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

Tearaway - Review

 

Back in 2013 Tearaway was released on the PlayStation Vita, I remember playing the demo and while it piqued my curiosity it never completely sucked me in. Recently, my brah Ivan was getting rid of a few games and one of them was Tearaway. I really like the PS Vita and had not played it in a while and thought why not give it a proper go.

Growing up I loved jelly, it was brightly coloured, when you shake it it jiggles, has a simple yet satisfying taste what's not to like?  As I grew up I stopped liking it, the simple colours and jiggles just didn't do it for me. I think I just grew out of jelly. Playing Tearaway I wondered did it taste like when I was a kid or how it does now as an adult?

Story

The game has you take on the role of Iota a messenger from a world where everything is made from paper. Iota's head is made from an envelope that carries a message that needs to be carried to the sun. The sun is made of paper but in the middle of it is you. When I say you I really mean it, the game uses the PS Vita camera to make you then sun which is quite fun. There are little pieces of paper called scraps trying to stop you from reaching you.  Along the way there will many creatures looking for your help, a number of them are optional but does make things more interesting.

Overall the story is simple but sometimes feels like it trying to be bigger than it really is, which seemed kind of strange. It felt like animated movies that are aimed at kids but try to throw in an adult theme that never quite hits the mark.

Visuals 

The visuals in the game are really interesting, everything is made from paper, like South Park but not as much fun. That's harsh, I mean it is fun to look at but in a different way. It's very cutesy, small squirrels, and crazy looking creatures, the downside is that due to the world being created it can all feel very flat even in a three-dimensional world. Some of the visuals elements that I really liked was when you could push your finger into the world (use the back panel of the PS Vita), sometimes used to move something or to bounce Iota up into other areas of the world.  The end sections of the game get very otherworldly and definitely a positive change from the sometimes overly cutesy world, I only wish there had been more sections like it.

Overall the visuals while interesting lost there appeal fairly quickly, in my opinion in a game where there isn't a lot of story, it is important the other elements help balance it out.

Music

The music reminded of a cross between Bagpuss and a kids TV show, sometimes creepy and dark, other time light and fun. The soundtrack was composed by Scottish composer Kenneth Young, Canadian Composer Brian D'Oliveria and British composer Ed Hargrave. Between them they have worked on the music for; Little Big Planet, Heavenly Sword, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Resident Evil VII Biohazard.

The soundtrack runs at over an hour and while there are many tracks within it there was nothing that really wowed or excited me which is a shame as I really enjoy video game music. Overall the soundtrack was a little underwhelming.

Gameplay

While there are certainly a lot of weaknesses in the game the gameplay is not one of them. Iota is fairly simple to control, he can jump, pick up and throw, which at least in the beginning is all you need. As the game unfolds it utilises many features of the PS Vita such as the camera and touch panel to manipulate objects to help Iota navigate the world. Die is not an issue as you have an infinite number of lives and the checkpoints are fairly frequent.

A big thing you can do in the game is craft items using pen and paper and cut them out. Sometimes creatures in the game will ask you to make them a hat, a face, eyes or even some gloves. It is fun but as a fairly non-crafty person it didn't excite me a huge amount but for people more crafty than myself or younger people it would likely be tons of fun.

The world sometimes has shiny surfaces with fingerprints on them, these can be used to open gifts or help unlock new areas or platforms. This was particularly fun in faster-paced areas as it required you to be quick on the mark.

Overall the gameplay and while the crafty parts were not for me personally for many others it would no doubt be very appealing.

Final Thoughts

So, after nearly seven hours how did I feel?  A little underwhelmed, the game got a lot of positive write-ups at the time but when you look at Zelda The Phantom Hour Glass which utilized all the elements of the 3DS it did it a lot better than Tearaway. The story was simple but sometimes felt the story was trying to be more than it was, like a child wearing trying to get away wearing their parent's clothes. The visuals while interesting at first glance quickly became mundane until the latter areas of the game. The music was far from exciting, so it was bad is unfair, to say it was good might be pushing it. The gameplay was the most exciting element of the game but was not enough on its own to make up for its shortcoming.  Perhaps this game was simply designed for a younger generation than me and if that's the case fair enough, but if it was designed to attract all ages it failed. This one slips in with a 3 out of 5

PleaSe, The Vita?

