Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart Gets Street Dated

Join the Blast Away the Game Review Community on Facebook or Google+
Written by Dustin Murphy

Hyperdevotion_SimNoire07

For fans of the Hyperneptunia series, it’ll be hard for the anticipation to stay at an all time low as the series prepares for its first strategy game. With pure excitement for their newest entry, Idea Factory International has announced that the title will be releasing in both physical as well as digital formats on February 24th for North America and for our friends in Europe on the 27th of February in stores and digitally on March 4th. This title as known, will be exclusive to the PlayStation Vita, where the series has found success for fans new and old to the franchise.

In addition to the news, we’ve also received a few new screenshots of the game, which displays the characters in the main hub, the “Sim Noire” mode, which is where players will be buying furniture as well as upgrading it, but also open up new scenes between the player character and Noire. Think that’s all? It also demonstrates the games new key features as the game prepares for its launch.

Hyperdevotion_SimNoire04 Hyperdevotion_SimNoire03

Official Key Features Released by Idea Factory International:

Hyperdevotion_SimNoire02 Hyperdevotion_SimNoire06

A Moe Army Awaits! You ain’t never seen the CPUs like this! Lead them in their first-ever foray into strategy RPG gameplay, taking on enemies in a whole new way. You’ll fight off hordes of enemies in turn-based strategy, dodging laser beams and flaming pits, and using dangerous environments against your enemy.

Link up with the “Lily System” The more often characters are in battle together, the higher their bond becomes. Activating the “Lily Boost” grants special stats and abilities, while “Lily Points” can be used to activate ultra-special moves and even goddess transformations. Don’t be shy to build up those battle relationships and seal it all with a kiss!

Check your Status! All kinds of funky things can happen in the heat of battle and characters can be hit with status ailments that are both boon and burden. You can get pixelated, zombie-fied, or even turned into a block of tofu! Some status changes come with their own benefit and cost, so keep this in mind during a fight.

Item Customization! You’ll get tons of replay value with so many ways to boost your gear’s stats! The more enemies you defeat, the more items you can get to customize your gear in whatever way you see fit. Let the great experiment begin!

Livin’ the Noire Life! Life’s not all about grid-based battles. Sometimes Noire just wants to relax at home, and with the “Sim Noire” mode you’ll be able to do just that! Customize the place by buying furniture and accessories with in-game points, and make Noire feel like the goddess she is. She’ll also get to go out with friends and build up her social level!


About the Writer:

Dustin_BATGRDustin 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, MMO’s, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable and can’t be softened by even the biggest names in the gaming industry. 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. To follow Dustin, hit him up on Twitter over at @GamingAnomaly, find him on his Google+. Wanna game with him? You can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

Brandish Reimagined for the PSP and PS Vita

Join the Blast Away the Game Review Community on Facebook or Google+
Review by Dustin Murphy

Brandish The Dark Revenant_Logo (Black)

How often do you hear about a PSP game getting released in North America these days? The answer is almost never. as of today, XSeed Games, well known as a publishing brand of Marvelous USA, Inc., has sent out a little surprise for us all to enjoy. As of January 13th, 2015, North America will be seeing the digital release of Brandish: The Dark Revenant, which will be released with compatibility for PlayStation Vita owners.

So what makes this game just that interesting that it’s getting released on both fan favorited handhelds? Brandish: The Dark Revenant is at it’s core a action-oriented dungeon crawlers that will send players immersing themselves within this third person real-time title. With dungeon walls rotating around the characters, it’ll promise to keep players on their feet. Let alone will they also be experiencing gameplay that Nihon Falcom became well known for by their highly-acclaimed franchises such as Ys and The Legend of Heroes. The title will follow their rather well known formula of puzzles, RPG elements, fighting monsters, and avoiding traps across 40 sprawling floors of monsters and the beforementioned troubles. Players will be taking on the role of swordsman, Ares Toraernos as he takes on his arch-rival, Dela Delon, who’s interested in making his life all but a living heck as she escapes through each maze while trying to collect the bounty on Ares’ head.

With being re-imagined, this 90’s classic title will be returning with new graphics, animations, new maps, puzzles, traps, even smoother gameplay, but none-the-less featuring changes to the music, bosses, and more. Think that’s all? Players can unlock the new “Dela Mode” once completing the Ares campaign, which will let players take on the role of the of the villainous sorceress herself. That experience comes with harder maps, enemies, and even more traps that are crueler than before.

