Author: astyahla

Persona 5 Review: Stealing my Heart

Posted on by astyahla

Platform: Playstation 3 and Playstation 4 (Reviewed on PS4)

Genre: Role Playing Game

No. of Players: 1

ESRB: M

While the “Persona” series is probably the most well-known spin-off series in the “Shin Megami Tensei” franchise, there has not been a new numbered title in the series since 2008’s “Persona 4.” After nine years of waiting, “Persona 5” has arrived and it was more than worth the wait.

The basic structure of the game will be familiar to anyone who has played “Persona 3” or “Persona 4.” The main character has moved to a new town to transfer to a new school and has to live a double life fighting against Shadows, creatures born from the personality traits people hide from the world. The twist is that the protagonist has been falsely accused of assault and currently on probation. He had to move to Tokyo because he had been expelled from his school and Shujin Academy was the only one that would accept him. As a result, the protagonist is a pariah from the start. However, after discovering another world known as the Metaverse and seeing how several authority figures abuse their power, he and his friends become the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, to get back at the abusive figures and save others from their tyranny.

There is a lengthy period of time spent setting up the plot, but one it really gets going, you will be enthralled by the cast of characters and their struggles in life. The excellent writing also helps keep you engaged.

Gameplay is similar to past “Persona” games. Your time is divided between normal life and life as a thief. After school lets out, players can choose whether to hang out with friends, go shopping, work a part-time job or dive into the Metaverse. When doing the latter, everyone adopts their thief identities and it is time for action. Each target has their own dungeon to infiltrate as you search for the treasure that is the motivation for their wicked deeds. While battles are not random, the thief theme adds a stealth element not usually present in JRPGs. You are encouraged to sneak up on enemies to get a preemptive strike, either by simply walking up behind them or hiding in the shadows and waiting for the opportunity to strike. Failure to do so will raise an alert, indicated by a gage filling. If it gets full, the game will end.

Once you go into battle, enemies are engaged in a turn based system, with different actions assigned to different buttons on the controller. This results in faster paced battles than if you would have to scroll through menus for every action. Most notably, the defend command is assigned to the circle button, which also backs out of menus. Fortunately, you are asked to confirm if you want to defend, keeping turns from being wasted just because you were frantically backing out of menus. As usual, there is a heavy emphasis on targeting enemy weaknesses. When a character successfully does so, they get an extra turn while the enemy gets knocked down. While said character can act again, they can also pass their turn to another character for a boost in power or healing, or to target another enemy’s weakness. If all enemies are knocked down, you can hit them all with a powerful All-Out Attack or negotiate with them for money, items or to have them become a Persona for the protagonist to use in battle. However, the enemy can knock you down and rack up extra turns as well.

In addition, the enemies are relentless. If you leave them an opportunity to strike one of your allies weaknesses they will take it. They will also cripple you with status ailments and go for one-hit kills if possible. This is especially bad, as the protagonist’s death ends the game. Fortunately, you can unlock the ability for individual party members to take a fatal attack for him. While the game is hard as is series tradition, it is also very fair. So any deaths are usually the player’s fault.

Outside of the Metaverse, most of your time will be spent hanging out with Confidants, who you can bond with to gain special benefits. While the usual ability to create more powerful personas remains, each character will get you additional abilities based upon your relationship with them. For example, getting to know a local doctor will expand the stock of healing items she will sell to you and get you discounts on her wares. Spending time with your teacher after discovering her part-time job as a maid will enable you to use her services in the evening to do tasks that would normally take up time. Befriending a student from another school and playing shogi with her will teach you some new tactics to use in battle. While you will come for the skills, you will stay for the stories of their personal struggles. For example, the doctor works out of a back alley clinic because she was framed for a disastrous clinical trial she advised against. Meanwhile, the teacher has to work a second job because the parents of a former student are extorting her for money after said student’s death.

While these Confidant events are compelling and well written, almost all of them require you to raise your social stats to get past certain points in their story lines, which is annoying.

While all of the activities you can engage in are fun and make sense for their inclusion, it is important to keep an eye on the calendar. Every dungeon in the Metaverse has an in-game deadline to complete it. Failing to do so, will end the game with the target getting away with their crimes. In fact, it takes at least three days to complete the dungeon. At least one day to secure an infiltration route, one day to send a calling card in the real world to make the treasure tangible and another day to defeat the boss and steal the treasure. It is the boss fights that make the battle system really shine, as you get special command that can be used to make the boss more vulnerable.

Overall, “Persona 5” is a masterpiece of a game. Gameplay is engaging, the story will keep you hooked and the presentation is extremely stylish. If you are a JRPG fan at all, you really should play this game.

Score 9.5/10

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Review: A Breath of Fresh Air.

