Reviews

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.

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

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

Star Fox Zero Review: Controls are a barrier to entry but pay off big

Posted on by astyahla

Platform: Wii U

Genre: Shooter

No. of Players: 1-2 local multiplayer

ESRB: E10+

It has been ten years since the release of “Star Fox Command” for the Nintendo DS. Aside from the 3DS remake of “Star Fox 64” the “Star Fox” series has been dormant until the newest installment for Wii U. For “Star Fox Zero” the developers worked to recapture what make the Nintendo 64 game a classic and modernize it for a fresh start. The game does a good job, but there are some issues that can get in the way of the experience.

As soon as the game starts for the first time, the player is thrown straight into a tutorial for the series familiar space fighter, the Arwing. Basically the movement is handled by the analogue sticks, with the left stick used for basic movement and the right stick for functions such as boosting, breaking, make sharp turns and do a barrel roll. Advanced maneuvres such as loops and u-turns are done with both sticks or the face buttons. The most important point about the controls is aiming, which is done by moving the Gamepad. While the TV screen shows a third-person view from behind the ship, the Gamepad screen shows a first-person view from the cockpit. While both screens show a targeting reticule, the Gamepad shows the more accurate view in terms of where your shots will go. The game expects you to shift your focus between the two screens based upon the situation. Because of this, the controls feel awkward when first starting out. It does not help that all-range levels, which give you free movement as opposed to directing you on a set path, tend to lock the camera onto a specific target, forcing you to look at the Gamepad to see what is in front of you.

Even if you wanted to use a more traditional control scheme, you are out of luck as there is no way to completely turn off the motion controls. The best you can do is stop the reticule from moving unless you are actively shooting. This poses a significant barrier to entry and will turn off some players. But those who stick with the game will find that the new controls are about as accurate as a mouse on a PC game and will end up making more shots than they would normally.

Once you get past the odd controls, the game gives you a lot of content with 12 main missions and eight bonus missions and plenty of challenges to complete for medals. Some of these require coming back once you unlock additional abilities, giving the game a lot of replay value. For example, the first mission requires you to stop a battleship by taking out its laser cannons. Doing so results in the commander being able to escape and only getting a Mission Complete for the level. Once you unlock the walker form for the Arwing, you can take out one cannon to open the door to the hanger, land and use the walker form to blow up the battleships core, taking the commander with it and getting a Mission Accomplished. In addition, there are alternate paths that lead to bonus missions which always require a second play through. While the alternate paths are not as drastic as the ones in “64,” they do lead to challenging missions which really push the player’s skill.

In addition to the normal Arwing missions, there are levels that require use of the walker form to explore indoor areas. You also have access to the Landmaster tank which also use the right stick to turn around during all-range stages that makes it harder to maneuver than the Arwing, but still handles well. The Landmaster can also turn into a flight capable form known as the Gravmaster which temporarily gives you more freedom. The third vehicle, the new helicopter-like Gyrowing, only shows up for part of a mission before being used for a full mission. Those missions are far more methodical, as you need both sticks to fly it and deploy a small robot to hack into computers. While interesting, the Gyrowing missions feel out-of-place compared to the rest of the far faster-paced levels “Zero” has to offer.

The game is quite challenging and the strange controls only compound that fact. Fortunately, the game offers a cooperative multiplayer mode in which one player mans the guns and the Gyrowing’s robot using the Gamepad, while a second player uses a Pro controller or a Remote and Nunchuck to fly the ship. This helps ease players into the game and encourages further playthroughs. Unfortunately, you need to complete each level solo before being able to play the levels with a friend.

“Star Fox Zero” is far from perfect but it manages to stand on its own as a decent game. The comparisons to “Star Fox 64” turn out to be superficial, giving the game its own identity. While the controls may scare off people, those who stay with the game will find a very satisfying experience.

Score 7.5/10

Fire Emblem Fates Conquest review: greater challenge, worthy struggle

Posted on by astyahla

System: Nintendo 3DS

Genre: Strategy

No. of Players: 1-2 local wireless and online

ESRB: T

The latest game in the “Fire Emblem” series is so large that it had to be divided into three parts for publication. All three of them contribute to “Fire Emblem Fates'” story of two kingdoms at war, with the player character born to the royal family of the peaceful kingdom of Hoshido, but kidnapped at a young age and raised as royalty in the militaristic kingdom of Nohr. Torn between your newfound blood relatives and the people you have called family all of your life, you must choose a side. The first two versions of the game, “Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright” and “Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest” correspond to each side. “Conquest” has you side with Nohr, the aggressors in the war, in hopes of bringing a peaceful end to the conflict. What follows is a well designed game that does not hold back on the difficulty.