For those wanting to experience this digital download can grab it on the PlayStation Store for 19.99 USD on both PSP and PS Vita when it launches. The game has been rated by the ESRB as “T” for Teen since it features violence, blood, suggestive themes, partial nudity, mild language, and use of tobacco.


About the Writer:

Dustin_BATGRDustin 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, MMO’s, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable and can’t be softened by even the biggest names in the gaming industry. 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. To follow Dustin, hit him up on Twitter over at @GamingAnomaly, find him on his Google+. Wanna game with him? You can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

Destiny: The Dark Below Expansion Review – A Dark Pit of Nothing

Join the Blast Away the Game Review Community on Facebook or Google+
Review by Dustin Murphy

The_Dark_Below_Advertisement_Art

Pros:
-New weapons, armor, and appearance changers
-Slightly Expanded Story About the Hive
-Vanguard ROC Playlist Helps for Light Level 26+

Cons:
-Short enough all missions were completed in about 3 hours
-New gear from Vanguard and Crucible requires reputation marks
-Overpriced Expansion
-The Raid Outshines The Expansion’s Content

It’s hard to say that I’m not a fan of Destiny in some form or another. With having all three classes sitting near max level, it’s hard not to mention this, and the fact that the game has been heavily updated since the last review, but this time around it’s not about the past content, but about new content. Recently Bungie released the games Expansion I: The Dark Below (19.99 USD without season pass). This expansion itself focuses upon one of the most eerie enemies of the lot; The Hive. These creatures are what many would call ravenous dark-dwelling demon-spawn that just need wiped off the face of the galaxy. Fortunately that is a statement that stands true.

Destiny_DB_SC_01

The content released starts out at level 20 (realistically; you need to be much higher to actually complete the content) through the games new vendor Eris Mourn. She is reluctantly one of the few characters that have managed to make their way from the deepest pits of the Moon and survive tell a tale that is spine-chilling were we to actually be in the Destiny universe. As players take on her missions, which are given to them like bounties, players will find themselves taking on enemies with unimaginable power and difficulty, which will truly test their skill. Some of these missions include removing a characters capability to double jump or even glide depending on your class, and limiting your evasiveness. This means teamwork was definitely put into design when the content was probably drafted over a few of the developers meetings. Unfortunately they forgot one very important thing in all this; we want to see new areas, not revamped old areas.

Much like the base game, players will be seeing a lot of the areas they are quite familiar with, minus the fact a few of them have been altered to fit in with the newly released content. While playing through the content, it was interesting however, to see places like inside of the Warmind Rasputin, to visit some of the old areas that have hidden enemies that are exclusive to the DLC’s story hidden away in a corner. It was because of content like this that the “expansion” or “DLC” in many ways felt alive, but just not alive enough this time around.

Destiny_DB_SC_03

Once players have unlocked some of the missions towards the end of Eris Mourns bounty line, players will get to visit a new and truly devastating boss by the name of Omnigul who serves as one of Crota’s “generals”. With her fierce presence as a Wizard based enemy, it’s not surprising to see how hard she was, which made her fight all, but fun. That’s not to state that her constant phasing to new waves didn’t help ignite this tid-bit of interference. To many, this fight will resemble “Phogoth, The Untamed”, but with more Wizards, Knights, Acolytes, and Thrall’s of both types that just seek to literally eat your characters face rather than say hello to your character. With this strike being as hectic as it was, it was time to walk away, find a new one that didn’t feel like a prolonged mission with an absurdly annoying end boss. So it was time to visit the Expansion’s second new strike by the name of “The Undying Mind”.

“The Undying Mind” was probably the most interesting of the two newly added strikes. This one focused upon the Vex once more, which have seemingly not been entirely wiped out with the death of Atheon being a faucet to that occurrence. This time players are once more battling off hordes of enemies inside of “The Black Garden”. The fights as well as the dungeon design are unique, thoroughly thought through, and well implemented as each encounter felt unique, difficulty, and at times like a puzzle due to the enemy types that appeared within each battle. There were moments where players would feel exposed, weak, and left out in the open as enemies spawned in from behind, in front of, and beside fire teams in order to devastate them and ultimately cause a wipe. As highly unexpected as it can be, this seems rather intentional within the levels design as well as built around difficulty.