Posted on by astyahla

Platform: Wii U and Switch (reviewed on Switch)

Genre: Action Adventure

No. of players: 1

ESRB: E10+

Nintendo may be the target of criticism for their habits of adhering to the past and relying on the same IPs, there is a grain of wisdom in these actions. Their franchises have the ability to stand the test of time. This is proven by “The Legend of Zelda.” The long-standing formula of traveling between dungeons, getting new items and defeating the bosses is a solid formula that people respond well to. However, even the greatest of series run the risk of getting stale. Nintendo’s response? Reinvent the Zelda formula with the latest game, “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.” And it works very well.

The game opens with Link waking up in a location called the Shrine of Resurrection with no explanation of how he got there. After getting some clothes and basic supplies, he learns his mission is to destroy Calamity Ganon, the being that destroyed the Kingdom of Hyrule 100 years ago. How you get to do so is up to you. Thanks to the new open-world gameplay, the player is given an unprecedented amount of freedom for this series. You can follow the main quest line if you want or just spend hours upon hours exploring the game world. There are many side quests to pursue, as well as 120 shrines to challenge. Completing these mini-dungeons grant Spirit Orbs that can be offered at Goddess Statues to increase health or stamina. You even have the option of just going straight to the final boss, despite being woefully under equipped and knowing nothing about the story.

The massive scale of the world is impressive, but it would not be worth much if the world was difficult to traverse. Fortunately, “Breath of the Wild” makes the journey just as enjoyable as the destination by giving plenty of ways of getting around. Most notably, Link can climb almost any surface as if he were Spider-Man. Climbing a large mountain is worth it for the view alone. When it is time to come down, players can use a paraglider to gently reach the ground. Players can even find and tame wild horses to ride, however it takes time and effort to reach the point they will perfectly obey the rider, adding a degree of realism.

Other more realistic part of the game include the need for specific clothing or potions to survive harsh environments, such as snow-covered mountains, a volcano or a massive desert; and how there is no way to save yourself if you fall from a great height, especially if you run out of stamina when climbing or using the paraglider. This even extends to objects reacting as physics would demand them to. Furthermore, players will no longer find supplies just by cutting the grass like in past games. They will need to sell various collectables to get rupees, eat food for health and buy supplies such as arrows and ingredients in town or scavenge for them. Furthermore, every weapon in the game has limited durability, keeping players from getting too comfortable using a single weapon and forcing them to try different kinds.

Weapons are an absolute necessity, as the enemies are even more relentless than ever. They will rush you in groups in hopes of overwhelming you with numbers, set wooden weapons on fire to increase their effectiveness, resort to throwing rocks if they cannot find a weapon of their own and even kick bombs back at you before they explode. This forces players to be smarter when it comes to facing enemies. Luckily, the game gives you plenty of options as well, such as using the Magnesis power to drop metal objects on unsuspecting enemies, shoot fire arrows to detonate explosive barrels foolishly left out in the open, or just plain sneaking up on the enemy and potentially kill them in one hit with a stealth strike. If all else fails, the player can just avoid enemy camps altogether.

In addition, there are various foods and potions that can be prepared at cooking pots around the world that can benefit the player in various ways, such as restoring health, increasing attack power and defensive strength, restoring stamina, proving resistance to heat or cold temperatures or a temporary increase in maximum health. Fortunately, experimenting with different ingredients is always an exciting diversion, with the benefits of increasing survivability and being hard to mess up.

If there is anything to complain about, it would be the lack of new abilities and tools throughout the game. In past Zelda games, items would be given to the player through out the game, which would also open up new hidden areas and just keep things exciting. In “Breath of the Wild,” players are given every ability they need during the first hour or two, which complements the open-world gameplay, but leaves people wanting for more in the middle of the game. The minimalist approach also means that fan favorite items, such as the hookshot, are nowhere to be found. Also, there are occasional, but brief, drops in the frame rate, which disrupts the flow of the game. Furthermore, the four main dungeons have a variety of puzzles, but all share the same machinery theme, making them feel a little too similar. But these are really just nitpicking and hardly make the game any less fun.

Overall, “Breath of the Wild” is a masterpiece that everyone should play at least once in their lifetime, like “Ocarina of Time” before it. It sets a new standard for the “Zelda” series at a point where things were getting stale. Which ever system you play it on, it is the perfect swan song for the Wii U and hands down the best launch title for the Switch.

Score 10/10

First Impressions of the Nintendo Switch

Posted on by astyahla

The Nintendo Switch is finally upon us and the new system has already sold extremely well. Having been lucky enough to get one on launch day, I have spent the last week putting the handheld-console hybrid through its paces and I now have a good idea of what the system is like. It is certainly versatile as promised, but there are still a few issues at this point.

