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Written by Dustin Murphy

Pros:
-Multiplayer is filled with opportunities thanks to the new exo suit
-Unlockables in multiplayer via supply drops and challenges offers hundreds of hours of gameplay
-Futuristic gear changes the game in its entirety and makes it exceedingly fun
-The new Uplink mode will be the go to place for the competitive multiplayer

Cons:
-Campaign finds itself stuck with inconsistencies that can make anyone cringe
-The new Exo Survival mode’s difficulty quickly ramps up almost too quickly
-Minor sound bugs will send some gamers into a frenzy

/—Campaign—/

“So get your eye’s wide open as Kevin Spacey rips open the new face of war as the bad guy.”

Where do you go when a series that has become so profoundly stale and has almost no where to go when it comes to the war zones it has encountered? The not so far future. This is where Activision’s development teams Raven Software, Sledgehammer Games, and High Moon Studios took a note from past games to figure out what went wrong and where the series needed to go. So get your eyes wide open as Kevin Spacey rips open the new face of war as the bad guy.

The setting is in 2054, players will be suiting up as Troy Baker’s most recent voice acted character; Private Jack Mitchell. In the opening moments players get to see North Koreans invading Seoul. The fight isn’t anything we’ve not seen before, but this time around the technology has changed and the threat is more real than ever. Within the opening tad bit, we get to see our main protagonist get injured, lose his arm, and become discharged from the military. This is where our fun with Kevin Spacey and his character Jonathon Irons begins to take things for a spin by offering Mitchell a way back in with a fake arm, and ranks within the Atlas Corporation.

In turn, a new threat has arisen after the North Koreans have been subdued, but all is not well when a mysterious enemy known as Hades takes light as his private “terrorist” group known as the KVA begin to appear out of the shadows. Unfortunately his ploy has worked, and the game will fast forward five years later where Mitchell, Ilona, and Gideon take limelight after a devastating event has occurred and Atlus is the new military power. This however is where our game begins to take story inconsistencies and makes us begin to cringe as the KVA are ominous and well quickly shut down as a force to be reckoned with. Luckily Activision makes up for this by letting us hike the globe from places such as Detroit, San Francisco, Antarctica, New Baghdad and more.

In his newest role as the villain, Kevin Spacey does everything right to make the games setting believable, and even delivers a perfect triple A performance that anyone would expect. Though a lot can also be said for voice actress Angela Gots and accompanying voice actors Troy Baker, Gideon Emery, and Russel Richardson. The most impressive thing to accompany their voice acting is the games character to actor likeness. With many of the characters representing their actors thanks to Activision’s new graphics engine, the game itself is delivered much like a truly well rounded military action flick. That is not to say that the game doesn’t suffer from stagnant stealth missions (remember Modern Warfare’s sneaking through the enemy lines mission?), unfortunately there’s more than one, and at times it won’t be awkward for players to feel suffocated by them.  Even with these heavily rounded stealth missions being much at the gamers core, players will get to find a bit of a faster thanks to using the games new Exo Suit system. This system allows for players to quickly boost through oncoming enemy fire and will require players to constantly use the grapple hook, double jump, stealth, shield, and even the capability to strafe out of the way in order to stay alive.

“The world ‘is running out of bad guys,’ stance is a bug since there is plenty of them.”

Luckily, even with the games difficulty on veteran seeming only slightly staggered, players will get to enjoy a bit of fun with vehicles this time around. Those vehicles include jets, boats, tanks, turrets, and even heavy exo suits. Even with these vehicles, players will find themselves suffering a bit of a beat down due to the games difficulty in damage passing onto both versions of the game. Something that has caused the world to become almost empty of bad guy threats thanks to the Atlus Corporation having developed and even evolved the technology further to become a greater good. The only problem? The world ‘is running out of bad guys,’ stance is a bug since there is plenty of them. Unlike previous titles, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is here with plenty of tricks, this includes intel collectibles that have returned, but also challenges to complete that will allow for players to upgrade their exo suit.

Upgrading the exo suit allows for players to aim quicker, carry more tactical as well as lethal grenades, take more damage, and even detect enemies from distances that are further out. This can seem rewarding, but in the long run it is not, which can cause players to cringe their teeth when enemies still rip them apart in large groups. The nice change out of all this? Your A.I. partners are no longer idiots, they are smart, will call out enemies, and even hose them down while remaining under suppressed fire. The only complaint about them? They still won’t toss a grenade back at the enemies. This is something that could still be a prefered change in the long run and something we could hopefully see in the future of the series. Though do not get too comfortable with the grenade throwing back, having the exo-suit or the rest. Each suit type is quickly cycled through within the games campaign duration, all the while, being taunted by Kevin Spacey’s villainous Irons.

/—Multiplayer–/

“The one thing that many can agree upon, the multiplayer has sped up over the years.”

Something that has been for sure is that the Warzone that we know as Call of Duty has grown stagnant, but faster paced over the years. With Advanced Warfare, Sledgehammer Games was listening, and sped it up this time around. With the new exo suit boosts for double jump, dash, and even dodge’s, players will find themselves taking combat to new heights they’ve never seen before. With these changes there are a few things that do return. Killstreaks are still here, all the while they are also now customizable. These customizations include capabilities such as making a care package track down the player, turrets instead of being remote controlled also become A.I. controlled so that they may hunt enemies down themselves. Other upgrades to killstreaks can also feature a multitude of other changes. These are something of which players should spend some time to familiarize themselves with. Do not forget though, these changes will cause the killstreaks harder to obtain through points required. Most noticeable of these changes is the new customization system we were first introduced to with Call of Duty Ghosts. This time around players will get to unlock rewards by meeting certain goals or getting a supply package for completing a certain task required. However, these tasks are not mentioned on how to obtain them, which leaves it up to the player to determine how they unlock them.

With that aside the multiplayer has seen some changes in its own. One of the biggest changes is the core modes which feature the exo suits that players will become familiarized through the games campaign. We suggest this since there are a lot of things required in order to keep alive throughout your multiplayer progression. The other thing is the ranked mode no longer requires you to sit there, build a team, and hope to have a clan that can fight their way through the ranking system. Instead, players can now find themselves battling it out and hoping not to come across pre-made teams. Luckily, this is not something that was frequently encountered. In the new ranked system, players will be given points based upon their wins. Once having reached those certain required points, players will find themselves punching their way into divisions, this can also mean taking on tougher players whom may or may not be as good. Thanks to this mode though we were able to see quite a few customization unlocks that also included new weapons. These new weapons were slightly better than the base ones, which allowed for quicker progression in this new ranked mode. Outside of the ranked mode, players will be able to take on some very well known modes such as Kill Confirmed, Team Deathmatch, Free For all, Domination, Search and Destroy, and even Hardcore playlists. The most interesting of the modes is the new mode called Uplink. Much like Search and Destroy, Uplink requires teams to take a drone and toss it into an enemies satellite uplink, toss it in, and score. This will put many players on edge as they will have to customize classes that are perfect for this game mode and this game mode only. The most used builds were ones for reduced damage all the while remaining at top speeds. This means shotguns, SMG’s, and even knifing are acceptable routes to take since they will make drone runners quick and agile.

“This means no exo suits and a pure enjoyment of classic Call of Duty pacing.”

As stated before, classes are something that will play a very important role just as they did in previous entries. However, this Call of Duty follows the equipment slot point routine where players will be picking 13 points to use across their primary, secondary, perks, grenades, and even their exo suit ability. So choose wisely as players can quickly use these up picking out grenades as well as their attachments to use. This is something that also allows for players to become beyond exceptional at their tools of trade. Some may take more towards assault rifles while others will lean more in the direction of sniper rifles or shotguns. Though there is something to note for those that do not want to spend their time fighting against players who have excelled at using the exo suit. Instead there is a classic playlist that will allow players to take to their old style of playing. This means no exo suits and a pure enjoyment of classic Call of Duty pacing. As per-usual, the multiplayer is something that has evolved to become a masterpiece in its own unlike what we saw with the infuriating and frustrating Call of Duty Ghosts.

Unfortunately, what I did spend time with of the co-op survival mode, I wasn’t impressed. Unlike Call of Duty Ghosts Extermination or Call of Duty Black Ops’ Zombies, I found myself taking on throngs of Atlus soldiers and then pounding my head upon the wall in order to not scream in annoyance as team mates were flooded upon and quickly hosed down by either troopers or well bitten at the ankles by those infamous dogs. Within this mode players will take their time in order to hit certain waves, which unlock upgrades. These upgrades can be good, bad, or even ugly depending on a teams build. Luckily, exo suit abilities, and types can be changed as players unlock points to upgrade or customize with. This includes weapon upgrades, exo upgrades, and even usable abilities. Overall, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare has proven that war can change and even for the better.

So what does Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare manage to earn a killstreak score of? A killstreak of 8 out of 10.

About the Writer:

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, 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.

Reviewers Note: Our review for Call of Duty Advanced Warfare is primarily based on the PlayStation 4 version of the game. We did manage to get our hands on the game on the XBox One and PS3 and did not see much change outside of graphics between the XBox One and PS4.

