Video Game Reviews

[DarkNerd]

So, here's where we do reviews. Since reviews are just opinion, treat them as such.
Don't ignore them, but don't accept them as fact.

So I'll start with a Pokemon game review, since it's the last thing I played.

Pokemon Battle Trozei
3DS
I am an avid puzzle game fan.
Professor Layton? Done.
Puzzle and Dragons? My Dark Mid-Level Ninja is a fearsome foe.
Pokemon Puzzle League? Been there.
I've played my fair share of puzzle games. But I've never seen a game quite like this.
Maybe there's a good reason.
Basically, if you've played Puzzle & Dragons, you've played this. The core gameplay is almost identical, and the concepts are too. And Pokemon somehow manages to be the worst of them. Basically, you match 3 or more icons to attack your foes.
There are a lot of things that contribute to this. One is that all 700+ Pokemon are in this game. While that sounds awesome, that means there's way too many options for what you can match and similar colors in a fast-paced action puzzler really just slows down the progress to, at some points, impossible levels. It's terrible when everything is a pastel cream or pink or white only. It's just harder than it should be, but not in the "I need to work harder" kind of way, and more in the "Goshdangit, what do I do?" kind of way.
Another thing is that each Pokemon has it's own type, and you can use that to take advantage of your foes and murder them. Multiple reviews said you needed an encyclopedic knowledge on Pokemon to take advantage of this.
I can name every Pokemon. Tell you it's typing. It's weaknesses. It's strengths. It's usability in battle. It's evolutions. I have an encyclopedic knowledge on Pokemon. And that is a lie. Actually, possessing that knowledge HINDERS you. How? Well, each Pokemon is restricted to one type only. Which means that if you do know your Augumons from your Charmanders, then good luck trying to guess what type each Pokemon is. Luckily the game tells you the typing of your enemy. But not of your attack. As a matter of fact, some matches can't even hurt your foe. The only one the game tells you about is Chansey. Chansey restores health. However, it skips out Mr. Mime. Who heals your border, preventing Wild Pokemon from getting into the bottom screen, a COMPLETELY VITAL AND PROBABLY EVEN MORE IMPORTANT GAME MECHANIC. I spent 5 minutes getting a massive combo for Mr. Mime, hoping for a Psychic and not a Fairy type attack as my foes were poison and then... nothing happened.
As for matching up Pokemon- the actual gameplay- it's frustrating as heck. If you match two equal sized chains (sometimes not even equal sized), at the same time, it picks between them. Which means you could have set up a 5 Rayquaza combo on an Axew but have gotten a 3 Spearow combo instead and since you're too focused trying to find matches since the colors blend so well and confuse you, you don't notice until you've spent a good amount of time on that combo and have almost wasted your time. Not to mention the game seeming randomly decides when you're done matching, often times forcing you to use a weak and pathetic combo instead of a powerful one. There's also this power mechanic, where some Pokemon have a 1 star attack power, but some, like Rayquaza, have a 5 star power. That is pointless unless you have a good combo going, as if you don't, you'll merely stratch them, no matter what. Even then, power is completely outdone by type effectiveness, rendering it nearly useless.
All of these flaws are highlighted by a sharp difficulty curve in the 7th Zone/World.
Despite these flaws, it's a lot of fun. At first. But as it progresses, it gets worse and worse and worse. I was originally planning on beating this game before writing this review, but I just can't bring myself to finish this garbage. It's torture. I want my money back and reimburshment.
Overall, a puzzle game is made by it's gameplay, and this feels half baked.
Final Decision:
4/10, Get Puzzle & Dragons instead. Free and way more fun.

[Suicune's Fire]

xD I tried Pokemon Trozei the first time it came around...and it was horrible. xD Boring, lame...this one, I knew, wasn't going to be any better. xD I think giving it a 4/10 is generous, especially considering they could have put time and effort into a GOOD game, and they wasted their time even thinking up this concept. It was just a plain and simple waste of resources to continue the Trozei series. xD I have NO clue why they thought it would be a good idea. Strange, impractical people.

Nice review. x)


~SF.

[Pokemon Trainer Sarah]

That is a very useful review! I actually really enjoyed the original Trozei but the new battle and type matchups and not knowing what types dual-types fall into sounds really annoying. :( As well as the chain thing. Why do they keep making junk and not Pokemon Snap 2!!! D:

[Suicune's Fire]

Why do they keep making junk and not Pokemon Snap 2!!! D:

EXACTLY. DX Or another cool Colosseum-style game for console! ;~; Y u do dis, Pokemon people. I think the how to draw game will be pretty cool though. It's a good idea considering it could help a lot of people. xD I know I have how to draw pokemon books that I loved and learned a lot from.


