Review: The Guided Fate Paradox (Ps3)

THE GUIDED FATE PARADOX!

What a title eh? Fresh under the radar release from my favourite niche studio NIS famous for such titles as Disgaea, Soul Nomad, Phantom Brave & successful spin off series PRINNY!. Released on 25/10/2013 TGFP (as it shall now be known) is a Roguelike game for the Playstation 3, for those that aren't familiar with Roguelike I shall try explain what I mean by this.

Roguelike is a sub genre of Role-Playing games, usually they tend to consist of randomly generated dungeons (thousands of them!) with the bare minimum in with regards to visual distractions. The main focus is exploring the dungeon floor you are on till you find the stairs down to the next floor, wash & rinse till dungeon ends. Usually tile based with a fast version of turn based combat & usually tougher than your standard RPG in terms of battles & traps. Another feature Roguelike uses a lot is Perma-death, if you die you lose your save which adds to the tense atmosphere these games set (fortunately a lot of them tend to ignore this feature nowadays!).

Story/Setting/Character

Renya Kagurazaka is a normal high school loser with no luck to his name what so ever, never won a thing in his life and never will.....until today. Passing a cosplay maid Renya's life is transformed as he enters a raffle and wins the first and biggest prize of his life!.

What is this you wonder? Transported to the heavenly Celestia you are told that you have won the grand daddy of all prizes, you have been made God. No that's not a typo you are now the Almighty himself!.

Turns out the Cosplay maid was an Angel! She isn't the only one too! Another 3 dressed as maids the tomboy, a sweet sounding, large breasted (this is pointed out during the game using the term Old Testament style tits!) older sister type, obviously angry evil angel. With them are 2 male angels which look and act like butlers and a shut in who communicates via messages. 

So what is it exactly you will be doing as God? Glad you asked! You'll be using the Fate Paradox machine to answer prayers and wishes!. This is where the dungeon crawling comes into play but more on that in the gameplay section!.

Celestia is a bright and vibrant setting full of character with the angels and monsters hanging around to talk to. 

Inside the Paradox machine this is where the setting takes a hit, you are presented with level upon level of generic backgrounds e.g Castle setting. This is a common theme for Roguelike so while expected from it people looking for a little more detail in the dungeons will be let down.

The prayers you answer are brilliant aswell, not wanting to spoil them I'll only tell you that the tutorial one you do was made by Cinderella!. 

There is a deeper story behind this but I will not go into it as part of the driving force for this game is the story.

So far the characters have been pretty standard fair for an NIS title if not a little disappointing. Coming off the back of the fantastic Disgaea D2 these characters just aren't as likeable or as funny as previous games by this company have made (another fantastic example is Z.H.P). 

Also I have to point out that the sprite work doesn't seem as good with this title. Unlike the sharp & crisp HD sprites of D2 in Paradox they seem at points quite pixelated and don't look quite as good.

GAMEPLAY 

Here we have the meat of TGFP while the story is important to the game in typical NIS fashion there is buckets of gameplay!.
The meat of it is entering a dungeon, killing monsters and reaching the bottom floor. All this while making sure you have enough energy to last you, you get this back by eating meat either bought or found on the floor naturally!.

In typical Roguelike fashion every time you enter a dungeon you are reset to level 1 BUT every time you leave a dungeon the level you had achieved upgrades your base stats. Though you may be a level 1 you will be significantly more powerful than you were originally!.
Equips work in a different way too, they still enhance stats but unlike some Roguelikes they don't effect how you attack e.g having a gun doesn't shoot in front but just act like a punch. Instead anything you equip gives you a special power which consumes SP. Attack with these equipped for long enough and they "burst", these means when you return to Celestia you can use them to strengthen your base build but more on that later.
Another major difference is moving around the map or holding X & O revive your HP & SP at the cost of your energy so it's all about managing levels (you can use items aswell to keep them up).

As previously mentioned you can modify your base build in Celestia using "body modification". When an item has "Burst" you are given panels in relation to the item for example goggles give you HIT panels and weapons ATK. What you do then is place panels along a chessboard which make your base as level 1 a little stronger with every piece.
All of the above are things you have to take into account before you delve into a dungeon. Should you fall in a dungeon you arrive back at Celestia but missing all your equipment making mistakes brutal.

This creates a near perfect a Roguelike game for fans of the series. A game where it has a huge amount of grind and risk versus reward in abundance.

