Otaku Gamers UK - News & Reviews

Friday, 8 November 2013

Localisation Prospect: Criminal Girls Invitation

Today I'm gonna have a quick peek at Criminal Girls Invitation. I'm not entirely sure why this has been given as much exposure on western websites as it has. No announcement of a localisation has been made, or do they know something we don't? I was going to stick the 'Fan-Service Warning' banner on this but Ive decided not to. In truth, doing so is pandering to people who don't like it while those that don't mind it could find the banner to be an irritation. Either way, not putting it on is the best way to go. You don't like fan-service? Then you wont be reading the article about a game that has it anyway. I guess I could at least mention it in the opening paragraph, but the banner is going to be binned. It was a silly idea anyway! Onto the game...

Nippon Ichi’s punishingly sexy RPG Criminal Girls is finally receiving a PSV release in the form of Criminal Girls Invitation, which promises to upgrade the spanking experience the title was infamous for to use the Vita’s touch panel. Set for release on November 28th, aside from new scenario content, additional playable characters and graphical upgrades, the main addition is that game’s “punishment system” has been updated to take advantage of the Vita’s generous touch panel. Accordingly, players are now promised the ability to reform the poor penitents with spanking using their bare hands… (Sankaku Complex)

EDIT: We now have a review for Criminal Girls Invitation [HERE]

Criminal Girls Invitation is an enhanced port of a PSP game (Criminal Girls) where you guide a group of female prisoners through a tower located in hell to be reincarnated. The girls are punished because of their deeds during their life (which match with the 7 capital sins for each girl) Each girl has a different vice and when you first band them together they won’t always listen to your battle commands. That’s where the punishment system comes in. If they refuse to acknowledge you, a swift punishment can be dealt. How about a bit of spanking? I'm being serious. You can do that if you want. Its a shoujo punishment RPG according to NIS after all.

You've probably guessed that there isn't much to go on. That's true. Anything solid for the game is in Japanese due to the original not making its way west. From what I understand so far, from what Ive read from numerous people able to import & play Japanese games, Is that its not exactly the best game ever though. The PsP version had relatively mundane combat with enemies that weren't necessarily different from each other much (Actually everything about battle is minimal; minimal choices; minimal creature designs and minimal battle animations) and apparently the fan-service aspect of the game wasn't as bad as was made out to be (So far as sexual content goes, aside from the spanking, it's very tame. Compared to Queen's Blade: Spiral Chaos it's really nothing) Sounds a little average to me. Why is it getting so much exposure then? Maybe the mainstream actually want this localised? I dunno. The game is due for release in Japan on the 28th November. If we don't hear anything within a few months about a localisation Id say its not coming. Here's some artwork to mull over till then and a Trailer. If these few images don't cut it for ya, follow this LINK. You'll find some saucier artwork! Gonna have to hand it a nosebleed warning though. I guarantee you'll have one.

inal Girls Invitation is an enhanced port of the PSP game where you guide a group of girls through a tower to be reincarnated. Each girl has a different vice and when you first have a team they won’t always listen to your battle commands. That’s where the punishment system comes in. Criminal Girls Invitation has Live 2D models, touch screen controls, and alternate outfits for this part.

The Vita version also has two additional playable characters you can find in the Garden of Evil Memory story episode. This story takes place near the end of the game in night school. Players will run into a blue female-like figure, but it isn’t clear if she is a friend or a foe. Himekami, one of the new playable characters faces a shadow in this story episode, which may be a reflection of her crimes.

Read more at http://www.siliconera.com/2013/10/17/criminal-girls-invitation-new-story-episode-rated-m-material/#hRYJg6fT5irygCeK.99The Vita version also has two additional playable characters you can find in the Garden of Evil Memory story episode. This story takes place near the end of the game in night school. Players will run into a blue female-like figure, but it isn’t clear if she is a friend or a foe. Himekami, one of the new playable characters faces a shadow in this story episode, which may be a reflection of her crimes.
Read more at http://www.siliconera.com/2013/10/17/criminal-girls-invitation-new-story-episode-rated-m-material/#hRYJg6fT5irygCeK.99

Criminal Girls Invitation is an enhanced port of the PSP game where you guide a group of girls through a tower to be reincarnated. Each girl has a different vice and when you first have a team they won’t always listen to your battle commands. That’s where the punishment system comes in. Criminal Girls Invitation has Live 2D models, touch screen controls, and alternate outfits for this part.

