Tag: video games

Want To Attend E3? Check Out E3 Live! A Free Event For E3!

by The_acz

Since the dawn of time, E3 has been an event that only the media may attend. We had to sit and tremble in fear from our own homes as those big corporate media outlets hogged all the E3 fun from us, only leaving us with the always fun (sometimes terribly cringe worthy though) press conferences as we’d then have to patiently wait for gameplay videos and demos to drizzle out of the event.

WELL NOT ANYMORE! This morning E3 just announced their first public event called E3 Live @ LA. Now regular folk and fans can finally experience the E3 magic that they’ve always wanted to. The best part? It’s FREE! (for right now.) Tickets are limited so you best be registering for them right now. You can register right here.

It’s great to finally see E3 opening up to the public again. The last time this happened was for about 2 or so years for the event E for all.

Are you excited for E3 Live? Will you be attending? Tell us in the comments!

Geekscape Games Reviews ‘Hyrule Warriors Legends’

by Josh Jackson

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?

Hyrule Warriors Legends Screen 1

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.

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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.

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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.

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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 ‘Bravely Second: End Layer’

by Josh Jackson

In a gaming landscape where many people feel that the traditional turn based Japanese RPG’s were a thing of the past, the original Bravely Default proved this notion wrong. Feeling like it was ripped straight off of a Super Nintendo cartridge in the way that adapted classic Final Fantasy inspired environments, game play and story telling, all while updating the formula with its unique Brave and Default mechanics, the title’s success in the West took even Square Enix by surprise. What wasn’t a surprise however, was the second game coming stateside. Bravely Second: End Layer is here, and tries to capitalize on its predecessor’s success by playing it a little too safe. Despite adding a few new mechanics and characters to keep things interesting, refusing to stray too far from the groundwork that the first game paved leaves it feeling like a far too familiar, (but still well made,) retread.

Bravely Second Screen 1

Over two years after the Warriors of Light saved the world of Luxendarc from Ouroboros, Bravely Second starts with the kingdom being confronted by a new threat. After Agnes, (the Wind Vestal from the original game who has since become Pope,) is kidnapped by this new enemy, Yew Geneolgia, heir to the esteemed House Geneolgia and leader of Agnes’ elite guard, the Three Cavaliers, sets off on a quest to rescue Her Holiness from her captors. Joining forces with Magnolia Arch, a mysterious warrior from the moon, Edea Lee, a knight of Eternia and one of the former Warriors of Light, and Tiz Arrior, a fellow Warrior of Light and the first game’s protagonist, the group pursues their enemies across Luxendarc in a quest that forces the party to question their allegiances, themselves, and the very foundation on which their world was built on.

Not much has changed on the game play front between games. Like its predecessor, Bravely Second employs a turn based combat system where opponents and allies take turns performing actions like attacking, casting magic and using items until each member on one side of the fight is KO’d. With 30 jobs made up of both returning and new classes, each character can be molded into whatever role they need to fill at the time thanks to the option to carry over limited abilities from other jobs you’ve mastered. From mages, to warriors and everything in between, the near endless combinations that this customization system provides allows you to create some truly powerful strategies.

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Once you’re able to make the most out of the combat system, the game features a unique method made popular in some recently released titles across the genre when it comes to grinding for money, experience for your characters, and JP, (for leveling up the equipped job). If you’re able to defeat the enemy party in a single turn, you’ll be given the option to immediately start another fight with your current status remaining the same as it was when your last attack went through. Each consecutive fight multiples the total, so you’ll end up with the potential to earn thousands of EXP points. Thanks to the return of the Brave and Default systems, each party member can either defend, which will bank that attack to be used later, or use up to four turns at once, potentially leaving them at a turn deficit, (which makes them unusable,) for the amount of turns you attacked ahead. Various bonuses, skills and items can manipulate your Brave Points to allow you to keep attacking, potentially making level grinding much easier than it typically is in other games. Couple that with the ability to increase or outright eliminate the random encounter rate, and as someone who has been playing RPG’s for about two decades, I’m thankful for how little the game burdens you with forced combat and hours of running in circles.

As the story progresses and you begin to unlock the mandatory classes found throughout the game, (all of which are either completely new, or variations of jobs from Bravely Default,) over a dozen side quests open up that introduce you to characters and classes found in the last game. Adding a special dynamic to an otherwise by the numbers story, (which we’ll get to real soon,) these bonus quests pit a major character from the past against another while presenting a moral dilemma for Edea and the rest of the party to decide on. Some of them are no brainers, like whether or not boys and girls should go to school together in a city that was traditionally segregated until recently, to more difficult choices like whether or not pushing an old man and his granddaughter out of their home is worth creating a port that would bring prosperity to a poverty stricken town. Even when the moral choice is an easy one, is it worth giving up the abilities you want? Siding with one person means you fight the other, gaining their job after they’re defeated. But what do you do when the person you agree with is the person who’s ability you want to carry you through the main story? These moments create an interesting duality, asking if you’re willing to forsake your morals for power. Then again, it’s not like these tough foes won’t go down without a fight, presenting boss fights that will force you to manage your Brave and Default allocation more strategically if you want to walk away with your prize both during side quests, and main story fights.

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But despite the possibility of losing the power you want, that doesn’t mean that you can’t find other ways to obtain it. Then again.. that depends on how many friends you have. By bringing back the communication features from the first game, Bravely Second offers a variety of ways to get yourself out of a tough spot. By syncing with players on your Friends List, adding random people once a day, or through the game’ Streetpass feature, you’ll be able to send your own powerful warriors while building a roster of your own. From linking your characters to your friends for extra abilities, summoning friends once a day to unleash a powerful attack, or having them help rebuild Magnolia’s damaged village on the moon, each method provides an extra way to make an already powerful team nearly unstoppable. Repairing the moon in particular will provide access to new weapons, armor, abilities, and customization options for your team, allowing you to manipulate how you obtain your strongest attacks. Do you want their special abilities to become available when your team takes damage? Would you rather have it build up when they defeat enemies? Or do you want to strengthen their attack, magic or BP after the action is selected? If you couldn’t tell by now, you can literally shape your team to be anything you want it to be, which is what Bravely Second continues to do best. Most importantly, the Update Friends feature will let you gain Streetpass villagers without using the Streetpass function. So as long as you have Internet, you’ll be able to take advantage of the benefits, even if the closest 3DS owner to you can’t be found within a 10 mile radius. If after all that you’re still having trouble, Sleep Points accumulate for every 12 hours the game is in sleep mode, allowing you to freeze time and unleash extra attacks. If you *really* need your SP fix, you can pay for a full refill… With real money.

Not all is well on the moon however, because the more friends you bring on board, the more Ba’als begin to invade. As a literal Ba’al Buster, part of the reason Magnolia joins you is to fight off this threat. Who are we to say no? It helps that these enemies carry special items, while presenting unique challenges that make you think outside the box to beat them. If you’re having trouble beating these often high level enemies, upgrading your moon stationed battleship, (while employing ships from your friends,) will let you drop their health and level before going into a real fight against them.

Bravely Second Screen 3

Ba’al’s are far from the only threat as your party goes against this newly formed Empire however. It’s just too bad that the fight between the two sides fails to be particularly interesting, making the story one of the weaker points of the game. It’s not that it’s bad per se. In fact, there are some legitimately surprising moments both early on and late into the 40-50 hours it should take to complete it at a decent level, (which will have even more impact if you play the special demo before jumping in to the full game). It’s just everything in between that feels like it’s just filling time before the big finale. Taking a villain of the week approach, with an assembly line of generals who only serve as a means to block your progress, you never learn too much about them to care about the fight. It doesn’t help that for every unique job that they unlock, like the Exorcist job, who can reset HP, MP and BP to their previous turns, to a job that can give huge buffs to your party while giving them to your enemies as well, you’ll also end up with ones you’ll wish was replaced by something useful, like the Catmancer, or the Patissier, who literally harms enemies through baking. To make matters worse, many of the game’s locations where you find these bosses are the exact same ones from the first game, oftentimes making the sequel feel like it’s going through the motions of the original rather than creating a unique experience that stands on its own. When you have the same music, admittedly basic visuals that could pass off for an original DS game, and the same dungeons, cities and environments, there’s no way you’re not going to lose that sense of discovery that serves as a major component in RPGs.

On that subject, while it’s far from being as tedious from the infamous twist of the first game that needlessly extended the game for hours, Bravely Second turns the mid game mind blown moment into a tradition, thanks to a fourth wall breaking segment that would make Hideo Kojima proud. The only problem is that while there are plenty of hints to point you in the right direction, if you don’t catch on, you’ll run the risk of replaying the entire game over again and being none the wiser. Look, I appreciate the creativity, but by leaving the option open to completely screw up your story progress, you’re running the risk of frustrating many a gamer.

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It’s biggest problem however, is its uneven use of humor. I get that the developers were going for a more lighthearted experience, but there are some times that “gravy” references and other jokes aren’t needed, especially when the scene in question is supposed to be serious. When an important character is wounded, it’s hard to take seriously when he’s surrounded by smiling cats, or the main character continues to talk about his “coup de gravy” as a rallying cry. It breaks the immersion of what is supposed to be more solemn.

If Bravely Default was an old school RPG player’s dream game, then Bravely Second is like deja vu. The increased focus on an already robust customization system combined with its innovative new jobs, extensive interactivity with friends, and easy level grinding thanks to the experience multipliers and the ability to change the encounter rate make the game play experience go a long way, despite the story and environments feeling like you’ve gone absolutely nowhere. These issues and misplaced humor aside, Bravely Second is one of the better RPGs on the handheld, and stands as another centerpiece in Square Enix’s legendary catalog, even if it’s not the most original.

