Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!!! | 2019 A Year In Reflection ...

This year has been a roller coaster ride for me. I've had my ups, and my downs. Both in life, and in the review realm. I've struggled at times, and have triumphed on occasion. Out of all of it I found my most proud moments being the time I shared with my followers on social media. It is that time spent that pulled me through, that gave me purpose, and helped me soldier on when I wanted to give up and quit. The moral support was plentiful as were the thoughts and prayers. My friends, and my online family were definitely there for me when I needed it the most. I hope that with my shared wisdom, my advice, and the review posts I typed up I was, in some way, able to pay it all forward. I hope that at some point this year I was able to point my followers in the right direction. Whether it be in regards to video games, or life choices. I hope that I was as there for you as you were there for me.

Prophetic Predictions In Gaming: Erron Black & The Death of the Western World

Erron Black has been in two mainstay Mortal Kombat fighting games, and in both, his origins have remained a mystery that was only hinted at. Erron Black is the embodiment of the Western Cowboy or Outlaw within MK lore. His costumes, his weapons of choice, his voice-over, and his physical appearance accounts for this. Looking at Erron's namesake, and his presence in recent MK games it might appear as if it were all a simple creative design choice, but what if there's more to Erron Black's presence than meets the eye? What if he is a predictive precursor to the fall of Western society? Hear me out.

Demons With Shotguns | A Pump Actioned Religious Fight & Smite Pixel Party Platformer

Demons With Shotguns is a competitive, and cooperative action platformer in the guise of a religiously themed 2D brawler/shooter. The kind of game that harkens back to Smash Brothers, but with a more mature tone. It features a handful of playable characters to choose from including a gruff cigar smoking angel, a traditional nun, a Satan looking deceiver, Death, a bulky demon, and a worse for wear preacher. Each with the same selection of weapons, and abilities. Including things like a shield for blocking and bashing, a shotgun with limited ammo for shooting, and a holy water bomb for tossing. These base abilities are further enhanced in-game, and within the modes by power-ups that come in the form of symbol marked tarot cards. Cards that can boost speed, and give other religious buffs like the power of Christ shield, the Holy Spirit damage boost, Angelic wings, and the power of Satan bullets. All things that once gathered activate under an announcer's voice that sounds an awfully lot like the honest trailers dude. Overall it's not the most complex game of it's kind, and as such it does have it's limitations in regards to fun value. If you buy into it you'll either be playing locally with friends in a 2-4 player versus mode, or you'll be going solo or locally co-op in a wave based fight for survival known as the "End of Time" against the minions of darkness with one other friend. With the available stages unlocked in order as you complete one of two difficulties per stage.

Straimium Immortaly | Space Ninjas Fighting Tha Queeni & Her Nasties

If "The Binding of Isaac" were warped six ways from Sunday, and thrown into the void of space in the presence of a crude alien narrator with worms gouging out it's eye sockets then "Stramium Immortaly" would be that experience. It's oddities, and innuendos know no Earthly bounds, and the stuff you'll encounter as a Straima Ninja is not something easily rationalized. Amid the grotesque alien world, and it's biologically diverse ecosystem you'll be tasked with engaging a randomized room to room hunt for loot, keys, and the final boss. It is a trek with numerous secrets to uncover, and mysteries to reveal. Much like Isaac's battle through his Mother's dungeon basement you will travel room by room dealing with deadly enemies of varying types as you find weapon upgrades, and abilities to see you through to the end. It is by no means an easy undertaking even with the modifiers you can unlock to cheat the system. Nor is it made any easier with the seed keys that can be generated for map replay.

Demon Pit | Arcade Arena Shooting In Hell

Demon pit, a pit of demons. That pretty much sums up this oldschool 3D arena shooter. You are basically a no named demon hunter who finally succumbs to death, and is thrown into the fiery pits of hell with the very demons you killed in life. While that would be torment in, and of itself, this unnamed and marked protagonist that you are is not unarmed. He comes packing a pistol with infinite ammo, and can collect new weapons as he faces endless waves of demonic denizens. The end goal, being to survive as long as humanly possible before being put back into the fray again with weapons collected remaining available. Outside of the simple plot it is a score based affair with a global leaderboard. A leaderboard with waves completed, and score accounted for.High scores being the endgame.

