Atelier Lulua: Scion of Arland - PS4 Review

Now here's a series I've been following since back on the PS2. The Atelier games have been around since 1997 and are produced by the Gust Corporation. These games are primarily on the PlayStation system, but have been ported to other handhelds and consoles throughout the years. From time to time these games tend to go on a roller coaster of change from title to title. Some ups.... And some downs. Luckily this time around Atelier Lulua is doing something right.

The Atelier series has now released its 20th mothership title on the PS4, known as Atelier Lulua: Scion of Arland. Surprisingly, Lulua falls under the alchemist of Arland storyline, making it the 4th part of the adventure. One of my favorite trilogy back in the day, I'm excited to see its roots return.

The Story 

Our adventure centers on a young girl dreaming of becoming the next best alchemist. Her name is Elmerulia Frixell, the daughter of Rorona who was the original Protagonist of the first Arland game. Lulua is spirited just like her mother and aspires to be as great as her. She lives in the village of Arklys and is being mentored by another traveling alchemist named Piana, a previous character from Atelier Totori. Now older and more independent she takes the time to teach Lulua the basics of being an alchemist while her mother is away.

One day after returning from a small gathering excursion a mysterious book falls out of the sky and almost knocks out poor Lulua in the process. This book is called the "Alchemyriddle" and only Lulua can read it. As she ponders on the mystery of this mystical book a letter arrives at her home, addressed to her mother. It reads that if Rorona doesn't renew her alchemy license soon she will lose her permit and workshop (sound familiar...?) Worried for her mother Lulua bucks up the courage to travel all the way to her mothers homeland, Arland, to fix her mistakes. With the aid of her fiends and mentor she ventures through past storylines to become an ace alchemist.

Visuals and Music 

This game is beautiful with large landscapes and flavorful characters. Making each place and person unique in their own way. No two things are the same. I've always been attracted to the art style of this series and its definitely one point that they never falter on. It's also a nice touch to see past characters and areas, giving long time fans a huge wave of nostalgia. Even the music has been revamped from past games, giving every piece a new little jingle while keeping the score mostly the same.

Gathering 

Like past generations the gameplay has stayed relatively the same, with a few new and old modifications here and there. The main focus of the game is alchemy, so put on your best boots and grab that cauldron ladle because you will be exploring for materials and synthesizing them. Finding the many different ingredients is half the fun as crafting new items with them and there are multiple ways of doing so, either through exploration, shopping or hunting monsters. I found it very helpful how they made tracking the materials on different fields displayed on the world map, helping you keep track of what you've found and what percentage is still missing. Some materials may require you to return at a different time or the use of a specific tool. Once you've had your fill of gathering it's time to return to your workshop and begin synthesizing.

Synthesizing 

To synthesize anything you'll be needing a recipe. In Atelier Lulua your "Alchemyriddle" will be your main source of these recipes, but you can also obtain recipes from chests or shopping. Once you have the recipe available you can start crafting your items. Each item is different and have many usable materials to choose from, but they all have three major components to focus on: quality rating, elemental attributes and transferable traits. On the subject of elemental attributes there are 4 primary elements to fuse with: water, fire, earth and lightning. Each item will display which element they harbour and how powerful it is. The more you combine materials that have the same elemental type the higher the chance you have at gaining new property effect, such as increase in power or healing.

Material can also hold traits, which you can read in their description box. If you combine three material that hold, for example: cheap cost, poison enemy and +3 to healing you may be able to transfer all these traits into the new item you've crafted, but be aware that there is a limit to how many you can have on one item depending on how high your trait points are.

Every time you synthesize an item you'll gain alchemy experience points, which will help you level up, giving you access to create higher leveled items and also raise the amount of trait points you hold.

The Calendar 

The Atelier series has always been keen on a time management function. Sometimes it makes things run smoothly, other times I feel rushed like there aren't enough days in a year and when you have assignments due on certain dates it can make the play through a lot more jarring. This tends to result in me getting game overs or bad endings, it's quite frustrating. However, in Lulua the calendar system is more tamed. Time has not been an issue and I haven't run into any set backs with the plot. I feel like the game is giving me a generous amount of time to explore and create.

The Alchemyriddle 

This book can be a tricky little devil when it comes to unlocking new recipes, skills or locations. It's split into two parts: Main story events and Sub-events. When it comes to the Main story the book will automatically guide you along each step you proceed through. That part is fairly easy, but the Sub-events take a bit more time and effort. When you flip your book open to these events you'll see the page is labeled "Basic" task. It will require you to either explore, discover, battle or create in order to unlock the next step. Once you've unlock these "hints" you'll be able to decipher the page. Deciphering can only be done in your workshop, but once you've read through all your findings something new will be at your disposal. Upon completing all of the basic tasks, the "Advanced" task will become available. The process is exactly the same, but it'll will be more challenging. In exchange you'll receive better rewards and even experience towards your character.

Combat 

Combat has always gone through changes throughout the series. This time around it seems their goal was to simplify every aspect of the game, even combat. Turn based is still strongly in effect, always a favorite of mine. When it's your characters turn your battle menu will appear with the following options: Attack, Skills, Item (for the alchemist member only), Guard and Swap.

Attacking is pretty straight forward, but skills are gained through leveling up or deciphering pages in the Alchemyriddle. Items are anything from bombs, healing potion and/or stat buffs or de-buffs. Don't feel like taking the enemies next blow? Then guarding is PERFECT for you!

You'll always have three party members during a fight and can swap team mates at any time, even when someone is down. Swapping allows you to switch between stand-by party members, but these characters can also be of aid to you. If you choose to hit the enemy with a skill attack your back-up party member will carry out a follow up attack to support you. They can even increase your defense stats if you choose to block an enemy attack. It's a win-win all around.