When I first saw the PS Vita all I thought was "hmm".  I was on a budget at the time & "hmm" was not enough justification to pay the same money for a handheld console as a home console.  I know, I know you can't look at it that way but at €249 for the cheapest bundle deal & that was without a memory card I really had to.


Of course I found a way round not having the money to buy one, it was really quite simple.  I suggested to the manager where I worked at the time, that we needed to spend more time "testing" the products we sold.  I mean after all if we were more confident of how the products work we will sell more of them. So for research purposes & building my product knowledge I played the Vita almost every lunch time for weeks.


While it took a little while longer then expected to actually buy one I can tell you this; if my PS Vita broke tomorrow & I could not get repaired where I now work, I would buy a new one straight away - no questions asked.

I am...I umm...this game is....I am blown away by this game!!!!  I had never played a Persona game before playing Persona 4 Golden Week.  It truly is a masterpiece & I have been absorbed completely into the Persona 4 world.  I have now played; Persona 4 Arena, Persona 4 Ultimax, watched some of the anime series (which I must finish), am currently playing Persona 3 just for some tie in purposes and am looking forward to getting Persona 4 Dancing All Night.


Anyone that knows me, knows that I am not really big into fighting or dancing games but Persona 4 is just so good I can't get enough.  I have the soundtrack, I even have a design sorted for a tattoo that would cost me a €1000 to get done & I am still thinking to myself "I can probably justify that".  Okay I am going to calm down & look at reviewing this game but yes I think it's a little bit alright.


The story focuses on the protagonist Yu which is you (I am sorry I couldn't help myself).  Your parents have to go abroad to work so you get shipped off to the quaint rural town of Inaba.  Lucky enough you get to live with your uncle Ryotaro; a gruff cop who is coping with being a widowed husband & raising a young daughter. It is not all bad for him though as Nanako is awesome, cute & the kind of kid you always wanted.  So far nothing crazy right? All normal, nothing weird, prepare for your mind to be blown.


It starts with a mysterious murder, finding some friends, falling into a TV at an electronics store & finding a life size plush Teddy who only speaks in Bearisms!  What do you mean Bearisms? He says things like, "I am Bear-y scared", "I am a Beary busy bear", "I am Beariffic".  So mind blown yet? No? But wait there is more!  Inside yourself you have another side of you so to speak, this is called your Persona.  Persona's are powerful beings that can be used to fight monsters in the TV world, you & your friends must all learn to summon them.  Only by working together can you help stop the monsters, solve the growing number of murders & pass your exams!


Onto music! I have always had a like for J-Pop due to some of the anime series I have watched.  The music in Persona 4 Golden Week brought this to a whole new level for me. Shoji Meguro composes a brilliant array of songs accompanied by the lyrics of  Reiko Tanaka & vocals of Shihoko Hirata.  The music perfectly fits with every part of the game & really helps reflect why video game music is so important in games.  My favorite tracks are; Reach Out to The Truth, Junes Theme, Heartbeat, Heartbeat, How Much? & I'll Face Myself.


The game looks beautiful, everything from the warmth of Dojima's living room, to the quaint living, breathing town of Inaba & of course the TV World with it's varied dungeons. The changing seasons is another great visual effect & helps make everything feel more real. It is difficult to be non biased about a game you love but I can't think of anywhere in the game that I felt it was dull or uninteresting.


