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

Pros:
-A hysterical cast that will leave players rolling in their chairs
-Very forgiving combat system for new players to Compile Heart titles
-Nobuo Uematsu’s score sets the mood for the game and does not disappoint
-An insanely large amount of tutorials that will help guide players through the title
-A simplified dungeon selection that makes exploration a tad bit easier to handle

Cons:
-Characters come and go, which itself, can be annoying
-Loot drops seem far and few, but doing side quests from the pub makes up for this.
-The plot at times loses its focus and its charm, but does regain it a bit down the road.
-World shaping for many can be confusing and tedious when figuring out what to do.

Ever wondered what would happen when the publisher of Prinny, Hyperdimension Neptunia and Disgaea can do with a new IP? You get something as amusing as Fairy Fencer F, which follows the story of our overly hungry, grumpy, and whiny as well as comical lead character known as Fang. Fang is one that has had the mishap of becoming a Fencer or rather a hero, but has no care to do it, but how did he become one? His luck got the best of him when he pulled out a magical sword from within the ground, much like King Arthur did with Excalibur, and let it be told; he gained a fairy. Once he removed the sword his new traveling partner Eryn comes aboard, with her sense of humour and bubbly attitude, it’s only a surprise Fang hasn’t left her behind to wonder endlessly or just vanish. Taking her along, Fang begins his journey to help Eryn unseal the Goddess and bring world peace upon the world.

Following the well known Compile Heart style we saw with past titles such as Hyperdimension Neptunia and Hyperdimension Neptunia PP, we see a lot of humour, but unfortunately the sexual innuendos that come out full force. This is only one of the small underlying issues though, but this does not take away the humour and or the silliness that made this game just a bit more than just a genuine adventure. The game is downright hysterical and for anime fans; comical through and through. Carrying forth through the title, players will easily be able to see how each of the heroes that join the party come across with their own unique fairies. Personally, the game is enjoyable because of the laid back and silly conversations that take place, in many ways it reminds me of several anime titles I loved bunched into one, but their names won’t be stated her.

Much like a few of Compile Heart and their past titles, this one easily could adapt itself to their other franchise (Hyperdimension Neptunia), and speculatively been designed to use that system on purpose, but it works and it works well. In Fairy Fencer F, players will be able to use the new combat system that we witnessed in Hyperdimension Re;birth 1, which allows players to get multiple targets into an attack range, and do so with simple, but slightly complex combat menus. One of the many things that was rather amusing about this games combat system was the uniqueness in going between ‘tension’, which helps players ‘Fairize’ (think Hyperdimensions HD mode for Neptunia and her friends) and in turn, deal more damage. This is something that will make players, much like myself, save up as much tension and SP as possible and go to town on enemies. Unfortunately, this does not always work, and can easily upset players since the difficulty of the title is a mere joke in the beginning compared to how it plays out later into the game.

The goal is simple, however; clear dungeons, beat the bad guys, and ultimately earn a new Fury, which in turn helps save the Vile God or the Goddess. This becomes even more repetitive as players will find themselves using Fairies to work with. By “equipping” them in the equipment menu, I found myself quickly boosting my damage for Fang by spending all my points, literally, into his attack, combos, magic attack, and even his defenses. This is one of the few things I found disappointing and taking away the classic JRPG feel I’ve come so accustomed to, but they make it work and very well.

 Once players have gone through the combat system, which is quickly explained as well as taught, players will be clobbered in tutorials. These tutorials will describe everything from leveling, combat, dungeons, boss fights, character interactions, what vendors do as well as how, clear down to how world shaping works. Some of these tutorials seem very misplaced and honestly unwarranted. The one that was the most useful was what we will discuss next; The Vile God and the Goddess.

As many of you know by now, Fang is on the quest to revive the Goddess and or the Vile God, which in turn, brings about massive forces to once more walk the planet. It’s not as easy as it sounds. Players will need to clear the dungeons, as stated before, which in turn gives them fairies to use in order to “fuse” them with a fury that has the Vile God and the Goddess in a sleeping state. As these weapons are removed, they will initiate a fight, which includes a boss. Some of these bosses will be between five and ten levels higher than the player. This means you may not want to go unprepared and if you do, prepare to pay the price. Once the Fury’s encounter has been cleared, the weapon will affect the character that wears them with damage modifiers for certain elements, dungeon modifiers, but also, they do have a negative effect sometimes. There were instances I did find that shifting fairies around was for the best. The downside? Each of them have to be leveled as if they are an entirely new character, but luckily, only by equipping them.

 In return, fairies can be used in order to change how dungeons function. The most helpful one is the capability for higher loot drops, and lowered XP (experience) gain. Since XP is so easily gained that farming seems like a joke. Though some of them can make the game harder, which is a pleasant sign since the difficulty barely changes and leaves players hungering for more. For those wanting some fun, this is up your alley, but for those wanting a hard challenge could easily find themselves turned away unless they find the storyline as amusing as it is. The downside to some of these fairies is some of them will have something like this at C Rank “+1 Magic Attack” and gives your character of choice a “-1 Physical Attack”, these trade offs are unfortunate, but can easily be countered by finding what stat weights are best for the character that equips that fairy.

With the combat system and dungeon crawling put aside, there was something unique that can be noted; the soundtrack. When playing the game I found myself rather amused by this as it easily resembled songs I’ve heard before, most of them having vocals of which some could compare to Skyrim’s ‘Dragonborn Comes’, while others turned my ears even more so that I could enjoy the J-Pop listing. The best soundtrack in there? The Fairize theme. I found myself constantly tapping my toes to it, which in turn demonstrates Nobuo Uematsu’s taste for capturing the games target audience. Within a few hours? I found myself humming many of the games songs and even themes, which leads to show that Nobuo Uematsu’s departure from Square-Enix in ways worked in his favor. Though the game does take a hint from some of my favorite animes. The music changes over time in a ‘episodic’ type of format. This is a welcome change instead of hearing ‘Full Contact’ all the time, which alone, is a blessing since the song itself is amazing.

 With that being said, the game is a simple dungeon crawler with very anime like themes. With how well it has already been received, Compile Heart has already announced that a sequel is in the works at their pre-TGS show. What comes in Fairy Fender F: Advent Dark Force? The original Fairy Fencer F, but also the sequel. Where will it be going? To the PlayStation 4. This leaves room for many of us to question, will it make its way to the PlayStation Vita? For now, the game is charming where it is, and makes itself right at home on the PlayStation 3.

