Dark Souls 2, Diablo 3: RoS + inFamous: SS Impressions

Finished a couple of big games in the past week. Just some impressions of what I thought of them.

Dark Souls 2 [PS3]

GREAT game. I really enjoyed it and had a lot of fun. Some areas and bosses made me annoyed or frustrated just like with the previous Souls games. But I didn't give up as much because of the better online and changes to the system. Summoning and being summoned was way less aggravating and I was hardly invaded. It was almost impossible trying to summon or get summoned at a decent rate which made me play the previous games offline. But I loved the online in this game and it made coop a lot more fun. I'm still not a fan of the invasions due to the fact that they happen at the worst areas for me.

Overall, this is probably the most accessible game in the series. It's easier for vets to get into but still a challenge for anyone who hasn't played the series. There's still a lot of areas that will test your patience and some bosses will destroy you. There's still some trophies I want to get and many more secrets out there so I may revisit it soon. Once again, definitely a must play if you enjoyed this series. Loved it.

Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls [PC]

This was a nice continuation of the Diablo 3 story. While it wasn't as long as I liked, they did a good job tying up loose ends with several NPCs. The main story was blah and way too predictable. I played as the Female Wizard and she became super sassy which amused me. Some of the dialogue was cliche as expected but whatever. I'll probably play as the other characters just to see all their storylines so that should be fun. I can't help but feel they're setting this up for another expansion.

I also need to mention that I loved the new and improved loot system and other changes. The end of the auction houses was the best decision they made. The ability to get loot that is actually useful was a breath of fresh air. When I returned to the game, everything in my stash was basically pure junk at this point. I couldn't wait to sell/scrap them as soon as possible. Loot was the most important part of this series and now we can finally enjoy the game fully.

Overall, this is worth getting if you enjoyed the main game. All the new stuff was good and I'm sure playing the game on coop at higher difficulties will be better with better loot.

inFamous: Second Son [PS4]

Fun game with one of the most gorgeous graphics on the current consoles. I loved the look of everything. The lighting is amazing and the textures were sharp as hell. It's a beautiful game. The powers were fun and I liked the traversal. I really enjoyed using them and they got better as you leveled them up. Some of the enemy encounters were kind of annoying but the ability to quickly escape made them tolerable.

As for the story, Delsin was annoying at first but if you played the Good side, he became much more likable as you progressed. The Evil side was not worth playing through for the story. I only did it for the trophies. My main problem with the Evil side were the the evil scenes. They didn't mesh well with the rest of the game. The dialogue didn't change too much and Delsin being "evil" came off as just more of an irritating SOB. It was nothing as interesting as what happened with Cole if you turned evil in the previous games. The overall story for both sides weren't that great anyway. This was a relatively short game (especially compared to the previous games) so they didn't actually have a lot of character development. Quite a shame because I could see so much potential with what they had in there already. Fetch and Eugene were interesting characters and they could've had more missions to flesh them out. Potential lost unless they make more story-related DLC.

Overall, I still enjoyed the game. It's not quite as beefy as the previous inFamous games so any vets of the serious should be prepared for that. You might finish it in a weekend marathon even if you decide to collect everything. Even though I Platinumed the game, I'm still going to play for the bonus missions that they're gonna put out. The Cole's Legacy DLC was pretty cool and the Paper Trail mission intrigued me. Worth playing.

Dark Souls 2 & Other Games

So I've been juggling between various games this month. March has been a pretty packed but I wanted to play all the big games as they came out. I'm just gonna give my impressions of what I've been playing.

Dark Souls 2 has been a lot of fun. It's familiar yet different enough that even Souls vets will find it refreshing. I've been pretty impressed with how it feels and controls. The UI and various mechanics have been refined and better. It's definitely a lot less frustrating than the previous games in the series. The ability to warp to any bonfire is a relief and I like how durability works in this game. The online stuff is also way better. I never really cared about online coop in the previous games but I've been addicted to helping people fight bosses in this game. Fun fun.

The story and characters have been pretty good so far. The NPC voiceover is excellent as expected from a Souls game. But this one might be the best simply because the actors have way more lines to work with. So not only could we enjoy their performances more but we also learn a lot more about the characters and their backstory than we ever had in the previous games. There are some really amazing performances. Not a bad one in the lot.

Anyway, the game is still very challenging especially as you progress further into the later areas. You will definitely die. I'm still having fun and I have been hooked on it more than any of the other games that came out in the past few weeks. 

InFamous: Second Son was another major release I played recently. The graphics are damn gorgeous and one of the prettiest games on the current consoles. I was constantly impressed with how beautiful it looks and the lighting is excellent. It definitely felt like the previous games in the series with how it controls and plays. It does have some of the jankiness of the previous games but I haven't encountered any weird bugs or glitches. 

So far I'm not a fan of the main character. Delsin is a cocky douchebag with a personality of a young annoying teenager. He hasn't been as interesting or relatable as Cole so far. Hope he gets better over time. The way certain story beats transition is also a bit jarring. Not a fan of that either.

I'm still enjoying the game but the story really hasn't grabbed me at all. 

Titanfall was one of those massive new releases I haven't spent enough time with. I completed one side of the campaign and it was alright. The story was kinda crap and basically white noise during the matches. This game definitely needed a real SP campaign. What they gave us sucked. I really didn't give a crap about what was going on in those little screens in the upper right. What a waste of resources.

The proper MP modes are fun but make sure to play with friends or people you know online. The game is still fun but less fun with strangers. I haven't played enough to be really good at it but it's been enjoyable. I'll spend more time with it soon.

Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap was an unexpected title I wanted to play after beating A Link Between Worlds earlier this year. I got the game free from the Ambassador Program that Nintendo did way back. 