Tamashii | Puzzling Occult Horror

Normally one wouldn't think of occult horror when they think of December or the Christmas holiday season. That sort of entertainment is usually reserved for Spring time or October for Halloween's sake. Oddly enough Digerati Distribution decided to publish, and release such a game though. That game being "Tamashii". Tamashii which could best be described as Luciferian, or Pagan in nature features a light illuminated, and pyramid headed female-like God whose temple has been corrupted by minions of darkness. To combat the problem he/she send his/her loyal subject, which happens to be the character you play as, to deal with the corruption culprits. To do this you will be entering portal chambers in puzzle platforming areas that require your timer inclusive effigies (a limited set of 3) that can be sped up to deactivate or waited on in order to activate switches, avoid hazards, and do what needs to be done to open up sealed gates to the next area. Along with an additional double jump or delayed jump you will need to figure out each room's puzzle, solve it, and move on until you reach the boss. Between start, and finish you will find challenge portals that are either difficult and highly rewarding, or easier and less rewarding. A play on the left hand and right hand of God premise with the left handed choice bringing the biggest reward.

BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle Expansion | Bonus DLC For The Right Price

Not too long ago Arc System Works released a big patch to the core BBTAG base game. It was called patch 2.0, and with it came a laundry list of feature, system, and character changes (2.0 Update). This patch was freely given to any owner of the game, and allowed the base players to play against 2.0 characters without having to purchase the additional DLC expansion. The expansion, which this review will be about, comes with 9 additional characters, a newly introduced scenario, new character interactions, and colors. You even get access to special lobby avatars not available in the base game. It's a $24.99 dollar upgrade that holds it's own in value. Normally character DLC would cost you around $7.99 a pop, but with this DLC you get what equates to three new sets of characters plus the bonus content. It's definitely a discount deal in that regard. That having been said if you have yet to get into BBTAG, and are interested in the current full experience there is a full price special edition that will set you back $49.99. The difference is that it includes character DLC 1-7 plus the new expansion. The physical edition, in particular, comes with a code for the new expansion. Needless to say you have choices when it comes to BBTAG 2.0 and it's content.

Gunlord X | 32bit Shoot 'em Up Metroidvania Platforming At It's Finest!

Nostalgia level over 9,000!!! Gunlord X has a lot of good going for it. NG-DEV's improved upon version of the retro Turrican inspired classic comes to life not only with 32Bit oldschool aesthetics intact, but also with new quality of life tweaks, and additional content not originally included. This smooth as butter platforming shmup hybrid with collect-a-thon goals and a quest to save the waifu is one that will no doubt leave a mark in modern gaming history. It is hailed as being the definitive version of the classic. The one that's worth playing, and worth owning. To that extent I think it definitely lives up to the boastful claims. Though it is still extremely challenging, and borderline unforgiving Gordian Gaiden's fight against the demonic soul stealing alien menace known as the "The Master" is one not easily forgotten, or passed up.

Pinball FX3 | William's Pinball Vol. 5 (PS4)

William's Pinball Volume 5 under the Pinball FX3 label continues the tribute trend by treating the players with a trio of new yet old tables. In this collection you'll find two tables by John Popadiuk, and one by Pat Lawlor. Each table in question hailing from the late 1990's, specifically around 1996 and 1997. John's tables are both interesting selections focusing on a more magical set of themes. One table is the "Cirqus Voltaire" Bally release, and the other the "Arabian Nights" table that most of you will be familiar with. Pat's table tribute is one lesser known, but definitely inspired table called "No Good Gofers". A table that reminds me an awfully lot of the old Bill Murray inclusive film, "Caddyshack". As a collective the set of tables is one of unique quality with each table bringing something notably different to the player. Of course the challenges with each also vary as do the many scoring opportunities made available.

