For gamers, it’s been a pretty busy day. Nintendo has announced a lot of smash-hit returns, Dark Souls: Remastered has been announced, and there’s even this big news here. Nihon Falcom has announced that the Zwei: The Arges Adventure, one of the original games from the developer, is heading to Windows PC via Steam, GoG, and The Humble Store later this month.
Console gamers in this day and age have had a lucky hand dealt to them. They’ve gotten their hands on some pretty solid ports such as Warframe, Smite, Neverwinter, Killing Floor 2, and a select few others. The experiences of those games are actually quite awesome, but not to the extent of what their PC variants are, and will ever be. PC gamers are in luck, they get mods, they get updates right off the bat, and they don’t have to wait for files to be uploaded to game servers in order to enjoy their games. Also, they don’t have to pay subscription fees.
Free-to-play games are always a joy to have around. They offer a varied experience for every player. Want to throw down a few bucks for more skins, characters, or customizations? Have at it. Want to save a few bucks and work hard to earn your right to each of the characters, unlocks, or skins? Have at it. That’s the joy about free-to-play titles. The latest one to join them all is also a joy to have around.
Since its exclusive release on PlayStation 4, Nioh has been one of the most beloved dark fantasy action-RPGs in recent years. The game has been met with both critical and commercial success when it launched last year, by taking fans to never-before-seen stories within Japan’s history. Today, Koei Tecmo has announced that Nioh: Complete Edition will be headed to PC via Steam this fall.
Conarium promises to deliver one of the most immersive experiences yet within the realms of H.P. Lovecraft, but how well does it deliver on this promise? Let’s find out.
So you’ve managed to sprawl your way through the Cyberpunk RPG series Shadowrun from the sprawling streets of Seattle to the neon lit districts of Hong Kong. Parting ways from these standings, the critically acclaimed studio Harebrained Schemes has decided to take us into a labyrinth of death in their newest title Necropolis.
The award winning title has officially released on PC’s via Steam. As a permadeath 3D action roguelike title, Necropolis seeks to pop itself to life with off-the-wall humour, beautiful eye-candy art styles, diabolical traps, and even a plae filled with creatures seeking your ultimate demise. Think you can do it alone? If not it’s fun for those who want to seek an adventure together with an easy drop-in and drop-out 4-person cooperative multiplayer campaign. Why? So you don’t have to go to the grave alone.
Much like the famed franchises that punish players with perma-death such as the hardcore modes from Diablo and Torchlight – Necropolis seeks to do the same as players move across a magical and living dungeon. As players fight deeper within it, the dangers grow even more gruesome. Ready to die? If not, prepare to die quite a bit while hunting down loot and moving through the randomly populated and created dungeons.
“We’re really excited that folks can finally get their hands on NECROPOLIS.” said Jordan Weisman, Chief Creative Officer of Harebrained Schemes. “It’s a shining example of why we named this place Harebrained Schemes in the first place – we follow our passion – and the minute the team pitched this game, we knew we had to make it.”
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America, Inc. will be publishing the console versions of NECROPOLIS later this summer. Stay tuned for our upcoming review.
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:
+Graphically astounding in comparison to the PlayStation Vita Version
+60fps brings the game back to life with fluid combat and animations
+Natively supports mouse and keyboard as well as Xbox One controllers
Cons:
–Boobs, boobs, boobs.. It’s an overload at times.
When it comes to anything being a guilty pleasure, it’s hard to state, which one is which. If it’s not the boobs jiggling or the high pitched squeals as pieces of clothing breaks, it’s hard to determine what point is the “guilty pleasure” state and what point is actually the ability to enjoy the game for what it is; a brawler.
In my original review (now buried on our Facebook wall, as it was before we had a blog, or even a website like we do now), I stated the game is perfect for those looking for skimpy outfits, female shinobi, and excessive amounts of boob jokes that tend to be funny. The truth is? That previous statement hasn’t changed since the original games release on the PlayStation Vita back in 2014.Thankfully to the power of games such as this one moving to PC, Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus gets another chance to reprise the role it had as a hilarious title with some cheerful moments and even light gags. However, can it be as funny as well as enjoyable compared to its previous release? With this, that’s what we’re going to take a look at as we’ll treat this review not just as a re-review, but a whole new review all together.
For those unfamiliar with the series, Senran Kagura is, at its core, a comedic buxom brawler that brings in the meanest of the meanest female warriors from Hanzō National Academy, Hebijo and Gessen. While some may be able to find a school they prefer, Senran Kagura offers a variety of reasons to play characters from both while also experiencing the stories from both. This is something that does add in replay value and keeps the game alive in many ways, ways in such, I’m still playing it and haven’t put it back down even though I’m playing it again on both PC and PlayStation Vita.
