Assassins Creed Odyssey - Review

 

Feels like ages since I put fingers to keys and wrote a review, but it is no surprise considering the length of Assassins Creed Odyssey. Like a moth to a flame I play all the Assassins Creed games even though I know the chances are that I am going to be left burnt. Be that as it may I saw a sale on some Ubisoft titles, low and behold there was Assassins Creed Odyssey for less than €20, what did I have to lose?

I like a bit of pasta from time to time, it's a great meal to have when you are feeling a little lazy. A handy one I get are the Jamie Oliver pasta dishes (see below). They are okay in a bind but honestly no matter how I cook them there always feels like there is too much and it does not always leave the most satisfying taste in my mouth but it's passable. Being honest, each time I finish it I am left thinking why did I get this again. Playing Assassins Creed Odyssey I found myself asking was this the perfect amount of pasta or too much and when all is said and done did I enjoy it.

Story

The story starts with a young boy named Alexios and his baby sister Kassandra on top of a mountain in Sparta. Present are their mother and father, priests say they must both die under Spartan Law, in a blink of eye both of them disappear into the abyss. A pretty dark start to the game, but luckily and by some miracle they survive. 

The game gives you the choice to play as either Alexios or Kassandra. The story sees you work as mercenary and as time progresses you start focusing on getting back to Sparta and finding your family, while trying to find out why this all happened. 

The game allows decision making in the game, sadly with most non-RPG games that try this, few of your decisions really make a difference until closer to the end of the game. It was a nice option but felt a little tacked on and with there being nine endings that is a lot of replaying.

While there are some interesting side missions (which there are plenty of) the main campaign felt overly long. Each main mission has sub missions, then even those can have sub missions. Everything feels way longer than it needs to be and the pay off just isn't worth it.

Ubisoft have really moved away from the Assassins and Templars story which is really disappointing, while there are some elements of it in the game they have to be hunted for, which seems wrong to me. For sometime now Assassins Creed games are released annually and while there are changes made it feels more about making a quick buck than making a high quality story driven game. Overall the are some fun elements in the story but there is a lot of fat that could have been trimmed.

 

Visuals

While the game certainly has its flaw the visuals are not one of them. The game looks vibrant, smooth and beautiful. The markets and streets you pass through look and feel alive. The ancients ruins and huge statues are awe inspiring and to date is the most visually stunning game in the series.

One of my favorite parts of the was actually any enemy strongholds, they feel more built up than before, yielding crates, clothes, animals and other miscellaneous items. Overall the visuals help create a very organic environment and help make it one of, if not the strongest element of the game.

Music

The soundtrack has a very Moroccan feel to it, this is not too surprising as the first few games in the series had this feel and as the game is set before many of the others in the series it feels like a call back to humble beginnings. The composers are UK Duo The Flight responsible for the scores of both Horizon Zero Dawn and the DLC Horizon Zero Dawn Frozen Horizons and Dark Futures.

The soundtrack offers over two hours of music, some of my favorite tracks included; Legend of Eagle Bearer, The 300, The Assassins Creed, Atlantis, and A Spartans Fight.

Overall not a bad soundtrack but no where near as good as some of the others in the series.

Gameplay

There is a lot to get into with the gameplay, so let's dive right in. The combat is very different to other Assassins Creed games and a lot more robust. The fighting is robust, feeling not too simplistic and not too tough. There is an array of weapons including swords, staffs, axes and bows, special shout to Ikaros. If you take on one to three enemies it is okay, anymore than that and things can go south quickly. To help combat that you can unlock special abilities which, apart from looking great when used, can help take down even the strongest of enemies. While using RPG elements were so-so the combat ones were great, level up your character, unlock new abilities and access to gear.

You can climb anywhere with ease, you can even climb a giant Greek statue and hang from his cheek - sadly his wiener is a no-hang area.

Leveling up is fun, killing an enemy, discovering a new area, building - like an RPG the game encourages and rewards exploration which is good as the world of Odyssey is massive. I finished the game at level fifty-two but you can now go all the way up to level ninety-nine. If you are willing to put it in a little effort you will level up pretty quick.

Each time you level up you are able to raise the level of your weapons and gear. Essentially if you love a weapon or some gear you can keep it for the whole game and just keep leveling it up. In my case I got the Ezio gear and kept leveling it up. Be warned it will cost you a ton of resources.

Similar to the last few games there are plenty of ship battles, meaning plenty of upgrading which to be fair can be a lot of fun. That being said it feels nowhere as fun as the Black Flag battles which is a shame. 

There are; side missions, bounty missions and player story created missions. Side mission comprise of a lot fetch quests and assassinations which can usually be completed pretty quickly, especially if you have unlock a lot of fast travel points. Bounty missions are limited mission where you can unlock special materials for upgrading or purchasing weapons. Player created story missions are okay but the only ones I found useful were the ones aimed at farming for materials and experience points.

The biggest new feature in the game are the mercenaries, think of them like the stars in GTA, they can be paid off but leaving them at the highest bounty can be fun if not hard. Each tier you wipe out gives you added benefits so is worth spending a little time on them. A lot of them you will naturally run into while exploring, getting the drop on them later is definitely the way to go as fighting a few at the same time is like taking on an army. 

Overall the gameplay is solid and there are some interesting additions that were not in previous games. A few minor issues with the gameplay but nothing crazy.

Final Thoughts

So, after fifty hours, which easily felt like a hundred, how did I feel? Relieved.  The story is okay and while there were some interesting points the story was far too drawn out. The visuals were fantastic and helped dilute some of the not so great elements in the game. The music is okay but not the most memorable soundtrack to date. The gameplay is pretty solid and offers a lot for players, overall very few notable issues. Overall the game is a little lack luster, the story could have benefitted to be shorter, the visuals were amazing, soundtrack was okay and the gameplay was pretty good. Overall this one gets a not so exciting 3 out of 5

Senran Kagura: Estival Versus - Review

 

I recently finished playing Tamsoft's ( published by Marvelous Entertainment) Senran Kagura Bon Appetit on the PS Vita which I found to be a lot of silly fun and parts even reminded me a bit of some side quests in the Yakuza series. Naturally, I was curious about the rest of the series and have been on a PS Vita kick so decided to try Senran Kagura: Estival Versus.

