SEGA Shooters: Vanquish & Binary Domain

"Do me a favour, plug me into a Sega"

Unfortunately, I don't mean the kind of shooter in the pic above, Sorry. As we continue with SEGA week, I think its time to have a look at a couple of SEGA's current gen shooters. Binary Domain is a traditional Third person shooter developed by the Yakuza Team while Vanquish serves the other end of the spectrum with an arcade style developed by Platinum Games. I was considering a review for each one last week, but I wouldn't want to overload myself with too many reviews in a week as I still have some articles planned for the rest of the SEGA week. Instead I'm just going to kinda retrospective them both within the same article as it'll also show just how much they contrast even though they are both third person shooters. While both feature story's based within the near future, they each go in a different direction. Vanquish Sets itself upon a space station used for harvesting Solar energy that has been occupied by Russian nationalists and had its power unleashed as a weapon onto unsuspecting cities. You play as a DARPA agent and its your job to prevent anymore attacks and rescue an important scientist. Binary Domain, on the other hand, is a little more down to earth. The story revolves around 'Hollow Children', androids that look like humans but also seem to be unaware that they are actually androids. This is against a treaty signed by the nations of the world and some evidence points toward a Amada corporation based in Japan. You play as Dan Marshal and, with your Rust Crew team, set out to find out whats going on. To be honest, I much preferred the story for Binary Domain of the two. At times it comes across as a little Blade Runner in its execution, plus with The Yakuza Team being behind it your pretty much guaranteed a decent narrative (Yakuza 3 is testament to that) The down to earth aspect always helps with making it more beleivable. hats not to say Vanquish has a bad storyline, it doesn't, but its just not as deep or involving as Binary Domain. Shinji Mikami stated that the game design of Vanquish itself was inspired by Casshern, an anime series from the 1970's, which is probably why the execution of the story gave me an anime vibe while playing through it. Either way, both stories aren't going to win any awards but you'll be happy with whichever you choose.

Even with both games being shoe-horned into the same genre, they both play radically different. Sure, both games feature a cover system/ammo cache/stores for upgrades & weapons/limited amount of weapons to carry and more staples of the genre. Its Vanquish here though that deviates the most of the two. Vanquish plays quite a lot differently to most Third-person shooters, never mind Binary Domain. It has a fast-paced style of gameplay reminiscent of 2D bullet hell shooters, while also chucking in the odd beat 'em up elements and an original sliding-boost mechanic that adds to the game's fast paced gameplay. A bullet-time mechanic also comes into play when activated, using your boost meter to slow time and allow you to even the odds. A score is tallied up between sections in levels and a boss has to be conquered too, all adding up to feed the old-school arcade vibe you'll feel as you fire the game up. Binary Domain treads a more traditional path when it comes to its mechanics though, playing out as you'd expect most other shooters to do. A major part of the game is the Consequence System. Trust plays a part in the story mode on how the squad views the player. This affects both the storyline and the gameplay, where the characters behave differently depending on trust levels. Voice comms can also be used in an old-school Socom kinda way. Both games play well, but where Binary Domain plays like a traditional game, Vanquish plays more like a traditional SEGA game.

Both games offer up some nice visuals. Binary Domain goes for a sharper, cleaner image while Vanquish seems more detailed and packed with effects. Its difficult to judge on which is the better of the two with regards to graphics & sound so Ill let this excerpt from Made2Game do the job - Vanquish likes to wow the player with huge amounts of excellent effects and visual filters to accentuate the action. Some nice design touches include the game being set within a cylindrical space station that allows the player to see the world stretching out in front and indeed above them in more than a slight nod to Halo, along with some excellent enemy design - the transformer-style movements that some of the larger bosses use to transition between different phases of attack patterns in particular can be quite spectacular to witness.
In contrast, Binary Domain lacks much of the in-your-face flashiness of Vanquish; indeed, on the surface it actually comes across as quite a sterile looking game. Happily though, this style actually complements the tone of the game well, with huge corporate blandness engulfing the super clean and passionless world of future Tokyo. Also, the way that the body armour of the many robo-foes you face falls off as you shoot it looks fantastic as well as giving good visual clues as to the damage you are dealing. The facial animation, seemingly taken wholesale from Yakuza, is excellent, and the way the metal structure of the ‘hollow children’ (what the game calls robots that look no different to humans - think Blade Runner’s replicants) shows through and melds into flesh looks fittingly horrifying. SO its really down to preference on this aspect too.