So what has Fairy Fencer F charmed itself into a score of? A wonderful 7 out of 10.

Fairy Fencer F is now available at all online and local retailers, but also through the PlayStation Store as a digital download. For more information, please visit the official Fanry Fencer F Website: http://nisamerica.com/games/fairyfencerf/

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

Pros:
-Carries a soundtrack that has expanded across twenty seven years of the most beautiful masterpieces in the Final Fantasy franchise.
-Very easy to play thanks to the capability of using stylus, thumbstick, or both.
-Very easy on the eyes whether you play in 3D or not
-Offers a rather helpful tutorial for those new to the series
-The RPG element is fun, creative, and allows for an even more entertaining experience.
-Rather fun multiplayer thanks to the games Multiplayer Mode.
-The ability to choose any difficulty from the start has been added.

Cons:
-Game modes and songs have to be unlocked by completing set lists and unlocking a certain amount of Rhythmia.
-Multiplayer seems a bit harder for those who have yet to experience the game after having spent quite a bit of time in the campaign itself.

 In 1987, a masterpiece of a franchise was introduced to the world in the form of Final Fantasy. This masterpiece introduced the world to turn based RPG’s and allowed the world to take on one of the greatest creations as well as some of the greatest scores of all time. In turn, Square-Enix and Nintendo came together and made something spectacular; Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call. The first title had appeared in 2012, which had lead it to becoming a success among fans who decided to partake in the spin-off’s, which would eventually become fan favorites. In the original title and this one, songs have been purposely re-arranged and or timed so that each of the buttons matches up with the songs beat and allows for a rather fun time.

In Curtain Call, players will take on each song possible so that they can explore further events, but also unlock new songs as they go. In the basic campaign mode, Curtain Call is very entertaining and features over 200+ songs. More songs will launch within the near future as well as the prolonged life span of the game. Many of these currently released and future releases of Final Fantasy songs will return as the original and classic 8-bit tunes and or will remain in their fully original composure, which will leave many not to be disappointed as the nostalgia builds up.

On the journey through this, players will find that it features songs from spin-off titles such as Final Fantasy Mystic Quest, Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core and Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. With tracks like these being present, the game has come to feature amazing and profound tracks that have managed to remain hidden gems of the franchise. Some of these songs vary though; some are battle themes while others are simply field songs, but also event scenes. The Events tracks are the ones that seem to be the most entertaining thanks to the video clips that play, some of these include the song “Answers” from Final Fantasy XIV’s soundtrack as well as “1000 Words” from Final Fantasy X-2. While featuring songs from the upcoming Final Fantasy Type-0, which will let fans have a chance to experience the games music for the first time outside of Japan; this of course is unless players had the soundtrack and or the PSP game imported from across the seas. This addition was quite amazing as many other games have also been added in such as Dissidia Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy Duo Decim, among many others. With these scores players will experience many of the different variations that had released over time. Regardless, the songs are refreshing and quite memorable and will not disappoint any fan of the series or new comers alike.

 For those who want a game that will give an amazing adventure, especially with the games quest mode. This mode allows players to adventure through the game in varying difficulty as the game is completed in this mode. It will feature event songs, field songs, and of course battle themes. For many this game mode will be easy and acceptable to fans new and old. For fans of the original such as myself? The game itself is highly entertaining and has allowed for almost thirty hours of entertainment since its launch on September 16th, 2014. Why is this? The capability to play with both stylus and or the thumbstick; this making the game have more variation and easier control.

 With that being stated, the many RPG elements that take place vary from leveling to critical strikes via hitting perfect notes. Each of these will have their own varying effect that will either help or slow a player’s progression. With that being said, Theatrhythm Curtain Call comes swinging its sword and carving out a solid 9 out of 10.

Pros:

• Story can be seen as easy to understand, half-intelligent, which is nice for younger crowds
• The voice acting luckily fills the entire campaign and puts it on par with the other entries
• Controls are extremely easy to use and does not require a tutorial to navigate with
• Multiple friendships allow for changes in dialogue and campaign as well as a new spin on personalities.
• The song choices are quite entertaining, but do not allow for much variation in the long run
• Performances can be edited via character outfits, song choices, stage placement, and even stage effects.

Cons:

• A single play through runs about 3-4 hours at most and has very little gameplay uses outside of the directional pad and making choices.
• Creativity behind the game is lackluster and does not allow for a true Hypderdimension Neptunia experience.
• HDD Forms are lacking throughout the entire campaign and do not seem to trigger as much as one would hope.
• The four song choices and very few stage selections do not allow for a long-ending enjoyment

Final Score: 6 out of 10

  The Hyperdimension Neptunia series is one that has been a well appreciated fan-favorite on the PlayStation 3 and now the PlayStation Vita. Having become popular enough to earn itself a manga series as well as an anime adaption. Though there is one thing in the series that does not have the charm and satirical mind that the other entries have come to be known for. Hyperdimension Neptunia Producing Perfection is the one entry within the franchise that has dimmed the spotlight and left a bad taste in the mouth of a few people that have played it. The misfortune with this entry is that it targets fans of the idols games. This is not something that should have been done unfortunately. 

 Hyperdimension Neptunia PP takes place in the gaming world of Gameindustry, just like all the other titles. In this one a group called MOB48 (a literal nudge at the pop group AKB48) has taken over Gameindustri through becoming singing idols. This group has begun to hurt the ratings that the CPUs have earned through their fame and protection of Gameindustri. This is where our game takes place, our character is summoned from the ‘real world’ to Gameindustri in order to help Vert, Neptune, Noire, and Blanc get their ratings back. Thanks to this occurrence, you are put in the spot of being their producer, which means you take on the responsibility that is required in order to get their ratings back. This includes planning events, their days off so they can relieve stress, and even their costume designs for performances. 