Destiny_DB_SC_04

But the strikes unfortunately are hard to really even cover as they are much like any other strike. Players will fight through a few pools of enemies, move on, dispatch more enemies, and fight a boss. One boss is destroyed, move on, and once more encounter a batch of enemies. This is what lead the fire-team I was with into the expansions big focal point; Crota’s End Raid.

The raid itself is where the Expansion does truly shine. Due to even the PvP mans, while cool, are still lacking and may not interest those who are die hard for PvE. Stepping foot into the raid delivered a sight that differentiated from the games basic formula. Once in the raid, the fire-team as well as myself were exposed to a very dark, dreary, and uneasy place. The Crota’s End Raid decides to open up with a bang. Players will fall into the center of the Moon, hit rock center, and become acquainted with the very dark, very hard to pass through, and punishingly difficulty “Lamp” portion of the raid. With players being limited on maneuverability due to this portions debuff “Weight of Darkness”, players will find themselves trying to move from lamp to lamp while fighting off endless waves of Thrall’s and Ascendant Thrall’s so that they don’t die from either being mauled to death of simply blown up. This portion of the raid was probably one of the most interesting portions as players will find themselves working on a strategy that works best for themselves, but also the firing squad they are part of. The problem? This formula is used consistently through the raid. Each fight is a puzzle in its own as players will find themselves pelting down Ogres, Knights, Shriekers, Thralls, Wizards, and even Thrall themselves. Each of the fights will provide fire teams with having to think on their feet, and constantly be on the go. Here is where communication, tactics, and even the capability of taking notes comes in hand.

Destiny_DB_SC_02

Overall, the raid outshines the rest of the content as players will learn each fight comes with a heightened sense of urgency. Some such as the Death Singer will provide teams with a very limited time on how quickly they must kill enemies, but also how well coordinated each kill must be. This also goes to say, weapons, skill, and even a proper build will become tested as players will need to find a medium ground and balance between each of the classes, but unfortunately this is where players will find the height of “The Dark Below” as players will find it overall lacking in content, excitement, and reason to continue forth for those who do not raid.

With all the good designs being thrown into “Crota’s End” it’s hard to really feel excited about what will be coming up in the future expansion “The House of Wolves”, which is slated to release sometime this year. I hope for the sake of that expansion we see a thorough launch of new zones, new missions, new armors, new weapons, and even a rather fun batch of new strikes and hopefully two new raids as this marks the last DLC of this season pass and possibly the last bit of content to launch for Destiny until we see Destiny 2 since it’s already in early development.

So the final question comes down to one thing at the end of this review. Is Crota’s End worth the 19.99 USD or 34.99 USD for the Season Pass? For those who are the casual gamer, it’s hard to really justify the spending of your money since the massive amount of content that this expansion has lies heavily within Eris Mourns short quest line and excessive reputation farming, but the almost necessary requirement of at least experiencing the raid more than once to really feel the money’s worth has been placed in a good spot. The answer is? If you are looking for higher replay value for a casual gamer, this is definitely not an expansion for you unless you PVP.


Review Score: 5 out of 10


Reviewer Note: The review version used was not supplied by Activision or Bungie and was purchased at our own accord and is based off the PlayStation 4 Version. However, we did not state or remark towards overall game performance, but rather content of this Expansion.


About the Writer:

Dustin_BATGRDustin 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, MMO’s, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable and can’t be softened by even the biggest names in the gaming industry. 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. To follow Dustin, hit him up on Twitter over at @GamingAnomaly, find him on his Google+. Wanna game with him? You can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D Limited Edition Is Possibly Sold-Out

Join the Blast Away the Game Review Community on Facebook or Google+
Written by Dustin Murphy

Majoras_Mask_CE

Selling out faster than it was made available, Nintendo released today, a limited edition pre-order for The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D bundle, which features a Skull Kid figurine. This collectible edition would have been unique for many of the franchises fans as the game has become a bit of a landmark after the success of it and Ocarina of Time’s success, it’s no surprise that fans new and old to the series have clamored on for a re-release of the title(s).

While the Limited Edition was available for a very thin window, the edition released for 49.99 USD and has found itself launching on the same day as the basic copy of The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D. With no release date in the very near future, fans would be establishing themselves with a highly in-demand item and preparing for one of the most anticipated games of 2015 as well as for the Nintendo 3DS handheld family.