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

Authors Note: The review copy was provided to B.A.T.G.R. by Koei Tecmo and was reviewed based on a digital retail copy on both the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita. The PS4 copy was loaned to us by a friend of mine whom we are thankful let us use it. All screen shots were captured post-review edit so that we could show off the graphical prowess this game has on a handheld.

Pros:
-Chapters are divided by small sections (each chapter being a clan).
-Controls are very easy to use and carry over fluid like to the PS Vita
-New hyper moves provide fast and smooth flowing combat
-Long campaign that provides hours of fun

Cons:
-Combat that can get repetitive
-Traditional enemy pop-in and out’s still happen

“Glimmering in its own right as a brighter star than previous Warriors titles”

When the title was initially announced by Koei Tecmo and Omega Force, there was a bit an unexpected breeze that went through the gaming community let alone Warrior fans. With its 10th anniversary quickly coming up, it wasn’t a surprise to see Samurai Warriors 4 sneak in with a heavy hitting round of characters, customization’s, and even a rather long twelve chapter story that seeks to delve players into the world built before them by true Japanese history (don’t be surprised that this has been altered a tad bit for the sake of creativity). Told from the perspectives of characters such as Motonari Mōri, his son Takakage as they take on Hanbe and Kanbei, but even tales such as the Legend of Shingen Takeda while he campaigns with the support of the Sanada brothers. Perhaps you want to see something about Oda Nobunaga Oda or Hōjō Ujiyasu, which is something this game offers in its rather lengthy campaign that is unlocked by completing each of the games campaign missions that unlock more. Glimmering in its own right as a brighter star than previous Warriors titles seems to happen thanks to Omega Force approaching the campaign different from others.

The game takes place during an all familiar period to those that are familiar with the Samurai Warriors franchise or even their Japanese history: the Sengoku period. This dates between the 15th to the 17th period of Japan. This game fills it out over 12 chapters and over 55 characters. That is a lot from this game. The best part? The ability to switch between two of the characters by using the Start/Options button while playing the enjoying the games story missions while in single player. This is something that can be highly praised compared to the strained look at having to depend on the A.I. that tends to get itself wiped out constantly and causing the mission to be failed.

“Unlike the console versions, the PS Vita version suffers some due to enemy pop-in’s”

On both the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, Samurai Warriors shines brighter than any other game within the Warriors series. Staying what seems to be constantly around 60fps (PS4/PS3) the game seems to flow gloriously on the console versions. This allows for players to go into combat knowing that enemies won’t be restricted as heavily to pop-in’s. Unlike the console versions, the PS Vita version suffers due to enemy pop-in’s. It is a frequency that can cause some players to grit their teeth when trying to go into large areas of combat, something that wasn’t seen as heavily on the console versions; especially PlayStation 4. This goes for graphics as well, but this doesn’t mean that neither the PlayStation 3 or PlayStation Vita games aren’t at the top of their game with how well they shine graphically. This is something players can gladly applaud when playing on split-screen or online together using the games online compatibility. Sadly when having tested between the PlayStation Vita/PS3/PS4 versions, we noticed limited compatibility due to the games inability to share the servers that are used. This, however, does not take away from the games overall enjoyment of the series. This is where the PlayStation 4 version shined the brightest due to the heavy emphasis on the PlayStation 4 launch.

Unlike past launches, the game will consume those who have purchased it. After completing the basic missions, which the game does suffer repetition because of how much each mission plays almost just alike, but with different settings as well as dialogue. This repetition is broken up with the use of rather unique combat system that has evolved. Taking out banner holders to lower enemy morale is a unique thing, this weakens their overall force, which allows for their forces to be cleaved through using weapons such as Nobunaga Oda’s glowing demon swords that lay enemies to waste without hesitation or perhaps take on a bit more explosive experience using Hōjō Ujiyasu and his demolition like force. Unfortunately the banner holder system does not seem to play a big of a role as it should and doesn’t put the game as in-depth as the titles that launched before it. This is something that should be focused upon within future content or even a future installment within the series.

“The full split-screen cooperative modes for story and free-roam can be addictive, but so is the games online support that matches the local game play in an equality that is unmatched.”

For those that have issues Koei Tecmo and the team at Omega Force have done something unique this time around. Since the game is focused on repetition and linear missions it can be hard to break it up. This time around it doesn’t suffer this problem at all. Koei Tecmo and Omega Force broke up this monotony by allowing for cooperative modes that stretch through the games Free Mode, Campaign Missions, but also the size of the games full roster that partners can choose from. Luckily, the game is rather fun thanks to the structuring that Samurai Warrior 4 has, which is fast combat that both players can carry out. The best example is during missions where players can take on multiple tasks such as side objectives by eliminating bonus targets as well as beating certain goals within time limits. The full split-screen cooperative modes for story and free-roam can be addictive, but so is the games online support that matches the local game play in an equality that is unmatched. Though there is something that remains hidden for those that haven’t explored it quite yet if at all; a reiteration of the Chronicle mode.

“Fans can relate to ‘Chronicle’ mode to the Empire-like modes for Dynasty Warriors titles that have released over the years”

Years ago many players got to experience a mode called “Chronicle Mode”. This was a mode that was rather open-ended and allowed for players to take their created character that is made through the games Dojo and going through a battle filled Japan. Players will get to choose a leader of their choice based on the games story completion, and begin the adventure as a basic soldier and earn their way up higher ranks. This means players will also level, gem their gear, and even level up their characters. Does this end? No, it’s something that will keep going, going, and going until players find themselves tired. Fortunately this mode is one of those that kept even myself up till extreme hours of the night before realizing that the sun has already set and was close to once more rising into the skies.

Fans can relate to ‘Chronicle’ mode to the Empire-like modes for Dynasty Warriors titles that have released over the years. The difference is that players can take on certain missions from officers within the game that they recruit or even expand their own army so that they have a larger force. However, this doesn’t always mean there is an amazingly good outcome. Though weapons as always can be upgraded as mentioned before, but new ones as well as customization’s can be found by completing the game itself. For those who want to experience new weapons? Do so, you can choose from polearms, dual daggers, swords, and even those largely destructive demolition weapons that Hōjō Ujiyasu stomps through the game using. The soldiers created can be male or female, which is something that offers a very cool twist on each of the genders, but also endless hours of gameplay and enjoyment.

“This is one of the best Warriors titles to date”

Even as a Warriors fan there are always shortcomings to the series and this one has suffered from one that is very well known to us all; repetition. Thankfully the game doesn’t suffer from this as bad as others since there has been a lot introduced within the title, but also the online co-op for several of the games modes. Sure the game suffers from the well known pop-in’s from enemies and terrain, but overall the game does not suffer like past titles. The frame rate is smooth, the button push to reaction timing is perfect, but same with the choice of difficulties. Whether you have someone to play with or not, the game is solid and offers much more than in previous titles. Simply put: This is one of the best Warriors titles to date.

With all that being said, Koei Tecmo teamed with Omega Force has left me astounded. This is truly a game that PS4, PS Vita, and PS3 owners should add to their collections in order to find some unique enjoyment, but also a bit of lessons in history that many may or may not know.

 

So what is the final verdict? A hacked and slashed 8 out of 10.

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

Please Note Before Reading: This review may contain slight spoilers to the story. Read at your own caution.

Pros:
-Fully voiced characters
-Visually stunning compared to most currently released FPS titles
-Rather large open worlds
-Class armor designs remain solid and unique
-Character customization’s easily impress

Cons:
-Lack of social communication capabilities
-Weak and almost useless RPG elements
-Weapon variations are limited and at times useless
-Very weak initial launch campaign

Where do you begin when it comes to a game by Bungie? The past? The present? Perhaps a bit of it all. When we hear the name Bungie, the community can instantly shout out one singular name: Halo. As a departure from their previous titles, Bungie seeks to please multiple aspects of the gaming community; the RPG fan, the MMO fan, the sandbox fan and even the FPS fan. This is what resulted in a game we know as Destiny.

Destiny is a game that seeks to please a bit of everyone and even appeal to those that are not familiar with to games like this. With the game being a online-only focused title, it received quite a bit of flak due to this. The odd part is? It works quite well in many ways. Set in a future where humanity is all-but extinct, Guardians and their fire teams seek to clear out the universe of the Hive as well as the Fallen. With the help of groups such as The Future War Cult, Dead Orbit, Vanguard, Crucible, and even the New Monarchy; guardians will arm up and take on the enemy where it hits them the hardest; their leaderships and key bases.

/—-Story—-/

As it is known, Bungie is excellent at building worlds, crafting stories, and even making players believe they are in that one instance within the game. This is something that is quite easily done as the game opens up with explorers walking across the peaks of Mars. Shortly after we are ones to see the map pull back to show Earth. Little were we as players aware that Earth itself has been devastated by a mysterious enemy only known as – The Darkness.

When the cut scene comes out of the intro, we are witnesses to a Ghost quickly darting among the dead cars within the Cosmodrome. Within seconds we get to see our enemies, the ones we will become intimately familiar with; the Fallen. Once our character is quickly awoken by the Ghost voiced by Peter Dinklage (X-Men: Days of Future Past, Game of Thrones). Within seconds he warns that our character is not safe and we need to run to safety, which is where our weapons are retrieved and our story begins to unravel into a much bigger (yet short) story that is introduced to us. After having retrieving a ship that has been hooked up and hidden inside a bunker of sorts, our adventure begins while we make way to The Tower. The last place where humanity may find safety as the Guardians seek to protect it. With our entrance to the Tower, we learn that no one is safe, and the Traveler itself has been weakened. Our goal? To help awaken The Traveler from its slumber and weaken the Darkness as well as its forces. This, however, is where the game begins to grow weak, diluted, and a bit confusing.

