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Post by ravenf6 on Oct 4, 2015 10:06:11 GMT -5
Last game I beat recently was the main storyline for Lego Dimensions- it was a hefty investment, at first, but the more I played, I found it to be worth it. Each of the worlds is big enough to explore, each of the characters has a distinct ability that works almost to a Lemming effect, but you can get the story done with the three you're provided with via the starter pack.
One thing I don't like about is that it the investment is heavy ($100 for the starter pack) , but one thing I found that balances it out is how much detail is put into the game itself- you have dozens of characters, most of which having voice acting, gags and nods aplenty, some bits having me laugh, while others felt a bit annoying (I'm not a Dr. Who fan, but I officially hate daleks).
If you're not the type who rushes through the story, you can check out the hub worlds, though to unlock the others, you need characters correlating to them. It feels nice to take a stroll down the Shire one minute, or checking out the sights around Jurassic World. This is one I may end up playing for a long time aside Super Mario Maker.
I'd have to give this game 4/5.
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Post by Kyle on Oct 11, 2015 11:26:29 GMT -5
hey. recently tried this game. it is pretty cool
So as I announced in the livestream thread a few days ago, I've been playing this semi-recent released called "Undertale". I'll just say it to you straight with no beating around the bush. The game is downright amazing! I could totally splurge about every neat minute feature in it for at least an hour, but that'd be an injustice. The game is something you seriously need to experience rather than read about. Heck, you can even grab a demo of it for free! It's just the tutorial stage, but it'll give you a clear indication of what the game is about.
Rating-wise, I'd give the game out of five! It's that good. Please play it!
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Post by Bean on Oct 11, 2015 12:19:04 GMT -5
I did a couple of reviews for my friend's site with the last couple of games I've beaten. 36) Grand Theft Auto V (October 5th, PS3) - My review - I gave it an A-. 37) Freedom Planet (October 6th, Wii U) - My review - This also got an A- from me.
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Trege
Poh
oro?
Meddling with Legends 1, Legends 2 and Mega Man 64 data.
Posts: 463
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Post by Trege on Oct 11, 2015 17:20:04 GMT -5
I've recently beaten a few games.
Dark Souls 2 (Typical souls game difficult but still fun and I love them for that.)
Bloodborne (I actually remade Barrel Caskett in this for fun but I can't post any pictures of it since my sister is using her PS4 again currently.) I got the secret ending, now I'm going for the other endings. There is quite a lot I could say about this game but honestly it should be played rather than told about a lot of the story is explained through optional areas and the items you find in the game. The items have detailed descriptions of various aspects in the world though you do get some story through scenes and such as well, and hidden NPC notes.
Mega Man X2-6 Recently beat these games while streaming for a friend who wanted to see the story but they already beat X1. I can't remember the canon/uncanon aspects of X6 so I wasn't good at explaining that particular game though the Zero ending seems pretty accurate considering the Mega Man Zero series is after it. Even X's ending seems to go correctly with the Mega Man Zero series though I can't remember how he turned into what he is in MMZ's intro stage when you get the saber.
I also beat the true final boss on Kirby Return to dreamland, I really love the Kirby series and I want to replay a bunch of the Kirby games soon.
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Post by Bean on Nov 17, 2015 6:16:07 GMT -5
38) Bloo Kid 2 (October 13th, 3DS [eShop]) -This platformer heavily borrows, if not outright cribs off of other companies' games. On the one hand, it does have six goals in each level (Beat the time limit, full health, all stars, all blue stars, defeat all foes, and collect a balloon at the very end of stages). On the other, this is a subpar title on a device that is saturated with much better games. Why buy a derivative if there are other entries that are more worthy of your attention? D+.
39) Yoshi's Woolly World (November 2nd, Wii U) -Wow. This one caught me off guard since no one was really talking about it, but this here is the first great sequel to Yoshi's Island in terms of both gameplay and aesthetics. No babies to worry about in this one. You're just going through on your own or with a friend in a game that feels more true to its source material than Kirby's Epic Yarn did five years ago. Honestly, even though I haven't played too many 2015 releases, this might just be the best of that small bunch. It's incredibly charming and fun. A-.
40) Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3 (November 16th, PS3) -It's been long enough since Hyrule Warriors that I wanted to do another mindless mash-fest like this. Lots of pilots from all the different shows, but the story mode is a mess. You have to go into menus to unlock missions, and there were a few times where I just didn't know how to unlock things (go read email as a specific character). The gameplay is repetitive, too, especially since you're expected to switch partners and pilots to build them all up. It has a lot of content, but boredom and confusion really set in near the end and turned what was an okay game into a mediocre one. Another D+.
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Post by MegaTuga on Nov 19, 2015 18:56:07 GMT -5
Its been a while since I've actually beat a game to talk about it here. It's the gamer's dilemma. Too many games and keep hopping from one to another. Which is why here are two smallish games I beat.
Undertale I didn't want to be that guy who let himself buy a game by trend... by the 1231234134th time. But a gentle soul gifted the game to me! I have to get back something to him as well. So basically it is an old RPG. Which I loathe. Turn-based combat, perspective only on the enemy and so on... but this one breaks the trend! I love the fact that first, you are not just standing there receiving the attack, you can actually dodge! In a bullet-hell type minigame built specifically for each enemy. There are a lot of funny inside jokes and references which I love to death. Then there's the "spare" command and all the different ways you can befriend the monsters, and they are all so full of personality! And I'm not just talking about the bosses, I also mean the regular monsters. And the fact that you can shape the game as you play is amazing, new paths and events open up depending on whenever you spare or fight. Just try to avoid getting a bad time or you are gonna get dunked on.
Broforce The game that makes you feel more 'murican than 'murica itself. Period. From a very young age I loved Metal Slug in the arcade machines on the nearest coffee shop. Simply staring into the demonstration was awesome. But this one took it into another different level. The multiple characters all have different abilities that go beyond their Fire, Special and Melee attacks. Like Bro Dredd whose shots follow the enemies and bounce off walls. Or Mr.Anderbro and his airdashes. But the cherry on top is the platforming, an expanding environment which is yours to... destroy! Except for stairs. Those must be made or 'muricanium. I know that the whole thing is a comical joke with the excessive blood splatter, explosions and the famous characters from the movies. (Some who aren't even from american movies?) But, come on. You cannot hate a game where you can destroy everything and fly on an helicopter as it gets even more destroyed.
EDIT:
Rising Angels: Reborn I'm not sure how everybody else receives Visual novels on their gaming libraries, but it's something I like. This one is available for free and I played it via Steam. What it is is the tale of a crew and their captain of a space destroyer with the mission of uncovering the mystery behind a supposed secret weapon in the edges of space. During the journey, Natalie, the just graduated captain, is tasked to maintain order in the ship while at the same time closing the bonds between her shipmates. As any note-worthy space opera out there, the shipmates include alien races of winged lizard girls, wolf and cat girls, attractive demon and angel men, not the mention the cute drawrf. The game ended in a cliffhanger (for the true ending, that is) but the developers made a kickstarter for the sequel, it is already funded and it looks like it might have voice acting. definitively looking forward to it.
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Post by HF on Dec 2, 2015 7:10:05 GMT -5
During the recent Steam sale, I bought a copy of Transformers Devastation made by the awesome Platinum Games (Bayonetta, Metal Gear Rising). Having been seeing the Michael Bay reimaging of Transformers and the more recent games which followed its design style, I was very hyped when I saw that Hasbro and Platinum Games decided to go with the classic Transformers Generation 1 design. While Fall of Cybertron came somewhat close, it was still not the same G1-style from the original cartoons. Devastation, on the other hand, went all the way by not only presenting the game in a cel-shaded style which captured the effect of playing the cartoon itself, but even brought back many original voice actors such as Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime and Frank Welker as Megatron.
