Gradius V - PS3 Review

Horizontal shooters have been around forever now it seems, but the Gradius series has long been considered one of the best franchises in the shooter genre, and for very good reason. Recently Konami released Gradius V, the PS2 classic, on the PlayStation Network for PS3 owners. If you enjoy insanely hard shooters? Gradius V is worthwhile blast from the past.

Read More

Dragon Ball Xenoverse - PS3 Review

Dragon Ball is what got me into anime when I was younger and I’ve honestly been a fan ever since. Naruto, One Piece, Bleach, Fairy Tail, all fall into a category that Dragon Ball Z made quite popular. For me it was never the search for the Dragon Balls themselves, or ever the story, but more the fights that were found inside of Dragon Ball Z and the movies. I simply have always loved Dragon Ball’s level of combat. While there have been a slew of Dragon Ball games over the years, Xenoverse is the first to take the player and let them experience the combat with their own character in an original story.

Read More

Atelier Shallie: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea - PS3 Review

The Atelier series is one that we hear at Chalgyr's Game Room really enjoy. We have been covering the numerous Atelier games for years now and it is one of the most unique and interesting JRPG franchises that we have seen in a long time. Focusing primarily on grinding and crafting, with solid story lines, lovable characters, and a unique twist on the genre, the Atelier series has always tried to be a bit different. With Atelier Shallie: Alchemist of the Dusk Sea they are trying to not only refine the franchise's existing staples, but to bring some of the more standard features of the JRPG genre to the series for the first time. How does Shallie pan out? Read on for more details.

Read More

Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters - PS3 Review

Visual novels are great, and they have been steadily making their way to North America in more forms on more consoles than ever. Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters is not what I would consider a true visual novel, because there are some additional game elements that make it more of a hybrid with a strategy game. That is not a bad thing at all, and these blended genres open up the door to a wider audience and hopefully in time pave the way for even more games like this.

Read More

The Awakened Fate Ultimatum - PS3 Review

The Awakened Fate Ultimatum is the sequel to NIS America's The Guided Fate Paradox from late 2013. I enjoyed that particular title a great deal, despite the fact that the roguelike genre tends to drive me a little nutty at times. One thing that helps is that the series blends roguelike elements, without being a true representation of the genre. The Awakened Fate Ultimatum is a solid sequel that feels very similar to the first game while still making a handful of notable changes.

Read More

Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late - PS3 Review

Excellent pacing, colorful anime style graphics, unique characters and a story that is actually interesting? Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late may have a somewhat ridiculous title, but the game itself is a thinking man's fighter that manages to stand out and be itself in a genre littered with too many sequels and far too few fresh ideas.

Read More

Final Fantasy X | X-2 Remaster - PlayStation 3 Review

I have played most of the Final Fantasy games over the years, dating back to the first on the NES (I traded my copy of Metroid to a friend who did not care for Final Fantasy at all. Considering by that time I had beaten Metroid at least a dozen times, I feel like I came out ahead on that deal). The series has always engrossed me, even when some of the installments might have fallen short of my expectations - but that is due in large part to my enormous expectations from the franchise. Enter Final Fantasy X, which is my favorite title in the series. This game was the reason I wanted a PlayStation 2 so badly years ago (and thanks to some family members pooling together for Christmas, I got it). Square Enix released a remastered edition of the game earlier this year, and now that this year's Christmas is nearly at hand, I thought it was time to share my thoughts on the title.

Read More

F1 2014 - PS3 Review

I have long been a fan of Codemasters' titles as they have had a successful history of releasing quality racing titles, from the stunning Grid titles to DiRT. On top of some of the most enjoyable racing games, Codemasters has also brought us the sorely underrated Operation Flashpoint games as well as the wonderful Overlord franchise. Given that Codemasters develops some of my favorite racing titles like DiRT and Grid, and they have been developing the F1 series for five years now and they have long been the "it" studio for all of your F1 goodness and it looks to continue the trend with F1 2014. While this is the first F1 game that I have played since the Super Nintendo's F1 Pole Position, I am looking forward to what these masters of racing games can bring me.