Final Score: 4/5

Geekscape Games Reviews ‘Valkyria Chronicles Remastered’

by Josh Jackson

Remember the early days of the PS3? Back when high quality exclusives were few and far between, Valkyria Chronicles became a cult classic, delivering a unique Turn Based Strategy experience with top notch visuals that kept those who played it singing its praises. Despite critical acclaim however, far too many people missed out on what many still consider one of the console’s brightest gems. After a re-release on Steam brought the series back into the spotlight in the West, Valkyria Chronicles Remastered debuts to give the game new life on the PS4. As one of the people who missed out on the game, and is typically terrible at strategy games, I’m left feeling like I REALLY wish I had played this sooner. Yes, it’s just that good.

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Welkin and Alicia reporting for duty.

Taking place in the war torn continent of Europa, a fictional version of Europe in 1935 C.E., the land is in the midst of the Second Europan War. In an attempt to secure scarce resources that are vital for the progress of two nations, The Empire declares war on the Atlantic Federation in order to crush them with their military might. Literally caught in the middle is Gallia, a neutral nation that sits in between the two warring factions. With its geographically advantageous positioning combined with its rich Ragnite sources, it makes the farm country an easy target for The Empire’s growing might. When Welkin Gunther, the son of a hero from the first war, gets caught up with the Gallia resistance led by Alicia Melchiott, the two get swept up into the conflict, one that goes much deeper than either of them imagined.

The developers at Sega had to have had people like me in mind while developing Valkyria Chronicles, since the game does a really good job of easing you into its mechanics across the first few chapters. Playing like a Turn Based Strategy game with elements of real time game play thrown in, each side of the conflict takes turns positioning their various units in order to overwhelm the opposition and claim their home base. Choosing between Scouts, Shocktroopers, Lancers, Engineers and Snipers, each class offers a certain amount of movement distance, attack strengths, advantages and disadvantages that make each one invaluable on the battlefield. To add an extra layer of depth, each character has their own personality traits as well, which can affect their performance on the battlefield. If you have a soldier who is allergic to sand, they’ll perform worse in the desert. Do they work better alone? They’ll get a boost if they’re fighting away from the rest of your squad. Predicting the Internet wars of 2016, some units even hate men and women! Just when you think you have the hang of battle, the game’s difficulty ramps up hard at about seven chapters in, adding in new objectives that will ask you to blow up train tracks, destroy tanks, or simply escape the combat area. By then, it doesn’t take long before your skills are put to the test, making each battle all the more rewarding when you finish it.

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A baker vs. a tank. I don’t like these odds.

At the cost of one Command Point for most units, (two for bigger units such as tanks,) players will assume full control of the character they select to go into battle. Each class has a set amount of distance they can move and can only attack once for each CP spent, so examining the map and trying to position yourself in a way where you’re shielded from damage while being able to damage others is the strategic core of Valkyria, which helps you maximize your results even further thanks to bonus damage when you manually aim for head shots. Using CP on the same unit multiple times during the same turn reduces their movement significantly each time you go back to the well, making it easier to get stranded in the middle of a gunfight. Since both your team and the opponent’s squad will automatically shoot at anyone in their sights who is in the middle of moving, this is the quickest way to lose a unit.

Good news for my squad though, because the game gives us plenty of options to cover for terrible commanders such as myself. Hiding behind cover will boost their defense, while crawling in grass will make them much harder to hit. As you advance through the game, Gunther will gain the ability to issue Orders, which are battlefield buffs that can improve stats, call down attacks on far away enemies, or heal wounded squad-mates. If your bad decisions lead to a party member falling in battle, a different unit can recover them so they can live to fight another day, lest they be gone for good. As battles get larger, claimed bases will allow you to call upon unused units at a more advantageous place. This feature becomes a lifesaver, since one of the biggest flaws in the game comes from not having much of a clue as to what kind of units the enemy has. Pre-mission briefings will give you an idea some of the time, but it becomes annoying when you bring Snipers you don’t need, or don’t have any tank destroying Lancers when your enemy has a fleet of them.

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Easier said than done when you don’t know what units you need.

Then again, there might be times where you’re getting beat because you’re simply overwhelmed. That’s where the Headquarters come in, which allows players to spend two types of currency to power up their ranks. Earned through performing well in story missions or Skirmishes, replayable missions used for grinding, EXP and money can be used for a variety of functions. First off, spent EXP will level up your classes, which will power up all units within the chosen job and potentially unlocking new skills in the process. When you feel like your squad is strong enough, visiting the cemetery will let Gunther learn new Orders at high EXP costs. Considering this is where you’ll find the most powerful skills in the game, it’s definitely worth the price.

Cash on the other hand, let’s you buy new weapons and equipment for your squad and tank, giving you a much needed boost in power when the war is getting too tough to win. Acting as more than just power boosts, weapons can eventually be given extra attributes, such as status effects that are inflicted on hit enemies. Tanks on the other hand, can only be given a certain amount of upgrades, creating a puzzle like grid where each desired upgrade has to be fit into the space provided for use. Money isn’t all for combat though, since the backstory of your squad can be expanded on by using your extra money to fund books. These can also get pricey, but learning about your team through these extended story segments strengthens what is an already compelling narrative.

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The story is presented like a living scrapbook.

On the subject of the story, while the game play is the definite highlight of Valkyria Chronicles, Gallia’s struggle is just as entertaining, with a cast that grows throughout its 30-ish hour campaign. As one of the most beautiful games of last generation, the remastered version manages to be even more gorgeous, bringing the tale to life in a vibrant way. Giving the appearance of a pencil drawn account of the events of the war while employing an anime inspired look, every part of the game, from the menus to the battles themselves, ooze with visual flair. This is further improved by the strong voice acting, which really shines as the story takes on its more serious themes. Everything from the horrors of war, to concentration camps, and the individuality of the casualties, both friend and foe alike, help the player become fully attached to the world we’re witnessing. A certain scene went as far as to make me feel terrible for killing the enemy, but war doesn’t give you the luxury of life without having to take someone else’s. It’s just too bad that the voice acting isn’t as strong across the board as it is in these key scenes, because the supplementary squad in particular, often sounds too goofy our phoned in to fit in with the rest of the cast. While I appreciate that the entire game is voice acted, it also creates more opportunities for the blemishes to stand out more than they should.

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Selvaria is a highlight of an already strong cast.

If the hit and miss voice acting was the game’s only issue, then we would call that a win. Unfortunately, for everything Valkyria Chronicles does right, it has a few glaring flaws aside from the ones already mentioned that can’t be ignored. First and foremost, there’s no way to fast forward the enemy’s turn, which becomes really annoying when they have double digit moves for each turn. It wouldn’t be as bad if they actually did something, but there were far too many times where enemies would just run in circles just to waste a move. The AI in general can be pretty stupid, which makes me feel better about my own poor skill set. Still, there’s no reason why enemies should routinely throw grenades into poles, only for them to bounce back to them and kill themselves. That’s not to say your squad is any better, because their accuracy is infuriatingly bad at times, especially for Snipers. As the class that should be the most accurate, I can’t tell you how many times I yelled at my TV because a tide turning move went to waste when my long range gunners would miss shots enemies that are only a few feet away. While it’s most obvious with Snipers, no class is exempt from this issue, with infantry units occasionally missing shots at point blank range. Oh, and the less said about Chapter 8 the better. This out of place stealth mission moves at such a slow pace, that what must have been an attempt to slow down the action not only grinds it to a halt, but is a literal drag that the game would be better off without.

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These issues aren’t nearly enough to turn the tides of war however, since Valkyria Chronicles Remastered wraps up as one of the most visually and mechanically creative games in the genre. It’s addictive game play hooks you just as easily as the deceptively deep plot, with likable characters that are sometimes hindered by spotty voice acting. Tedious game play sections and the pre-battle guessing game aside, first time players absolutely must give this hidden gem a shot. With a fair amount of post game content, the inclusion of trophies, (since the original release predated them,) and a New Game + mode to keep you going long after the battle ends, you should be eager to enlist when Sega’s strategy opus makes its big return.

Final Score: 4.5/5

‘Pokemon Sun and Moon’ Details, New Pokemon and Release Date Surface In First Game Play Trailer

by Josh Jackson

Are you ready to catch em’ all for the seventh time!? The Pokemon Company has unveiled the first game play trailer for the upcoming Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon, showing off its new region, starters, and cover legendaries alongside its worldwide release date.

Releasing on November 18, each version returns with its tried and true turn based combat, which will surely come with another hundred or so Pokemon to catch, train and battle. What’s most exciting to me however, is that the new region seems to be in full 3D. In other words, while X and Y was the first foray into full 3D characters and game play for the main series, traveling was still largely from a top down perspective, save for a handful of special areas. This time, the world already looks so much bigger in scale since the environments have an actual layout that doesn’t revolve around the grid based map that every past game has revolved around. Just think of the new lands we’ll be able to explore while catching all those new Pokemon!

Speaking of which, the trailer gave us our first glimpse at the three new starters and the version exclusive Legendary Pokemon. Featuring Rowlet, a Grass/Flying owl, Litten, a fire kitten, and Popplio, a water type sea lion, one of these three will be the first Pokemon we claim as we begin our new adventure. Let’s talk about these new guys for a minute… Is it just me, or do they look more like fan art? I don’t usually favor Grass Types, but Rowlet looks the most interesting to me, especially with its 180 head spin. Popplio is cute, but uninspired, while Litten… It looks more like a Route 1 catch than a starter. Let’s just hope it doesn’t evolve into a Fire/Fighting type. As far as the Legendaries, we don’t have any specific information on them outside of their box art, but the Sun Pokemon looks like Wildfire from Skylanders decided to walk on four legs, and I’m looking forward to Moon telling us why Lugia went on to skin Cresselia and wear its coat.

Take a look below and watch the full trailer for yourself, then tell us what you think! Which starter are you leaning towards, and are you siding with Sun or Moon this time around? Share your thoughts in the comments and let us know!

The Sound Four Make Their Long Awaited Debut In The ‘Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4’ DLC Pack 3

by Josh Jackson

After a seven year wait, the Sound Four are finally coming to the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm series as part of the Storm 4 DLC pack 3.

