Omega Force | Geekscape

E3 2016: ‘Attack on Titan’ Delivers On The Action From The Anime

by Josh JacksonJune 27, 2016

What happens when you need to keep making games about a popular anime series that hasn’t made a new episode in years? Apparently, you pass it between developers! After Spike Chunsoft’s 3DS effort disappointed last year, Koei Tecmo and Omega Force, (the team behind Dynasty Warriors and its spin offs), are trying their hand at the giant slaying franchise with Attack On Titan. By turning the tables on their usual formula and putting the player in a mob of soldiers that serve as fodder for the Titans, our hands-on time at E3 gave us glimpses of the series done justice.

Attack On Titan is split up into two major gameplay sections. The primary play mode is when you’re in control of one of the human characters, who traverses the smoldering towns with their 3D Maneuvering Gear. As you would expect from a game bearing the anime’s name, movement was the most exciting part of the time I played, feeling like a Survey Corps bad ass as I swooped in and out of the Titan’s range. Of course, you’ll have to get the controls down first, which had a moderate learning curve before things felt natural.

Once they did however, combat was fast and fluid. Following the story of the anime, (which might look familiar since it’s the only story we’ve had animated for a long time), I made it my personal mission to make Mikasa look like as much of a pro under my control as she does in the source material, which I met with mixed results. Allowing us to target any limb on Titans both big and small that are powering through the towns allows you to get special advantages depending on the situation, whether you need to stop their movement or take away attacks with a successful amputation. Of course, the only way to finish one off is to slice off the nape of their neck, which is where I focused on most of the time. While it sounds simple enough, there’s a lot to take into account when lining up your perfect slice. You’ll need enough distance, momentum and timing to pull off the kill, and failing could lead to you being caught by one of the monsters. Running out of steam for your Gear and your blades going dull can also become a problem, forcing you to find new items to help you regroup. Trust me, there’s nothing worse than thinking you killed a powerful opponent, only to see your swords bounce off of them. To make matters worse, every kill is ranked, only furthering the embarrassment when you screw up.

But being a great Survey Corps member is about more than being able to kill enemies, because like Dynasty Warriors, there will be many times when you have to protect allies and key points on the map. Allowing too many of your comrades to die or letting Titans run wild will eventually lead to your game over’s, which is why it’s important to play to your character’s strengths. Mikasa for example, has a special ability that lets her slice up multiple limbs at once after it builds up. How other characters will play wasn’t shown as of now, but we’re looking forward to finding out as the game’s release draws closer.

When not slicing up your enemies, you’ll be able to punch them really hard instead. Taking on Eren’s Titan form, you’ll be able to give the opposing giants a taste of their own medicine. Perfect for when you want to set aside the technical gameplay of the core mode for some old fashioned button mashing, playing as a Titan allows you to jump far across the map with a single leap and charge into enemies at high speeds when not punching and kicking them to death. Sure, you’ll probably level a few houses in between, but let’s face it. Those people probably would’ve been killed one way or another.

Overall, I’m impressed by what we’ve seen so far, and can’t wait to dive deeper into this universe once again. With multiple missions and characters to discover, let’s hope the full version continues to deliver when it releases for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, PC and PlayStation Vita on August 30.

Geekscape Games Reviews ‘Hyrule Warriors Legends’

by Josh JacksonMay 18, 2016

A year and a half after it released on the Wii U, Hyrule Warriors is still one of the most enjoyable titles on the console as far as I’m concerned. Its Dynasty Warriors inspired take on the hack and slash style that serves as a textbook example of a game that’s easy to pick up and play, combined with its seamless integration of classic Zelda mechanics to break up the persistent repetition issues that games of this nature usually run into, and what we ended up with was one of the most exciting takes on the musou genre we’ve seen in a long time. With that in mind, is it worth playing all over again? Nintendo and Tecmo Koei hope so, with the release of Hyrule Warriors Legends on the Nintendo 3DS. By adding sorely missed characters from The Wind Waker and Majora’s Mask alongside the long awaited female Link with Linkle, will they be enough to breathe new life into a game that was just released a little over a year ago?

If you played the Wii U version, then you should know exactly what you’re getting into with Hyrule Warriors Legends. Split up between Legends Mode, (its fancy word for the story,) and Adventure Mode, (a mission mode with a throwback feel,) the Zelda faithful will be able to choose some of their favorite characters as they fight to save Hyrule from Cia, a dark sorceress who is attempting to bring together the Triforce once again. Featuring a cast that spans the history of the 3D Zelda games with favorites such as Link, Zelda, Impa and Ganandorf, newcomers like Lana present unfamiliar material that doesn’t feel forced within the confines of the story. While the tale itself isn’t much to speak of aside from its interesting take on the whole Triforce legend, constantly playing will help you unlock hidden items, art work, characters and weapons, many of which can change the play style of character completely.