Be wary of your opponents strength, they have the ability to stun your characters, but you can also give them the same treatment. When that happens your next attack will be a critical so it's good to crack out your best items or skills. It's always smart to be prepared before you go out into the fields or dungeons. Enemies can get surprisingly strong without notice and if you are surrounded you'll lose the battle fast. Any time you experience a party death you'll be sent back to the workshop and half the material that you collected will be lost. So make sure to be prepare.

Questing Remember how you can take on quests to gain some extra money? Whelp, that's still around. Quests can be done at any time and are a great way to stock up on some cash. You can choose to do three types of quests: fighting, crafting and gathering. Next to each job is a meter that shows you what is an acceptable condition on finishing the job. Pass that first goal and you get your earnings. Go above and beyond that and you'll find that your coin purse is a lot heavier and your items are even rarer.

The Ups 

This series has continued to be adorable as ever with its cute character and querky moments. One of the funnier points I find in the game is the Jack-in-the-box, pop out of nowhere, jokes they seem to be throwing around. It cracks me up every time. Or the Over-the-hedge, hide behind objects, stare... It just makes these scenes a little more humorous.

Music and art style is always a blessing from this series. Never making you feel like they ever fall flat or get to lazy in that department.

Combat and alchemy are fun and addicting as ever. I always have to keep telling myself 'Just one more excursion' or 'After this synthesis I'll take a break'... Then I'll look at the clock and realize I said those things 2 hours ago. I can't seem to put this game down. Honestly, Lulua is a nice change from the... Last installment of the series.

And Downs 

Now, does this game have faults? Yes! But only minor ones in my opinion. For me it was the lack of an English voice cast. The last game, Atelier Lydie and Suelle, was also missing an English recording. Don't get me wrong I'll play games in any language, but it's strange for a series like Atelier, that's been around for so long, to suddenly stop bothering with it. I'm extra surprised they didn't try for Atelier Lulua since it brings in old characters that have been voiced before...I find it bizarre and it's something that I noticed.

The other irk is the DLC characters. I don't like the idea of having to pay for key characters, like Totori and Meruru, when they're mentioned and shown in the main storyline. I find that to be a bit of a low blow, which makes the game feel incomplete.

Conclusion

Atelier Lulua is a great game. Cruising through the story at a great pace and never tripping over my own feet to understand the gameplay. If I had to describe this game in one word it would be "Simplicity", as it does a wonderful job of guiding you through each and every new and old discoveries. I'm glad to be able to experience a 4th part to the Arland storyline. It's fun for long time fans to enjoy and easy enough to grasp for newcomers. I'm giving this game a 9 out of 10 for being nostalgic and playful.

Game Information

Platform:
Sony PlayStation 4
Developer(s):
Gust
Publisher(s):
Koei Temco America
Genre(s):
RPG
Mode(s):
Single Player
Other Platform(s):
PC

Source:
Provided by Publisher

Article by Natasha

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Mainlining Releasing for the Switch in Late June!

Friday 31st May, 2019, Manchester, UK - Merge Games and Rebelephant are proud to announce that Mainlining, the point and click hacking adventure is making its way onto Nintendo Switch on June 20th!

Mainlining is an exhilarating foray into the world of cybercrime! The game mixes dark and dry humour with a gripping narrative, that will have you hooked from the very first case. Following the government's introduction of the BLU Pill Act and the Secret Intelligence Service's reintroduction of MI7, all online personal data is accessible by the powers that be. Mainlining questions techno-ethics and asks whether it is acceptable for an organisation to have the power to look at personal data - what if somebody else had access to that information?

Mainlining is a refreshing take on the traditional point and click adventure. The entire game takes place on the simulated desktop of the protagonist’s computer. Assuming the role of a newly recruited MI7 agent and working within the remit of the Blu Pill Act, the player must use their cunningness, judgement and skill to gather evidence by hacking suspects’ computers and phones.

As an MI7 operative, your primary objective is to facilitate the arrest of the perpetrator and to ensure that the courts have sufficient evidence to hand out the longest custodial sentences possible. However, you’ll also have to make judgements on whether the case you're working on is complete. Move in too quickly and you may miss leads linking your case to much higher profile cyber-criminals. Act too slowly and your suspect may detect you and escape.

In excess of five hundred criminals are known to operate within your jurisdiction – where will you begin?

*New for Nintendo Switch*

• Bespoke keyboard input system helps you crack the case on-the-go!
• Now includes touchscreen support for an immersive experience.

Mainlining will be available for Nintendo Switch on the 20th June with a price tag of $14.99 / €14.99 / £11.99. Customers who purchase the game between 13th June and the 4th July will receive a 15% discount.

About Merge Games

Merge Games is an independent video game publisher and distributor based in Manchester, UK. The company publishes and distributes interactive software worldwide for personal computers and video games consoles. Merge Games also specialises in publishing collectable games for retail via its Signature Edition brand, and worldwide digital distribution for independent developers. More information about Merge Games products can be found at www.mergegames.com.

About Rebelephant

Rebelephant is an independent video games developer based in Suffolk, UK. The company develops narrative driven games for personal computers and video games consoles. Rebelephant is a vehicle for its owner, Samuel Read, to work with talented professionals and create new experiences in games. More information about Rebelephant can be found at https://rebelephant.itch.io/.


Article by Susan N.

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Nioh 2 Alpha Demo - PS4 Preview

Nioh 2's opening act is coming at a good time. There are currently no in the air projects from From Software and Deck 13's The Surge 2 while being put on display isn't really in anyone's hands yet (as far as I know short of some hands-on demos). Following in its predecessor's footsteps, Nioh 2 is going through alpha, and the assumption of beta stages, to let developers iron out any details in order to make the best possible product like they did last time. The only disappointment? The Alpha was closed so unless you got lucky, you didn't get in. Me? I didn't get lucky but I do have some good friends so thank you Robert! I appreciated both the code and the time that I got to spend with it.

Getting the only other disappointment out of the way, for some reason, gameplay recording was blocked so I was both unable to take screenshots or video segments in order to showcase certain amazing elements like the cute round yokai cats that you could find. Petting these little guys gave you a limited time bonus as they followed you around and they were super cute to look at. But that's really something for further below so why don't we start at the beginning?