I'm really enjoying it right now. The sprites are gorgeous and the music is excellent as expected. Some of the puzzles are simple but they did a good job making some of them just hard enough or subtle enough to make me scratch my head. 

I'm taking my time with it and jumping into it whenever I'm in the mood. It's pretty great so far.

Too many games with more coming out this week!

[PS3] Left Behind DLC and The Walking Dead S2 Ep1+2 Quick Hits

Some quick hits for the following games I completed recently. No spoilers, of course.

The Last of Us: Left Behind DLC

This was a fantastic addition to the main game. It was well written and well directed. We got a alot more Ellie and also had some real insight into her past. It was full of cute little moments and made me love her even more. What I also loved was that it also cleared up one part of the story in the main game. For anyone who completed the main game, this is a MUST play. 

The Walking Dead Season 2

Episode 1: All That Remains

An exciting introduction to Clementine's journey after Season 1 ended. There were some really crazy unexpected moments. The new characters were pretty interesting as well. It was great to be back in this world playing as Clementine this time.

Episode 2: A House Divided

FANTASTIC. This was even better than the previous ep. Full of character development and some good moments. It was also much more tense than the previous ep with higher stakes. There were some really nice surprises which I will not spoil. This might be my favorite episode in the entire TWD games so far. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Overall

I highly recommend playing both games. Both Left Behind and TWD S2 feature strong young female characters who have to deal with some pretty terrible shit. They are much more interesting than most other video game characters out there. Love Ellie and Clementine.

[Vita] DanganRonpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Review + Thoughts

Finished the game today after a major marathon and it was awesome. So I never actually knew what DanganRonpa was before its announcement for the West. I only knew they were games that were released a while back on PSP and I knew fans loved the series. I also knew about the anime for this game but I never checked it out. I remember checking out some of  the artwork online a few years ago though. But all I heard from fans who recommended it was that it's like 999 and Ace Attorney and I was sold. But after finishing it, I feel it's much more than that.

Story - (No spoilers.)

So do you like the Zero Escape series? How about the Persona series? Or how about the Ace Attorney series? Ever wondered what would happen if someone combined them together? It would be DanganRonpa, yo!

The story was simply incredible. It was full of twists and unexpected moments. You play as one character who is trapped in some weird school and must work with a cast of characters to escape. I won't get into details but there are also trials where you must win to survive. The main plot was simply riveting from beginning to end. What really grabbed me was how much risk it took with its characters and setting. You just never seem to know what will happen next. The game plays around with your expectations all the time. Even when I figured out who the suspect was or how someone was murdered, the game would throw in multiple curve balls to screw with you. It was a lot of fun and kept me entertained. I never got bored with any part of the game. I was sucked into its crazy world. Some of the things that happened was incredibly morbid and disturbing. It definitely made me felt uneasy at times. There is a lot of dark humor that some people will enjoy. When the game wanted to be funny, it was funny. When it wanted to creep you out, it was pretty darn creepy. So good.

The characters were incredibly diverse and fun. They took your typical archetypes and totally messed around with them. I was continually surprised at how well developed and written they were. Most of them weren't what you'd expect from how they looked. Although, there was one stereotypical geek/otaku/nerd fat guy who encompassed all the negative sides of that trope. At least he wasn't dumb, sorta. But anyways, I really liked most of the cast. Most of them were very smart and very clever. In fact, some of them are even smarter than your character which was refreshing. I need to point out that it was very bold of NIS America for them to keep the original Japanese names. They could have gone the other way and made up English names but they didn't. I liked that.

The dialogue between the characters were very well written. I have to give NIS America HUGE props for the localization. I was super duper impressed! The dialogue was extremely natural and flowed really well. It felt like how people would speak in real life if they were put in these situations. Even the jokes were super well written. The lewd jokes in particular were funny as hell. I'm not sure who was in charge of them but they were biting and insanely well timed. Hell, even the cursing felt right for whoever was saying it in their situations. I laughed out loud quite often. I also liked the multiple references to other games and other forms of pop culture. Some are quite subtle while others blatantly mention specific product brands and/or names of real world people. It's a bit jarring when that happens but they don't date the game or make it feel awkward. If it weren't for the strong translation, I don't think I would've liked the game as much as I did. So once again, kudos to NISA for a job well done.

Gameplay

There are several distinct aspects to the gameplay which I will quickly summarize. It contains some familiar aspects you would see from visual novel games but contains a lot of actual game in addition to simply talking to people.

The first aspect is called "Free Time" where you go explore the school in first person mode and talk with any other students along the way. The game also allows you to fast travel to hot spots which made exploration a breeze whenever I had to backtrack to an area. You're given a specific amount of time to talk to students and get to know them. You can even give them presents you get from a vending machine to unlock skills you can use for the trials. I wish the game gave me more time to chat with more students in a day because people will die and when that happens, you can't talk to them anymore.

The next part of the game is the "Investigation" mode where you must gather clues after a murder has taken place. You basically need to investigate crime scenes and other parts of the school to collect evidence and NPC testimony for "Truth Bullets" which are used during the trials. The game won't progress until you find all pertinent clues. What I really liked is if you checked out the information before the trial, you can actually figure out a lot of stuff from your own detective work.

The third aspect is the trial itself. Characters start discussing the crime and you need to point out contradictions with your "Truth Bullets". You  need to literally shoot text on screen with your own text by aiming or tapping. It's quite challenging especially later in the game because it can go crazy with the speed and placement of the words. This was a really fun aspect of the game because how much action is going on. There is also a "Bullet Time Battles" which pops up certain times where it becomes a music rhythm game. Huh, yes, it's true. I'll let you guys see what that's all about but it wasn't too hard and added another layer of gameplay to the trials which was fun. I also need to point out that the trials are 100% voiced unlike the main game which really added a lot to this part of the game.

