Game Reviews

Sit-Rep: Grand Kingdom – Where Combat is Like a Row of Bowling Pins

/ Dustin Murphy / 1 Comment

Pros:
+Lane based combat is fun, exciting, and fresh with its Strategy RPG take
+Amazingly beautiful art style that’s quite enjoyable and easy on the eyes
+An amazingly nice and settling score that is quite enjoyable
+Character classes feel unique and fresh
+Customization options were quite plentiful and unique

Cons:
-Voice acting is ‘meh’ at best.
-Story feels as if it drags on versus being enjoyable

Review Summary: Grand Kingdom is an enjoyable adventure that takes players across a world that is at constant war. Bringing in high-risk with high-reward turnarounds. The game enthusiastic brings in a new and unique form of turn based combat and strategy elements. The title is a hidden treat for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita owners.

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Take a look at any game on the shelves right now and you are probably going to run in on a rather familiar take on the same elements. It’s a trend the industry has grown used to. We’re seeing plenty of game clones when it comes to titles like Call of Duty, Battlefield, Minecraft (anyone else sick of builder games?), and even Pokemon titles. There’s zillion’s of spin-off titles that follow them. However, what happens when a game such as Grand Kingdom comes in and offers a unique twist on the strategy and RPG like elements.

Adding in traditions of the renowned Strategy RPG genre, Grand Kingdom comes in unexpected in every form of its elements that offers up for fans to enjoy. The game is a rather nice treat for PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 4 owners. Getting our hands on the Beta that was sent out not long ago, we got some early impressions in on it, ones that taught us the game takes on the elements of your traditional JRPG while trading out some ideals from strategy titles. If that doesn’t sound familiar, then you are getting ready for a rather large, but enjoyable time sink for gamers.

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If one were to want to get in on the games rather confusing story, it’s easy to break down. The world the title takes place in is a constant war, one that is filled with small militaries trying to fight off groups of mercenaries. Taking its approach as an anime-like title, Grand Kingdom’s turns into a hunt for constant money for our protagonists. The story? It’s too easy to pick apart thanks to its traditional anime-like style where players can face palm rather quickly so that they may be able to work towards a possibility of diplomacy. Unfortunately this takes away from any hope at a rather climatic story, one that brings in the tragic nature of this games visionary world of war or even the ideals of loss and damages war can cause.

Neglecting on these facts, Grand Kingdom is a rather enjoyable form of gameplay mechanics as war remains endless as ever. While there are plenty of characters that may seem rather integral to the world, there’s always the consistent threats of “kicking the enemies ass” as players take to each chapter. If it makes any sense, the whole war isn’t as serious as the game would have you believe in the long run. Sad, huh? The real part of the game that draws eyes isn’t the games lacking story, but the games rather intuitive combat design that takes on old RPG elements, and strategy elements.

Turning away from the games story that can quite easily be ignored, the mechanics, customizations, and even a fresh breath of air in a known genre. If you are a fan of board games, Grand Kingdom takes on a unique spin of a table top game as players will move their pawn across the battlefield that is set before them. Doing so will bring characters into combat randomly or with pre-place enemies if players don’t fall into traps or treasures. Nothing welcomes a player into a tile-set like watching a character getting themselves blown into smithereens by an enemy cannon.

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When merging into combat, Grand Kingdom begins to truly shine as players will find themselves given three lanes that their team will be placed on. These lanes represent rows in which both friendlies and enemies will be placed upon as they duke it out to win. Given a set amount of “action” points, players will find themselves scurrying across battlefields while attempting to beat enemies into the ground. However, it’s not as simple as it sounds. Using characters like the archer, players will find themselves given chances to use certain abilities such as the games archer class using an ability like “Longshot” where the character will nail a single enemy. While classes such as the arcanist can send lightning bolts and fireballs across the lane. The downside? These attacks can actually harm friendly members if they are in the way of their caster.

While combat may seem rather linear with characters such as the arcanist, Shamans, Witch, and even the Dragon Mage offer varied combat – Grand Kingdom is fresh as players will find themselves with plenty to do across the entirety of the game. Thanks to the familiar art styles of Chiz Hashii that brings in beautiful details and character animations, the game offers screen-filled popping life to the entire game while character portraits also remain rather alive as well as animated. This is easily accented with some of the best music you’ll hear within the game, something that was brought to life with Odin Sphere Leifthrasirs composer – Mitshuiro Kaneda. Now if only the actors could have put as much love into the game as the composer and artist did.