Story, much like the last round of alpha and beta testing, there isn't much out there. Starting off in “the dojo” for a full introduction to Nioh 2's features, there you'll be treated to a fair amount of changes in the gameplay. Picking either a male or female character, there were a few options available so interestingly enough, I played as a female norse looking goddess of death. While this falls more into cosmetics, I do wonder what it'll actually bring to the whole experience later down the line. THE major change however is that spirit companions no longer boost just your abilities, they turn you into an actual demon which leads into a whole new style of gameplay.

Demonic transformations are seriously cool. It changes your appearance, it changes the weapon style, and further, it changes depending upon which element you have equipped through your spirit companion. Like before, you'll have a timed gauge that tells you how long you have left while also acting as your hit points while in that mode. Like while being human, square attacks have one combo set, triangle have another and finally pressing Circle and Triangle will make your familiar attack alongside you. As cool as it is though, being “demonic” leads to another new feature, being able to survive in the miasma and whole new miasma covered areas.

These areas are scary. Superimposed on top of the real world, you're going to be faced with terrifying mid-bosses or destroying a particular monument if you want to clear the miasma. Do you need to? No. Should you? Probably. Locked away in these areas are chests and your Kodama Shrines that can only be accessed from the real world. So if you want what's in there, you're going to have to fight for it.

There are a lot of returning elements to Nioh 2 from its predecessor. Stances are back in which you can be disarmed, take a low, medium or high stance with your weapon for different attacks. Also back, but in a much more interesting layout that truly shows what connects to what, are the skills that you can unlock in order to further customize your character. Parries from various stances, onmyo magics to set your weapon on fire or summon a familiar, ninjutsus like coating your weapons with poison or throwing ninja stars, all back. Where things start to become interesting is that now your spirit companion can equip through a points system up to two demonic cores for some new and interesting attacks.

Demonic cores are a little bit like the various pieces of gear that you'll be picking up. Each core type comes as an attack based off of the enemy that it came off of. Those wall creatures that hide passages for example with come in for a massive crushing blow while this new double scythed burrowing almost zerg creature will do exactly that before shredding the enemy that you used it on. So many others exist like becoming a tornado or launching a spear attack if you got the second boss' core, but if you are the one in control like the tornado, you can still take damage so you still have to be somewhat careful while wreaking havoc.

The variety of weapons and the familiarity system are also back but with a twist. New types of weapons like dual-hatchets can be flung around alongside these enormous greatswords that would be comfortable in a Monster Hunter setting but what's new is that these weapons can now be sentient either in a demonic or a holy sense. Being more popular, I came across many more Demonic weapons and the added bonus is that they pack on the damage which makes them useful for longer even if you should be moving onto a newer and more potent weapon.

Back again, but with a twist (basically the premise of Nioh 2 at this point), are the Revenants that you can fight in order to gain better gear or just test your skills. These Remnants are the corpses of other players that are AI controlled along the parameters of their playstyle. Sometimes they are super easy to take out, other times you wonder how did they die if the AI itself is that freaking good?!

Side to these are Benevolent graves that allow you to summon in an AI version of the player that would have dropped where they thought was best in order to be summoned. Now you don't have to go at it alone nor do you need to wait to try to summon another player as these AI allies are already ready to go and take no time in order to join you. If you yourself put one of these signs down, you will receive an appropriate reward the next time that you go back to the world map after either completing or quitting the stage that you were doing.

Lastly in the returning features are your adorable little Kodama. These tiny green guys grant you bonuses through their shrines the more you accumulate. Extra Amrita (exp), weapons, items, the percentage increases as you find them. What's new, interesting, and I'll be serious that I have no idea what they actually wanted, are Evil looking Kodama? They are purple, they wear skulls on their heads, and they want something. What's that something? No clue. You can greet them, go through emotes, but in the end I never got anything from out of them but in the trailer you see it's possible to anger them as they struck the player dead with a blast of lightning.

Before wrapping it up, there's one detail that I really want to praise the development team on. Originally you basically had three larger demon types. In your basics they wielded swords or daggers, in your larger they were elemental based, and at the largest they were just hand heavy and could crush you without a second thought.

Now you have a whole bunch of new types like a one legged monster that wields a huge club, a four armed swordsman that can basically perform Tosh from Arc the Lad's Shinku-zen four damned times, and then another gremlin looking thing that love to hide whenever they can, run up to you, and eat the corpse of another one to grow bigger and more powerful if you let them. Human enemies are the same and in the grand scheme easier to handle but the variety in even just the three stages that were provided was neat to see.

Quick note: Finishing the demo however did not net a reward this time around probably because it was closed and that would be unfair to the masses.

From just the first three stages that I must have spent over a dozen hours on, it was clear to see that Team Ninja didn't just sit on the success of Nioh and say, “hey let's make a second”. The gameplay has been refined, new features can be found everywhere, you can pet adorable Yokai balled cats, totally named them Squishies, and the environments themselves feel both familiar and new as you still happen to be in the same timeline and areas of Japan from the first one. With the Alpha already looking this great I can't wait to see the Beta!

Game Information

Platform:
Sony PlayStation 4
Developer(s):
Team Ninja
Publisher(s):
Koei Temco America
Genre(s):
Action
Adventure
RPG
Mode(s):
Single Player
Multiplayer Coop and Versus
Other Platform(s):
None Currently

Source:
Closed Alpha Code

Article by Pierre-Yves

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It Lurks Below is Available on Steam

SAN FRANCISCO: FRIDAY, May 31, 2019 – Graybeard Games today announced that It Lurks Below, a passion project developed entirely by Diablo creator David Brevik, is now available on Steam for PC for $19.99 USD. Combining many staples of his earlier work, It Lurks Below is an action-oriented survival-RPG with eight character classes, deep randomization, and a retro side-view player perspective – all set in a world ravaged by a demon invasion.