 With these tasks at hand, the game is very straightforward in having players navigate a set of menus almost the entire way through. Why is this? The game is pretty much introduced as a graphic novel, which means lots of menu navigating and conversations. This leaves itself for very little gameplay in the means of actual outside of menus gameplay. What is this portion of the game? The converts where players will be pushing square, triangle, and even buttons on the d-pa in order to “produce” the concert. The problem? It’s boring, very boring, and will not entertain those looking for a high paced game. The most problematic portion of this game is that interactions are based on menu choices, so are the in-game friendships, which luckily, carry over into new game plus. Unfortunately the biggest drawbacks of this title was the simple fact that the interactions seem so far and few that they make little to no sense. Some of them will raise stress (bad news there), guts, voice, rhythm, and even knowledge. These stats are not thoroughly explained on what they will benefit and how, but one thing is certain, like any RPG-esque game? Those stats are worth getting up and maintaining. With that aside though, the game has its moments where a few good laughs are provided, the game can only play on those, and hopefully gives a shining example of what needs to change in the future. For those expecting a Hastune Miku like title will be very disappointed when the time comes around. Hopefully if they make a part two, that’s what we will see. Till then, players will need to survive Producing Perfection and hopefully find some enjoyment in it. Why? Even with the HDD forms happening in song, which changes voice and appearance, there is not much to be celebrated. This is one of the few times I will say that players should avoid the game unless they are fans of interactive novels. Till then, stick it out with Hyperdimension Neptunia, Mk. 2, Victory and Re;birth 1 (review coming soon).

 With all that being said, Hyperdimension Neptunia Producing Perfection is a lackluster game that does not hit its mark. Instead this game has fallen flat on its face in a tailspin that it can not recover from no matter how hard it tries. Even with a few laughs, notable characters from the franchise, Producing Perfection is a miserable misadventure that players should forget about sooner than later. However, die hard fans of the franchise might just enjoy the game and find some noteworthy moments in it.

 

Pros: 
• Stand Alone Game
• New Game Modes
• More Next-Gen Infamous Game play

Cons:
• No New Powers
• Lackluster Story
• Simplified Missions

Rating: 7 out of 10 – Decent

As I finished playing Infamous: First Light I was convinced that it was a good DLC and worth buying, but after the dust settled, I realized that I will likely never play it again, coupled with having to find parts of the game that I don’t like for this review, my rating for the game has gone down. Granted my initial rating was fairly high.

I really enjoyed playing Infamous: Second Son and Infamous: First Light is definitely more of the same. While that’s a good thing in certain respects because Second Son was a good game and it’s a blast to run around Seattle with super powers, it also leaves me wanting more. The Infamous story continues to lack scale and purpose and while it may be Sucker Punch’s intention to keep it local and personal to the main character, it leaves me not caring at all about what happens in the story. For somebody with super powers, you want to use those powers not just for yourself, but for the city, nation, or world. Whether you’re a good guy or bad guy, wouldn’t you use those powers for more than just to find out where your brother is? I understand relatives are important but let’s think big! Personally, I could care less about Fetch’s brother. Granted, I did care more for Fetch’s story than I did for Delsin’s, but it still was lacking something major in my eyes, scope, and a meaningful outcome. I would prefer my missions to be a bit more diverse than just keeping cops off of a drug dealer’s back by easily shooting them as they walk down an alley. Some of the missions are just way too simple and require hardly any thought or skill whatsoever. Trust me; this game is not all bad though. If you don’t own Infamous: Second Son, then you can drop a measly $15 on First Light and get a lot of what Second Son has to offer and It may help you decide if you’d want to purchase Second Son. In other words, you do not need to own Second Son in order to play First Light. This makes it a less risky investment on purchasing the game to see if you like it. This also means First Light comes with its own set of PSN trophies, including a new Platinum trophy. Trophy hunters rejoice!

Another aspect of First Light that I really enjoyed was the new game modes which are essentially different challenge arenas. In these arenas you’ll face off against a seemingly infinite number of enemies, allowing you to blast away and flex your muscles for as long as you can survive. These challenge arenas essentially make up for the lack of immersive and large-scale battles lacking in the main stories plot because they do take a bit of skill and thought to be successful.

In all, I’m happy with my purchase of Infamous: First Light and while I would still recommend buying it, don’t be disappointed when you get more of the same from Second Son.

Cons: 
• An unimaginable amount of typos, and grammar errors
• Lack of control over allies combat patterns, and equipment
• Ally AI is stupid at best

This has been a title I’ve been counting the days down to within my head; awaiting it North American release like a good fan boy. Sword Art Online is, in case you missed my previous write up, a Japanese Anime about a VMMORPG where the users have been trapped within the game, unable to log-out and forced to continue playing against they’re own will. There happens to be another stipulation built around all this as well; if they die, or get forcibly removed from the game, they will die in real life.

So, seeing that the show/manga is growing ever more popular, obviously, a video game was right around the corner. The question remained though; how would a game, about being stuck in a VR game, translate over into a handheld adventure.

So, clarifying something upfront with this game; this is non-canon to the events of SAO, and will not follow the same story of the show after floor 75. So to you faithful fans, you know what that means and I will leave it at that for everyone who doesn’t. This game is also two stories in one; Infinity Moment, and Hallow Fragment. Each has their own story arches, as well as unique characters. For Infinity Moment, the story is as follows. After clearing floor 75, Kirito and gang emerges successfully onto the other side, and enters into the unknown land of floor 76. Upon entering, the group quickly finds that for some reason all of their stats (Attack, defense, etc) had been reset to starting level, while they’re actual level had been left in tack. They quickly redouble they’re efforts to clear Floor 100 and in the process forging a new alliance with a strange woman called Strea.

As for Hallow Fragment; while exploring one day, Kirito is randomly teleported into a zone he has never seen before, let alone the fact it isn’t on any of his maps. He quickly encounters a strange girl running through the forest by the name of Philla, behind her is a Skull Reaper. Which is usually the boss of Floor 75, but for some reason is a random foe in this area. Upon exploring, he finds that this new land is ridden with powerful weapons, and rich treasures. However he also finds that this place also is chalk full with powerful new foes, as well as the infamous Laughing Coffin guild.

While searching the new floor they encounter new players who have no knowledge of SAO; Leafa, who is Kirito’s sister who has been playing ALO while he has been trapped in his coma, and strange girl who seems to be suffering from amnesia, after falling from the sky. So yes, as I said, this is completely non-canon, and should not be taken into context with the show or anime. Now granted, even though this is completely non-canon, you may end up like me, and have a bit of an issue wrapping your head around the situation. I understand about making your own unique storyline, but when you discount so many events that have occurred to create your universe, while sampling characters and events that happen in the series it starts to become confusing on exactly where the story is heading.