The gameplay in general was a pure Platinum Games beat-em-up involving precise timing and combo-landing as part of the main gameplay mechanic, while mixing in some sections which put more emphasis on firing at enemies from a distance (even if very short compared to the amount of close-up bashing done against enemy swarms or bosses). What I really liked about the game is how the fighting actually integrated the Transformers' vehicle modes as part of the battle mechanics instead of simply being a means of quicker transportation. For example, Optimus uses his cargo trailer to side-smash groups of enemies, Bumblebee does multiple aerial combos by smashing into targets, and Grimlock, well, goes robot dinosaur mode against his targets. In addition to signature moves unique to each character, melee and ranged weapons can be obtained and upgraded/customized to vary the character's movesets and abilities. Prime's Ion Blaster too weak? Strap on Megatron's signature Fusion Cannon, and so on!
Though the game was very short (making its base price a debated topic), every moment of playing this game was an incredible thrill with boss battles against overwhelming odds (at most times), incredible cel-shaded animation (which even includes the awesome strike flares that appear in 80s cartoons) and even shout outs to other Transformers shows including the 1986 animated movie and some music by its original composer Vince DiCola (also known for Rocky IV).
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Post by MegaTuga on Dec 2, 2015 11:58:35 GMT -5
Guys, please. this game. I can't even.
Ori and the blind Forest is a Metroidvania game with everything you expect: abilities, upgrades and a huge map with secrets to find. But more than that it is stunningly beautiful. I recommend you having either a proper graphic card or enough RAM to play this to get the full experience. I usually don't care about visuals but man, it is impossible to not let oneself surrender to the beauty.
You play as Ori, one of the many children of the Great tree of the forest of Nibel. This forest is inhabited by many different creatures and all of them depend on the Great tree's light to survive. However after a stormy night. Ori gets blown away from the tree and ends up being adopted by the (somewhat familiar-looking) Neru. However, the Great tree deeply misses Ori and in an attempt to call out to him, it spent all it's light and forced most animals to hide in fear. And this is why Ori never listened to he call. But something else did, and threatened the whole life in the Forest just from doing so. It's up to Ori to restore the light and bring peace to the forest.
The mechanic is simple: explore, find abilities, increase your skills, use those abilities to get past hazards and restore peace once again. One fun thing is that the main objective implies finding the keys to three dungeons and restore the power to them. As soon as you do that, the feeling of "Bomb set, get out fast" installs. But that's another story.
Beyond the music and the animations, the gameplay mechanics are also good. You get a small ball of light (is that you Navi?) fighting for you using fire (guess not) and Ori can also get skills like wall climbing, the all-important double jump, and a stomp to break weak flooring. Not to mention this: there are only about 6 or so saving poins which double as healing fountains, but you can always create your own save points which is awesome. As you beat up enemies, you also absorb light which increases your level and by each level you gain an ability point to spend on three skill trees. You can also get upgrades to your life and energy required to use charged attacks and save points, as well as experience containers and instant ability points.
So it's cute. It nearly has the ghibli movie feeling (Neru looks like a certain no face...) and... well you have to play it. But as I said, if your computer isn't the best, you are left to play it in a small resolution in order to get any proper gameplay, which is kinda sad.
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Post by Bean on Dec 7, 2015 7:24:28 GMT -5
41) Advance Wars: Dual Strike (November 28th, DS) -Leave it to Nintendo to give me some glimmers of hope as I go through this backlog. Much like Gundam and the next game below this, Dual Strike has a lot of content. Unlike the other two games, that content is actually worth playing since it's different maps and scenarios. Maps from the GBA Advance Wars games are here as well as all-new ones in both story and the War Room stuff. Plus, they added a few bonus modes on top of that like Survival to make sure I'd be playing those to level up my characters for bonus skills to use in the main game. Yes, this is how you do it as this is a wonderful strategy game. A-.
42) Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden (December 3rd, 3DS) -The last thing I wanted to play after that Gundam game was another title with repetitive gameplay. I think the fighting is good in this game, but there just aren't enough characters to justify going through so many of the same fights over and over again. I love the animations in it, but again, that repetitiveness just destroyed my interest in this one in the seven hours I played it. D+.