“It Lurks Below has been in development for several years now, and I’m delighted to put this eagerly-awaited product into hands of gamers. I wake up every day excited to be working on this game and now I get to share it with the world,” said Brevik, whose last major launch was Marvel Heroes in 2013 when he led Gazillion Entertainment.

Titles such as Brevik’s own Diablo inspired the role-playing mechanics while Terraria, Minecraft, and Starbound inspired the view and survival elements of this action-packed RPG. These aspects come together as a wholly new game experience. Players select a custom character and class, then delve deep into the mysteries of what evil lurks below; exploring subterranean levels, acquiring items and encountering deadly monsters in this highly-replayable game.

Released in Early Access last April, the game has consistently received positive early reviews and feedback, with some players in the close-knit community logging hundreds of hours of playtime. Brevik has spent the last year listening to the community and fine-tuning the game while adding more content. For him, community involvement was essential.

“I’m flattered by the overwhelmingly positive response I received during Early Access and my personal streams of It Lurks Below,” Brevik said. “The experience of developing this game with the passionate community has been wonderful. I read every piece of feedback I receive, and directly interact with the community every day. There is so much fun packed into this game.”

Fans can keep check out It Lurks Below’s Twitch page for streams from Brevik, which he’ll continue to conduct regularly, and from others enjoying the game’s release as they lead their fully customizable heroes through randomly generated underground dungeons full of endless evil. Additionally, they can follow @GraybeardGames and @davidbrevik on Twitter, “like” Graybeard Games on Facebook, and visit www.GraybeardGames.com for the latest information on It Lurks Below and other studio happenings.

ABOUT GRAYBEARD GAMES

Graybeard Games is a one-man game company founded by industry veteran David Brevik. Located in San Francisco, California, we are committed to making unique, fun, high-quality products inspired by a pure passion for gaming. We closely engage with our community and believe that open, honest feedback results in the best entertainment.

ABOUT DAVID BREVIK

David Brevik is a 28-year veteran game developer best known for co-founding the studio that became Blizzard North, and for creating the groundbreaking game Diablo and its sequel Diablo II. His lengthy career includes creating Hellgate: London as a co-founder of Flagship Studios and creating Marvel Heroes as the CEO of Gazillion Entertainment.


Article by Susan N.

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Gaming Thoughts - Post Game Blues

So you just beat the last boss, or you raced across an invisible line that was the difference between death or the finishing cutscene. Cue credits and any unresolved emotions that may still be lingering from the experience. But what do you do from there?

Often depending on the title, you go back for another round, you re-load a previous save file in order to obtain any collectibles that you may have missed, you load up your clear data in order to start a New Game Plus if the title has one, or you move on to newer adventures that you have yet to experience. The choice is ultimately up to you but there is one last option. The Post Game.

Post Game content, especially in JRPGs when they relate to dungeons, can be nasty and often they make the final boss fights look like nothing more than a walk in the park compared to them. These hardcore outside of the normal parameters will often test your skill, and your patience, to see if it’s worth actually completing it. My first one in particular was at the hands of Tales of Legendia in which the first mob monster kicked my ass so hard I basically left it there and walked away. Most Dungeon Crawlers I’ve done the same as I’m not just going to grind experience to level up in order to plow through a dungeon that has no meaning.

Completionists aiming for 100% or a Platinum Trophy like Richard will say that they are worth it, and more from him down below, but for players like me? I love myself a great experience but if it’s after the credits I’m often not interested especially if all it’s going to do is make things harder with no real added value. That is until Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age. Spoilers ahead!

Being the first real sequel to the original Dragon Quest Trilogy and relying heavily on Dragon Quest 3 for its history, Dragon Quest XI was fantastic all the way up to the final fight and the ensuing credits that acted as the epilogue. Finally defeating the big bad guy and putting an end to his tyranny, the world is saved but not without its scars. The heroes won but halfway through their journey they lost and most of the world suffered and many died including one of your very own.

Prompted to save my clear file, I did so and was brought back to the main menu. Loading up the file I was brought to after the epilogue and told to explore a tower. Groaning I almost put the controller away to go back to other titles that I had been meaning to but looking at the hour on the clock that evening I continues on. Thankfully so as this is the first time EVER that I’ve enjoyed Post Game content.

Climbing to the top of the tower I was presented with the option for my main character to go back in time and change what happened at the critical moment in which everything went to hell. The catch? Only he would remember what happened and retain the experiences and the knowledge, everyone else would be as they were for better or worse. Choosing to do so, this start of the Post Game felt more like the halfway point all over again as it was basically the what if scenario to what if they hadn’t lost and the world was destroyed. New story, new adventures, new monsters but it didn’t feel tacked on. It felt natural and for the first time I find myself invested in the hours that I’ve spent after the credits in order to explore past the point that should have been the end.

But to me, this was the exception to the rule. NG+ is one thing, where you go about maybe trying different decisions, aka Mass Effect, or actually taking the time to explore things you may not have the first time around. It’s another playthrough, you’re supposed to do more. Post Game though? Up until now I’ve avoided it and maybe i’ll try the next one that comes but I figure that it may just have been the exception to the rule for me. I now pass the floor over to Richard.

For me, post-game content is almost mandatory to make me truly enjoy a game as much as I’d like to. Most of the time, after I’ve finished a game, the foremost thought going through my head is something like “I don’t want this to end”. That’s where the post game content comes in.Giving some extra bosses or dungeons, or even bonus minigames, I feel like I’m still participating in the adventures of the main character or their group of party members.