When it all comes to a head like now in the closing paragraph, its tough to choose one over the other. Both offer such different gameplay that each is worthy of a playthrough. With how cheap they can be had for these days, theres no excuse for not trying them either. If push comes to shove, then Id pick Binary Domain. While its gamplay probably isn't as good, with it coming from The Yakuza Team it more than makes up for that with every other aspect of its design. I still say you should try both though If you don't want to end up like the 'Hollow Child' in the picture above.

Fire Pro Wrestling D

Hooray it's SEGA week! Keeping in the spirit of fond SEGA memories I'm going to present to you something of a passion of mine. WRESTLING, I love wrestling have done since I was child. My wrestling tastes have changed over the years I'm more a fan of the actual mat work than the pageantry of it nowadays. Though I must admit I'm still a sucker for Hogan vs Warrior WM 6!.

                            

Where is this going you ask? A little known title over here called Fire Pro Wrestling!. Seeing only 2 releases in it's 20 year history over these seas, Fire Pro Advance and the god awful Avatar fighting game on XBLA. I'm going to tell you about the Dreamcast title Fire Pro Wrestling D. 

Released in 1998 and seen as one of the series high points Fire Pro D is a wrestling sim at it's finest. Rather than focus on the product as a whole Fire Pro is for the fan who enjoys nothing more than a good match. 

With a small amount of specialist matches the game shines in the ring with the mind blowing array of matches and the customisable and brilliant A.I. Based with mostly Japanese federations there are a lot of wrestlers not known to the casual fan. Fortunately there are a lot of familiar looking and sounding "American" wrestlers someone with half an imagination could figure out!.

Having only released in Japan this title though reasonably import friendly has been navigated mostly through walkthroughs. Now after tons of hard work passionate fans have released a translated version for everyone to enjoy! Visit http://rdcproject.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/fire-pro-wrestling-d-english.html?m=1   for info about this patch after this write up and experience it in all it's glory! 

GRAPHICS! 

                     

The first thing you will notice about Fire Pro is that it's sprite based. No 3D models just 100% sprite based goodness on the character models. The ring and arenas are 3D but that's your lot, this often divides most people as they see this as a bad thing "lol mega drive graphics". 

Why this is a good thing is not only do the moves looks very well animated, there is no need to Mo-cap for them so the amount of moves and reactions is astounding!. 

Even with the sprites the wrestlers are usually very detailed and it's fairly easy to recognise the more famous wrestlers you can select.

Entrances aren't much to marvel at and 9 times out of 10 you will skip them, your wrestler steps out, taunts and hits the ring. Victory is just as unspectacular, strike a taunt and the results screen hits. This is all filling to what Fire Pro is about, unlike most wrestling games it's not bothered about the outside of the match just the content of the actual bout!. 

Character edits (more on that later) don't seem out of place and the arena and logo designer both work well and unlike the bigger series created content actually fits in rather than sticking out like a sore thumb!. 

GAMEPLAY!

                           

This is where Fire Pro stands head and shoulders above any other wrestling game including the holy No Mercy!. Relying more on timing than button mashing and a unique grappling system ontop of a hit and miss melee system you may find it a touch overwhelming when arriving in the squared circle!

                           

First things first, Fire Pro isn't designed for fist fighting. It's there as an option, you can slam a fist into your foe or drive a boot into his gut but lining up the right plain is a pain most of the time and better used after making your opponent dizzy. 

Instead your assault will be mainly grapple attacks, when you come close enough to each other you automatically grapple. As soon as your hands lock you need to press a button and if you want a direction. Each button and direction combination performs a grapple move from weak to strong. 

To reverse the move you need to press exactly the same button as the other wrestler, this sounds harder than it is, it just takes a bit of thinking ahead and studying the flow of the match.  

                        

 Another factor is there is no HUD and thus no bars or hidden requirements to meet before you can hit your signature move. They are part of your main grapple set and thus can be activated any time during a match, it's up to you when and where you hit it. To counter this it has a higher chance of being reversed at the start of the match and in the case of the American wrestlers where they usually end a match only hit full power when momentum is high and your challenger is vulnerable. When a signature is at full power it has the chance to CRITICAL which basically K.O's whoever gets hit, causes a tap out/KO or busts opponent open and leaves them vulnerable to pin.

Stamina is also a huge factor within a match, rather than taunting all the time you need to pay close attention to your wrestler. Are they sluggish or look tired? You need to let them take a breather be it after a big move or after taking an assault. Just like the actual product sometimes you have to roll out of the ring and grab a breath. Naturally smaller more athletic guys have more Stamina than say Abdullah the Butcher or Big Van Vader! 