The Vita version also has two additional playable characters you can find in the Garden of Evil Memory story episode. This story takes place near the end of the game in night school. Players will run into a blue female-like figure, but it isn’t clear if she is a friend or a foe. Himekami, one of the new playable characters faces a shadow in this story episode, which may be a reflection of her crimes.

Read more at http://www.siliconera.com/2013/10/17/criminal-girls-invitation-new-story-episode-rated-m-material/#hRYJg6fT5irygCeK.99

Thursday, 7 November 2013

Localisation Prospect: Project Diva F [Vita]

I was considering not doing a post after spending most of the night awake with a fever so I feel like death today. Still, with such awesome news last night, provided by Remy Dalmulder (Should give the guy a job keep digging up juicy tidbits like this), of Project Diva F making its way to the west on Vita I can't help but do a post today. Any opportunity to talk about Hatsune Miku & Kagamine Rin should be pounced on!! Is it just me or does the Vita's niche announcements just keep coming lately? Hyperdimension Neptunia PP had me cartwheeling around the office, so this is golden for the Vita. Anyway, lets have a look at this on Vita..

The game retains many of the staples of its gameplay from the previous PsP iterations. Anyone coming from those releases will feel right at home. For everyone else, You'll be dropping into a superbly refined rhythm game that's easy to pick up but devilish when the difficulty its ramped up. Basically, as with all rhythm games, the face buttons are pressed in time with the music to yield points. On Easy only the Circle button is used (also the analogue, more on that later) which is a perfect starting point for anyone new to the game. Up the difficulty and this is where Project Diva really comes into its own. On Normal not only is another face button added but another symbol is then used in-game, an arrow coloured the same way as the face button. With this you have to press the face button and the corresponding D-pad direction - ie Square+Left for an arrow the same colour as the square button facing left. The jump up to Normal takes a little getting used to, especially if you have just finished Easy, but the Jump to Hard isn't too bad once you've cleared Normal. Its the same but just uses all the buttons (except LI,R1,L2,R2) I have yet to try Extreme but if the PsP versions are any indication, Ill be sobbing in the corner after 30 seconds. With this being a new release there are a few changes to the old formula. The most notable is the 'Star' symbol which requires a flick of the analogue although these tend to usually only show during the new 'Technical Zone' portion of a song. The Technical Zone is another new addition whereby you have to maintain an uninterrupted combo within a time limit for bonus points. Another change comes with the 'Chance Time'. While bonus points are still awarded during this segment like in previous releases, A star in the corner will also fill up ( 'Cool' will fill the star quicker than 'good') which when filled will enable a singular rainbow star to appear at a later interval in the song. Hit this Star and not only will you get a nice boost to your points but also a bonus event will happen during the song. - Anyone who's been following my stuff will notice this segment as being from my Ps3 Project Diva F review. That's because the game plays practically identical aside from obvious differences in regards to touchscreen controls instead of analog (although the analog control was a minor gripe in my review so that's an improvement!)

There is one minor concern so far with regards to content. Will it feature the full set of 44 songs (including DLC) from the console version or will it be cut back to its eastern brethren? No one knows at the moment but with the game being 5+GB on Ps3 and Vita cartridges only holding up to 4GB, somethings gonna have to give. With the game not having to push 1080p on a handheld with a 960x544 screen, hopefully the obvious reduction in asset file sizes from dealing with a lower resolution will yield the space for those extra songs. Its not a deal breaker for me by any means. Graphically it should hold up to its big brother fairly well. From what Ive seen in screenshots it looks to be the same, just a tad less detail and a bit more aliasing. Everything else appears to have made it, so hopefully it'll have all the content of the Ps3 version chucked in too to make it a tasty deal.