For me, probably the first time I ever experienced “post-game content” was “Spyro the Dragon” on PS1. Rather apt since we got the reignited trilogy recently. After clearing the main game, if you go back and collect all the gems, eggs, and rescue all the dragons (if you hadn’t been doing so up until then), you unlock one last area, where you basically get free reign flight, and a massive amount of treasure. The sequel, “Ripto’s Rage”, had dragon shores and a slew of minigames culminating in a permanent powerup, and “Year of the Dragon” had a bunch of “minigame-esque” stages followed up by a bonus last boss fight. The thing about these post-game areas, at least in the Spyro trilogy, was that they were a fun culmination to your game. You’ve just beaten the last boss, it was tough and you’re now sweating in places you didn’t know you could, then you get an enjoyable wrap-up to wind down your experience.

Granted, post-game doesn’t have to be “fun”, per se. It could be an extra challenge, like you see in a lot of dungeon crawlers, where a bonus area opens up and it’s full of things so beefy they make you want to cry (Demon Gaze, I’m looking at you), or it could be a massive dungeon (like in Star Ocean 3, although that also had a really tough boss as well). Or if you want to take a look at Rabi-Ribi, not only does it have post-game, it has post-post game. This isn’t to say post-game content is always great.

As P.Y. mentioned, Tales of Legendia is a bit of a “good example” on post-game that makes you not care. I had a similar issue, where I fought the first mob and got rolled over so hard I wanted to cry. Similarly for a lot of dungeon crawlers, there are bonus areas that are just difficult and you have no real reason to go through them, and nor do you need to. You’ve finished the main game, and if that’s all you care about, then that’s fine too. Often, especially in more recent games where the main storyline has been way too easy, I find myself either giving self induced handicaps, or trying to make up weird playstyles in order to get the challenge I want out of a game. The post game is one such option where the developers can openly try and screw with you and I wholly welcome it.

On P.Y.s subject of “no reason to complete post-game”, I’m inclined to disagree, although not for every game, often times there is a mini-story-ish reason for doing the bonus dungeon. For instance, I mentioned Demon Gaze earlier. You actually do get bonus plot and a sort of “epilogue” chapter for clearing it, despite the fact that it’s tough as nails. Alternatively, other dungeon crawlers in similar veins, like Etrian Odyssey, basically just give you a tough area for no real reason. For those Monster Hunter fans out there, you may consider “online mode” a sort of “post-game”, as you don’t need to complete it, but that’s where all your extra difficulty mode comes from.

A couple post-games I’ve enjoyed that I haven’t mentioned yet? Megaman Battle Network/Starforce. There’s tough fights, but it’s really fun and it’s more skill than grinding. Star Ocean 3, Till the End of Time. Came out on PS2 (I think), had some tough fights, a dirty hard dungeon, and has a cameo boss of Lenneth from Valkyrie Profile, although she’ll almost certainly beat you senseless.

Tales of __. Most Tales series games have some sort of post game, or at least “just before the final boss fight” content. Most are pretty decent. Except Gladsheim, or whatever it was called in “Dawn of a New World”. Even I didn’t finish that one. Castlevania tends to have stuff open up after clearing the game, including new modes for you to try. Disgaea is infamous for exactly this type of stuff, where you can finish the game at around level 60, where the level cap is 9999, and some bonus bosses can get into levels of 5000+. At least they usually come with some hilarious mini-scenario.

While I won’t say post-game content has to be completed, at the very least I suggest trying it out. To me, post-game content feels like the devs saying “I loved making this game, so I’ve added this stuff for you guys who enjoyed it too!”.


Article by Pierre-Yves and Richard

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Not sure if the PS+ lineup is right for you? Check out PSN Cards! - News

The internet, is well the internet. It's a wonderfully magic place that connects people from across the world in nothing more than a few words searched through your favorite browser. While that may sound a tad too romantic for what it really is, it's always nice to see when someone else has picked up our articles to showcase a title that we've covered.

So with that, we are happy to introduce a blog dedicated to putting together different sources of information in regards to the current PS+ line up for the month. Take a look over at PSN Card's PS Plus Free Games articles which highlights some reviews, the Meta Critic and Open Critic (which we are part of) Scores so you can see if that particular title is right for you!

Interested in what they tagged us in? It was Richard's Review of the PS4 Version of Fallen Legion: Flames of Rebellion.


Article by Pierre-Yves

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The Punisher - Retro Reflection

Story

After witnessing the brutal murder of his family during a mob hit, ex Vietnam war veteran Frank Castle launches a never ending war against crime, taking no prisoners and showing no mercy. This is not justice or revenge, it is punishment! In the “Punisher” game, you face three major criminal organizations, the Italian Gnucci (my favorite), the Russian mercenaries and the Japanese Yakuza. The mastermind behind them is revealed towards the end.

The story is simplistic and the only plot twist is evident from the start but Frank’s character is portrayed well. Criminals say things such as “It’s the Punisher, he’s gonna kill us all!” and there were two Yakuza members talking, one of them mentioned that Daredevil confronted a hundred thugs and they all ended up in jail or the hospital, the other responded “Yes but we are facing the Punisher, not Daredevil.” and the first one replied “Yes, we will end up dead”. These details depict how notorious and fearful Frank is in the underworld.

Other moments capture interesting subtleties of his character, for example the fact he never hurts civilians or how he still remembers the death of his family -“you don’t know what funerals feel like to me”, he retorts to a police officer-. And there are some hilarious moments too, for example when a thug exclaims desperately “oh no, you’re going to punish me, aren’t you?” or the Punisher, after destroying the villain Bushwacker, thinks “I don’t smile a lot. I don’t smile at all. But if I did, now would be a moment”. Marvel heroes, such as Fury or Black Widow, make short appearances, with little impact though.

Gameplay

This is a third person shooter, like Rogue Trooper, so you move and look around/aim with the analogue sticks and shoot with R1. However, there is an original addition which makes the action different and very enjoyable, the “instant kill/shield/interrogation” mechanism. Let me explain: when you are close to an enemy you can kill him instantly by pressing “□” or grab him by pressing “x”. Instant kills eliminate even the toughest foes, which normally can only be killed if you shoot them in the head, and give you “blue energy”, required to enter “slaughter mode”. During this, the Punisher is strong as a beast and replenishes lost health. Grabbed enemies can be interrogated or used as shields.

