Monday, April 30, 2018

Intragames Indie "Survive! Mr.Cube" Utilizes Randomized Elements And Replay Value To It's Advantage

Such an odd, alluring, and unique take on the rogue-lite genre. This game that is "Survive! Mr.Cube" is perhaps one of the most simple rogue-lite experiences, but is one that holds it's own as engaging, and fun. The game begins by teasing the player with what appears to be a set in stone tale about a man, who on his way back to his beloved, stops by a pub and is greeted by a man with a pill. The protagonist that is Mr.Cube takes the pill, and wakes up in a world not his own. To get back home he must survive. That's simply it. With a sword in hand he must traverse the veil of darkness, face the foes therein, and loot the place for potions and weapons that will carry him through to a final portal home. As easy as that task may sound like Mr. Cube is faced with insurmountable odds in the form of powerful animal-like creatures, who like him wield weapons of varying sorts. Supposing Mr. Cube fails at his journey home all is not lost though, and in his stead will be a random assortment of protagonists who may or may not be fit for the journey themselves.

Sunday, April 29, 2018

My Favorite Fighting Games Of 2018

Often times I like to discuss things related to gaming on Twitter. I often share uploaded gameplay videos, talk about industry goings on, and even throw in my two cents worth about the direction gaming is taking. In the Twitter gaming moment I share here I briefly note the two good fighting games I enjoy. I realized I complain a lot about fighting games, and the corruption thereof, so I figured it was about time I let you know that not all was lost in the genre. I hope you enjoy the glance at this screenshot captured Twitter moment. Feel free to let me know what your favorite fighting games are.

Monday, April 23, 2018

MegaDimension Neptunia VII Returns With Some New Virtual Reality Features

If fan service were a Neptunia game this reworking of "MegaDimension Neptunia VII" would be it. It takes the already improved game formula, improves further upon it, and adds in VR character interactions as a means to draw the player further into Gamindustri than ever before. It's like the ultimate interactive edition of the previously released entry. As far as VR features go the game can be experienced with or without a VR headset. The VR portions of the game are limited only to the new player's room area which can be accessed between gameplay sections through the world map. It is a supposedly real world place where you get to interact with the CPU Goddesses on a more personal level. You, as "The Player", are introduced to the ladies of the Gamindustri as that enigmatic guiding presence that they finally get to meet. Through continued interactions the Goddesses are able to change the items in your room, and carry a conversation through your motioned "Yes" or "No" answers as well as through the movement of the camera's focus. By focusing on certain parts of the Gamindustri gals it will sometimes provoke a response. Sometimes the response is that of embarrassment, and other times of shock if you look down towards their legs. Even the environmental objects will evoke a response if focused on in the correct moment. You'll even find that some of the conversations are deeply involved while some are flirtatious, and others meaningful in the sense that the player finally gets to meet those he/she has watched over throughout the history of the Neptunia series.

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Streets Of Red Dares To Reinvent The Old Brawler Formula And Succeeds

A Shovel Knight, Link, Tron Bonne, and a Teenage Ninja cosplayer walk into a gaming convention ... It's the perfect segue for Secret Base Games' comical beat'em up, and the review thereof. At least I think so. This side scrolling nod to all things geek, and gaming culture known as "Streets of Red ~ Devil Dare Deluxe" goes full on 4th wall breaking with it's inclusive arcade mode story about an unlikely set of four poorly dressed cosplayers who are each tasked with battling hordes of the undead to supposedly save the world. While the story or plot behind this tongue-in-cheek action adventure into nighttime horrors of the unforgiving kind has it's own interesting setup all you really need to know is that some soul munching fairy offers the four protagonists the chance to save the world by killing off the infestation of zombies. By playing as one of four video game character themed cosplayers of the previously mentioned sort you will collect the souls for the fairy behind the scenes as well as loot the dead for all they're worth while you try to survive several sadistic nights of carnage, and bloodletting. A multiple stage engagement which begins with a Sonic the Hedgehog inspired stage intro screen along with Guilty Gear's starting catchphrase atop it, and ends with a series of final boss battles.

As you play through the game's many stages fighting off the various baddies therein you will find that nothing in the way of video game, or film lore is out of bounds for the developer of this pixel packed punching parade, and that as cliche as it might get, it breathes life into a dying genre with a unique gameplay system which plays out surprisingly well. Ultimately how you choose to use the given combo mechanics, fatalities, and special attacks at your disposal will determine what kind of loot is dropped. Loot which you can buy upgrades, continues, and even ... er, sorry. Almost spoiled something! The point being how you utilize the character specific abilities, and how well you manage your money throughout your playthrough will determine whether or not you survive the night ... nights. Supposing you don't survive you'll be faced with a dreaded perma death via the deletion of your save file. Meaning you'll have to start over from scratch. Thus a lot weighs on your ability to play the game properly. Skill is required.

Friday, April 13, 2018

Tera ~ My Evolving Thoughts On The Game

Despite running into different server issues, having my internet/cable connection compromised while playing, and finding bugs in the gameplay I still commit a decent amount of daily time progressing in Tera on the PS4. It's an MMORPG that has it's fair share of flaws, but that really shines where it shines. As I've said so often before the experience takes the usually complex MMORPG UI (user interface), and streamlines it in such a way as to make playing it less of a tedious task, and more of a casual in and out experience. Currently the only real problems I see with the game are the frequent server issues such as access to servers not working, and players automatically being thrust into a server upon login without initial choice. There's that, and a dire need for some sort of aided direction when it comes to questing as often times NPCs do not appear as they should or are so obscured from view it's like hunting for a needle in a haystack. I suggested some sort of guiding light like Monster Hunter World's scout flies. I think that would be the perfect solution. Maybe even a way to toggle on or off ground arrows when you find yourself lost.

Thursday, April 5, 2018

My Thoughts on TERA

TERA is the latest free-to-play MMORPG to hit the Playstation 4. It's not the first of it's kind, and it will certainly not be the last. That being said there are some things TERA gets right, and some things the game fails at. What TERA gets right above all else is the streamlined gameplay, the user friendly controls, and the polished visual designed. It's mostly eye candy with fluid action packed functionality that you don't often see in such a game. The online portion of the game is mostly lag free to boot even with populated servers, and the experience as a result is vastly more enjoyable. That being said gameplay in TERA is a dumbed down series of sequential side quests, boss fights, cutscenes, and bland NPC conversations that are meant to breathe life in what ultimately amounts to a very tedious task oriented gaming experience.

The developer boasted it as being"Action Packed", but the action within the game is not all that exciting, if I were to be honest. The fights against mob minions are only made challenging due to their mob-like habits, and even the boss fights feel less than engaging outside of the fact that they do have legitimate attack patterns. Bosses, for the most part, are the usual sponges with layered health bars that only require your character to be leveled up enough to handle the fight. When it comes to the gear and weapons with which you dispatch these supposedly formidable foes this too feels less than awe inspiring. Sure there's rarity in the items you can earn and buy, but nothing seems outstanding or brag worthy. As such I don't see a lot of potential in the trading/selling economy that the servers host as a player to player market feature.