43) Dragon Ball: Advanced Adventure (December 7th, GBA) -Guess I got on a mini-kick with the DB stuff. This one is a side-scrolling platformer/beat 'em up for some stages and a flat-out psuedo-2D fighter for tournament levels and big boss fights. It's an interesting combination, but the shallow fighting system keeps me from loving it. Still, it was more fun than that other DB game I played before it, and running around punching stuff with Goku was fine, and it's not like it overstayed its welcome. It's a completely average C.
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Post by Dashe on Dec 12, 2015 14:11:05 GMT -5
Okay, now I have finally got a bit of time to actually type anything of substance here, I can go over the month I spent playing Final Fantasy IV Advance...which was almost two months ago now. I beat it on November 1st. Just the main game, mind you--once I figured out that the dungeons in the Lunar Ruins were randomized and had no map I could cheat with, I was like, "screw this, I don't have time to actually explore a dungeon until the battery runs dry!" So yeah. I got this game bundled with a subscription of Nintendo Power and the official strategy guide back when Nintendo Power was a thing, and I got about halfway through before I got about as stuck as you can get with a strategy guide (read: distracted by newer, shinier things) and put the whole thing down for more than ten years. I remember liking it a lot while the fun lasted, and being surprised by plot twists that really shouldn't have surprised anybody, but picking it up again and plowing through it was actually a bit of a let-down. There seemed to be all this build-up, especially with the less-central party members, and then it was like their plots got deus ex machina'd into a resolution by the end. The inventory also maxed out, meaning all too often I found myself having to drop items, and in order to 100% the whole thing, even without the GBA extras, you have to get these summons that are randomly dropped from monsters, and the drop rate is something ridiculous like 1%. I didn't feel like going through any more Black Liver Hell like in Xenoblade and just opted out of that. Yuck. Generally, it was a very okay experience. If I had beaten this earlier, I'd have given it 4 stars, but since time travel in any direction other than forward at one planck unit of time per planck unit of time is impossible at this time, I'll have to dole out a . It was genuinely average, even with all of the characters named after How I Met Your Mother characters, but it does get props for the Zeromus theme. It's a cool song.
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Post by Bean on Dec 30, 2015 13:58:42 GMT -5
44) The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes (December 21st, 3DS) -This is a VERY SERIOUS title in the Zelda series in which you need to save a kingdom from a fashion crisis. In fact, the princess is cursed to wear tights instead of her usual dresses. The king's looking for a hero, so in steps the Link from A Link Between Worlds to try and save the day again. To do that, he'll have to go through eight areas with four levels each in the Drablands to try and beat down the witch that cursed her. It's basically a "Four Swords" style of game except that you only have three Links running around in this one to control. The reason why I think it's the best is that you don't need an elaborate setup to actually play the game. In fact, this is a title that lets you go online to play with other people, and it actually works for the most part. When you start a stage, you're given three items like boomerangs, bows, or bombs to work with. The Links have to pick which one they feel the most comfortable with. Even when you do that, you'll team up throughout the levels to reach the goal. In fact, you can even pick teammates up to create a human totem pole, and this is used quite often to solve both the game's puzzles and boss battles. At the end of each completed level, you are given the opportunity to open one of three chests (In multiplayer, all three get to open one chest. In solo, your partners disappear). Gathering the right materials will allow you to create new outfits. Get the Kokiri outfit, and you can shoot three arrows with your bow. Go with the Big Bomb one, and you're tossing double damage giant bombs. This interesting outfit raises each of your online teammates' weapon energy meter by 50%. Neato! Honestly, the reason I like this game is that it is filled with so much content. Along with the game's 32 stages are another 96 challenges to do in those stages that open up once you've beaten the final boss in each area. Some of these levels reduce your heart total, others are a speed run, and some force you to never be able to use your sword. It's really neat how diverse they are, and the levels themselves give you quite a bit of variety as well. It's not my game of the year or anything like that, but it's one that I've put more time into than I ever thought I would. I'm a little scatterbrained in my write up on this, but Tri Force Heroes is a solid spin-off that gave me around 40 hours of playtime to this point, and I'm still not done. It seems to be a little overlooked right now as fans wait for the Wii U entry, but this was a nice surprise to cap off my playtime this year. Have to give this one a B- because it does have some internet hiccups occasionally and doesn't always feel like it was designed to play solo, but when you get a good team online, it can be a lot of fun. That's fabulous.