Now the major, unrelenting draw back for both parts of the game that breaks immersion, as well is just plain annoying is the mind numbing amount of typos throughout the game. Barely a cut scene goes by without at least three words being miss-spelled, as well as grammatical errors, and nonsensical sentences. This is probably one of the sloppiest translations I’ve ever seen in any format, and it just shows the pure laziness on the developers half. This is why there is something called “quality testing”, and that whole team deserves to be fired.

For the actual core story though, this will take you sometime to finish. Clocking in around 80 hours’ worth of game play, SAO for the Vita will keep you busy for quite some time. That is, unless the game begins to annoy you too much.

Since SAO is an MMO throughout the show and manga, I have to admit when I first learned that the game was a single player experience, let alone a portable one, it caused me to raise an eyebrow out of concern. Granted, there have been games that mimic the unique world of a MMO and successfully pull it off like FFXII for instance. How they accomplish this is by mimicking an MMO environment, and filling it with NPC’s that are pre-programed to act as humanly as possibly. Think Skyrim. This idea works well on paper; however, collision detection issues make the NPC constantly not only walk into you, and then proceed to bug out, but also walk/run into walls which tends to draw you out of the immersion.
The primary focus of the game, as you might have figured by the name, is sword based combat. This combat is fast, fluid, and very aggressive and is the one major redeeming quality this game has at the end of the day. The combat has two layers of depth to it. You’re simpler, “keep-pounding-square-until-it-dies!” technique or you can take the other approach of leveling each of your weapon skills, as well as crafting the most powerful blades possible.

Either of these approaches can get you to the same end result, but seeing as there is an added level of depth for your true RPG gamer was a welcome change. What isn’t welcome though is the immense amount of grinding that is required for you to become powerful, it also doesn’t help when the exp system in the game is a running joke. Kill an enemy 10-15 levels lower then you, which takes 10 seconds, and gain 250-500 exp. Kill an enemy 30 levels higher than you, which can take 10+ minutes, gain 750-900 exp. As I said… this system is a joke. If you are expecting people to grind their way through your game, you need to include a higher bounty on your higher leveled creatures to reward the player for taking down such a formidable foe.

Besides that, environments are large, but with pre-set paths to explore. Some feel, and looked reused from other Bandi Namco RPG’s. For the most part they are your trope environments like, creepy castle, dark forest, and large valley. There are some unique ones sprinkled in, like some really cool levels where you’re on floated islands in the sky, but they are so few and far in-between that they are barely noticeable. There is also a town you can explore within floor 76, where you can check out Lizbeth’s armor shop, and Agil’s pub. However, I do admit I was disappointed that you can’t check out any other Floors towns, though they show them briefly once you clear the boss.

You do have quite a few options when it comes to weapons. Anything from bows, to great swords will be at your disposal, each with their own skill sets, and growth tree. Each of these weapons will also have their own unique traits in speed, power, etc. These powerful skills can be used in the heat of combat by not only you, but by your ever present AI helper. Only thing is the AI isn’t exactly the smartest in the world, and you have an overall lack of control over their actions. You have your basic commands like “Heal” or “Use Skill” but no real control over if they will act defensively or over aggressively during combat. Which can lead to many headaches in a game where you, or your partner parish, and it’s over.

Gratefully, one might say that this difficultly can be offset by the fact that even the enemy AI is horribly programmed! They are extremely predictable; usually within the first five seconds of combat they will use a special attack, which can be parried. If you are fighting a large group, sometimes one of them will forget that they are attacking you, and just straight up walk away from the battle, or turn their backs on you while you are fighting them. There is the inclusion of Ad-Hoc Multiplayer for up to four players at the same time, but seeing that its Ad-Hoc based, instead of online multiplayer I was unable to test it out, and I doubt it will get much usage because, if you really think about it, do you have four friends who own Vita’s, and are into SAO?

As noted earlier, sword out does have a tendency of reusing the trope designs of your standard RPG game. What add to the level of mediocre that this game excels at is its sub-standard graphics. Where it could be understandable for Infinity Moments half of the game, seeing that these PSP quality graphics are throughout the full game, it was a tad bit of a disappointment. Environments are well detailed, yet washed out. Characters armor and clothing have a lot of interesting designs on them, which are destroyed by the low res graphics that are used in here. What is even more surprising is that seeing a decent amount of screen tearing and frame rate issues in a game that isn’t even technically challenging to the hardware it’s being run on. Gratefully, the cut scenes are hand drawn for the most part, and give it the shows true art style. In these segments the game does become fairly pretty, but knowing that it’s pre-rendered does not help the fact. 

As for sound, this is where the game does have some saving grace. The whole cast of SAO did lend their voices to the game providing a very authentic experience for the fans. However, one thing that was a little bit disappointing is that Kirito is only voiced for the first hour or so of the game, after that he is just text on the screen. It takes a bit away from the experience in the end, but nothing to terrible.
As for the rest of the game sound design, it’s just another thing to add to the list of disappointments. The soundtrack is lazily thrown together, alternating between the better parts of 5 songs depending on what you are doing within the game. Besides that all the random noises you hear in the game sounds like they are cut from a stock soundboard, and lack any real originality.

(Final Verdict)

This was a painful one for me to review. I had my hopes set real high that this could be a killer app for the Vita, let alone a worthwhile Anime game. What it is in all reality is a shameless cash-in that keeps enjoyment on a rudimentary level, yet provides annoyance on so many more. The thing that disappoints me the most is how most of these problems could have been caught with proper quality testing. Which leaves me asking; did the developers really not care, or were the publishers pushing them on a release date that fell within the launch window of season two in America?

Hallow Fragments does have its high points during battle that makes you forget about the faults within the title, but either during the fight, or right afterwards with awkward bugs where your character can become frozen in place. Another place a fan can derive enjoyment from is the story and the characters; however, it is also quickly taken away due to the insane amount of grammatical errors that draws you away from the immersion of the game.

Overall, and I say this being a fan of SAO, I regret paying $40 for this game. Heck, even $30 would be overcharging for it in my opinion. My recommendation would be to wait until it goes down/or on sale for $20. Also, as noted earlier, not only will this game really only be enjoyable by your SAO fan base, it’s also a grind fest. So unless you have the time, and enjoy killing the same enemy for hours on end to become powerful, I would recommend steering clear.

With a heavy heart, I give Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragments for the PS Vita a…

5 out of 10.