                             

The whole point of this is to make the fights more of a simulation. Rare you will have a squash match unless you go out of your way to make it so. It's this combination of elements which create such addicting matches which will make even the most cynical fan mark out at the end! 

Match types aren't as varied as other games in the genre and the stipulations aren't quite as customisable. Matches have to end Submission, KO, Pinfall, Count out or DQ, this means no table matches or Ladder matches. We they do have is cage matches, tag, Japanese death matches involving barb wire, exploding cage matches, handicap matches and Octagon Matches. What that final one means is you can also sim UFC/PRIDE style matches which gives you even more bang for your buck!

The other star mode here is Edit mode, here is where you make all the little tweets to your game to make it suit your needs. From the in depth Create A Wrestler to Create A Title there isn't much here you cannot customise!. For example say you want to recreate a previous Wrestlemania event, you can do that. Create the logo using Logo Editor then apply that to the ring in Create an Arena. Once that's out of the way you need the roster, have a look what's already available if you don't have the full set head over to CAW and get your edit head on!. 

                            

Within the CAW system you have the advanced A.I system. What you have here is the ability to programme any edit or current wrestler to act as they would in real life!. This is paramount to editors and the Fire Pro experience, it's this which makes the game feel so authentic and helps create the legendary matches you will have!. What this tool provides is for example should you make Hulk Hogan you can have him react to a certain degree of damage before he "hulks up" and presents you with some right hands, a big boot and then follows up with the legendary leg drop!. It's that versatile! 

The Title Belt system works well aswell, once you have set one up and decided who should have it or who won it in a tournament the game then keeps a record of who won the titles, how many defences and how it was won. This makes it easier to keep a note of this titles prestige and previous holders which is essential for people running e-Feds. 

Create a Tournament is here which is something far too many wrestling games have missed out. Though it's a minor thing a lot of fans love the Tournament style setting and creates limitless fun with sim'd matches thus not knowing who will rise through the ranks to take the title at the end.

Victory Road is the career mode on offer in Fire Pro D. Either create a wrestler or pick an existing one and hit the road traveling around the world. The object of this is to beat your opponents, win and defend titles and become the G.O.A.T all while unlocking hidden wrestlers!.

Final Thoughts! 

This game does have problems, they could of put a bit more effort to aesthetics such as better entrances and champions walking to ring with their title. Match type feels limited even for games around it's release and options such as interference not being available do limit it some what. Finally collision detection takes some warming to! As stated going Melee is a pain at times and more often than not is not an option at the start of a match with a fresh opponent!. 

Looking past these criticisms and omissions you have the premier wrestling experience on the Dreamcast!. With enough content to last 2 life times and the ability to have jaw dropping matches what more would you need from a wrestling game?!?. This game is that good that it took another game in the series released on PS2 called Fire Pro Wrestling Returns for it to be bettered!.

Despite playing several editions including the infamous SNES version involving Suda 51 and the dangerously addictive Fire Pro 2 on GBA with it's Ring Management mode, I always find myself back here. Sprite based graphics and solid controls means this gem has aged very well, couple that with the newly released unofficial translation which will no doubt bring the community back to D, you have an unmissable piece of wrestling game history!. Take a bow No Mercy! For your retro gaming fix look no further than Sega Dreamcast's Fire Pro Wrestling D! 

9/10

Like this? Also look into Giant Gram2000 and Touken Retsunden 4 for similar Japanese wrestling goodness! 

Review: The House of the Dead: Overkill EC (Ps3)

 "Are you holding my hand? "Yes" "Let go, I ain't your momma!"

 SEGA week continues with a review for one of SEGA's most beloved arcade series. Except this title was developed with home consoles in mind and hasn't made its way to arcades as far as Im aware. All other main entries started within those arcade cabinets of yesteryear. House of the Dead launched in 1998 with an (unfinished) port released on the Saturn & PC a little later, House of the Dead 2 launched in 1998 too with a port a year later on Dreamcast, House of the Dead 3 launched in 2002 with a port to Xbox in 2003 and  House of the Dead 4 (a interquel of sorts between 2 & 3) launched in 2005 with a port to Ps3 in 2012. So how does Overkill fit into the storyline?

Retrospective: SEGA Saturn

"Face it Pretendo, you weren't worth waiting for."

 

If you were following my twitter last night you'd have seen a couple of Saturn pics as I did indeed pull out my Saturn to refresh my memory for this retrospective. In truth, I have been neglecting it of late. With authoring here I'm usually busy with playing through games for review or checking on recommendations so Ive not much time for my SEGA consoles. After last night though, I think I may keep one plugged in at all times now as they are a great way to unwind due the vastly different vibe you get from SEGA consoles compared to modern systems. Amusingly though I'd forgotten that the AV Composite cable Id purchased a couple of months ago was for my Mega Drive, Not my Saturn. So I had to Use the RF cable and tune the Saturn in to my TV. I suppose it helps with that old-school vibe (Ive now ordered an AV cable for the Saturn, you only get mono sound through the RF cable after all) or that's what I kept telling myself.