SuperEpic: The Entertainment War | A Poignant Parody Of The Pig-Like State of Gaming (PS4)

SuperEpic is a poignant parody of the pig-like state of the pay to play, and pay to win parasite that is a good portion of today's games industry. In it's humor, and quite fun metroidvania platforming experience the game not only opens the gamers' eyes to what is going on in real life, but offers gameplay not ruined by the monetization efforts it pokes fun at. The story that you'll start off playing features a raccoon protagonist named TanTan, and his Llama sidekick. An unlikely duo that dishes out corporate punishment via a trio of weapons that allow for direct, upwards, and downwards strikes that can be delivered from the back of your trusty Llama pal. With this accompanied by RPG gear, upgrades, and abilities tied to meters TanTan is set to join the revolution against Regnant Corp, and it's staff.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare Battle Pass | Impressions

Battle passes have seemingly become a staple of live service games these days. A common creation goal for game developers, and publishers to implement for business sake. On average they'll cost you, at base level, around ten dollars. That, and commitment to grinding for each reward tier in order to be able to get the most out of what you paid for. Most battle passes are centered around experience point earnings, and will utilize the game's XP system in order to make your ascent up the tier ladder either cumbersome or quickly progressed. In the case of Fortnite's battle pass the XP earned is fast tracked via events that allow the players to capitalize on significant bonus XP for completing certain missions or feats. In Modern Warfare's battle pass though you creep along at a snail's pace on a per kill basis in multiplayer or Spec-Ops until you unlock a tier with an XP boost that can be used to amplify your experience points earnings for 30 minutes to an hour. Even with the boost though the grind in MW, per tier, can take several matches to complete, and in a battle pass that is filled with filler rewards such as XP tokens and lesser items it makes the grind to 100 all the more tedious, and demanding of your time. Once you buy into MW's battle pass for 1,100 COD tokens ($9.99), and the season begins you will have 60 days to complete the 100 tier pass, and unlock everything there is to unlock. While the grind is doable if you clear at least 2 tiers per day it is the artificial lengthening of the pass, and the filler materials that take up potential item unlocks that makes the whole thing less than desirable.

The Numbers Game | A Poem By Brad Carver

Below you will find my latest poem. One that I think we all can relate to. One that speaks of the numbers game. The very thing that people use to measure fortune, and fame. I hope you enjoy it, and that it speaks to your soul. Never, ever get lost to the numbers, and never think that those numbers reflect someone's worth. For it's in what we do, and not the attention we get that speaks volumes on our behalf.

My First Fortnite Battle Pass Grind ... Impressions

When it comes to Fortnite I mostly avoided the first chapter, and all of it's seasons. I might have logged on a couple of times to try it out, but my early impressions weren't good. I played mostly solo during chapter one, and the matchmaking was nothing like it is now. It felt like I had no chance at all, and that I was up against the sweatiest of pro players. I couldn't make it to the top 10 no matter how hard I tried. In chapter two the matchmaking seemed to take a turn for the better though, and I actually got two first place victory royales in solo with no building. Before I decided to actually pay up for the battle pass in chapter two I had progressed through half of the battle pass unlocks. Seeing as the matchmaking was more skill based, and I was actually doing well in-game I was willing to give it a chance. Admittedly at first chapter two was fun, and for once I was really into it. I spent a good amount of time fine tuning my approach, and settings to a serious extent. I also learned about the different game modes, and nearly 100% completed the battle pass missions. Currently I'm missing only the special variations for the legendary battle pass skin, and the secret skin that you unlock for completing the series of event missions. I have stopped for the moment, and kind of feel a disconnect after having witnessed a shift in the skill based matchmaking, as well as Epic Games' choice to turn my report option red signifying they are basically ignoring my player reports.

Pinball FX 3 - William's Pinball: Universal Monster Set

The guys, and gals at Zen Studios know pinball. This fact is continuously made evident with each new table set they bring to their pinball platforms. If you haven't followed them in a while you might not know that they've actually begun creating tribute tables of the William's variety as a sort of set extension to their main brand. Each pack which costs roughly around ten dollars for two to three tables comes complete with a table history via textual intro facts, and the usual embellishments that come with the Zen Studios line of original table creations. That as well as the original artistic design. For example with the 'Universal Monster Set' you get a sort of dual design option that keeps the original design in mind as well as an enhanced version complete with the added video game flair Zen Studios is more known for. Point pop-ups, animatronics, holograms, 3D models, and a side dot matrix display where table events unfold in real time along with your achieved high score. Such things as that. With a single pressing of  'CIRCLE' you can effectively switch on, and off visual enhancements as you play. Similar to the way you change the table views, but with a different button. In a way this dual branding gifts the player two different versions of the two included tables. Allowing said players to experience in a more historically accurate way or in the Zen Studios way.