Pros:

• Unlocked Frame Rate that Stays Near 60fps at 1080p at all times
• Graphics are more detailed and livelier than ever
• Online multiplayer has seemingly been re-tuned for the next gen console
• Characters are more believable than before, as well as their environments
• The original game remains intact, and is refined
• Collectibles still remain very well hidden and fun to find
• Multiplayer items have been added for more, and higher, rates of customization

Cons:

• Multiplayer match finding seems to take a bit longer than normal
• For frame rate junkies, there are dips in some areas, but it doesn’t last long
• Enemies still remain hard for newcomers and will provide a hefty challenge
• Some weapons are extremely over powered in multiplayer and do need reworked

Final Verdict: 9 out of 10

Final Thoughts: As much as the Zombie-Type genre has been overloaded, The Last of Us is one of those entries that breaths a new fresh breath into the genre. It’s one that offers an emotional trek, across the United States, with Joel and his foul-mouthed, joke-filled partner, Ellie. In their adventure, players will get to revisit, once seemingly, lush environments, but this time they are more believable than before. With no zoom in resolution changes or pixilation and higher particle density, the world is much more alive, and much more realistic than before. This isn’t just a mere-remake, but a pure re-imagining, but with the original fully intact. No changes were made, except under the games hood itself. For those wanting multiplayer, they are not left behind at all, the game features all previously released content.

When saying this is the campaign portion, you’d expect this to be about the story, but instead, many of you have possibly played the original and know what’s going on. Some of you have not, but the problem is: spoilers. That is one thing that makes discussing the campaign difficult, but at the same time, keeps the game fresh as possible. This portion will instead be about the performance changes, the enhancements that have been made, but also some of the things that still need fixed from the predecessor. 

The Last of Us as we know changed the way the Zombie-genre could be seen. The game implied limited ammo, difficult enemies, puzzles, slow-paced moments that made the heart pound inside your chest, and ‘abilities’ that Joel and Ellie possessed to make them unique. This time around, we are given the idea that the game itself has been enhanced, and it has. When playing the title during intense action scenes, the frame rate was smooth, not that thirty frames a second smooth, but the sixty frames per second kind, which made combat much easier to go through. Aiming guns seemed precise, and not delayed due to the limitations the hardware gave it. This was a problem in the original since players would have to be concerned about a frame rate drop, and possibly miss their shot, only to suffer the consequences. With the Remastered Edition, this is something that has yet to be experienced, even with the sequences sometimes being filled with enemies, particle effects, and animations that would, otherwise, have slowed the PS3 to a crawl versus the PS4’s powerhouse, that backs it. For many of you, you may recall the spore filled hallways, water-filled tunnels, and the lighting effects that took place to give the game that realistic feel to it. Guess what? That’s been enhanced too now.

Thanks to Naughty Dog, we are able to see something a bit more interesting when exploring the vast lands, of the United States, during Ellie and Joel’s travels. Many will be able to point out the fact that in one of the starting scenes, Joel and Tess are exploring the outer city limits, which have been blocked off by the remaining government based forces. When having explored the area. I was capable of seeing the world, as if I’d never seen it before. It wasn’t that watered down and layer-mapped area that sometimes had flickering leaves and water animations, instead it was if I had seen the world Naughty Dog created for the first time. Water moved, with Joel’s steps, the grass seemingly pushed down beneath his feet, and even the snow, in some of the later stages, left foot prints for enemies and me to track. This was what began to make the game a bit more unique than before. One of the levels players explore, a building is collapsing and they have to make their way through it, but with the infected, this was a challenge. In this stage, I got to see one of the biggest advances, in graphics, in the game, thanks to the use of flashlights, Joel’s listening ability, and the random debris that floats within the air quite often. This was something I was not expecting, and highly applaud the team for. 

With all the changes having been made under the hood, players can truly expect the game to be astonished with many of the graphical upgrades, but also amazed that everything remained intact, in this transition. The game has not seen any changes from where hidden secrets were, how puzzles were performed, or anything. Players are seeing what I could consider a true HD remake of all the games content.

 

Want a good reason to take the fight online between Hunters and Fireflies? In the multiplayer, players will choose a faction, unfortunately, from what has been experienced, factions can’t be changed immediately, but only after completing a “12 weeks” type situation within the multiplayer itself. These weeks can be completed through the three game modes available: Survivors, Interrogation, and Supply Raid. Unfortunately, both Supply Raid and Survivors are team death match type modes, but survivors; being the one without respawns.

 Much like the campaign, the multiplayer features all the campaigns creatable items such as: bombs, first aid kits, smoke bombs, cocktails, shivs, and my personal favorite, melee weapon upgrades. All of these function in multiplayer just like they do in campaign. Each is brutal, powerful, and gives a heavy tactical advantage, depending on the play style.

Like in most multiplayer titles, The Last of Us features a class building system, which allows players to choose weapons, feats, and “weaponry buys”, which they can access through kills and resources. These perks do get stronger, but cost more slots within your custom classes. These upgraded perks will give you an edge against your enemies. However, do note that it doesn’t change your chances for survival or even how powerful you are against them, which is based on pure talent, weapon chance, and teamwork. Thankfully the maps all play to each play style, and allow for players to enjoy the game how they want to, gladly setting up combat scenarios, no one player would expect For snipers, you may not be able to use your stamina to listen for them, as they may have a feat not allowing themselves to be spotted, you may not be able to even hear them at all for that matter when wanted, or needed. The only thing that may give them away might be the flare off their scope. The multiplayer does require a lot of teamwork, and coordination, in order to survive the requirements for a players “village”. 

Players will be required to meet certain requirements, in order to keep their survivors happy, and also take on special scenarios, via weapon kills, wins, losses, and or gatherings, in order to keep their survivor population up, in order to make it past the twelve weeks mark. This is something that makes getting a high population difficult as the attacks, raids, and such goes up, and also come in seemingly higher frequencies.

Overall, The Last of Us Remastered is a true masterpiece and deserves to be recognized as a host, to the once upon a time, Game of the Year title, which earned more than two hundred Game of the Year Awards. This one sets itself up there, if not higher, on the expectations players have. For those wanting to experience it, The Last of Us Remastered is now available physically at all major retailers and digitally through the PlayStation Store and requires approximately 50 GB’s of hard drive for both multiplayer and single player portions. For digital, memory requirements may vary based on what portions are downloaded.