The game play is difficult to sum up because there is simply so much you can see & do.  Like with any JRPG you have dungeons you need to clear to power yourself up & beat bosses.  To me though the game really shines with all the other things you can do.  Hanging out with friends & building relationships is highly rewarding not only from a story stand point but also helps improve your Persona.  Getting a part time job is a great way to make money, level up skills & make new friends. Fancy like watching a movie, fishing, catching butterflies or visiting a shrine it is all possible & more in Persona 4 Golden Week.


How do I best sum this game up? Buy It. That is all.

I remember seeing all the TV commercials when Gravity Rush was being released & I thought to myself, "yes this seems like a game I would like".  It ended up being the first game I tried & bought on the PS Vita, I was not disappointed.


The game is set in the upside down town of Hekseville, the place is falling apart & I mean literally.
You play as Kat, a girl who has lost her memory but rather than let it get her down she picks herself up & gets on with. She quickly meets a mysterious black cat called Dusty, he helps you rediscover your power - the power to manipulate gravity.  Kat's mission is try & help the people of Hekseville put there town back together by destroying crazy shadow monsters, collecting crystals all while trying to remember who she is, oh & of course stopping the bad guy.


The music is composed by Kohei Tanaka is interesting & runs between beautiful melodic pieces & a jazz sound reminiscent of the 20s/30s. These sounds are really apparent on tracks like; Pleasure Quarter, Douse Shinundakara, Old Town & Ease.  Then out of left field you have very intense tracks like, Bloody Claws & Gravity Raven. It has a really great soundtrack & is one of the best features of the game.


Visually speaking the game is gorgeous, Hekseville reminds me of an alternate universe french town. The cobblestones & architecture of the buildings really bring the town to life.  The developers went for a cell shading style when creating the game which works fantastically on the PS Vita.  I love little touches like the comic panels being used to break up the the normal speech bubble dialogue when talking to people in the world.  Another great touch is that for the most part cut sequences flow seamlessly into gameplay & back again.


The gameplay is fun but at times can be frustrating,  the movement of Kat can feel a little unpredictable. I can't remember how many times I fell off of somewhere or missed landing an attack on an enemy.  While the controls could be fiddly at times I still really enjoyed playing.  I have many great memories from the game but one of my most memorable parts was when Kat is trying to find a home.  She ends up living in a sewer which is actually way nicer than it sounds.  Obviously she needs some furniture & has to scavenge it from round the town.  It takes time but when you finally get all you need I felt really proud,  I thought to myself, yes I could be happy in this home.  I quite enjoyed helping the people of the town out & helping pull parts of the town back together.  Collecting crystals to level up your abilities was very satisfying & helped in getting orientated with the controls.


With few flaws I found it to be a lot of fun & I have not played any game like it before or since.  Well worth adding to your collection if you don't already have it.

I have played only a few of the Final Fantasy titles but by far this one is my favorite.  I remember saying after I finished the game on the Playstation 2 I would love if this became available on a handheld console. The big reason for this, apart from the convenience would be that I could play Blitzball on the go.  I loved playing blitzball & if it was a real sport I would definitely watch it. Naturally when I heard it was announced for the PS Vita I was excited & bought it immediately upon release.


The game opens in the futuristic, tranquil, neon lighted city of Zanarkand, Tidus narrates what happened just before his life got turned upside.  You play the character of Tidus the star player of the Zanarkand Abes Blitzball Team. People are cheering for you as you run late to the stadium for a big game, then it begins.  You get to watch one of the best cut sequences I have ever seen in a game & I still stand by that now.  All I will say is something happens & causes you to be transported to another world - Spira.  As it is massively story based like any RPG I don't want to spoil anything for you, I will say the main enemy is impressive & is so much more than just a simple enemy.