The final aspect is the "Closing Argument" where you must figure what happened in the entire case. You're given a comic book/manga where you have to put in missing panels that will reveal what happened. It's really fun because once you complete it, you see an animated comic/manga come to life and explain the case clearly and concisely. Very well done.

I need to point out that once you beat the game, there are a lot of fun extras to check out. Hint: School Mode.

Graphics/Audio

The visuals are absolutely stunning all around. Both the 2D and 3D art are super colorful and sharp. The 2D character art in particular is gorgeous. The character designs themselves are very attractive and well defined. There are several art styles that pop up but they're all beautifully illustrated. They look particularly nice on the Vita's OLED screen. The character sprites don't have actual animations like with the Ace Attorney series but they are well drawn and very expressive. The event art (the painted scenes) is stunning and the occasional pixel art is cute as hell. The 3D parts of the school are also beautiful and very detailed. The FMV scenes are a mix of 2D/3D and really interesting. I really love the look of this game. The game even allowed me to remove the UI during gameplay so I could easily take screenshots which was a nice feature. Why can't more games do this?

I also want to point out the gore in this game. The blood has been colored pink for some reason. I assume they were done to stylize the murder scenes or make it less gorey for anyone squeamish about blood in general. Personally, I think it took away some of the horror of the crime scenes. I wish there was a toggle for it. Just a minor gripe.

The audio was equally outstanding as the art. I loved all the music in this game. The trials in particular had several tracks which pumped me up. Great soundtrack all around. I also need to point out the English dub. IT WAS AWESOME. Yea, I'm not even exaggerating, it's just that good. The voices felt shaky at first when I started the game but they only got better and better as the game progressed. I didn't really fall in love until the first trial where it was fully voiced and you could really admire their performances. Everyone matched their roles and they did a great job making all these characters come to life. They read their lines with gusto. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't have liked the characters as much as I did. I became a fan of several voice actors simply because of this game. There was one character that totally floored me with their performance in particular. I won't spoil who though. *grin* Once again, great job NIS America.

Overall Thoughts

DanganRonpa exceeded my expectations even with all the hype from its fans. I loved every minute of it and was compelled to keep playing all the way to the end. Great writing, great story, great characters and great VO with fantastic art and music. It's a complete package and anyone who's into games like the Zero Escape and Ace Attorney series MUST play this. LOVED IT.

[PC] The Wolf Among Us Episode 2 & Jazzpunk Mini-Reviews + Thoughts

No spoilers for either games. Just impressions.

The Wolf Among Us Episode 2: Smoke & Mirrors was a decent episode. The story was still intriguing and the dialogue was still entertaining. This ep is much shorter than the first one and much more linear. It didn't have as many choices or branching paths as the first ep. That was a bit disappointing considering how Telltale kept delaying this installment. I actually replayed a few sections because I wanted to see the other bits of dialogue. I didn't do this for the first ep but I felt compelled to restart checkpoints for this one. It didn't change the results too much but that was to be expected. There isn't too much different here if you played the first ep already so I won't go into details about the gameplay.

The graphics continue to impress. I really love the art and direction. The VO is still amazing as well. I really love all the voices in this game. I swear Telltale has become one of my favorite developers when it comes to who they cast to do voices for their games. Good stuff.

Overall Thoughts

This installment was still enjoyable and added a lot more on top of what we got from the previous ep. Here's hoping Episode 3 is beefier and moves the story further along. I'm excited to see what happens next.

Jazzpunk was not a game that I had on my radar until this week. I wasn't really interested even with the internet buzz until a friend gifted me a copy to check out. I have to say that this is one of the weirdest and most hilarious games I've ever played. This is an adventure game in the first person mode. You're given objectives and you do them. The objectives and optional stuff is quite varied at times. There were some great parodies and homages. The game doesn't have a fail state so you can explore and experiment with all the great gags at your own pace. The jokes kept coming from every angle and were extremely clever AND dumb. I laughed out loud quite a few times. The story is just pure nonsense and super surreal.

The art is simple but very charming and super colorful. It just oozes style. The music and VO is also great. Everyone speaks with a weird filter and is slightly muffled for effect. I do have to admit I was a bit annoyed that subtitles were not available because some of the text that pops up doesn't actually match what is being said exactly. Turn up the volume or you might miss some good jokes.

Overall Thoughts

I'm gonna repeat: this game is super weird and very funny. Even though it was pretty short, I enjoyed my time with it immensely. I highly recommend you guys check this out if you want to try something different. I hope the devs make a sequel because I really enjoyed this strange world and I want to see more of it. Definitely worth checking out.

Digital River - Why do you suck so much?

What is Digital River? It's a company that does all the e-commerce stuff for many large companies. This includes video game publishers like Square Enix, Capcom, Bandai Namco etc. I'm just gonna post my experiences with them and why I think they suck so damn much.

My first experience with them was with Capcom USA's online store. The first issue I had concerned a preorder bonus that was supposed to be included with my Ace Attorney 1 preorder. Apparently it was left out and I had to call and deal with CSR who was sort of clueless about it. Apparently this was a widespread issue on their end from what I read online. After calling back several times, I finally received my bonus.

The second time I had an issue with them also involved Capcom USA's online store. It was for my Marvel vs Capcom 3 LE preorder. For some reason their shipment was delayed for a week or more which was ridiculous. You might be wondering why I preordered from them. This was because they included a sweet t-shirt as a bonus. Guess what? I ordered both versions but they only included one t-shirt with my preorders. So not only were my orders delayed but they also screwed me out of one preorder bonus. Thanks guys.