Clearing out each quest results in video clips, audio logs, but also scenes that will attempt to explain the games story. Some of this includes “ambient” audio logs that play in the background, scenes on the computer screens to help players find out what’s going on, and or cut scenes where players will meet NPCs that help unfold the backstory as well as the main story itself. This includes the Speaker as well as many other NPCs who will fill in a main role through the beginning or even possibly the end of the game into the free-roam content also called “Patrol”. Unfortunately, the story is not this games current strongest point and could be considered one of the weakest. The only thing that gives it amusement? Ghost. His commentary as well as story filling gives his character a bit of an important role compared to that of what many experienced beforehand.

/—-Gameplay—-/

“Not familiar with gunplay? That’s okay, this game will help, a little bit,” is how this game had to be explained to people who had NEVER touched a first person shooter before. One of these victims? My very own family member; my dad. For beginners the game offers an automatic aiming assist that can not be disabled. The game designers were also kind enough to offer a ‘auto-center’ option to help players who have trouble navigating with double joysticks. Unfortunately, this will not help out when things begin to get extremely chaotic. This was something heavily overlooked by Bungie’s development team.

The game itself opens up as an extremely beginner friendly; that’s until enemies begin to flood the room. This is where the game gets a bit unfriendly to anyone who hasn’t familiarized themselves with the games mechanics. Having managed to play the game on both XBox 360, PlayStation 3, and PS4, the game itself stood strong in this. Buttons carried over well allowing for players to manage shooting, throwing out a melee attack, strafing, jumping, throwing grenades, and even weapon swapping weapons as needed while combat gets heavy. This is something that Bungie transitioned from their time with Halo. The gameplay itself sits as a rather strategic game at the higher levels (Light Level 20+ proves to be where the challenge will await you).

This gameplay is where Destiny tends to shine the most. With little to no server lag; unless someone has a struggling connection, lives halfway across the world, or just has some odd issue with their connections; Destiny proves to be a rather stable game, even at launch there seemed to be little to no server issues at all. This allowed for fire teams to quickly transition between missions, this allowed us to open fire and send a barrage of bullets down the nearest corridor or over the nearest rocks while squad mates zipped past on their sparrows only to use their supercharged abilities; dispatching any enemies in the fray. Bungie’s doing this allowed for a rather amazing experience as enemies began to pour back out into the field.

With this as a shining example, Bungie once more managed to pull off a rather useful control scheme as well as character capability setup. One such feature that is new to the series is the ability to run before going into an immediate slide that allows players to get out of harms way. Depending on the class being played, this could quickly turn into a player using a teleport ability to get further out of harms way. If that’s not possible, characters can manage to glide, double jump, or as stated – teleport. Destiny makes this easy thanks to the lack of button delay or even action delay. Earning props for this, Bungie has once more upped the ante on what multiplayer games should do; especially an online only title like Destiny.

“Enemies don’t feel dangerous, even though the bosses are just bigger versions of the peons you fight every day”

Even though enemies seem to be troublesome, the bosses are to be even more troubling as players run into them. Prime examples are like the final boss from the strike called “The Summoning Pits”; Phogoth. His foreshadowing can be spotted in several occasions where players are introduced to the “Hive Ogre”, which is basically their version of the ‘Brute’ we experienced in Halo. This guy is big, mean, and packs a punch that can almost instantly disable someone who isn’t paying attention. Phogoth mimics this in his strike where he sits as one of the bosses that will make players beat their faces into a wall as enemies flood in from all sides intermittently. Don’t be alarmed though since this happens in every strike where the final boss or other bosses remain present. This is because enemies don’t feel dangerous, even though the bosses are just bigger versions of the peons you fight every day.

Hammering through the game can, however, get repetitive as there seems to be little variation between the three classes, and 6 subclasses. For example, the Hunter subclass called “Gunslinger” powers up into a supercharged ability that allows for them to go into a three shot mode that is almost a guaranteed instant kill for NPC’s and players alike. The downside? This can be quickly seen in the Warlock’s subclass called “Sunsinger”. The difference? The Sunsinger strikes with vicious grenades that promise to set enemies on fire with their unique trait (if used) called Viking Funeral; this allows players to set enemies on fire and watch them burn from afar. Then just watch the magic begin while throwing grenades from afar. Unlike the hunter, however, they do not focus on the use of grenades, but instead of ‘team buffs’ or self buffs that make them become a bit more vicious than before. The Titan can easily be seen as the games tank or close range brute that seeks to do anything that includes the idea of destroying enemies. This is where the Titan shines the most since he is the one that seems to differentia from the other classes the most except for the games subclass called “Defender”. This class is where the Titan truly shines in the Crucible (competitive multiplayer) as well as in the strike missions. Unfortunately, all the classes and subclasses seem like they could use a bit more tweaking in order to make the game a bit more difficult or at least offer a tad bit more variation. If you are looking for a class variation between them like you’d see in Battlefield 4, Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare or even Borderlands 2; look elsewhere.

“Destiny feels like a painful shooting gallery”

Unlike previous titles that could play out like Destiny and do, they offer something that feels unique, where classes feel needed as well as required when going on. Unlike the best known game in the RPG/FPS genre, Borderlands offers a very differentiated set up between each character, unique weapons, and decent loot intervals that will make characters actually feel unique to the game. Unfortunately this is something Destiny needs and badly. Abilities feel useless since players will find themselves focusing more on weapons than anything. The issue there? Destiny feels like a painful shooting gallery. Enemies feel like fish stuck in a barrel waiting to be shot with an RPG from ten feet away, this is even more noticeable when playing with friends who are fully geared up with at least light level 26+ gear and having decked it out a bit more. The only way to make it not seem like a shooting gallery? Mess with classes, stats, and truly take time to pick a fireteam that can compliment each other with abilities and cooldowns used. This will shine when hitting the games only current available raid called “Vault of Glass”. Loot is where this game does tend to struggle the most. With legendaries coming out to be a rather huge grindfest. This means enemies are rather painful to deal with. This seems like something Destiny needs to sort out since players are limited to a maximum of ‘100’ Vanguard points as well as ‘100’ Crucible points. This means that players will have a bit of a struggle getting gear unless they get insanely lucky with the games RNG drop rates.

/—-Final Verdict—-/

Even with a few changes that could be made and a bit of tweaking over time, Destiny tries to be a game that seeks to be something it’s not quite to yet; a story driven adventure. With time this game has a lot of potential to grow with two upcoming DLC’s planned as well as rumours of multiple entries that could make their debut on the new generation of consoles. Even with that possibility players who are playing on the XBox 360 and PlayStation 3 should have nothing to worry about except a bit more graphical polishing between the two sets of console generations, but it may be advised to give the new-gen experience a shot since that is where Destiny truly seems to graphically shine.

Overall it is an experience that players who haven’t had a chance to experience should jump on it soon as they get a chance. So what does Destiny manage to earn itself?

Bungie manages to clear out for a score of 7 out of 10.

About the Writer:

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, 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.

Originally Published on the Official Blast Away the Game Review Facebook Page
Written by Dustin Murphy

Pros:
-Character customization’s are a unique and funny
-Multiple storylines offer each character a very unique twist
-Very well done short missions offer a rather fun and unique spin
-Humorous body physics that can make anyone laugh.

Cons:
-Enemy difficulty does not seem to scale no matter difficulty choices
-Enemy shinobi tend to tumble player characters
-Bleak multiplayer lobbies

Ever wanted a game where skimpy outfits, female shinobi, and excessive jokes are actually amusing? Then ‘Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus’ is the game that will seek to fill your appetite. Developed and published by Marvelous AQL, Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus enters the series as the second game title to hit the North American shores. With this title having entered the scene, it has more than confirmed something that seems to be a sure reality now; the PlayStation Vita is a unique and powerful home for some of the greatest games out of Japan. This title enters the franchise as the second game in the series, but also the newest entry in the franchise thanks to its predecessor’s known as Senran Kagura Burst and its fellow anime Senran Kagura: Ninja Flash. Lets not also forget the iOS social game in Japan as well as the one volume manga.

In Shinovi Versus we get to once more take a look at the obvious; rather large breasted cel-shaded beauties who seek to do one thing; fight each other and end up almost undressed. When initially looking at Senran Kagura you would be right to assume the game is about over sexualised females who have rather over-the-top breast physics. This attention to detail on the breast physics could literally put Dead or Alive to shame and not even think twice about having done so, but that is what gives the game some of its rather funny moments.

 Shinovi Versus even without the physics mentioned, is a game that seeks to amuse, and give a rather enjoyable anime-like experience, which it does quite well. Taking place immediately after Senran Kagura Burst, Shinovi Versus changes the gameplay style from side-scrolling to a 3rd person fighting game. Not much has changed in the essence that the game is still very much a hack and slack brawler with a few tricks up its sleeve. The game relies heavily upon its focus of the Hanzō National Academy and their sworn enemies from Hebijo Clandestine Girls’ Academy, with Hebijo having gone underground and formed a mercenary strike squad known as the Homura Crimson Squad. This time they aren’t alone; a new group only known as the Gessen Academy has entered the scene and seeks to be known as the academy that purifies all evil and those who decide to be tied to evil in any way.

