"Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn" 60 Day Pre-Paid Game Time Cards Available!!!

HOLY HELL!!! When I first saw this update on gamepress I was shocked, but shocked in a most pleasant way. I think Square Enix actually listened to my advice folks! I really do. I'm truly glad they did too, because what I had to say was a great idea. If you've been following my posts I recently typed up an article talking about worthy, and not so worthy DLC, and pay-per-play offers. In it I mentioned the fact that I've wanted to play "Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn" since it's release on the PS3, but the mandatory credit card requirements kept me from doing so. I just don't have the faith in PSN's console security, and will NEVER submit billing info to them. That's the reason I was so straightforward with my blog posting, and is why I included "Square Enix" as a tag on the posting. I really wanted to get their attention, and it looks like it paid off.

Rekoil:Liberator (XBLA)

When it comes to video game development there are some things you should do, and other things that you should definitely not do. Among things that you should not do is clone a gaming experience. It's a bad practice all the way around, and always results in ridicule in some form, or fashion. Secondly you should not try to push something on to the gamer that is not up to the standards of the tier of game formats that you are releasing the game on. Revamping an indie clone with better visuals, and slapping in some online features is definitely not the way to go. As much as I hate to do so I'm going to have to breakdown what Plastic Piranha's & 5o5Games' arena shooter has to offer, and deliver the bad news on what I experienced as I did my playthrough of the game. I cannot, and will not sugarcoat something bad. I just hope the PR, and developer don't take it personally. Perhaps something can be learned from the following critique, and can benefit all those involved as well as all those looking to buy the game.

The String Arcade (CD)

It has been a very long time since I've covered music of any kind on this blog. Between game reviews, and dvd reviews it just hasn't been possible for me to seek out new artists like I hoped I could. Thankfully though a certain PR contact came to the rescue recently, and brought to my attention a new CD release that incorporates two things that I'm very passionate about. These two things include both the gaming genre, and the classical music genre. The CD in question which is appropriately titled, "The String Arcade" began as a kickstarter campaign by Dren McDonald in order to support a cause he's passionate about himself. Unlike most kickstarter developers though this guy doesn't want to make a profit for himself, but instead aims to do something very noble with the money that is gained from sales. All of the funds gathered from the sale of this special CD soundtrack will go to the "Alameda Music Project" in order to get children to start participating more in the music field. If that isn't awesome I honestly don't know what is. That's why I'm here today to share the details of this CD, and hopefully get you to join in on supporting this noteworthy cause.

"Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn" on the PS4!?

Well, it seems that the development team over at Square Enix definitely wants to push old games onto consumers by offering revamped versions of them for next-gen consoles. They did it with "Tomb Raider: The Definitive Edition", and now they are doing it with "Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn". I know gaming journalists who oppose these kinds of practices could have a field day with the update material that I'm going to provide, but part of me wants to welcome this online Final Fantasy MMO onto my PS4. I've wanted to play the game ever since it was released on the PS3. Of course it goes without saying that I will not be paying via credit card though, because of security risks. I hope to the gaming gods that Square Enix has been paying attention to my articles, because I brought up similar points about various payment options recently. If they did then they might have just won me over, again.

Weekend Wrap Up - 1/26/2014

As you probably noticed this article before you is an entirely new addition to my gaming blog. My friend @oOScottyBOo over at Twitter inspired me to make this weekly feature, and make it a mainstay here at "OtakuDante's Gaming Inferno". You might be asking yourself what the heck is a "Weekly Wrap Up"? The "Weekly Wrap Up" is basically going to be a weekly article that I'll post each Sunday containing an insight on my week's worth of gaming activities. The topics I cover can range from rants to talks about the various games that I've spent my time playing, and what I thought about them. I might also mention games that I've picked up during the week, and let you know if they are worth your time, and money. For sh*ts & giggles I might also throw in a funny gaming story, or something humorous that I encountered in that particular week. Seeing as this is the first entry in my "Weekly Wrap Up" series I'll be covering a lot of things about my gaming activities during this week in order to give the series a proper jump start. Keep in mind though that these articles will vary in length, and can be anywhere from a few paragraphs to more than 10. It all depends on how much time I choose to spend on it. I hope that you enjoy this series of sneak peeks into my personal gaming life, and that it gives you something to think, or talk about until next weekend's post. Enjoy!

Let's Talk - DLC, Micro-Transactions & Pay-Per-Play

My stance on corporate greed is probably well known amongst the online gaming community by now. The money gouging, and money grubbing practices that have become commonplace have all but sapped out the fun that the gaming industry was once known for, and I've said so myself several times over. While a majority of these money making schemes are inexcusable forms of bullshittery there are some things that I wouldn't mind forking over my hard earned cash for. The DLC that actually rewards the gamer for their gamble on digital only items would be a prime example of such a noteworthy DLC practice. I for one bought every single piece of costume DLC made available for "Soul Calibur V", and ended up investing more money in the game than I initially sunk into it. The DLC for that game was too good to pass up.