The third time I had an issue with them involved the Ni No Kuni LE that was exclusive to Bandai Namco USA's online store. For anyone who missed it, a lot of people had their preorders canceled because they couldn't fulfill preorders. I was lucky and managed to get my preorder in early but it was a real nail-biter before I got my shipping confirmation. So many guys got screwed and they had to resort to eBay to get this version that included some bonus trinkets. Bamco had to issue an apology and issued a useless coupon for their store that no one wanted to buy from. It was a real mess. 

The latest issues I've been having with them involve Square Enix USA's online store. Now that SE has been selling a lot of exclusive stuff on their site, I've been forced to deal with Digital River a lot more now. This includes buying FFXIV CE which was restocked for a short while. For some reason they screwed up my order and charged me twice for one order. I called their CSR and the guy couldn't cancel a pending order. I tried emailing them as well but by the time they responded, the order shipped out so it was too late. Thankfully, they shipped two copies out so I didn't overpay for one. They allowed me to return it but I had to pay for shipping so screw that. I sold the extra copy on eBay for more. That's how it's done, son!

I've also had some major issues trying to check my order history and account on the SE store that is tied to their system. They keep saying my password is invalid even though I updated it and it works fine on SE's own sites. I can only guess that something is fucked with their backend.

Speaking of their backend, you might he wondering how to look up your orders with Digital River. They actually want you to look up your orders through their site which is http://findmyorder.com. You can enter an order number with a password and/or put in your email and last 5 digits of the credit card that you made the orders with. This blanket system is hilarious because if you input the email/CC method, it'll forward you to whatever order you made with it. This includes being forwarded to ANY online store that has your details. For example, input your email and CC info and you could be directed to your order history in SE or Bamco's sites. I found it amusing. I tried the order number/password method and it usually can't find my order number or thinks my password is incorrect. Broken system.

I really really hate their service and I hate companies who use them. Just because they're cheap doesn't mean you guys should use them. There are so many other better e-commerce companies out there but some of the biggest video game publishers use them anyway. Every time I see Digital River is involved with an online store I just cringe. CRINGE.

While I've had my issues with other online stores from time to time, I've had the most issues with Digital River whenever I need to deal with their shitty account systems and CSR. It's a frustrating experience, period.

/rant

[iOS] Banshee's Last Cry Review + Thoughts

Finished this game earlier this week. This was a game I bought day one mainly because it was a Chunsoft/Aksys joint. I'm a huge fan of the Zero Escape series so why not? I don't usually play interactive novels (especially horror ones) but like I said, this collab was too good to pass up.

Story - (No spoilers.)

This game is basically a murder mystery in an inn. You play a guy who gets caught up in the mystery. The story has branching paths so you can alter how the story is played out and/or ends. Some paths and endings are jokes while others end in pretty horrific ways. It depends on what you choose. 

The story is really well localized and immersed me into its story and characters. I was quite engaged with it. The writing is excellent and very detailed. I don't think I found any typos either. I don't remember the original version too much but I can tell they had to alter some aspects of the story for the West. This isn't just a straight translation which impressed me. There were some cute moments with your companion but also plenty of really creepy or scary moments with other characters and situations. If you like horror stories, this is definitely a good one.

I need to point out that I actually read about this story years ago. I didn't remember until I started playing and it started feeling familiar. So while I sorta knew what the mystery behind it was, the way the story unfolded was still unpredictable and had plenty of twists. 

My only pet peeve with the game is from the very first page. They mentioned what color my companions's hair was which irritated me since I had an idea of what she looked like to me. Apparently, the Japanese original did the same thing but I wish they allowed me to change that aspect. Oh well.

Gameplay

The gameplay is very simple. You go through the story like a book and choose an option when they pop up. There is very little in consequence since you can go back whenever you want and choose a different path. But like any choose-your-own-adventure book, you decide how much you want to see in one path or backtrack and try to figure it out as you go. 

I also really liked the ability to rename the main character and your companion when you start the game. You could potentially have a bit of fun with the combinations if you wanted. It also made the game a bit more personal if you named the guy after yourself although his personality is pretty well defined.

I do need to point out that once you complete the game and solve the mystery, the game unlocks some really great additional branching paths that alter or expand the game's story immensely. I wish it was unlocked from the start so you could enjoy it fully but it does add some replay to it. You might even see new endings which is cool.

Graphics/Audio

The visuals for the game are pretty well done. You basically have photographs and other CG graphics to show the locations and setting. They're all very crisp and clear images. They do a good job of indicating where you are in the story. No characters are shown in these shots so how they look is up to your imagination. The only time you see NPCs is when they die. There are some up close-up shots of hands accompanied by blood. It's not too gruesome and if you're the squeamish type, you could change the gore level which can make the those images blurry or black and white. There is one room that actually had animation which was a nice touch. The game has a good look although I do wish there were more subtle bits of animation to make the backgrounds more lively. They're pretty static.

The audio is pretty good. There isn't much sound effects but they're effective when they pop up. The real winner is the music. There's a lot of creepy sinister tracks that will gave me goosebumps. Well done.

Overall Thoughts

This was a really great murder mystery. The branching paths added a lot of tension and replayability. It's really well localized and full of personality. If you like interactive horror novels, definitely check this out. 

[3DS] Fire Emblem: Awakening Review + Thoughts

Finished the game today. It was pretty damn good. This is actually the first Fire Emblem game I ever played. I do own a few of the other games but never got around to them for some reason. I decided to check out Awakening because of all the rave reviews. I originally started playing as a male in Classic Mode which had permadeath on. But I found out I screwed up and killed a possible recruit and I kept resetting the game when I lost a Unit I liked. So I decided to play a brand new game with a female in Casual Mode. It was pretty interesting seeing some dialogue changes between the two different genders. I also thought certain story elements were way more interesting but I'll talk about it in the Story section.