The core gameplay of the series is intact and is as simple to understand but hard to master as ever. You move your soldiers across a grid to attack others with performance being determined by a number of factors. “Fates” adds a few new mechanics to the game that add new options. For example, your character and their siblings use special spaces on the map called Dragon Veins to alter the map in various ways. While this can be instrumental in your victory, the game does a good job of making you consider when is the best time to use them as you can just as easily move enemies into a good position for them as you can get them into a trap, or cut off your own escape routes as easily as you can open a new path. In addition, the royals of Hoshido can use them too, so you have to stay on your toes.

In addition, weapons no longer have limited durability. While it sounds tempting to arm everyone in your army with the most powerful weapons available as soon as possible, their strength is now countered by inflicting stat penalties either while equipped or after use. Instead, you are meant to carry multiple weapons and switch between them based upon the situation, only using the most powerful weapons when you can afford the stat penalties.

Between chapters, you can build your own castle and choose which facilities you have access to, such as an armory, a smithy to combine two of the same weapon to make them more powerful, a lottery shop for a chance to win rare weapons, a mess hall to cook meals for stat boosts or a prison to hold captured enemies and attempt to win them over to your side. You can also build objects such as turrets or Faceless to help defend your castle during the occasional invasion or battles with other players via local wireless or the internet.

In comparison to “Birthright,” “Conquest” is the more difficult of the two games. The enemies are smart enough to use any advantage they can to take you down. If there is a unit they have an advantage over, they will go for that unit. If someone is off on their own, they will get ganged up on. Fortunately, they will still fall take the bait if you place a single unit within enemy range but have the rest of your army ready to take them down. It is crucial that you take advantage of attack stance and guard stance. These stances are like the Pair Up system from “Awakening” but not as overpowered. If two allies are standing next to each other, one will follow the first unit’s attack with one of their own but will never defend the first unit from attacks. If two units are paired up, they will occupy the same space. The unit in the back will automatically block any attacks from a unit in attack stance and when a gauge is filled by the front unit attacking and being attacked, they will block a single attack from the main attacking unit. Unlike “Awakening,” the enemy can also use these stances but are subjected to the same rules.

Fighting alongside each other not only gives you an advantage in battle, but also improves the relationships between two units to unlock support conversations, which help flesh out the characters. Overall the playable cast is memorable with standouts such as Arthur, a fighter with a strong obsession with justice but takes time to understand the nuances of the concept and has horrible luck in and out of battle, Effie, a super strong knight who worries she is too strong, and Niles, an outlaw with a rapier wit and a love of teasing others. All of the characters have deep back stories to explore and reasons you want to keep them alive. If two characters of the opposite sex build their support ratings enough, they will get married and have children who inherit skills, classes and stats form their parents and can be recruited. However, the reason the children are old enough to fight is rather contrived and none of them have a major role in the story. However, their levels at recruitment scale based on how far in the main story you are and potentially come with an item that allows you to promote them and get them to a level appropriate to the story beyond a certain point.

However, “Conquest” does not give you a lot of chances to build relationships as you move on from one chapter to the next with no chance to grind for experience or money. You do get the chance to do side chapters from time to time, but they are limited. Furthermore, you can play the DLC chapters as many times as you want, but only one of them gives you experience. By comparison, “Birthright” allows you to grind all you want between chapters. On the other hand, “Conquest” has a lot more mission variety compared to “Birthright.” One chapter you may be asked to seize a throne or gate, another will ask you to defend a specific part of the map for so many turns. Yet another may require you to escape the map within so many turns. This variety will keep you on your toes and give you more to think about.

For those who find themselves in over their heads, you can lower the difficulty between chapters, but you cannot raise it. You can also choose between three different gameplay modes which change how fallen units are handled. Longtime fans will want to stick to Classic Mode, which features permadeath and makes the main character’s death an instant loss. For a less intense experience, you can play on Casual Mode. This mode has fallen allies flee battle instead of dying. They will return at the end of the chapter. Those who cannot even handle this can play on Phoenix Mode, where fallen allies auto revive on the next turn, making it hard to lose. However it is still possible to lose if you fail the objective.

While the gameplay is excellent, there are few issuses with the story. For example, the main character comes off as weak willed, as they continue to do morally questionable acts under orders from the corrupt King Garon, but do nothing to directly oppose him until late in the game, despite advocating peaceful actions. While the localization makes it clear that Hoshido committed some dubious actions and plays up the aggressive racism several of its people, it still comes off as more upstandging nation compared to Nohr. Furthermore, Garon’s subordinates are clearly evil men, further contributing to the black and white morality on display here, with “Conquest” comming off as a villain campaign.

Despite some hiccups in the story, “Conquest” is an excellent game. Those looking for a challenge will find it here. You will feel accomplished for finishing this game. Naturally, those who want the full story will also want to play through “Birthright” and the third path “Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation.”