Conception 2: Children of the Seven Stars - "Teaser Trailer & More" (3DS/PS VITA)

At this point in time I've not really done much personal research on Conception 2, but I do know that in some haphazard, and mature way it is about baby making. The title of the game itself should be a dead giveaway in regards such mature themes. While this concept (pun intended) might not thrill all gamers, or parents out there I think it might just be ATLUS's next handheld console hit. As for me personally, I'm totally excited to see what sorts of new JRPG gameplay mechanics are going to be added, and used within the game. I always like developers who think outside the box, and the developers of "Conception 2" seem to have done exactly that in this anime inspired JRPG sequel. I hope that you too will greet this new gaming experience with open arms when it hits the streets of the US on April 15th of this year.

TEKKEN Revolution: "The Fighting Game Fiasco Continues ..."

If you've been following me this year you'll know I'm very outspoken about Namco's money gouging in regards to the "Unlock Eliza" event in "Tekken Revolution". From the beginning of the event forward it has been made apparent that Namco's intentions were anything, but gamer friendly. I do realize that Namco has to make a profit somehow, but the way they've gone about it from the game's release onward is nothing less than highway robbery. Having to pay significant amounts of money for unrewarding, and less than noteworthy DLC content has paved the way for even more greedy schemes on Namco's behalf. Instead of implementing DLC as grand in scale as Tekken's character costume creation mode, or Soul Calibur V's costume based DLC they've practically turned the DLC offerings into a purely profit making business.

OlliOlli (PS VITA)

If you've ever wondered what a Tony Hawk's 2D side-scrolling skateboarding game would be like the developers at Roll7 have the perfect answer for you. OlliOlli which happens to be the name of their creation is in essence what Tony Hawk's Pro Skater would have been if it were made back in the retro gaming era. It features highly interactive, and layered 2D landscapes filled with plenty of skateboarding obstacles. At the helm of this radical action game is a generic pixel constructed skateboarding protagonist whom the gamer guides throughout the various courses. There's plenty of variety in the way of level layouts, and a wide variety of challenges that are setup in a mobile gaming format (i.e., Angry Birds) for this manly master of skateboarding stardom to trick, and grind through. At the core of it the protagonist (you) will be grinding, flipping, and performing advanced tricks via your applied left thumbstick, and "X" button inputs. The real trick though lies with your timing, and landing of each maneuver. As with Activision's Tony Hawk's skating franchise you'll find that your score comes from completing level specific tasks, and the combination of tricks/grinds that you land. Thrown in for good measure you'll also find that collecting certain in-game icons as well as doing certain tasks during a skate through will help you to unlock the more challenging level difficulties for later playthroughs.

Zen Pinball 2 - "A Three Console Comparison"

I've not said this before, but Zen Studios' Zen Pinball tables were one of the first arcade game experiences that I spent money on. Back in the day, before Sony's unfortunate hacking incident, and before "OtakuDante's Gaming Inferno" was a thing I spent massive amounts of time playing the first set of MARVEL tables. I loved the Wolverine tribute table as well as the other Marvel superhero themed tables that Zen Studios had created. I even took advantage of the core set offerings as well as the occasional free table that was gifted to the public. To say Zen Pinball was merely a fun experience would be a complete understatement on anyone's behalf. Even in my early days on the PS3 I could tell that Zen Studios had something special going on. Later on when I finally became the gaming journalist you know me as I gained the privilege to play tables before their release, and even shared my findings with you. It was definitely a dream come true.

Doodle Devil (PS VITA)

Before "Doodle Devil" ever made it's jump over to the PS Vita it was actually a mobile game for such formats as iOS. The game's layout, and gameplay mechanics are of the simplest kind, and use simple point and click icon/element combinations to sway the outcome of mankind's fate. Doodle Devil itself takes in account the devil's job to end mankind, and his goal to bring about the final war. As the gamer you play as the devil, and combine various elements in order to create the things necessary to bring about the end. The elements range from your basic fire, wind, and water elements to various forms of life itself. Mankind, it's ideals, and it's inventions also play a crucial role in getting the devil what he wants. On the devil's side there's also the influence of various sins which change the eternal balance in his favor. By simply clicking on, and combining certain groups of two elements you can in essence ruin creation.

Nun Attack (PS VITA)

Being the horror fanatic that I am Frima Studio's "Nun Attack" has always captured my attention. Every time I saw it in the PSN store listings I thought to myself, "I wonder what that game's all about?". Anything dealing with church clergy, demons, and monsters is always intriguing to me, and the fact that "Nun Attack" had all that going for it made me curious as hell. The art itself reminded me of a certain type of Saturday morning cartoon that I used to love, and only made me want to play it even more. While the game has been out for quite a while I finally did get my grubby little hands on the beast. My playthrough which started off somewhat smoothly was delayed due to error codes, and crashes though. Once I figured out that the game is truly meant to be a touch screen only experience I was able to dodge any further setbacks. Now that I've spent enough time with it to understand what's what I can deliver the review that I promised. I hope you enjoy the review for what it's worth, and that it gives you the proper insight on the game, so that you can make an educated purchase oriented decision.