Upon taking the Switch out of the box, it is striking just how small the system is. On its own, the tablet-like system is smaller than an iPad Mini. Specifically, it is about as big as an iPhone 7 Plus, or iPhone 8 Plus. Once the two Joy-Cons are attached, it is comparable in size to the Wii U Gamepad, but much thinner. As a result, the system does not use discs for its games like Nintendo’s past systems since the Gamecube. Instead, the Switch uses cartridges referred to as game cards like those on the DS and 3DS, but the Switch’s cards are even smaller than those used by the Playstation Vita.

As for how it works, the Switch can be played in handheld mode with the Joy-Cons attached to the sides, tabletop mode with the Switch propped up with a built-in kickstand and the Joy-Cons detached in the player’s hands, or in TV mode by placing the Switch in the included dock connected to the TV through a HDMI cable. It lives up to its promise by allowing players to play console-sized games on the go and they look great on the Switch’s screen. In TV mode, on the other hand, it is clear that the Switch is not as powerful as the Playstation 4 or the Xbox One. The games are displayed in 720p on the Switch’s screen but are upped to 900p on the TV. While the weaker specs are disappointing, I have always believed that graphics are not what make a system, the games do. In additon, the system also has a pitiful 32 gb of onboard storage capacity, but it can be expanded with a micro SD card, which is easy enough to find. However, save data can only be saved to the system and cannot be copied or moved to the micro SD card, but Nintendo has hinted that this will be fixed in a future update.

As for the controls, the system comes with a pair of controllers called Joy-Cons, one left and one right. They can be attached to the system for handheld mode or separated for tabletop or TV mode. In the latter two modes, they can be held one in each hand or placed in the included Joy-Con grip to hold them like a standard controller. The grip is actually comfortable to hold, although the placement of the analog sticks are somewhat awkward, particularly pressing the minus button on the left Joy-Con, where it is easy to move the analog stick by mistake. The Switch can support up to eight Joy-Cons, four left and four right.

The right Joy-Con has the R and ZR buttons, the Home button, an NFC reader for use with amiibo, and an IR motion camera that can recognize different shapes and hand signs. The left Joy-Con has the L and ZL buttons along with a capture button that allows players to take screenshots that can also be shared via Facebook and Twitter, with plans to allow players to record gameplay clips in the future. Each one also has four face buttons (A, B, X and Y on the right, four directional buttons on the left), a clickable analog stick and SL and SR buttons on the side. These buttons are used for games in which you just use one Joy-Con. Each one also has an accelerometer and a gyroscope for motion controls and HD rumble. The latter allows for variable sensations, such as individual balls rolling around in a box.

You can hold each Joy-Con on its side for multiplayer games. However, these games make it clear how small the Joy-Cons are. They can be rather uncomfortable held this way, especially given how small the SL and SR buttons are. This is fixed using the wrist straps, which are attached to plastic strips which slide onto the Joy-Cons like they were being attached to the Switch itself or the Grip. Said strip also has raised SL and SR buttons, making them easier to press and makes the individual Joy-Cons more comfortable to hold. Unfortunately, the wrist straps do not side as smoothly as the console and the grip. It made me worried I would break something removing them. Finally, there have been reports of the left Joy-Con randomly desynching, but I personally never experienced it.

In terms of battery life, the Switch lasts from two to six hours in handheld or tabletop mode on one charge, with it varying based on how big the game is. “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” runs the battery from 100 percent to zero in about two and a half hours on average. It can be charged by placing it in the dock or by plugging it in directly via USB-C. The Joy-Cons do not use their own battery life when attached to the Switch but detached they each last about 20 hours on one charge. The main way to do so is to attach them to the Switch while the system is docked or plugged in, or with the separately sold charging grip. Instead of having a battery pack inside the grip, it requires the grip to be plugged in instead. It works as another grip, but is not as convenient to charge. Fortunately, there is an officially licensed charger available that can charge up to four Joy-Cons at once.

For those who want a more traditional controller, the Switch Pro Controller is also available. It is set up similarly to an Xbox controller, with the analog sticks not symmetrical. The controller also as a traditional D-pad instead of four directional buttons. A good comparison would be that the left Joy-Con’s directional buttons are like the Nintendo 64’s C-Buttons, while the Pro Controller has a normal D-Pad. While this better than the Joy-Cons, especially for fighting games, the Joy-Cons in the grip get the job done and are comfortable enough that it is not necessary to immediately invest in a Pro Controller.

The online capabilities are good enough, with setup being simple and the connection is reliable. Downloads from the eShop are quick and online matchmaking is quick. There is even an airplane mode that can be used in TV mode as well, offering an easy way to disconnect from the internet when it is not needed, which saves battery, allows for some privacy and keeps players from hogging the internet connection. When docked, the switch can use a wired connection with USB to ethernet adapter.