Surprisingly, each character manages to stand out pretty well from the rest of the cast, thanks to their unique abilities and movement styles. While the combo list never grows past mashing light attack until you cut off the combo with a strong attack to cap it off, their varied styles help you take on a variety of scenarios. And while yes, the game still largely consists of hundreds of foot soldiers standing around and doing nothing while you wipe out their ranks, the bosses and generals mix things up thanks to their faithfulness to their Zelda histories. Certain enemies for example, will be susceptible to Link’s tools, such as bombs, arrows and boomerangs. Dodging and attacking at the right time can lead to powerful scripted combos, which are topped only by your super moves that become available when you beat enough foot soldiers for some screen clearing action. Between the standard version and the stronger magic imbued version that makes a completely different attack available, there’s no shortage of options on the battlefield. Even then, certain characters like Zelda can alter their attack types thanks to mechanics that are unique to them, like storing light energy or switching magic elemental types. As far as musou games go, this one is still one that offers some of the most variety out there.

But enough about the old cast, because chances are if you’re playing the 3DS version, you’re doing so because of the new characters being introduced to this version. On that front, Legends is far from a disappointment. Debate on whether or not the Wind Waker cast and the Skull Kid from Majora’s Mask should have been included all along aside, the game is far better off now that they’re in. Seeing the animated expressions of Toon Link, Tetra’s playable debut with her mastery of the cutlass and flintlock pistol, the King of Red Lions seamlessly transform into a ship, (while summoning the ocean for good measure), and Skull Kid smacking people around with faries, the wait is almost worth the price of admission alone, especially for huge fans of the GameCube and N64 classics like myself. The biggest drawback with these characters however, is how long it takes to unlock them. Because despite being the main draw of this re-release, you have to complete most of the game’s story mode in order to get to their new scenarios. If this is your first time playing the game, this isn’t as much of an issue. But if you’re returning from the Wii U version, you’ll find yourself frustrated as you’re forced to play hours worth of content that wasn’t the most exciting to begin with. Only now, it’s your second time through, and you have no choice but to push through it if you want to see the new content. Considering the game links to your Nintendo ID to share purchased DLC, I’m shocked that there was no way for the game to recognize that you’ve played it already, allowing you to access the new characters from the start.

This lack of connectivity extends to the Adventure Mode, which is less of a problem since this mission based mode was the highlight of the console version. Yet, I can’t help but feel bad for the people who sunk hundreds of hours into it the first time, only to have to do it all over again with no extra bonuses. Even still, this mode has quite a few new missions to tackle on top of the huge list of stages that were originally included. Asking players to approach stages in different ways, such as focusing on certain enemies exclusively, or answering trivia questions by defeating certain enemies, adds an extra twist to what would otherwise become monotonous fairly quickly. By introducing special items that unlock more of the map into the mix, and it gives the mode an extra Zelda flair.

Speaking of flair, I would be remiss to ignore Linkle, the newest addition to the Zelda cast. Making her debut after her concept art from the original led to fan outcry to include her, this character who was inspired by the idea of a female version of Link really steals the show. With her moveset taking inspiration from the forgettable Wii accessory pack in, Link’s Crossbow Training, Linkle is so much fun to play as, that she makes me actually want to go back and play that again. Feeling like she was ripped straight out of Devil May Cry, Linkle has some incredibly stylish combos with her twin crossbows, both of which she uses in some incredible ways. Why fight from afar when you can attach a flaming arrow to your foot and kick the crap out of people? In addition to all of the other shared abilities, she can even build up a special meter that lets her shoot a barrage of arrows like a third person shooter, sucking in dozens of enemies all at once. Her awesomeness is further fleshed out by her backstory, where she’s shown as a Cucco caretaker who believes she’s the reincarnation of the hero of legend. When she hears about Cia’s plan, she embraces her apparent destiny and rushes off to the battlefield. Except… She’s so bad with directions, (despite wearing a compass around her neck,) that she goes the wrong way, explaining why she wasn’t in the main story.