I like KitKats, they are simple and satisfying. They always remind me of being sick when I was young, seemed to have them along with some Lucozade. Over course my grandmother likes to remind me that when I was still in a pram I used to ask for 'Pussy Chocolate' (yeah, I know). The other day I tried a new type of KitKat, salted caramel with popcorn. KitKat good, salted caramel alright, popcorn why not. I thought I would like it, I wanted to like it, but I just could not get into it, maybe there were too many flavors, perhaps I don't have a refined enough palette. All I know is that I was not pushed on it and wished I had got a regular KitKat. Playing Senran Kagura: Estival Versus I found my asking was this as tasty as a regular KitKat or had I accidentally ate a salted caramel one with popcorn?

Story

For an anime and video games series which is relatively speaking light hearted the story in Estival Versus is quite dark. Shinobi girls of Hebijo Clandestine Girls Academy are mourning a loss of an older sister.  This is tough enough but then a portal opens that transport them along with there allies and enemies to a an after life of sorts that allows them to see the dead as they remember them. The story is filled with a lot of emotion, drama and coming to terms with loss. 

There is of course the naughty humor that is to be expected from the Senran Kagura series but as whole there is very much a downbeat feeling. Overall the story is deep and though out but for me lacked the lightheartedness of Bon Appetit.

 

Visuals

The PS Vita version of the game visually speaking is not a million miles away from the PlayStation 4. The beach levels are bright and vibrant and feel good, some of my favorite missions were set in the winter resort areas, it felt like Christmas and there were snowman littered around the level. The characters look pretty solid and the only time things go a little sideways is when the characters are moving a lot as they can look a little low quality.

Overall the visuals are pretty good for a PS Vita game, the anime sequences look great as do the visual novel segments. The only draw back visually speaking are the some of the fighting sequences.

Music

The soundtrack is pretty upbeat feature guitars riffs-a-plenty fused together with oriental instruments. Some of the music brought to mind music from Metal Slug and many anime series. The three Japanese composers responsible for the soundtrack have work on a number of video game and anime series. The composers are; Tatsushi Hayashi (Queen's Blade, Stein's Gate, Revival Prophecy), Akihi Motoyama (Oneechanbara, Hyperdimenion Neptunia U, Gun Gun Pixies), and Mutsumi Ishimura (Quora Q-3,  Hyperdimenion Neptunia U, Gun Gun Pixies).

The soundtrack provides around an hour of music, the stand out tracks for me were; 'It's Summer!', 'Great To See You Here!', 'Get Heated Up!', 'Come On', 'Chatting With The Usual Friends', 'Peacefulness Right By Your Side' and 'Shopping Spree'. Overall that soundtrack isn't bad but did not get me that excited. 

Gameplay

The game is a brawler, lots of enemies and a few bosses is the set up for most missions. The fighting is fairly in depth, having a lot moves to learn and unlock. The initial levels you will get away with just bashing buttons but as you progress this tactic will fail. Each character has a Shinobi transformation which shows the character naked (apart from one or two sensitive spots) and a ninja scroll will appear from between their breast, butt or, well, another place. These transformation are quite powerful and let you carry out special moves which in some cases can half a bosses health. 

Each character has their own look and style along with their own weapon. All character can be upgraded simply by playing with them. The game is clearly designed to be played multiple times as I finished each character at around levels fifteen to twenty. The more you level up a character the better they get. 

Out outside of the main story mode there are also side missions for each of the characters. These can be unlocked by moving through the main story along with destroying shrines.

Shopping! There is a lot to buy and unlock in the shop, from outfits and accessories, to music and gallery art. There is also a shrine you can exchange tokens to unlock more items.

Overall the gameplay is pretty solid with no real complaints, it features RPG style elements pushing to level up, earn more rewards and try to unlock everything.

Final Thoughts

So, after nearly thirty hours of playing how did I feel? Undecided. The story itself has a lot to it but was almost too serious in some ways and in some ways wish they had focused more on the comedy. The visuals are pretty solid and only really fail when it comes to fast moving combat. The music is okay but is nothing stand out. The gameplay is pretty solid and has a lot of depth to it. I think when it comes down to it the game just didn't do it for me personally but as a whole is hard to criticize, this one gets a 3 out of 5

Yakuza 4 Remastered - Review

 

I'm a pretty big fan of the Yakuza series, especially since it was remastered with the release of Yakuza 0. Each year around Christmas time I end up playing one of them, this year it is Yakuza 4 (will likely play Yakuza 5 as well). While I try not to read about the plot or gameplay before I play a Yakuza game I knew going in this time there would be four playable characters. I previously enjoyed playing Kiryu and Majima, but would be four a little too much?

I like many things about Japanese culture and like to try and embrace it when I get the chance. When myself and Nollsy visited London a few years ago went to a Benihana which was an awesome experience. Tried a selection of sake which was really nice. A couple of months ago I saw these awesome sake glasses and had to have them. My better half got me two bottles, tried both and I have to say I did not like them. I asked myself was it just a lower quality than I had tried or was I simply swept up in my time in London and anything would have taste good. Playing Yakuza 4 I found myself asking was this a lower tasting quality or was I just not into it?

Story

There are four playable characters in the game; Kiryu Kazuma, retired legendary Yakuza now running the Morning Glory orphanage, Masayoshi Tanimura, a police detective who has a problem with authority and playing by the rules, Taiga Saejima, in prison for the last 25 years after a hit gone wrong, and Shun Akiyama, a very unique loan shark who doesn't believe in his clients paying any interest on their loans. What connects all these characters together, a mystery woman who everyone seems to want to find.

The game is split into four parts (one for each character), set over four chapters each. The stories independently are interesting and in the final chapters all the stories converge revealing something much bigger going on.

As always with Yakuza it has sub stories for each character to play, the only downside is that while there were some zany missions it felt a bit more serious than normal.

Overall the story is pretty good and while having extra characters was interesting at times it was a bit too much of a distraction from the main narrative. I did feel once Kiryu became playable the story did heat up quite a bit and was more interesting.

Visuals

The visuals are pretty good in the game, and with the addition of new areas like the rooftop, hidden ally town, underground, car parks you get to enjoy another level of Kamarucho never seen before. At night the game seems more moody than in previous, a large part of this I feel are due to the lighting effects. One of my favorite parts visually was running around when it was raining, the effects look so good.