Score 9.5/10

Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam review: Great on paper and in execution

Posted on by astyahla

System: Nintendo 3DS

Publisher: Nintendo

Number of Players: 1

ESRB: E

Mario is best known as a platforming star, but he has also had some excellent RPGs as well. With two ongoing RPG series, “Paper Mario,” which is largely on consoles, and “Mario and Luigi” which is exclusive to handhelds. Both series are well known for comedy, so it seems like the two would go well together. Such a crossover is the premise behind “Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam.”

What started as a cleaning day at Peach’s Castle turns into another adventure for the Mario Bros. when Luigi knocks over the book containing the Paper Mushroom Kingdom, causing many of its citizens to spill out into the world. However, this also includes Paper Bowser, who after initially butting heads with Bowser, teams up with his flesh and blood counterpart to kidnap their respective Princess Peaches and take over the Mushroom Kingdom. Fortunately, there is not two, but three heroic plumbers to stop them, as Paper Mario joins Mario and Luigi on their adventure.

Despite the crossover, the game is primarily a Mario and Luigi title, with each brother takes action with a different button. This time a lot of the team up moves require you to hit the “A” “B and “Y” buttons in quick succession. This includes burrowing into the ground, folding Paper Mario into an airplane to cross wide gaps or hammering something with enough force to break solid rock. Fortunately, jumping gaps does not require this input, as you can have all three brothers jump at the same time with the “X” button, which also allows you to charge up a dash.

The battle system is very similar to “Mario and Luigi: Dream Team.” Mario and Luigi play out as they do in “Dream Team’s” real world, but have some new Bros. Moves, which are special moves that have the two team up. Paper Mario has much less health and weaker defenses than the other two, but makes up for it with the ability to make copies of himself which can take damage for him. As long as at least one copy remains, his health will never go down. The more copies you have, the more damage Paper Mario will be able to do, by being able to jump on the enemy more times in succession or hammer more enemies at once.

In addition, Paper Mario can trigger Trio Attacks that can do more damage, but the more powerful ones have more of a learning curve than the stronger Bros. Attacks do. Notably, more of the Trio Attacks have a chance of missing altogether than the Bros. Attacks do.

Despite this, the battles feel a lot easier than those in “Dream Team.” When enemies attack, a crosshair appears at the feet of the character being targeted, requiring you to jump or use the hammer to defend against them as usual. While this does help indicate who is gong to be attacked, it is still plenty difficult to dodge attacks consistently.

The game also introduces Battle Cards. Every turn, you draw a card from your customizable 10-card deck. To play a card you need a certain amount of Star Points, which are generated by successful attacks. Each card has a different effect, each of which is activated without using a turn. All of this adds an additional layer to combat.

However, one recurring problem purists from past games in the “Mario and Luigi” series is that it is easy to get pinned down once Mario or Luigi goes down. When one of them is knocked out, the other runs over to protect him from further harm. Due to carrying him unconscious brother on his back, defensive maneuvers take longer to execute, making it that much more likely the other brother will be taken out as well. Paper Mario on the other hand never does so, so he his always freed up to dodge to the full extent of his abilities. Fortunately, the new Double 1-Up Mushrooms revive two brothers at at the same time getting them back in the fight. But like standard 1-Up Mushrooms, the restore a pitiful amount of health so the brothers can easily be knocked out again. It does not help that bosses tend to take several turns in a row when they run low on health.

Meanwhile, the game offers new Papercraft Battles, which replace the giant battles of past games. The papercrafts involved are essentially giant robots that you have to charge at to knock over, than have the Toads carrying the papercraft throw it at the fallen enemies to finish them off. The developers keep offering new aspects to the battles which keep them from getting old. There are five of them, so they never feel like they overstay their welcome.

While the story is predictable, there is a lot of amusement to be seen in the interactions between the characters and their paper counterparts. For example, Bowser and Paper Bowser may work together, but it is clear they barely tolerate each other. Bowser Jr. and Paper Bowser Jr. on the other hand become the best of friends. The humor in the game is still intact, with some very amusing writing. The two series even combine to completely decimate the fourth wall, as everyone knows how the usual Mario story goes and points out every plot point. While the lack of new characters is disappointing, the writers did a great job fleshing out the personalities of previously flat characters such as the Koopalings or Toadette. This part is the highlight of the game as it helps show the characters as a new light.

However, a few things keep the game from being the excellent crossover I was hoping for. The game world feels smaller than any of the previous “Mario and Luigi” or “Paper Mario” games. As a result, there is too much backtracking involved. In addition, the game forces you to take on quests to advance the plot, especially ones that require you to rescue Paper Toads. A lot of them are arbitrary and clearly were in there just to make the game longer. For example, one quest requires you to get to a certain point with in a time limit, but the game throws you in to scripted battles that you are not allowed to run from. The timer does not stop during battle either. Worse, a lot of the battles are against weaker enemies. If a far more powerful shiny paper enemy is randomly inserted into the group, you will fail the quest. These frequently cause all progress to grind to a halt.

