Thursday, October 31, 2013

Happy Halloween!!! (Oct. 2013)

Trick-or-Treat all ye sexy beasts ... and little childrens (^.^)! Today I chose to spend some time with my good old Mum who lives in the hood (literally). We reminisced about old times, and watched a few scary movies as we usually do during this particular holiday season. We even shared some candy amongst ourselves. It was a good day to say the least. There's just nothing quite like Halloween. By the way, The movies of choice for my "Halloween 2013" included "Twilight Zone The Movie", "Rocky Horror Picture Show", Stephen King's "IT", and Rob Zombie's remake of "Halloween". Before I go to bed I might even watch another horror flick here at my own house ...

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate HD (XBLA)

Out of all the series that Konami has released none has captured my undivided attention as much as that of the "Castlevania" series. From it's humble beginnings as an 8-Bit NES game to it's more noteworthy recent releases such as that of "Castlevania: Symphony of the Night" the Belmont's struggle against Dracula, and his minions has gained a cult following like none other in the history of gaming. Perhaps it's the dark theme of it all, or the horror icon known as Dracula who continues to draw gamers into the fray that is "Belmont vs Dracula". Whatever the reason may be it is one series that we all hope will never end, and I'm fairly certain you'll all agree with me on that.

While the first few games in the 'Castlevania' series, and the numerous spin-offs that followed did little in the way of explaining the Belmont clan's origins it was no doubt the Metroidvania style gameplay applied to it that has kept the series afloat long enough for that tale to finally be told. Earlier this year, or perhaps a few years back 3DS owners were privileged to finally bare witness to the story behind the famous Belmont clan. It is this 3DS release of "Castlevania: LoS - Mirror of Fate" that brings the tale full circle just in time to make way for the final chapter of 'Lords of Shadow'. Thankfully we console gamers can now also enjoy the game in all it's glory via the PS3, or the Xbox 360. As you play through this newly enhanced HD version of "Mirror of Fate" you'll get to witness what 3DS owners experienced earlier on. Through your playthrough you will come to understand why the Belmont clan's struggle against Dracula is a personal one, and why they must at some point put an end to Dracula's Tyranny, even if it means sacrificing their own lives in the process.

Friday, October 25, 2013

The Guided Fate Paradox (PS3)

 

Those of you who have been faithful to the Disgaea series will no doubt recall the mention of the angelic realm of "Celestia" during your many playthroughs. While Celestia has never really been shown in all of it's glory it's angels have often times showed up in some form, or fashion within the netherworld of Disgaea. Thankfully the lads, and lasses at 'NIS America' have finally decided to bring to light the world of Celestia, it's many inhabitants, and the mythology that encompasses it with this latest follow-up release. Not only did they flesh out this angelic realm in "The Guided Fate Paradox" by including a deeply involved story, but they also gave the game an art style that is entirely different from that of the Disgaea series making the story more of a unique experience. It's this anime inspired theme that will have Disgaea players gawking in amazement at the display unfolding before their eyes. Everything from the anime inspired intro to the actual gameplay will most definitely prove to the gamers that NIS America has yet to run out of noteworthy ideas in their niche RPG lineage.

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Valhalla Knights 3 (PS VITA)

XSEED has produced some damn good games in their time. I for one thoroughly enjoyed my playthrough of "Killer is Dead" earlier this year. Seeing as that game held my interest throughout it's entirety I expected great things from "Valhalla Knights 3". Jumping into a game series three games in often times does not help one to understand the plot well enough though, but after viewing the trailers I figured I'd give it a shot anyways. I remember finding the perverted touch screen mini-games shown in the trailers to be an interesting point, but what really held my attention was the fact that this was a JRPG with online modes of play. Whenever I see, or hear the word "online" in an RPG of any kind I get excited. After several rounds of email inquiries I finally got my hands on "Valhalla Knights 3", and after spending about a week's worth of time playing it I think I understand why the PR was reluctant to hand over a review code.