One gripe though. Its digital only in both the EU & the US. I was hoping for physical for those AR cards, but if they keep that in and allow the printing of the cards I guess Ill be happy enough. No release date penned by SEGA either, Just an 'early 2014' statement. The main concern I had with the Ps3 version was that Id always played via PsP before so playing on a console seemed a bit jarring. Ill be double-dipping for this but I'm not sure about doing a review for what is the same game. The main gripes (inaccurate analog & non-handheld version) are both being rectified, so does that mean the Vita version would be a 10/10!? Maybe. It is a perfect handheld game after all, but the Ps3 review would still stand for the Vita version too so I doubt I'm going to review twice. You'll have to decide for yourself whether it gets that extra point or not on the Vita. If your interested, here's the Project Diva F Ps3 review

Wednesday, 6 November 2013

Retrospective: Army Men Series

Today Im going nostalgic. Like really nostalgic. The series Im gonna do a post on today was pretty much universally panned (aside from a few notable releases) but nevertheless managed to build a cult following. And why not? Back in my day all the kids played with army men at some point. Not sure about the young uns today, but it was sort of like a right of passage back then. Those were the days, building battlefields in the back garden and ignoring your mum shouting you in for your tea as there's still a few stragglers holed up to take care of. Good Times. So what about the games?

Localisation Prospect: Demon Gaze

What to do today? Well I've decided to do some localisation & retrospective stuff for a while seen as I've got a bunch of games to play through until I can review them. The only problem with reviewing Jrpg's is you've gotta put time into them otherwise you'll unfairly review them. I could do with keeping an eye out for some quirky niche titles that aren't Jrpg's seen as they don't need as much playtime as an Rpg to review. Today I'm going to look at Demon's Gaze. Its been out in Japan now since January but was announced for localisation several days ago & is due in early 2014 on our shores.

The game takes place thousands of years after the events in the prequel Students of the Round, which appeared on PsP. You play the role of Oz, a mysterious young man with the power of a magic eye that allows him to seal demons. The game allows you to create secondary characters that can join him on his quest, with seven character classes and five different character races to mix things up from altogether. There are 45 character illustrations, which may be changed by "taking a bath". The demons in the game are part machine and have the ability to go on a rampage and maybe transform too. After you have defeated a demon you are then able to summon them to use yourself.
Oz journeys into the dungeons of Mislid to kill the demons and gather treasure before returning to town with his loot. Loot can then be used to pay for the rental fee at the inn you are staying or to buy weapons & equipment for your party. Battles take part in dungeons, but the game's central hub is set in a town. While at the inn or in the town, You can rest or have conversations with other characters at the inn, inn, Certain characters you have a chat with can trigger event cutscenes too, so it may be worth talking to almost everyone that you can.

Gameplaywise I'm gonna use an excerpt from a preview on Kotaku - Demon Gaze is very much a dungeon crawler RPG in the vein of games like Wizardry. The basic flow of the game is that you take a party of characters into a 3D dungeon, a la the old Windows 95 3D Maze Screensaver, where you explore, battle monsters in basic turn-based combat, collect treasures, level your characters, return to a base of operations to recuperate and sell off excess items to buy better items, and head back into the dungeon to explore further. It's all very straightforward. My own experience with these types of dungeon RPGs is somewhat limited. I played but never cleared the original Wizardry on my father's Mac back in the 80's (P.S. Trevor sucks), and I played the Game Boy game Wizardry Gaiden 2 -Curse of the Ancient Emperor- so much so that I ended up with a party of characters with over 3,000 hit points apiece. Those are my only real points of comparative reference, so I don't know how Demon Gaze stands up to or compares with more recent dungeon RPGs. Sounds like It could be similar to Eterian Odyssey IV, which personally didn't go down to well with me. Lets hope that's not the case and theres more to it than meets the eye.

It all sounds like a decent dungeon crawler with some nice artwork (Judging from the screenshots) With my previous experience with dungeon crawlers not being too hot I'm not as hyped for this as Id usually be at the prospect of a localised Jrpg for Vita. Still, come 2014 I'm sure ill be grabbing a copy and reviewing it for you guys. Looking forward to it yourself?