Mononoke Slashdown | Simple Yet Complex Hack & Slash Ninja Action

FK Digital's "Mononoke Slashdown" is a game with a plot somewhat lost in translation. Through roughly translated English text, and an equally confusing intro we find that Kagemaru is our ninja hero, and that he's out to end some evil. That evil comes in the form of Mononoke, or demons. Through several chapters filled with several stages each Kagemaru is designated to take out the demonic armies with a sword, kunai, and a certain set of skills. It is through ninja like reflexes, and the tools of the trade that Kagemaru will either prevail or fail the challenges at hand. Given your guidance or lack thereof.

Citadel: Forged With Fire | A Verdict Rewritten

I like to be upfront, and honest when I've made an unfair judgment, or shared something that does not hold true. My recent verdict for Citadel falls in line with that very situation. I had disclosed that the grind on the servers were unfairly balanced according to resources made available, and the pace at which your character levels up. While my claim holds true on some servers there exists other custom servers that allow for fast tracking leveling, and material harvesting. Each server comes labeled accordingly, and through menu toggles you can sort through the various custom lobbies within the listing. Both on the PVE, and PvP side of things. I recently got into a PVE server for my area, and leveling was quickly done as was the harvesting of needed materials. Making it an experience on par with the singleplayer I absolutely adore, but with other online players accounted for. The stress on the servers wasn't bad either though there still exists some lag, and frame rate drops.

Citadel: Forged With Fire | PVP, PVE & A Final Verdict

I've spent some serious time in all three of Citadel's modes of play. I've tried out the easy grind, and the slow and methodical grind. Both offline, and online. For the most part it's the same experience throughout. All modes incorporate the same base crafting, and building mechanics while featuring the same maps filled with the same quests, looting opportunities, and boss/creature battles. Singleplayer itself can be played alone with the tedious grind settings in check or with advanced mods turned on that will allow you to enjoy the game without the hassle of needing to really farm or grind for anything. The opposite goes for multiplayer server play where PvP, and PVE demands the tedious grind in order for you to build your created character up to a point that he/she can engage in the endgame activities. One thing holds true any way you choose to play though, and that is the fact that character leveling does not reset upon death. This allows for picking up where you left off with the ability to craft everything you've unlocked through experience gained as well as your equipped gear still intact. It goes without saying that backtracking to pick up lost loot will be required if you want to regain all you've collected.

Are Fortnite Cosmetics Really Cosmetics Only???

I've noticed something concerning about damage dealt in Fortnite recently. Some players get the standard whole number damage levels according to shield, and health remaining while others have decimal points or fractions of point damage taken away when shot. At first I thought this was a player hack or a glitch, but the more I watched the instances where it happened the more I noticed that the higher ranked skins were used by the offending players. Possibly meaning that Epic Games has not been forthcoming about the nature of the cosmetics. While I'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt I've yet to see a player get banned for being reported for it in the live feed. They are more than welcome to prove it otherwise via a comment here, or a public statement elsewhere, but whatever the case may be it's not looking good. Either players are hacking shield and health or Epic Games is knowingly selling game changing cosmetics in the guise of cosmetic only microtransactions.

Citadel: Forged With Fire | Mechanics & Impressions Update

I've spent some more time tinkering around with Citadel's singleplayer mode, and I've noticed some things that I did not notice before including a whole other menu of options that further simplifies the crafting system, and character progression. If you startup singleplayer after having created your character, and played around a bit you will find an 'Advanced' option at the main menu continue point that has a series of sliders, and toggles that will allow you to tweak things like player points earned, whether or not you need to farm for materials, and other useful things tied to the character, and crafting mechanics. It's basically a mod menu of sorts that allows you to enjoy the game without having to slowly grind to a point that you can craft the things you need in order to fortify your long term existence in the various locations that you can begin in. The spawn areas, or beginning locations number three initially, and will open up more as you travel outward into Citadel's world visiting quest givers, and facing boss fights among other things. The game also offers the option to fast travel via portals that bring up a map with marked points of interest. A map that shows various icons, or points of interest that you can go to, to engage in various MMO oriented tasks. The very map that can also be brought up by pressing down on the DPad in-game.

Citadel: Forged With Fire | Impressions Thus Far ...