Friday, October 18, 2013

Star Wars Pinball: Balance of the Force (XBLA)

Out of all the "Good vs Evil" scenarios created in the world of entertainment none has ever come close to being as influential, or original as that of the ongoing battle of Jedi versus Sith. Long ago a film director named George Lucas brought to our attention a film series that would forever change the way we looked at outer space, and the possibilities therein. His vision of intergalactic battles, an all powerful force, and a universe filled with all sorts of wonders paved the way for further adaptations to be made. Things like Star Wars action figures, novels, and even video games became a significant part of the lore that die hard Star Wars fans continue to seek out to this very day. The fact that another film in the Star Wars legacy is on it's way further proves that as far fetched as the saga may be it's future is a bright, and shining force that will live on for ages to come, and will no doubt inspire new generations of Star Wars mythology to be born in it's wake.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

MTG Theros: Intro Pack + Booster Pack Video Review

Magic the Gathering, gotta love it! Recently, being the lucky dude that I am I was chosen by the Wizard of the Coast's PR to do a review on some samples of the newly released "Theros" set. Before the samples ever reached me though I opted to go out, and get an Intro pack for myself to see what this latest set had to offer. After getting it home I decided to review it on my dime. I honestly had no idea I'd be getting another intro pack, and some boosters for review. After finding out that that was the case though I had to make the most of the situation by supplying you with a different sort of review this second time around. I do have to warn you that the video included in this particular article is rather long. In fact it's two minutes away from being an hour long. I went over each individual card, as well as the intro pack offerings after opening them up. It's the sort of video that will mostly appeal to MTG fans. When watching this video keep in mind that I may have said some things that were incorrect pertaining to the cards, but nothing that I said was significantly wrong. I'm fully aware of my mistakes in the commentary, and apologize for them beforehand. I hope MTG followers don't tar & feather me for the acts of treason (^.^). I'm just not a professional commentator, yet. Enjoy it for what it's worth, and feel free to leave a comment if you like. As always comments are moderated due to trolls, and have to go through me first before being posted.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Let's Talk - "INJUSTICE & INJUSTICE Ultimate Ed."

From it's hyped beginning to it's current state "Injustice: Gods Among Us" has attracted a lot of attention. Some of that attention was good, and some bad. I'll be the first to admit I was psyched about it's initial release. Not only did I go out, and buy the Xbox 360 version of the game, and a season pass, but I also did the same for the PS3 version of the game. After getting into it for a while though I began to notice some rather bothersome things happening to the offline, and online offerings contained within. Things like missing DLC characters, and encounters with lagswitchers/hackers became a commonplace event. The truly sad thing about all this is that the game contiues to go down it's downward spiral with no signs of getting better. The online multiplayer is rubbish, and new glitches/bugs are still happening. It seems that Netherrealm Studios would have had their sh*t together by now, but that is most definitely not the case.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Atelier Meruru Plus: The Apprentice of Arland (PS VITA)

GUST Corporation has once again proven themselves worthy of praise by releasing yet another grander than grand tale about an apprenticing female alchemist. Using their usual methods of incorporating previous characters from the series into the plot, and adding new ones into the mix GUST aims to introduce to us a tale about a princess whose dreams of seeing the world are limited by her royal duties. With her childhood friends Keina, and Lias by her side though princess Meruru strives to make the most of her position as royalty, and aims to prove herself as a worthy princess as well as an adventuring alchemist like her teacher Totooria Helmold (Totori). By combining her skills as an alchemist she fully intends on blending her two worlds as she tries to better her community, and her status within.

Monday, October 7, 2013

Battlefield 4 Open Beta (PS3) - "First Impressions"

I fully realize that this game is still in the "Open Beta" state, and that changes are likely coming in the days leading up to the game's release date. Even so what I have experienced while playing the Open Beta leads me to believe that many more patches will have to be put into place following the game's official release in order for it to even be a near flawless experience. As far as complaints go I'm finding a lot of glitches pertaining to the use of the knife as well as the sensitivity of the knifing effect. Other gripes include the poorly rendered map (Siege of Shanghai), and the less than current-gen look of the game as a whole. I know that some of you will disagree about the graphics, but in all honesty the game's visual points are basically glamorized current-gen lighting, and reflection applications. Nothing more, and nothing less.