Overall Impression 

As mentioned previously I came into this off the back of the amazing Z.H.P, i should mention that I am not a fan of this genre to be fair. I have enjoyed titles from it mainly Izuna and mostly Z.H.P which was helped by a fantastic cast and NIS's signature comedy. Unfortunately as mentioned earlier not a single character made an impression on me to the point iv had to reference the game in remembering each characters name!.

This is such a let down for me considering iv always found the Disgaea series having memorable casts and even some of the side characters in Z.H.P are etched in my memory (Chiti Wok anyone?!).
I feel for me personally with it lacking that element I felt no drive with TGFP on top of what seemed like a cutscene hitting after every floor of the dungeon which also seemed to last longer than the time I spent on that floor!.

 7/七 - Yoi (Good)

Xbox One Hands-On Impressions.

Last nights Xbox One hands-on started off good. I got a call stating it'd been pushed forward by half an hour and when I arrived there was no delay of any kind in getting into the event, so no I wasn't stuck outside in the cold being hounded about preorders thankfully. The excitable Xbox One reps laid down some ground rules, notably NO pics or videos! With there being security at the event too it was impossible to snap anything. Sorry. Now onto the second part of the Next Gen hands-on!

Console/UI/Controller
Im gonna go with the controller first again. In truth, the jury is still out on it for me. In pictures it looks similar to the 360 controller but once Id got a hold of it, it just didn't sit right. Remember the controller S for the original Xbox? It kinda reminds of that in size and feel, just a tad less bulky. The top of the controller too seems incredibly narrow which makes it feel a little awkward when resting your fingers on the triggers. I like the 360 controller, but I'm unsure of whether to regard the X1 controller as an improvement from my hands-on. Aside from shape, everything else about the controller has improved though. Obviously better D-Pad, the analogs don't feel as restrictive as on the 360, the buttons have improved a lot over previous Xbox controllers & of course, dem rumbling trigger (more on them later) At the moment my thoughts are mixed on the controller. While there's obvious technical improvements, its shape rubs me up the wrong way. There's just a nagging feeling that its not as comfortable as the 360 controller for me.
The console was surprisingly smaller than I thought it would be. Some pictures make it look huge, but it doesn't seem to be much larger than the Ps4. With the consoles being shelved instead of locked in a booth it was easier to get a proper look. Also the noise levels from the cooling weren't as bad as I was expecting, seeming to be roughly the same as a slim Xbox360. The way the Xbox logo lights up on the front of the console looks nice too. Unfortunately, I have no info on the UI. Unlike the previous night where you could exit games and browse the UI on the Ps4, the Xbox event was more like a hands-on with the games than the console. Each console had a specific game booted and any attempt to deviate from that had the security twitching. Its a shame really after sampling the Ps4's last night it would've been good to get a feel for the Xbox One's too, but I guess that wasn't to be the case with a more controlled event.

How'd the games fare....

Forza5 - I'm starting with the game I probably enjoyed playing the most. Funnily enough I'm not really a racing fan though, but Forza was easily the most impressive of the bunch. 1080p60 has long been confirmed, so I can only confirm that to be the case from my hands on too. There was only one track on offer, Laguna Seca, and 4 cars to choose from (I think I was the only person to give the Ford Focus RS a go) but I still gave it a few go's. Handling seemed to be more similar to the rest of the series and less like the casual offshoot, Horizons. No doubt your wondering about the triggers. Yes, Forza was the only game to make use of them. I'm not really much of a fan. Sure its quirky and fun for a few minutes, but in truth I can't really see many games making good use of them outside of racing games. Forza5 was good to use them with, but how would other types of games use them? I dunno. It would've been nice to have another track or 2 to try and show off a little graphical flair, but I was still impressed with what I saw and the game returning to its series staple instead of continuing with Horizon can only be a good thing.