The music is put together by Junya Nakano, Masashi Hamauzu, Nobuo Uematsu.  There is a beautiful heartfelt piece by Nakano Ritsuki called Suteki Da Ne, if you have played the game you will know the song well. If you have not played it find it on line right now & listen to it.  The soundtrack for the game is huge & is available as a 4CD set.  There is so much to say about this soundtrack that I could easily do a post solely on it.  The music has so many levels & even if you don't like Final Fantasy games listen to this soundtrack.  Some of my favorite pieces are; I Want to Tell You Everything, Hurry,  Rikku's Theme, Enemy Attack, Song Of Prayer - Valefor, Auron's Theme, Otherworld, Brass De Chocobo, Blitz Off, Someday the Dream Will End.  If I was to sum the music of the game up I would say, it is magical.


The game looks superb!  From the small village of Besaid, to the breath taking temples & character designs they are all a visual delight. The cut sequences are amazing & as mentioned one of my favorites is right near the start of the game.  I remember seeing the opening sequence before the title screen the first time & I was blown away.  Hearing Tidus narrating & the camera panning showing a beach with all your allies standing around looking distraught & tired. There was just something very powerful about it & set the tone for the whole game.


Where to begin with the gameplay? Well I am going to jump right ahead & say "Let's Blitz!" I loved playing blitzball & I know I am not the only person that got into it in a big way.  Playing through various leagues trying to win overdrives & special techniques was awesome.  Basically the stadium is a sphere of water where two teams try to score the most goals before time runs out.  Aqua football is an over simplification of what it is but is a great visual aide.  I easily poured 40+ hours into playing Blitzball alone & I don't regret a moment of it.


Summoning Aeon's on the battlefield was always a delight & in quick battles watching their attacks swot aside enemies with ease made me smile with glee especially if you got overkill's - which you almost always did.  Once of my favorite Aeon's was Yojimbo who was a slight luck based character who I always had great success with especially when it came to his instant kill move -  Zanmato.  In some cases I had not even had my overdrive charged half way & got him to pull it off anyway. Ahhh even thinking about him performing the move nearly brings a tear to my eye.


Like any great RPG character interactions are key, whether they are with your allies or someone you have met on the side of the road.  There are many great characters in FFX, some of mine include; Auron, Maechen, The Chocobo's, Dona & Barthello, Belgemine, Wakka, Lulu.


It is difficult to flaw this game, however there are some parts of the story that can be slow at times, getting some of the more specialized weapons (Lulu's for example) is a real pain, there are also a few enemies like Malboro who can end up killing before you have even landed a punch, this is slightly frustrating especially if you have been powering up for an hour & forget to save. In the grand scheme of things these are minor issues & does not spoil the overall experience.  Whether you have played it before or are just considering playing it for the first time pick up a copy & play it today!

Well that's the PS Vita & all the console reviews for now.  I am sure at some point in the future I will review the Nintendo 3DS & the XBOX One.  Going forward I will just be looking to review games that I am playing.  Before I finish with the PS Vita I wanted to give a few honorable mentions:



Sine Mora
Hot Line Miami
Guacamelee!
Freedom Wars
Nihilumbra
Uncharted Golden Abyss



This is Little Monkey signing off!

I Am Back, Baby - Also No 3DS Review

First off apologies for not doing a post since July, a lot has been happening & blah blah blah excuses.
I want to take some time out to give a special shout out to someone special in my life, someone who has been a true friend.  Dawn you are a ray of sunshine and have been a rock to me the past while, thank you for everything!  Now on with the show & I by show I mean short post!


The next post I was going to do was on the Nintendo 3DS but if I am honest I found it hard to pick three games that I thought to myself, "yes, these are a great reasons to own a 3DS!".  The strange thing is before it was released I was excited, I even bought it on launch but it just never really won me over I guess.  I am going to keep trying to find some great games to play on it but so far "meh".  If any of you has any suggestions feel free to contact me and let me know.


I am currently working on a post for the PS Vita, I should have it ready over the next few days. Once I have finished it I will start reviewing the games that I am playing. I have already had a few people who have offered to write reviews as well, that being case I may need to change the blog name to Little Monkey Game Reviews & Friends!  I could use an artist to come up with one or two designs for me, if there any takers let me know & I can tell you more.