Much like what happened with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, fans will find themselves with once more following in the footsteps of a game that has been updated with 3D graphics and new game features. Some of the features may include updated game handling, control schemes, but also accessibility to content never-before-seen.

Due to how in-demand the game was, we’ve reached out to Nintendo to find out if they will be making more copies available for the Limited Edition or if what was made available is all that there was. Stay tuned as we wait to hear back from a Nintendo spokesperson. In the mean time head on over to the official website for Majora’s Mask 3D: http://zelda.com/majoras-mask.


About the Writer:

Dustin_BATGRDustin 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, MMO’s, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable and can’t be softened by even the biggest names in the gaming industry. 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. To follow Dustin, hit him up on Twitter over at @GamingAnomaly, find him on his Google+. Wanna game with him? You can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

Blast Away the Game Review’s Most Anticipated Games of 2015

Join the Blast Away the Game Review Community on Facebook or Google+
Written by Dustin Murphy

Last year we saw a bombardment of upcoming titles, some of them continuations to franchises, and others being entirely new IP’s that we’ll see coming up in the not-so-far future. Among these titles are many that have truly peaked an interest and even grabbed the attention of media outlets, but also the fans alike, which speaks for these games. For this list, we’re taking my most anticipated games for 2015.


Evolve_Turtle_Rock_Studios_Logo

10. Evolve

Evolve by Turtle Rock Studios has been a game that has caught the attention of many. The game itself is set to be a 4v1 pvp based title. The game will be pitting a team of 4 players as the hunters versus a player who plays – you guessed it – the monster that the four will be hunting in a tension filled pvp atmosphere. This atmosphere seeks to push players to test their skills in teamwork and their skills with communications. With the hunters getting to choose classe roles such as Support, Medic, Trapper, and even Assault, it will be interesting to see how the game unfolds as player choose to play each of their classes

Persona5_Screenshot

9. Persona 5

With Atlus being silent about Persona 5 – aside from what we know from the trailers as well as the red and black colour theme they have set forth – we don’t know much of what is going on. Our assumption shows that our main character will be a young man who is struggling or possibly bored with his adventures in life thus far, and seems to be either a college, High School, and or even an employee at an office. The game seems busy when the trailer that was revealed not long ago had shown the protagonist in a rather busy Japanese city, again the setting itself is even unknown, but it seems that maybe the setting as well as the theme will have to do something with the image of the desks with ball and chain hooked to them.

We’ll have to wait and see what Atlus has to say for the game that is slated to release on both PlayStation 3 and Sony’s next generation console only known as the PlayStation 4. It has not been stated if Persona 5 could see itself get another launch for the PlayStation Vita and PlayStation Vita duo. Though if the past releases say anything, things could be looking up, and handheld gamers may just have to wait it out a small bit before a release happens.

Uncharted_4_Reveal_SC

8. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

While not a huge fan of the Uncharted series, it’s hard not to say that the franchise is well written, acted, and rather convincing as a well rounded franchise. With Nathan Drake finally showing up on the PlayStation 4 from the trailer we got to see at E3, it’s only suspecting that we’re going to see him older, in more trouble than ever, and fighting for his life once more. This time it looks as if the franchise could be seeing all loose ends get tied together, and Nathan Drake finally hang up his coat, lay down his pistol, and call his days as a treasure hunter, thief, and adventurer over.

With only what we know from the trailers and what little information leaked, it will be interesting to see how Nathan’s family dynamics work out as his older brother enters the picture and could possibly set up a rather nicely built background behind our charming protagonist.

Halo5_Poster

7. Halo 5: Guardians

Halo has been a series that has always had an intriguing storyline as well as systematic character development. After the events that unfolded within the two intertwined storylines for Halo 4 – Spartan Ops Season 1 and even the main campaign; the game series has shown a bit of a darker side to itself. With the Spartan IV’s becoming a new ordeal, we see an interesting weave of storylines taking place. One specifically being Doctor Katherine Halsey having sided with a renegade group of Covenant, and even a new height to the story behind the Prometheans, the Flood, and anything else that could go horribly wrong.

The question now is? What will happen with the Master Chief, Cortana (is she really gone?), and even the Spartan IV team we saw within Halo 4? We’ll have to wait it out and see where Microsoft goes from here.