Editor’s Note: This is a 2 part review, done by 2 team members, our Writer extraordinaire, Josh Turner & our Founder, Dustin Murphy. This is part one, done by Josh Turner

I held the box, within my hands, feeling old wounds begin to re-open, the old pain feeling fresh, once more. “Again, I must go down this rabbit hole again” I thought to myself. “The journey, the tears, the heart wrenching surprises… I must endure this all again.” I press start, and am greeted by an old Violin that has become signature for this title. Yes, back down the rabbit hole. Back to the cross country journey of Joel and Ellie, back to… The Last of Us.

The first thing I want to make clear, before I even continue, is that even though I’ve already played, and beaten this game, buying this game again on day one is completely worth it. Why, you might ask? Mainly due to the DLC, for myself; seeing that I never had an opportunity to experience the Left Behind story DLC, let alone the fact that I never touched the multiplayer when I originally had it made the purchase easy.

So, in case you lived under a rock last year, or didn’t own a PS3, The Last of Us was a defining example of what gaming should be. Rich storytelling, innovative to its genre, tight controls, great gameplay, and most of all, something that leaves you begging for more! The original release scored a perfect ten here with us, at BATGR, as well as countless other review agencies. This was a reason to buy a PS3; and in the current state of affairs when it comes to limited releases on the PS4, this is a reason to make the upgrade.

The story is one that is simple, yet complex. A man, who has become broken due to tragedy brought on by an apocalyptic plague, must take a young sixteen year old girl, across a dangerous country in an attempt to save the world. Simple enough, right? Wrong… dead wrong. Coming into this game, Naughty Dog threw out any and all topes you could think of when it comes to a thriller of this caliber. Every time you think you have figured out enough about the story to accurately call what will happen next, the developers throw a monkey wrench right into you blowing your mind, and changing everything that you think would’ve happened. Another thing this game excelled at originally, and carried over perfectly to this version, is the amazing voice acting and character development, of not only the main character, but nearly every side character you encounter. Naughty Dog created one of the most human experiences with this game, and it was something that affected many gamers, including myself, causing us to cheer when we succeeded, and cry when we failed.

With the addition of the Left Behind DLC, players are allowed to see the pivotal moment that starts it all, while revealing more of a human side to Ellie. This segment of the game mainly focuses on the story, instead of the action. Not to say there won’t be a few intense battles, but not nearly the same as the main game. What makes this DLC so, uniquely, awesome is you get to see Ellie be well, Ellie. The main story circles around two close friends breaking into a closed down mall running amok, but what makes it work so well is you get a look into how she enjoyed her life prior to becoming the walking cure, for the world.

When it comes to the multiplayer, it was a whole new experience for me. Seeing that I originally borrowed my copy of TLOU off of a friend, I didn’t want to be “That Guy” and use his online pass to play it. So I regrettably never had a chance to experience this games multiplayer the first time through. What I have found though, is a multiplayer I can truly get behind and enjoy. Back in the day, when online multiplayer was really first booming, there was a game called SOCOM. In all honesty that what this game reminds me of; It’s slow, methodical, and team orientated. To properly play, and win at this you must be in communication with your team nearly at all times. There are no one man hero’s in this multiplayer, and that’s something very unique in this current age of the “Twitch Shooter”.

Last but not least is the “Remastered” part of the game, which is absolutely jaw dropping. They truly pushed what their engine could do, and recreated a world that was already vibrant, turning it into something photorealistic. In all honesty, just in the first segment of the game when you’re escaping Texas was enough to take my breath away. I personally can’t wait until I get into the winter portion of the game just to see what the new snow effects are going to be like.

I’m going to make this quick, and to the point. If you own a PS4, you need to own this game. Whether you have played it before, or not; the content within this packaging is worth the $50 (USD) price point. It’s just as gripping, and action packed, but now comes with a slew of extra content you may or may not have experienced. This game is truly a masterpiece.

I give The Last of Us: Remastered a…10 out of 10

Verdict: 9.0 out of 10

I know, I know. MLB 14: The Show was released on PS4 on May 6th and I’m just now writing the review. I however cannot control this because I joined the B.A.T.G.R team 2 ½ weeks ago and yesterday learned a review for this game had not yet been done. Fear not! I know you’ve been clamoring for it so here it is! Well, that might be an overreach but if you are a baseball fan, than maybe not. MLB 14: The Show rewards the most die-hard of baseball fans. The bigger the fan and the more you understand the game, the more you can appreciate the nuances SCE San Diego Studio introduced to this latest installment of the franchise.

If you are looking for a detailed breakdown of each feature that this game has to offer, then this article may not be for you. You could, literally, write a 100 page manual on all of the different game modes, customizations, and intricacies that are at your disposal. I’ll admit, it can be a tad overwhelming at times. Do I want to play a scrimmage online to test my skills, practice my pitch selection in practice mode, start a season with my favorite team, create a player named Justin DiMaggio and bring him from Single-A all the way to the Bigs, and the list goes on and on. The options, at your disposal, are numerous but I found myself sticking to single game exhibition mode versus the PC, playing a shortened season with my Texas Rangers, Home Run Derby, and online play versus friends. You can tailor the settings to make it as easy or difficult as you want the game to be. I mean you can make pitchers your facing get tired quickly, throw a higher percentage of strikes, and even reduce the break of his slider to make it easier to hit. It’s pretty amazing.

 

Earlier I wrote that the bigger a fan you are of baseball and the more you understand the game, then the more you’ll appreciate what this game has to offer. What I meant by that is you can set your defensive positioning, call for a hit-and-run, choke up on the bat for a 2-strike count to try and make contact, call for time if the pitcher is taking too long, adjust your swing to hit a fly ball to try and let a runner tag from 3rd, etc. Honestly, that’s not even scratching the surface. What I’m getting at is that this is a true baseball sim. The players, their gestures, the stadiums, crowds, even announcers all appear as realistic as I have ever seen in a sports game. Even with all of these controls, the game does take time to figure out. The ‘Rookie’ setting takes a lot of the controls away such as fielding and sending the runner so that you can focus on the pitching and hitting. There is even an interactive setting that adjusts the difficulty depending on how well or not-so-well you’re doing. Even if you’re not a big baseball fan, you can have fun playing this game with simply trying to time your swing correctly or strike out the competition. This is essentially one big game containing hundreds of mini-games.