Despite these faults, “Paper Jam” is a great game. It just is not the phenomenal crossover that I had anticipated.

Score 8.5/10

Super Mario Maker Review: A constant stream of excellent content

Posted on by astyahla

Platform: Wii U

Genre: Platform/Creative

Number of Players: 1

ESRB: E

“Super Mario Bros.” is an important part of gaming history. It was the game that revitalized the video game market and the series has been going strong since 1985. This is largely due to the excellent levels the experts at Nintendo have created. However, there has been no official way for players to try their hand at creating Mario levels. Nintendo has remedied that with “Super Mario Maker” and it is a blast.

The game is exactly what it sounds like, you can create your own Mario levels. While you do start with a small selection of objects to place, you unlock more as you spend more time in the editor. What starts with simple ground, blocks, pipes and basic enemies such as Goombas and Koopa Troopas expands to include more advanced tools such as P-Switches, doors and more advanced enemies such as Lakitu, the Hammer Bros. and even Bowser and Bowser Jr. These are unlocked by spending five minutes each day with the newest tools or by placing enough objects in your levels, allowing you to choose the pace at which you create more and more advanced levels.

You can even choose from six different settings, including ground, underground, underwater, castles, airships and ghost houses, across four different graphic styles based off of the original “Super Mario Bros.,” “Super Mario Bros. 3,” “Super Mario World” and “New Super Mario Bros. U”. While some objects may change between graphical styles, such as Goomba’s Shoe from the original and “3” being replaced by Yoshi in “World” and “U,”the game gives you everything you need to create your own masterpieces and a lot of freedom to do so. You can give Super Mushrooms to enemies to make them bigger, add wings to anything, put enemies, items or obstacles in Clown Cars and many other challenges you may wish.

One cool addition is the Mystery Mushroom, which changes Mario into different characters or objects. The all control the same and the costume even lets you take a hit. These costumes are not just limited to the Mario universe, you can play through the level as Link, Samus Aran, Isabelle, Pikachu and many others. You can unlock most of these costumes by scanning the corresponding amiibo. But even if you cannot track down a particular one, all of them are unlockable by playing the game. The 100 plus costumes are not limited to characters with amiibo so you will have to work for a lot of them even if you are an obsessive collector.

Once you have created a level, you can play it to make sure everything functions as you intended and can even back out into the editor to make changes at anytime. Once you are satisfied you can upload the your course to the internet for other people to play. In order to keep impossible levels from showing up, everyone is required to be able to complete their own levels before uploading them. While this is reasonable, it is common for people to make really hard levels and put a short cut in somewhere to say that it is beatable.

You can play other people’s levels by choosing them individually, or in a series of eight to 24 in the 100 Mario Challenge. Playing individual levels gives you infinite lives, while the 100 Mario Challenge gives you 100 lives to last through the entire challenge. You may not exceed 100 lives and you may only gain back three lives per level. In this case the levels are randomized and you are given the option to skip a level if it is too difficult and get a new level in its place. Your efforts are rewarded, as you unlock a random Mystery Mushroom costume every time you complete the challenge, however the game stops giving you costumes on easy and medium difficulties after a while, requiring you to play on expert difficulty to get the rest.

Once you have completed a level, you have the option of giving the level a star as praise and comment on the level. The more stars you earn on your levels, the more levels you are allowed to upload to the server. Unpopular levels are delisted over time, so it behooves you to improve your design skills to send out more levels. However, you are forced to give a star every time you comment on the stage, so giving criticism forces you to say you like a subpar level.

For those who do not have a stable internet connection, “Super Mario Maker” includes 100 pre made courses that you can play through the 10 Mario Challenge. They are just as creative as the levels in previous games so they are worth looking at. They can also help give ideas for user made levels.

Finding a specific level is easy as each level comes with a course ID number. Everytime a course is posted, it is shown on Miiverse along with the ID number so you can enter it to find it. You can also use the search function in game, or check the companion website “Super Mario Maker Bookmark.” Once you log in with your Nintendo Network ID, you can bookmark levels you wan to play and they will show up on a list in the game. These options make it easy to find specific levels. The portal can be found here.

Overall, Super Mario Maker goes above and beyond in its function as a level editor. The many ways to get involved in the community and potentially endless stream of content is more than worth the retail price even for those who are not as creative as most people. Even so, I recommend going into the editor as much as possible. The user interface is very simple, yet the possibilities are endless. You may make the next great Mario level.

Score 9.5/10