Story - (Contains massive spoilers. You have been warned.)

So in switching between a male and female character, your relationship with Chrom is entirely different right from the start. It was pretty interesting to see the male as a bro and the female as a love interest in the Support dialogue for Chrom. I thought the bro thing was alright but the game's story was vastly better when your Avatar is female. The bond between Chrom and my character was super sweet. I also really enjoyed the scenes between my character and her future daughter, Lucina as well. It added a lot of cool moments. I wonder how that goes with the male Avatar? Probably something entirely different.

The overall story/plot was pretty smart. Your Avatar is basically you or your persona but they have a reason why. Unlike most of games where you have this random blank cypher without a true background or story, your Avatar had a reason for being who he/she is in this game. I loved the twist where you're supposed to be the villain fighting your destiny to become one. There were some branching choices that changed the game's outcome in a few specific points in the story. I chose what I assumed was the best ending. The extra scene after the credits cemented my assumption and made the ending super satisfying. Loved it.

I also really enjoyed all the characters you recruited into your army. They're all funny or weird. The dialogue between them can be downright hilarious. I was laughing out loud over some of them. The entire story with the future children interacting with their young parents was also funny as hell. The situations they get themselves into is sometimes really silly. It was worth grinding through the game just to get their Support relationship maxed out and see all their dialogue. I didn't get a couple of characters so I'm really happy that I can replay and try to see the dialogue that I missed. They're really entertaining and added a lot to the Units outside of stats. They did an admirable job making me care about these characters.  Props to the localization team. They did a great job.

Gameplay

The game is a turn-based strategy game with some role playing elements. It's all very standard. I'm new to this franchise so I was a bit confused with the way some of the weapon systems worked. I don't think I actually got a hang of it even after 30+ hours of gameplay. A couple of my Units became OP in the last third of the game so I basically had them clear out most tougher enemies to get through the story. 

As mentioned, the game allows permadeath but this is the first game in the franchise that allows you to turn it off in Casual Mode which made the game way less tense. The game was still challenging at times especially near the end. The ability to turn off permadeath really allowed me to work on building Unit relationships and just enjoy the characters and story. If you guys want the challenge, the game has additional tougher difficulties for you so both noobs and veterans can enjoy it.

Unit relationships is a major deal in this game. The more you fight with certain units the better they fight together. Not all Units allow this but most do. You basically get better stats the more they fight together and you also unlock more Support dialogue as well. So not only is this good for the battles but it also adds to the story. I found myself playing in a very specific way so I could max out the relationship for my Units.

One really annoying thing was having to constantly restock weapons and items though. Weapons can be depleted through normal use in battle which was new to me. There was a lot of restocking which was an extra step this game didn't need. I didn't mind restocking items but weapons was a chore. It's just busywork. Money was hard to come by early in the game but you'll eventually get to a point where you'll find plenty in optional Challenges and story missions. I also didn't like that specific stores only had a certain amount of items in stock so I had to run back and forth looking for a specific weapon/item that I wanted. There should have been a universal store that sold everything to save time. The stores also allow you the ability to Forge but I only used it once and never used them again. It's expensive and doesn't actually make your standard weapons that much more powerful. Maybe I'm wrong but I found forging useless.

I need to point out that once you beat the game, you unlock some stuff in the Extras mode. I won't spoil what they are but they do add a bit of replayability to the game.

Graphics/Audio

The FMV cutscenes were pretty stunning. They're basically 3D CGI made to look like 2D anime. I really liked the look and animation. It's too bad they're so sparse but at least they're there. The actual 3D models were disappointing. The overall look of the character models looked like something from a PS1/PS2 game. Thankfully, the animations for the combat get better and better as it goes on. Some of the later critical attacks and magic spells look fantastic and super smooth. They're very well animated. The 2D sprites on the battlefield look pretty basic and tiny but at least they're detailed enough that you can easily recognize them. The battlefield themselves also look pretty basic with a few standouts. You won't love this game for the 3D visuals. The 3D effects are crap as well so don't bother turning it on. On the other hand, the 2D character portrait art is great and I loved all the character designs.

The audio is great for the most part. The VO is fine although nothing really stood out at me. You only hear full conversations during the FMV cutscenes. There's only some phrases or words spoken randomly during in-game cutscenes and during the Support dialogue. The random chatter/grunts etc during those in-game scenes were semi-annoying because they didn't really match the text.. They do add a lot of personality to the characters but I wish they words they uttered weren't so random. The music is excellent. I never got tired of any tracks even after hours of hours of the same music. There are a few standout tracks but they're saved for big epic moments.

Overall Thoughts

This was a really great game. I found myself super addicted to it for days and days. The story really hooked me and I really liked all the characters. They're all pretty charming and super funny. The writing was terrific. I'm probably gonna check out the previous installments in my collection now that I'm familiar with some of the mechanics. There seemed to be some nods and callbacks to the earlier games and I'm super curious about them now. Anyway, if you like turn-based SRPGs, definitely check this out.

[PC] Broken Age Act 1 Review + Thoughts

Ah, after two years we finally get our hands on one of the first major game Kickstarters I ever backed. This was the second project I ever backed on Kickstarter. When I heard Tim Schafer was gonna do a new point-and-click game, I knew I had to back it. Apparently, I wasn't the only one because it was a huge success and was the start of a multitude of gaming Kickstarters that became quite a success themselves. Of course, the Double Fine Adventure Game would become known as Broken Age and that's what I'm going to talk about here. I completed the game last night and it was everything I hoped it would be. 