As the four elite bodyguards of Orochimaru, Sakon/Ukon, Jirobo, Kidomaru and Tayuya made their debuts towards the end of Part 1 of the Naruto anime and manga. Serving as foils to Kiba, Choji, Neji and Shikamaru as their squad attempted to stop Sasuke from defecting to the enemy side, each member of the villainous group has their own unique abilities, all of which are on full display once they step foot into the game. Previously appearing exclusively as support characters, fans have been pleading for these characters to become playable, so it’s good to see that CyberConnect2 is finally answering the call.

In addition to the four new characters, DLC Pack 3 will also come with three new Combination Secret Techniques in the form of the Sound Four’s “Ninja Art: Underworld Formation”, Zabuza and Kisame’s “Seven Blades of the Blood Mist”, and Zabuza and Haku’s “Cold Assault of the Demon Blade”, ten Ninja Info Cards, 10 Matching Voices and 10 costumes from past games in the Ultimate Ninja Storm franchise. Check out the trailer below to see all of these new moves and fighters in action!

 

Who else is planning on downloading the latest addition to the Storm 4 cast? Check out our full review of the game here, then come back and let us know what you think of the DLC set in the comments!

‘Mighty No. 9’ Goes Gold; Set For a June 24th Release Date

by Josh Jackson

After a year of delays and months of silence, we’re finally getting Mighty No. 9 on June 24th… Assuming you wanted it on consoles.

In an announcement to backers that echos our story from last week, the team behind the controversial Kickstarter funded action platformer that’s set to be a spiritual successor to the Mega Man series has gone gold, with a final release date of June 24th. Acknowledging the plethora of problems that have plagued the project for longer than any publisher would want to admit, Keiji Inafune, the father of Mega Man and project lead behind MN9, posted the following message to his backers and fans:

 

“To all of our backers and fans of Mighty No. 9,

 

Firstly, I would like to say again how sincerely sorry we are for how long we have kept all of our fans waiting. We are finally able to deliver some long awaited news regarding Mighty No. 9. We have now confirmed the following release dates for Mighty No. 9: June 21st 2016 (North America & Asia) and June 24th 2016 (World Wide). We understand that as a result of the various delays we have disappointed and let down our fans, but we are happy to finally be able to deliver the game to everyone who brought us this far.

 

With the game having “gone gold” we are in the last final stages of being able to deliver it into your hands, be that via your favorite retail outlet, or via digital channels.

 

Therefore the release date we are announcing is set in stone and there will be no further delays for the game.

 

Portable versions for PlayStation® Vita and Nintendo 3DS ™ will follow at a later point.

 

It has been almost three years since the start of our Kickstarter campaign, which was only made possible through the support of our backers and fans around the world. This is a project where everyone’s passions were combined in order to create something very special, and we are looking forward to delivering the final product to everyone who was involved. There can be no stronger connection between game creators and game fans.

 

Now that the dust has settled, we will be delivering Mighty No. 9 to everyone next month. How long will it take you to clear the main story on NORMAL? How many people are going to be able to clear MANIAC mode? What is going to be the fastest record for the time attack mode? We are looking forward to seeing the community answer all of these questions for us! Make sure to let us know your feedback and thoughts on the game through our SNS channels as you play the game. Your voices are what made this game possible, and we want to continue hearing what you think so that it may influence our future endeavors. “

Unfortunately, gamers who wanted the portable version will still have to continue to wait. The call for community interaction at the end of his statement is comforting, but after delaying the game for so long for a bonus feature like Multiplayer, (a feature that was added to a single player game as a Stretch Goal and was largely seen as a cool bonus rather than a game defining mode,) the multiple supplemental Kickstarter campaigns despite raising far more than their initial goal, a huge visual overhaul compared to what was shown in the concept art, radio silence after the latest delay, and working on side projects like an anime and other games while this one was continuously put on hold, we’ll have to see if it’s enough to win back the faith of the community.

What say you, Geekscapist? Are you excited about the game finally releasing, or are you long over it?

‘Project X Zone’ Removed From eShop

by Josh Jackson

If you thought about getting caught up before starting up your copy of Project X Zone 2 by downloading the original, you might be out of luck.

For reasons unknown, Project X Zone has been removed from the eShop. The demo, trailers and the game itself are all missing when you search for them on Nintendo’s digital store, with results for the second game being the only hits that come up. Even people who purchased it digitally before won’t get the re-download button, although they can reclaim it in their download history. Considering getting this game to come out in America was somewhat of a miracle in itself due to all of the licensing hoops Namco Bandai must have had to jump through to release it, is it safe to speculate that one of the licenses fell through? That would explain why the second game is still available, since some of the characters from the first game didn’t return.

Regardless of the reason, it’s a shame that the first game is missing. We had an amazing time with it when we reviewed it back when it was released, so let’s hope that whatever issues caused the game to get pulled down get resolved soon. What are your theories as to why it was pulled? Share them below!

Source: NintendoEverything.com

‘Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA X’ Launches On August 30th; Will Have VR Support!

by Josh Jackson

This was why VR was made!

Sega has announced that Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA X, the next game in the franchise based on the virtual pop star and her team of idols, will launch on August 30 for the PS4 and PS Vita.

Shedding the “HD” branding for the console version, Project DIVA X will also be the first game in the series to have a story mode. As if Miku needed more than her charm to hook her fans around the world, her and her friends will have to sing and dance through five Clouds that pose a danger to their world for some reason. Each Clould has its own aura, from Classic to Cute, Cool, Elegant and Quirky, all of which containing their own challenges. With a combination of 30 new and classic songs to go with close to 300 costumes, each one is said to have an effect on the different challenges. From what we know so far, no one should accuse this game of not having enough to do.

New to Project DIVA X will be a Concert Editor mode, where players can customize their own shows with their favorite Vocaloids. If you needed a reason to finally push you towards investing in PlayStation VR, then you might want to set that money you were planning on using on the latest anime figure aside, since Concert Editor will support the virtual reality platform once it becomes an available via an update! It will be like you can finally reach out and touch your favorite pop star minus the restraining order and jail time.

Lastly, everyone who pre-orders the game or buys it at launch will get a Miku pouch for free! Use it for glasses, your favorite gaming handheld, or your favorite Nendoroid figurines! Retailing at $49.99 for the PS4 and $39.99 for PS Vita, an already discounted price is coming with even more goodies!Hatsune Miku Project DIVA X puch

So get ready to pull out the glow sticks and hold them high this August. Check out the trailer below and let us know if you’re planning on being in the front row for Miku’s next show!

This ‘Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization’ Trailer Debuts The Game That Doesn’t Want Players

by Josh Jackson

You know, after you’ve dived into an MMORPG where players who die in the game die for real and survived, I would think one time would be enough. That’s obviously not the case for Kirito, Asuna, and the rest of the cast from Sword Art Online, because the gang is returning to the origins of the game that started it all in Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization.

The latest trailer gives us a glimpse of what to expect from the next game to bring the popular anime to life. As a much faster sequel to Sword Art Online, Hollow Fragment, (which we reviewed back when it was released in 2014,) the simulated MMORPG game play that was featured in that game is making its return, this time with up to three CPU partners who tag along during your quests. From the footage shown, the game is looking like it’s streamlining many of the nagging issues the original game had, including much faster combat, expanded dating sim features and larger battles. Most importantly, the game will feature 8-player combat by combining four player online multiplayer with your CPU party. With everyone from the anime’s cast, to Hollow Fragment‘s debuting character, Philia, to the mysterious NPC, Premiere, who makes her debut as a character who learns from the players she interacts with, we’ll have plenty of party members to choose from once we start exploring the world.

But not all is well in what’s now known as Sword Art: Origin, a game that doesn’t want players. Set to release for the PS4 and Vita later this year, it won’t be long until we can see Kirito’s latest adventure unfold.

Surprise! A Wild Zygarde Appears On Mystery Gift For All Main Pokemon 3DS Games!

by Josh Jackson

As if a Mythical Pokemon every month and two sets of Legendary Trio Pokemon weren’t enough, the folks behind Pokemon decided to be extra generous and release a special Zygarde via Mystery Gift today.

Starting off at level 100, (so you won’t have to put any real work into raising it,) this downloadable version of the last obtainable Pokemon in X and Y will come with Land’s Wrath, Outrage, Glare and ExtremeSpeed in its attack arsenal. Essentially the same Pokemon that was made available in Japan last year to celebrate the launch of the Pokemon XY&Z anime, it’s good to see that we’re getting events that we usually would have missed out on.

But now we’re at the part where I complain about free stuff, because this Zygarde doesn’t do anything that a regular Zygarde can’t already do. Typically, monsters distributed this way are either impossible to get otherwise, or come with moves or abilities that it can’t normally obtain. This Zygarde is neither, so we essentially just have a Pokemon that we can’t EV train. He doesn’t even turn into a scarf wearing dog like in the anime! Then again, a lot of the appeal that comes from these events is to give us the knowledge that we have a Pokemon that was only temporarily available. Hey, it’ll probably come in a Cherish Ball with a cool Original Trainer name at least!

As with its sudden release, we also have no idea when it will be taken down, so download it while you can! Zygarde will be obtainable in Pokemon X, Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.

‘The King Of Fighters XIV’ Gets Two New Characters And A New Publisher!

by Josh Jackson

If you’ve been following the progress of The King Of Fighters XIV, you’ll know that this is looking to be a huge departure from the previous entry in the long running fighting game series, both visually, and mechanically. Now, we’re learning that publishing duties will get shaken up as well, since Atlus will be bringing SNK Playmore’s upcoming title to the West.

Promising over 50 characters out of the box, (as in before DLC. Take notes, Capcom!), a revamped netcode that will support three on three matches for a total of six players in the same match, online mentoring that will pair high ranking players with low ranking ones to teach new players the basics, a story mode, and new mechanics that aim to please veterans and new players alike, and we have one of the most ambitious fighters in a long time. With Atlus taking the helm as opposed to SNK publishing it themselves, this also means we’re more likely to get the game more exposure through the niche publisher’s dedicated fanbase.