Sure, Linkle charmed me to death, but she doesn’t make up for the issues that the game runs into as part of its handheld transition. Aside from forcing you to replay the entire game for people who have finished the Wii U version like I mentioned above, the game also loses its two player co-op feature. Replacing it is the ability to switch between multiple characters on the field on the fly via the touch screen, or creating paths for the AI to walk while you control someone else, but I hate to see the second player option disappear since it was one of the best parts of the original. This new feature comes with its own set of problems, since the CPU has the habit of doing nothing if you don’t set a path for them, and you’ll get a game over if they die. On top of the sudden objective shifts that can lead to a sudden game over that plagued the original still plaguing this version, adding another way to lose that’s mostly outside of your control can be annoying. Other improvements include the Ocarina and Owl Statues, that let you teleport to certain areas on the map instantly, new bosses that require new weapons to defeat, My Fairy Mode, which lets you take faires you find in Adventure Mode and customize them before helping you on the battlefield, and the ability to strengthen yourself and your allies by having them focus on the same boss enemy. But again, without actual multiplayer, this extra feature feels about as empty as the rest, aside from the Ocarina, which makes backtracking seem like less of a chore.

But Hyrule Warriors’ biggest problem is on the technical side, which is a complete disaster if you don’t own a New Nintendo 3DS. The graphics are rough, with visible jaggies all around and occasional slowdown when there are an excessive amount of enemies on screen on the New 3DS. If you haven’t upgraded however, the game is so slow that it sucks the enjoyment out of what is a mostly enjoyable beat em’ up, serving as the first time that old 3DS and 2DS owners are truly getting shafted. At least with Xenoblade Chronicles, (the only New 3DS exclusive as of this writing,) it was a huge game with miles of landscape, and didn’t allow a situation where someone could buy a game that was significantly worse depending on what model you’re using. Despite all of the fun that can be found here, I’ll just come out and say it. If you don’t own a New 3DS, don’t even bother.

The rough transition from console to handheld ultimately makes Hyrule Warriors Legends a very situational purchase. If you’ve played or own the Wii U version, there’s little reason for you to double dip, especially when you can’t carry over your progress and can just download the new characters as DLC. If you don’t own a New 3DS, the technical limitations of the old models makes this game almost impossible to enjoy. But if you own a New 3DS and never played the original, then this musou adaptation of the Nintendo classic is an entertaining hack and slash that is loaded with content to keep you busy. In this very specific scenario, you can add an extra point or two to the score, but despite everything it does right, Legends fails to give a huge chunk of its audience a reason to revisit.

Final Score for New 3DS Owners: 3.5

Everyone Else: 2.5/5

Geekscape Games Reviews ‘One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3’

by Josh JacksonOctober 2, 2015

Name: One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3

Platforms: PS4, PS3, PS Vita, PC, (Reviewed on PS Vita.)

Publisher: Namco Bandai Games

Developer: Omega Force

MSRP: $59.99 (PS4), $49.99 (PS3, PC), $39.99 (PS Vita)

If there was one thing that I learned last year, it was that I REALLY like Warriors games… With the right coat of paint. After giving up on these types of games years ago, it wasn’t until I was taken in by the Legend of Zelda universe in Hyrule Warriors that I fully understood the joys of taking on thousands of enemies single handedly. The reason for my change of heart was simple: playing with generic soldiers or characters based on historic Japanese figures was boring. Playing as characters I recognize and have an attachment to on the other hand, is way more exciting! Keeping this in mind, I loaded up One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3, the Warriors title based on the long running One Piece anime and manga series, (though I’m sure that goes without saying,) with the expectation of wiping out waves of enemy pirates with some crazy, over the top attacks as the Straw Hat Crew. In that sense, it delivers and then some, but won’t do much to sway non-fans of either the anime, or the genre.

Like previous games in the Musou genre, Pirate Warriors 3′s main focus is making you feel like an unstoppable monster as you take your favorite pirate and begin tearing apart entire armies with your various skill sets. While being so powerful is always satisfying, games of this nature tend to get repetitive quickly as limited combos, similar characters and a lack of growth tends to sap the fun from the novelty. This is less of a problem with One Piece, because even though complaints about repetitiveness still holds true, this version does a great job of masking it with a large variety of highly varied characters. Whether you’re rapid punching the Marines into submission as Luffy, showing off your series of stylish kicks as Sanji, or anyone in between, each of the 37 unique characters, (not counting the variations of the same characters post time skip,) feel distinct enough to keep the combat fresh as you experiment with new combos. As you play, each character will gain EXP that extends their combo trees as well, so the more you play, the more the possibilities open up. It’s not much different than what you start off with, but I found mixing up my game plan and finding ways to empliment new attacks into my repitoire was one of its highlights.