Citadel is a game I need to spend more time on than usual to gain a proper perspective of what it has to offer on a full scale. That having been said I have played it to a point I'm getting a proper feel for the type of grind, and crafting it entails. For those of you who don't know "Citadel: Forged With Fire" is an MMORPG sandbox type of game that can be played in singleplayer or on PVE, and PvP servers. It's about a magical world of wizards borne from flame who can fly around on broomsticks, and dragons. Wizards that can engage in combat, and build fortified castles beyond imagination. The world itself is brought to life in a beautiful, and colorful rendering done on the Unreal 4 engine. It pushes the PS4 to it's limits, but looks quite impressive for the console port that it is. As far as gameplay is concerned you'll find that in singleplayer it is smooth. There is no game breaking lag, or frame rate issues that really hinder the gameplay. For now I can't say the same for PVE or PvP, because I've yet to play on the provided servers.

From your character's creation at the main menu startup to their birth from a fiery pit in-game, and the grind that follows you'll be able to level up, and grow your character's set of abilities. It is ultimately through experience earned, skill points applied, and learned crafting skills that you'll be able to establish your sustained existence as your created character in the world of Citadel. The Touchpad menu from which everything is done in regards to this, outside of character control, houses six different themed diamonds for each interactive sub-menu that will give you quick access to everything that can be done. This includes the equipment loadout, the crafting, the crafting skills, the spells, creature taming, and your House or clan setup. It's a quick access hub for all you can do with your character, and the world around you. Much more streamlined than other games of the same genre.

Rebranded Review: Disgaea 4 Complete+ | Formerly Disgaea 4: A Promise Revisited

This is probably something unheard of among gaming journalists, but there happens to exist a complete version of Disgaea 4 for the PS Vita that mirrors the new complete version for consoles. I think while it harbors similarities it's worth reviving my initial review of the game for those of you interested, or curious about the new complete version for the PS4. I went all in with the former review, and I'd basically be repeating what I said if I were to review it again, and I think sometimes reviews that are already telling enough are telling enough. I hope this rebranded review gives you the insight necessary to decide whether or not Disgaea 4 Complete+ is something worth your time, and money.

AGONY | Abandon All Hope Those Who Enter Here

Dismal, bleak, and dark is this Nintendo Switch port of Agony. A hopeless endeavor for those hoping it to be otherwise. Taking with it all the controversial material including full-on nudity, and hellish gore from MadMind Studios' original PS4, and PC debut this abysmal tale of a tormented soul cast into the fiery pits of Hell makes it's second coming appearance on the Switch more broken than it was before. The first-person survival horror that it is comes to life, or rather the afterlife in a laggy, and muddied presentation of visuals that do no favors for the creator's intended vision. Through puzzle solving, platforming, and mild combat you'll face the story of a tormented soul known as Amraphel whose pact with the devil in life served as his damnation, and beckoning call to the Red Queen. A succubus who holds the secrets to the only way of escape from the torture Amraphel faces. You'll be forced to trek through miles upon miles of blood, guts, and gore as you meet other damned souls, and make your way to the Red Queen in hopes for some semblance of relief, and remembrance. Along the way enhancing your skills, and abilities as you face the puzzles of the Labyrinth of the Mind, and other key locales.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | The Multiplayer Experience As Seen By A Returning CoD Player

I know you guys, and gals have likely got a million questions running through your mind if you have not already bought into the new Call of Duty game. You've likely heard that the camping is causing people to cancel their pre-orders, and that the maps are littered with so many camping spots that it forces players to camp. Having currently spent six hours in multiplayer I can say that it is very campy, but that it's more on the side of realism than it is simply an experience built around camping. It is a very tactical war-like multiplayer that makes you advance as if you were in a real war, and to that extent it's not all that bad. Infinity Ward does good to give you all the necessary tools to combat the threats at hand, and offers counter vantage points that level out the playing field no matter which direction either team of players might be approaching from. With the usual gun setup that is very similar to past Call of Duty games in a lot of ways also comes the ability to mount your gun against surfaces Rainbow Six style for sneaky peeking. I'd say, all things considered, this new Call of Duty is a mixture of the old CoD experience, Rainbow Six Siege, and Battlefield. Borrowing a little from each in a well balanced format that is most definitely an esports worthy venture.