“The mechanics, even though they are musou style, are what keep the game alive”
When reviewing any game such as this one, the story could easily be one of the parts to ignore if you aren’t in for a few boob jokes, and a few facepalm worthy moments. Granted all the dubbing is done quite well for fans to enjoy, but so is the translation. This is where XSEED Games sets the par against many localization teams. The one thing though that has kept me coming back? Isn’t the story believe it or not, but the combat mechanics.
For those familiar with the series and those that aren’t will quickly be able to the game without a hitch. Thanks to the not-so-complex combat style that can quite easily be compared to Dynasty Warriors style games (trust me, this game has a lot that can be a nod towards the franchise), players will find themselves quite often mashing both square and triangle in able to beat their enemies to a pulp. With combo’s galore at their hands, players will find themselves mashing square as fast as possible before transferring into a triangle held moment to pop enemies in the air before pursuing them. This will easily take enemies into a aerial stun where they will gain ground of the battlefield.
Included in the combat mechanics is something a bit more unique, one that causes clothing options to be destroyed when the opposing or player character has received a set amount of damage. While this is easy to do, enemies or the player are capable to initiate a shinobi transformation, which allows the girls to be stripped down (censored by golden rays), and transformed into their ninja form. For all those new or never played the series, all of their clothing options can be customized from undergarments, shirts, dresses, etc. In this new form, the character becomes more powerful, versatile, and even heals up to full health while now being able to unleash powerful new shinobi abilities. Some that will stun enemies while locking them into an obscene amount of damage and allowing the tides of battle to be turned. The mechanics, even though they are musou style are what keep the game alive.
“The Performance and Port Quality is Top-Notch”
Hardware Used for the Review:
Asus RoG G53SX-DH71 Gaming Laptop (External Link to Asus RoG Website)
Windows 10 Premium – 64-bit
1920 x 1080 resolution screen
8GB DDR4 RAM
1TB 7200RPM HDD with a 1TB 7200RPM Backup HDD
Nvidia GTX 560M 2GB
The transition, however, from Vita to PC was quite easy thanks to the game supporting Xbox One controllers as well as other PC supported controllers. Deciding to test the game on two PC’s, I was impressed from the moment I booted up the game, setting it to 1080p, 16×9, and running at full 60+fps consistently without a drop. This stayed true across both platforms, one with a integrated video card, and the other a dedicated.Even on a TV as a monitor, the game played without a hitch as expected.
When looking at the idea of a game being “ported”; it’s hard not to take a moment to glance at what makes the port solidified and a justifiable purchase for those wanting to go at the title again. Unlike most games, we’ve seen a few that were only half-ports where only the in-game animations during player control had been scaled up to perform as one would expect. This time around? This game is not one of those and it was done perfectly enough, the performance and port quality is top-notch, and it would be hard to state that XSEED Games and Marvelous AQL didn’t go out of their way to ensure player’s would come back for another purchase. This port? Is perfect the way it is.
“Multiplayer Lag Was Unbearable at Times”
Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus – PC (Reviewed), PlayStation Vita
Developer: Marvelous AQL
Publisher: XSEED Games
Price: $29.99 USD
Released: Available Now
Out of all my experiences outside of unique customization choices that can be done via the shop, the games multiplayer is where the game begins to shine outside of linear and repetitive designs. The multiplayer is where the game makes the combat a bit more enjoyable as players will find themselves facing off against themselves and NPCs. While combat remains the same, players will find themselves battling it out for the top score in order to show their talents. As one would expect, the game supports online multiplayer, which is where the core ability to enjoy the game is for many of the players.
While finding a few good matches had been highly possible, there was still some trouble finding the matches I needed that didn’t lag. Luckily the few matches I got in ran pretty smooth without little to no hiccups after the bits of lag that managed to land on us. Overall? It wasn’t enough to damn the game in any form. If this how any game comes across as a port? I think XSEED Games has set the new standard for how a port should work out.
Our review is based on a copy provided to us by the games publisher. For information about our ethics policy please click here.
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:
+Depicts the Warhammer universe in an immaculate manner
+Mod support works greatly since launch
+Online multiplayer is challenging, fun, and keeps the game functionally alive
+Amazing combat rendering for each faction
+Extremely easy to navigate and moderate active mods through the launcher.