If that wasn’t enough of a reason to be excited, we were also introduced to two brand new fighters who will be making their debuts in this fourteenth entry. Check out their debut trailer below and let us know what you think.

Will you be stepping back into the ring when The King Of Fighters XIV releases exclusively for the PS4 this year? share your ID’s with us in the comments!

Wondercon 2016: All-Range Mode In ‘Star Fox Zero’ Needs An Overhaul

by Josh Jackson

I’ve been lucky enough to try out Star Fox Zero a few times over its development, and my excitement only increased as time went on. With the game finally releasing this week as what could be the Wii U’s last big exclusive, (depending on if you want to believe that the next Zelda will be moved to the NX,) you would think that my hype would have reached its apex. It would have, until I played the Wondercon demo.

A lot is being said about the state of the game’s forced motion controls, which ask you to aim with the Wii U Game Pad’s gyro controls while steering with the left stick and pulling off maneuvers with the right. While I can definitely see why people would have trouble with this set up, which sounds like the gaming equivalent to patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time, I personally didn’t take long to adjust. What did become a problem however, is when the game switched to All-Range Mode, which is the term coined in Star Fox 64 for when the game switches from on rails dog fighting to being able to freely move in a 3D space. While I didn’t encounter too much of a problem while taking flight, this feature was something that I hoped would improve in previous demos, since Zero uses these sections as a chance to force first person cockpit view onto the Game Pad, while the TV shifts to a cinematic view that displays the entire battlefield, rather than focusing on what the player is doing. Once my time with the completed build ended though, I was beyond disappointed to learn that it got worse.

Star Fox Zero Landmaster 1

Wanting to experience the Landmaster for the first time, I tried out the desert stage, where more than just the control methods changed since the 64 days. Being forced to fly above obstacles while aiming with the game pad and keeping an eye on enemies through the big screen was confusing enough, but became close to second nature by the time the sequence was complete. Once the boss fight started and I had free range of motion however, and I had no idea how much more of a hindrance this would become. But when you take away the speed and mobility of the Arwing and plug in the awkward camera angles into the land stage, what should have been the climax of the stage ended up highlighting everything wrong with forcing your view into first person.

As the boss at the center of the stage bombarded me with smaller enemies and its own attacks while pulling me towards the center, I rarely had any clue as to what was going on. All I knew was my health was sinking, I was getting trounced by attacks, and I had no idea where any of it was coming from. By the time I turned the insanely slow tank around to take aim, I would ram into the boss for more damage because of its quick sand. Avoiding it would have been simple, except the cockpit view made it hard to tell how close I was to the middle. If you’re thinking the TV view will give you some semblance of an idea what was going on, think again! Because every time I looked up at it, the view was panned out with the main monster in the center, capturing every bit of the chaos so well that I had no idea where my tank was. Who thought this was a good idea!? To make it so you can’t see what you’re doing, and have the freedom of changing your view stripped from you for the sake of some stubborn vision of what the game should be?

Star Fox Zero Landmaster 2

Maybe all of this is for nothing. Maybe the final game will be better! But all I know is after crashing and burning, I’m finding myself far less excited about Fox McCloud’s long awaited return. Keep an eye out for our full review in the coming days and see if we have a change of heart.

 

Episodic Noir Adventure ‘Blues And Bullets’ Heads To PS4 On April 19th!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Jake just published his review of the second episode of noir adventure Blues and Bullets, and now we’ve learned that the title won’t be Xbox exclusive (console wise) for much longer.

Yep, on April 19th, A Crowd of Monsters will launch the first two episodes of the beloved, underplayed title on Sony’s console.

In the game, “When one day children start to disappear and the police just turns a blind eye to this, Eliot decides to take justice into his own hands and find, by any means necessary, the culprit and bring him to justice.”

Jake’s thoughts on the game (read his first episode review right here) definitely got me interested in the title (that I had sadly not heard of at that point), so I’m beyond excited to finally give it a shot!

Take a look at the PS4 announcement video for Blues and Bullets below, and be sure to let us know if you’re excited!

https://youtu.be/CKZijTAtnsM

Geekscape Games Reviews: ‘Blues and Bullets’ – Episode 2!

by jake108

Blues and Bullets is a title that is unique to the current video game marketplace. With all these simulation games, all of the FPS’ at our disposal, it’s easy for any indie game to get lost in the frenzy. Blues and Bullets deserves a play through, and at the very least, your attention. What A Crowd of Monsters has accomplished is a stunning piece of art filled with mystery, emotion, and suspense. If you’re just catching on to this title now, feel free to read my review of Blues and Bullets Episode 1. Otherwise, let’s jump in!

Episode two picks up where the first episode left off. Like other games told episodically, A Crowd of Monsters provides gamers with a “Previously on” segment that recaps everything you did in the first episode. I personally found it helpful to revisit your choices from episode one, something you can do in the main menu. While the first episode set the foundation for Blues and Bullets, episode two dives in head first into developing the game’s main cast of characters. This is done by weaving in flashbacks from Elliot Ness’ point-of-view. Here, we are able to see just what kind of man Elliot Ness was before he lost his friends to Al Capone. What I like most here is that A Crowd of Monsters puts games into the shoes of an Elliot Ness who’s in the middle of an extra-marital affair. What’s unique about this is that players aren’t able to avoid Ness’ mistakes altogether, but instead are tasked with where to go from there.

Blues and Bullets2

This episode also delves into Ness’ band of “Untouchables” and what exactly happened to them. By the first episode, we had an inkling that something didn’t go down right, and Elliot had only himself to blame. With Shaking the Hive, gamers can get the full backstory as to what happened, and where Elliot Ness was when it happened. Juxtaposed with Ness’ flashbacks is the game’s main story arc. Let’s not forget that the reason why Ness came out of retirement was to investigate a string of child abductions, including Al Capone’s own granddaughter.

Blues and Bullets1

As we found out in episode one, a cult located within the city is responsible for the abductions. What’s unknown is what exactly they want with the children. However, the cult seemingly dates back decades before Ness takes on the case. In fact, the cult’s history may blend with Ness’ own history, something he’s slowly starting to figure out.

Blues and Bullets3

Shaking the Hive has more action than the first episode. This may come as a relief for players who were craving more gunplay. While the action is somewhat linear and “on-the-rails”, it fits the game’s scheme and world. This, coupled with witty banter between Ness and Capone make for an exciting sequence. Episode two also returns a chapter in which you can play detective and piece together a clues to achieve the answers you’re looking for. While it does feel like A Crowd of Monsters is trying to achieve a sort of formula for these episodes, I must stress that it is a welcomed formula and at no time did I feel terribly bored or jaded to what was going on.

Overall, episode 2 does well with representing the classic noir theme. If  you’re into Telltale games and episodic storytelling, definitely take a chance on Blues and Bullets. You will not be disappointed.

Blues and Bullets episodes 1 & 2 are available now on Xbox One, PC. Episode 1 is available now on the Playstation 4 and episode 2 will be available later this month. 

‘Superdimension Neptune Vs. Sega Hard Girls’ Is Heading Stateside This Fall!

by Josh Jackson

If you thought that the upcoming MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune Vs. Zombies was the only Neptunia news to get excited over, Idea Factory had one more announcement for us Vita gamers. Remember that game that we discussed last year that stars support character, IF, and turns Neptune into a motorcycle?  Well, it’s heading stateside this fall, officially titled Superdimension Neptune Vs. Sega Hard Girls.

Developed by Felistella, (the team behind the excellent Re;Birth remakes on the Vita,) SuperDimension has IF and the goddesses of Gamindustri team up with the Sega Hard Girls, anthropomorphic versions of the Sega Genesis, (known in Japan as the Mega Drive,) Game Gear Saturn, and Dreamcast, each of which are goddesses representing their consoles. Created as a collaboration between Dengenki Bunko and Sega, (who came together last year to bring us the manga based fighting game, Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax, which featured Dreamcast in its story mode), the girls have starred in their own manga and anime adaptations in Japan. Naturally, this premise seems like a natural fit for the world of Gamindustri.

With Neptune tied up as a motorcycle, it’s up to IF to save history itself as the pages of from the Great Library begin to fade away. After teaming up with newcomer, Hatsumi Sega, the two must run, jump and crawl through each era of Sega history to preserve the past. With new abilities like class changing and Fever Time, even Neptunia veterans will have plenty to look forward to when Iffy’s adventure finally arrives.

Wondercon 2016: We Go Hands-On With Platinum Games’ ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants In Manhattan’

by Josh Jackson

When news hit that Platinum Games was working on a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game, was anyone surprised when the nerd stratosphere blew up with excitement? After all, Platinum is one of the premiere action game developers today, which was proven the last time they collaborated with Activision by way of Transformers: Devastation. Knowing what the team could do with our favorite turtles, we jumped at the chance to get our hands on the upcoming brawler at Wondercon. If there was any doubt in your mind that they could repeat the magic with another licensed property, rest assured. The game is great so far!