The online offerings have not been completely implemented, with it being limited to the eShop and online play. While the latter is free for now, Nintendo will transition to a paid subscription like Playstation Plus and Xbox Live. This will include paid online play, free monthly trial periods of Virtual Console games, online lobbies and voice chat through a smartphone app and special deals. This will not be implemented until Fall 2017, but those who do not pay for a subscription will still be able to access the eShop and the screenshot sharing. However, video streaming services are nowhere to be found. While not a deal breaker, it is still a disappointing omission for those who want them. Fortunately, Nintendo is in talks to bring them to Switch in the future. But considering that the Wii U had access to Netflix, Hulu Plus and Amazon Instant Video from the start, it beg the question as to why they are not on the Switch now. Beyond online, multiplayer is also possible locally with up to eight players on one system or each with their own system, depending on the game in question.

Finally, the games library at launch is a bit sparse. The obvious highlight is “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” which is also available on the Wii U for those who were unable to claim a Switch right away. The Switch also has “1-2-Switch” (to show off the Joy-Cons)  “Super Bomberman R” (which does not seem to be worth the $50 asking price), “Just Dance 2017” and “Skylanders Imaginators” These five games are the extent of what is available at retail. The eShop has more games available but they are mostly ones that are available on other systems. This is just the tip of the beginning though as there are many more games on the way such as “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe,” “Sonic Mania,” “Fire Emblem Warriors,” “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim,” “FIFA 18,” “Super Mario Oddyssey” and more.

Overall, the Switch makes a great first impression but there are a several features that gamers now take for granted that are missing at this time. Once these feature have been added, the Switch will be able to reach its full potential and potentially restore Nintendo’s relevancy in the industry.

Fire Emblem Direct reveals new titles, reveals new information on existing titles.

Posted on by astyahla

Nintendo’s first “Nintendo Direct” of the year aired on January 18, and had a focus one of their franchises that has enjoyed worldwide success in recent years, “Fire Emblem.” In addition to information on two previously announced titles, Nintendo also surprised the fans with two completely new games.

The direct started with the reveal of “Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia” for Nintendo 3DS. It is a remake of the Famicom game “Fire Emblem Gaiden,” giving western players their first chance to enjoy this unique game in the series. The game is set on the continent of Valentia, in the same world as Archanea, where Marth’s games took place. Valencia is divided into two kingdoms. The first is Zofia, a prosperous and peaceful kingdom where the people have become irresponsible and hedonistic due to their goddess providing everything they need and the people do not have to work. By contrast, the kingdom of Riegel is a strong and militaristic nation where the people work hard, but are cold and devoid of compassion thanks to the teachings of their god. The two kingdoms shared a peaceful coexistence, until Riegel declared war on Zofia. The game focuses on two protagonists, the young warrior Alm, and the priestess-in-training Celica, as they fight back against Riegel.

“Gaiden” was known for deviating heavily from the “Fire Emblem”formula by introducing a world map, optional battles for more experience and branched promotional trees, that would not be seen again until “Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones” and later in “Awakening” and “Fates.” “Gaiden,” on the other hand, went further by introducing freely explorable towns and dungeons similar to a standard RPG. In the dungeons, the usual strategy battles begin when encountering an enemy. “Echoes” will keep these elements intact while updating the visuals to 3D graphics in a similar style to “Awakening” and “Fates.” In addition, Nintendo will release amiibo figurines of Alm and Celica, which currently serve an unknown purpose. Fans will not have to wait too long as “Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia” will be released on May 19, along with the new amiibo.

The Direct next revealed that a new “Fire Emblem” game is going to be released on Nintendo Switch. This is the first game in the main series to be released for a home console since the Wii game “Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn” in 2007. No details were given for the game, but it is planned to be released in 2018.

Next on the list of announcements was the reveal that “Fire Emblem Warriors” would be released on the New Nintendo 3DS, along side the previously announced Switch version. The game is a “Dynasty Warriors” style game with “Fire Emblem” characters, similar how “Hyrule Warriors” featured characters from “The Legend of Zelda.” The only gameplay shown so far was a brief clip of Chrom from “Awakening” cutting down an army. However the preview trailer also showed several swords from the series, such as Yato, Raijinto and Siegfried from “Fates” and the original Falchion from “Shadow Dragons and the Blade of Light, and its remake “Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon.” This implies that Corrin, Ryoma, Xander and Marth will also be playable. “Fire Emblem Warriors” will be released in Fall 2017.

Finally, viewers were given an in-depth look at “Fire Emblem Heroes,” a previously announced mobile title. Players take on the role of a summoner in the Order of Heroes in order to help defend the Kingdom of Askr against the invading Emblian Empire. In order to do so, players must summon the heroes of past “Fire Emblem” games to serve as units in their army. The game play is the same as past games in the series, but the maps are small enough to fit on a standard smartphone screen. The game has been confirmed to be a free download, but offer in-app purchases to get more orbs to summon heroes. The game was confirmed to be released on iOS and Android on February 2 after a vague statement that the iOS version would be released “soon.” Preregistration has begun on Google Play, but not on the App Store. In the meantime, players can vote on which characters they want to see in the game. Apparently it is not strictly limited to heroes, as villains are also present on the ballot.