A successful interrogation (keep the enemy’ tension high for three seconds) gives you points, spent to buy upgrades at the end of each stage, such as increased armor. It also gives you information, for example the location of hidden stashes of guns. A shield protects the Punisher from enemy fire (unless he is attacked from the back or the side) as he carries the criminal around with an iron grip and fires with his free right arm. He can even reload a shotgun while doing this, Terminator style! Crooks show no sympathy for their captured friend so they fire at you until the shield’s health is depleted. It is funny to hear them say things such as “”sorry Mike, better you than me!”.

Nevertheless, when you lose a shield you may simply grab a new one! You can always interrogate someone after using him as a shield and vice versa, or instantly kill him, so the aforementioned mechanism is both effective and flexible.

Brutality

You can never have too much violence in a game, right? I am joking, however, Frank Castle is not: besides instant kills or failed interrogations, which end up in breaking someone’s neck or shooting him at point blank, each stage has spots for “special interrogations”, for example you can threaten to throw a thug in a piranha pool, burn him in an incinerator or crash him in a giant press! If the interrogation fails the criminal has a most painful and bloody end. There are spots for special kills too, e.g., in the jungle the Punisher tossed a mercenary to a giant snake for a quick snack! And let’s not forget slaughter mode, during which you slash, stab and smash your enemies like an unstoppable death machine. Sweet!

Graphics/sound

The game’s scenery is often detailed and interesting, such as the luxurious, stylish mansion of Ma Gnucci, Tony Stark’s tower, loaded with high technology devices, or the Yakuza base, which features a traditional restaurant, smooth, wooden floors and ancient suits of armor. Even the zoo is nice, with a variety of locations for keeping animals and alternate routes. Other places, like the docks or a meat factory, are not exciting, nonetheless, they are well designed.

The sound includes excellent voice acting for Castle, as the actor playing him captured the character’s mood and personality. The music is fantastic and you should definitely listen to the game’s soundtrack on youtube. I also liked the sound effects for the various weapons.

Flaws

Not much to point out here. There were a couple of boss fights that could have been better, for example the fight in the attic, which took me a long time to complete (that Gnucci mobster really run like a rat in a maze!), and I think Frank should be able to carry more guns, as you can only hold one “one handed” and one “two handed” weapon at a time (for example, two pistols and a shotgun but not a shotgun and an assault rifle). Also, a more developed story would help, since the designers took for granted the player already knew characters such as Kingpin or Bullseye.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the “Punisher” is a must have game for fans of the comic or shooters. It has colorful graphics that keep changing, great sound, perfect controls, exciting gunfights and mega violence! I even loved the newspaper clips, which show how the media can distort events to create a fictional “truth”. Do not miss.

Game Information

Platform:
Sony PlayStation 2
Developer(s):
Volition
Publisher(s):
THQ
Genre(s):
Third Person Shooter
Mode(s):
Single Player
Other Platform(s):
Microsoft Xbox
PC

Source:
Purchased

Article by Dimitris

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New Behind the Scenes Video for Code Vein!

The known world in Code Vein is gone, but there is a hidden society of Revenants known as the Vein who choose to fight for their survival. They exchange gifts of power to reclaim their memories but have an increasing thirst for blood. If players succomb to the bloodlust, they will become part of the Lost - who are ghouls that search aimlessly for blood. Players will be able to team up for an epic journey through the depths of hell to unlock their past while escaping a nightmare.

Code Vein features:

• A story driven dungeon experience
• Characters each have a unique plot and fight style
• Team up with friends in an online co-op mode
• Character customization in appearance to playstyle
• Dozens of unique "gifts" that can increase abilities, weaken enemies, or cast powerful attacks
• Combat abilities in dodge, parry, and combos
• Build switching on the fly
• Challenging gameplay that tests players while facing the Lost hordes

Code Vein allows players to acquire gear and level characters to become more powerful. Both new players of the action RPG genre and veterans will keep them coming back for more!

A behind the scenes video about Code Vein can be viewed below and the game will be available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. However, there is no known release date as of yet, but make sure to keep up to date about the upcoming release on Twitter, Facebook, and the Official Website.

About BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc.

BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc., part of BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc., is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive entertainment for all major video game consoles, iOS, Android, and online gaming platforms. The company is known for creating and publishing many of the industry's top video game franchises including PAC-MAN®, GALAGA®, TEKKEN®, SOULCALIBUR®, and ACE COMBAT®. BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. Is the premier publisher in the Western hemisphere for anime based video games including NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™, DRAGON BALL Z®, and ONE PIECE®. More information about the company and its products can be found at their Official Website, Twitter, or Facebook page.



Article by Susan N.

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Project Nimbus: Complete Edition - Switch Review

From the onset, Project Nimbus will not be for everyone. Giant mechs called Battle Frames, floating cities in which humanity escaped to after the third world war, orbital elevators, mass drivers to launch ships into space and more missiles than the Switch knew what to do with at times, I was in love. Fans of Gundam, Macross, Aldnoah Zero, Code Geass or any other mech heavy anime out there that don't immediately come to mind will plenty to love with fast paced combat and a storyline that would make most anime lovers happy.

Other than some fast paced combat, I wasn't expecting much else with Project Nimbus. This isn't a bad thing as sometimes you just need to “play” and not worry about fifty thousand other things like if there was enough ammo in the cache or if you made sure to tune the servos in the arms. That said, it didn't take very long to be happily surprised at there being more than just fast paced combat.

The reason that I didn't really add in Armored Core or even Gundam Builders and just left it at Gundam, is because instead of building your own mech, you are given a mech or a choice of mechs through the characters that act as the protagonist of the moment. Having done so, by splitting your time between different characters and factions you get the whole picture of the current events instead of just the narrowed view of one or two individuals which adds a depth and a story to mesh it all together. At the same time you also get to experience what it's like to be at the top of the food chain and other times somewhere in between.