When playing as Taiga Saejima you get to explore a prison which was a bit different and very reminiscent of A Way Out (due to just having played it). The other characters tread familiar ground but as Kamarucho has been upgraded even more it never gets dull to look at.

Overall some great visuals, and see a game remastered after ten years really does breath new life into Kamarucho.

Music

The soundtrack has that classic Yakuza feel, with some extra guitars and a blend of both smooth jazz that on occasions gets pretty intense and gave me a feeling of being pulled down. The soundtrack is created by Yakuza series veteran Hidenori Shoji who also worked on Judgement and Fighting Vipers.

The soundtrack provides over three hours worth of music and around seventy tracks. My favorite tracks include: 'Roarless Dragon', 'Glee', 'Funny', 'Whiskey and Rhapsody', 'Spicy Brass Squid', 'Speed Star', 'Material Delights', and 'So Hot Ping Pong'.

Overall a pretty classic Yakuza soundtrack with a little extra added on top to keep it fresh.

Gameplay

The four playable characters have very different playstyles; Akiyama is pretty agile and his punch and kicks do a decent amount damage, Tanimura has a play style very close to that of Yagami in Judgment and Lost Judgement, very fast and has a great counter block technique. Then there is Saejima, who hands down is the worst (combat wise), he is painfully slow, his moves when they connect are strong but even his defense is not great. The first boss you take on as him nearly broke me as I felt like I wasn't fighting more dodging a lot and then occasionally making contact. Kiryu is hands down the best fighter by far and incorporates the best elements of the others.

Each character can level up and get orbs, these are used to increase skills, it does not take a lot to level up as long as you don't avoid battles and engage in other activities.

Weapons feel like they have more focus on them this time, there a lot of weapons to be made, upgraded and broken. It was fun to try but still like using my body to do my fighting. 

Like with the other Yakuza games there are slew of sub stories, some are fun but other feel like a bit more of a chore especially the hostess missions which every character has and is quite costly. I really do wish they would bring back the hostess club game where you could manage the whole thing.

There are a ton of mini games, my favorite being table tennis, there is also; batting cage, mahjong, shogi, karaoke, arcade machines, fishing, UFO grabber and more. There is more than enough to fill your time whether you just want the experience points, looking for trophies or just want a break from the main story.

Overall the gameplay is pretty good, the only thing that lets it down really is a certain characters fighting style, and some sub stories not having the fun quality Yakuza fans are used to seeing from the series.

Final Thoughts

So after close to thirty hours how did  I feel? Not bad. The story is pretty good but as they sometimes to many chefs spoil the broth and while the inclusion of new characters was interesting four felt like too many playable characters especially for a game which traditionally has had just one. The remastering real brought the visuals up another level, and added to an extra layer to Kamarucho. The soundtrack is what we have come to expect from the series but Shoji has got lazy and added some new elements. The gameplay is pretty solid but again the extra characters do slightly water things down especially Saejima or maybe his enemies were just not as well balanced. Overall the game wasn't bad but can only give this one 3 out of 5

Punchline - Review

 

The PlayStation Vita for me is probably the best handheld console, it has a huge array of games, the console looks good and feels good. I sometimes forget about it for a while but always find myself coming back to it. One game I have been curious to play for a while is Punchline a game based on an Anime, although I had not watched the series my interest had been peaked by the few trailers for the game I had watched. With a little help from my friend Ivan he helped me get a hold of a copy.

While I first came to Ireland there were two things I really enjoyed eating Kimberly Biscuits and drinking Red Lemonade. Within a year I had got bored of these due to overeating and overdrinking. About a decade ago I tried a Chocolate Kimberly, they were amazing, but before I got to fully try more they were gone, if only there had been more left. Playing Punchline I found myself asking had I got into the game too late? And unlike Chocolate Kimberly's I could not just go out and buy more.

Story 

The game has you take on role of Yuta, who already suffering with difficulties of being a teenage boy finds his soul pushed out of his body. As if that was not already enough you are some how connected with an asteroid on a course to destroy the planet. On top of this you have restricted movement and are stuck in Korai House with a punch of girls, who if you see their panties brings about the destruction of the world. Luckily you have Chiranosuke, the spirit of a dead cat.

The story has some odd pacing, the first ten-twelve episodes have a calm well paced approached, the final eight or nine have so much packed in them it can be a lot to process. It feel likes a different writer took over part way through, or they felt the game needed to be shorter and rushed the remaining episodes.

Overall the story is pretty good, and while it has some obvious sexual innuendo there is a lot more on offer besides it. If you look passed some of the unusual pacing and are into anime this one is worth look.

Visuals

I really love the combination of anime sequences combined with some great visual set pieces. Almost the whole game is set around the house, there a multiple rooms, each with personality as big as their occupants. Korai House is like a quaint guest house, if you ignore all the crazy goings on. I can't really decide my favorite aspect visually as while each room and character are all different it all feels like one strange happy family.

The Vita does a great job of representing the game visually and comparing it to the PlayStation 4 version there is very little different. Overall some great vibrant visuals which made the game more like watching an Anime series rather than playing one.

Music

The soundtrack is light-hearted, wacky, fun and has a sweetness to it you only get from Anime. The soundtrack was created by talented Japanese composer Tetsuya Komuro, who also did the music for Persona 4 Dancing All Night, and Gaball Screen. He also has large back catalog of music.

The soundtrack runs well over and hour and features almost fifty tracks. Some of my favorite tracks included:

'Strange Juice (Action)'

'Nervous'

'State of Tension'

'Sacred Thing'

'Invisible Fear'

'Comical (Up)'

'The Cheeromancy Song'

'Justice Punch, Here We Go'

Overall a fun soundtrack that really suited the game!

Gameplay

The gameplay is interesting a different from others games I have played before. Yuta is a spirit and by scaring people in the house he can become a stronger spirit. Essentially you need to find clues, set up tricks of a sort and then get them to play out. Put things in the wrong order, game over, look at panties for too long game over. The latter is easier to take, the former not so much. Chiranosuke, will tell you vaguely what you need to do, as expected the earlier tricks are easy to pull off and get a lot harder. While this is only natural I was left scratching my head from time to time as I could not see how something would work out so ended up setting things up incorrectly.