My biggest worry going into the TMNT: Mutants in Manhattan demo was that it wouldn’t be as unique as it could be. After all, regardless of how fun Transformers was, it was essentially a re-skinned Bayonetta. While there are admittedly few games you would rather have serve as the basis behind your game, there were times when the robots in disguise didn’t feel like themselves because of it. This is not the case with the turtles, with mechanics that felt all their own, while playing up to the strengths of the franchise.
TMNT Mutants In Manhattan Screen 1
Somewhat less reliant on combos compared to Platinum’s other games, Mutants in Manhattan focuses more on teamwork between the four turtles. With the option to switch between Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael on the fly, each one has their own set of attacks to unleash on the Foot Clan. To differentiate them even further, each one has their own set of special attacks that range from damage dealing onslaughts to support abilities like replenishing health with a pizza party. Depending on who’s in the fight, you can even unleash double team attacks to send the enemies packing.
As you would expect from the developer, the enemies aren’t exactly pushovers either. While they go down easily enough, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the multiple enemies coming at you at once, each one color coded to signify different attack patterns reminiscent to the Konami games of our youth. The turtles’ health drains quickly, so a handful of mistakes can mean your team might drop in numbers quickly. Perhaps keeping in mind that this game will likely be targeting kids first and foremost, it’s very easy to being fallen comrades back, especially since they’ll revive on their own if you hold out for long enough. Even if you all get defeated, a button mashing pizza eating mini game will revive everyone to the point where they were beaten. This might disappoint the hardcore crowd who enjoy the punishing difficulty Platinum is known for, but knowing them, there could be options to boost the difficulty in the full version.
TMNT Mutants In Manhattan Screen 2
Most surprising at all however, is what happens between fights. The city stage that I played had the turtles traversing New York in a more open ended way than we would expect from a beat em up such as this. While not completely free roam thanks to clearly defined boundaries, players will move from objective to objective in a non-linear way thanks to the city offering multiple paths. Going off course and searching a little closer can even lead to hidden items, so it’ll be worth it to explore every corner you can.
If I didn’t have enough reason to be excited about TMNT: Mutants in Manhattan, my time with the game made sure to leave me with plenty. Its co-op focused battle system, (whether you’re playing with someone else or not,) is intriguing while the addition of exploration was a welcomed surprise. The toned down difficulty might concern the Platinum Games faithful, but so far, their unique take on the turtles more than makes up for it.
Check back for our full impressions when Mutants in Manhattan releases on May 24th.

‘Bravely Second: End Layer’ Highlights Its Changes With Its Prologue Demo

by Josh Jackson

Bravely Second: End Layer is right around the corner, and what that means for 3DS owners and RPG fans alike is that we’ll surely be sinking dozens of hours into Square Enix’s next big adventure. What made the original game stand out so much was its unique spin on the old school turn based JRPG, combining familiar elements like the Job System with the Brave and Default systems, which let you use turns in advance or store them for future use. While we anxiously anticipate what the future holds for the sequel, we held ourselves over with The Ballad of the Three Cavaliers, the demo / prologue for the upcoming sequel. Here’s what works, (and what doesn’t,) based on the preview build of the game.

Bravely Second Screen 2

Starting off as the three cavaliers led by Yew, (get it!?), their town guide, Magnolia, eventually rounds out the party to make it four. Instructed by the Wind Vestal, Agnes, from the original game, the team is sent out to accomplish various tasks as they travel through the game world, all while introducing you to these characters in a way the main game won’t feature. What surprised us was the appearance of some of the prominent enemies from the first game, each of which unlocks more asterisks, which in turn grant access to more jobs. Featuring a decent variety to get a taste of what the main game will offer, the party can be customized to become sword masters, performers, valkyries, black mages, white mages and red mages to name a few of the jobs offered. Fighting monsters will both level up the characters and the jobs, granting access to a wider array of abilities.

Everything so far sounds pretty routine, (if not ambitious for a demo,) but combat is where the game becomes anything but. As mentioned, the Brave and Default systems were a big draw previously, and that aspect continues in the demo for Bravely Second. By defending, each party member will store that turn for future use, allowing you to use up to four turns at once to unleash a flurry of attacks. Doing so without enough turns to spare can lead to a quick victory, but if that turn doesn’t end with your victory, you’ll be stuck for up to four turns without any actions. It’s a high risk / high reward style that made the original so appealing.

Bravely Second Screen 3

As if to sweeten the pot even further, the sequel has added a type of gambling system into its battle system. If you can win in one round of turns, you’ll be given the option to start another fight with the promise of extra EXP, JP, (for job leveling,) and Gil. Of course, your status, including your turn count, will be the same as it was at the end of that battle, so eventually, you’ll find yourself at a turn deficit and become stuck without being able to move. While this can lead to disastrous results, it can also mean the difference between leveling up rapidly vs. fighting a serious of mundane one off battles for the sake of grinding. Not only does this add an extra layer of risk to consider heading into battles, but it rewards efficient players with a faster way to get stronger.

You’ll find these multipliers to be a godsend when you realize how much levels will skew battle into the enemy’s favor, which was my only real complaint. Playing on normal difficulty, walking into new dungeons where my equipment was up to par and my level was within the recommended range often led to me getting killed in a few turns regardless. These dungeons and bosses would eventually be conquered after many cure spells, potions, and trips to the Inn, but unless I’m playing on hard, my expectation when properly leveled would be to be able to at least get through most of the dungeon without getting completely decimated within a few fights. That’s traditional JRPG difficulty for you!

Bravely Second Screen 1

Regardless, I’m loving what I’ve played so far, and can’t wait to get the full version in my 3DS when it releases on April 15th. What are your impressions with Bravely Second so far? Sound off below!

Geekscape Games Reviews ‘Ratchet & Clank’

by Josh Jackson

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 14 years since the first Ratchet & Clank game released on the PS2. What was even harder to believe at the time was what a legendary series it would become. In what was a golden age for its genre, Ratchet has endured long after mascots like Jak and Daxter and Sly Cooper bowed out of the spotlight, (although the latter has attempted a comeback in recent years.) After over a dozen sequels and spinoffs across four different platforms, Sony and developer Insomniac have decided that it was time to revisit the duo’s roots. In conjunction with the upcoming film based on the franchise, Ratchet & Clank comes to the PS4 as a complete reboot of the original title, making some modern adjustments to go with its new take on the story. While a reboot felt unnecessary to me at first, the series’ PS4 debut serves as more than a simple do over. What we get is a love letter to the fans who have stuck through this decades plus journey while reintroducing the Lombax and his robot pal to new eyes, creating what ends up being one of the best 3D platformers in years.

Ratchet & Clank Screen 4

Can a simple mechanic save the galaxy?

Told through Captain Quark’s perspective in a scenario that’s different from the film, the square jawed hero takes us back to the days before the titular duo were an inseparable pair. Ratchet is a simple mechanic with big dreams of joining the Galactic Rangers, a team of interstellar heroes who protect the galaxy from any threat that may rise. When tryouts come to Ratchet’s home planet, he takes the chance to become something greater, (or at least to try and impress Quark, his hero and leader of the team.) Meanwhile, a defective Warbot who would go on to be known as Clank overhears his creators discuss their intentions to invade the Rangers’ home planet and take them out so their plan to destroy planets will go unchecked. Since the tiny robot failed to inherit the malicious intent of his brethren, (as well as their height,) he escapes the factory in an attempt to warn the Rangers of what was coming to them. After crash landing on Ratchet’s planet, the pair team up to save the galaxy from some of the most nefarious criminals in the system, all while impressing the Rangers in the process.

As great as the original Ratchet & Clank was, its control scheme has not aged well, leading future games to adopt a more traditional third person shooter method that revolves around strafing. No remake worth its bolts would keep these flaws unchecked, which is why the first thing you’ll notice with this latest game is how easy it is to move around. As a platformer/shooter hybrid, attacking waves of enemies and swapping weapons with a tap of the control pad while jumping out of the way of danger is as seamless as its ever been. As more weapons are unlocked, your quick select options can be customized so you can have easy access to any four weapons at any given time. When ammo is running low however, a solid swing from Ratchet’s trademark Omniwrench still does the trick. One of the most rewarding aspects of Ratchet & Clank is how accustomed you’ll become with each type of weapon and movement, especially as more options become available to you.

Speaking of options, the series has become synonymous with its over the top weapons over the years, and this reboot is no exception. Acting as a “best of” list for longtime fans, the weapons available span the entire series, with a few new weapons to boot. Staples of the PS3 games such as the pistol-like Combuster, the Groovitron, a disco ball that forces enemies near it to dance uncontrollably, and the trash talking battle companion, Mr. Zurkon, join PS2 classics like the Glove of Doom, a bomb that summons self destructing robots, and the Sheepinator, a beam that turns any enemy it hits into a sheep. New weapons like the Pixelator, a shotgun-esque weapon that gives enemies an 8-bit makeover, round out one of the most exciting weapons lineups in the series to date. Encouraging players to switch up which weapons they use, the level up system from past games returns, making it so each weapon gets stronger as you destroy more enemies with them. In addition, extra boosts can be purchased with Raritanium, where you’ll pay to fill in a board where each space adds a perk, such as extra damage or ammo. When these perks surround a hidden boost, buying all the ones around it will unlock extra surprises, making them even stronger. The would-be rangers are further complimented by gadgets such as the jet pack from Into The Nexus, and the 02 mask from the original, so you can explore both the air and sea, so there’s never a shortage on new tools to try out.

Ratchet & Clank Screen 5

You’ll have to get creative with your gear to take out the worst of Drek’s army.

Thankfully, there is plenty to explore with all your tools. More so than any other game in the series thus far, Insomniac makes the most out of the series’ PS4 debut with some of the richest environments in the series to date, each one littered with enemies and hidden areas with only occasional slowdown. Featuring a mixture of the original planets from the series’ PS2 debut to brand new areas original to the film and game, even repeated areas are either partially, or fully rebuilt. Each planet is so different from the last, that they’re always a joy to visit, which is emphasized by the game’s gorgeous visuals. Flying up as high as I could and surveying the landscape was one of my favorite things to do on the planets that allowed it, really giving you a sense of how big the game really is. When taking the character models, which rival their CG film counterparts on occasion, and you have what’s easily one of the best looking games on the PS4.

One feat that I found particularly admirable was how the game’s script made it look easy to mix in the right amount of nostalgia with new content, making it feel familiar without ever feeling like a retread. The top notch voice acting and witty script continues to impress after all these years, with Quark’s charming stupidity once again taking center stage. New characters bring in some Hollywood talent to join James Arnold Taylor’s Ratchet and David Kaye’s Clank, including Bella Thorn, John Goodman, Rosario Dawson and Sylvester Stallone. In fact, franchise purists can rest assured that aside from the game’s main bad guy, Chairman Drek, who is now voiced by Paul Giamatti, all the returning characters have kept their actors in both the games and films, while the new voices fit right in with the characters we’ve come to love.