This is something that Project Nimbus does really well. By switching up the pilots and the mech, the combat doesn't ever limit you. Speed, weapons, altitudes… well it does in the case of falling into the atmosphere… but in general, it doesn't limit you. You can fight and fly high, low or somewhere in the middle while unloading ungodly amounts of ammo and missiles into the enemy forces that are trying to destroy you or what you are protecting. Each mech that you'll have the change to pilot has a variety of gear that can all be reloaded, and depending on the firepower, shorter or longer reloading times. You pretty know what you have in your hands the second you launch and while some can move faster than others, the others have railguns and only need one shot to even take out larger aircraft carriers.

That in a nutshell is really it. You get a bit of hanger dialog before a sortie, you get some dialog while dodging and flying through various environments both planetside and in outer space, you unleash hell while dodging and flying, and then you have a cutscene that moves the events forward before the rinsing and repeating. And it works. It works very well because of how they've tied the characters into the overall events and it honestly felt like I was playing an anime mecha series.

The only real areas that could have used a bit of a buff is in the sound and some of the visuals department. Because things move so fast, you don't really get to see the details on most enemies, they are just blips moving at fast speeds until you move in close for a sword strike. Larger enemies you can see and appreciate the detail but they are gone in an instant. It works with the speed set out but it would have been nice to see a little more than you do. The audio however was a mixed bag.

Sounds effects are spot on. The whooshing of missiles, the ra-tat-tat of machine gun fire, the sound of engines being kicked into high gear. Stellar. The character voices in comparison to all of that? Needed to be louder but if you decrease the rest, there's still a disconnect as the voices are low but the notifications of a certain ammo type being reloaded are unbearingly loud. The background music was often either there or nothing at all. When it's there though, wow, it's there and it brings everything into that feeling like when you're on episode 36~38 of 50 and things just HAPPENED. Sadly the rest of the time it's only really there to block out pure silence but not enough to be any sort of memorable.

Whether on a giant screen on or in your hands, in the middle of epic combat or between missions while getting a briefing or listening to dialog, the complete edition of Project Nimbus is fantastic. Fast paced, well written, it may not be for everyone but for lovers of mecha? It's a must!

Game Information

Platform:
Nintendo Switch
Developer(s):
GameCrafterTeam
Publisher(s):
KISS ltd, GameTomo
Genre(s):
Action
Simulator
Mode(s):
Single Player
Other Platform(s):
PC

Source:
Provided by Publisher

Article by Pierre-Yves

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Skybound Games and Beamdog Launch Classic DnD RPGs

LOS ANGELES – May 31, 2019 – Skybound Games and Beamdog announced today that enhanced editions of several classic Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing videogames – including Baldur’s Gate, the Baldur’s Gate: Siege of Dragonspear expansion, Baldur’s Gate II, Planescape: Torment, Icewind Dale and Neverwinter Nights – will be available on consoles this fall and for the first time on both PlayStation®4 and Nintendo Switch.

Physical editions of Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition will arrive at major retailers on Dec. 3, 2019, in North America and Dec. 6 in other territories, while the other titles will arrive earlier, on Sept. 24, 2019, in North America and Sept. 27 in other territories. All physical editions will be released for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch™. Available for $49.99 each, these special boxed editions include:

• The Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition Pack: Celebrating the series’ 20th anniversary, the original Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition and its sequel, Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Edition, return with all DLC and restored quest content, as well as the Baldur’s Gate: Siege of Dragonspear expansion, featuring new original content developed by Beamdog to bridge the two games.
• Planescape: Torment: Enhanced Edition / Icewind Dale Enhanced Edition: Two must-play games and all their DLC in one package – the chilling Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition, plus its expansions, and the enhanced edition of 1999’s RPG of the Year, Planescape: Torment.
• Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition: The 2002 Computer RPG of the Year and all its DLC deliver 10 standalone D&D-based adventures featuring co-op and online multiplayer.      

Tailored for a natural gameplay experience on consoles, these enhanced editions give longtime fans and newcomers alike the opportunity to play these critically acclaimed adventures from a golden age of RPGs in a whole new way. Beamdog has upgraded all of the above titles with native support for high-resolution widescreen displays, controls optimized for console controllers, new standalone content, new characters and classes, new voice sets, expanded character creation options, improved multiplayer functionality, redesigns of the UI and UX, bug fixes, balance changes and more. For complete breakdowns of the content available with each title, visit: https://www.beamdog.com/games/

“It’s such a pleasure to celebrate the 20th anniversary of one of the most legendary RPGs of all time, the original Baldur’s Gate, as well as the iconic games it inspired, by bringing these special enhanced editions to a new generation of players and platforms,” said Skybound Games CEO Ian Howe.

“It’s been nearly two decades since Baldur’s Gate was born from a D&D campaign between me and the game’s co-creators,” said Trent Oster, Beamdog CEO. “The longevity of this series and the games that followed has been both humbling and rewarding. Our team is thrilled to continue that tradition by finally making this wealth of amazing storytelling and gameplay available to everyone on modern consoles.”

Each game will also be available to purchase for digital download individually upon release through the PlayStation®Store, Xbox Games Store and Nintendo eShop.

About Skybound Games

Skybound Games is a division of Skybound Entertainment that publishes videogames and tabletop games, focusing on unique and exceptional independently developed IP. Skybound Games expanded into the videogames space in 2018, led by CEO Ian Howe. The current slate of games includes Slime Rancher by Monomi Park, Skullgirls by Lab Zero Games, and Death’s Gambit with Adult Swim Games and White Rabbit. Skybound Games also took ownership of Telltale’s The Walking Dead in October 2018.

Tabletop games include The Grimm Forest with James Hudson and Druid City Games, Pitchstorm with Ben Kepner, and Superfight and Red Flags with Jack Dire.