As long as you have an internet connection, current game scores and stats will scroll along the bottom of your screen allowing you to keep up with what’s actually going on in MLB. You can also download the latest MLB lineups each week which takes into account whether a player is hurt or is playing well in real-life or not and adjusts their stats accordingly. Even if you create a player or a team, you’ll be able to import them to next year’s version of the game, a new feature that was added to this installment. The button layout, albeit technical, is very intuitive and customizable. Baseball games can be long but you can set the game to ‘Quick Count’ which automatically takes you to a decisive count during an at-bat, speeding up the game. You simulate just about every aspect of a game, jumping to a particular inning or at-bat. You’re not forced to watch a runner round the bases after a homerun or wait for a pitcher to understand his catcher’s sign. Playing a 9-inning game straight through without simulating anything takes roughly 45 minutes to an hour.

Pros:
-Amazing big screen experience as well as handheld experience
-Loses no graphical integrity between PS3 and PS Vita.
-Farming in the game is seamless and offers hours of fun
-Completing side quests are very rewarding
-Very well written story and even character interactions
-Cross save access between PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita.

Cons:
-For newcomers the deadlines could be hard to reach
-Combining ingredients to some can be a hassle and very expensive if they don’t have days to farm the items needed
-Created items, occasionally will have a rainbow colored image, during alchemy, in the results image.

Final Score: 8.25 out of 10

For many, the Atelier franchise is a very welcomed experience, it is one that has managed, to define itself as a cross between four unique types of games: graphic novel, RPG battle-screen system, map-based dungeon crawler, and ‘cooking’ (synthesizing to be more accurate). What makes this game unique is how well it all is twisted into one. In the story, of this game, we get to take control of Rorona, the Alchemist of Arland.

The games story takes place over the course of three years. In the beginning, we learn that we are playing (as the title suggests) as Rorona, an alchemist’s apprentice, which she is, because she has been put into servitude. During the time of her servitude, she and her master, Astrid, are approached by Sterk, who is a Knight of Arland. In his visit, they learn that the Alchemy shop is being threatened to be shut down. In doing this, it means that both Astrid and Rorona would be expelled from the Kingdom of Arland to live outside of its protective walls. In doing so, Rorona is given the shop, and is told she must succeed, for them, to remain there. Doing this sets off a chain of events, which leads to Rorona seeing her parents, leading to her also finding out they will be taking trips together, in order to spend time together. This leads to Rorona getting constant gifts, which are unique, and help her do what she needs, in order, to keep the store afloat.

Over time Rorona runs into a rather unique set of characters, such as Cordelia, Lionela, Pamela, and even the silly, but serious chef, with a serious frying pan, Iskel. These characters are not the only ones you will get to encounter of course. These characters help drive the game, and will give players a rather unique look into what drives Rorona. With these characters, players will get to experience a noticeable upgrade to the game, itself. This upgrade includes one that is most precedent to players who are familiar with the original: Rorona’s upgraded character model. This is one of the few upgrades that we do get to see and experience, many of them will be dormant in the background, until unlocked. One of the more notable experiences is the New Game+ option, which includes the ability for players to experience the tie in between Atelier Rorona and Atelier Totori’s storylines. Thankfully, this also allows players to continue on where they left off, and explore a whole new world. This includes new costumes wear (not that those can’t be found in game before hand). The most unique part is for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita users who have other games in the franchise on their memory cards, or hard drive. They will get to unlock more costumes over time that allow for them to unlock added bonuses. One of these is not limited to the idea of bonus outfits that can be used throughout the game after having unlocked New Game+ and allowing access into the games Time Capsule.

Several changes have been made thanks to the games upgrade system, which allows for players to be confident in their purchase. This game is not limited to, but also includes these upgrades, which can be found and witnessed throughout the title itself. New characters (includes boss battles and interactable characters), revamped 3D models, revamped synthesis system, revamped battle system, new decorations, new illustrations, additional events, and much more. Just note that for PS3 and PS Vita users, it does require some play time as well as attention to details.

The best part of this game was not the ability to take on quests or read the conversations that take place, and give it a graphic novel like feel. Instead, it was the ability to explore the world, gather items needed to term quests as well as side quests, but also small request missions, which allow for players to enjoy more than just the graphic novel style of the game. Instead, this allows for a heavy amount of interaction as players can unlock new zones, items, and craft equipment that will help them in future occasions. Let us not forget, this will allow for players to level up, and work on getting prepared for future fights. Some of this exploration will include boss fights, harder enemies to fight, and allowing players to take time so that they can unlock new abilities and synthesis recipes. Also, don’t forget, earning cole (in-game currency) to pay for their hirelings such as Stark, Cordy, and others. This will require players to pay attention to how much they have, and to help them note that their money could be running low for future items, goods, and hired party members (only two at a time can be hired).

In Atelier Rorona, we were able to experience the many quests within the game; the most unique part about this title, in the JRPG world, is that it requires plenty of exploration of the zones and even requires players to revisit several of them in one visit. This will drive players to memorize what drops where and how many of them they will need. Players need to note that items do lose their value for synthesis. This is something that is highly recommended to get quite a bit of attention to; especially the value number. The higher the number, the more it is worth, and this is something worth watching for over time. One thing that players can note is during synthesis items can all have different traits and will allow for players to unlock these traits, as they level up synthesis, and learn new abilities. These traits will allow for items to have more value, last longer, and have added effects. Some of these can be used to provide unique item healing, increased damage in combat, and the added chance to survive against harder enemies as the game goes on.

Overall, Atelier Rorona Plus: The Alchemist of Arland is a very unique experience. With a very alive world as well as characters, players can experience a unique twist on storytelling, and laugh. With this game, you can expect a few good laughs, but also endless hours of fun, which is just what we experienced, and got to enjoy.

Graphics: With a massive upgrade to what graphics are on the PS Vita, players can definitely expect to see a unique take on what the PlayStation Vita can handle. The PlayStation 3 version will undoubtedly shine just the same.

Sound: The game, even on the Vita, presented a huge entertainment experience that allowed for a very enjoyable game; with great sound file integrity, the game shines heavily on the PlayStation Vita, and will not leave any doubts on the PlayStation 3.

Controls: Thankfully, the game is very easy to learn, and will not leave any questions. Primarily using the analog sticks, ‘X’, ‘O’, ‘Triangle, ‘Start’, and ‘Select’, players will not have trouble learning the controls throughout the game, as they play it.