Update: SEGA Week, Expansion & Recruiting!

 "Blast Processing"

 

As the title suggests, Theres going to be a batch of SEGA articles making there way onto here. Over the next few days I'm going to do a couple of reviews, I wont be reviewing Sonic: Lost World though as Ive not yet decided whether to give it a try or not (really enjoyed Generations so maybe I will), while filling in the gaps with retrospectives and the like. Why? I dunno. I just felt like it was something that needed to be done. There's been some good stuff from SEGA these past few years yet they've failed to market any of it themselves so most people don't know anything about them. Plus, SEGA launched their last couple of consoles in November, so it'd be good to do something SEGA related during November. Actually, I don't really have an astoundingly agreeable reason why. Its probably due to the fact that I'm currently playing through a fair few SEGA games which seem to have sideswiped my plans for a Disgaea D2 review as Its been sidelined for a couple of days. It should make for an interesting week at least, especially for those with not much of an interest in what SEGA have been up to lately. Its safe to say that most of the games that get released by SEGA end up being regarded as niche these days so some may be new to people even though they've been out a couple of years. So what do I have in store?

• Ive been playing HOTD: Overkill, Alpha Protocol, Binary Domain, Vanquish, Project Diva F, SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection and SEGA Rally. Ill be looking at doing a couple of reviews of some of these during the week (one on Wednesday & one on Friday, maybe Thursday instead), although I'm not sure which games to do, and maybe retrospectives for some of the older ones that I don't review. 

• I still got a fully working Mega Drive, Saturn and Dreamcast so I may do a post or two on some of these older consoles. I'm considering leaving the Dreamcast out though as no doubt people have probably read enough articles gushing about it. While I can't guarantee mine wouldn't be the same, at least it would be genuine seen as Ive been with SEGA since the Master System. The mainstream press seems to have started some #Trend about the awesomeness of the Dreamcast which I find annoying myself (I bet many of them didn't even buy one when it was actually doing the rounds in the industry and played Ps2 instead) Ill most definitely do a post on the Saturn. Its probably the most misunderstood of SEGA's consoles so that should be an interesting piece.

With me getting a fresh fibre-optic line being installed at my house on Saturday Ill be able to start publishing posts from home again, so I may have an extra one for Sunday. Ill try and not spill over into next week with the SEGA goodies but you never know, Some interesting news may crop up that deserves a full post on (Andi told me the other day that theres a rumour of ATLUS USA may be in talks with the Yakuza devs for a localisation, read into that what you will) If you have no interest or a hatred of SEGA you'll no doubt avoid the blog this week, but why? I may be a SEGA fan at heart, but I still enjoy Sony & Nintendo's stuff even though they were rivals to my childhood consoles. Fanboyism isn't a good thing. It closes your mind to a lot of whats on offer.

Expanding? Well not in the way your thinking. With me posting about anime's Ive been watching lately I thought it might be a good idea to do a post or two on Movies too. Specifically, Japanese exploitation cinema. Probably 90% of my collection of movies on DVD are films of this type. I'm a pretty big fan of Noboru Iguchi & his wacky films in particular. Most people have never heard of most of the films I have or are put off just by the title of the film. Some people get the wrong idea about the film altogether too, for example my brother thinks The Machine Girl is a blue movie which makes me a pervert due to it featuring a schoolgirl on the cover. You can't make this stuff up! That couldn't be any further from the truth with regards to what the film is actually about though. Hopefully putting a few films on a post will sway such confusion and may entice you to give them a go. If you've no interest in Otaku or Exploitation movies then you'll no doubt find most of the films a little too B-Movie for you cultured Hollywood taste. Worth a try though, if you can find them!

Recruitment Drive! Indeed I'm currently looking into getting a few more authors onto the site posting before I burn myself out. Andi pointed it out to me the other day when I said I was going to do a review for Vanquish, Alpha Protocol & Binary Domain all in the same week. He's no doubt right. A review is a lot of work so 3 in 5 days with a couple of posts splitting them up is WAY too much work for one person. Anyone interested? There's not really a set criteria for anyone wanting to give it a go or on the games you would review/preview, as long as your enthusiastic enough! You can get in touch with me via Twitter or on here.

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

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

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

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

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?

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!