With the pretense of the story wrapped up, lets take a look at the games mechanics first and foremost is the actual gameplay itself. Focusing on a mixed blend of combos, bursts, and shifting into shinobi form to use specials. Some of the specials can range from ground breaking multi-strike abilities to crowd clearing dashes that can easily dispatch rooms full of enemies that seek to cause some form of discord. The other? A frenzy like form that allows users to place their thumbs, index fingers, or whatever button suits them, and force their characters to bare it all by swiping their characters breasts (yes you read that correctly) towards the outsides of their Vita’s screen. Both of these forms, whichever you decide to use, will require energy built up in the shape of scrolls. The type of attack does also depend on the buttons used. One varies from using the shinobi form and using triangle or square to send out a massive blow in order to send a wide array of damage. In turn the going frenzy option tends to be the one to lean towards. This form leaves your character in their undergarments and recklessly smashing through crowds of enemies using beyond devastating specials when possible.

 Much like the regular forms, damage seems to be common between the two forms, which leaves chaining combos and using dashes to keep enemies close is a rather viable option sense enemies can easily be taken out one by one. This leaves each character to show their own fighting styles, some of them featuring close range quick attacks while others seem to be more viable at medium range thanks to different weapon types. Some of these weapons will vary from fists, swords, dual wield swords, parasols, and well many more things. When it comes to the combat as stated, combo’s are something that is very deep in the games importance, but so is the capability of fighting in the air. Much like how smooth the combat is, the response time between buttons, thumbsticks, and bumper inputs; the game is very fluid like. This could easily take a nod from other musuo style games that feature this type of fluid combat and button usage. The only thing that would be frowned upon? The horrible lock-on system that causes beyond frustrating moments when trying to fight enemies at a close range.

Just like the fast pace combat, so is the repetition that can try to mount up, thankfully this changes rather quickly due to multiple characters having their variations in fighting styles. This alone gives the game a respectable bit of depth that tears away at the boredom that may begin to gnaw at some players. Unlike some games, this one does not offer enemies that will always be the ones that can be pushed over like a wooden plank that’s partially tilted over already. Instead some of the enemies will seek you out, tear you apart, and attack in numbers using flanks to weaken you. Even as you level up, so do enemies, and this does provide a bit of a tough-spot to try and overcome. The tougher part? While those ladies are whittling your health down to a stump no matter your level, the real fight hasn’t even begun; an opponent from another academy or the same academy (depending if you are doing story or side-quests) still may have yet to appear just to give you a head spin. Unfortunately, there is something that occurs with the whittled down health and the time it takes to clear the mission; the mission score.

 Like any good game, each mission does carry a score that is weighed upon by completion time as well as the amount of damage taken. This is something players will need to take into account when attempting to hammer out the high scores. These do manage to go across the missions for the academy, but also each character’s personal missions, which have a variety of story backgrounds that allow for hours of entertainment.

Like it was mentioned before, Shinovi Versus at its heart is the equivalent of an anime-like fighter, which offers up a high amount of energy for fans to feed upon. The story does not change from that in any form of manner. The story is told in the perspective of each academy, but this also changes whose perspective that the story is told from. Much like any game of this sort, the story has very well scripted dialogue, challenges to each mission, and even as mentioned before; side story missions. Through doing all of these missions, you can seek out to purchase new uniforms by visiting the shop, this also will allow you to enter the in-game ‘lottery’. The lottery will allow players to obtain new undergarments as well as outfits to let their characters wear, and trust me when I tell you this, some of them are rather hilarious and almost obscenely revealing.

Unfortunately, the online is something that’s a bit of a pain to to find a lobby for. Even with the great four-player sauree’s, the game features rather untenanted servers. This leaves the game to be dialed out when it comes to the multiplayer, but as it picks up, this could be something that will be worth tending to and partaking in a good brawl.

 With a rather well done soundtrack, animations, bizarre moments, and entertaining special attacks; Shinovi Versus is a place where hours, upon hours, upon more hours can be found as very heavily entertaining. Even with unnatural breast physics, skimpy clothing, and silly characters, the game fills the need for that heavily entertaining visual novel style that we’ve become so familiar with leaking out of Japan. The game fills the need that many will have for a visual novel fighter that seems to take a spin and life of its own through the Japanese only voice acting with the rather well done English subtitles. Even with a game this long the only thing that can come down as a problem aside from the annoying target lock-on is the inability to enjoy the games load times, which unfortunately, they are plentiful.

Even with the game being as it is in such a rather high-school anime-like way, Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus is a game that is highly amusing to anyone who wants a graphic-novel like brawler experience. Even with the unfairly judged by many critics ecchi-like character appearance for all the girls and the clothes shedding, the game is one that should be owned by any fan of the series or PS Vita owner that is looking for a fun filled time.

So what do the girls of each of the academies manage to fight their way to as a score? A solid 8 out of 10.

About the Writer:

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, 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.

Originally Published on the Official Blast Away the Game Review Facebook Page
Reviewed by Contributing Writer Chris Barsoum

Pros:
-Very well done artistic choice for the games graphics
-Very easy to learn for veterans of the strategy world
-Tutorial is in-depth and rather well explained, if you can wait the two hours to get to it
-Solid soundtrack and original voice dubbing

Cons:
-Fight system, rewind controls, and tutorial are at times complex and hard to manage
-Lackluster environments that make the title hard to enjoy
-Battlefields could have used more design and variety to provide a unique experience

 As a fan of the strategy genre, this game was one that seemed like it had a chance to be unique and rather inventive in the genre for strategy RPGs. Instead this game quickly dishevels that idea and tosses it aside. In Tears of Tiara 2, players will be able to make note of the art, which is one of the things that actually sticks out the most. The game itself is what you would consider a standard strategy RPG, which is expected, and this is why the art style works so well, but this is where the problems do begin to form.

Unfortunately, the game has no cover story, which gives no background for players who are unfamiliar with the series. This is something that makes it a bit difficult to get into. It leaves the questions of how, why, when, who, and where in the back of your head. This doesn’t even change once five hours in, which can become a problematic ordeal for those who are story driven versus gameplay driven.Though in that time frame many of the interactions that take place as well as the conversations within them, they seem to be ones that you can rub off, ones that almost do not seem to do much with the game as a whole. This is something that can seem somewhat troublesome to those unfamiliar with the franchise.

 First and foremost are the basics of the fight system. These are something that are not thoroughly explained, which means players will find themselves digging through the games manual feverishly in order to discover what controls do what. This also means the special and or unique controls for Tears to Tiara 2 are hidden deep within the games tutorial, which is not present until around two hours in; that’s assuming that you even make it that far. This is something that will frustrate newcomers and even leave some veterans kicking a can in the dirt hoping that the basic controls will at least appear in the tutorial, which reluctantly, they do. It seems that within the tutorial the key notes to how the game works had been left out. This is the same for advance controls for any that could be used as well as any tactics the game could advise players to find themselves crawling around with.

As a fan who loves difficult games; strategies none the less; there was one option that was infuriating, which to some may not be as bad; the rewind option. This allows players who are having troubles are able to go back through moves, time, and plan out what needs to happen with their units if they find themselves caught between a rock and a hard place. Don’t forget, this means you can also save squad members that may just be about to bite the dust at the swing of an enemy’s weapon. The part that sucks about this option? It shouldn’t be here, this is a strategy RPG, which means the game is meant to have a form of difficulty. For beginners this might be a nice option, but for veterans, this is a let down.

 Once managing to get past the issues that are present due to a long delayed tutorial, a story that can’t easily be explained to those unfamiliar with it, the game does run into another problem; the environments. Within these environments players would expect something unique. Large glorious fields, combat torn terrains, cliff sides, mountains, castles, and so on, but this does not happen. Instead the game itself feels as if someone had taken some form of an RPG Maker title and threw out a simple dungeon. The combat fields truly felt rushed, uninspired, and well just sloppy. Something that in a sense that could have helped this title was depth, coordination, but also a uniqueness to each map. Some form of direction for players to feel at home with. In the opening, you do begin in an area with tons of people whom are at random buildings, the story explains you are some kind of servant who is working to patch up a shrine. Yet the character lives right up the hill near the worksite. This would have been nice had some direction been given between towns, events, and combat fields. Sadly this does not happen well and hopefully will see a future patch to enable this.

Combat itself is very simple and feels like it would be a part of one of the many strategy RPGs that came before it. Some of you may recall the limited movements per turn, attacks per character, and the overall setting up of using grid based movement; this is something Tears to Tiara 2: Heir of the Overlord does. Attacks can be given each turn if the enemy is close enough based on your characters attack range, some of the classes such as sage or archer can do this from a ranged area, some of them from only a few grid spaces away, but do note that if further away the hit chance does go down, which can be problematic for some who are not used to counting out the grid spacing to ensure a successful attack. Upon a successful attack each character will gain XP as well as SP, which allows them to become more reliable in combat and ultimately provide a better chance of clearing out the map itself. Like in previous titles, players can edit their parties equipment, and setups to ensure that their team will be strong enough for what they are trying to do. This will provide a better and more beneficial use when setting up your characters for each scene, but do not forget to make sure to check your items and swap them out as needed. This also can ensure a chance at survival while players push on through the games main campaign.