For the first half of the game each episode is set into two phases, scare people in the house to get your spirit level up, and then set up a trick and execute it correctly. That is until after episode twelve where some require you to answer questions or simply watch the story. It was interesting but like with the story is jarring as the gameplay is consistent and then changes abruptly.

There are are multiple endings but only decisions made in the second part of the story, and even those seem a little odd the way they play out. 

Overall the gameplay is okay but rather than switch gears part way through you have a hand break pulled at 90MPH.

Final Thoughts

So, after fifteen hours plus how did I feel?  Not bad, there were ups and downs for sure. The story can be good but could use some better pacing to not feel as rushed in places. The visuals and music I liked a lot and felt like I was playing and watching an anime at times. The gameplay and story share a similar problem in that the pacing feels a little off at times. All in all not a bad experience but a few different editing choices could have made this game much better, this one gets 3 out of 5

A Way Out - Review

 

I have been considering playing A Way Out by Swedish studio Hazelight for a long while, what put me off originally from playing it was there being no choice but to play the game in Co-Op. While I like a little Co-Op I also like the freedom to choose. Recently saw it on sale in the PlayStation Store and my partner in crime Nollsy said she would love to give it a go, and give it a go we did.

Anyone that knows me knows I like a bit of spice, a bit heat if you will. One day someone suggested Wasabi Coated Peanuts and I thought yeah sounds good. They were not. There is heat there but is so intense it feels like battery acid was running down the back of my throat. I like heat, I really do, but this no. Playing A Way Out I found myself asking was this just simply not to my taste or was it truly something that burns the back my throat?

Story

The game starts with Leo and Vincent in prison, not exactly friends and not exactly enemies. They are working together to try and break out of prison and take revenge on the man who wronged them both. The story is split into bite size chapters, and the whole game can be finished in one decent sitting. Throughout the game you will be able to make choices as to whether to do things Leo's way (direct and often aggressive) or Vincent's (diplomatic, stealthy). 

While I enjoyed (for the most part) my journey of getting to know and Leo and Vincent the end section was a bit of deal breaker. There was a kid when I going to school who decided swallowing a holly leaf was a good idea (spoiler alert it wasn't) and it stuck in the back of throat. The discomfort level must have been extreme. My feeling towards the ending left me feel in discomfort.

Visuals

The art style used in the game is quite unique providing some both a detailed and simplistic look. The characters are the simplistic element, as you can see in the image above the are details to both characters but look like they are missing a bit of polish. The back drops and many of the objects are a lot more detailed. The look and feel of the prison was one of my favorite areas it felt like an old prison, the kind the brought back memories of Escape From Alcatraz staring Clint Eastwood.

Overall the visuals are one of the strong elements of the game and would be interested to see more games in this art style.

Music

There is certainly a moody and reflective sound conjured mostly by guitars and banjos and suits the game exceptionally well. The composer behind the soundtrack are; Gustaf Grefberg (The Darkness, Wolfenstein: New Order, Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons) and Sam Hulick (Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition, Mass Effect 1-3).

The soundtrack run at around thirty minutes and while that may not sound like a lot, sometimes that is all the time needed. There is no wasted second and with a soundtrack like this all tracks are my favorite. Overall the soundtrack is short but very sweet.

Gameplay

It's all about teamwork, there is no lone wolfing it, Vincent and Leo (Barry and Nolls) need each other every step of the way. The gameplay is pretty linear, but that's okay. There are so many great examples of teamwork throughout the game: one that occurs earlier on is you are both trying to escape your cells, one of you stands guard while the others tries to unscrew and remove the toilet in their cell and then vice versa - it is tense, really tense but great, there will be many moments like this throughout the game.

The only real let down gameplay wise is when shooting, the weapons don't feel great, aim is sloppy and a headshot is not as effective as it should be.

Overall the gameplay for at least 70%-80% is pretty good but some poor shooting mechanics drag it down a bit.

Final Thoughts

So, after just over six hours how did I/we feel? So, so. The story has some great parts to it but the ending really lets it down, offering only two ending, one as bad as the other. The visuals are interesting and would like to see other games with the same art style. Music was solid as a rock and could not have been any better. The gameplay for a large portion of the game but unfortunately, like the story it really lets itself down. Overall this one gets a 3 out of 5

Monster Hunter World - Review

 

Capcom's Monster Hunter series is that one that has always seemed overwhelming to me. It takes hours upon hours just to get down the basics and that is just for basic combat with one weapon. Most players say they have spent hundreds of hours playing. Those that can get through the first part of the slog can end up loving it, others it makes them want to pull their hair out. Ivan a friend from work (shout out) told me what I heard about the games is true, and he also he told me the worst thing about it is that once I start playing I might not be able to stop.

I was never a fan of prawns growing up, they did not seem to have much taste and the texture felt odd in my mouth. Over time I stopped eating them, until a number of years ago. I love Chinese food but if I am hungry won't take a risk and will go for something I have eaten before. One day I had a hankering for Chinese and was not super hungry so I took the opportunity to try something different. I can't tell you why but decided to go for a garlic prawn dish. It was amazing and from that day on I never ignored prawn dishes on the menu. Playing Monster Hunter World I found myself asking was this really for me or did I just need to give it more time?

Story

The game has you take on the role of a silent protagonist, who along with many other people wants to travel to the New World and hunt monsters the size of buildings. Monsters have already existed in the world but things have started to get out of control and it all seems to be coming from this place dubbed The New World. The main story is to discover what's causing things to go crazy and put a stop to it.

While there is a lot of lore in the Monster Hunter Series, Monster Hunter World does a good job of not being too top-heavy about the lore or story, which is great for someone entering the series for the first time. Similar to Final Fantasy XV the game is for new fans and old alike which I thought was a really great move.  

There are many characters you get to interact with within the game, most of them will be giving you missions. While you don't get much back story for any of the characters there is not a need to as their personalities shine through, which ordinarily may come across as lazy but in Monster Hunter World it really doesn't. 

Overall the story is interesting and while may not be the most in-depth is a great way for new players to get into the series without feeling overwhelmed. 