Ryse - Lets put some concerns to rest. Yes, the game does still feature QTE based executions. Anyone that says otherwise is a moron. The game plays like a hack & slash, albeit a slow and clunky one at that, where you go from enemy to enemy dispatching them in numerous ways. 1 or 2 hits with the light attack brings up an icon over your target which instigates the execution when you press 'B'. Here the QTE comes into play, although they've tried to disguise it so Ill explain. Say an execution has 3 stages. An aura will appear in multiple colours around your target (The game has slowed down at this point too) IF during the 3 stages the aura goes yellow, blue, yellow - guess what you do? Yep, Press 'Y' 'X' 'Y' to complete the execution. Now imagine doing this over & over & over & over again and that seems to be Ryse in a nutshell. Co-op could be a bit of a saving grace (the hands on was with co-op enabled with the player on the Xbox next to me joining in) but aside from dual executions, it never really came into play in any other way during the hands-on. Its a shame as the graphics are pretty good (confirmed at 1600x900 though so no 1080p goodness) with some beautiful fire effects played out during an arena bout in a coliseum, but the gameplay is so clunky. I actually became stuck on a wall at one point for about a minute before an enemy hit me n broke me free, plus enemies would freeze in all manner of weird postures at a time. It may be due to it being based on an older build of the game, but if not - I really don't see what the hype is about. As a Hack & Slash, its way behind almost everything else Ive played in the genre recently.

Dead Rising 3 - To be honest Ive never really been interested in Dead Rising. Played a little of the first one but that's about it. I was looking at this game to surprise me though and maybe be a dark horse for the Xbox. It didn't turn out that way. What came to pass was just another Hack & Slash. Your given a big hammer and dropped into a street with zombies. Thats it. My playthrough mainly consisted of bashing 'X' with the occasional 'Y' to do a heavy attack to clear zombies from around me. I picked up a pistol at one point which switched things up a little, but it was back to the mashing once my ammo ran out. It could just be the area of the game that I was given to play, but I don't remember Dead Rising being this monotonous!? The amount of Zombies onscreen is quite impressive, but drawbacks in resolution (less than 1080p again without a doubt) dull colour palette, lacking fine texture detail (for a next gen title anyway) and some awful aliasing take the sheen off the game. The framerate seemed fixed from E3 though and stayed relatively smooth so there's a good point from my hands-on! I dunno with this. Maybe the full release will add the variety that the hands-on segment I got stuck with was lacking. It has potential but who knows if it will be fulfilled.

There was also Killer Instinct to play but I passed on it due to it being a 1 v 1 with an Xbox rep. After watching the guy pummel a few people I thought 'Whats the point?' I wouldn't be getting a feel for the game, Id just be getting stomped. Can't base a hands-on with being stomped into the dirt due to the rep obviously playing the game at every event! It looked impressive though.

This .gif sums up my feelings on the hands-on perfectly. It was a clear missed opportunity by Microsoft. With the games being the typical dudebro yarn, it was hard to get excited from a niche gamers perspective. There wasn't even a quirky indie title to give the event some variety. I spent 3 HOURS there, quizzing the reps & playing games - and left unimpressed. With all the Battlefield 4 news yesterday too with regards to the next-gen iterations, Microsoft needed to wow me with some exclusives to drum up some excitement, but I was left wanting at the fidelity on show. It was a far cry from the 1080p crispness, colourful & detailed Ps4 hands-on the night before. I'm going to play the waiting game with the Xbox One, my opinion on it can't really get any lower after last nights hands-on so it has to improve at some point. Microsoft are quite clearly not aiming for the demographic that's going to frequent an Otaku gaming site though.

Ps4 Hands-On Impressions.

Last night I had me some Ps4 hands-on. The night didn't start too well with the event being delayed so I was stood out in the cold for half an hour while staff constantly bigged up the Xbox One at every opportunity to me until they realised I was on the verge of throwing punches if I had to say no to an Xbox One preorder again. There was also the disappointment of no Killzone: Shadow Fall. Yes, I love me some Killzone every now again. Still, Once Id clasped that Dualshock 4, all was forgiven. So how did it go?