Street_Fighter_V_Trailer_SC01_Ryu

6. Street Fighter V

Late 2014, Capcom and Sony announced a magnificent team up that will allow for a molding of the PlayStation 4’s power and the power of PC gamers in order to bring Street Fighter V to move once more towards the edge of PC and Console interactivity. This announcement was a splendor to many when Capcom announced that Street Fighter V and Ultimate Street Fighter IV on next gen consoles, is an exclusive.

With the games having been a fan-favorite world wide, we can only assume that the exclusivity may not be permanent, but instead a timed ordeal. If not, this is one exclusive that could move many fans to either PlayStation 4 or picking it up through Steam. Aside from that announcement, Capcom has been pretty quiet on what will be going on with Street Fighter V and who will be in the roster, but all that can be said is – Prepare to Fight.

Metal_Gear_Solid_V_Snake

5. Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain

Hideo Kojima and the team over Fox Hound Studios are renowned for delivering some of the best stories in the world. Their latest endeavor continues a foray into a world that has become a war machine, one that Big Boss must deter from another devastating attack from various foes, but one in particular – Venom Snake – has set Big Boss in a Hell bent path to avenge the fallen men and women he swore to protect.

With his base now gone, alliances seemingly broken, and Big Boss without his arm, we can only assume that him and Miller will be seeking a war unlike any we’ve seen yet within the games franchise.

 Xenoblade_Chronicles_X_SC_E3

4. Xenoblade Chronicles X

The Wii U has been a console that has been plagued by a lack of games. Granted it has had a few in-house solid hits, it’s third party support has been all-but-flourishing. Thanks to their third party developer Monolith Soft, we’re going to see the world of Xenoblade Chronicles once more revisited. This time the game will be backed by the Wii U’s stronger hardware as well as HD output.

Even as a JRPG, it’s no surprise the anticipation for this game has stacked up due to its massive open-world and deep story knocked some contenders such as Batman: Arkham Knight and even Halo 5: Guardians back a few spots on our most anticipated list.

Bloodborn_Keyart

3. Bloodborne

When Demon’s Souls launched on the PS3, it was surprising to see a game that was so hard, so unforgiving, and even damning players the way it did. In turn, a spark was ignited, and players once more wanted to be punished, beat up, and kicked aside like a rag doll only to come back for more. This time; it’s just changing the paint-job and looks to be even more painful. With Hidetaka, Sony, and the team at From Software once more collaborating, we can only say that we’ve been impressed as players have once more felt their breaths taken away by beautiful and compelling gothic settings, but also the dark, dreaded, and demented appearance the game has taken.

We can only say one thing to this – Prepare to Die.

The_Order_1886_Screen_Capture_01

2. The Order: 1886

Whilst the teams over at Microsoft has been working hard with their exclusives such as Halo and Quantum Break; Sony has been rather busy throwing some gas on their own fire just to make it burn brighter, and so far it has been working great. The Order 1886 has revealed itself to be a supernatural thriller. With vampires, werewolves, and we can only guess what else running around London, we can only guess what The Order: 1886 looks like it will have a lot to offer for those who want a mix of supernatural and the once more late 1800’s feel of an alternate time-line based London under their chin.

The_Legend_Of_Zelda_Wii_U_E3

1. The Legend of Zelda

This was one of the best announcements of 2014. One that sent many fans, writers, and even gaming new-comers into a rally. While Nintendo and designer Eiji Aonuma have remained silent, it seems that a lot of the games base idea has been released in regards to game play. Seeming that the game will once more return us into a rather large open world, which seems much larger than past titles, the game is beautiful, with rather lively and lush environments. We can only say this towards Nintendo – we want more.


Did any of these games make your top 10 list for this year? If not, let us know what your list is like! We’re always excited to see what others are highly anticipating and our team, without a doubt, wants to hear about it – so let us know in the comments here on our website, our community pages, or even on our twitter!


About the Writer:

Dustin_BATGRDustin 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, MMO’s, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable and can’t be softened by even the biggest names in the gaming industry. 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. To follow Dustin, hit him up on Twitter over at @GamingAnomaly, find him on his Google+. Wanna game with him? You can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Years from B.A.T.G.R.

Join the Blast Away the Game Review Community on Facebook or Google+
From Sarah Gibson, Dustin Murphy, and Devon DayMerry-Christmas-And-Happy-Holidays

Today, as many of you know, is a day about family, friends, and spending time together. For many of us that means playing games, watching movies, dining on food, and even relaxing. We hope all of you get plenty of this and enjoy your holidays, friends, family, and even the upcoming New Year.