Overall, Grand Kingdom is a game that offers a fresh breath of air for players that decide to give this game a chance. This will definitely be a game for PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 4 owners to get their hands on if they give it the chance.

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: 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.

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
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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?

Sit-Rep: Umbrella Corps – Angry Gamers Inbound

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

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.

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.

Review: Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus – Bouncing It’s Way to Steam

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

Pros:
+Graphically astounding in comparison to the PlayStation Vita Version
+60fps brings the game back to life with fluid combat and animations
+Natively supports mouse and keyboard as well as Xbox One controllers

Cons:
–Boobs, boobs, boobs.. It’s an overload at times.

SENRAN KAGURA SHINOVI VERSUS - 05

When it comes to anything being a guilty pleasure, it’s hard to state, which one is which. If it’s not the boobs jiggling or the high pitched squeals as pieces of clothing breaks, it’s hard to determine what point is the “guilty pleasure” state and what point is actually the ability to enjoy the game for what it is; a brawler.

In my original review (now buried on our Facebook wall, as it was before we had a blog, or even a website like we do now), I stated the game is perfect for those looking for skimpy outfits, female shinobi, and excessive amounts of boob jokes that tend to be funny. The truth is? That previous statement hasn’t changed since the original games release on the PlayStation Vita back in 2014.Thankfully to the power of games such as this one moving to PC, Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus gets another chance to reprise the role it had as a hilarious title with some cheerful moments and even light gags. However, can it be as funny as well as enjoyable compared to its previous release? With this, that’s what we’re going to take a look at as we’ll treat this review not just as a re-review, but a whole new review all together.

For those unfamiliar with the series, Senran Kagura is, at its core, a comedic buxom brawler that brings in the meanest of the meanest female warriors from Hanzō National Academy, Hebijo and Gessen. While some may be able to find a school they prefer, Senran Kagura offers a variety of reasons to play characters from both while also experiencing the stories from both. This is something that does add in replay value and keeps the game alive in many ways, ways in such, I’m still playing it and haven’t put it back down even though I’m playing it again on both PC and PlayStation Vita.

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“The mechanics, even though they are musou style, are what keep the game alive”

When reviewing any game such as this one, the story could easily be one of the parts to ignore if you aren’t in for a few boob jokes, and a few facepalm worthy moments. Granted all the dubbing is done quite well for fans to enjoy, but so is the translation. This is where XSEED Games sets the par against many localization teams. The one thing though that has kept me coming back? Isn’t the story believe it or not, but the combat mechanics.

For those familiar with the series and those that aren’t will quickly be able to the game without a hitch. Thanks to the not-so-complex combat style that can quite easily be compared to Dynasty Warriors style games (trust me, this game has a lot that can be a nod towards the franchise), players will find themselves quite often mashing both square and triangle in able to beat their enemies to a pulp. With combo’s galore at their hands, players will find themselves mashing square as fast as possible before transferring into a triangle held moment to pop enemies in the air before pursuing them. This will easily take enemies into a aerial stun where they will gain ground of the battlefield.

Included in the combat mechanics is something a bit more unique, one that causes clothing options to be destroyed when the opposing or player character has received a set amount of damage. While this is easy to do, enemies or the player are capable to initiate a shinobi transformation, which allows the girls to be stripped down (censored by golden rays), and transformed into their ninja form. For all those new or never played the series, all of their clothing options can be customized from undergarments, shirts, dresses, etc. In this new form, the character becomes more powerful, versatile, and even heals up to full health while now being able to unleash powerful new shinobi abilities. Some that will stun enemies while locking them into an obscene amount of damage and allowing the tides of battle to be turned. The mechanics, even though they are musou style are what keep the game alive.

SENRAN KAGURA SHINOVI VERSUS - 09

“The Performance and Port Quality is Top-Notch”

Hardware Used for the Review:
Asus RoG G53SX-DH71 Gaming Laptop (External Link to Asus RoG Website)
Windows 10 Premium – 64-bit
1920 x 1080 resolution screen
8GB DDR4 RAM
1TB 7200RPM HDD with a 1TB 7200RPM Backup HDD
Nvidia GTX 560M 2GB

The transition, however, from Vita to PC was quite easy thanks to the game supporting Xbox One controllers as well as other PC supported controllers. Deciding to test the game on two PC’s, I was impressed from the moment I booted up the game, setting it to 1080p, 16×9, and running at full 60+fps consistently without a drop. This stayed true across both platforms, one with a integrated video card, and the other a dedicated.Even on a TV as a monitor, the game played without a hitch as expected.