+Runs amazing even on lower spec computers
Cons:
-Can be complicated for beginners to learn even with tutorials
When you think of strategy games what do you think of? Some may think of games such as Starcraft, X-Com: Declassified, Warcraft, Total War, Age of Empires, and many others when it comes to the famed genre. When you ask me? I think of even older games, ones like Sid Civilization or Missionforce: Cyberstorm. However, none of these games truly have the depth of Total War: Warhammer, but this one isn’t the usual for the franchise. Known for its historic approach to events of true history and an approach to some of the worlds most interesting conflicts, Total War: Warhammer takes away from events such as the era of the Shogun and Napoleon Bonapartes greatest achievements in history.
Created by the masterminds behind the Total War franchise and even Halo Wars, Creative Assembly has created a solid franchise, one that fits a specific niche for some gamers, and continues to do great at it. With this latest expansion, they’ve done something astounding, and followed lore many Warhammer fans have come to know as well as love in the fantasy universe. For many of us, we know the Warhammer franchise hasn’t had the best of all records with games such as Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, which lost sight of its source material and aimed to create an epic adventure in the renowned science fiction universe. While we’ve seen other games that have taken this route, the series has had a bit of a rocky road, but thanks to Creative Assembly, it seems that bit of unfortunate circumstances has been turned around as of late.
Hardware Used for the Review:
Asus RoG G53SX-DH71 Gaming Laptop (External Link to Asus RoG Website)
Windows 10 Premium – 64-bit
1920 x 1080 resolution screen
8GB DDR4 RAM
1TB 7200RPM HDD with a 1TB 7200RPM Backup HDD
Nvidia GTX 560M 2GB
As a series that has been always evolving and making itself stronger, Total War hasn’t stopped itself from doing so even with its latest endeavor into the tabletop universe that has taken the world by storm for well over two decades. For my campaign? I couldn’t resist taking on the gameplay of the worlds adventurous as well as opportunistic Vampires. While I’d have loved to take to playing as the Dark Elves, Elves or Skaven, I was quite content with the selection that was made possible. While Vampire Counts is by far my favourite, I was quite content seeing Dwarves being one of my largest opponents even though they quickly became a nuisance.
One of the most admirable parts of the game is the gameplay itself where the game focuses heavily upon regiments and their strategy. Something that ties almost perfectly with the tabletop game where the rules are implemented as if they were made just for Total War. As one would expect, the veterans to the franchise would find themselves at a bit of an advantage due to their knowledge of unit times as well as what they will contend best against in real-time combat be it in large groups or individual battles.
The one thing that may take them for a bit of a spin is the games required maintenance for their empire as they take on their enemies. Because of this players will find themselves carefully recruiting, filling in defenses, but also bargaining for truces with enemy factions. This can include the factions players can choose from such as the Human Empire, Vampire Counts, Chaos Warriors (available as a pre-order bonus for pre-order folks or as an optional DLC) as well Orks and Goblins.
Total War: Warhammer – PC (Reviewed)
Developer: Creative Assembly
Publisher: Sega
Price: $59.99 USD
Released: Available Now
While one would expect them all to play the same, it’s actually not the case here, as each has their own strengths, weaknesses, and even their own resources needed to keep their factions alive. Some may take on larger infantry scales as the Human Empire or the terrifying Terrorgheists and monstrosities of skeletons from the Vampire Counts. Others may see magic become a lacking feature of the Dwarves focus more on combat prowess as well as their capability of controlling the battlefield the best they can. While it’d been interesting to see the nimble yet cunning races such as the Elves in or the terrifying Skaven taking to the battlefield, players won’t be disappointed when they see what Creative Assembly has brought to life even if their faction didn’t make the games initial cut. As someone who has played plenty of Warhammer games such as Dawn of War, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, it’s hard to not say this game isn’t near-perfect as a deep and complex empire building title with its strategy focus for combat, but also; the best Total War game I’ve played to date. This has easily taken the spot from Total War: Shogun 2. You can be guaranteed our review will get updated over time as we experience more and more with it.
Our review is based on a copy provided to us by the games publisher. For information about our ethics policy please click here.
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.
If you’re a modder and love to put out new content for P.C. games, Total War: WARHAMMER has had its latest announcement unveiled, which is full mod support and Steam Workshop support that will allow for you, the modders, the fans, and the gamers to enjoy content created by your fellow gamers. With this announcement, Creative Assembly has announced they will have both an Assembly Kit and Steam Workshop support setup so that the game will be ready on launch. Additionally the development team will also be assisting some modders in readying day one mods for those wanting some created content.
While it was initially announced that the game would not benefit from the official mod support and Workshop Support, the development team and Games Workshop both have worked away on the paperwork so that the much-in-demand fan feature could be come a reality. What does this mean for you? You’ll be able to visit the official Total War: WARHAMMER workshop, browse, follow, discuss, and even install mods straight from Steam, as well as access and manage them from within the games Total War Mod Manager within the game itself. Is that not enough? Of course not! The Assembly Kit will be officially released as a “modding tool box” that will be released with the Database Editor and BOB for modifying and exporting database tables as well as campaign start positions. They also are aiming to add further functionality including battle map editing later int he year.