Ratchet & Clank Screen 6

Ratchet rarely takes itself seriously, and it’s better off for it.

If the story content isn’t enough of a callback for you, (on top of the handful of Resistance references for the hardcore Insomniac fan,) unlockable trading cards can be found throughout the game, each of which contain details on both this, and past games. Collecting all the cards in a series provides extra boosts like bolt, card and Raritanium increases, as well as access to stronger versions of your weapons, so even if a walk down memory lane isn’t your thing, at least there’s that extra incentive to find them. To make finding them easier, five duplicates can be traded for the card of your choice, so you’ll want to remain on the lookout for as long as possible.

It’s easy to see that the developers know that there’s plenty we’ve come to love with this series, much of which returns to tickle our nostalgia. Certain scenes, characters and interactions will remind you of some of the charm of 2002 while making you forget that you’ve visited these worlds years before until these callbacks pop up. And yet, for every reminder of the originals, like the plumber you meet in your first full world or the hoverboard races which are even more thrilling now as they were back then, you’ll come across new battles like dog fights in space and a city defense mission where you’ll use magnets to hurl enemy robots back at their ships. It’s moments like these that really make it feel like the series has been fully realized for the current generation.

Ratchet & Clank Screen 1

Fights can get pretty intense.

Still, it can’t be all action all the time, which is where Clank’s solo missions take center stage. These puzzle inspired areas ask players to transform helpful robots in the area either into generators, bridges or springs in order to power nearby doors and open the exits. Simple on the surface, yet more complex as the game progresses, these distractions are challenging enough without becoming overbearing, only popping up a few times throughout the game’s story. That’s not to say Clank can’t handle himself in a fight, since some of the most visually impressive moments in an already gorgeous game come from when he must outwit the Warbot commander, Stallone’s Victor Von Ion. These short, but sweet sequences have Clank running towards the camera as Ion slices apart the corridors they’re running through in order to destroy the defect with his beam blade. Everything from the sparks, laser effects and fire looks so good while being fun to play, that you’ll be disappointed that these sequences aren’t featured more often.

Thankfully, disappointments are few and far between with this reboot, although one aspect that might come off as divisive is the changes to the story. Surprisingly acting as an origin story for more than just Ratchet and Clank, the big twist at the end is twofold this time around, introducing characters that originally debuted later in the series’ timeline. Unfortunately, that comes with concessions to what would become my favorite character arc throughout the games, fundamentally changing what would go on to happen in the sequels. That puts the game in a strange position because if this reboot is a one and done game to coincide with the movie’s release, then the story works better to a degree, setting up story elements for the future of the franchise. If it isn’t a one off and the whole series will begin branching out again from here, I don’t see it playing out on the track its on without completely invalidating the second game and part of the third. Considering how much I enjoyed this take on the series, knowing that the changes to the story closes off some of the best parts of potential future installments isn’t ideal, although this is more of a nitpick than a damning flaw. Still, I enjoyed the way the twist was handled in the original more so than in the reboot. You know, minus the whole Ratchet being a jerk to Clank part, which was thankfully omitted.

Outside of these story nitpicks, the only real flaws I encountered were technical issues such as “falling” off of a cliff when stuck between boxes, landing on certain mountains that were programmed like lava, and some poorly placed checkpoints that will force you to replay large fights, all because you missed that one guy stuck in the corner at the end of the third wave. While length might be an issue for anyone who is looking to only complete the story, I got a good 12-ish hours out of it on a hard mode run where I found half of the 28 Golden Bolts and leveled up all the weapons, which is pretty good for a platformer. When you consider I still had numerous collectables to find and side missions to complete, a 100% run was still hours away. For those who want the full experience however, a type of new game plus called “Challenge Mode” asks players to run through the game again while getting hit as little as possible. The more enemies you kill without taking damage, the higher your bolt multiplier, which you’ll need to take full advantage of if you want to buy the Omega versions of your weapons, which can be upgraded even further for maximum destruction. While playing the same game multiple times isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, Insomniac provided plenty of content for those who enjoy exploring every nook and cranny of the game’s world. As mentioned earlier, there’s plenty to explore.

Ratchet & Clank Screen 3

Just so we’re clear, this game is gorgeous.

Ratchet and Clank has been advertised as “the game, based on the movie, based on the game!”, but it’s so much more than that. On one hand, it might be the best “game adaptation” of a film to date, although that might not be fair to compare since it has almost 15 years of games worth of experience to build on. But what is fair to say, is that this release is not only one of the highlights of a growing PS4 library, but possibly the best game in Insomniac’s long history with the franchise. This game could have been a quick nostalgia trip that capitalized on the movie. What it ended up being was a nod to new and old fans alike as a shining example of what a reboot should be. I might be slightly nervous on the narrative direction the game is headed in, the formula is admittedly feeling a little samey despite its many upgrades, and small technical glitches hurt a near perfect package, but fans of platformers, fans of shooters, fans of the series… heck, fans of gaming can’t go wrong with picking up Ratchet and Clank, and have a chance to rescue the galaxy all over again.

tl;dr

+ Ratchet and Clank are back with plenty of new content to go with a dash of nostalgia.

+ The platforming is as fluid as ever, with both new and old weapons to keep combat interesting.

+ Plenty of worlds to explore, each with huge areas, waves of enemies and secrets to uncover.

+ Side missions like Clank’s puzzle stages and dog fights keep the game feeling fresh.

+ A new game plus mode that will more than double the standard length.

– Some story changes make us nervous for the future.

– Small technical issues pop up from time to time.

– Though offset by the Challenge Mode, those looking for a one and done game will be done with the story in a weekend.

– While great, the formula is feeling a little familiar.

Final Score: 4.5/5

‘Blues and Bullets’ Episode 2 OUT NOW!

by jake108

A few months back, we profiled A Crowd of Monsters’ latest project, Blues and Bullets. This episodic thriller puts you in the shoes of a retired detective who has recently picked up a case involving missing children, an occult cult, and, you guessed it, Al Capone.

Blues and Bullets works very much like a Telltale game in that all of your decisions will have residual effects by the end of the series. It’s art style and original story is a breath of fresh air. Seriously, if you’re interested in picking up an indie game, Blues and Bullets will not disappoint. Check out the trailer for episode 2 below:

Episode 2: Shake The Hive, sees players don the coat of Eliot Ness once again, as he dives deeper and deeper into the conspiracy that he discovered in Episode 1. Players can expect to visit diverse locales including a submarine, learn more about Eliot’s past, meet new characters, explore more complex crime scenes, and enjoy improved gun combat. As with Episode 1, the players’ choices will have an impact on the storyline and culminate in a gripping cliffhanger.

Blues and Bullets episode 2 is out now for the Xbox One and PC at $4.99 / €4.99 / £3.99. Playstation 4 owners can expect to see episode 2 hit the digital marketplace later this April.

Maya Fey Channels Our Inner Fanboy With Her Return In ‘Ace Attorney 6’

by Josh Jackson

As the Ace Attorney series drifted back towards a focus on Phoenix in the fifth entry in the popular text adventure series, it was only a matter of time before his friends started filtering back in as well. This felt even more inevitable when it was confirmed that the upcoming sequel, Ace Attorney 6, would heavily focus on spirit channeling, allowing the Wright Anything Agency to relive the final moments of the victim’s lives. If you were expecting to see the return of the famed Fey family, then you were right! Phoenix’s old assistant from the original trilogy, Maya Fey, will make her comeback in the upcoming sequel.

Despite making recent appearances in a wide variety of spinoffs, including Professor Layton Vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, and most recently, Project X Zone 2, the noodle burger loving head of the Fey family hasn’t had an appearance in the main series since Trials and Tribulations back in 2007. With Phoenix firmly taking center stage in the fifth game, it was strange not to have an appearance from someone so close to him considering the violent events that took place throughout the story. Apparently this time around, the call of spirit channeling was too much for Ms. Fey to ignore, showing that her penchant for assisting Nick during trials, (and almost becoming a victim herself,) is still in effect.

That’s not to say Apollo and Athena will be ignored. On the contrary, the two proteges are left to defend the agency in Japan while Phoenix is dealing with his problems in Kurain Country. Does this mean that the two will finally get to stand on their own and outside of Phoenix’s shadow? As a big fan of Apollo and wanting to see his story that started in the fourth game resolved, I can’t object to that!

Check out the trailer below and see Ms. Fey in all of her non-aging glory. Wait… shouldn’t she be 27-ish in this game? Why does she still look like a teenager!? Ehm… anyway, let us know your thoughts, and be sure to check back with us as more information surfaces on a Western release date.

‘Fable Legends’ Cancelled As Lionhead Studios May Be Shut Down

by Josh Jackson

After being in development for well over two years, Microsoft has decided to pull the plug on the free to play Fable Legends, with apparent plans to shut down Lionhead Studios altogether.

In a statement, Microsoft Europe General Manager Hanno Lemke discussed their plans going forward for the legendary studio once helmed by the controversial Peter Molyneux, as well as their planned closure of Press Play Studios, the folks behind the Wii, (and eventual multiplatform,) favorite, Max and the Magic Marker.

“After much consideration we have decided to cease development on Fable Legends, and are in discussions with employees about the proposed closure of Lionhead Studios in the UK,”… “Additionally, we will close Press Play Studios in Denmark, and sunset development on Project Knoxville.”

Lemke went on to say,

“We have nothing but heart-felt thanks for the members of Lionhead and Press Play for their contributions to Xbox and gaming. We are committed to working closely with those affected by today’s news to find them new opportunities at Xbox, or partnering with the broader development community to help place them in jobs elsewhere in the games industry should they desire.”

This news is very unfortunate, especially because both studios have had a hand in some incredible games over the years. Especially in Lionhead’s case, it’s hard to believe that the studio behind some of the biggest games of the Xbox and Xbox 360 generations would end up in this position. Yet, once you consider that Fable Legends was taking such a drastic turn compared to its predecessors, as well as the somewhat tarnished reputation earned by their former head’s habit of over promising while under delivering, the idea of the studio fading away isn’t completely unheard of. Still, Legends looked pretty much done a year and a half ago when we saw it at Comic Con, so there must have been some real trouble behind the scenes for it to get cancelled after so long.