Console/UI/Controller
I'm going to deal with the controller first. Ive had my reservations with the redesign mainly focused around the analogs. They looked to be similar to how the 360 has them, I use a 360 controller on PC, and Ive always found the movement to be a little restrictive on the 360 compared to a DS3. Thankfully the freedom of movement is still there with the redesigned Dualshock! I stand by my tweet last night when describing the DS4 too - "What do I think of the DS4? Awesome. Its like holding the firmest breasts of the best hunni. probably better..." It just seems to sit so comfortably in your hands and the textured grips on the underside of the controller ensure the slippery aspect of the glossy Ds3 is a thing of the past. The size is also odd. From images its always looked bigger, more bulky, but last nights hands-on painted a different picture. Its actually not that much bigger than a Ds3 with most of the extra size coming from the widening of the centre to accommodate the touchpad. I was left very much surprised as Ive always considered the Dualshock to be a superb all-rounder with its design, but this new design takes it a step further yet still feels natural for those with a long history of Playstation gaming.
How about the Console? Well they were locked away inside a booth, but I have had the privilege of holding one a while back. Its very similar in size & weight to a slim Ps3 (not a super slim) with its slanted design giving it a sleek look & those grills on the back adding a little menace. The Ps4 really does light up like it does in the gif too! With the consoles locked away I wasn't able to test how loud the system is with its cooling or disk access, all demo's appeared to be loading straight from the HDD too. The UI was also sleek. Ive never had any issues with the XMB, Ive always considered its functionality to be superior to most UI's, but the redesign for the Ps4 is to be expected. While not as functional, its definitely more sleek & stylish with the added benefit of a multicore CPU ensuring everything is snappy.

Onto the games...

Knack was probably the big game of the hands on session, although some would say FIFA14 but meh, and it didn't disappoint. The game has always intrigued me due to it being the only action platformer of both consoles to launch (actually does the Xbox One even have one? I dunno.) that's had any spotlight put onto it. I came away surprisingly impressed. While the gameplay is basic, its intended for younger audiences afterall, there were still times of difficulty for the more seasoned gamer. The ice caves in particular when trying to land blows on enemies while dodging arrows and fighting the slippery ice being a source of frustration I remember. The gameplay also switched out to a stealthy puzzle segment too for a short while so theres some variety to be had. Graphically it was nice too. 1080p crispness is confirmed, although a little bit of extra AA could do to smooth things off a little. IF that was done, we'd be looking at Pixar movie quality graphics. Its that good! Framerate was also butter smooth and particle effects n the like were suitably impressive. While its not going to be everyones cup o' tea, those that give it a try will be surprised if the hands-on session I had is anything to go by.

Contrast - This was probably my favourite of the bunch I played. It was just , I dunno. Its hard to put into words my feelings on the game from what I played. Definitely impressed though. It has a nice 1920's Tim Burton style going on which makes it look different to most games out there. Plus, 1080p again and some nice lighting effects keep the graphical side ticking over. The gameplay though was pure puzzle platforming. Basically you can 'shift' onto any wall that has strong light shining onto it and you become a shadow on the wall. In this you can then run along shadows that are projected onto the walls to access other areas your not able to usually. Its a simple mechanic that works flawlessly. Later in the demo you are also able to manipulate spotlights to generate your own shadows and create a pathway for yourself once you shift. There was also a cutscene of shadows talking on a wall as you eavesdrop, so does that mean theres some kind of time displacement with regards to shadows? or maybe somethings happened and everyone has become a shadow? None of that is explained in the demo, it was just pure gameplay. It was absolutely fascinating though and hopefully is a sign of things to come with regards to unique experiences from Sony's indie push. One to keep an eye on for sure.

• Octodad - This is just as quirky as you have expected it to be. At first thought it will leave you confuddled with its control scheme for a few minutes while you get to grips with it. Once you get used to its physics based gameplay, its unique charm will leave you chuckling. The analogs control your 'arms' and the triggers control your walking, the more you press the trigger - the bigger your strides! While the graphics weren't the best, It still manages to remain at the forefront of most peoples minds, evident by the amount of times the demo was played by other last night, due to its completely unique & quirky premise.
• FIFA14 - Its FIFA, so there's no need to go into much detail. Instead I guess I could let you know how the ignite engine is. To be honest it probably plays a lot different to current gen iterations. I found the players to have actual weight & momentum which gives the game a more realistic feel, especially when you factor in the independent ball physics. 1080p confirmed again but the graphical jump isn't that big. Cloth effects on kits were improved, detail a tad higher but probably the main improvement came with the crowd detail no doubt due to the bump up in resolution. 
• Super Motherload. - Didn't really like this one in truth. Wasn't really too sure of what to do on it either as there was no tutorial on the demo and none of the reps could enlighten me either. You seem to control a digger and you have to dig below the surface to find ore to upgrade your digger. Fuel can also run out so you have to occasionally return to the surface to fuel up and buy upgrades. Not really sure what to make of it and probably the weakest title I tried.