Visuals

The visuals are really interesting in Monster Hunter World, for example, the Headquarters is made up of old ships used in interesting ways to create a sort of town, even though it sounds like it should be like a shanty town it really doesn't, it feels warm and inviting. This is a good thing as being out in the rest of the world will not be quite as inviting. There are a handful of areas in the games each quite large and vastly different from the others. My favorite was probably The Ancient Forest as not only is it the first area you start in but it manages to combine lush jungle with beautiful rivers and a small barren area, almost like the Iceland of Monster Hunter World (apart from lack of volcanoes, which I am fine with). The Meowscualr Chef has one of the most fun visual sequences in the game and I loved doing missions for him so I could see new ones.

Each area has multiple levels to traverse meaning there is not only a lot to explore but helps it feel more organic. While each area can feel a little daunting at times there are plenty of things to help you along the way and at the end of the day, exploration is important. Overall the visuals look great and would be curious to try the game on PlayStation 5 and see how it compares.

Music

A soundtrack this large is hard to sum up in a few sentences but I will try. There are two very distinct tones in the games - peaceful pipes and orchestra for the moments of calm (which there can be a lot of) and then the full-on clash of orchestral instruments that are the sound for battles - the more intense the battle, the more intense the music. 

The soundtrack was created by Japanese composers; Tadayoshi Makino (Dragon's Dogma, Final Fantasy XV, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Monster Hunter Series), Zhenlan Kang (Devil May Cry 5, Monster Hunter World Iceborne, Resident Evil 2), Akihiko Narita (Monster Hunter 2, Devil May Cry 4, Resident Evil 5 & 6), Yuko Komiyama (Rockman X7, Megaman X (1-8 Collection), Kingdom Hearts 3), Masato Kouda (Dungeons and Dragons Shadows Over Mystara, Marvel Vs Capcom Clash Of Super Heros, Devil May Cry 2, Wild Arms the Vth Vanguard). Between them, they have a wealth of experience and shines through in the soundtrack.

The soundtrack is close to four hours in length (which doesn't include the Iceborne DLC). It is hard to name my favorite tracks, but if I had to they would be; 'Main Theme', 'Prologue', 'Corner Stone Of The New World Astera', 'Meowscular Chef's Custom Platter', 'Ancient Forest: Small Monster Abound', 'Even Elder Dragons Tremble - Nergigante', 'Dancer In The Coral Highlands', and 'The Shadows Upon The Tempest: Kushala Daora'.

Overall a solid soundtrack that helps bring the world to life and makes me curious to listen to the Iceborne DLC soundtrack as well.

Gameplay

There is a lot to talk about gameplay-wise and will do my best to give a broad take on all of it. Let's go for some basics, character outfits and armor. The aim of the game is to kill monsters, obtain materials, and craft better gear. Armor is a huge part of that, there are multiple skill trees for armor all with their own positives and negatives depending on which monster you might be taking on. Don't get attached to one set of armor, you will end up having a few types, and that's okay. Getting to top-tier armor (post-end game) will require grinding but never really feels like a chore.

Weapons, there are a lot of them. Depending on what kind of monster you are taking on and what kind of weapon feels right for you there will be a lot of experimenting. So the review doesn't go on for pages I will discuss the two weapons that worked for me. The hammer was my primary weapon for seventy percent of the game, it breaks bones and if you don't mind taking the risk smashing a monster skull is a great way to put it down quick, the downside is that if you mess up a few times you are finished. The great sword was my secondary weapon and by the end of the game became my favorite. It is heavy like the hammer but is great a cutting off body parts and doing a lot of critical damage. Each weapon has a lot of moves unique to it and will take time to get the hang of each one.

Everyone's adventure is better with a companion - enter Palicos. Cat-like creatures that stand on two legs and meow a lot. Initially, I did not put much stock in them but as the game went on they can be a great distraction in battle, especially as you can craft weapons and armor for them. I think if I had put more focus on them earlier in the game it may have made things easier (but who wants easy?).

Food glorious food! Food is a big part of the game, you can cook your own food (peasant), eat at camp or eat at the canteen in the headquarters, which was my preferred place. Eating before every mission helps buff your character and as the game goes on you will need it. 

The monsters themselves vary hugely, each has its own tactics, early in the game you might get away with swinging wild but later on that just won't cut it. In the beginning, large enemies filled me with anxiety but as the game progressed I found myself saying 'bring it on'.

There are a ton of quests; optional, research, investigations, and more. It is great to have the max amount of them at all times as you will end up completing a lot of them when doing other missions so works well. 

The big issue I had is with the multiplayer aspect, the game can be played solo but works better with more people. My partner in crime, the light of my life, and now my wife, Nolls, decided to play with me. The problem is that if you are not at exactly the same point in the story you can't play together - you both have to have played a mission through all of the cutscenes, before you can jump into each others games and take on monsters together. This was frustrating as it meant one of us was often waiting for the other to catch up, and if either of us progressed at all without the other, they'd have to catch up again. The multiplayer option seems to work okay with the optional missions which are great but feel they could have made it easier to play the main campaign together. Multiplayer isn't difficult in most games that facilitate it, so why is this game, which is designed to be enjoyed with friends, able to manage a better multiplayer experience? Nolls ultimately gave up because it was frustrating, so I finished the main campaign alone. She's still cool, though.

Overall the game can be a bit of a labor of love, if you aren't willing to put in at least forty to fifty hours forget about it.  The game doesn't drop your rank so not playing for a while won't put you at a disadvantage but realize if you commit to playing this you are going to lose a lot of hours.

Final Thoughts 

So after fifty-plus hours how did I feel? Like I am ready for more and will definitely look at downloading the Ice Bourne DLC. The story is solid and while it's not the most in-depth is great for new players to the series. The visuals are great and the backdrops vary hugely so you never get bored of the surroundings. It has a epic solid soundtrack, fun upbeat when it is safe, and intense when monsters hit the fan (or the blade, or your preferred weapon). There is a lot to do gameplay-wise and that might scare people but it is worth it if you give it the time, there are a few tweaks that definitely could be made but nothing game-breaking. My feeling towards the game changed massively from start to finish, but sitting back and really thinking about I can safely give this one 4 out of 5

Nier Replicant Ver.1.22474487139... - Review

 

I was eagerly awaiting the release of Nier Replicant Ver.1.22474487139... for a year. A decade ago I played the Western version of Nier, a story about a father trying to find the cure for a mysterious sickness known as the Black Scrawl for his daughter Yonah. The game was very much a hidden gem for me, I had not heard of it, but Square Enix was behind it and it was on special offer so thought why not give it a go? I played it and was blown away by it, the story, the characters, the world, everything about it. Naturally, a visually updated version of the game excited me, the only thing putting me off was this time you played as her brother not her father, and was unsure as to how this would translate and affect the story. 