Here’s to hoping for the best for anyone who’s affected by the news.

Source: IGN.com

Could ‘Finding Dory’, ‘Alice In Wonderland’ and more ‘Star Wars’ Be Coming To ‘Disney Infinity 3.0’?

by Josh Jackson

During Disney’s first Disney Infinity NEXT presentation, the official news came to no surprise to most of us, since the new Marvel and Baloo figures were leaked last month. Despite the excitement of the reveal, (or disappointment over being spoiled,) the most newsworthy news was hinted at towards the closing moments of the video.

Alluding to us taking a trip to the sea and walking “through the looking glass,” this could only mean that Finding Dory and Alice in Wonderland will be making their Toys To Life debut sometime this year. Why Finding Dory and not The Little Mermaid, Atlantis, or any other Disney property that takes us underwater? Earlier in the presentation, it was confirmed that 2016 will get one Pixar, Disney, Marvel AND Star Wars expansion, hinting at the possibility that 3.0 will be further built on rather than releasing a 4.0. Since Alice is getting a movie later this year and was clearly teased, that leaves Finding Dory as our best bet.

But what’s even more exciting is the confirmation of more Star Wars content. While it likely will be based around this year’s Rogue One, I would love Rebels to get the full campaign treatment after releasing so many figures inspired by the animated series.

What do you want to see when it comes to the future of Disney Infinity? Sound off in the comments, and check out all the new figures in action for yourself in the presentation below!

Not Quite ‘Tekken’ And Not Quite ‘Pokemon’, ‘Pokken Tournament’ Is A Completely Different Monster

by Josh Jackson

Gamers such as myself have been patiently waiting for the release of Pokken Tournament since it was first revealed in 2013. While Super Smash Bros. is great and all, the idea of a fighting game dedicated to Pokemon designed by the the team behind the Tekken series seemed like the greatest thing I never knew I wanted. Luckily for us, we didn’t have to wait until the March 11th release date to get our first taste of how our favorite monsters fare in the fighting arena, as we found ourselves at the Pokken Tournament preview event to give the game a spin. Whatever it was that I was expecting, that all went out the window when I picked up the Game Pad and played a couple of rounds, because it was unlike any fighter I’ve played to date.

Pokken Tournament Screen 2

More specifically, what makes Pokken Tournament so unique is its Shift Change mechanic. Fights start off in a 3D diagonal perspective reminiscent of the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm games where each fighter will have full range of motion within the circular arena. That’s when some of your favorite Pokemon like Charizard, Lucario, Machamp and Pikachu among others will vie for positioning by confusing opponents with their projectile, homing and quick attacks. However, when specific hits are landed either as a one off or in a combo, the perspective shifts to a 2D plane, changing the way the fight is approached with the change in conditions. Of course, hitting certain attacks in 2D will shift the battle back to 3D, so if you or your character is better in 3D, you’ll want to switch back as fast as possible.

Making matters more interesting are the assist characters that can jump in during a match. By choosing a predetermined pair before the fight, each round asks players to choose which one of the two they want to bring out as their partner. Some like Emolga and Frogadier are straight attackers, while Pokemon like Eevee will give stat boosts for an extra advantage in battle. In Pokken Tournament, it’s not just enough to fight well, because synergy with your support character will be the difference between two evenly matched combatants.

Pokken Tournament Screen 1

Managing your supports, laying in your standard attacks, knowing when to unleash your Mega Evolution, (and the super move that comes with it), and utilizing guard breaking throws are just some of what you’ll find yourself mastering in the retail version of the game, and that’s on top of the many counter mechanics I’ve yet to fully explore! Feeling much deeper than what you would expect from a Pokemon spinoff while being friendly enough to pick up and play without much trouble, I expect that fans new and old will love their time in the arena when Pokken Tournament is in our hands. Look out for our full review in the coming days, but one thing’s for sure from our short time with the game; it’s nothing like you’ve played before.

Nintendo Direct: ‘Monster Hunter Generations’ Has Been Announced, And Is Right Around The Corner!

by Josh Jackson

The latest Nintendo Direct had plenty of great first party news for Wii U and 3DS owners, but that didn’t mean third party announcements would get left in the dust. Perhaps the biggest announcement of the entire presentation, Capcom and Nintendo unveiled the latest Monster Hunter title, which will arrive on our 3DS handhelds a lot sooner that we thought.

Coming Summer 2016 and no longer titled Monster Hunter X, Monster Hunter Generations looks to bring even more mobility and attack options for our custom hunters to take advantage of when battling these towering beasts. Guns are seemingly getting a big overhaul, allowing gunners to leap above monsters and shoot them from the air, alongside some new air based sword attacks. My only concern is that MH4 was significantly easier thanks to its added attack options combined with many of the early monsters failing to adapt with the game play. If Generations’ early screens are anything to go by however, both new and returning monsters should be even more vicious, hopefully keeping up better with our new tricks.

Not to be outdone in the DLC department, Generations is already following up on MH4U’s massive amount of free costumes by revealing Marth’s gear from Fire Emblem being available for the title. You know why that’s awesome? Because the prince’s androgynous appearance would work for both men AND women!

Monster Hunter Generations Marth

Want more details on Monster Hunter Generations? Take a gander at our screenshot gallery below, and re-watch the trailer to your heart’s content.

What are you looking the most forward to as you embark on your next hunting quest? Sound off in the comments, and be sure to share your friend codes so we can give MH4U a proper send off!

 

 

The Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow 3DS eShop Releases Will Support Pokemon Bank!

by Josh Jackson

During today’s Pokemon Nintendo Direct, the big news was the official confirmation of Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon, an announcement that would have surely had a bigger impact if it wasn’t leaked yesterday. While this is exciting news for sure, the shock of the announcement being eliminated if you were anywhere near an Internet connection, combined with a lack of footage or details outside of a 2016 release window, left me craving a groundbreaking surprise.

Well, we got one! In the closing moments, we were reminded of how we were never able to transfer our Game Boy and Game Boy Color monsters over to the Game Boy Advance, which would go on to be transferable all the way up to the 3DS. That changes with the release of tomorrow’s Red, Blue, and Yellow remakes, because the eShop titles will fully support Pokemon Bank, where your favorite nostalgia monsters can be stored, and eventually transferred into Sun and Moon when they are released.

One of the major questions floating around once the eShop ports were announced was whether or not those Pokemon would be able to be transferred to the new games. The silence regarding the matter made us think that these characters would be confined to their native generation once again, especially since the mechanics have drastically changed since 1996. Fortunately for us, this is clearly not the case.

But with this answer comes new questions. Only Sun and Moon were mentioned as compatible games, so does that mean we can’t move them into other Pokemon Bank compatible games like X, Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire? What’s going to happen if we transfer one of the glitched level 300 Pokemon? With unlimited EV points in Gen 1, how will that affect their use in future games? And will they be assigned natures once they make the move? We have no way of knowing for now, but if nothing else, here’s to hoping we’ll FINALLY get to play the Surfing Pikachu mini game in the West, and eventually transfer the freak of nature into our new games. Now I just need to figure out how to move that truck so I can finally get Mew…

All I know for sure is that $5 a year for Bank is more than worth it. What are you most excited about from this morning’s presentation? Are you hoping your MissingNo. will materialize in 3D? And are you dreaming of dominating the tournament scene with your overpowered pocketed monstrosities for Gen 1? Share your thoughts in the comments, and continue to check back with us for more Pokemon news as we approach its 20 year anniversary!

Woo Your Waifu With These ‘Hyperdimension Neptunia’ Valentine’s Cards!

by Josh Jackson

Have you been having a hard time finding a way to show your waifu how much she means to you? Or maybe you want to surprise your husbando with some thoughtful words, but can’t manage to put sentences together after days of texting in acronyms? Well, Idea Factory has our backs with these Hyperdimension Neptunia Valentine’s Day cards courtesy of their Facebook page.

Featuring the four main CPU’s, IF, Compa, Warechu, the sadomasochistic Iris Heart, dandy Umio, and the newest CPU introduced in the recently released Megadimension Neptunia VII, Uzume Tennouboshi, these cards are sure to warm your cold, weeaboo heart better than any body pillow ever could. I mean, who wouldn’t want to go on an all night raid? We are talking Four Goddesses Online, right? Sadly, the CPU Candidates are nowhere to be found, but promoting underage love might not be what the company is going for… This year.

Check out the cards below and tell us what your favorites are! While your at it, let us know your your waifu or husbando is on this day of love! We’ll only accept the best of the best girls and boys, so choose well!

‘Splatoon’ Meets ‘Pokemon’! Team Red Vs. Team Blue Is The Next Splatfest!

by Josh Jackson

Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have been pulling out all the stops when it comes to celebrating #Pokemon20, the year long celebration of the 20th anniversary of the revolutionary RPG. After announcing that 2016 would be full of events, including the re-release of Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow, a mobile game that brings Pokemon to life, and even a Super Bowl commercial, how do you top airing a spot during the biggest sporting event of the year?

Well, the only thing bigger than the Super Bowl is a Splatfest, of course! Getting in on the festivities, Splatoon‘s next Splatfest asks us what our favorite Pokemon game is between Red and Blue. Voting has started now, with the event running from February 19 at 10:00 PM PT to February 20 at 10:00 PM PT. As a first for the semi-monthly events, this Pokemon Splatfest will be a worldwide affair, with Europe getting the same contest and Japan getting theirs slightly adjusted with Red vs. Green. Unfortunately, each region will be restricted to playing against participants in their own area as usual, despite all three events starting on the same day with the same theme. We’re so close to worldwide squid unity!

With Callie firmly on Team Red while Marie reps Team Blue, which side will you choose? As someone who’s first Pokemon journey started because of my love for Squirtle, I’ve picked up the second version in almost every case, so you know where my loyalty lies. Who will you choose when it’s time to paint the town red, (or blue?) Let us know in the comments, and share your Nintendo ID’s so we can get some practice runs in before the big showdown!