Nintendo’s NX revealed as Nintendo Switch

Posted on by astyahla

After over a year since its announcement, Nintendo has finally revealed the NX under its final name, the Nintendo Switch. The reveal trailer, which was released on the morning of October 20, confirmed several rumors about the system.

First of all, the Switch is a hybrid of a home console and a handheld system. The unit itself is about the size of a small tablet with a LCD screen in the middle, with two controllers known as Joy-Cons on the sides. Each Joy-Con has an analog stick, four face buttons, and at least one shoulder button. When playing on the go, you can either attach the Joy-Cons to the sides of the unit or separate them with one controller in each hand while the screen sits on a table using a kick stand. The Switch also comes with a dock that the system can be set in to play games on a TV. In this case, the Joy-Cons are separated from the system and placed in the Joy-Con Grip, a shell that allows the player to use the Joy-Cons like a standard controller. Even so, players also have the option to use a standard controller called the Switch Pro Controller, which functions the same way, but without having to mess with the Joy-Cons.

Switching between TV and handheld modes is seamless. As soon as the Switch is removed from the dock, the display immediately moves from the TV to the Switch screen. Similarly,  if the player is playing in handheld mode, they can place the Switch back in the dock as soon as they get home and immediately continue playing on the TV. This can be done without turning the system off, so a player can begin a game on the TV, then continue playing where they left off on the go.

In addition, split-screen multiplayer is still possible on a single Switch unit, even in handheld mode. The trailer showed this by showing two people playing “Mario Kart” on one Switch in portable mode, with each player using one Joy-Con. Additional players may join in using additional an additional system as shown with “NBA 2K17.” Two players played on each system running the game simultaneously.

The trailer showed several games on the system. Over about 3 minutes, Nintendo showed “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” a “Mario Kart” game that looked similar to “Mario Kart 8,” “Splatoon,” and a new 3D Mario platformer. In addition, two major third-party titles were shown in the trailer. In addition to the aforementioned “NBA 2K17,” the trailer also showed a man playing “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” on the Switch. This is a big deal as Bethesda, the game’s publisher, has never released a game on a Nintendo system.

In fact, Nintendo also revealed many third-party developers and publishers supporting the system, such as Activision, Sega, Namco Bandai, Atlus, Electronic Arts, Platinum Games, Konami, Level-5, Ubisoft and Square Enix. While this is impressive, the Wii U had a lot of early third-party support, but it quickly faded away. Unless the Switch is compelling enough to support long-term, these companies will jump ship pretty quickly.

In addition to the aforementioned games, several games have already been confirmed for the Switch. These games include “Dragon Quest X,””Dragon Quest XI,” the “Sonic the Hedgehog” game set to be released Holiday 2017 and “Steamworld Heist.” There are also rumors that Blizzard will release “Hearthstone” on Switch as well.

The Switch has been confirmed to use cartridges for games, similar to the ones on the Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS. The system will also be compatible with amiibo. Furthermore, the system uses technology by NVIDIA, but the exact specifications have not been revealed. In fact, there are still a lot of lingering questions such as how long the battery will last, what games will be available at launch, whether or not the screen is a touch screen, whether or not the Joy-Cons will have motion controls and how much the system will cost. These questions and more will be answered between now and the Switch’s launch in March 2017.

Rhythm Heaven Megamix Review: Platinum Hits

Posted on by astyahla

Platform: Nintendo 3DS (eShop only)

Genre: Rhythm

No. of Players: 1-4 local wireless and download play

ESRB: E

The “Rhythm Heaven” series occupies a lovely niche in the gaming world. It challenges players to complete mini-games to the beat of the music, each of which was set in a different, but bizarre situation. The latest title, “Rhythm Heaven Megamix,” is a celebration of what makes the series so fun by bringing back the most memorable games from past installments while introducing new games.

What makes this installment different is additional feedback on how the player performs. While the game only counts beats as hit or missed, visual feedback is given on the bottom screen in the form of rings of stars. The closer you are to the beat, the closer the the rings are to the center of the screen. Solid red rings on the edges of the screen indicate a miss. As long as stars show up on the screen, it counts as a hit. But players are encouraged keep a perfect beat by highlighting a specific beat that awards a skill star if hit perfectly.  There is one per game, which yields extra coins if successful.

Speaking of coins, they are awarded based upon the player’s performance on each game, with extra coins awarded for earning the skill star and hitting every note. These coins are used to purchase background information on each game and music tracks to listen to anytime you wish. In past installments, these prizes were awarded for completing perfect challenges. Like past games, you will be randomly challenged to do a perfect run on a random game. As long as it all beats are hit, it will count as perfect. However, you can do perfectly when a mini-game is not highlighted and it will not count as completing the perfect challenge. Instead of bonus material, perfect challenges yield Flow Balls, which can be spent on additional games.  Unfortunately, the bonus games tend to be some of the weaker mini-games in the series and are disproportionally representative of  the Wii game “Rhythm Heaven Fever.”