When looking at the idea of a game being “ported”; it’s hard not to take a moment to glance at what makes the port solidified and a justifiable purchase for those wanting to go at the title again. Unlike most games, we’ve seen a few that were only half-ports where only the in-game animations during player control had been scaled up to perform as one would expect. This time around? This game is not one of those and it was done perfectly enough, the performance and port quality is top-notch, and it would be hard to state that XSEED Games and Marvelous AQL didn’t go out of their way to ensure player’s would come back for another purchase. This port? Is perfect the way it is.

“Multiplayer Lag Was Unbearable at Times”

Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus – PC (Reviewed), PlayStation Vita
Developer: Marvelous AQL
Publisher: XSEED Games
Price: $29.99 USD
Released: Available Now

Out of all my experiences outside of unique customization choices that can be done via the shop, the games multiplayer is where the game begins to shine outside of linear and repetitive designs. The multiplayer is where the game makes the combat a bit more enjoyable as players will find themselves facing off against themselves and NPCs. While combat remains the same, players will find themselves battling it out for the top score in order to show their talents. As one would expect, the game supports online multiplayer, which is where the core ability to enjoy the game is for many of the players.

While finding a few good matches had been highly possible, there was still some trouble finding the matches I needed that didn’t lag. Luckily the few matches I got in ran pretty smooth without little to no hiccups after the bits of lag that managed to land on us. Overall? It wasn’t enough to damn the game in any form. If this how any game comes across as a port? I think XSEED Games has set the new standard for how a port should work out.

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: 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 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: Total War: Warhammer – Ringing the Bells of War

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

Pros:
+Depicts the Warhammer universe in an immaculate manner
+Mod support works greatly since launch
+Online multiplayer is challenging, fun, and keeps the game functionally alive
+Amazing combat rendering for each faction
+Extremely easy to navigate and moderate active mods through the launcher.
+Runs amazing even on lower spec computers

Cons:
-Can be complicated for beginners to learn even with tutorials

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When you think of strategy games what do you think of? Some may think of games such as Starcraft, X-Com: Declassified, Warcraft, Total War, Age of Empires, and many others when it comes to the famed genre. When you ask me? I think of even older games, ones like Sid Civilization or Missionforce: Cyberstorm. However, none of these games truly have the depth of Total War: Warhammer, but this one isn’t the usual for the franchise. Known for its historic approach to events of true history and an approach to some of the worlds most interesting conflicts, Total War: Warhammer takes away from events such as the era of the Shogun and Napoleon Bonapartes greatest achievements in history.

Created by the masterminds behind the Total War franchise and even Halo Wars, Creative Assembly has created a solid franchise, one that fits a specific niche for some gamers, and continues to do great at it. With this latest expansion, they’ve done something astounding, and followed lore many Warhammer fans have come to know as well as love in the fantasy universe. For many of us, we know the Warhammer franchise hasn’t had the best of all records with games such as Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, which lost sight of its source material and aimed to create an epic adventure in the renowned science fiction universe. While we’ve seen other games that have taken this route, the series has had a bit of a rocky road, but thanks to Creative Assembly, it seems that bit of unfortunate circumstances has been turned around as of late.

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Hardware Used for the Review:
Asus RoG G53SX-DH71 Gaming Laptop (External Link to Asus RoG Website)
Windows 10 Premium – 64-bit
1920 x 1080 resolution screen
8GB DDR4 RAM
1TB 7200RPM HDD with a 1TB 7200RPM Backup HDD
Nvidia GTX 560M 2GB

As a series that has been always evolving and making itself stronger, Total War hasn’t stopped itself from doing so even with its latest endeavor into the tabletop universe that has taken the world by storm for well over two decades. For my campaign? I couldn’t resist taking on the gameplay of the worlds adventurous as well as opportunistic Vampires. While I’d have loved to take to playing as the Dark Elves, Elves or Skaven, I was quite content with the selection that was made possible. While Vampire Counts is by far my favourite, I was quite content seeing Dwarves being one of my largest opponents even though they quickly became a nuisance.