I only managed to Solid Snake a few pictures as when I enquired with the reps to record some Knack footage I was told that No pictures or Footage was to be taken. Dem connections only go so far it seems! I suppose I should get some 'Otaku Gamers UK' shirst made up so people know who's in the house at these events. Still stealthily snapped a few pictures anyway!  Got a couple of the controller, one with my average sized hand holding it to give you an idea of its size, plus a booth pic of the Ps4 and a pic of the menu on Knack to show the clarity on offer with 1080p. I was a little disappointed about this aspect of the hands-on, but it can't be helped I supposed. Sorry guys. Overall I came away impressed. While I'm still waiting for some eastern games to be announced before I decide to grab a Ps4, Probably stump up the cash in the new year I think, Its still an impressive console. Its not surprising Sony have been riding a goodwill wave since February. Tonight though is Hands on with the Xbox One, although I doubt its going to be as enlightening as the Ps4 due to its heavy focus on its own American demographic. Still, it could surprise me! Ill let you know tomorrow how it goes.

 

Review: Lollipop Chainsaw (Ps3/Xbox360)

"Just because something is dumb, that doesn't mean it can't be brilliant."

OK. First things first. If your the kind of person who just hates this kind of content and writes fervent blog posts about how wrong it is to base a piece of entertainment on a concept like this, Leave. Now. Move your mouse pointer to the top of the page and close the window. I'm not going to mark this game down due to its content. I refuse to pander to you types of people. Personally I like American Grindhouse movies & Japanese exploitation flicks so the fact this game has the audacity to style itself like them is great. They gone? good. On to the review!

Otaku Mobile Games v2.0

Seen as the last look at a few Otaku mobile games seemed to turn out popular, how about some more? To be honest I'm currently looking at about 20 games on my Xperia Z, so I have quite a bit of content to still get through! I have begun to play through a JRPG called Epic Hearts, but its tough to find enough time to marathon it a little with everything else I have to play through on other systems. There's only so many hours in the day! With the amount of games Ive come across, and still finding, you can be sure Ill post more of these type of articles in the future! so lets have a look at a few more today...

Galaxy Gladiator (Android) [Free]
Travel back to the golden age of '80s arcade shooters with this vertically scrolling shoot 'em up! As you'd expect with a description like that, what entails is a game purely for old-school shmup fans. Others may enjoy it too tho as its not too difficult. Progress within levels is vertical with all manner of enemies coming from the top portion of the screen in many directions. As you'd expect, a boss is present at the end but you don't have to destroy them to complete the level. A time appears and destroying the boss within that gives you bonuses, if you don't then no bonus. Upon completion of a level, XP is awarded which you can use to unlock levels & upgrade your ship. While the game does have some nice 3D graphics, the game is structured in a way that requires a lot of grinding for progress. A shame, but still Worthy of a try due to its lack of a price tag (progress can be bought via the purchase of gold coins for XP)

Moe Cure Net (Android) [£4.25]
The only fully translated Visual Novel Ive managed to find on the app store (doesn't appear to be on Itunes) There are numerous non-translated ones, so if you savvy with your Japanese then you should be busy. From what Ive played so far it is just as you'd expect. Whats surprising though is the wealth of talent they've managed to procure for the voice acting. There's no English dub, Just subtitles, but some of the voices may be instantly recognisable to some of us (A full list of actresses is on the app page) I think there is a free version to try but I'm not sure how its limited as I'm using the full version.

SOL: Stone of Life (Android / IPhone) [Free]
(If you have a phone with a large, high res screen or a tablet - look for the EX version for higher quality assets) A free action RPG that may be worth taking a look at. The gameplay is mainly dungeon crawling which usually involves fetch quests as you'd expect with a simple mobile title. Loot drops by enemies and chests provide the means for you to boost your equipment as well as a shop in the central hub to purchase items in. The skill tree & item/weapon customising though is fairly deep and you may be quite surprised by it. The occasional tutorial that pops up when you first start playing is a worthy read if you want to get the most out of the game. Story seems a bit..not too interesting, but its gameplay makes up for that and the graphics are quite good with some nice character artwork. Just be wary of controls. Movement can be clunky depending on which option you choose so make sure to try all of them. Worth a try for the price.