Basement Crawl (PS4) - "Screenshots"

If you have not watched the trailer for Bloober Game's upcoming horror hybrid game "Basement Crawl" you really need to do so. While it reveals little about the actual gameplay I can tell you that it does incorporate 'Bomberman" style arcade action and "M" rated horror themes. The mixture is definitely interesting, but seeing as it's a next-gen title I believe it will be worth a look. I recently contacted Bloober Games in hopes of securing the game for review purposes. Thankfully I'm now on the list, and will be able to provide that review for you. In the meantime I'd like to share with you a few screenshots of actual gameplay, so that you can get a proper taste of things to come. If you are a fan of horror, or multiplayer arcade style experiences I hope that you'll give this game a fair chance when it is released. You can always wait for my review if you like though.

Let's Talk - "How to Make a Proper FPS"

In the FPS (First Person Shooter) genre universe there are several different sub-genres. You have arena based shooters such as "Unreal Tournament 3", horror survival shooters such as "Doom", competitive shooters such as "Call of Duty", and even offline shooters just to name some. As a long time FPS fan it has come to my attention over the past several years that developers of these types of arcade style experiences have lost touch with what made them so great in the first place. The introduction of such things as larger maps, poorly executed spawning systems, and lag compensation have almost ruined the genre completely. Factor in the corporate greed of companies who want to take your money, and run with it while giving you a less than finished product, and you'll have a proper "coup de grace". As a gamer I want to think that there's hope for this genre, but the cold hard fact is that it's likely never going to see the golden years again. With the crowds that such games attract, and the type of developers who worm there way into the genre in order to make a killing off of doing much of nothing for the gamers I find that my feet are firmly planted in the reality that the FPS experiences of yesteryear are a long gone thing of the past.

Don Jon (DVD)

Don Jon the movie is more, or less a film about the habitual nature of healthy and unhealthy sexual relationships. Jonny, who is played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt takes the lead role of a troubled young man who gets his jollies off by watching porn on a daily basis. Porn to him is a way to lose himself completely, and in his own opinion is much better than the real deal. After meeting a girl named Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson) at a local nightclub though his life of one night stands, and porno watching is turned topsy-turvy. Jonny ends up coming to the realization that porn isn't exactly as great as it seems, and that there's more to a relationship than just one-sided sexual desire. During a chance meeting with a much older female classmate (Julianne Moore) Jonny finds a way out of his addictive behavior, and begins to understand the meaning of true love/true love making. Both Jonny, and this MILF acquaintance find much needed comfort in each others company, and in a haphazard sort of way solve each others life issues at the same time. Through repeated visits with friends, the church clergy, and his new found MILF lover the points of lust, and love are driven home in a repetitive fashion that will definitely seem very understandable to a lot of people in the real world. As humans we'll find as Jonny did that not everything is as perfect as the adult film performers portray it to be, and that not everything is less than perfect when it comes to true love/love making. This is what I believe to be the message that director Joseph Gordon-Levitt obviously tried to send to his audience.

Happy Belated New Year!!!

Greetings all ye blog readers! The year is 2014, and there's lots of gaming goodness headed your way in the coming months. As I mentioned earlier I have already sent out several review inquiries in hopes of snagging some review material. So far I've only gotten two confirmations from retail game developers/PRs, but I'm sure more are on their way. Unfortunately not everyone has awoken from their holiday hibernation just yet. As far as what I'm going to cover this year goes I will be trying my hardest to cover all of the new NISA, ATLUS, XSEED, and Tecmo Koei RPGs. Without a doubt this will definitely be the year for great RPG experiences. I'm definitely looking forward to it, and hope that you are too.

Resogun (PS4)

When it comes to indie shmup concepts I think "Resogun" easily earns it's place amongst the best. This eye-popping spectacle of a twin-stick shooter will either put you into a seizure induced spasm due to sensory overload, or will have you staring at the screen in amazement as next-gen special effects fill the screen in front of you. The idea behind this shooter is a simple yet effective one. As mankind's last hope you are piloting their only way off of the cylindrical cities. For some reason, or another humanity is about to face Armageddon several times over, and they are slowly waking from their suspended cubicles only to be dropped out on the street, and blasted/abducted by the robotic alien life forms who are attacking. You, and your ship will not only aid these poor helpless human beings in their time of need, but will also fight against wave after wave of alien spacecraft in the process.

First Impressions - "Blacklight: Retribution (PS4)"

PC owners were the first to get their hands on this futuristic FPS multiplayer experience known as, "Blacklight: Retribution, and will no doubt have already turned away from the PC version seeing as it is old news. For all of us PS4 owners, and dedicated console players though this Scifi inspired shooter is a new thing, and one that should definitely not be overlooked. The fact that it's free-to-play gives you no reason to skip it, even though you may not be inclined to spend actual money on DLC content. From a personal point of view I can tell you that the game definitely has it's pros, and cons. The gameplay which can be described as run & gun friendly is a welcome addition to the FPS genre due to the fact that you can actually run & gun. The standard issue offerings that require no money to use also make for a welcome addition to gameplay. If you are a gamer that is looking to impress though, and wish to show your online prowess with your weapons loadouts, and perks then Zombie Studios does offer a payment plan for such things. You merely have to exchange your PSN credit for some Zcoins, and you are ready to shop.