~SF.

[Metal Gear Snivy]

I know I have how to draw pokemon books that I loved and learned a lot from.

Those helped you??? Also, I'll probably put something up here at some point in time, maybe Ace Attorney or something, I don't know. =/

[Suicune's Fire]

That sounds cool about the interview thing. o:

Yeah the drawing one looks kinda interesting. Is it all about drawing on the 3DS though? Because that seems hard. D: Another Colosseum style game would be great. They have all the 3D models already so it would be so easy!

It does! And nah, I think you'll probably have to complete exercises on the 3DS, but I doubt it'll be about drawing only on 3DS. xD You can apply that sort of teaching to paper easily, I'd hope! And yes, definitely. :3 I would LOVE another one like it. It would be amaaaaazing.

Those helped you??? Also, I'll probably put something up here at some point in time, maybe Ace Attorney or something, I don't know. =/

Yes, they did. xD A lot, actually.

EDIT: This isn't a game review, but it's this pretty awesome looking indie RPG on kickstarter. It looks pretty promising, I reckon! I would pledge to it but alas, I am broke.

Shiness


~SF.

[illusdark8]

I host a review show on Radio Nintendo.
I'll write out what my notes I have for an upcoming episode and put that here. The review would be for Awesome Possum for the Sega Genesis.

[Pokemon Trainer Sarah]

Yeah the drawing one looks kinda interesting. Is it all about drawing on the 3DS though? Because that seems hard. D: Another Colosseum style game would be great. They have all the 3D models already so it would be so easy!

I host a review show on Radio Nintendo.
I'll write out what my notes I have for an upcoming episode and put that here. The review would be for Awesome Possum for the Sega Genesis.

Sounds cool! :)

[Shruikan]

This is my first ever video game review, so bare with me. :P

Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. for the Nintendo 3DS.

Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. is a third person shooter turn based strategy game by the creators of Fire Emblem. Like Fire Emblem, it can be hard to near-impossible in turms of difficulty, so if you like easy games, this is not the one for you.
The game is slit into chapters, with each chapter having 2-3 maps. Each map is split up into a grid, with each unit unit moving around separetly. You begin the game with only one character, but over the course of the game you unlock many more, totaling at 12 unique characters, each with there own weapons and playing style. Each map you select up to four characters, with the game helpfully having a reccomended set for when you're not sure what to expect. Each time you recruit a new character, the following map seems designed to show off their unique skills, which is great the first time, but replaying any of those levels pretty much forces you to use that specific character, limiting you strategies.
Once you have your characters selected, you may pick a boiler and sub-weapon for each one. The boiler's are like armour, giving different stat boosts, and changing the amount of Steam each unit can hold. They are unlocked by collecting coloured gears hidden in each level. The sub-weapons are weapons that can be used by any character, allowing each one to be more versatile. For instance, one character has a weapon that heals anyone it hits, but can't attack foes with it, so you can give them a damage dealing sub-weapon for if they need to fight.
As for the gameplay itself, each character has Steam, which is used whenever any action is taken. Moving one square on the map uses up one point of Steam, while firing you weapons use various amounts of steam depending on the power of the weapons, with missile's costing four points, while a weak shotgun only costs two. While the game is turn based, the movement is done in third-person over the should view, and the attacks have to be aimed manually, so if you miss, it's not because of a random number generator, but because your aim was off. The aiming controls take a bit of getting used to, but the enemies are more forgiving for the first few levels to make up for it.
Though the game is split into turns, some weapons and enemies can go into Overwatch, where they will shoot at anything the passes into their range duing the enemies' turn, provided you have enough left-over Steam to fire it. While this is useful to the enemies, I found myself rarely using it, prefering to deal as much damage as possible during my own turn.
Each character, ally and enemy alike, has a weak spot which does extra damage if it is hit, shown as a glowing purple patch. You will find youself aiming for at all times, especially once you get the Steam Crossbow, an early sub-weapon that deals much less damage to enemies tha most others, but does three times the damage of other weapons upon hitting a weak point. Though the player characters also have weak points, the enemies rarely take advantage of them, prefering to overwelm you with regular attacks.
In each level, there a coins to pick up, which can be used to unlock sub-weapons, or active mid-map save points.
Once a character runs out of Hit Points, they are gone for the rest of the map. But at certain points at the map, there are single-use save points, where you can spend coins collected in this level to revive and heal all your fallen comrades. These are suprisingly useful, as they also restore each character's Steam, allowing them to effectivly move twice in one turn.