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Post by Blues on Jan 26, 2016 3:24:04 GMT -5
Been meaning to make a post here, but I forgot! So this is pretty much gonna be a short recap of all the games I finished in 2015. I should mention that early in that year I got a Wii U, so the amount of games I played (and finished) was much more than I usually manage. Anyway: Super Smash Bros For Wii UI've always been a big Smash Bros. fan, and had in fact already bought the 3DS version when it came out. Playing that really helped me get back into Smash again. Since I got this one though I've been starting to prefer the console experience over the handheld one, even though I know a lot more people who play the 3DS version instead. In addition I've started paying more attention to the competitive culture around the game now too; while I don't think I have the skills to compete, I like keeping up with events and just playing to better myself at the game. Though I kinda miss a few of the features that used to be in Brawl and Melee, like story/adventure mode (and especially break the targets!), there's enough in the game that I find myself pretty satisfied. I've always liked collecting all the trophies, after all. And of course the base gameplay is as great as it's always been, at least in my opinion. Playing against friends is what really makes the game though, and as long as I have that I'll likely be playing this one for a long time. The Lego Movie: The Video Game (Wii U)I played the 3DS version of this game back when it came out, but found myself disappointed as it played like an inferior version of other TT Lego games. This was by far the superior version- much closer to what I expected in how character abilities worked, levels played out, and, of course, having all the humorous character animations and background gags I've come to expect. Since I hadn't played the series in a while, I was surprised by a few of the gameplay aspects that had changed- although most didn't. The Lego series as a whole was 9 years old at the time of the game's release, so I really feel that they could have improved things like puzzle complexity, more comprehensive character creation, intuitive level direction for players, and troublesome camera/level interaction. I also noticed an increase in glitches; there was at least one point where I had to restart a level due to objects that didn't load, and a few minor cases of characters and objects spawning where they shouldn't. Still, overall I liked how the game played out- and it was very fun to play as video game versions of characters I recognized from my own childhood. It was pure fanservice for the developers to add them, and I'm so glad to see they're remembered, especially in a fun depiction like this. EarthboundThis game was a major reason I finally decided to get a Wii U- having Smash, Mario Kart, Wonderful 101 and other great games both released and (then) to come, plus one of my favorite games of all time? I just couldn't resist. So I've been an Earthbound fan for a very long time, although I didn't actually play the game myself until somewhat recently (when I played it via emulator on the Wii's homebrew channel. "Illegal?" Says who? <_< ) The story and characters and music and everything were all familiar to me then, so naturally I loved it. But with my newfound "legal" copy of the game in tow I found myself with a new opportunity- that is, I could take another look at the game and find out if it still holds up for me or if perhaps it wasn't as great as I remembered. Luckily, any fears that EB would disappoint melted right away as I immediately got pulled in again. The game is so charming that you can't help but get immediately engaged. The humor of the character dialogue is still fresh, and the graphics, though simple, are distinctive and endearing. Special mention to the battle backgrounds, always loved how they animated. And of course, it wouldn't be an EB game if it didn't have a great soundtrack- this one an interesting mix of reggage, techno/house, dance, and even jazz, along with the regular symphonic and rock influences present in many games. I also think the battle system doesn't get enough credit. Though it's certainly much less blatantly action packed than, say, the Active Time Battle system of Chrono Trigger, the mechanics of the rolling HP meter makes the battles surprisingly tense, and it all comes down to just how you time your action selections. Inventory management can get a little too chaotic sometimes, as there are only 16 item slots per character, and there are a few instances where you need to do a little bit of grinding, but overall these are minor issues. I can safely say that this game still holds a high spot on the list of games I love to play. Mother 3After finishing Earthbound, I figured, why not play Mother 3? I'd played both games around the same time originally, and they make a great compliment to each other when played back-to-back. And so I soon launched myself into the next game. Mother 3's strong point is its story. On the surface, it's a little more serious, like the first game, and asks for more of an investment in its