Story - (No Spoilers)

I'm not gonna be specific about any aspect of the story or plot since it's an important part of the experience. I will mention what I thought of the worlds and characters. The world and locations are very surreal and strange and yet very familiar. The main characters themselves are very grounded and personable. The various NPCs you meet are very odd yet likeable. I found every character to be endearing and very charming. Even characters that only appear for a few scenes were great. Some of the jokes and sexual innuendos were really clever and made me laugh out loud. 

While the game is incredibly whimsical, there's also a sinister aspect which I won't get into. There's something going on with the world and it's quite intriguing. I was quite surprised with the plot and since this is only the first act of two acts, a lot of questions haven't been answered yet. It's a really nice taste of things to come. 

Gameplay

This is your standard point-and-click game but with essential elements simplified. First thing that I noticed was how incredibly slick the UI was. You get your menu up top while the inventory is at the bottom. Any long time adventure fans will grasp the mechanics in an instant. It's so simple that the game doesn't even give you any tutorials. You're simply dropped into the game and learn to discover what you can do. It's very intuitive. 

The puzzles were also very simple and easy. I only had two or three spots that took a bit of exploration and experimentation to figure out but this game was super easy. Tim Schafer's previous games usually had a few brainteasers that required a guide for me but not here! The solutions to the puzzles felt natural within the context of the world. The game gives you plenty of hints from within the dialogue so it's relatively painless to solve. Even if you were stuck, you could experiment with different objects in your inventory or explore around and it'll click. The game has no failure states or dead ends which was a relief. 

I can understand that some old school adventure fans might find the puzzles too simple but I thought they were well designed. The way they were implemented into the world made sense. I'm not into puzzles that try to scramble brains and Broken Age manages to avoid that issue here. 

Graphics/Audio

One word: WOW. The 2D art was gorgeous. I played on a 2560x1440 resolution and the game was super sharp and colorful through out. Characters were really well designed and cute. They animated really well too. It was like playing a storybook from my childhood. The art direction was beautiful. There's no other word I could describe it.

The audio was equally amazing. The voice-over was excellent all around. Everyone gave a strong performance. I didn't find anyone grating or annoying. You should check out the voice cast after you're done. You'll be surprised who they got to do the voices. The music was also great. It added to the whimsy and was very atmospheric. Really great soundtrack.

Overall Thoughts

This is one of the most refined and well crafted modern adventure games out there. The simplified interface and gameplay will allow both old and new adventure game fans to enjoy it equally. Really intriguing story with a lot of great characters. The wait was worth it and I can't wait to see how it ends in Act 2. Definitely a must play if you like Tim Schafer's games or adventure games in general. Definitely worth checking out.

[3DS] Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Review + Thoughts

So I finished the game last night. It was a pretty fast marathon in a few days. It's probably the first Zelda game where I didn't need a guide to help me with a dungeon. The only time I needed a guide was for a few specific hidden items that were optional. I really wanted to experience most of the optional gear before I finished the game.

Story - (No spoilers)

The story is good although fans of the previous Zelda games will find certain beats familiar. The game is wide open so the story pops in from time to time. I do like how they set it up and how it progressed. They added some cool stuff to the lore and I did like a few twists. The ending was super satisfying. Once again, it's a very simple story but an enjoyable story nonetheless.

Gameplay

This is the type of game where old school fans will enjoy. The game was incredibly open and having the option to use most weapons near the beginning of the game was genius. I did find myself a bit lost at times because of how open it was. You can basically go almost anywhere. It made finding access to some of the dungeons a bit of a pain but you just need to explore a lot and you'll eventually find it.

The dungeons themselves were incredible. Very well designed and super fun to explore. I didn't find any of them frustrating like with the previous full 3D games. Every dungeon forces you to use a different weapon/mechanic to get through which made them all very refreshing. I also loved how intuitive they were. I found myself figuring them out fairly quickly which also made me feel smart. I hope other devs can learn from this game's dungeon level designs. It was pretty clever in spots.

Boss battles were a lot of fun and challenging. I didn't find their designs that unique or creative though. The designers seemed to have a thing for eyes or eyeballs.

Most of the weapons were familiar so nothing mind blowing about them. They were all equally effective which I enjoyed and the upgrades made a few of them more fun to use. 

There were some features that require StreetPass to work but since I never take my 3DS outside, I didn't use any of those features. Not a big loss.

Graphics/Audio

Graphics were very pretty and colorful. There were really nice touches with the animations and effects. I was quite impressed with a couple of dungeons in how they presented the puzzles with visual cues only. The character designs were cute and simple. Also, I highly suggest playing in 3D. The effects were pretty well done. You don't need to max out the 3D slider. It looks great with the 3D on, period.

The music...OMFG! SO GOOD! This is hands down one of my favorite game soundtracks ever. The remixed old music as well as the new tracks were all fantastic. Really great and moody and also epic at times. I played only with headphones to really enjoy it. There isn't a single bad track in the whole game. I loved every single one that played in every single area and cutscene. I can't wait to get the OST. It's that good.

Overall Thoughts

I'm really glad I played this. It's a fantastic game and was a lot of fun. I've been slacking and didn't play the previous major installments as well as the previous portable ones. Maybe they'll disappoint me after this one but this game was so good that I'm probably gonna check out some of the previous games in my backlog soon. You guys definitely need to check this game out if you have a 3DS. It's a must play.

[PS4] Call of Duty: Ghosts Campaign Review + Thoughts

Well, I finished Call of Duty: Ghosts on Hardened last night and it was actually pretty fun. I'm not sure why people were so down on it. Sure, I can understand that it was a step down from the BLOPS series but it had its moments. It felt more like the early CoD campaigns where the missions were a bit more direct and the story was a bit less convoluted. I think fans who liked the series before MW2 would enjoy it quite a bit.

Story - Contains spoilers so skip it if you care.