It's easy to forget about Twix bars, two biscuity sticks topped with caramel and covered in chocolate (none of those one-finger versions for me). It ticks all the boxes for me, is great with tea, is great by itself, and has great chocolate to biscuit ratio, one Marvel villain might say it is perfectly balanced. Playing Nier Replicant Ver.1.224744877139... I found myself asking did this have the perfect amount of chocolate, biscuit, and caramel combined in the perfect way?

Story

The game has you play as the brother of Yonah, the character is never mentioned by name during the story. It is hard to be spoiler-free but will do my best. Early into the game, you find a magical book called Grimoire Weiss who potentially has the ability to save your sister from a disease known as the Black Scrawl. 

Similar to Sega's Yakuza series a lot of the fun or enjoyment of the game comes from the side quests. The game features over seventy and if you are like me you will want to complete them all. The side quests not only bring you to those who inhabit the world but also provide you with experience points, weapons, and materials.

The game has five endings which you can play in order. The new ending is called Ending E and while it takes a while to get there I felt was well worth it. 

Overall a fantastic journey and one that pulled on my heartstrings on more than a few occasions.

Visuals

The visuals in the original release on the XBOX 360 and PlayStation 3 were amazing, clear, crisp, and beautiful. Some of the lands have been reclaimed by nature and remnants of the old world are still visible. The desert area of the games shows how some areas faired worse than others. The lands you explore don't give you the full story of what happened but certainly make you ask questions. I really liked when you entered a building the front of it was cut off and became like a 2D sidescroller.

The remastered and up-to-date version improves on what was already very good. The visuals look really good on the PlayStation 4 Pro and have no doubt they would look even better on the PlayStation 5. The colours are more vibrant but still stay true to the aesthetic of the original release and make the world feel even deeper. With the addition of Ending E, there are new sequences never seen before which was really cool.

Overall the visuals are fantastic, take something with a solid foundation, refine it, throw in a little more colour and you have Nier Replicant Ver.1.22474487139... 

Music

The soundtrack is deeply emotional and touching, every piece of music has its place, the use of strings and piano is very poignant. Lead composer Keiichi Okabe described it best in an interview. " I always conveyed the tragic fates that the protagonist and characters are burdened with". The soundtrack is composed by Japanese Composers Keiichi Okabe (Drakengard 3, Tekken Series and Final Fantasy IV Gladiolus Episode), Kakeru Ishihama (Drakengard 3, Tekken 6), and Keigo Hoashi (Drakengard 3, Nier Automata), along with the original release of Nier in 2010.

The soundtrack has been remastered and some tracks are slightly different from the original release back in 2010. The new versions of the soundtrack are really good and rather than rewrite the original soundtracks instead just brings it to the next level. 

The soundtrack is over two hours in length, listening to it I never felt it was just backing for the game but an integral part of it. It is hard to choose my favorite pieces of music from the game as they all carry so much importance. Here are the pieces I like putting on repeat:

Snow In Summer

Cold Steel Coffin

Gods Bound By Rules

Ultimate Weapon

Yonah (Piano Version)

The Dark Colossus Destroys All 

Kaine (Escape)

Shadowlord's Castle

Emil (Karma)

Ashes Of Dreams

Overall the soundtrack is brilliant, without flaws, and similarly to Nier Automata, I will listen to it again and again.

Gameplay

There is a lot to get in with the gameplay so let's take it away. The more enemies you kill, the more experience you get and the stronger you get. Essentially you can pass the game on Easy and Normal without too much struggle but for some enemies in the game, it certainly helps to be strong.

There are two types of weapons (kind of) in the game - first there is Weiss, your magic and wisdom spewing book. While it drains magic points it regenerates by itself so as long as you are careful you will never find yourself too stuck. As the game progress, you unlock new types of magic which makes combat a lot of fun. In the first half of the game, you can handle one-handed weapons, later you can handle spears and two-handed weapons. Each weapon can be upgraded and will take a lot of materials especially if you want to upgrade them all. Outside of these, you get drops in the forms of powerful words, these can increase your magic and melee weapons. Some help gets you more gold from enemies; better drops, more experience points, more magic damage, and more.

There are a lot of side quests and while you could do none of them they really add to everything. Outside of these, you can fish, which is a lot of fun, and feel improves over the original. Growing flowers, veggies and fruit is another fun pastime. 

Overall the gameplay is very solid, camera angles work well and the change in perspective during exploration and battles is really cool. 

Final Thoughts

So, after nearly eighty hours, how did I feel? Awesome. The story was amazing and perhaps even better than I remember, the new ending really helped round things out nicer and added more to the lore of the universe. The visuals were amazing and while the Nier Replicant world may not be the largest I never get bored of traversing it. The music is fantastic and easily stands out on its own and is one I will listen to many more times. The gameplay is improved and more solid than ever before and is a lot of fun. This one easily gets a 5 out of 5

Narita Boy - Review

 

Narita Boy is a game I have been excited to play since I first heard about it. The game was created by a small Spanish studio called Studio Koba, it was a Kickstarter backed project and published by Team 17.  The game has a very Tron-esque feel which I love as a fan myself. So, when I saw the game appear on the PlayStation Store I could not download it quick enough.

I really love good ol' steak sandwich and over the last two weeks I have had three of them (sounds like a lot when I type it). One of those steak sandwich's was served on a ciabatta roll, bit of salad, mixed peppers, garlic butter, my own little gravy boat filled with peppercorn sauce. It was a near perfect sandwich cooked to perfection. The only downside was that after a couple of bites the roll fell apart, not the end of the world but with something near perfect I think you judge it more harshly. Damn, I want some steak now. Playing Narita Boy I found myself asking was this a near perfect game?

Story

The game opens with a man behind a desk working on his computer, a red figure appears on the screen, it reaches out and knocks him unconscious. This man is The Creator of a Digital Kingdom and has lost some of his memories due to being attacked by a being called HIM. A protocol called Narita Boy is activated and you are teleported from the safety of your computer screen into this Digital Kingdom, your role; get back The Creators Memories and save the Kingdom.