Awesome Pre-Order Bonuses For ‘Quantum Break’ Revealed Along With Bundle, PC Version!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Quantum Break is the reason that I bought an Xbox One (well, that I bought an Xbox One for the second time).

Remedy Entertainment’s previous endeavor, Alan Wake, was one of my favourite titles of last-generation, and as such it would be impossible for me to ignore such a striking, unique-looking title.

Today, Microsoft debuted a brand-new, awesome trailer for the title, and also revealed some other exciting Quantum Break news. First up, trailer time:

https://youtu.be/d4or8YE-6P4

Yeah, we know. It looks cool as hell.

Well, the Quantum Break package just got better. Every copy of Quantum Break for Xbox One will come with a full-game download for Alan Wake for Xbox 360, plus its two add-on packs, The Signal and The Writer. Better yet, pre-order the title, and you’ll also get a copy of Alan Wake: American Nightmare.

Microsoft has also revealed that the game will launch on Windows 10 day and date with the Xbox One version of the title. The company notes that they want customers to “play the games they want with the people they want on the devices they want,” so pre-ordering the title will also net you a free Windows 10 version of the anticipated title.

Of course, for those of you that haven’t yet jumped on the Xbox One bandwagon, Microsoft will be offering a new Xbox One bundle,  featuring a 500GB Cirrus White console and matching wireless controller, a full-game download of Quantum Break and a full-game download of Alan Wake accompanied by The Signal and The Writer add-on packs.

Quantum Break aims to offer an extremely “unique experience; one part hard-hitting video game, one part thrilling live action show, featuring a stellar cast, including Shawn Ashmore (“X-Men”) as the hero Jack Joyce, Aidan Gillen (“Game of Thrones”) as his nemesis Paul Serene and Dominic Monaghan (“Lord of the Rings”) as Jack’s genius brother, William. Quantum Break is full of the vivid storytelling, rich characters and dramatic twists Remedy Entertainment are renowned for. Your choices in-game will affect the outcome of this fast-paced fusion between game and show giving the player a completely unique entertainment experience.”

Damn, I cannot wait to play this game. Are you looking forward to picking it up? Sound out below!

Geekscape Games Reviews ‘Gravity Rush Remastered’

by Josh Jackson

Despite the Playstation Vita essentially becoming a blip on the radar when it came to its longevity and popularity, that didn’t mean that its library wasn’t filled with numerous bright spots among its many dry spells. As far as I’m concerned, Gravity Rush stood above the rest as the real crown jewel for Sony’s PSP successor, using the handheld’s build in motion and touch features in ways that hadn’t been seen before. Essentially a game about falling, this open world title built by Sony’s Japan Studio and Keiichiro Toyama, (the creator of the original Silent Hill,) changed the way we thought about movement in games, allowing Kat, the game’s protagonist, to change the direction of her gravitational pull at will.

Gravity Rush Remastered Screen 1

The only problem? Nobody played it outside of the passionate fans who had their Vitas near launch. Now, with a much larger install base on the Playstation 4, and Bluepoint Games at the helm, (the good folks behind most of Sony’s most recent remastered games,) Gravity Rush Remastered gives Kat a second chance at a first impression, bringing over the handheld game to consoles with improved graphics and controls along the way. After enjoying everything Kat’s adventure has to offer for a second time, not only does the game feel as breathtaking as it did the first time around, but its improvements make it one of the best games you’ll find exclusively on the PS4.

Essentially a superhero origin story, Kat wakes up with no memory of who she is or how she found herself in Heksville, a mysterious city that’s become broken apart and drifting away from itself. With Dusty, her magical space cat that gives her the power to control gravity, Kat fights to help restore the land to its original state, hold off the mysterious Nevi, a race of monsters that has begun to attack the citizens, and re-discover her lost memories.

As mentioned, Gravity Rush is an open world game, one that doesn’t exactly fit any one genre. Part action, part adventure, part platformer, without any strong leanings towards any of them, the real draw of the game is being able to fly around at your leisure as you explore the beautifully rendered comic book inspired world. Though you’re supposed to be spending your time seeking out and competing story and challenge missions to help the townsfolk, it won’t be long before you find yourself taking in the sights as you fly through every inch of the city. Free roaming around Heksville is addicting on its own, which is as easy as a tap of the R1 button to make Kat float or fall in the direction she’s facing. Allowing her to walk on walls, soar through the air and even explore the bottom of the land as you discover the Precious Gems needed for upgrades, movement is anything you want it to be, (as long as you have enough energy to maintain changed gravity.) That level of freedom alone makes Gravity Rush such a unique take on anything I’ve played, creating an environment where the simple act of traveling from point to point is exciting.

Gravity Rush Remastered Screen 2

No matter how great the movement is though, it would come off as a one trick pony if that’s all there was to it. With that considered, it’s fortunate that you’ll have plenty of Nevi to square off with. Now, don’t come into Gravity Rush expecting as many combat options as a game like Devil May Cry, because that’s not what this is about. Still, by maximizing what you can do with Kat’s abilities, taking out enemies by using levitation to throw items it them, activating a powerful special attack that can wipe out waves of enemies at once, and pinpointing an enemy’s weakness before using your gravity powers from meters away to pull yourself into them with a devastating kick, all find a way to be highly rewarding despite their simplicity. All’s not well with Kat’s fighting prowess however, because when the fight is taken to the ground, her standard kicks devolve into mindless button mashing while her jump kick is needlessly hard to hit with. Chances are you’ll want to stick to the air as much as possible. Even then, even though the lock on for the Gravity Kick seems to have been improved compared to the Vita version, with far fewer unexplainable misses, Kat seems to whiff too many of her attacks late game when most of the enemies are larger with multiple weak points.

What seemed like the biggest complaint that the original suffered from was its forced motion and touch controls, which oftentimes felt unintuitive at best, and forced into the game for the sake of showing off the Vita’s features at worst. Fortunately, unlike the targeting which seemed to be partially improved, Bluepoint managed to completely fix this control issue, to the point where the game feels almost too easy at points. As if the original Vita version was trying to compensate for what they new were awkward controls, the times to beat in challenge missions seemed tough to complete. Now, I managed to finish movement based challenges with half a minute to spare on my first try on many occasions, changing what used to be a frustrating mission into some easy upgrade points. Some of the challenges will still give you trouble, especially the ones with limited gravity energy or the ones that focus on combat, but there are still noticible improvements across the board that stand out even more during these stagse. The Gravity Slide in particular, a technique where Kat uses gravity to speed and drift along the ground, is so much better that it’s hard to imagine playing any other way. Imagine on the Vita, having to hold both thumbs on the corner of the touch screen to slide, then steer with oversensitive motion controls that would send you veering into walls more often than not. Then, imagine holding the L2 and R2 buttons and steering with the stick. It’s like night and day.

But with the good comes the bad, which in this case,  a problem unique to the PS4 version. In the Vita release, dodging was triggered by swiping the touch screen in the direction you want to move. The two sticks are so far away from the screen in this case, that accidentally tapping it was never an issue. That changes with the PS4, since all of the touch controls are relegated to the touch pad right above the analog sticks. In fights where you’re trying to move the camera while moving at the same time, there were so many times where I accidentally dodged into an attack and needlessly took damage because my finger grazed the pad. And unlike the motion controls, which can have their sensitivity adjusted to the point where they can be completely turned off, there’s no way that I could find to get rid of the touch dodging.

Gravity Rush Remastered Screen 4

Unfortunately, seeing as this is a port, there’s only so much Bluepoint could change. This means that the game’s strange story is still intact, which is only seen as a negative because of how much potential it brings, only to do nothing with it. When you bring out a game in a world that’s literally floating apart from itself, a raven haired rival that wants to kill you for reasons unknown, a master thief who becomes obsessed with defeating you, and God masquerading as a homeless drifter with a penchant for flashing, you would think the game would have some crazy places to go by the time the credits roll. Yet somehow, when it’s all over with, very few of these plotlines are wrapped up, and Kat’s amnesia doesn’t go much farther than where it started outside of some hints. As someone who was really in to the mysteries the game presents, I feel that Gravity Rush often came off as a tease towards a whole lot of future events without much resolution to them in the present. It was frustrating in 2012, and it’s frustrating now, especially when the story can be completed relatively quickly. A few more hours worth of missions could have been added to flesh out the story and the length.

Though the stories that are addressed are the DLC bonus missions, all of which come packaged with Gravity Rush Remastered out of the box. Adding a bit of character and three new costumes to Kat’s story, each set of two missions helps us dive in to side stories that help us get to know the citizens of Heksville better. Some even feature missions that have unique objectives compared to the main game, such as finding scattered pages and racing while opponents actively block you. These missions won’t appear until you reach the chronological point in the story where they take place, but finishing them helps boost your town rank faster, giving you access to a higher tier of upgrades sooner than you would in the regular game. And you’ll need them, since each DLC pack comes with two additional challenge maps, each of which are significantly more difficult than the ones the main game offers.

Gravity Rush Remastered Screen 3

It’s not perfect, but Gravity Rush Remastered deserves all the credit we can give it for not only feeling so fresh despite being a re-release, but especially because it managed to engross us almost entirely on the merits of its game play. Surviving the aging process so well is rare enough, but there are very few games that I would enjoy playing all over again. This is one of them, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s beautiful. It’s creative. It has that rare quality where it changes the way we think about games. And it’s an improvement over its Vita counterpart in almost every way. The ground combat and lock on still needs some work, the story is still a glaring weak point, and the unfortunate placement of the touch pad creates a brand new issue, but none of this gets in the way of Gravity Rush transitioning from one of the best Vita games, to one of the best PS4 ones. Whether digitally or physically, (exclusively through Amazon,) do yourself a favor and add Kat’s adventure to your collection. Now, bring on Gravity Rush 2!

Final Score: 4.5/5