Friday, October 4, 2013

Painkiller: Hell & Damnation (PS3) - "A To Hell With It Review"

Painkiller: Hell & Damnation, for those of you who don't know it was previously a PC exclusive that had amassed a cult following from the PC gaming community. It included several different DLC oriented spin-offs that each added to the mythology of Daniel Garner, and his unfortunate time in Limbo. In the console version of "Painkiller: Hell & Damnation" we the gamers are blessed with a very nicely rendered series of opening CG cutscenes explaining exactly how it is that Daniel ultimately ended up as one of Lucifer's pawns. It seems that during one fateful night while driving the roads with his new found love Catherine, Daniel's world is literally turned upside down as Death appears suddenly in front of his vehicle. Flipping his car several times over Daniel, and the love of his life end up dying, and parting separate ways on their journey to the hereafter.

While Daniel knows exactly where he is at in the grand scheme of things his beloved Catherine is nowhere to be found. Hoping for the best Daniel sojourns on killing the denizens of the damned letting the hope that Catherine has gone on to a better place fill his hollowed heart. After having enough of Daniel's relentless demon blasting, and luck driven survival though Death himself intervenes, and uses Catherine's whereabouts as a bargaining tool to get Daniel to harvest 7,000 souls for him. In return Death promises him that he will reunite him with his beloved Catherine. This is of course where the flashbacks end, and the gameplay begins.

Thursday, October 3, 2013

MTG Theros Intro Pack Review

Yesterday evening my Mother invited me to go to the local Targets store with her, so I figured I'd pick up some of the latest MTG Theros cards while I was there. Targets actually carries an impressive selection of MTG cards, and packs. Since it's the only real source of MTG for me I was thrilled to see what they had in stock. What I found when I visited the designated card section was the usual booster pack assortment, as well as some Theros Intro Packs. Naturally I went for one of the $14.99 Intro packs since it's an overall better deal. For $14.99 you get a 60 card deck ready for playing, and two booster packs. Along with the package is also a poster insert containing detailed information on all the available Intro Packs including the card list associated with each. The Intro Pack I ended up choosing was a Green & White deck titled "Anthousa's Army". Being the Green deck player that I am I could not resist.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness (PS3/PSN)

Disgaea is one of those exceptional video game experiences that is deeply cherished by those who have played it, and often times passed up by gamers who are into the more casual gaming scene. In layman's terms Disgaea is what we RPG gamers call an "SRPG", or strategy based roleplaying game. Some even call it a tactical RPG, or a JRPG. Whatever it is referred to though it is one of the the most involved video games that the RPG genre, or any genre for that matter has ever seen. It is filled to the brim with anime inspired content, and a hundreds of hours of time filling fun.

Nippon Ichi Software, or NIS as you likely know them have in essence developed their own netherworld based mythology within the constructs of the series. This applied netherworld mythology is both expansive in nature as well as humorous in a variety of ways. The series' unique mythology is part of the reason the game has stayed alive for so long in the RPG unfriendly market. With a cast of otherworldy characters that all anime fans can relate to it's hard to not get lost within the quirky dialogue driven tales that are provided with each new release. The fact that the main set of protagonists involved in the plots often times find their places in follow-up games of the series only makes diehard fans want to return for more. By sticking with their tried, and true game design NIS will no doubt continue winning over gamers, and return fans for a long time to come.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

OtakuDante's Spooktacular Halloween Giveaway!!! (Oct. 1 - 31)

Welcome all ye witches & warlocks! I know it's been a long time since my last giveaway, but as promised here's another giveaway to whet your appetite before year's end. In this particular giveaway there are some rules for the two "M/R" rated prizes that I will be giving away. First, and foremost you must be at least 18 years of age, and must include a statement in your entry submission that you are of such an age. Trust me when I say that these two prizes are meant for a mature audience. As far as the theme of the giveaway goes it is going to be Halloween oriented. Seeing that Halloween is only 30 days away I could not help but incorporate the holiday spirit in the event.