 Outside of the games combat scenarios, character editing, and overview, the game itself is rather unique. Thanks to the rather beautiful art style and animations used, the game does seem to have some promise for fans of the series, but for ones that are unfamiliar to it; the game will be a let down or a huge mess of confusion. Like many titles that come from this genre or from Japan for that matter, Tears to Tiara 2 uses a well known set up, the graphic novel like approach that gives the game a entertainment value for those who aren’t big into the strategy rpg combat set up the game uses. Unfortunately, much like past titles, the game does seem a bit of a fan service, which can make the average adult looking for a form of entertainment cringe. This cringe factor is due to the rather over usage of barely cloth clad cleave, skimpy close, and well pantie shots that seem to be a big thing as of late. Even with doing all that, it did not help redeem the game as a whole, and unfortunately has left it as a game that will surely need some help in order to keep it alive unless you are someone who absolutely wants to skip all the conversations and shoot straight for the combat scenes. Even with all this said this game itself has only a small bit of entertainment value, it may be recommended to try and import some of the older titles from Japan that didn’t seem like a bit of a fan service.

So what does Tears to Tiara 2: Heir of an Overlord manage to fight itself to in a score? Unfortunately it has only landed itself with a mind breaking 3 out of 10.

Originally Published on the Official Blast Away the Game Review Facebook Page
Written by Dustin Murphy

Pros:
-Great anime themed graphics and cell shading
-An amazing soundtrack that could easily be comparable to any anime out there
-Diving into a character’s mind to unlock songs and new powers is definitely a growth on character development
-Combat is well flushed out and remains strong as the new system adds in a wave mode not seen in the former Ar Tonelico titles

Cons:
-Quickly goes from RPG to graphic novel in long conversations and diluted ramblings that have no meaning to the main story
-Conversations with the female leads brings in a rather interesting exploration of the title, but also leads to an undeniable sense that a side story tends to be more important than the main story at times
-Frame rate can noticeably be seen dropping between each of the games terrains and can seem problematic to those who are purists for clean frame rate
-Feels as if it belongs more-so on handheld devices

Ar nosurge is set in a universe where civilization has begun to crumble after having been promised tranquility, a never ending, and vast amount of it. The issue? They had to seek it out, but then something arose, an issue that caused their planet to be destroyed, and in turn, they are forced to live upon a spaceship in search of a new home. That was over 2,000 years ago, where we are quick to take up the events where Sharls are attacking and abducting the city of Felion’s residence. This city being protected by a border allows for it to be guarded against the Sharls until one day the defenses begin to falter and outer cities are beginning to be attacked.

Ar nosurge is one I desperately tried to fall for in the essence of a great and solid story. It is one that made me lift my head up and try to be excited once it made its way across the seas, but the issue was that it didn’t. Most of them I did see just playing mostly as Delta and Cass. This to me was a bit of a problem. What was most of it? In the game Gust tries to get you to fall for the characters so that you can get to like them, part of this is done by doing what’s called a “Dive”, which allows your main character to jump into the mind of the female protagonist; this is known as Genometrics. This is where the game goes from RPG and to a very, at times, drawn out experience as a graphic novel. Within these instances, players will be making decisions, these decisions can unlock new Gems (Genometrica Crystal). These crystals can be used to upgrade both the main character and the sidekick. These crystals work as your stats. The unfortunate part is, you don’t just have to use the “Dive” feature to obtain them, you are quickly informed by your partner (this case Cass) that a purification process must be done as a ritual before this event can take place.

What makes this odd? The ceremony is where both characters (within the first thirty minutes or so within the game) strip down to their skimpies and decide to bathe together. This allows them to also “talk” so that players can learn more about the characters and their thoughts and or backgrounds. This is also where you can actually use those gems we mentioned, which can be placed in the arms, legs, torso, abdomen, and well the head. Why is this odd? Because it doesn’t just give you spots to use. You unlock them with trust levels through conversations and or dives. These conversational pieces have to be found too. Think that’s all? Well for the most part it is unless you want to unlock new and more powerful songs.

While the main character, Delta and his partner Cass are not taking a bath together or chatting about moments that make you question whether you are watching a romance or a drama, their combat skills put those trust issues the two have seemingly go away. Want to know more about the diving? Lets just put it this way, it’s weird, and it’s one of those moments whether you question if you’d like to continue this game or not. So lets talk about that a moment. Especially because this graphic novel like part is based around these “Dives” and well the points that are required to do it called “Dive Points”.

In the ‘Dive’ you do initially you get to meet the main character who works with Delta known as Cass. In this mini-game like graphic novel, Cass is at war with another side of her, the other personality named, guess what? Cass. We also get to see a rather destructive and reportedly end of the world scenario based version of Delta. These two sides are at war due to a misunderstanding, one thinks Delta’s monstrous portrayal was summoned by the other in order to take out the other. Unfortunately, this is not something that seems to be taken lightly by Cass herself. In order to proceed with these conversations, players must choose the proper conversation, which puts Cass in the place to expose her distrust for Delta because of some past events that have occurred. To carry on each of these conversations though, players must have more dive points. If you don’t have enough? Well get ready for the pacing of entering more combat scenarios than before. Who doesn’t enjoy taking out mass waves of Sharl though? I do, which is something that lead to farming for more XP, but also Dive Points to experience the game a tad bit more than previously thought.

This also leads to the idea of farming for materials in order to synthesize, which allows players to get more food, and obtainable items through a restaurant that has unfortunately been stolen from Delta by another Plasma member named Nay. This is where the game does take a bit of a relief from humour, something that caused a bit of a laugh to the game since her rather comedic value is definitely noted since she seems to set Delta over the edge. Why is this? His cooking compared to hers is subpar, which lead to her taking over his restaurant and becoming the places vendor. Though as minor as this is it doesn’t take place to one of the more major things to take a peek at: Combat.

Unlike many traditional RPGs, Ar nosurge follows a bit different of a format, which is where players can enter a combat and leave it at the flick of one ability. This is because of how broken characters tend to be when fighting. Enemies will come in via waves, which each of these waves can easily be dispatched in one turn. Instead, players can build up their burst, use it, and dispatch the entire wave by using a “song magic”, which Cass can use to literally take out enemies by passing the damage through all the waves by having Delta charge up her damage. This includes boss fights, which unfortunately do not feel like boss fights at all. However, if you wish to not use songs, this is not a problem. Luckily the game itself can be done this way as long as the damage you can unleash is high enough, your percentage of damage dealt can go up in insane amounts as it pass through each enemy wave. This is something that many of you will undoubtedly use no matter how long it takes to complete the campaign. Due to its length, this is not a game that will easily be fought through and read through in just a day or two. This game could possibly take weeks due to how much story there is to read through and how much side chatter is put up to the game to have in place.

Overall, Ar nosurge: Ode to an Unborn Star is a valiant attempt for Gust to grab more fans by the hands and lead them on, but unlike their other franchises, this is one that is easily forgettable and not highly memorable. It is one that as much as many people have tried, will feel like they are trudging through a pool of tar due to the high school like conversations that take place as well as the drama that tends to dilute the focus on the main campaign for Delta and Cass. However, for those of you who love games that feel more like a drama filled graphic novel than an actual game, this is one that will go straight up your alley and will definitely fill up hundreds of hours of a semi-comedy filled title. For those unfamiliar with the series, this is a direct prequel to Ar Tonelico Qoga: Knell of Ar Ciel, which we do highly recommend.

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So what kind of score did Ar nosurge manage to bellow out of musical chords? A magical 7 out of 10. (Updated as of 4/12/2015)

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About the Writer:

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, 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.

Originally Published on the Official Blast Away the Game Review Facebook Page
Written by Dustin Murphy

Writers Note: Please note there are going to be a LOT of Persona based puns in this and their “typos” are fully intended.

Pros:
-New fighters and rebalancing of old make combat much easier to find the fun with
-Continued story from where Persona 4 Arena left off allows for a more flushed out storyline
-New arenas and gutsier conversations leave even more fun to be had
-Persona 3 Midnight Hour Fog enters the Sho for a blast from the past scenario
-No log playing online, which allows for a lot more fun
-Constant DLC support adds for a great and enjoyable time with the game.

Cons:
-Instant-kills to newcomers can still be challenging and somewhat hard to learn
-Some characters can still be seen as overpowering or troublesome
-Storylines are much shorter than before putting focus on the Persona 4
-Combat between storyline scenes can be unbearable for some to take notice too

 If you are like many fans out there, Persona is a series that rings a bell among JRPG fans and sets the mood for very dark, but enjoyable storylines. This happened last year when many players got their hands on Persona 4 Arena, a game that had shown itself as a title that has a rather enjoyable storyline that seemed to set the mood for many others. This hasn’t changed with Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, which has set the lights, made the mood bearable, and prepares to turn the dial on those TV’s for the sho to begin.