The game has an amazing story and develops way beyond the meager paragraph I typed above.  Every memory of The Creator you unlock, every being you meet all add to the amazing world Studio Koba has created. I fear revealing any more of the story would ruin the experience for anyone who has not yet played it. In a nutshell the story is amazing and well worth playing just for that alone.

Visuals

I cannot say this enough, the visuals in Narita Boy blew me away! It is pixelated, looks retro and at the same time extremely sophisticated, there is so much detail that every part is like a work of art. The thermal baths and water areas were some of my favorite visually speaking, apart from being visually impressive they also feel alive as there are always beings go about their day, relaxing or thinking. The visuals not only create an amazing world but feel so good you really feel it is actually a real digital world.

Overall the visuals are wild and really cool, for any fans of pixel and retro art this is a must play.

Music

The game soundtrack has an old school video game sound, this should be no surprise as the music is comprised of synthwave and electronic music which works perfectly for a game set in the eighties. The sound moves between peaceful, contemplative, and urgency. The soundtrack is composed by Spanish composer, producer and sound designer Slavinsky.  He has a large musical repertoire and this comes out the longer I listed to the soundtrack. He is also the co-founder of Rimsky Music based in Barcelona.  

The soundtrack is jam packed with two and half hours of music. For me the whole soundtrack is gold, but there are some tracks that really stuck with me:

Narita Boy Theme

Narita One

Techno-Fathers Castle 

Techno Sword

Memory #1

Creator Tears

Black Rainbow

Synth-Sensei

Yellow City

Dragon

White Noise

The Glove 

Trichroma Sunset

Saving The World

Overall the soundtrack like the story and visuals are top notch and the soundtrack is easily in my top ten video games soundtrack played this year and of those games actually released this year top three.

Gameplay

The base line gameplay is side scrolling hack and slash, beyond this there are going to be a few puzzles to solve, secrets to reveal and a quite a bit of back and forth.

The game really starts when you collect your one weapon in the game the Techno Sword. As the game progresses you will unlock new moves, while some of them are really good for the most part I stuck to the same few as they always got the job done. Combat initially can feel a little clunky until you unlock shoulder basher and dodge. While the enemies do get tougher as the game unfolds it never felt unfair or impossible. The boss fights knock up the difficulty for sure but with the exception of the second last boss I did not struggle too much. 

There are three houses in the game; yellow, red and blue. Each one has it's own Legendary Buddy for you to unlock. Similar to other games you will take on enemies that are marked yellow, red or blue and you can switch your power ability to the appropriate one to make it easier to defeat them. Outside of this you can can unlock super moves that are handy later in the game when you have waves and waves of enemies to deal with.

The game will have you running back and forth across areas, each are relatively small so never felt monotonous to me. Every door needs a code or a floppy disk and you just need to speak with the right person or kill a particular enemy. 

There are two secret types of missions you can embark on, one is collecting fragments of floppy disk to unlock a hidden memory of The Creator. The other type of mission is to unlock additional abilities for your Legendary Buddies. The massive draw back for me was that I only paid full attention to this when I was onto the second house, sadly the game does not allow you to replay areas which is strange and there is no plus game either. It is not the end of the world but could have increased the enjoyment for many players, myself included.

Overall, the gameplay is pretty solid, a few tweaks here and there would have made it as impressive as the other elements of the game.

Final Thoughts

So, after around ten hours how did I feel? Pretty good. The story is solid, very interesting and really made me eager for more. The visuals blew me away, each area feel different from the last, each being extremely detailed but managing to maintain a retro pixelated feel. The music was sublime and is a great example of how important video game music is to a game. The gameplay was pretty solid, the only thing that really let it down was in the inability to replay areas meaning you have one chance to get everything. This one was pretty close to perfect and gets a well earned 4 out of 5

Genesis Noir - Review

 

I came across Genesis Noir (developed by Feral Cat Den and publish by Fellow Traveler) purely by accident. I was downloading Iron Harvest from XBOX Store, the art work caught my eye, watched the trailer and thought it looked interesting and decided to download.

Growing up, my brother suffered from hyper-activity meaning chocolate and sweets was a no no. There was Carob Chocolate in the house, which tastes about as much like chocolate as a bean burger tastes like a beef burger.  In place of that we had dates a lot at home, I really like them, a slight chew needed and a sweet honey like taste. The issue was that sometimes they came with stones in the middle, if you don't realize you will likely break a tooth or choke on it. Playing Genesis Noir I found myself asking was this a great alternative and did I need to be careful to watch out for the stone?

Story 

There are many layers to the cosmic journey that is Genesis Noir. The games sees you follow and direct No Man, who looks like a film noir detective who is trying to save the love of his life. Sounds simple enough story wise? Wrong. It is set before, after and during the big bang, across realities and alternative dimensions. There are many people he will meet along his journey and all need your help in someone way. When you enter the last few minutes of the game you will need to make a decision as to what the best, right or agreeable outcome.

Overall the story is very intriguing, the lack of talking means that a lot of things are inferred and/or interrupted some will find this frustration others will love it. While the story is both powerful, imaginative and philosophical that ending felt arbitrary and took away from the overall story.

Visuals

The art style used in the game is spectacular! The film noir style looks great and is certainly nothing like I have seen before. While the game is mostly in black and white, the colour filled sections are really powerful and have a lot of emotion connected with them. I really liked the comic book style panels in certain chapters that are mirror over and over creating a surreal experience.

Overall the visuals cannot be faulted and unlike the story which ends up tapering off this never occurs with the visuals.

Music

The soundtrack is jazztastic! Mostly a chill jazz vibe (not quite smooth jazz), paired with film noir style jazz and experimental jazz. There are also a few other music genre sprinkled in as well.The soundtrack is composed by Skillbard a UK Duo that have worked with; Cartoon Network, [Adult Swim], MTV and Nickelodeon.

The soundtrack is almost ninety minutes and for me is almost tied with the visuals in terms of the quality and greatness. As of a fan of film noir jazz and classic jazz the like preformed by Miles Davis, Art Blakey, John Coltrane, and Stanley Turrentine. My favorite tracks in Genesis Noir are;  'Golden Boy Suite', 'Pastoral (Part 1 Suspended)', 'Hello Universe', 'Alone', 'Gumshoe', 'Tetrachromacy', 'Siren Birth', and my favorite track of all 'We'.