characters. All of this pays off in a journey that while not totally groundbreaking is told well and makes an impact on anyone who makes it to the end. Gameplay-wise, I'd describe it a much more 'focused' than its predecessor- areas are small and easy to explore, with the real focus being on how those areas change and through the story and what connection they have to the other parts of the game, as well as how these changes reflect on the characters. I'd explain more, but I don't want to spoil anything. Battles have also gone through some improvements. The rolling HP meter is kept, and the interface is more graphic as opposed to textual, and you can get combo hits on enemies if you time your attacks to the beat of the music. It's a much more lively system that definitely brings the series more in line with the present while keeping its roots in its past. Speaking of the music, it's just as good here as it is in the past two games: the overall tone is a little more subdued and in some ways influenced by 70s funk and R&B, with some smatterings of classical strewn through in addition to the usual. Mostly it serves as either a powerful reinforcement of the emotional parts of the story or is distinctive enough to serve its purpose in battle and be highly memorable at the same time. I hold the game in high regard. While Earthbound is still my favorite, I think Mother 3 is a strong successor- it has its own identity and plays to its own strengths; it acknowledges its past while also being unafraid to shake things up and make a statement that is wholly its own. SplatoonThis was a game I'd kind of slept on at first. I'd seen the original trailer for Splatoon back when it premiered at E3 2014, and followed the hype as it grew, even playing the demo, but initially I'd only planned to pick it up somewhere down the line. However, I got a chance to pick it up on release day (thanks to pseudo-related amiibo stuff) so I figured "Why not". By the time I'd played a few online matches, I was hooked. In the past I'd only played FPS or TPS very casually at best, but something about the artistic style, subtle world-building, and approachable controls really impressed me. It only got better as time went on and the community around it grew and the more complex stat mechanics were revealed, as well as when the big updates came and the ranked modes were added to the game. It was very engrossing: trying out different weapon sets, tinkering with the clothing stats to get the perfect setup to compliment my weapon and playstyle, and learning new strats to try and give me an edge in the highly-competitive ranked mode. This game and smash are the two games I play almost constantly now, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. (Plus the artistic talent the game has attracted is top-notch!) Earthbound Beginnings
2015 was a standout year for Earthbound fans. With Ness' presence in the smash games released in 2014, and his subsequent release as an amibo that May, plus the reveal of Lucas returning to Smash, it was clear that Nintendo had something up its sleeve. But probably no one saw the pre-E3 simultaneous release/reveal of the original Earthbound coming. That was surprising enough to put the game all over the gaming news sites for a while, and even saw the series get its first tv airtime since the 90s! As for EBB: I've always been interested in this one just as much as its more-famous sequel. In fact, I'd even tried to play it too, via emulation, but eventually lost interest. So once again I was able to give it another shot. The difficulty of the game is well-noted- there are many parts where grinding is essential to getting past certain areas or bosses, and the game is pretty freeform in how you progress, which on one hand is pretty forward-looking but on the other hand leaves you stuck with only some cryptic hints as to what you can do sometimes. But the story (which takes itself a little more seriously than its predecessor...although not too much; its' still an EB game after all : P ), the character and enemy design, and of course the music kept me coming back. The soundtrack for this game, by the way, is absolutely amazing; I'd call it pretty much the best the system has to offer, and that's saying something when you consider the NES is home to other great scores like Super Mario Bros 3, Ducktales, and Mega Man 2! It was good enough to get re-recorded by professional artists and released as an album to critical acclaim. But I digress. All in all, I like the game quite a bit and think it has a lot to offer, even though I have to admit it's quite rough around the edges these days. Still, as an overall experience it's honestly pretty fun, and I would recommend it more to experienced gamers or people who are looking to get more deeply into the series. Just don't be afraid to use a guide- you'll thank me later, trust me. Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair GirlsOnce again, shoutout to Kyle here. I'd been following the news around this game for a while, so I knew it was gonna be a different experience from the main games. The story was about what I expected- dark, twisted, with moments of hilarity and sentiment, and of course with a big twist or two at the end. Navigating was a little weird at first- the camera is third person and seemed a little limiting, making combat somewhat difficult, but there were abilites given throughout the game that made moving and shooting much easier. By the end of the game movement felt much more smooth and natural. The puzzles were also very cool- they used the myraid of different gun abilities and your environment to great effect. Though I got stuck sometimes, I never felt the solution was too out there or impossible to figure out. I also enjoyed the cameos from veteran series characters. A very solid entry in the series, not without its flaws but unique enough that it all works out nonetheless. Looking forward to the next entry in the series proper! Super Mario MakerNow this was a game I was super excited to get- which is interesting considering that I was barely aware of the game when it was first announced. I've always liked games with a creative component, and what fervent Mario player hasn't thought of their own level ideas when playing the games? To prepare for the game I read lots of articles on 2D Mario level design from various gaming figures I respected, and even replayed the first few Mario games (particularly 3, my favorite, and World) to study the layouts and get a feel for the design philosophy there. Once I got the game, I immediately started making planning documents and tried to figure out the best way to compose the ideas I'd been having. The result? So far I've made a few stages. I've been constantly tweaking them, and I'm satisfied with how they've turned out. My friends, who act as my testers, have helped me figure out a lot as well, and I'm very thankful. The only thing about how I make levels is that it takes a lot of time. I've got a ton of ideas that I still haven't used, and making a new stage takes endless tweaking, which I don't always have the time for. Still, whenever I manage to find some spare time I chip away at 'em little by little. (I've also considered doing more spontaneous level-making, but I never feel these are as great as the ones I plan). I also take some time to play other people's levels, but typically by finding them elsewhere and inputting codes. This helps to avoid the lower-quality levels that people complain about sometimes. Honestly though even if I do go random I don't find anything that's overly terrible (and if I do, well, that's what the skip button is for <_< ). For the most part though the tools here are great, the ingenuity on display by other creators is awe-inspiring, and I look forward to playing more in the future. ...Y'know, it's funny: in previous years I'd mentioned really wanting to play Shovel Knight. I do indeed have it now, but I'm still only halfway through the game! Oh well, guess I'll be making another post here later.
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Post by Buster Cannon on Feb 5, 2016 20:28:19 GMT -5
Got a two-for-one special today: Rogue Legacy is a platformer in the same vein as Megaman or Metroid, with a bit of a twist. You start out as a hero exploring a randomized castle, flooded with dangerous enemies. Let me get this out of the way; this game is ABSOLUTELY BRUTAL...and I LOVE IT. They've designed the game in such a way that every death ends up being your fault, no matter how ridiculous some of the situations the game places you in. There are bosses that are the definition of "bullet hell", yet there are patterns that you can learn so that you can overcome these obstacles. Expect to die a LOT. Speaking of death, the defining trait of Rogue Legacy is the fact that you get stronger every time you die. See, when you explore the castle, you collect gold along the way. Once you die, your character leaves a 'successor' that you can choose to take his place (by default you get a choice of 3). These offspring fall into various archetypes that affect the way you play the game. The Knight is the all-around type, with no real strengths or weaknesses. The Shinobi hits hard and has improved movement speed, but can't critical hit and has lower heath. The Mage has stronger magic attacks, but struggles physically. The hulking Barbarian has an enormous amount of HP, but doesn't hit as hard as a result. Speaking of magic, there are different spells that your character comes equipped with; think of these as special weapons in a Mega Man game. These all work differently, and you'll have to learn to make the best of them as you play the game. Lastly, each successor has a "trait" or two that may or may not change how you play the game. A colorblind character will have you playing the game in B&W, a character with a fear of chickens will cause one of the said animals to pop out occasionally after an enemy kill, and a character without a foot pulse doesn't set off spike traps, to name a few. The goal is to navigate the ever-changing dungeon and defeat the 4 main bosses, collecting gold along the way. Your money can go to good use in numerous ways; purchasing armor and weapons, "locking" the configuration of the castle so that it doesn't change after your last death, and purchasing