As for the mini-games themselves, the gameplay is as addictive as ever. Old favorites such as “Sneaky Spirits,” “Karate Man,” “Munchy Monk” and “Glee Club” are joined by new games such as “LumBEARjacks,” “Flamencobot 9000” and “Rhythm Rally.” All of them are set to catchy tunes that are likely to be come ear worms and are fun to play. While there is a story to connect the games, it does not matter at all. In the event that you get stuck, you are allowed to skip a game and come back to it later, so the game is user-friendly. In addition, a numerical score and gauge are added to the results screen, so players get a better idea of how much they can improve and how much they need to do so to get a higher ranking. This gives a better idea of a player’s performance than past games, where you could be complimented on your performance, but you were merely OK when you expected a Superb.

Overall, “Rhythm Heaven Megamix” is just as high-quality and quirky as its predecessors. Don’t be surprised if you end up losing track of time while playing this game.

Score: 9/10

Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Review: An unexpected melody

Posted on by astyahla

Publisher: Nintendo

Platform: Wii U

No. of Players: 1

ESRB: T

Atlus is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to RPGs. While it is known for localizing games that would otherwise be ignored, their own “Shin Megami Tensei” series has been one of the big names of the genre. The newest spin-off “Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE” is not quite as strong as past games in the series and has generated a lot of controversy over its idol theme. But once you get past the surface, you will find a solid RPG underneath it, complete with the difficulty you would expect from “Shin Megami Tensei.”

The story is not much to write home about. 18-year-old Itsuki Aoi and his childhood friend Tsubasa Oribe are pulled into the entertainment industry in order to fight against beings from another world known as Mirages by allying with benevolent ones. The Mirages are characters from the “Fire Emblem” series.  So the good Mirages include characters such as Chrom, Caeda and Cain, while the bosses include villains such as Gangrel and Aversa.

Beyond that the story advances through the interactions between Itsuki and his friends in the industry. The rest of the main cast, however, largely fulfill various personality archetypes that anyone familiar with Japanese media will recognize. Itsuki is a typical straightforward hero and he works with a ditzy girl, a hot-blooded hero wannabe, a cool reserved mentor, a mood-swinger, the token little girl and the cold loner. While the plot and characters are formulaic, the writing is flavorful and helps make most of the cast likable. It should be noted that the game does not have an English dub, so all of the spoken dialogue is in Japanese with English subtitles. While disappointing, the songs performed by the cast would likely have lost something in translation. It helps that the songs are catchy as is so it evens out.

Things pick up when the party enters a dungeon. Enemies are visible on the map and you are able to strike at them to stun them. After that, you have the option of running by or engaging them in battle. If you stunned the enemy before hand, there is a chance of getting a preemptive strike.

The battle system shares the usual “Shin Megami Tensei” emphasis on hitting enemies with spells and attacks they are weak to. This game takes it further by dividing up physical attacks by weapons and using “Fire Emblem’s” weapon triangle to determine weaknesses. Swords beat axes, axes beat lances and lances beat swords.  Where as previous games gave you extra turns for successful attacks, doing so here can trigger a Session attack. Depending on the attack used, another party member will follow up with an attack of their own, which can then trigger another follow-up attack in sequence. Eventually, characters outside of the active party can join in a Session attack. This makes it easy to take down enemies one by one due to you repeatedly chipping away at the enemy. This is good because the enemies tend to have really strong attacks unless someone in your party resists, is immune to or absorbs the element. Of course, the enemies have access to Session attacks as well, which punishes a poor defense as well. Unlike other SMT games, you are there are no special punishments for striking enemies with something they are immune to.

However, luck also plays a large role in the battle system. Outside of the usual critical hits, using certain attacks will trigger ad-lib performances. These flashy special attacks incorporate part of the users act into a move that hits all enemies and usually provides an additional effect. Similarly, session attacks sometimes provide an opportunity to perform a duo art. These attacks are based on the cast’s collaborative works, such as guest appearances on shows or a song by a duet which not only have additional effects, but can also extend the session beyond what was shown on-screen. Having one of these trigger can turn a losing battle around and have no additional cost beyond what the original attack required, but they can be inconsistent. For example, sometimes an ad-lib performances can trigger when you are down to the last enemy and the attack you were planning to use would have finished it off. Yet you would be struggling against the full enemy party and be up against the wall for the whole fight without being thrown a lifeline.

Outside of battle, each dungeon has at least one gimmick to set it apart from the others, such as arranging a mannequin’s arms to move between floors or having to find the right door to proceed out of a bunch of others that would send you back to the entrance. While they keep things interesting, they tend to get boring by the tenth time you have to face the same obstacle.