When you’re not beating hundreds of enemies simultaniously, you’ll be defending your friends and territory thanks to the light strategy elements present in the genre. Some missions will task you with protecting a particular partner, while others will ask you to find certain items in the field. Oftentimes, defending land that’s being protected by your allies while claiming enemy territory through sheer force will help reduce the amount of enemies on the field, which is often key to winning your latest battle. The best missions however, are when you have to go up against an opposing general with abilities similar to yours. Sure, the AI is rarely challenging, (on the first run at least. Multiple hidden difficulties force you to think before you act,) but it’s still fun to go against someone who’s considered more of an equal, and less of a glass cannon like the rest of the fodder.

But when your own skills won’t be enough to ensure victory, you can always rely on your friends to lend a hand. By introducing the new Kizuna Rush attack, up to three of your CPU controlled partners can join in to create a huge, screen clearing onslaught to destroy your opponents with. By building up the Kizuna Meter by having your partners help extend your combos, these are some of the most over the top attacks you’ll find in the game, and they’re oh so satisfying to pull off. And when you want a little more intellegence to go with your partner’s assistance, you can jump in either online or locally, and wreck stuff up with a friend.

If online isn’t your thing, there’s plenty to do by yourself. Pirate Warriors 3 is highlighted by its extensive story mode, which takes both single and multiplayers through the beginnings of the series, (when Monkey D. Luffy recruits Zoro to be the first official member of the Straw Hat Pirates,) past the time skip and up to the most recent storylines with an original ending to cap it off. If you’ve kept up with the series off and on, you won’t have any trouble following along with the story missions, which do a good job of setting up each scenario with limited time both before, during and after missions, all of which are fully voiced by their Japanese actors. Outside of the actual storytelling portion, the in game content is strong, with unlockable coins and side objectives which can be used to unlock characters, abilities and upgrades for your crew. As what I see as a way of rewarding fans of the series, some of the story sensitive objectives have certain details hidden until you complete the stage. If you found them on your first run, congratulations, you know what you’re doing! If not, then the objective becomes spelled out on a second run, making it easier for beat em up fans who aren’t as well versed in all that is One Piece.

The real meat of the game however, is in the Dream Log, a type of mission mode that has players choosing whatever character they like and taking on specific challenges, which usually leads to some of the best unlockables. Ranked in difficulty based on how high your level should be, each completed island will branch off to others, which usually leads to an increase in difficulty. By alternating between Story and Dream Log, grinding is kept to a minimum, (while still necessary to an extent,) to keep up with the more demanding challenges, but is rarely too tough to handle, (again, until the harder difficulties are unlocked.) It’s a well balanced, properly tiered method to unlock content over time, which helps keep the addiction factor up even after the game play gets stale.

Unfortunately, the stale game play is Pirate Warriors 3′s biggest flaw. No matter what the coat of paint is, and no matter what ways the developers mask it with its character variety, you’re still mostly just mashing buttons for hours on end. That’s not to say it isn’t fun, especially if you’re a fan of One Piece, but the experience is likely to wear thin before you’ve beaten every Dream Log Island, seen every Story Mode cutscene, and before you’ve bought all of the many unlockable items with the money earned in battle. It’s a flaw that’s hard to stamp out since the repitition is part of what makes the genre what it is, but it’s still worth noting that if you’re not a One Piece fan, and especially if Musou games bore you to death, this won’t do anything to change your mind.

In the end, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 is a hidden treasure in the world of Warriors style games. The large cast, character variety, varied missions and trove of unlockables will keep fans of either the franchise or the genre playing for hours on end, eithe with a friend, or by themselves. At its core however, it’s the same kind of game we’ve been playing for almost 15 years, so if the unique style of the game doesn’t do it for you, or if you were burnt out on the genre long ago, you’re not going to find anything here to change your mind. Other small nitpicks, like it not feeling like a big enough evolution from its predecessors, or not allowing all modes to work with online play, do little to detract from the overall fun factor, making Pirate Warriors 3 a journey One Piece fans will do well to embark on.

tl;dr:

+ One Piece and the Musou genre make a great combination, with rewarding, over the top attacks.

+ Mission and character variety keeps the game fresh for longer than expected between the Story and Dream Log modes.

+ The story is well told, easy to follow and manages to stay concise, never letting the player feel lost, even if they haven’t kept up with the 800-ish chapters of the manga.

+More unlockables than you’ll ever need.

+ Local and online co-op!

– Still repetitive, even if it has longer legs than most games in the genre.

– Doesn’t do much to differentiate itself from other Musou games outside of the One Piece name.

– Not all content is online compatable.

Final Score: 4/5