 Trigger Knight (Android / PC ) [Free]
Guide the Knight to defeat enemies before her health energy ends! An Experimental Mini-Survival RPG that uses one-button mechanics! The relatively simple premise hides a game with deeper, more tactical gameplay than you first realise. You are constantly running while a gauge at the top of the screen depletes. While running you'll pass buildings that allow upgrades ie weapons & armour, purchased with gold you receive when you destroy enemies on the way. Passing shrines and paying the gold resets the gauge. You'll always know what the next few buildings you pass are going to be as they show underneath the time gauge, allowing you to plan ahead. Its anime styled graphics are nice, but with no HD or EX version being available, looks a little blotchy on high-res phones & tablets. Well worth a try though. Don't be fooled by its simplicity of gameplay..

If you grab a couple from the last article and try these, there should be enough to keep you going till I post up the next iteration. Then again if you'd downloaded Moe Can Change, You wouldn't even need these! Have you tried that one yet? I bet you haven't. I should hopefully have another review up on Monday followed by maybe a review of Pokemon on Friday. Ps4 Hands-on will also be happening on Monday evening too so I guess I'm going to be busy next week. Dont forget Ill be live tweeting so be sure to follow me on Twitter @MadchesterManc

Localisation Prospect: Hyperdimension Neptunia PP

I was awoken this morning by a Tweet. As annoying as it was at 7.30am, the contents of the tweet more than made up for it. Thanks go to Remy Dalmulder (Sanquine) for bringing this to my attention. Game publisher NISA is bringing Idea Factory's Hyperdimension Neptunia PP to US and EU PlayStation Vita's next year. This title has a planned release for both retail and PSN formats but no firm date given yet other than 2014. So lets gather up some Intel on what is probably one of the most surprising titles to see localisation for a while.

Nippon Ichi Software's description of this title:   
The player takes on the role of the main character, who happens to fall into Gamindustri and is immediately hired by one of the four CPUs-Neptune, Noire, Blanc, and Vert-to be their producer and manage their idol careers. Get your training wheels on, ladies, because a new producer is in town and the fate of Gamindustri hangs in the balance! Will you be able to properly raise these CPUs into idols, or will their citizens be stolen away from them by the popular idol group MOB-48!? Teach these girls to sing, dance, and properly promote themselves to the general populace thanks in part to your expertise in training video game idols back on Earth. As the girls' popularity rises, they will be able to join one another in singing duets, or maybe even come together for a full ensemble!

The goal of Hyperdimension Idol Neptunia PP is to get fans. You can send Neptune and the CPUs out by picking the "business" option from the main menu. There are events, media shows, and other publicity stunts you can do to promote the Neptunia idol troupe. If you want to give the CPUs a break you can select "off" which also lets you see scenes of the idols talking. Pick "lesson" and you can increase the girl’s stats. You can also select "move" to relocate your office to get fans in other regions. When it’s time to perform you can select live mode. The CPUs will take the stage to sing and dance. You can pick costumes for the CPUs. The CPUs that perform can increase their share in the region their act is in. There are times when monsters like the Dogoo will come on stage too in Unlimited Live events - Very much a far cry from previous entries in the series with gameplay not being anything like the JRPG's of previous entries. While the fact its Hyperdimension Neptunia is enough to ensure its a day one purchase for me, With it not being an RPG I am a little worried about it being too much of an off-shoot. Still, It does intrigue so a purchase is on the cards with a review to follow for those interested (whenever release day is)

Ive managed to piece together info from numerous sources to brings this small tidbit post with a little more info than most to give you guys a small insight as to whats in store. As you can see from the screenshots, it looks very much like a Neptunia game at least. I can see this being a fans game more than anything, so even more niche than the main series. Personally, I cant wait. I almost had a fangirl screaming moment when I read the news so you can be sure Ill let you know as soon as a release date is announced

Here's some art to tie you over till some more announcements are made..

 

Retrospective: Gungrave (Ps2)

Views have more than doubled lately with the completion of reviews for recently released games seeming to bring in a wave of readers. The 7/10 awarded to Dragons Crown still seems a little contentious to some, but if you take a look at our new scoring policy - a 7 is a good score! Ill have another review for you to chew the fat over in a few days time. Today though I'm going to do a retrospective. Its been about a week since I last done one which is surprising when I usually do one every other day. Today I'm gonna look at a game I recently re-purchased - Gungrave

Review's Scoring Policy

 

Ever wondered how games are scored? While Ive used PushSquares scoring policy before, I thought it'd be good to start using one of our own for reviews posted to the blog even though I do like PushSquares. So without further ado, I give you the otakufied scoring policy! Authors are free to choose their method of scoring the games they review here tho, so this policy may not always apply!