Overall a very memorable soundtrack which is pure piece of art that easily exists outside of the confines of the game itself.

Gameplay

The gameplay is quite an experience. There are sections where you are walking and interacting with objects in the world and there are other times where you will need to figure out puzzles to progress. 

The walking around and interacting with the world can be interesting - the only flaw is that on occasion it can be difficult to work out where to go or what you are supposed to do next. Some of the markers that note what you can interact with can be rather small and easily missed.

The puzzles are where the gameplay can crumble, some of them are fun, at least initially and feels like something that would work well on the Nintendo Switch (I played it on PC). On the plus side each puzzle is different to the previous, the downside is that some are frustrating and take away from both the narrative and the visuals.

Overall the gameplay is not bad but some bad puzzles the occasion lack of clarity as to what you are supposed to do next and/or small interactive icons stop this game reaching its full potential.

Final Thoughts

So, after eight hours of playing how did I feel? A little conflicted. There was a lot of great elements to story but ended not being a Big Bang but rather a little fizzle. The animation and visual style are imaginative and different to anything I have experienced before. The music is an awesome jazz mash up of various styles which real bring the game to life. The gameplay has ups and downs and the inclusion of needless (and often frustrating) puzzles takes away from the rest of the content. Overall this one gets  a 3 out of 5

Iron Harvest - Review

 

The other day I was debating which game to embark on playing next. I checked on XBOX Game Pass to see what new additions there were, one of them that stood out was Iron Harvest an alt-history real time strategy game. Designed by Maximilian Kiese , developed by King Art Games and published by Deep Silver. It was free (relatively speaking) and decided why not give it a go.

Over the last few weeks I have been drinking a lot more coffee, probably not a good thing but could be consuming much worse things. While I enjoy many fancy coffees nothing quite beats a good filter coffee. While coffee is great hot it degrades in quality the longer you take to drink it, pretty much once it get becomes warm it starts to lose it taste and smell. Playing Iron Harvest I found myself asking was this a great filter coffee that stayed hot for ages or had it become warm quickly and lost its appeal?

Story

Iron Harvest has an extremely rich story. It is an alternative history, set around the 1920's and featuring diesel driven mechs. There are multiple factions you can play as and all add information to the overarching story along with presenting their own back stories and history.  The base game features three factions; Polonia, Rusviet and Saxony.

The Polonia faction's lead character is Anna Kos, after the death of her brother she joins the resistance to try and take back her country from the Rusviet.  The Rusviet faction has you take control over a multitude of characters, there is divide, some looking for peace for Polonia and others wanting war. The Saxony faction has you play as General Gunter von Duisburg, a veteran of wars trying to help conquer Polonia and Rusviet, but is forced to question who is the true enemy?

Overall the story is amazing, well thought out, the only real down side is that to a degree the game finishes on a cliff hanger. Looking at the two DLC available at present neither seems to provide a full conclusion. This could mean there will be more DLC or perhaps the story will be continued in Iron Harvest 2 (if one is made).

Visuals

The visuals are absolutely stunning, the combination of the country side, wooded area, and snow covered fields combined with diesel powered mechs is quite a sight to behold. While exploring the towns and villages they have a very realistic feel and a lot of time and effort has been put into the landscapes. Then seeing large and in some cases huge mechs traversing these same areas is very surreal and cool. I love mechs, but seeing innovatively designed diesel powered ones was amazing. While clearly out of place in the real 1920's it can be easily imagined how a few things changing could have brought about their creation.

Overall the game is worth playing for the visuals alone and creates a sense of magic and wonder making me question as to 'what if' our world would look like now if diesel powered mechs had existed in the 1920's?

Music

The music has a very military sound, which fits perfectly with the style of game, and in honesty I do quite like military music as a genre. The music conveys both a feeling of sorrow and loss but also chance and possible victory. The soundtrack is created by Polish composers; Adam Skorupa (Witcher 3, Witcher Enhanced Edition, Shadow Warrior),  Krzystof Wierzynkiewicz (Bulletstorm, Ancestor's Legacy, Shadow Warrior), and Michal Cielecki (Shadow Warrior 1 and 2).

The soundtrack is relatively speaking quite short and is well under an hour in length. That being said I loved every track and is certainly one of the more standout soundtracks I have listened to this year. Overall a very enjoyable soundtrack that I have no doubt will listen to again even if not replaying the game itself.

Gameplay

Iron Harvest is a real time strategy game. It offers you the choice to try multiplayer, skirmishes and of course the main campaign itself. The gameplay is the weakest element of the game overall, and while there are certainly many great things about it there are some that really spoil it.

The missions vary between playing with a single hero and a few troops for support, protecting an area, and building up a base and going all out (my favorite type). Each hero has some great abilities and can take on a small group of enemies alone with very little effort. The mechs you have are really cool, not only in look but also on feel, creating ideal units and then combining them without others can make you a fearsome force. The downside is that you are very limited as to how many units you can produce, in the beginning of the game this is fine but as things go on the amount of enemy mech versus your own is very unbalanced. Additionally, after the first few mission standard troops seem pointless other than engineers that can repair the mechs. I could not quite tell if it was simply that the mechs were over powered or infantry (even the more advanced ones) were underpowered.

The game allows you to produce a very small amount of resources through your Headquarters, but most of it will need to be gathered from Iron mines and Oil pumps which can be captured and upgraded. They are able to produce resources indefinitely, so as long as you are careful and play slow you can dominate many of the maps. 

The gameplay starts failing a little over half through the game. The issue is that the enemies seems endless and overwhelmed me a lot. I have played many RTS games and never run into this level of imbalance, I am fine with a challenge but certain parts seemed unfair even on the normal difficulty setting. It started to feel grueling no matter what tactics I employed, I ended up watching a few videos to see what I was missing. 

Overall there is some great gameplay and some awesome units, but half way through the game starts to feel imbalanced and changes the game from being a challenge to a pain. 

Final Thoughts

So, after twenty hours plus how did I feel? Mixed. The story, visuals and music are amazing. The biggest flaw in the game is arguably the most important with an RTS which is the gameplay. While it starts balanced the game ramps up in difficulty to a level where it simply unfair and removes the joy I have gotten from most RTS games. This one could have had a higher score had some issues been resolved, sadly this one falls shy of its full potential and gets 3 out of 5