Despite its flaws, “Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE” is a solid RPG that deserves far more than to be scorned for not being the “Shin Megami Tensei” and “Fire Emblem” crossover we expected. Don’t let the idol themes fool you. This game is worth your time.

Score 8/10

Kirby: Planet Robobot Review: An update to an excellent model

Posted on by astyahla

Platform: Nintendo 3DS

Genre: Platformer

No. of Players 1-4 cooperatively with a single game

ESRB

“Kirby: Triple Deluxe” was a fun game on the Nintendo 3DS. While it did not change much from the Wii game “Kirby’s Return to Dreamland,” the game was well designed and offered a fun time. Likewise, “Kirby: Planet Robobot” the most recent game in the series, does not reinvent the wheel, but gives players a good title with excellent level design and deep gameplay.

The main story line is nothing that will win any awards. One day, while Kirby was napping, invaders from the Haltmann Works Company arrive on Pop Star and proceed to strip mine the planet of its natural resources and replace nature with machines. Fortunately, Kirby wakes up and proceeds to fight back against the corporation.

The core gameplay remains the same compared to other games in the series. Players make their way across colorful locales while dealing with enemies along the way. Like before, players are able to access Kirby’s copy abilities by eating enemies. The ability list consists of series staples such as Fire, Sword, Fighter and Stone Kirby, along with some new ones. ESP Kirby uses an orb of psychic energy that can be freely moved around the screen and has the ability to teleport to avoid attacks and counterattack. While Kirby is vulnerable while controlling the orb, it is powerful enough to take out most enemies in one or two hits and the teleportation and counter make it easy to avoid attacks, making it a fun move set to use. Another new ability is Doctor Kirby, which involves thrown pills, a clipboard used for a shield bash, a rain of medicine sprayed using a syringe and a mixture of different chemicals for random effects, maiking for an unorthodox and luck driven fighting style. Poison Kirby is similar to Water Kirby from previous installments, but is unique in the fact that poison is left on the ground after each attack and the use of poison gas clouds that can be blown around by wind. The latter of which factors into puzzles.

Speaking of puzzles, each level has one or more puzzles that require the use of a specific copy ability to proceed, such as cutting ropes, lighting fuses or delivering power to generators. These tend to be optional but lead to code cubes needed to unlock boss fights at the end of each world and extra levels that are much more challenging. Fortunately, the game always has the appropriate enemy available when a puzzle needs to be solved.

What is new is the Robobot Armor. These serve as this games equivalent to “Return to Dream Land’s” Super Abilities and “Triple Deluxe’s” Hypernova ability. By hijacking the robot you are able to smash though almost everything, including new obstacles that cannot be overcome without it. Unlike its predecessors, the Robobot Armor does not lock the player into a single move set as the armor can scan enemies to change modes. Essentially, you still have access to copy abilities. Fortunately, the game balances out the use of Robobot Armor by including places too small for it to fit . Where it does fit, it does not feel any harder to navigate than it is to do so on foot.

While normal gameplay is fun, the bosses are the highlight of “Planet Robobot.” Whether you are fighting a new take on a classic boss or an entirely new foe, the bosses are consistently challenging, but not frustrating. The finale in particular raises the bar for how intense a battle can be.

In addition to the main game, there are also three additional challenges. You can play through the game again as Meta Knight in Meta Knightmare Returns. Basically, you go through the game with a permanent sword ability and some additional special abilities such as healing and screen clearing attacks. In addition, players also get to fight tougher versions of the main game’s bosses, as well as some exclusive bosses. If you are feeling daring, you can challenge The Arena, where you fight the main game bosses back to back with limited healing items, or The True Arena, which features the harder bosses from Meta Knightmare Returns and even more limited healing.

Finally, there are two mini games to play. Kirby 3D Rumble, features full 3D gameplay for the first time in the series. But with only three stages and no copy abilities, the game feels like an afterthought. The other mini game, Team Kirby Clash allows up to four players to cooperate against bosses from past games in the series. In this mode, four copy abilities, Sword, Beam, Hammer and Doctor are redesigned to resemble traditional RPG character classes and get new abilities to go with them. For example, the Beam Mage gets Time Beam which can freeze time if it hits the enemy enough time, while Doctor Healmore gets an area of effect healing spell. With the right friends this is really fun, but alone, the AI is competent enough to work well with a human player. The best part is that Team Kirby Clash can be played with just one copy of the game.

“Kirby: Planet Robobot” does not reinvent the wheel, but it uses the well established formula to provide another enjoyable experience.

Score 8/10

New details on Pokémon Sun and Moon revealed

Posted on by astyahla

Nintendo released a new trailer for the upcoming “Pokémon Sun and Moon.” With it came some new information, including details about the two main legendary Pokémon.