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax was developed by both Atlus and co-developer Arc System Works, which have gone out of their way to bring a story that is a direct follow up from the past title and once more links Persona 3 and 4 together. Doing this we are introduced to the newest group of fighters to enter the sho, which could be quite enjoyable for those who want to eat some pho while playing! These new fighters include two new versions of the games antagonist Sho Minazuki (with a persona or without a persona, he’s enjoyable); a Rise Kujikawa that has found her ability to fight; baseball bat and uniform clad Junpei, Ken, and Yukari. all of these fighters do bring in a new round-about way to fight as well as their capability to be rather strong contestants within the P-1 Climax. For those wanting more characters Adachi and Marie are both available for a limited time for free or are 5 USD each. Players will also be able to obtain Margarate as of now. We are sure more fighters will make way soon. On Top of the regular fighters, players can also choose a ‘shadow’ character mode that will change their fighting capabilities, but also the elements of how the fighting engine will act. This is something that players can take advantage of within the game itself.

 Stepping away from the new line up as well as the changes that have been made, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax also offers a continued story mode, which is separated between both Persona 4 (which has to be completed first) and Persona 3, but also any downloadable characters that the game may get storylines for. The only one that has a current storyline out of the DLC characters is Adachi himself. For those that complete the storyline, there is a new mode available called Golden Arena. This “arena mode” can be amounted to what many fighting games have done before, which is a scaling tower, but in this case a special one: the Tower of what seems to be Tartarus that was experienced in Persona 3.

So lets take a look at this mode since it is the only mode that has not been repeated through this game as well as the previous title. In the Golden Arena, players will adventure through dungeons that are filled to the brim with enemies, which will require players to level up and increase stats to become a better fighter. For those interested, the old screen from leveling up has made a return, and can easily be seen as one that has made a return. This is definitely a throwback that can be appreciated. The biggest change compared to other tower modes that have been seen in games such as Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, and many others, is that this is a survival mode that will not require health and energy management. Instead you will have the ability to customize your stats as before, which allows you to also pick up skills, and adjust your character overall to your play style.

Just as before, this is at its core a fighting game, which does mean multiplayer, and offline game modes are something that will be at the main focus. This time, just like last time, players can enter a virtual arcade of sorts. Here you will be able to edit a Persona-esque avatar and search for matches as well as lobbies. This is something that’s actually quite fun as players go through familiar environments and match information for matches going on around them. The only issue? It’s only available for the PlayStation 3, which means this is where the core experience will be sitting for those that want a unique take on the game. Sorry Microsoft players, there doesn’t seem to be plans for this to head there, which is unfortunate.  The game also seeks to enhance the player profiles, which is rather nice since the customization is a bit easier to go through with this time around. This doesn’t seem something that won’t be enjoyable as the time spent to make a unique profile can take some time and be rather hysterical in the process. So why not get your Sho on the road and see if you can become the beary strongest to enter the arena?

 As it comes down to its care as we said before, this game at its heart is a fighting game, which means people wanting to enjoy a solid fight are the ones whom are at the ones to focus upon outside of the campaign. The biggest draw here will be the expanded roster, the rebalancing that has been done to make characters such as Naoto seem not as broken, but also the new system that has taken place within the game itself with the shadow variants. Those shadow variants that were mentioned before are unique since they do not have a burst mode that will be a last ditch effort when close to losing, but instead they have a Frenzy. This frenzy allows them special abilities, which can only be used during frenzy. The issue here is that they can constantly use them and will require their opponent to rather quickly change their play styles to match these frenzy moves.

Now onto the new characters we you may want to know more about such as Ken and Koromaru, Sho Minazuki, Junpei, Rise, and Marie. Adachi is one that seemed and will remind many of a mix between Naoto Yosuke, which is a rather nice fighting style since it’s fast, aggressive and does not leave room for attacking. Sho Minazuki is one that is actually rather interesting thanks to his very aggressive dual wielding attacks that can put players on edge and have to think quickly as well as defensively. His persona version is just as dangerous thanks to the addition of its grim form that stands within the distance. Junpei is easily one of the most admirable out of the new additions thanks to his baseball uniform clad self fits the role of how clumsy he tends to be. Brandishing his baseball bat, quick attacks, and medium range; Junpei can easily dispatch enemies at both close and mid range without an issue. This is partially due to the buffs he can obtain landing certain hits or combos. His persona also helps with this issue. The most interesting out of these is Ken and his canine pal Koromaru. With them making an entrance to the game, players will notice that Koromaru has his own HP bar, this can be expected since he acts on his own as a companion that’s always summoned, but this does not limit Ken from being a rather harsh adversary to fight. Rise as expected uses a microphone stand as her personal weapon, which fits to her role as a singer, but this also goes to state that her persona actually fits its role quite well. Giving her a close range advantage just as it should.

The most interesting character to some will be Marie. As a host for many of the problems that can go on within the Velvet Room and the world outside of it, she fits her role perfectly. With an advantage as a “trap” character; Marie will easily be one for players to lure enemies into her traps and then dispatch them, this is something that will easily put players into a troublesome spot compared to before. This will easily put their shadow versions as something that many players will find themselves gritting their teeth at once they enter the arena.

 With all that aside, the game overall has come to a very unique place thanks to the games story mode, which leaves place for a possible third entry or even a tie in to a future title. With the Kirijo Shadow Operatives and the Investigation Team being at the helm of the story, players will easily find out what has occurred, what drove the sho to once more show up on the Midnight Channel and why this new antagonist has come out of his hidey hole. This will definitely leave many players wanting more, which is something that can be quite deserving for a series that has easily earned itself a spot upon any BlazBlue or Persona fan’s shelves.

So what rating did we decide to give this new sho on the Midnight Channel? A solid 8 out of 10 channels.

About the Writer:

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, 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.

Originally Published on the Official Blast Away the Game Review Facebook Page
Written by Dustin Murphy

Pros:
-The cell-shaded engine provides a very unique and comic-like experience
-Fast paced, guns blazing, and swords swinging play style that variates from the monotonous gameplay of more current day games.
-Game hides ‘secrets’ in puzzle like search-and-finds that can be easy to get to once a path is found.
-Rather strong story that lets it feed off itself as the game develops over time.
-Parkouring, slipping, and sliding is not needed for this game, just pure fast paced mouse turning, and button clicking

Cons:
-Levels seem short, which can be seen to some, as a downfall.
-Future chapters will be released as DLC, it will be unclear if this will have to be paid for.

 When I first sat down with this game at QuakeCon 2014 after having been contacted by Final Boss Entertainments public relations, I grew interested in the game as I was introduced to more and more about it, but getting to sit down with it was an entirely new ballpark. Final Boss Entertainment doesn’t just aim at the first person genre like the more famed titles in the FPS genre Call of Duty or Battlefield does; Instead, Wrack looks to give us the fast-paced run and gun action we would recall if someone said DOOM or QUAKE. The game seeks to search, destroy, and shoot down the doors of any enemy base, for some this will remind you of games such as Painkiller or Rise of the Triad for those that remember them. This is a no-bullcrap, retro shooting is back and you better enjoy it kind of game.

Having obtained it thanks to the team at Final Boss Entertainment, I was able to sit down for hours at home and finally put my glasses on, grab my finest beer, and feel as if I were the man (not literally speaking of course). This game is one that has spent nearly a year in its Early Access state on Project Greenlight through Steam. Being on there as long as it did the game was capable of getting the first episode, which expressed nine levels of pure chaos and fun. Don’t forget dying, dying happens a lot, and dying is the name of the game just as we knew in DOOM as we hunted down any possible secrets within the areas we were given. If you’re like me though? Those first few levels weren’t enough, so instead, I went back for more punishment on higher difficulties.

With a no-holds-barred kind of attitude, I was able to go through each of the levels at an insanely high pace, until I died, and it was a death well earned. Who wouldn’t want more armor, higher kill combos, and well even a higher score? I know I sure as heck did! As I flew through the first nine levels, the game gave me something unique throughout it, a very comic book-style set of cutscenes that told me a tale of aliens raiding Earth for a device that would help them, but also a struggle within a non-complacent dystopian future. This leads to a story that is almost negligible, but the humour within it is quite compelling and will catch on. It shows that the development team had a lot of humour and fun making this game, and seemed to break the monotonous experience that many classic first person shooters derived from. As for those of you like myself who would rather play a game than capture a story, which Wrack made me want to do, but not because the story wasn’t humorous or dry, but because I wanted to slaughter more aliens in my path; a skipping the cutscenes option is available and was used with vigorously. With that said, the story is actually quite enjoyable, and was not ignored at all, but due to review pacing, it was something I had to come back to later.

 There was something magical though, you may have caught onto, which is this little thing called kill combos and level scores. What are those for; you might ask. Well lets just state, they’re your end-of-level stats, which feeds on to the games leaderboard system, and had me going back for another dance with shotguns, plasma rifles, and well the sword. Who doesn’t want to swing a giant freaking sword anyways? With each kill combo, players can literally wrack up a score and make enemies scream at their mercy. This is something that made me pummel enemies until all that was left was their flickering corpse, an exploding barrel, and another graceful end to a cleared room; unless the explosive barrel got to me as well, which sometimes it did.