From all of us here at Blast Away the Game Review, we wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a happy, safe, and wonderful New Year.

Best of Holiday Wishes from Blast Away the Game Review

DONTNODs Entertainments Title Life is Strange Gets Street Dated

Join the Blast Away the Game Review Community on Facebook or Google+
Written by Dustin Murphy

Life_Is_Strange_screenshot05_a

Square Enix and DONTNOD Entertainment have announced as of this past week that their upcoming title LIFE IS STRANGE will start landing on PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One starting January 30th, 2015. Each of the episodes will release separately for 4.99 USD per episode or 19.99 USD for the entire season, which includes all five episodes.

Take a look below at the full release pricing released officially by Square Enix.

Life_Is_Strange_screenshot24_a


Content Pricing: 

  • Life is Strange Episode 1 | $4.99
  • Life is Strange Season Pass (Episodes 2-5) | $16.99
  • Life is Strange Complete Season (Episodes 1-5) | $19.99

Stay tuned as we plan on reviewing this title based upon each episode as they release.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call to Get Bravely Default DLC

Join the Blast Away the Game Review Community on Facebook or Google+
Written by Dustin Murphy

TheatrhythmCurtainCall

Today is one that remarked a rather interesting reprise within the series. we are familiar with titles such as Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, and many more having made preparations for their way over to the Nintendo 3DS smash hit already, and will be seeing their release in the upcoming “Second Performance” content, which will be available on December 24th, 2014.

The DLC will be placed at $0.99 per track. These tracks will include new Battle Music Sequence themes, new Field Music Sequences. Fans of the series will also be able to play a new set of add-on tracks arriving on January 8, 2015.

The new songs that will be available include the following Wednesday Include:

Battle Music Sequence (BMS) Songs:

  • “He of the Name” (Bravely Default)
  • “Evil Wings” (Bravely Default)
  • “The Serpent That Devours the Horizon” (Bravely Default)
  • “Ultima” (FINAL FANTASY XIV)
  • “Hard to Miss” (FINAL FANTASY XIV)
  • “Zero” (FINAL FANTASY TYPE-0 ™)
  • “Ardent Rhythm” (Romancing SaGa ® : Minstrel Song)
  • “Battle #4” (SaGa Frontier)
  • “Meridian Dance” (Secret of Mana)
  • “Chrono Trigger” (CHRONO TRIGGER)

Field Music Sequence (FMS) songs:

  • “Horizon of Light and Shadow” (Bravely Default)
  • “Title Screen” (Romancing SaGa 2)

Keep tuned in as we plan on visiting this new DLC and giving our thoughts on it in the near future. Meanwhile you can check our review here: Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call Review


About the Writers:

Dustin_BATGRDustin 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, MMO’s, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable and can’t be softened by even the biggest names in the gaming industry. 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. To follow Dustin, hit him up on Twitter over at @GamingAnomaly, find him on his Google+. Wanna game with him? You can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

Opinion: Why 2014 Was a Good Year for Gaming in 2014

Join the Blast Away the Game Review Community on Facebook or Google+
Written by Dustin Murphy

cropped-thecrew_preview_thedryrun_1411491904.jpg

2014 could easily be considered one of the worst years in gaming. With rises to events such as GamerGate, Social Justice Warriors, and even an infamous (we are leaving unnamed) group of DDoSer’s – gaming has seen its rough patches. Unfortunately the media has seen its fareshare of criticism that may or may not have been warranted, the gaming industry has been busy. With hit titles such as Wolfenstein: The New Order, Wrack, Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, Mario Kart 8, Hyrule Warriors, The Evil Within, Trials Fusion, Freedom Wars, and many more having released; it’s no surprise that 2014 has actually been quite a busy year, and gamers have no reason to feel it hasn’t.

Instead of breaking this down into just one big conglomerate of a mess, it’s best perhaps to actually go over each fundamental area to provide a perspective that can actually display why 2014 was quite the good year despite a few hitches with game bugs.

|–| Nintendo |–|

Pokemon OmegaRuby_AlphaSapphire_Combo

Many here would argue that Nintendo has had a dull year and should already be working on their next gen console and handheld combo. Even with that argument, it can’t be denied that the company has been quite busy. With games such as Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Bros. (Wii U and 3DS), Bayonetta 2, Hyrule Warriors, and even their collectible figurines that interact with games called Amiibo; Nintendo has been busy. Part of what they can be applauded for is their capability to change and overcome the mainstream by going through whatever hoops they can towards innovation and quirkiness.