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One of the most admirable parts of the game is the gameplay itself where the game focuses heavily upon regiments and their strategy. Something that ties almost perfectly with the tabletop game where the rules are implemented as if they were made just for Total War. As one would expect, the veterans to the franchise would find themselves at a bit of an advantage due to their knowledge of unit times as well as what they will contend best against in real-time combat be it in large groups or individual battles.

The one thing that may take them for a bit of a spin is the games required maintenance for their empire as they take on their enemies. Because of this players will find themselves carefully recruiting, filling in defenses, but also bargaining for truces with enemy factions. This can include the factions players can choose from such as the Human Empire, Vampire Counts, Chaos Warriors (available as a pre-order bonus for pre-order folks or as an optional DLC) as well Orks and Goblins.

Total War: Warhammer – PC (Reviewed)
Developer: Creative Assembly
Publisher: Sega
Price: $59.99 USD
Released: Available Now

While one would expect them all to play the same, it’s actually not the case here, as each has their own strengths, weaknesses, and even their own resources needed to keep their factions alive. Some may take on larger infantry scales as the Human Empire or the terrifying Terrorgheists and monstrosities of skeletons from the Vampire Counts. Others may see magic become a lacking feature of the Dwarves focus more on combat prowess as well as their capability of controlling the battlefield the best they can. While it’d been interesting to see the nimble yet cunning races such as the Elves in or the terrifying Skaven taking to the battlefield, players won’t be disappointed when they see what Creative Assembly has brought to life even if their faction didn’t make the games initial cut. As someone who has played plenty of Warhammer games such as Dawn of War, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, it’s hard to not say this game isn’t near-perfect as a deep and complex empire building title with its strategy focus for combat, but also; the best Total War game I’ve played to date. This has easily taken the spot from Total War: Shogun 2. You can be guaranteed our review will get updated over time as we experience more and more with it.

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.

Review: MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune vs Zombies – Out of.. School because of Zombies?

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

Pros:
+The colorful cliche of the 90’s console war returns as a mostly cinematic experience
+Missions last no more than 2-to-3 minutes making the game an easy pick-up and go title.
+All previous reputation systems and cast members return
+Combat system from Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed is back and feels refined

Cons:
–Cut scenes are longer than each base mission
–The games real guts are hidden in the multiplayer
–Extremely short campaign

SS6

School, a place, a word, and a ideal that we’ve all dreaded all our and something we celebrated leaving once our clever pieces of paper dictating the rest of our lives were handed to us. In the latest title? We get to go back to the very thing we dreaded growing up. A place where our leading ladies have set up as their debuting locale for their latest entry. Unlike past titles, this one doesn’t derive as a spin-off of the 90’s cliche of the console wars that took place between Sega, Nintendo, and Sony. Instead? It’s now an alternative dimension where the girls are in school as well as in clubs such as music, art, cinematography, and even various other entities suiting what niche they identify themselves with.

Taking a familiar turn, many of you who played Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed will find some rather noticeable similarities. The game takes a familiar turn in the approach of chapters, gameplay combat, and character selection. Not straying far from its RPG ideology and roots, MegaTagmension Blanc attempts to erect an identity of its own. In turn, this latest title puts us on the adventure of the ladies we’ve become familiar with such as Blanc, Ram, Rom, Famitsu, Neptune, Nepgear, Noire, and a few others. Unfortunately, it leaves fan favorites such as Compa and Ifi out of the fray for some weird reason.

SS5

The narrative is almost to easy to guess as the premise doesn’t change throughout the entire 3 to 4 hour campaign. The idea is simple, the girls are school, the school is about to shut down due to failing finances and interest in it, in turn Neptune has decided to make a movie to help bring profit into the school. Sound familiar? A lot like their game shares in the other titles that bring them power, but this is for a school. In her actions Neptune recruits Blanc as the writer, Ram, Rom, and the other girls as assistants as well as actors. Their idea? Make a movie about the school being invaded by zombies, which plays upon the real-world scenario of the current zombie craze that’s hitting the TV and movie industry as of the past few years. That is until their school is actually invaded and it’s up to the girls to once more get underway and save the day all the while filming their movie scenes.