Story was pretty simple with a good smattering of wild missions. The story of the brothers was not bad and had a semi-good set up for why they were involved. You do play as other random characters from time to time but just like BLOPS, you played primarily as one character and stayed with the same couple of guys so it wasn't super confusing. Also, Riley (the dog) wasn't in the game much. He disappears after the first couple of missions and then suddenly joins you back for a dumb escort mission. A real waste considering how much they got the internet to hype the canine so much. I can only imagine they didn't think Riley would be so popular but it's the internet and they like digital dogs. Maybe the next game will do a better job.

The reason for the war wasn't explained very clearly though. The setting is scary as hell if you're an American but other than that, we're not told why the Federation wants to crush us or where your allies are in all of this. So while the war is much more protracted and larger scale than the previous games, the fact that the USA seems alone in this war was a bit stupid. The ending bugged the hell outta me. Rorke surviving a bullet to the chest PLUS managing to kidnap Logan to be brainwashed made ZERO sense within the context of the story. Not only did it undermine the awesome feel of completing the mission at the end but it was a very clumsy set up for a possible sequel. I did not like it at all. Why did you guys do that?

Anyway, some missions were better than others. I really enjoyed the stealth missions and all missions where you had to creep around. They were well scripted and had really great pacing and tension. I really didn't mind just following a dude around while trying to avoid guys.The one underwater and infiltrating the base as enemy soldiers were some highlights. The shoot out in space was unexpected and awesome as hell. I'm not sure how they'll outdo that in later installments. I mean, how could you beat that?

Gameplay

The missions were your typical follow-the-leader and shooting most guys or creeping your way to the objective. It was pretty entertaining for the most part. My major gripe is that this game suffers like most past CoD games where there's a few choke points. The enemies near the end were ridiculously accurate and will kill you instantly even after you spawned back sometimes. I can understand making the them tougher but restarting a couple of times from some random dude who suddenly decides to target me only while my buddy is next to him is very annoying. The first 2/3 of the game felt well balanced even on Hardened but the last 1/3 did piss me off a few times. It wasn't as bad as some previous CoD games though. I'm also happy I didn't encounter any spots where infinite respawning enemies occured. Good on ya devs. We don't need that shit in these games. The AI is alright but a bit brain dead at times for both sides. I know I'm the hero but at least put some effort into the suppressive fire.

Anyway, even with my complaints, the missions were still relatively entertaining. Riley was highly underused tho. He had a cool mechanic that was abandoned after the initial 1/3 of the game. So much potential! Boo.

Graphics/Audio

The CoD engine definitely looks dated now. It doesn't look super great even on the PS4. There were some impressive destruction but the overall look was a bit muddy in spots and I saw jaggies in the distance for most objects. Even with all the minor enhancements to the PS4's visuals, it looked last gen. Here's hoping the next game uses a brand new engine. The framerate held up really well for the most part so that's a plus.

The audio is just as impressive as the other games. Some really great surround and the bass was also great during major explosions. The voice-over was great as well. It's your typical soldiers yelling at each other but they were good at it. Even when the visuals disappointed me, I could rely on the audio.

Overall Thoughts

Game was still fun and had an entertaining story. It doesn't beat out the MW games with its over-the-topness nor did it beat the BLOPS games with its storytelling but it was still good. Certain missions could've been better and the ending should've been changed. But overall, I was satisfied with it. Well worth checking out if you're a fan of the previous CoD single player campaigns.

LiK's Top 20 Games of 2013 & Other Mentions

I haven't had a chance to play everything that came out in 2013 but here's a list of 20 games I completed and enjoyed in no particular order.

Before you ask, WHERE IS THE [INSERT NAME] GAME? Well, I haven't had a chance to play or finish any of them so they're probably excluded. I can only play so many games at a time. Sometimes things in life get in my way and yes, it pisses me off.

Dead Space 3 - While it's the worst game in the trilogy, it had its moments. The combat was still fun and the graphics were gorgeous. I didn't like where the story went but it was still fun to play through. The coop stuff was forced and really ruined my enjoyment of the game simply because I couldn't experience those levels solo. 

BioShock Infinite - Fun game with some pretty mind-blowing moments that stayed with me well past after I had finished the game. The ending made my jaw drop. Playing around with the Vigor combinations was fun and I enjoyed the world and music. I do have to admit that Normal mode is the way to go. Playing on Hard or 1999 Mode was more of a chore than fun. I also recommend playing on PC over the consoles. The graphics look way better.

Ryse - Really fun game with a great story. Cutting guys down never got old and I really liked the overall feel of the combat. Very satisfying. Marius is one of the most badass characters in a video game. I was really surprised how much I liked the game.

Metal Gear Rising - Another winner from Platinum Games. I can't believe it only took them one year to make it. Really fun combat with some ridiculous moments. Raiden has been redeemed and the final boss was hilarious. The music for the bosses were excellent as well. The level design was pretty bland but the combat was great.

Tomb Raider - What a great reboot for the series. Really fun combat and the traversal was also enjoyable. There were some really great set pieces with lots of exciting parts. Of course the only disappointment was the lack of actual tombs to raid. You got a few and they were short as hell. Still, I'm really looking forward to the next game in the series.

The Last of Us - ONE OF THE BEST STORIES IN GAMES. Yup, don't argue with me. While the plot isn't anything truly original, the presentation and performances were incredible. The stealth/combat was enjoyable and challenging. Traversal could've been better but I really liked the world and characters. Naughty Dog really went above and beyond how good a video game's cinematic presentation could be. It's a pretty gorgeous game too.

Grand Theft Auto V - Best in the series. Driving is actually fun and the missions weren't frustrating like the older games. Checkpoints made a big difference. This is also one of the funniest games this year. While Michael and Franklin were the same ol' dudes you'd expect in the series, Trevor was awesome and really well realized. A psychopath you can actually like. The Americana parodies continue to shine although I hope the next game does something more original with its premise. It's a bit tired at this point.