Monday, 4 November 2013

Roundup: Reviews so far...

Yeah we got cheerleaders today as Its been almost 2 months now and with reviews for new & recent game releases now starting to make their way onto here more often, things are starting to pick up! I thought Id compile together all the reviews so far to see whats been looked at already. Over the weekend I traded Dragon's Crown & Pokemon Y so Ive managed to grab a handful of games that I may review over the next couple of weeks. The biggie would Probably be Disgaea D2 which released a couple of weeks ago, so Ill hopefully drop one onto here for that next week. What else is coming? Who knows, but the reviews are definitely going to be continuing to be published on a regular basis. With this list the reviews are listed in chronological order (oldest first > newest last) with links to the complete review under the conclusion. Onto the list!!

Project Diva F (Ps3) - 9/九
What we have here is a superb rythmn game. There is no denying that fact (Personally I couldn't help but wish I was playing this on the Vita though, damn SEGA!, but maybe that will come with the sequel next year). While people who have no interest in Vocaloids or rythmn games will probably give this game a miss regardless, any open-minded gamer out there looking to try something new could do a lot worse then to give Project Diva F a chance. There is the odd little niggle here n there, lack of online leaderboards probably the most glaring for a console release, but the gameplay has almost been refined to perfection that anyone who endears themself to Project Diva F can have hours of enjoyment. With the game also sporting the Studio n Edit features and the ability to share data online, even more hours could be lost creating your own content or downloading others. With bags of content, Stunningly refined & addictive gameplay, smooth graphics and a great soundtrack that all adds up to a must buy for Vocaloid fans. For everyone else, I cant recommend this game enough. If your still on the fence though you'd be a fool to pass up on this when theres a sale/price drop. All in all, a superb entry in series! Did I mention it features Hatsune Miku!!??
(Review Link)

Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll (Ps3) - 6/六
So what can I say here? Well, I commend Omega Force for trying to create a JRPG for a western audience. The problem is that in doing so, the JRPG aspects of the title come across as being a little underdeveloped, especially the lack of a crafting system. At times the game comes across as unfocused and its structure suffers somewhat leaving it to feel a little repetitive. While I didn't like its art-style, the fantasy styling will appeal to those fond of Western RPG's without a doubt but its technical shortcomings should also be something to be cautious of. While it deos have its shortcomings, the combat system for Trinity is actually really good, superb even. But alas, games are a complete package so even a few notable parts of greatness cannot stop the inevitable. While I can't say Id recommend this game, If you see it cheap (around £10/$10) you could do a lot worse. If your mindful of the shortcomings Ive pointed out then the combat system may be enough to keep you entertained and you could get some enjoyment from the game.
(Review Link)

Earth Defense Force 2017: Portable (Vita) - 8/ 八
While the game does little to belie its budget nature, practically revelling in its B-movie charm, Its the prime example of a gamers game. Gameplay is king and with Sandlot having made sure the most basic mechanics of gameplay are well developed, a lot of fun can be had by anyone who gives it a chance. The secondary character, Palewing, doubles the content and is great bonus for those that have played the original due to her different play style. Will it appeal to everyone? No. Its budget nature ensures a niche audience but for those looking for pure gameplay goodness, There aren't many games that betters it and the amount of content for £23.99 is more than worthy. Take a chance and I guarantee you'll be chanting 'EDF EDF EDF' or shouting 'Come on you apes. You wanna live forever!' in your best Micheal Ironside impression before the war is won.
(Review Link)

Majin & The Forsaken Kingdom (Ps3/Xbox360) - 7/七
While the game does have some technical issues & the odd clunky moment, it has enough charm to supersede its issues and provide a fairly entertaining romp. The puzzle filled adventure gameplay will no doubt keep your mind ticking over and would interest those nostalgic for adventure games of yesteryear. Where the game succeeds the most is in its ability to convey the need for the characters to rely on each other. The vulnerability that sets in when you are separated from the Majin is testament to that. If you can look past its niggles & rough around the edges nature, You'll find a charming adventure that shows a symbiotic relationship can be struck up between a player & their AI partner.
(Review Link)