Much as one would expect, each chapter plays out over the course of several scenarios, which are introduced with a bit of dialogue before the two to three minutes at most missions get underway. These segments are spread across multiple chapters, which is saddening as the games average play time for the main campaign will last only a few hours at most, which doesn’t showcase tough enemies, epic boss fights, and unimaginable odds like previous entries did. Instead? This game seems to aim at the idea of being a pick-up and go with an emphasis on the latter. Even as a Hyperdimension fan, the game is quite disappointing as the best qualities of it are hidden within the titles multiplayer. This is where the real enemies begin to shine and unfortunately, much like the campaign, combat pacing doesn’t change much nor does the need to want to quit due to boredom. While the game eventually offers harder bosses, larger enemies, and even longer mission stretches via the multiplayer, it’s not enough to keep those who hammered away at the main campaign in coming back.

SS8

While graphics remain on par for the franchise, so does the quality of the games writing, which leaves it quite enjoyable with a few good laughs from time to time. Let alone does much of the sound quality, video quality, and development quality remain intact it leaves a sincere questioning as to why the missions didn’t get the same attention in SP versus MP. In the multiplayer portion of the game players will find themselves delighted until the repetitive combat once more begins to sink in. Players will find themselves consistently smashing square, triangle, and a select few other buttons to engage in combat. They will  use up abilities, and ultimately make themselves aware of team position with their three other counterparts.

Unfortunately, if players didn’t stick with characters to level and spend time leveling their Lily Ranks, obtaining equipment, as well as preparing for the worst case scenario? They’ll find themselves getting destroyed throughout the titles multiplayer, which can be quite unforgiving.

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Sadly even with bigger and meaner enemies, it doesn’t help feeling as if this game was a second thought when trying to come up with a new title. Unlike its sister titles, MegaTagmension Blanc finds itself lacking in the long run since both multiplayer and singleplayer are quite enjoyable for their combat experiences once the campaigns dialogue and humour run dry. While multiplayer itself is where the game shines, it also finds itself running dry after a few good hours and will leave players wanting to revisit titles, which is something I eventually did once completing all missions available.

While the game can certainly use some newer characters, it’s a title that attempts to do things that have already been done in an older title. While the game could have used new elements such as tower defense mechanics or even a rogue-like dungeon crawler experience, it detours and finds itself in a troubling situation that left even this fan a bit annoyed. In truth? The title feels like it should have been apart of a PlayStation 4 port of Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed with new content made readily available on it. Unfortunately, we are stuck with this title, which finds itself mostly enjoyable on the multiplayer level once the single player campaign has been mastered.

SS4

MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune vs Zombies – PlayStation Vita (Reviewed)
Developer: Compile Heart / Tamsoft
Publisher: Idea Factory
Price: $39.99 USD
Released: Available Now

While the games button mashing of square, circle, and X can be enjoyable, the enjoyability will eventually run dry and leave fans hungering for more if their thirst hasn’t been quenched for the fan service MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune vs Zombies has to offer. If it’s fan service you want? This game serves it up perfectly for its 3 to 4 hour campaign duration and as much as multiplayer replayability as one can handle. The only thing not saving this title? A scaling difficulty that should have been implemented from the games get-go when it comes to the development cycle. For hardcore fans? You’ll enjoy the title just like any other for its quirky storyline and gameplay mechanics.

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: 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.

 

Review: Nights of Azure – Dancing in the Night with Demon’s

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

Pros:
+Solid battle system that feels like a true spiritual successor to Folklore
+Beautifully crafted romance between the leading ladies
+Character designs feel solidly crafted to fit the world perfectly
+A very relaxing soundtrack that soothes throughout the game

Cons:
-Muddied and blurred CGI scenes
-Breast emphasis is a bit overwhelming

NightsofAzure_Servan08

When it comes to games that are thick and immediately accessible on a narrative, it’s Nights of Azure. This seems quite simple to say that this is good, something that we know Gust has been great at with past titles like Ar nosurge Plus have proven that stories are something they are great with. With Nights of Azure, we’re given quite a few twists and even characters to remember as the story gets underway, which is easy to say – is a good thing as Gust has gotten it all right with this title. With our leading ladies Arnice and Lilysse, we find the two as our characters of interest. That being said, we get to see them at the same locale where they just happen to run into each other – the abandoned Ruswal Island. Otherwords? A place known as “The Land Without Night”. A place where the island’s inhabitants turn into monstrosities after the wicked Nightlord through contaminating them with his Blue Blood, which corrupted their very souls.