Release Date: June 24th, 2014. Price: 39.99 USD for PlayStation Vita and 49.99 USD for PlayStation 3.

For More Information about Tecmo Koei, visithttp://www.tecmokoeiamerica.com/

For More Information Regarding Atelier Rorona Plus: The Alchemist of Arland, visit: http://www.tecmokoeiamerica.com/roronaplus/#home

---

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, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

Pros:
-Amazing big screen experience as well as handheld experience
-Loses no graphical integrity between PS3 or PS Vita.
-Farming in the game is seamless and offers hours of fun
-Completing side quests are very rewarding
-Very well written story and even character interactions
-Cross save access between PlayStation 3, but also PlayStation Vita.

Cons:
-For newcomers the deadlines could be hard to reach
-Combining ingredients to some can be a hassle and very expensive if they don’t have days to farm the items needed
-Sometimes created items during alchemy will have a rainbow colored image in the results image.

Final Score: 8.25 out of 10

  For many, the Atelier franchise is a very welcomed experience. It is one that has managed to define itself as a cross between four unique types of games: graphic novel, RPG battle-screen system, map-based dungeon crawler, and ‘cooking’ (synthesizing to be more accurate). What makes this game unique is how well it all is twisted together in one. In the story of this game we get to take control of Rorona, the Alchemist of Arland. 

  
  The games story takes place over the course of three years. In the beginning we learn that we are playing (as the title suggests) as Rorona, an alchemist’s apprentice, which is there because she did something to put her into servitude. During the time of her servitude she and her master Astrid are approached by Sterk who is a Knight of Arland. In his visit they learn that the Alchemy shop is being threatened to be shut down. In doing this it means that both Astrid and Rorona would be expelled from the Kingdom of Arland to live outside of its protective walls. In doing so, Rorona is given the shop, and is told she must succeed for them to remain there. Doing this sets off a chain of events, which leads to Rorona seeing her parents, which leads to her also find out they are going to take trips in order to spend some time together. This also leads to Rorona getting constant gifts, which are unique, and help her do what she needs in order to keep the store afloat. 

 Over time Rorona runs into unique set of characters such as Cordelia, Lionela, Pamela, and even the silly, but serious chef with a serious frying pan, Iskel. These characters are not the only ones you will get to encounter of course. It is these characters that help drive the game and will give players a rather unique look into what drives Rorona into doing what she does. With these characters, players will get to experience a noticeable upgrade to the game itself. This upgrade includes one that is most precedent to players who are familiar with the original: Rorona’s upgraded character model. This is of course only one of the few upgrades that we do get to see and experience. Many of them will be dormant in the background until unlocked. One of these that is most notable is the New Game+ option, which includes the ability for players to experience the tie in between Atelier Rorona and Atelier Totori’s storylines. Thankfully this also allows players to continue on where they left off and explore a whole new world. This includes new costumes to do it in (not that those can’t be found in game before hand). The most unique part is for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita users who have other games in the franchise on their memory cards or hard drive. They will get to unlock more costumes over time that allow for them to unlock added bonuses. One of these is not limited to the idea of bonus outfits that can be used throughout the game after having unlocked New Game+ and allowing access into the games Time Capsule. 

 Several changes have been made thanks to the games upgrade system, which allows for players to be confident in their purchase. This game also is not limited to, but also includes up to these upgrades, which can be found and witness throughout the title itself: New characters (includes boss battles and interactable characters), revamped 3D models, revamped synthesis system, revamped battle system, new decorations, new illustrations, additional events, and much more. Just note that for PS3 and PS Vita users, it does require some play time as well as attention to details. 

 The best part of this game was not just the ability to take on quests or read the conversations that take place, and give it a graphic novel like feel. Instead it was also the ability to explore the world, gather items needed to term quests as well as term side quests, but also small request missions, which allow for players to enjoy more than just the graphic novel style of the game. Instead this allows for a heavy amount of interaction as players can unlock new zones, items, and even craft equipment that will help them in future occasions. Lets not also forget, this will allow for players to level up, and work on getting prepared for future fights. Some of this exploration will include boss fights, harder enemies to fight, and allowing players to take time so that they can unlock new abilities and synthesis recipes. Also lets not forget earning cole (in-game currency) to pay for their hirelings such as Stark, Cordy, and others. This will require players to pay attention to how much they have and to help them note that their money could be running low for future items, goods, and hired party members (only two at a time can be hired). 

  In Atelier Rorona, as mentioned, we were able to experience the many quests within the game. The most unique part about this title in the JRPG world is that it requires plenty of exploration of each of the zones and even requires players to revisit several of them in one visit. This will drive players to memorize what drops where and how many of it they will need. Players will need to note that items do lose their value for synthesis. This is something that is highly recommended to get quite a bit of attention to, especially the value number. The higher the number, the more it is worth, and this is something worth watching for over time. One thing that players can note is during synthesis items can all have different traits and will allow for players to unlock these traits as they level up synthesis and learn new abilities. Some of these traits will allow for items to have more value, last longer, and have added effects. Some of these can also be used in order to provide unique item healing, increased damage in combat, and the added chance to survive against harder enemies as the game goes on.

 Overall, Atelier Rorona Plus: The Alchemist of Arland is a very unique experience. With a very alive world as well as characters, players can experience a unique twist on storytelling, but also a reason to laugh. With this game, you can expect a few good laughs, but also endless hours of fun, which is just what we experienced and got to enjoy. 

Graphics: With a massive upgrade to what graphics are on the PS Vita, players can definitely expect to see a unique take on what the PlayStation Vita can handle. The PlayStation 3 version will undoubtedly shine just the same.

Sound: The game even on the Vita presented a huge entertainment experience that allowed for a very enjoyable experience. With great sound file integrity, the game shines heavily on the PlayStation Vita, and will not leave any doubts on the PlayStation 3.

Controls: Thankfully, the game is very easy to learn and will not leave any questions unturned. Using primarily the analog sticks, ‘X’, ‘O’, ‘Triangle, ‘Start’, and ‘Select’, players will not have trouble learning this game as they play it.

Release Date: June 24th, 2014. Price? 39.99 USD for PlayStation Vita and 49.99 USD for PlayStation 3.

For More Information about Tecmo Koei visit http://www.tecmokoeiamerica.com/

For More Information Regarding Atelier Rorona Plus: The Alchemist of Arland visit: http://www.tecmokoeiamerica.com/roronaplus/#home