Additionally, attendee’s to Creative Assembly’s Mod Summits over the last three years will be getting some early access codes to the game in order to help populate the Steam Workshop starting from day one. Also, well-known modders such as Magnar and Dresden will receive specific help from the development team at Creative Assembly in order to produce some unique mods of theirs. This means Magnar is creating a Legendary Lord Start Position Mod that will introduce new start positions from Race Leaders while Dresden is working on a Regional Occupation Mod, which alters settlement rules to enable each race to settle every and any region they want.
With this announcement, the enabling of Steam Workshop has allowed the DotA2 Team at Valve to announce they will be accepting submissions for a new “Warhammer” themed treasure to mark the release of the game. With all these announcements there is one last new one. Those that want to pre-order trough steam can get some unique little goodies to read up on: http://blog.dota2.com/2016/04/warhammer-comes-to-the-dota-2-workshop/
Total War: WARHAMMER is the first fantasy title to entire the Total War franchise when it releases on May 24th, 2016 through steam for PC. You can tune into their channel on Twitch to look at the Greenskins campaign today: twitch.tv/totalwarofficial .
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.
Rust is a wonderful PVP sandbox game that was original released in December 2013. As of now the game is still in alpha, early access through Steam. That being said there are several wonderful things about this game, some of which can be a downside. After hands on play for over 200 hours there is plenty to say about Rust. One on the biggest things to mention about Rust is that even after 2 years post launch the developers are still continuing to do weekly updates to the game. On top of that they are good about keep us in the community up to date with new concepts they are working on. Along with the game having strong developer support it also has a large community that supports it.
The community includes both server hosting and mods. I myself have a server that has several mods that run on it. Servers can be hosted personally or rented from server hosting websites. If rented – depending on the hosting site and the size of the server that you want – price on average can vary from $9 to as much as $20. Whether hosting a server oneself or just joining an active server Rust has an easy to navigate server browser. Servers can be found in one of there major categories, which are as follows Official, Community, and Modded. Along with this you can see the servers you have previously visited, ones in which your friends are on and all the ones you have tagged as favorite.
Another nice feature is the ability to be able to search for servers by name. Just like Rust there are several games out there that have modding support. All games that do have mods have ones that fall into categories ranging from cosmetic to changing the game play. As of now most mods for rust fall into one of two categories, User Interface or gameplay Out of these mods many of the top ones are UI. To note a few: InfoPanel, StackSize Controller and Death Notes. Some of the top gameplay mods are teleportation System, Kits abd Levels Remastered. One mod that is neither gameplay or UI is the one named Weather Controller. This one is great if for no other reason than it can help make the game run smoother for those who cant handle the weather effects.
The graphics included in this game are beautiful, from the bright sunny days to the dense fog that rolls over the land. That being said the graphics that make is so beautiful is also a problem. When you start up rust you choose your resolution and one of five graphic settings. However, once you are in game there are more in-depth graphic adjustments available. This means whether you have a top of the line graphics card or one that is not the graphic settings can be modify. Hopefully enough so one can not just run Rust, but also allow you to play. Even if graphics have to be turned down to the lowest settings it is still a great game to play. If you have to turn the graphics down to a lower setting this can still result in lag and death of player in PvP situations.
Rust – PC
Developer: Facepunch Studios
Publisher: Facepunch Studios
Cost: 19.99 USD
Release Date: Now Available – Early Access
Rust being a PvP (Player vs Player) sandbox game it is both exhilarating and annoying at the same time. This is due to the fact that while you are harvesting or build a base it is not uncommon to be targeted, killed and/or raided. This PvP aspect is one of the appeal facets of Rust. Even with that being the case there are players who don’t enjoy the PvP form of play. Keeping this in mind several servers are run as PvE (Player vs Environment) servers but still have PvP turned on. Playing PvE is not without it own types of dangers from radiation zones, fall damage and even wild animal attacks.
As a whole Rust is a entertaining and pleasant take on the sandbox genre. With being an alpha early access title expect more changes and/or additions to the game. Even if you do not enjoy the PvP aspect of this game but are a fan of the sandbox genre you should give Rust a play. If you do whether you play on a PvP or PvE server, that does or doesn’t use mods Rust is a wonderful game.
About the Writer:
Chris Adee is one of B.A.T.G.R.’s newest writers who seems to love three things. Sleep, games, and MOBA’s when he’s not goofing around on Warframe and SMITE. He also likes games. A lot. Oh and anime. Did we mention anime?