Game Reviews (101)
Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls (Vita) Review
Written by Jason Young
As the latest entry into its ongoing saga, Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls shelves away all of the trials, relationship building and evidence collecting from the main flagship titles and replaces them with an action-packed third person shooter (TPS) spinoff that focuses on Makoto Naegi’s sister Komaru and Toko from the first game. Considering that the game was taking away what many considered quintessential pieces of the series, many fans including myself, were worried that something would be lost in developing the spin-off as a TPS rather than as a full-fledged third adventure title.
Fairy Fencer F is the latest PlayStation 3 exclusive to come from Japanese developer Compile Heart. With franchises like Mugen Souls, Hyperdimension Neptunia, and Record of Agarest War it's no surprise that this game is of the RPG genre.
The quirky game studio Nippon Ichi is back again with their latest title The Witch and the Hundred Knight but this time with an action game instead of the usual strategy RPGs that they are well known for. Even if this new title sports gameplay that is more akin to games like Path of the Exile and the Diablo series, don't let that fool you into thinking that The Witch and the Hundred Knight is no NIS game. Chock full of whimsy and maniacal fun, The Witch and the Hundred Knight has all the trademarks of the NIS brand: tons of humoristic scenarios and characters, surprising gameplay elements, and a very addictive battle system.
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (PS Vita) Review
Written by J. M. Alcala
Ah high school! A time that seems to incite mixed feelings for those who have gotten past it and for those who are about to enter it. For those about to enter, their thoughts are filled with hopes and dreams with becoming someone in the world. Those who have gotten past, it was a time that can be looked upon fondly or filled with despair. In Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, hope and despair go hand in hand.
From the creator of such games as the surreal headtrip in Killer7, otaku turned hitman in No More Heroes and the cheerful cheerleader toting a chainsaw in Lollipop Chainsaw, Goichi Suda, or Suda 51 as he's known by most, has now brought us Killer is Dead. Available on both Sony's PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360, Killer is Dead is a stylish hack-and-slash action game that oozes cool, thanks to its stylized cel-shaded graphics.
Spawned from the mind of talented artist Ryohei "Huke" Fuke, the popular Black Rock Shooter franchise gets its very own cleverly named video game Black Rock Shooter: The Game. Though the game originally came out for the PSP in Japan in August of 2011, players in North America and Europe can now download the game from the Playstation Network thanks to the efforts NIS America.
What do you get when you mix Silent Hill, Shallow Hal, and Species with a little dab of Hannibal or the Japanese movie the Last Supper? You get something pretty close to Nitroplus' horror visual novel Song of Saya ~ Saya no Uta, written by Gen Urobochi, the author of Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Fate/Zero, and published by JAST USA.
I’ll be honest, when I think of Tecmo Koei’s Ninja Gaiden series, the first three words that comes to my mind are: blood, flying limbs and ninja boobs, aside from dying repeatedly. So when Team Ninja initially tried to experiment with the magic formula that made Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 such a success, by removing the obscene, over-the-top violence and dismembered limbs, my interest in the game plummeted lower than Ayane’s low-cut armor. Knowing full well that a director’s cut version, would eventually be released, I waited until Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge’s inevitable announcement. Then the Wii U version of the game was released as part of the system’s launch lineup and my hype meter went over 9000.
Would the inclusion of what I (along with thousands of other gamers out there) see as the game’s primary features, make up for the departure of the series’ former iconic producer Tomonobu Itagaki? Well, it really depends on what you’re looking for.
Atelier Ayesha: the Alchemist of Dusk (PS3) Review
Written by Jason Young
With the recent announcement of Sony's PlayStation 4, in addition to the upcoming announcement of Microsoft's newest system and Nintendo's release of the Wii U, it's been an exciting time for fans of the role-playing genre. As with each generation, there are tons of new technological possibilities for long-running franchises such as Final Fantasy, Tales and Atelier. These games will be getting bigger and bolder, but just as importantly will have to stay true to the roots of their respective series. Tecmo Koei's recent release of Atelier Ayesha: the Alchemist of Dusk, exclusively for the PlayStation 3, does a good job of this. Combining the roots of the Atelier series with a new vibrant world creates a solid, albeit flawed, JRPG experience that should leave most fans satisfied.
Traditionally revolving around a historical Asian story, such as Dynasty Warriors’ Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the Warriors franchise now branches out to The Iliad with Warriors: Legends of Troy. Instead of Omega Force, Legends of Troy was developed by Koei Canada and, while it still bears the signature name and some gameplay similarities, provides a new experience for fans of the Warriors series to enjoy.
More...
Arc System Works is usually known for its BlazBlue series and beautifully animated sprites. This time, they’ve been commissioned by Konami to work on Hard Corps: Uprising, a prequel to the classic Contra series. Like most of Arc System Works’ games, Hard Corps features beautifully drawn 2D sprites and mixes it with old school gameplay to both satisfy seasoned gamers and attract younger players, even those who may have never touched a Contra game before.
Tecmo Koei is usually known for their hack and slashers, such as the recent Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage. Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll is a slight departure from this, adding in RPG elements to Tecmo Koei's usual style. So the question is: is there an RPG in my hack-and-slasher or a hack-and-slasher in my RPG?
Lord of Arcana is Square Enix’s latest take on the creature hunting genre. Rather than the traditional formula of killing monsters and RPG gaining experience points, Lord of Arcana throws in material collection into the mix. With powerhouses like Capcom’s Monster Hunter series out already, Square Enix has their work cut out for them. Combining the action RPG formula and creature hunting genre together is definitely an interesting mix.
Disgaea fans, be warned: this game is not worth your time unless you enjoy playing a side scrolling game that is remarkably well at making your thumbs ache while you constantly mash upon the buttons.