After having come in contact with it, Arnice has managed to somehow managed to retain at least half her humanity. This enabled Arnice to turn into the demon-slayer we get to know. Like any tale of where night dawns, this is where Arnice finds herself at her peak, and will find herself purging the island of the residents that were cursed by the Nightlord. The downside to this tale? Arnice must find a way to stop him without having Lilysse force herself from being sacrificed in order to do so.

As much as one would expect, the story is one that is rather respectively done as the relationship for the two women is a same-gender type. One that is not littered with cheap, porn style emphasis nor does it take on the internalized shame experienced by either women. This makes their relationship believable, realistic, and noteworthy as the women get their story underway. All you need to know with these two? They love each other, they find themselves sweet, refreshing, and enjoyable for the viewers to experience. Something that is pure as it gets when it comes to any game out there yet. One that does feature natural drama and action within the story elements given to them.

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While the story is what shines the most, the games battle system is one that shines quite a bit. As those who experienced Folklore will know, the game seems to be a successor to that same one, and even offers up unique battle sets that are comprised of “Servens” that players will have battle it out during the battle phases. During the combat phase, players will find themselves pressing upon the corresponding button to that Serven in order for them to attack. The biggest difference between Nights of Azure and Folklore? You have to pres the buttons instantly in Folklore to attack while Nights of Azure allows for companions that are summoned to be summoned into combat and fight with the player. This gives the characters you fight along side a sense of life as they fight uniquely as part of the party rather than being controlled as the party. This is something that also seems that Gust has intuitively designed using Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch as a reference point. The biggest feat to this entire system? Players can unlock new Servens as they progress through the game in order to change up how the battlefield feels. This allows for the combat situations to feel rather fluid as if it was meant to be this way without any second thoughts.

While combat does see Servens as a big part of it, transformation as well as weapons play a rather large role within the game. As you know, combat coincides with the use of Servens, which you equip through your loadout, which allows you to change up during situtations as players will find themselves building up a transformation bar. Here players will find Arnice transforming into a demon-esque creature. One that is based upon what Servens are in the character loadout when playing. This means that are multiple transformations, but the two experienced most? Fire demon, which is the basic transformation that is obtained upon starting the game. The second and personal favorit eof mine? The Bunny Girl, one which makes fast jabs, kicks, and even uses a finisher that allows for enemies to be hit in a certain vicinity. If you’re used to playing the .Hack G.U. games the weapon change system will also seem rather familiar. All weapons do have their uses based upon the enemy type being fought. The downside? The changing of weapons does feel sluggish from time to time.

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Combat aside, the game shines through its soundtrack where players will find themselves relaxed to each soothing tone, one that can be attributed to its light side as well as its beautiful darkness that is embedded within it from time to time. Something that is beautifully accentuated by the games ambient sounds that are perfectly placed to add more essence to the games life. Something that seems to follow perfectly with the games graphical designs that allow for an anime-like approach that works quite well. While areas of combat are smooth and stay so for most of combat, the game does see slight frame rate dips in high action moments. Though the dips are not as noticeable as one would would think. The games graphics offer quite a bit of clarity to the detail while the depth of zones are easily enjoyable thanks to the games use of background as well as backdrops while exploring.

While each environment seems rather dark and gloomy, it works quite well for the games story approach as well as the world that it takes place in. This case makes it rather gorgeous, beautiful even. While each zone may seem small, each is well designed, thought out, and easy to navigate so that players don’t get lost when trying to navigate between zones. The fact this has been done, seems easily to attribute to Gust’s Ar tonelico franchise. The downside? Some are ones that will shine that the boss is there by simply stating “BOSS” on the entry way, notifying players what encounter is up ahead.

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Aside from the games overall design, there is something unique that comes to happen as players enjoy the title: Decisions matter, and they matter big time. Depending on the decisions made, the game does change out the experience that players will have as the title gets underway. This can be things such as dialogue can depict on the aspect of things that can happen. This also means the options that become available throughout the game. This means even negotiating within the games progress with currency such as Libra and Blue Blood, which allows players to obtain items they need. Libra being the basic that can be used at trade shops for items or Blue Blood, which is where decision making really comes into play. This currency can only be obtained through defeating enemies. This currency is used to purchase items from alternative traders, which have items that can be used by the

While the game gets the good graces it deserves, there are a few places where the game stumbles quite a bit. This comes to cut scenes, which seem rather muddied, blurred even during their moments. While the CGI moments seem rather problematic, but when the game uses the in-game animations? The graphics remain pure, clean, and beautiful as if they were never bothered with during their creation. Sadly this seems to follow through with the character breasts, which seem to take center stage at times as they seem over emphasized upon. While this isn’t bad for some games, it’s something that does take over during certain scenes as well as parts of the games story as the character chests bounce during walking, running, and even while breathing during stand-still moments. This seems to take away from the games sincerity quite a bit during the campaign, but doesn’t deter the enjoyment of the overall title.