10/十 - Pāfekuto (Perfect)
A Game that scores a 10 doesn't necessarily mean its a perfect game in a literal sense, more like perfect for its intended system or for multiple types of gamers to enjoy. Its a game that can transcend its pigeon holed genre and be worthy for anyone. Worth its weight in Beef Ramen without a doubt!

9/九  - Sōdaina (Magnificent)
Quite similar to a 10 rated game - but one or two little, tiny, minuscule, minute issues that may effect the odd person has meant it's just shy of that illusive score. Still, its worth trying even if you don't like the genre its settled in as it could surprise you like a tasty packet of Octopus flavoured crisp.

8/ 八 - Subarashī (Great)
A game that fans of the genre will lap up in spite of the few minor, niggling issues the game might have. Those able to overlook minor issues will also be surprised by the game if they give it a chance and may enjoy more than they thought was possible. Its like Pork or Duck Ramen. Tasty, but not quite Beef.

7/七 - Yoi (Good)
A 7 is a good score, hence the 'Yoi'. While it has one or 2 areas that may have compromised its quality overall, Its still recommended as there may be other areas of genuine quality or fun that can balance everything out a little bit. Its like warming up your Sake too much. Its still nice, but its just missed the sweet spot.

6/六 - Warukunai (Not Bad)
Be wary if a game has this score. While by no means is it a bad game, It may have numerous issues that warrant caution. Theres still some good in a game with a 6 though! So it should be worth a try if you've looked into it & feel its issues aren't too bad.  Its kinda like Bachelor's Super Noodles, they may taste nice but you never once believe your getting the real deal.

5/五 - Heikin (Average)
A 5 is average. While some gamers see the likes of 6 or 7 to mean average, here we stick to the traditional 5 being average. An average game is just that. Isn't terrible, but isn't great either. It just is. I wouldn't recommend a game with this score unless your a big fan of the series or the concept the game is based on. Only then may you be able to overlook 'some' of its issues.

4/四 - Gakumen ika (Below par)
Things start to go downhill here quicker than an attempt to patch up some badly made Sushi. While a game with a score of 4 may have one or two redeeming features for absolute fans to cling to, theres no disguising the fact that the game features more than its fair share of issues. You may enjoy it in patches, but be warned!

3/三 - Mazushī (Poor)
The kind of game that no doubt looks awesome on the cover, but has no doubt lulled many a people into a false sense of security. Upon the moment the game is played you'll feel the tinge of disappointment like a Shuriken to the heart as your hopes fade. We can't justify a game with this score, but its your choice at the end of the day!

2/二 - Hidoi (Terrible)
A game this bad would even have a Samurai disobey his master when ordered to play it. Theres probably just a tiny speck of goodness that prevents it from getting the lowest score, but that doesn't mean its worth accepting even if its for free

1/一 - Shūtai (Abomination)
The title says it all. Play it at your own peril. We have so you don't have to. Tenno Heika Banzai.......


*While most gaming sites use stars for a visual representation of the score, here the Japanese numerical characters are used instead. For example, as with Dragons Crown 7/10, it would show as:

一 二 三 四 五 六 七/OOO

or Beyond: Two Souls 9/10:

一 二 三 四 五 六 七 八 九/O

If a review copy of a game is provided by someone else they will also be mentioned too (Review copy provided by.....) and links to their website/profile will be provided so you can thank them with a nice, warm bowl of Demae Ramen, Beef of course.

Hope that clears things up for you if you become confused by what a review score entails in the future.

Review: Dragons Crown (Vita)

Today is the second in my long weekend of reviews! Its been a long, gruelling time with the great news of some Ps4 hands on and Andi's talk of reviewing the latest Armoured Core today too sandwiched in the middle of the 2 reviews. Hopefully those of you intrigued by the title but unsure of whether to take the plunge just yet will enjoy this review.

Quick update

Just a quick update to let you know that I'm not dead!. Been busy with Kingdom Hearts Final Mix which is finished off the other night :)!

Just jumped onto Chain Of Memories and I'm honestly a little pushed back by it, hopefully the writing picks up later on but there is a lot I need explaining to be impressed!.

As for my next big write up I'm currently waiting for a copy of Armored Core: Verdict Day in the post. Once this drops I shall be reviewing this relatively under the radar release (working in a game shop I should of known this had released but nothing!).

Till next time my little Straw Hats!