Read More

Digimon All-Star Rumble - PS3 Review

I grew up on Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh! and still play the latter online today. Digimon sort of fell into that same area, but was never quite as interesting to me. I followed along now and again, but the property never reached must-have status for me, despite a generally fond impression of it all. There had been talk in some corners about new Digimon games coming to the west - unfortunately the one we got, All-Star Rumble, is fun but mud puddle shallow. That is not to say you cannot splash around in it and have a good time, but it runs out of content and tricks fairly quickly.

Read More

Ar nosurge: Ode to an Unborn Star - PS3 Review

Ar nosurge: Ode to An Unborn Star is a continuation of a PlayStation Vita title called Surge Concerto: Ciel nosurge which was a life simulation game that has not seen a release outside of Japan (yet), and something of a pseudo-prequel to the Ar Tonelico series that is also developed by Gust. The reason I mention a pseudo-prequel is that Ar nosurge and Ar Tonelico take place in the same universe with the same mythos and even a number of the same mechanics between the two franchises, however the similarities stop there as the games each cover their own topics at their own times with non-related characters. Ar nosurge: Ode to an Unborn Star, Gust's most recent release here in the West uses the Dive system as seen in the Ar Tonelico series as well as a few other feature so fans of Gust's previous works will certain feel right at home.

Read More

Sacred 3 - PS3 Review

Sacred is a game that comes with a lot of history behind it. I had originally picked up Scared off a shelf at a now very long defunct computer store that we used to have which carried the obscure games as if they were the norm. I liked the way Sacred looked, and to this day I do not regret it what-so-ever. I bought Sacred 2 when it came out, hell I bought it again not only on the PS3, but also as a Gold Edition on Steam for the Expansion content. Needless to say, I’ve always loved the series with the Dark Elf/Vampiress as my favorite characters of the first, followed by the Seraphim and High Elf in the second. Sadly when Ascaron announced that it was closing its doors I figured that we would never get another chance to play a new Sacred until Deep Silver came along and produced Sacred 3.

Read More

Arcana Heart 3: LOVEMAX!!!!! - PS3 Review

For fighting fans, there is actually quite a bit to like about Arcana Heart 3, despite an awkward title and lackluster story. Combat is the name of the game, and here it is a solid 2D fighter with smooth, responsive controls and a large cast of diversely designed characters.

Read More

Fairy Fencer F - PS3 Review

The first thing that stood out to me was how much this title reminded me of the Hyperdimension series, a notion that was quickly reinforced once I got into walking around dungeons and utilizing the very similar turn-based combat system. This is not a bad thing, as I enjoyed Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory quite a bit. The world and characters are certainly different, with less of the tongue-in-cheek humor Hyperdimension is known for, but the end result is that Fairy Fencer F is a fun JRPG that should appeal to fans of its better-known cousin.

Read More

Tales of Xillia 2 - PS3 Review

The Tales of ... series. That statement alone yields awe, adoration, yearning, and a sense of wonderment that many fans of the series will feel; unlike the near-rabid fans of Final Fantasy or the stoic and cold fans of the Dragon Quest / Dragon Warrior franchise, the die-hards of the Tales of ... series are unto a league of their own. I have been a part of a number of different circles, from JRPG to WRPG to RTS to 4X fandoms; I have seen a large portion of them, some good and pure, other ugly and petty (I admit that I fed into it at times, I think we all have). The Tales of ... fans though, I honestly have not met a more earnest and helpful bunch; willing to share their knowledge and their passion in a warm and comfortable tone, never turning away a potential newcomer to the fold, and welcoming old friends back with no questions asked. The fans are, more than any other franchise, a near mirror image of the games. From the very first Tales of Symphonia, to the very latest, Tales of Xillia 2, every single Tales of ... game has felt like an old friend that has come back home with a smiling face and a welcoming arm.