Now for those of you who are not interested into making fun of your friends just out of pure competition, there is an option for you, a speed run. What does this mean? You will have a time to clear each level as fast as you can, without dying, and claiming the speed run time, and posting it online even with a screenshot. This is something I could easily suggest you doing for just the mere chuckles, laughs, and well the knowledge that you are faster than your friends in the digital land.

Though the question of the day is not what it may seem, but it is quite compelling; just how much does Wrack offer you in just one single chapter so far? Quite a bit really thanks to the leaderboards and a speed playthrough. Though it’s not what I would say that Wrack is just about, no, it’s about action. I mean like 80’s action movie kind of action. This means at all times there is constantly happening, even boss fights, which are enjoyable on their own in a one on one encounter while learning their mechanics the entire time. Some of them are unfortunately not very friendly to those that are like myself and prefer to use the games hyperblade, which is reminiscent to DOOM’s chainsaw. The only downfall for some? The sword takes up a noticeable size of the screen – except playing Wrack-A-Mole with it is more than just satisfying – it turns enemies into a splatter fest in a single hit. Except bosses, don’t hit bosses with it.

Now we know you want to hear about content, especially after hearing about each chapter only containing nine levels. Fortunately for most of you there is something magical in the works; DLC episodes. With Wrack introducing more episodes in the future as well as weapons, it is not surprising that the game may still seem to be in the works pertaining to its story and content, but it is something that is happening. With the passion from Final Boss Entertainment – Wrack is a game that seeks to succeed, and thanks to the Workshop; it does.

Those of you like myself that grew up in the retro-FPS era will not be disappointed to know that this game is true to what it stands for, and will quickly lure you in with the ability to almost instantly begin painting the walls with bullet holes, enemy parts, and well giblets. Yes giblets are mentioned. Enemies in the game even will remind you of those classic games since the enemies have what feels like a no-instakill-allowed meter to them. They will not be throwing just grenades and hide behind walls, instead they are in the open and spraying very visible projectiles at you (memories of Quake, Hexen, DOOM, and Duke Nukem coming back yet? They should be). Much like classic games; you will collect armor, health, and ammo boxes, but also dodging all the way through in order to NOT get shot. This is also one that will test a PC player that still has their old-school helmet laying around and would like to once more wear it. I know I was when enjoying it and can’t wait to have even more reason to tighten the chin strap.

With putting the fighting to side, the game is graphically beautiful, and one that is admirable for what it has done. The game follows the graphical step that games such as Borderlands and the well known PS2 game; XIII. With that being put aside, the game adds itself into a rather amazing weave of destruction, chaos, and even beautiful lighting effects that can be easily noted as players rush through each stage while wracking up their combo scores. This is something Final Boss Entertainment should be very proud of since it works, and it works well. It gives a game a unique feel and one that can seemingly be seen as epileptic friendly, not saying test your luck, but it is definitely something that’s easy on the eyes.

For those wanting to know if the game has gotten any recognition yet; it has. With industry veterans such as John Romero and Keiji Inafune, which is astounding for a game and should be taken with a nod of respect. For those unfamiliar with the two should be. John Romero helped create DOOM alongside John Carmack back in the 90’s while Keiji Inafune was heavy at work creating the original masterpiece we know as Resident Evil.

Even with that said there is a bit of lackluster to the games duration; it’s short, very short. Within an hour and a half I found myself already zooming through the first chapter, but not without having died; a lot. Though there is something that makes up for it, which is the Steam Workshop. With having found out in an interview with Final Boss Entertainments Brad Carney; Wrack is very welcoming of user created content, which allows for the game to have a form longevity, but unfortunately, the level-editor has been getting a lot of DOOM fan-remakes. This is something while I can enjoy, I still want more of the base game. More story, more weapons, new enemies, and well more explosions. Even with that said, the game offers something unique that most indie games done, which is love and passion for what they are doing, which is why the Steam Workshop does make a good fallback option.

 The only thing I would like to see is multiplayer at some point, which was something I learned in an interview is not out of the option, but not in a foreseeable future. The game itself is trying to be developed, grown into, but also lifted so that it can be a title that keeps at what it does best and remains that way as it moves on. With all this said, Wrack is game that can easily stand up against almost any of today’s Triple-A titles and be proud of itself for its unique and charismatic way of retaining itself as a Retro-FPS. With time it is a title that could easily earn itself a digital download or even a physical retail release on both the PlayStation 4 and XBox One. Till then, it is limited to PC, but it is an experience that everyone should think of getting into since it does not require a high-end PC to enjoy.

So what how many Wracks does this game earn? A solid 9 out of 10 points Wracked.

Readers, we do have a small thing to do! We have codes to give away, which are discount codes, and will let you get to play Wrack even cheaper. So how do you win one? Easy. We want to see your want to play the game. You can do this in the comments by giving us the reasons you enjoyed the golden age of the FPS genre! Let us know and we will choose several lucky winners to get Wrack at a discount.

About the Writer:

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, 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.

Originally Published on the Official Blast Away the Game Review Facebook Page
Written by Dustin Murphy

Pros:
-Story that intertwines seamlessly between Persona 3 FES and Persona 4 Golden
-Beautifully crafted anime-esque graphic novel telling and seamless fighting
-Each character styles variate based on their persona leaving no-one character the same.
-Online multiplayer is lag free and very well coded making international play amazing
-The unfortunate region locking makes it hard for other countrie to obtain it if they want it in Japanese

Cons:
-Navigators are obtainable through DLC and a lot of hard work for players willing to put in time and effort.
-Screen size matching tends to be a bit more difficult than it should be. Unfortunately the scaling options aren’t 1080p friendly for a 16:9 T.V. This can be fixed by screen type changes in the options.

 When the name Shin Megami Tensai or Persona is mentioned, the idea of one of the most famous JRPG franchises of all time comes to mind for many of us, and so does the traditional and highly memorable soundtrack’s to each title. After taking the time to take a brunt blow of criticism and anger from eager gamers, ‘Persona 4 Arena: The Ultimate Mayonaka Arena’ can come to mind, this was mostly because of European fans having to wait to get their hands upon the title, which carried on events from both Persona 3 FES and Persona 4 Golden.

Unlike before, which we can call Persona 4 Golden, Arena takes place two months after the events we knew of, the solving of mysterious and deadly murders by someone using the mysterious Midnight Channel. However, that is not all. In the game we also get to once more see Mitsuru Kirijo of the Kirijo group and her Shadow Operatives have been included upon their own causes and reasons. The story, however, starts off with Yu coming back for Golden Week to see his friends, but unfortunately, a twist of events have happened. The group is one more forced to reform their Investigation Team and seeks to find out why and how the Midnight Channel is back, and why they have seen themselves as the main contestants. With that stated, the game takes off and it does it well. It truly feels like a Persona game crossed with BlazBlue, which is a wonderful combination that is executed well. Many of the beginnings are rather long, well scripted, and fill much of the story that has not lost its rather well paced track. This game gives you all a perfect chance to once more enjoy your favorite characters, Teddie, Chie, Yosuke, Yukiko Kanji, Akihiko and many many more.

 The difference this time around is that we are not playing a JRPG, not battling those infamous shadows, but also aren’t going to be planning out your next move to pop items or heal your group. This time around you will be smashing your buttons, learning combos, and learning when to block against your characters friends in a story. The combat is fast paced, furious, and does not try to slow down at all as players manage to move from fight to fight in this campaign, which once more, pits the sanity of our favorite and most beloved characters to a test one at a time.

In this game each character has their unique ‘shadow’ we’ve come to know as their Persona’s awakened. With a fighting style that matches it, many players will find themselves thrashing their friends around without any form of hesitation – some of these thrashings will include tying in your basic combo in with a persona summon in order to deal just that much more damaged. The thing with the combat is that it feels fluid as well as natural for each of the characters we’ve come to know. This is what makes it feel rather well presented as players take on this game that enjoys several things; a detailed anime art style, but also the games rather well crafted pacing when it comes to both story and fights. Fortunately for many, the game also has a rather enjoyable announced set up of people to choose from, by default, Rise-chan.

 As each battle is completed, the fights explain a very in depth story that seems Atlus had crafted just for this purpose, and has done so beautifully. The game displays this rather elegantly when the combat is in action, but the cut scenes to fill in the story are a rather welcomed sight to help fulfill the games storyline. Each fight, much like the cutscenes or the graphic novel moments, are the well known Japanese Rock songs, which were presented within Persona 4 Golden. This is something that bodes well for the game itself and keeps that breath of fresh air that we were given each time that Persona 4 Golden started up.

The game does offer several things away from the games main campaign. Players who would like to enjoy a story that is not related to the story mode, Arcade offers them this option and allows players to take out their deepest frustrations out and take onto a rather brutal and non-stop combat scenario. This is something that will easily resemble the games multiplayer mode that will more than likely hold players over thanks to Arc System Works and their well designed netcode. With this being acknowledged, the game allows for a multiplayer that is seamless and without lag. This is something that also made the game a very welcomed sight and allowed for countless hours pushed into the multiplayer alone. With that being said the game shows how much content there is between Arcade, Training, Challenge Mode and well the Story itself.