new character classes and abilities. Spend your money wisely, because the greedy Charon will snatch up any unused cash before you begin your next run! All in all, I really liked Rogue Legacy. Good platformers these days are few and far in between, and this one was a diamond in the rough. I really loved the emphasis of the "getting stronger" theme throughout the game. Not only are you upgrading your successors through the many deaths that you will no doubt encounter, but you also feel yourself learning more in the process. It feels good when you can strong-arm your way through enemies that gave you trouble at the beginning of the game. The game doesn't pull any punches and it's beautiful. There's only one instance in the game where I felt that luck was somewhat of a deciding factor, and it's an optional boss fight. I give the game a solid 5 runes out of 5! Ah, Lego games. In spite of the fact that they all play alike, there's so much charm and fanservice thrown in that I can't resist giving these versions of my favorite franchises a spin. My last foray (and introduction) to these games was Lego Marvel on the PS3, so let's see how this take on the Caped Crusader. I'm not gonna go too much into the plot, but it's typical superhero "stop the bad guy" (Brainiac in this case) stuff. What I really want to note is that, in spite of the title, this really isn't a Batman game, so to speak, and that's a good thing. Sure, you start out playing as the Dark Knight and his trusty sidekick, but the game soon becomes Lego: Justice League. This game's roster is HUGE! I was pleasantly surprised with all of the different DC characters I could play as. Sure, a lot of them play alike (they all fall into different archetypes, some which overlap), but it's still cool to have so much variety. Only character that I noticed was missing was Static, but the game is otherwise stuffed with to the brim. The DLC adds more to this, including characters from live action forays like The Dark Knight, Man of Steel, and Arrow. Want to play as Batman's dog? He's in the game. Want to play as the 1960's Batman? He's in the game. Want to play as Adam West himself? He's. In. The. Game. The only real downside to this game is one that falls on the shoulders of all other Lego games, and some other games in the 3D genre to an extent. Say it with me, COLLECT-A-THON. If you want to 100% the game, you've got a ton of backtracking and searching to do, and there's constant character switching in order to use your abilities to open doors or destroy certain bricks. It can get pretty tedious collecting things, but to its credit the game does give you a bit of help. Collecting cash becomes easier with unlockable multipliers, and there are also unlockable guides to help point you in the right direction when it comes to hidden items. Overall, I think the game is solid fanservice for any DC fan, and it's worth picking up. I liked Lego Marvel a little more since I'm more biased towards that franchise, plus in that game you had the ability to free-roam NYC, which is awesome in itself. The item collection is a bit annoying, but having a nice roster of characters to do it with lessens the load a bit. I give it a solid 4 batarangs out of 5.
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Post by Mikéy on Feb 7, 2016 5:36:29 GMT -5
I actually bought Rogue Legacy yesterday while it was on sale in Steam [sale's lasting till the 12th to anyone interested] and it sounded like it had a good concept. I expect it to be a good one.
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Post by Bean on Feb 16, 2016 18:36:24 GMT -5
Well, I finally had the time to take on a shorter game to start off the year, and that one was...
1) Ys I Chronicles (February 16th, PSP) -The Ys games have slowly been remade multiple times over the years. The Oath in Felghana, my first entry played in the series, is apparently one of the best ones. This remake of a game from the 80s stays closer to the old style that the games had. There isn't even an attack button in this game. To damage enemies on the map or in dungeons, you must run into anywhere that is not their center or head-on. If you do, you will get damaged. Leveling up doesn't take long at all since many side quests give out hundreds to thousands of HP, and 10 is the max in this game anyway.
In that regard, it's not a long title in the slightest as I finished it in just over four hours (probably four and a half counting reloads), but it also spends a little bit of time making you backtrack in spots to pad out the already short length. I can't say I enjoyed that so much as well as a couple of bosses that don't give you the most amount of time to actually hit them, but I digress.
In the end, we've got a mixed bag here. It's good at times, but it's also not in others. I didn't mind playing this title to its rather abrupt conclusion, but it also certainly didn't go out of its way to leave a lasting impression like III's remake did with Felghana. It's a suitably average antiquated game with a couple of really annoying parts to bring my rating for it down to a C- overall.
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