Skybound Games can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

About Beamdog

Beamdog is a Canadian video games studio located in Edmonton, Alberta. Founded by veteran game developers Trent Oster and Cameron Tofer, Beamdog has grown into one of the largest game studios in Alberta. Beamdog creates compelling game experiences for our fans, wherever they choose to play. Since 2009, our team of artists, designers and developers have crafted original content and engineered enhanced editions of classic games. We’re best known for bringing beloved Dungeons & Dragons role-playing games like Baldur’s Gate and Planescape: Torment back to life on desktop and tablets. Visit our website, www.beamdog.com, for more details.


Article by Susan N.

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Blazing Beaks - Switch Review

Blazing Beaks is quite the experience. A rogue-like dungeon crawls filled with perilous enemies, hidden doors, weapon shops, and…ducks?

Blazing Beaks is a “duck based rogue-like”, as much as that tells you. Is there a plot? Technically that is a game mode, but no, there’s no real “story” per se. You, and up to three other people, can join together to traipse your way through randomly generated stages, picking up treasure, fighting enemies, and beating bosses!

You have a number of different characters to choose from, each with their own perks, or demerits, as well as their own starting gun. These perks can include reducing max hp instead of killing you on hit, or exchanging firing range for damage. As you blow up enemies, you can collect gold and items, such as abilities or passive skills. Be warned though, as not all passive skills are good. In fact, a lot of them are pretty awful. One beautiful example is “another player with the least health cannot shoot”. So why pick them up? Well, you can sell them for other, more legitimate items once you reach a shop. In a shop you can also buy a new gun or revive a teammate at the expense of health.

There is a bit of a drawback to this however, as each floor is a single room and there is no backtracking, so if you pick up a really horrendous skill and instead of a shop you get a boss? Well, have fun with that! I can tell you from experience, going into a boss fight with “reduced accuracy” was extremely painful. Each debuff item you pick up has a rating that will tell you how much it’s worth to trade in, and some may outweigh their risks to carry, while other just aren’t worth it.

The bulk of what I really love about Blazing Beaks is how fun it is to play with a partner. This is compounded by the fact that the game can actually be pretty annoying by yourself at times. Bosses can feel like a slog, and early levels aren’t all that enjoyable the twentieth time around, if not for the effect a buddy can have. Guns can also be really hit or miss, but most of the stating guns feel really “miss”, which makes the first couple of floors a bit of a tough sled as you repeat them over and over until you can manage to buy a decent weapon at the shop.

There are tournament and seeded modes available, where you can engage in party mode type games or spec your dungeon run to your own desires. The party games are mostly what you’d expect, a form of capture the flag, a deathmatch, a single randomized weapon for all players, a spear that you throw and have to pick up, and a heart dropping match. You can also put it on shuffle, which is pretty nice.

The art style is pretty retro feel, although all the bird based characters look pretty hilarious, and the music is… well, I can’t recall it offhand, which means it wasn’t bad, but wasn’t all that good either. I did sit down and play it for about three straight hours with a friend though, so that’s definitely saying something. Unfortunately, the game is rather “short”, and there isn’t a whole lot of depth to it. That being said, it’s a real quack up of a game, and you’d best check it out if you’re looking for some multiplayer games for your switch and are into rogue-likes. It’s a fine-feathered time.

Game Information

Platform:
Nintendo Switch
Developer(s):
Applava
Publisher(s):
QubicGames
Genre(s):
Action
Mode(s):
Single Player
Multiplayer
Other Platform(s):
PC

Source:
Provided by Publisher

Article by Richard

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Celebrating Summer of Pride on Twitch

SAN FRANCISCO – May 30, 2019 – Summer of Pride, a season-long streaming celebration of LGBTQIA+ games, developers, and streamers, kicks off tomorrow on the MidBoss Twitch channel. MidBoss, developer of the inclusive cyberpunk adventure 2064: Read Only Memories, will host a month-long festival putting the spotlight on queer games and content creators. Throughout the month, streamers will play games with LGBTQIA+ themes and storylines, sharing and celebrating queer narratives through the lens their own personal experiences as members of the LGBT community.

Summer of Pride will feature Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator, Life is Strange, Undertale, Night in The Woods, The Yawhg, Heaven Will Be Mine, and Ticket to Earth alongside the previously announced Gone Home, Tacoma, 2064: Read Only Memories, Another Lost Phone, and many more. The list of games has been curated to featuring a variety of perspectives through high-quality representation of queer characters and storylines.

Nikatine, Deere, and SuperxInvader will join popular content creator 8-Bit Dylan in streaming the games. These and other LGBT streamers will share their perspectives, discussing queer and other diverse content creators’ place in the gaming community alongside the importance of diverse representation in media.

“We’ve been able to organize an amazing event by working with people and companies who are just as passionate about promoting LGBT voices and stories as we are," said Cade Peterson, interim CEO, MidBoss. “Now that summer and Pride season have finally arrived, we hope to see a big turnout for the celebration.”

A full list of games, streamers, and the schedule is available now on the Summer of Pride website. For more info, follow the MidBoss Twitter and blog.

About MidBoss

Based out of San Francisco (although not the Neo kind), MidBoss aims to make the world better, safer and more inclusive for marginalized people, especially those across the gender and sexuality spectrum, by creating cool experiences through games and other forms of media which diversify representation, as well as becoming a platform for queer content around the world.

To learn more about MidBoss visit the studio’s official website, Twitter, and blog.


Article by Susan N.

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The Forbidden Arts - Second PC Preview

Having already taken a look at The Forbidden Arts early last year, I’ve recently had the chance to re-load it under a massive update that while feeling familiar to what I played last year, is almost a fully different title. Keeping with the 2D action platformer, various updates both mechanically and visually make it feel brand new as StingBot Games continues its journey to completion.

Game Information

Platform:
PC
Developer(s):
Stingbot Games, Inc.
Publisher(s):
Stingbot Games, Inc.
Genre(s):
Action
Adventure
Mode(s):
Single Player
Other Platform(s):
Consoles on launch

Source:
Provided by Publisher

Article by Pierre-Yves

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