As for the story, it is framed at the begining as a comic book, and the cutscenes are shown as though they are animated panels of a comic. The story is about a group of literary characters like Tom Sawyer and the Cowardly Lion, teaming up with Abe Lincoln, who had faked his own assasination and started a secret organization to fight off a possible alien invasion. The story is quite strange, and like most ongoing comics, it doesn't fully tie up all the plot threads by the end, but overall it's ok.

Though the game will work on a regular 3DS, the New 3DS has a few upgrades that make the game better, such as a second circle pad for aiming, and the ability to speed up the enemy turns to three times as fast as normal, as opposed to only two times on the regualr console. Also, if you have the New3DS or the Amiibo adaptor, the Marth, Lucina, Robin and Ike Amiibos will each work with this game, unlocking the respective character for all levels. Unlike all the other characters, the Amiibo characters cannot be revived by the save points, and must be scanned back in at the start of a new map, causing you to be more careful with them. To make up for it, Lucina and Robin are the two strongest units in the game, while Marth is a useful scout. Ike is pretty much useless. Another fun addition is that if you have a party of all four amiibo characters, the map music will change to remixes of various songs from Fire Emblem games.

Overall, if you don't mind a hard game, Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. is a pretty good strategy game. And it's not that hard to get a copy of it, with it going as low as £10 at times. (And no, I'm not giving you numerical score, cause I don't like those.)

[Fate]

Title: Bloodborne
Developer: From Software
Platform: PlayStation 4

Welcome to Yharnam, a run-down Gothic Victorian city home to a number of frightening Lovecraftian creatures. Everywhere, a terrible plague is turning humans into horrible monsters. Your task, as Hunter, is to join The Hunt, shed some blood, and escape from this nightmare. And die. Die lots.

While Bloodborne is technically a Japanese role-playing game, it shares little with the common definers of the genre. It's a game by From Software, the name behind the popular Souls series, and bears great similarities to the Souls series. Don't expect lengthy cutscenes or walls of text--or even a clear story-line. It's, above all, action and atmosphere.

Those familiar with the Souls series--either through experience or simply by name--undoubtedly know the single adjective most used to describe it: hard. Yes, Bloodborne is also hard. But fair. Having played Dark Souls, I can say that Bloodborne is a fair game. Fair--but hard. If you're looking for a game that will hold your hand, look elsewhere. You're on your own from the moment you start, and there's no lower difficulty to run to. There are no checkpoints in the middle of areas, and once you die, you start over and all enemies respawn. And that's the hardest thing: having to start over.

Let's start with the environment. Similar to Dark Souls, Bloodborne is made up of one large area--the city of Yharnam--with various regions that are seamlessly connected. The environment is breathtaking and completely immersive. Every building and every structure help to shape a terrifying setting. One of my bigger complaints about the Souls series is that many enemies don't fit with their surroundings. Random knights wander the woods and undead soldiers sit in streams. But in Bloodborne, nothing stands out. Everything looks to be such an intricate part of Yharnam. That makes ambushes even more unpredictable. As I wandered around Yharnam, I was filled both with awe and fear. I never once felt safe there. That's such an incredible combination of feelings to instill.

When it comes to gameplay, Bloodborne is one of the smoothest action games I've ever played. Controls are so responsive it makes Dark Souls II seem like a lagging turtle by comparison. Unlike the Souls series, there's no shield here. You get two weapons: a melee trick weapon, which holds a short and long form, and a gun. That's all you get and that's all you need. There are a good number of different weapons to choose from, but the best part is that you can make a viable build with just about any. A fair amount of clothing, too, for those who love to customize.

Boss battles are where it's at, though. If there's ever a game that gives players a sense of sheer achievement, it's Bloodborne. From the very first boss battle, it's an intense experience that will send your heart pounding heavily. No pause button, either, so find time to calm down at your own risk. But the thrill. Oh, God! The thrill of fighting a boss in Bloodborne is just indescribable. From the moment where you find your attack takes away only a fraction of the boss's health to the moment where you see that glorious "PREY SLAUGHTERED" phrase appear on the screen, you're praying and hoping you can win. And when you do, you pause in disbelief, then realise there's still much more to come.

It's hard to describe Bloodborne because the experience is so crucial in understanding it. Even watching it comes nowhere close to actually holding the controller. If you want a game that's a real adventure, this is it. It's a great challenge, but it's one of the most satisfying challenges you will ever undertake. Be prepared for a whirlwind of extreme emotions.