With them once more pursuing an online-only audience when it comes to trade shows such as E3; Nintendo has had a bit of a change on how things should be done. It’s because of their approach, that Nintendo remained one of the most unique companies for the 2014. This is partially due to their approach of how they handle their games, consoles, customers, and their endless line-up that could easily rival their competition in the following years.

The only thing they need now; a North American and European release date for the New Nintendo 3DS so that we can experience those upcoming NN3DS titles when they release.

|–| Bungie |–|

Destiny_SC_01

Even though Destiny has been a rough spot for Bungie, many can agree that Destiny has become one of the most played online-only titles that drive its fans to constantly strive to be the best. Whether it’s through the story that could still use some work, the new expansion called “The Dark Below”. With many of the changes made that were fan based feedback, Bungie has followed in the shoes that made Blizzard a rather successful cornerstone in the gaming industry. Even with the games lackluster campaign, many can admit that the game is addictive, fun, and at times down-right creative.

With players having booked in possibly millions of hours played already since its launch back in September, there is no doubt that the community has been bustling and keeping busy. Though the only place that this game seems to struggle is the consistency of keeping events around long enough for the more casual players to enjoy them and reaView Postp the rewards. Hopefully this is something that sees a change when the “House of Wolves” DLC launches sometime in 2014.

|–| Stellar Game Launches and Announcements |–|

Persona_Q_Shadow_Chie

We know there is always something that looks amazing and that’s without a doubt. Thanks to games such as “The Evil Within”, “Hyrule Warriors”, “Watch_Dogs”, “Freedom Wars”, “Soul Sacrifice”, “Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth”, and many more that this has become possible. Some of this years most ambitious games though didn’t see such a glimmering execution on launch. Titles such as “Driveclub”, “Halo: The Master Chief Collection” and “Assassin’s Creed Unity” were hit with major launch problems to the extent they were unplayable and left companies having to refund or even patches on a weekly basis to ensure that the games would operate as they should have out of the box.

This is something that has become all-too-common as of late, but many games such as “Super Smash Bros.”, “Wrack” and “Pokémon” have displayed the lack-of-patching needs to be an accessible and fully functioning product once available. Even with those being some prime examples that can be handed out, 2014 was met with some amazing titles that launched this past year, so lets break those down in a small list; though do note not all release titles will be listed:

  • Alien: Isolation
  • Assassin’s Creed Unity
  • Bayonetta 2
  • Binding of Isaac
  • Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel
  • Destiny
  • Far Cry 4
  • Freedom Wars
  • Little Big Planet 3
  • Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes
  • Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth
  • Pokémon Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby
  • Sunset Overdrive
  • Super Smash Bros. (3DS/Wii U)
  • The Crew
  • Wrack

It’s hard not to see just from those select few titles out of the huge list that 2014 has been a year that has been busy when it comes to releases. Some of the others being even bigger hits that have come across the seas thanks to game publishers such as Atlus USA, Idea Factory International, XSeed Games, and more. Even with their games released, there have been some huge announcements that players among the ‘elite’ will be highly anticipating. So what games are these? Players can easily point fingers at Bethesda’s QuakeCon 2014 announcement that B.A.T.G.R. writers were honoured to partake in during a closed door reveal. It was there that we were graced by meeting heads of Bethesda Zenimax, but also id Software and walked away with wonderful memories. Some of them would remain just that as we had learned shortly after that Steven Sarafin, a talented Technical Producer of the game had passed away. His gameplay would not be forgotten as it highlighted one of the most anticipated games that he will remain forever a part of – DOOM.

Even with DOOM being a game among many others such as “Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End”, “Arkham Knight” even Sony’s upcoming “Bloodborne”, and many more have set us up for a nice 2015 year as it quickly approaches.Take a peek below.