Nights of Azure – PlayStation 4 (Reviewed)
Developer: Gust
Publisher: Koei Tecmo
Price: $59.99 USD
Released: Available Now

Overall, the game is enjoyable, one that has noticeably and carefully crafted for players to experience during their time with Gusts latest title. This title is one that fans of both the Atelier and even the Ar tonelico franchise can come and enjoy when looking for a new game to play by the same developer. For Ps4 owners? This is definitely a game that should be considered during the drought of JRPG’s on the console.

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: 8 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?

Review: Valkyria Chronicles Remastered – A Beautifully Remastered Chronicle

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

Pros:
+Perfectly remastered in 1080p at 60fps bringing the game to life
+Characters, lands, and combat remain vibrant and lively in this remaster
+Combat system blends strategy with third-person turn based RPG action quite well
+Features all content released to date

Cons:
–Storybook like presentation feels dated, but remains unique in its use.
–Cutscenes are an overkill situation
–Could have used a few new pieces of content such as new missions or content.

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Starting back on the PlayStation 3 in 2008, Sega has set forth one of the greatest war Sega’s that could be told through video games. One that quite easily re-tells WarWar 1 through an imaginary land known as Gallia. A place where morals, loyalty, and patriotism sticks to the forefront of the title as well as the main characters within the titles heart as they push on against almost impossible odds. While the adventure starts out slow, it begins to pickup pace within an hour and a half or so. This adventure is quite beautifully told in its story-book manner that equates to a beautifully hand-drawn style that starts from beginning to end within the game itself.

Much as one would expect when approaching the title, the game is very much-so a storybook and takes the approach as so. Starting with this remastered title, Valkyria Chronicles Remastered is just that – a remastering of the original title with all its content available for the sake of playing it. This is a concept that shouldn’t be too odd anymore since it has become commonplace on both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Even the PC has been getting the treatment for a while now thanks to mod support and its user base that keeps games current and modified for the next gen. Staying true to the tune of being a remaster, Valkyria Chronicles is a 1080p remaster, allowing the game to run at its full 60fps potential, and truly bring the story book approach to life. Doing this isn’t just a justification on what the game should be, it shows that the game has a lot more quality to its distinct art direction as well as story book approach to bring every particle to life as one would want.

Starting out, Valkyria Chronicles Remastered starts us out on a wild adventure that tells us the tale of Squad 7 and the lands of Gallia through a re-imagining of World War 2. This adventure, as stated, is told through a story-book like manner from the cutscenes all the way to combat scenarios. These scenes are depicted through a gradient hand-drawn like manner that allows the game to carry through with its art style, which is quite beautiful all around, and even brings in rather vibrant colors to life without washing out any of them. Let alone are cutscenes this way, combat is this way as well, and the game doesn’t drop this approach through even the menus themselves.

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In the beginning of the game we learn our game takes place in 1935 C.E., in the continent of Euorpa. This land has been dominated by two super powers: Eastern Europan Imperial Alliance to the east and the commonwealth of the Atlantic Federation to the west. AS one would imagine the game doesn’t take far from the true settings of World War 2 in Europe. In the imaginary lands of Gallia, the story unfolds when the Empire declares war on the Federation, over a precious mineral that has multiple uses than any other mineral.

The economies of both powers depend on a precious multipurpose mineral called Ragnite. Its growing scarcity results in the Empire declaring war on the Federation, sparking the Second Europan War. With the elements amount of available resources growing scarce, the Empire has set forth to take it all for themselves in order to keep relevant with their needed resources, the empire has broken the neutral Principality of Gallia, which strikes up their aggression as they put the Federation on defense as the Imperial Forces set forth to invade the Gallian border town of Bruhl. Here we get to see the introduction to the country’s hero General Belgen Gunther’s son, Welkin. Here he is forced to fight for the life of his people, his sister, and does so with the assitance of Alicia Melchiott, the town watch’s captain.