Beyond: Two Souls (Ps3) - 9/九
As a swansong for the Ps3 before the next generation starts, Its a superb technical showpiece for the Ps3 while also giving us a glimpse at what to expect from the next generation with regards to fidelity & cinematic aspects. The odd moment of clunky writing and direction slightly mar an otherwise superbly compelling narrative though, but even then it never falters. The streamlining of gameplay also comes across as a little too simplified at times, but in an industry of complexity - Beyond's simplicity could be regarded as a breath of fresh air by some. If you can live with these minor issues though, you'll find yourself immersed within an emotional rollercoaster of a journey that is one of the best, if not the best, cinematic & unique experiences you'll find in gaming.
(Review Link)

Dragon's Crown (Vita) - 7/七
While at first the game appears to offer surprising RPG depth, you'll come to realise that assumption was fleeting as your nostalgia dissipates and the repetitiveness from the grind sets in. Co-op is the games shining light though, reinforced by the latest cross-play patch, that will help alleviate this when coupled with the Vita's party system. The visuals are majestic & the game seems a perfect fit for the Vita, but the game is also lacking in numerous areas like its level count & RPG elements (to name a couple) which could hurt its long term appeal. Dragons Crown does enough to warrant a recommendation though, with the Vita version being the one to go for it you have the option.
(Review Link)

Lollipop Chainsaw (Ps3/Xbox360) - 8/ 八
Lollipop Chainsaw features the spirit of those arcade games of yesteryear, with its Hack & Slash combat married to a gameplay system that's all about getting that high score. While a few issues like its lack of levels & lack of a challenge on standard difficulties may breed a little caution, Its a game that's worth at least a playthrough. The Grindhouse/Exploitation theme is absolutely superb and while those that find it vulgar will skip over this, everyone else will find a game that's hilarious from start to finish. While it lasts about as long as it takes to get to the soggy paper stick your lollipop was clung to, its just as sugary sweet an experience.
(Review Link)

The Guided Fate Paradox (Ps3) - 7/七
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!.
(Review Link)

And Finally...

Pokemon X & Y (3DS) - 7/七
Its hard to deny that the series has lost some of its charm & magic due to the wealth of iterations that has come before. While the refreshed 3D graphics look gorgeous on the 3DS, although the 3D is woeful to say the least, those looking for a similar refresh in gameplay will be sorely disappointed. Theres still fun to be had but X & Y's general structure & gameplay remains almost identical to its forbears, whether the new additions are enough for you to overlook that is something to consider. Pokemon X & Y isn't quite the Magikarp of the series, but its far from the Gyarados either.
(Review Link)

Review Policy

Surprised to not have been flamed to death by angry fanboys over having the audacity to award a Pokemon game such a score as I have. Been a few 7's of late though as releases lately just seem to have been 'good' with not much better making its way onto our shelves and pockets. I picked up Alpha Protocol yesterday due to it being a bit of an unknown known to me. Mostly been reviewing games that I know are going to be at least good (hence why Ive purchased them) which is why there's only one 6 so far, so my thinking is that this game could go either way so it should be interesting. If theres anything poeple would like to see a review of thats due for release soon or has had a release within the past 2/3 months then let us know and we'll see what we can do!

Friday, 1 November 2013

Review: Pokemon X & Y (3DS)

Now we come to a BIG review. This is the sort of game that has most reviewers buckle and pander to the millions of gamers that buy the game. Here though we've already shown some integrity and its going to continue now. If your a Pokemon fanboy looking for more justification, then this review is not for you as I'm going to point out things you probably haven't noticed through your fanboy goggles. Don't get me wrong, I have a nostalgic love for Pokemon, Probably putting more hours into Red, Blue, Yellow & Green than most have spent during the entirety of the series, and its because of that love that I'm going to be as objective on this as possible. Because its needed. So how has one of the most eagerly awaited 3DS games turned out?

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)

Wednesday, 30 October 2013

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.

Tuesday, 29 October 2013

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.

Monday, 28 October 2013

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!