Beyond: Two Souls - Another winner from David Cage. I really liked Jodie and her story. The characters were all very likeable and interesting. I really enjoyed the quiet moments and slice of life that were sprinkled throughout the game. The action parts were fun to play but I felt it wasn't really necessary for the story. While the gameplay could've been better, I felt it was the best playing of Cage's games so far. I'm excited to see what he does next on more powerful consoles.

Resogun - Excellent shooter. Really fun and addictive and the graphics are dazzling. Music is also top notch. What a nice gift for PS+ users for the PS4 launch.

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag - Great game that redeemed the series for me. ACIII was a bit of a trainwreck but ACIV fixes it in both story and gameplay. The missions and ship battles are MUCH better and less frustrating. I also loved the lore they added to the real world. Really cool stuff for longtime fans to chew on. I didn't think it was possible to save the story after ACIII but they did it and it goes into some new directions. I can't wait to see where the series goes next. The major bummer is how broken the Uplay features are if you have more than 100 friends. Fix yo shit, Ubi.

DmC - Super fun and looked gorgeous on the PC. Performance was rock solid and super stable. The game was a quite challenging and I liked the story. There were some really nice looking levels and fun boss designs. They managed to do a good job rebooting the series with its own feel and rules. This game also has one of the best and most creative looking bosses I've ever experienced. 

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon - What a surprise. Ubi did a great job with the hilarious story and moments. They took a great game like FC3 and managed to make it more fun. I would've liked more variety in spots but I still enjoyed it. I can't wait to see what they can do in this universe with a full retail release. This is old school 80's/90's parody humor that I can agree with.

Call of Juarez: Gunslinger - Another surprise from Ubi. Really super fun and the story is great. The narration and moments were really clever. But man, the gunplay was super satisfying and carried the game really well. I definitely want more in this universe. We need more gritty Western games in general and this game delivers.

Deadpool - Yea, I liked it. The jokes were stupid and childish but they made me laugh. Nolan North did a great job with the script. There were some moments where I laughed pretty hard. The gameplay could've been faster and better but it was fine for what it was. I sorta wish they went further with its craziness and settings but it was still pretty good overall. Tough final boss but man it was still fun.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons - A really nice modern fairy tale game that has some unique gameplay elements involving its control scheme. The story has some cool moments. While I wish some levels were longer or more fleshed out, it was still a pretty satisfying experience. 

The Stanley Parable - Hilarious. So many great moments that will fuck with your head. It's extremely clever and hits too close to home sometimes. Well worth playing. Don't forget to check out the demo which is self-contained and just as good in its own right.

The Wolf Among Us Ep 1 - Fantastic. Telltale has really improved with its presentation and gameplay. Some really shocking moments has me intrigued. If you enjoyed their Walking Dead games, check this out pronto.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies - Welcome back Phoenix and friends. This was a nice return for the series. Some really fun new characters and twists. While the localization and jokes weren't quite as biting or clever as past games, it was still pretty good. Not a fan of the typos that kept popping up but whatever. Athena is an awesome new character and the music was outstanding. The DLC case was also fantastic. The new 3D visuals were awesome and managed to match or improve upon their 2D designs. Great looking game. I highly recommend longtime fans check it out. Newbies may enjoy it too.

Project X Zone - I didn't expect to enjoy this game as much as I did. The music is great and the fan service was fun. Story was blah but the gameplay was simple and fast. It was very addictive and oddly satisfying. I think fans of the various franchises and IPs will want to check it out. Crazy game as expected from company crossovers.

Saints Row IV - Fun, hilarious and just crazy to play through. The superpowers are a lot of fun and how they connect this game to the previous game was kinda genius. I loved all the characters and while most of the siderequests wee meh, the Loyalty Missions were well done. I can't wait to see where this series goes after this.

Other Mentions

Worst game I tried playing:

Rise of the Triad HD - There has been no other game I played in 2013 that made me want to quit more after the first level than this one. I did not enjoy the old school gameplay nor the shitty presentation. The opening comic cutscene was long and boring. You'd think they would try to make it more exciting for a game like this. I may give it a chance again in the future but not right now.

Most surprising, addictive and fun:

Dead Rising 3 - FANTASTIC. I just finished in 2014 so I had to mention it here. What a great game. The story and gameplay was fun and silly and the overall presentation was well done. I was blown away by the amount of zombies on screen and the combo weapons were ridiculous. I loved how they connected this game's story to the previous games. DR vets are gonna love it. Best in series and all the improvements to the game make it better and way less frustrating than the previous games. 

Shittiest online retailer of the forever: 

Digital River - These guys are used by almost every major game publisher for their online stores and they're shit. Their online account system is confusing, phone CSRs are useless and looking up your orders is a chore. I wish more companies would use someone else. Buying from any online shop that uses them is a goddamn headache.

Best online retailers:

Amazon, GMG and Steam - Without one or the other, PC gamers like me may not see the great deals we've been getting all year long. Chances are, if you want a deep discount, you'll find one from them (if you're patient). I also love when they price-match each other or try to outdo the other. Competition is good and PC gamers are benefiting from it. 

Best single sale:

Target's B2G1 - What a damn good deal for PS4 games and other video games in general. Not only did Target help out Sony but they also forced Amazon to match their sale for a day. Who wins? We do.

Okay, this is what I've had in my mind. I'll try to complete more games in my backlog soon. 2013 was a pretty crappy year IRL and I really didn't enjoy it too well. I was busy for all the wrong reasons and so many things annoyed me. Hopefully 2014 will be better and I hope for a brighter future. Thanks for reading.