Our opening moments introduce us to them, but also the prototype tank Edelweiss that was developed during the first war. With this prototype tank at their command, the squad soon find themselves in the capital cit of Randgriz where they join the Gallian Militia. Though before all this happens the thing that comes to the forefront of the game is the combat when not delving into the story-book like cutscenes that are fully voice acted.

Combat in this game is where the uniqueness comes forth. The game blends familiar styles as both a strategy title with limited actions per turn, but also a third-person RPG that sets players up for the turn-based action. Combat scenarios take place as one would expect. Players have limited actions per turn, which is used by each character selected. This includes players attacking or selecting more powerful units. Each of these action points are revealed as the players turn chances, as players use actions, their points lower down, and this will remain-so till the player ends their turn. During the players turn they can take control of each character, each character is unique in the sense each one has their own story, their own traits, and even personalities that they bring to the story. However, it’s not important as the choices players make as they take their tuns in order to heal, toss a grenade, shoot an enemy, or even move up to a vantage point in order to post up and set up an ambush against enemies.

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Once a set of action points are used, players must end their turn and await the enemy to finish their own before refreshing their own action points. Much like players, the computer also has its own action points that can be used up during its turn to attack enemies however needed. This can be tanks, troops and or a combination of both as the mission gets underway. Combat itself is the primary focus when it comes to the game. Blending strategic turn based RPG like mechanics most will be familiar with from games such as Fire Emblem and Project X Zone; Valkyria Chronicles remains unique and blessed in this sense as it continues a tradition many will be familiar with. As stated, each character has a certain cost, for most it is one action point per turn used for that character. If one is in perfect placement, it’s hard to justify moving them while another can be used multiple times. For the sake of purposes, in the starting mission where players are introduced to crawling, hiding against walls, and even flanking; I found myself using Alicia quite a bit since she had the upper-hand. This means I used more than one action point on her per turn and found her quickly moving enemies into oblivion so that my mission may continue on.

Upon certain goals, players will find each mission has a unique go-to point. In one of the starting missions, we find ourselves protecting a wall from an Imperial militia that has moved in with a tank. Here we found ourselves fending off the troops while attempting to disable the enemy tank. The win and lose settings were simple. A main character dies, in this case Alicia, I lose. The gate I’m protecting gets destroyed, I lose. I destroy the enemy assault team? I win. Pretty simple. The mission, as expected, allowed me to take on multiple enemy fronts while protecting the gate. This included dispatching as many troops as possible till the Edelweiss came into play. Once it did, I found myself controlling a tank being commandeered by Welkin himself. In order to use the tank I found my action points became more limited, but in doing so – so did my combat prowess. I was able to annihilate ground troops in one turn of the tank, only to finish off the others with Alicia or Town-watch Troops, who found themselves tactically using grass fields to hide from the tank itself.

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Valkyria Chronicles Remastered – PlayStation 4 (Reviewed)
Developer: SEGA
Publisher: SEGA
Price: $29.99 USD
Released: Available Now

Much as one would expect, larger enemies such as tanks do have critical points in where they will take more damage. For example – shoot the back-end where the motor is? It’ll take “critical” damage due to the weak point. Aim for the treads? You’ll stop it dead in its tracks since it won’t be able to go anywhere, which opens the tanks up for more damage to be taken. While this sounds easier said than done, during some missions, the harder route is actually quite-a-lot easier than the easier one due to enemy combatants.

As players would expect, each locale where combat takes place is unique. Each one has its own layouts that will offer players a way to set up ambush points if defending. For example, the mission I used, had quite a unique approach to it. Since it had grass, sandbag walls, and even buildings, I found myself setting up ambush points in the grass quite a bit. This allowed my characters to have a unique hiding spot for a tactical advantage, but it also offered those characters a chance to toss grenades, heal each other, and even pick-off troops with rifles while waiting on the Edelweiss to make its way into combat. Even then, these tactics are great for the ground troops as it offers them a chance to remain hidden and taking less damage.

While thinking of the game as remastered, there’s always the questions regarding graphics, animation fidelity, and even sound fidelity since it can all get neglected in remastering. The truth is? Nothing here got damage. In truth the team did a solid job in their port from PlayStation 3 to PlayStation 4. In truth, a lot better than the PC port, which only saw the original screen size resolution, and 720fps video clips, while the PlayStation 4 version has been completely overhauled to fit the newer version and presents itself quite well for fans and newcomers alike.

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: 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 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.