Read More

Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed - PS3 Review

JRPG games are great, excellent even, and build worlds that are almost equal to those in my favorite anime, but it never quite hit that apex. When I first heard of the absurdity of Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed, I was immediately intrigued. Here is a title that takes place in the place of all places, the Akihabara district in Tokyo; anime, manga, and gaming mecca. The one place on this planet that I want to visit before I die, and here is a game that is based solely on shenanigans in Akiba using an art style straight out of a Gonzo series (Welcome to the N.H.K., Kiddy Grade, Chrono Chrusade, Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing); it is reported to have RPG like elements, a little bit of visual novel/choose your own adventure gaming, and all taking place in Akiba? Count me in! Count me in! The question though, is whether it holds up to my 20+ year desire to play an anime, read on to find out more.

Read More

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII - PS3 Review

I am a Final Fantasy fan. Have been since the original came out for the Nintendo. Back in those days we (my brother and I) had a total of three RPG games; Dragon Warrior, Hydlide, and Final Fantasy. I was not a fan of Dragon Warrior since I could not see my character unless I was wandering the world map and do not bet me started on Hydlide. Then along came this massive Nintendo Power issue that had a poster for Final Fantasy, and a complete strategy guide in it. I remember playing Final Fantasy for hours and loving every second of it. Once the Gameboy was release and Final Fantasy Adventures and Final Fantasy Legends came out and I had every one; not that they were Final Fantasy games, but they had the name "Final Fantasy" in the title, so I bought them.

Read More

Contant C - PS3 Review

Time has been used… time and time again (sorry I couldn’t help it) as a mechanic within storytelling. Time is generally a constant within the human perception. Every second, of every minute, of every hour is something that we tend to worry about with our generally short lifespans in the grand scheme of things. Time within games is usually used to gauge how fast something can be accomplished or how much time is left to accomplish a goal. Time has been used to either speed things up, slow them down, or even stop them for a moment. What if time stopped however? What if nothing but you were able to move while everything else remained frozen? Constant C is the story of this “what if” scenario.

Read More

Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn - PS3 Review

Growing up in Canada the anime scene wasn’t quite what it is today. My first anime experience was either Gundam Wing or Dragon Ball. From there I continued to find other animes that I increasingly preferred over regular North American programming. Don’t worry, this is going somewhere. As the years went on more and more Gundams either came over or were imported. Then I found Dynasty Warriors Gundam and was confused; who were all of these people that I had never heard of? From there I started at Gundam and then worked my way up through Zeta Gundam and Gundam ZZ just to understand the various characters that were within these story modes and side missions.

Read More

XBlaze Code: Embryo - PS3 Review

Visual novel has a lot of connotations, both good and bad depending on how one feels about limited actual gameplay options but instead a title that is almost solely focused on the narrative. Even RPG titles, which often have a great deal of story laced through them, are centered around completing various types of objectives. XBlaze Code: Embryo is one of those titles that that will no doubt prove polarizing as it essentially is just a guided story that gives the player a handful of chances to interact with and impact the direction of the way the plot concludes. Visual novels are quite popular in the East, but have not made their presence felt here in North America yet. I honestly did not think XBlaze Code: Embryo, a story set 150 years before the fighting series BlazBlue, would be released here. I am quite glad to have been proven wrong.

Read More

Atelier Rorona Plus: The Alchemist of Arland - PS3 Review

The Atelier games have been around since the late 90's though they have not received much notice outside the JRPG fan base, which is tragic as the games are quite enjoyable. My first encounter with the Atelier games was either Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana or Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis, both for the PlayStation 2 (I had picked them up at the same time and played them simultaneously) and I thoroughly enjoyed the break from the traditional JRPG style. When the opportunity to review the recent re-release of Atelier Rorona (the Plus variant) with an updated battle system amongst other items like a bonus stamp card, a handful of new costumes, as well as some reworked special attack scenes, I jumped on it. Does the Atelier Rorona Plus: The Alchemist of Arland re-release build on the already-excellent Atelier Rorona? Read on to find out.

Read More