These two creatures were shown briefly in the previous trailer, and on the games’ box art, but were unnamed. Not only do we know their names, but also other important information as well. “Sun’s” mascot is Solgaleo, a Steel and Psychic-type Pokémon that resembles a white lion with a starburst shaped mane, evocative of the sun. It comes with the unique ability Full Metal Body, which negates stat reductions, and can learn the move Sunsteel Strike, a Steel-type attack that ignores the target’s ability.

“Moon,” on the other hand, features the Psychic and Ghost-type Lunala. It is a large bat with wings that resemble a crescent moon and a similarly shaped head. When its wings are fully unfurled, it resembles a full moon. In battle, Lunala has the ability Shadow Shield, which reduces the amount of damage taken when it is at full health. It can also learn the move, Moongeist Beam. Like Solgaleo’s Sunsteel Strike, this Ghost-type move will ignore the target’s ability. As expected, Solgaleo and Lunala will both play a major role in the plot.

The trailer also showed a map of the games’ setting, the Alola region. As the name suggests, the region is based on Hawaii. It is a chain of four major islands with many smaller ones surrounding them. Your character has recently moved to Alola, where he or she will begin their journey as is routine for Pokémon games. The regional expert on Pokémon, Professor Kukui will give you one of three starter Pokémon; the Grass and Flying-type owlet Rowlet, the Fire-type kitten Litten or the Water-type sea lion Popplio; and a Pokédex and sends you off to collect every Pokémon.

However, there is a twist. Your new Pokédex is inhabited by a Rotom, a Ghost and Electric-type Pokémon that was introduced in “Pokémon Diamond and Pearl.” Rotom has been known to possess appliances, but this has never been a major plot point. Now, the new Pokédex has been designed to contain a Rotom, which allows it to talk to you. It will discuss your performance, give hints on where to go next and even comment what other characters have said.

Finally, players will be able to generate QR codes corresponding to the Pokémon they have caught and share them with friends. Scanning one of these codes will allow you to register a Pokémon to your Pokédex as seen and find out where that creature can be found.

“Pokémon Sun and Moon” will be released on November 18 for the Nintendo 3DS. Before then, Nintendo will show a live stream of the gameplay as part of their E3 coverage. The live stream will begin at 9 a.m. Pacific time before transitioning into their coverage of “The Legend of Zelda” for Wii U and NX.

Fire Emblem Fates Birthright Review: Simpler warfare but just as satisfying

Posted on by astyahla

Platform: Nintendo 3DS

Genre: Strategy 

No. of players: 1-2 Local wireless or online 

ESRB: T
Having previously played through “Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest,” I went into the second route knowing I would end up fighting those who I once called comrades. I thought I had steeled myself for the inevitable confrontation with the Nohr royal family, but it was still a gut punch fighting them.

Like its companion game, “Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright” tells the story of the war between Hoshido and Nohr. Unlike “Conquest,” the player-customized avatar sides with his or her blood siblings in Hoshido’s royal family instead of his or her adopted siblings in Nohr. As a result, players will get to know characters who were enemies in “Conquest” and get a new set of classes. For example, pegasus-mounted sky knights replace weyvern riders and ninjas replace outlaws. Like the cast of “Conquest,” the units here are very likable, if more aggressive. The story even gives the avatar different character development, showing them to be more confident in their ideals.

For the most part, gameplay is identical to “Conquest.” Battles still play out by the same rules, but you will have access to different weapons. For example, healers use rods which have more range than staves, but do not restore as much health. Axes are traded out for clubs which are weaker, but more accurate.

In addition, “Birthright” is much easier than “Conquest.” This is mainly due to having access to a world map. This allows you to engage in optional battles for extra experience and money. This also make it easier to build up support ranks to unlock conversations between two units and eventually get them married. This will result in the couples having children who can then be recruited with skills and alternate classes inherited from their parents.

Unfortunately, “Birthright” does not have as much mission variety as “Conquest.” Almost every map requires you to either defeat every enemy or defeat a boss with very little deviance from the norm. By comparison, “Conquest” ask you to escape maps within a turn limit, seize a particular square or hold the line for a certain number of turns. After playing “Conquest” this is a little disappointing.

The maps are also easier compared to “Conquest’s.”But this does not mean you can be sloppy,  as the enemy AI is still very intelligent. They will gang up on lone units, go straight for defenseless units and attack from where you cannot counter them. Mistakes are still very costly, especially on Classic Mode, where all deaths are final. Those who find this too intense can opt for Casual Mode, in which fallen units retreat but come back the following chapter, or Phoenix Mode, in which fallen units get back up the following turn. You can reduce the difficulty at any time, but may never increase it.

Overall, “Birthright” is simpler than “Conquest” but no less enjoyable. While the simpler mission objectives are a little disappointing, it is the price to pay for an easier game. For the complete experience, be sure to play through both “Birthright” and “Conquest,” as well as the DLC-only third path, “Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation.”

Score: 9.5/10