  • Bloodborne (3/24/15 | PlayStation 4)
  • Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin (4/7/15 | PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 XB1)
  • DOOM (Date: TBA | PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One)
  • Halo 5: Guardians (2015 | Xbox One)
  • Mighty No. 9 (2015 | PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and PS Vita)
  • Overwatch (Date: TBA | PC | Consoles TBD)
  • Quantum Break (Date: TBA | Xbox One)
  • Resident Evil Remastered (1/20/15 | PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One)
  • Tom Clancy’s The Division (2015 | PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One)
  • The Elder Scrolls Online (Date: TBA | PlayStation 4 and Xbox One)
  • Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (Date: TBA | PlayStation 4)

With all the announcements we’ve been surprised by, 2014 has truly set up 2015 to be one of the busiest years in gaming, and one that we truly can not wait for.

|–| PlayStation Experience |–|

PlayStation_Experience

Much like Nintendo doing their own thing with Nintendo Direct, Sony Entertainment soon followed suit with their own type of organizational setup with an event only known as “PlayStation Experience”. Here players got to go into a full-on Sony focused event, which allowed Sony to outline their upcoming games for the PlayStation 4, but also to allow attendees get a good look at the upcoming experiences of PlayStation as well as a glimpse of what made PlayStation stand where it does now.

The experience could be called even more unique as Sony was in the midst of celebrating their 25 years of PlayStation. This grandeur experience was also welcomed by the announcement of Sony’s 25th Anniversary Limited Edition PlayStation 4 Console, as well as themes for PlayStation consoles. This big announcement was something that Sony could easily stand up and be proud of as they broke their trend of holding all their big announcements for Tokyo Game Show, GDC, and even E3. We can only wonder – will this be the future of Sony’s announcements? We can only wait and find out.

|–| Closing Thoughts |–|

Even with all the bad that can be piled up due to the constant DDoS attacks starting back in July against numerous developers, the GamerGate attacks on multiple journalists as well as female developers, and even heavily broken games; 2014 has been a year that has many positive outlooks. Even with slow game launches and several big titles having not launched, the year has been eventful and has setup a future where the gaming industry can stand tall and show that 2014 was just a sample of what’s to come in the following years.

For those of you who think it has been slow. Check those game libraries and even the stores and take note; it’s been one heck of a busy ride.


About the Writers:

Dustin_BATGRDustin 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, MMO’s, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable and can’t be softened by even the biggest names in the gaming industry. 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. To follow Dustin, hit him up on Twitter over at @GamingAnomaly, find him on his Google+. Wanna game with him? You can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

NIS America Announces Several New Titles for Next Year

Join the Blast Away the Game Review Community on Facebook or Google+
Written by Dustin Murphy

There’s nothing like ringing in the new year with several upcoming announcements and NIS America is ready to do just that. As of this week, we’ve learned that Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance has been announced for both North America and Europe in the Fall of 2015 and will be the first entry to reign in the series to the PlayStation 4. The game will be released in both the physical and digital platforms.

D5JapaneseLogo1

Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance while being the newest entry in the numerical order, it is also the sixth entry in the console releases. This time around, players will be experiencing a tale of revenge and rebellion. With a new enemy seeking to enslave as many Netherworlds as possible, Killia, our new hero and a young demon; seeks to take out the new Overlord named Void Dark. His quest will lead him and a vast army of rebels to explore their dark and dangerous path to vengeance all the while allowing players to relive the all-too-familiar strategy RPG mechanics from before, but also a rather hilarious script. This will surely be one to place upon your shelf and enjoy on those PlayStation 4’s.

OperationAbyss_LOGO_CLEAN

The second announcement we’ve received is about their upcoming dungeon crawling RPG that is preparing to hit the PS Vita in North America and Europe in March of 2015; the title is known as Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy.  A title that is set to take players through a Demon Gaze like experience as players fight off monsters that are genetically engineered. With the appearance of the portals that have popped up around the city, players will get to witness this new dimension called Abyss, which has caused the local government to set up a new agency just for this happening called the “Code Physics Agency”. With them being established, the CPA has dedicated a squad just for this event called the Xth Square, which will evade traps, fight powerful enemies, and attempt to solve the mystery of the Abyss. Stay tuned as we await more information about this upcoming title.

The Awakened Fate Ultimatum

What else has been announced? The Awakened Fate Ultimatum, which will be landing exclusively on the PlayStation March 17th, 2015 and in Europe on March 20th, 2015. Much like the previous two, the game will be landing on the platform in both digital and physical retail formats. For those looking for a Limited Edition can also visit the NISA Online Store in order to pre-order it. Will you have what it takes to stop the war between Devils and Angels all the while stopping enemies from destroying the world as we know it? Stay tuned as we prepare for its launch next year.