrets can get quite annoying if not taken care of promptly
–Wing-suit exploring can lead to same face splitting moments

Much like the previous couple of entries, Just Cause 3 introduces us to the franchise’s protagonist Rico Rodriguez who once more looks to charm fans with his accent, quirkiness, and his insatiable want for blowing anything he can up. His new target? Santiago Di Revello’s “charming” nation of Medici, which has fallen under his oppression and has since caused inhabitants to form a rebellion on this splendid Mediterranean like getaway.

In this visually stunning game, fans will find themselves immersed by the chaos that ensues, but also the charming cast members that help bring Medici’s struggles to life as the game plays on and becomes more like an action movie rather than a game. But that’s not why our famed hero Rico Rodriguez has returned to Medici. Instead, he is back simply because, well, things have changed and it’s once more time to bring down the next big a-hole in order to make the world a better place.

Spanning 400 square miles, Medici is by far one of the largest virtual locales that have been created to date. To simply put it? It’s a very carefully, beautiful, and rather lively 400 square miles that offer unique visuals, terrain builds, and secrets for players to discover if they are to take the time to explore the game without using fast travel or vehicles. However, the beauty is taken back when bullets begin to fly due to Di Revello’s troops who follow his insane orders to kill any Rebels on sight. For those wanting a great plot?

The game’s plot is simple as any other, which makes it dull, drab, and boring in comparison to the brilliant gameplay and open world that is given to us to take by the hand and fully explore. The plot is simple – overthrow the bad guy by blowing all his toys up and putting him in time out while joining a Rebellion and becoming its inherent leader. Simple right? Seems so as the plot will easily remind people of those movies we know as “The Expendables”, but this one is about a guy who pretty much plays the guardian role to his family and friends while blowing up the world around him.

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Much as expected, players will complete the game by going through certain mission locations that can be unlocked by simply progressing through the game’s campaign. While just going through the campaign by playing does work, it’s not advisable. Instead, the best option is to take over every enemy location possible in order to overthrow Di Revello and his cohorts in order to make the world a better place. When not fighting this guys militarized morons? You can casually run up to one of the island’s inhabitants to grab them, throw them out of their vehicle, and casually drive off, fly off or simply walk away with a cheeky grin casually shown off.

While not turning zones from Red to Blue it’s almost like watching a casual game of risk that the A.I. will inherently lose since that’s well… What bad guys do. When looking away from the fact this is a trending portion of open-world games, Just Cause 3 comes with a few new additions that veer it away from the mindless shooters like the origins, and itself. The newest addition is the rather enjoyable wingsuit that can be deployed in order to assist move players across the land quicker than before. When combat comes nearby? That parachute works even better as players can arm themselves with a weapon that is a part of their own arsenal in order to dispatch groups of enemies only to watch them rag-doll across the screen while on fire.

Needing to change your weaponry? That’s easy using the Rebel Supply Drop in order to exchange your weapons for a setup more suitable for your occasion. Once setup it’s time to reign down fire upon your enemies while preparing to take off in an orderly fashion using a helicopter or a tank or perhaps a plane of some sort. If you’re one to use anything explosive it’s time to find the game comes to a stuttering halt while watching transformers, fuel tanks, water towers or what-have-you explode in order to see the enemy base turn into a ball of flames.

While console or PC begins to render the explosions, it’s hard not to cringe as the frame rate seems to dip down into almost single digits as Rico prepares his own onslaught against enemy troops or vehicles to keep his own alive. If you are unfortunate to stop Di Revello’s forces? Well, prepare for the prolonged load times that have caused a storm of frustration filled cries. With load times averaging between 45-90 seconds, these load times can be between painful and beyond excruciating when trying to quickly maneuver between missions and challenges in order to equip better perks for Rico to use.

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While the campaign is almost completely forgettable to some there is a rather charming aspect to this game that has caused me to come back for the extra 40 hours I’ve give within the past week. This charm is the game’s ability to give you plenty of land and terrain to explore so that players can find those odd little tropes that may be hidden around the village, such as the hidden sunken towns that could easily represent places like the “Sunken City of Atlantis” or even the charming landscapes that go from monsoon-like weather systems to Siberian like blizzards that leave little room for visibility.

Later it’s only time to visit the sunny coastlines where players may just decide to find the nearest boat and go for a cruise. While that’s fun and all there are hidden items scattered throughout Medici such as Rebel Shrines to remember those that fell against Di Revello, weapon parts to unlock weapons, and Di Revello’s recordings, which give an insight to just how madly stupid this guy is.

Just Cause 3– PC, PlayStation 4 (Reviewed), and Xbox Onee
Developer: Avalanche Studios
Publisher: Square Enix
Cost: 59.99 USD
Release Date: Now Available

While it’s easy to say that blowing everything up in an unforgiving manner, Just Cause 3 is charming, beautiful, and a heavy improvement upon the fast titles in spite of the frame rate drops, but also the long load times. If players are capable of avoiding these moments, Just Cause 3 is a solid title that will offer quite a bit of gameplay for completionists while clocking in around 52 hours played for this review with only having completed a quarter of all the recordings as well as about a quarter of all the shrines as well as a completely liberated map.

This is surely a gem that is well worth the money even before the patches that will hopefully smooth out the load times and frame rate drops across all platforms. Even then? Feel free to take in the magnetic beauty of this carefully crafted land as well as the hauntingly realistic sound they used as the lullaby of soft guitars fills the background.

Our review is based upon the final version that the publisher provided us with.  For information about our ethics policy please click here.

 Final Score: 8 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 borders 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 on a daily basis.