 The game itself is not hard to learn once players have undertaken the basics and begin to learn them. This is something that is rather easy and surprising complex at the same time. The games basic system is all that is there, which is simple, learning how to move, tie in combos, dodge, block, and learning when to attack and not to attack so to take out the enemies Persona, but also to cancel any possible chances they have of locking you into a corner or one of their cruel combos. Though the game isn’t as easy as it sounds thanks to the intricate combo system that will allow enemies to use instant kills, special attacks and their harsh ability to keep one pinned and anticipating an opening for assault that may or may not occur.

Unlike what you may or may not know, the game itself follows the rather well known formula that almost every fighting game does; combat is fast, furious, and unrelenting, but at the same time newcomer friendly. This is something that Arc System Works did and did well. With the online though is where we should focus thanks to the campaign being rather self explanatory and spoiler free as everything unravels. With the online, I was able to experience multiple online modes thanks to the games well found crowd around the world that still seems rather alive, but it was not easy, and at times the fighters whom you will encounter are rather skilled, lethal, and do not stop their rather quick attack without any form of hesitation. This is something that the game could have counterbalanced by allowing players to seek out matches that will pit them against players with a rather common skill level and win to lose ratio, but this far into the release that is something that may or may not be possible due to the newest entry being out.

 With each character, the game does feature multiple play styles, which allows each character to be unique, the best example that can be made is Naoto whom favors long range, quick attacks, and burst combo’s in order to ensure her victory while characters such as Kanji who prefer upclose, brutal, and slow combat that can deal massive amounts of damage in one swift go. All the while, characters such as Chie, Teddie, and even Elizabeth can manage quick attacks that are brutal, quick, and will lock their opponents into a corner.

Thankfully these combos are not something that players should feel as if they are locked into – Atlus has seemingly made this something that players can easily counter by timing their attacks, blocking, and remembering that any opening is a chance for them to take a brutal beating. In the long run, there was nothing that has disabled this game from being fun, entertaining, and addicting. This game easily builds upon the two story arcs that are given to players to pursue and does it in a sense that now that the second title is out, players will be craving more, and will easily find a reason to once more enjoy the world that has been rather cleverly crafted around them.

So what do we believe this game has earned? With only a few technical hitches such as region locking, minor unbalancing, and a need for a better screen scaling system from 720p, the game itself fuels a need for this game to be in the industry, and can easily place hopes for players that the game itself will hopefully see later versions now that the PlayStation 4 and XBox One, supporting 1080p at 16:9.

With all that being said, Persona 4 Arena easily beats its opponents out of the way for a score of… 8 out of face breaking 10.

About the Writer:

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, 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.

Originally Published on the Official Blast Away the Game Review Facebook Page
Review by Dustin Murphy

Pros:
-An Insanely high sense of difficulty, which is refreshing in the turn based JRPG strategy genre
-Maps are differentiated and never seemingly appear the same, but their enemies do
-Graphics between the PlayStation 4 and Vita transition very well between each other
-Rather enjoyable despite which platform the game is played on
-Item farming is rather rewarding compared to what it could be expected to be.
-Character talent trees are very straight forward and well designed

Cons:
-Tutorials for this turn based JRPG strategy title will not be welcome to new players will not be welcoming and rather hard to learn at first.
-Camera angles can be disorienting to players who have never played a over the top title that switches to third person on an as needed basis.

 As a fan of the classic tactics game Final Fantasy Tactics, like many, it was my first endeavor into the strategy RPG world. Luckily that didn’t change all that much; the thing that did change? My want to actually find the next big strategy RPG that almost happened after playing “X-Com: Enemy Unknown” last year. Unfortunately “X-Com: Enemy Unknown” didn’t satiate my hunger. As years passed the need for the next big tactical game happens, and Kadokawa Games comes to the call. The question of the century is; did they do it? In ways they did not; NAtURAL DOCtRINE itself is severely lacking in the area of a decent story that can truly be understood to someone who doesn’t want to piece the game together word for word. The story plain and simple? You are a pluton hunter, but also an escort for those who decide to hire your character. Unfortunately, our brave main protagonist Geoff, manages to get himself into a bit of trouble under the lead of Anka, whom hires this odd fun band of adventurers. The story sadly doesn’t deviate much outside of how you meet new partners and take into account events that lead to the internal struggles of Feste that have arisen. Can we say rebellions and the likes aren’t always that great for a story? It would have been nice had they taken their time in order to build a legendary adventure that players would remember as time goes on. Sadly this didn’t happen, but we can only hope it does in time with a sequel or possible add on content.

 

 With the story aside, NAtURAL DOCtRINE is one of those games that is truly saturated with difficult learning, but also a steep curve of notes that needs to be taken. Best way to put it? The game is filled with tutorials, advanced tactics, but also Within the game, players will learn several basic tactics, how to guard, attack, set up Character Links, but also timing when to use abilities. As a focal point of this games combat, the links can also be a dismantling part of someone’s enjoyment. Much like your own set ups, enemies also use this system, and these links the enemies use can end many of the combat scenarios you will go through. After having spent multitudes of hours grinding (approximately 25 or so before reviewing), the game finally began to unearth its secret routines that players must take practice of so that they may find themselves taking out enemies. For some, this may not always work out and will ultimately set itself up for a Game Over, which will require players to start from a checkpoint or the beginning of that dungeon. As someone who was taking their time to learn the game, I found myself constantly restarting the levels or checkpoints in order to figure out where to start out the routes that should be taken so that I could take the enemies out one by one. Downside to this? I eventually would die because of this assumption I knew how to take them out.

 After countless attempts, it can easily be done, but the most infuriating part is the difficulty scaling. While starting out, the first few dungeons are rated within the ‘C’ difficulty, which means they aren’t that hard, and will have a slight learning curve to them. Within an hour they can easily be completed, but the downside to them is that shortly after an ‘A’ rating dungeon will be displayed, which can infuriate anyone. Think this difficulty is where it all begins to stack up via the learning curves? That is only the beginning where players will find themselves over time. As abilities are unlocked and dungeons are completed, players will quickly learn the importance of treasure chests. These treasure chests supply both pluton in small amounts that players can use to have Nebula power his spells. Unfortunately, the use of pluton will count against your score, but that’s something we will visit later on. It is a good idea that players take note of where chests are, but also where the higher level enemies are within those zones so that they may actually take out those enemies and obtain the hidden loot chests.  One thing that players will need to take note is that the scores for each mission is rated upon pluton used, enemies slain, time, and of course how many times you have died. The downside? Some of these chests are guarded by enemies that can one shot or possibly two shot your entire team if you are not careful. It is heavily advised to make sure that there is a plan for these chests, dungeons, and can overall hurt your score at the end of the day.

 

In NAtURAL DOCtRINE I was capable of finding several things that were honestly the most problematic. The easiest one to point out is screen clutter with the scrolling menus, text, and even combat options that show up in small menus on the left side of the screen. In truth, the game felt like it was being developed for mouse and keyboard versus joysticks and a d-pad, but with that put aside the game works. Even with these minor irritations such as screen clutter, players can easily adapt to it and learn how to overlook it, but that’s just one minor irritation. One of the bigger ones is how character turns are placed. The characters will move based on an initiative that can be upgraded by leveling up and selecting certain “perks” within the talent trees so that players can find themselves capable of moving faster than the enemies. This will not happen though till at least 15-20 hours in, which is where I found myself before writing this. After that time frame I was capable of doing several things that helped boost my damage, which included reworking characters talent trees from the ground up, but also farming for the equipment I was able to take note of in the first few dungeons. Luckily in this time, I was able to able to expand upon the basic rules of the game when it comes to maneuvers. Why did it also take this long to figure it out? The excruciating annoyance of having to watch the enemy take their turn regardless of if they move anywhere or use any abilities. This is something that we can only hope will be changed as well as the being forced to actually watch all combat scenes whether it is your own or the enemies. The downside? Between each of these scenes there is no ability to interim save. Instead there is only a save when outside of the dungeons, which is a huge downfall for those wanting a user friendly game.

 

The most charming thing about the game besides being able to move between the console and handheld version was the fact the game does have such a high difficulty rating and challenged me to try harder than ever to nail out each dungeon with perfection. This is something I’ve done a lot to ensure that each character has the highest of abilities, weapons, and quick clear times. These clear times allowed for me to take out every enemy possible, but also proceed further into the games story by beating each mission with some form of ease, but also trial and error. With a little bit of patience, nerves of steel, and the will to press on; there is a lot of progress to be made with this game. Overall the rewards are very satisfying, rewarding, and allowed for me to want to continue, to keep playing, but also to return to the game post-review. I can truly state, however, this is definitely a hidden gem that should be picked up, enjoyed, and played with the knowledge that the game is not an overnight completion. Instead it could very well take some players weeks, months, or even a year to beat due to how challenging and denying it can be at times.

So what does NAtURAL DOCtRINE trick us into with its charm and difficulty? Even with a subpar story and an insanely high difficulty, I couldn’t help but say that the game has managed to earn itself a solid 7 out of 10.

Reviewers Note: Due note that our our review is based on a pre-release retail digital copy of the game this also means we were unable to experience the multiplayer at this time and will revisit it at a later date. This also means any future patches and or information that will be applied has not been done so on this version, which means that user experiences may change upon the games intended release on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita on September 30th, 2014 for North America. Our friends in Europe can expect this title to slay its way through Goblins onto their consoles on October 3rd, 2014.