Driven Out | A Straightforward Side-Scrolling Souls-Like Experience

NoPest Production's "Driven Out" is what I like to call a straightforward side-scrolling Souls-like experience. The premise is simple, but the execution thereof extremely difficult to master. Basically, as a female protagonist driven out of her village for undisclosed reasons you must journey out into the world fighting anything, and anyone that you confront. This includes everything from medieval soldiers, and peasants to mythical creatures. Using only a sword dropped by an initially combative, and elusive knight in armor this lady villager must ultimately progress ever forward while utilizing a tool of witchcraft she stumbled upon that allows her to place a sort of resurrection marker for when she falls in battle. As long as the marker has the energy, and remains undamaged by the assailants she can continue where the witchcraft contraption has been placed. Making it a checkpoint for progress sake. Thus is the gimmick of the game.

Minotaur Arcade Vol.1 | Trippy Arcade Action For The PS4

Llamasoft continues their trend of trippery with this micro-collection of arcade tribute games for the PS4, and PSVR consoles. Going from "Polybius" to what could best be described as a virtual assault on the senses "Minotaur Arcade Vol.1" brings to the gamer two hard to master experiences burdened by blinding colors, flashing lights, and oldschool chiptune sounds. Something I couldn't see being all too pleasant in VR, but definitely doable in the standard console format. Epilepsy, and seizure potential aside. With the budget priced package that is this game you get both "Gridrunner" and "Goat Up", collectively. Both in standard PS4 format as well as PSVR format. The titles alone are probably confusing to anyone reading this, but one is a shmup, and the other a tough as nails platformer.

Pig Eat Ball | Grotesque Game Of Gluttonous Gobbling

Mommy's Best Games once again delivers an indie of insane proportions. A grotesque game of gluttonous gobbling. This time it is centered around a junction of connected space stations, the Cake King who is the ruler of them all, and his daughter to be wed, Princess Bow. For whatever reason the king decides it's high time his daughter, who happens to be a pig, gets married. To find a suitable suitor he plans on hosting a series of challenges. Learning of his plans Princess Bow decides to enter the contest herself in disguise to keep from having her dreams of getting out, and exploring the universe to be dashed to bits. And thus it is through these disguises that she gains abilities that will help her better suction tennis balls like a Hoover vacuum cleaner as she attempts to collect them all in order to win the pearls that it takes to advance to the next part of the competition. As you will find out this is done by taking on clam challenges, winning medals for timed completion, and objective based goals bested. The competition along the way is varied, and the challenges challenging. You'll find Princess Bow facing simple ball collecting challenges, racing against the clock to collect balls, and even fighting for survival in challenges filled with bacon letting hazards that will keep Princess Bow from collecting what needs to be collected. Supposing you are able to help her through though she will come out on top as the victor, and not be made to marry her life away.

The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors | An Updated Port From The Arcades To The PS4

Hailing from a time when local Arcades were still a thing, and co-op 4 player brawlers were the trend there existed Taito's, "The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors". A game meant to be played in the company of friends on a weekend when school wasn't in session, or even during after school hours. Staying true to the Arcade experience of the late 80's that it was born from this port brings back in full the fight of three cybernetic assassins at the heart of the story as they face off against a nation's corrupt leader named Banglar, and his loyal regime. As a Ninja, a Kunoichi, and a Kamaichi the game tasks you, and your joining friends to battle the enemy as they come in from all sides, and in all kinds of forms. It's seven stages of challenging mob style gameplay, and one final fight with easy to understand mechanics that will allow you complete the entire set of operations, stylishly. 

Indivisible | An RPG And Metroidvania Hybrid Of Colorful Proportions

From Lab Zero Games, the creators of Skullgirls, comes an RPG hybrid about a rambunctious teenage girl named Ajna who finds herself as a part of a haunting mystery that one day comes calling. Training under the tutelage of her father Indr, the village elder, she learns the ways of combat. All while wondering who her father really is, and why her mother died when she was younger. As fate would have it a ruler of a certain kingdom sends his lieutenant to destroy the disobedient population of the Ashwat village shortly after one of Ajna's training sessions. The very village where Ajna, and her father live. In his murderous rampage Dhar, the lieutenant sent to plunder, kills Ajna's father leaving her with a lot more unanswered questions, and a fight that she will thankfully not have to face alone. Utilizing a mysterious undiscovered power activated in the heat of battle Ajna captures certain people of interest including Dhar, and has them fighting on her side as she makes her way to face off against the man who had her father killed. It's with this interchangeable army of individuals, and assisting acquaintances that Ajna will be able to see her mission through to the end. That, and some abilities she gains along the way through her journey of discovery, and maturity.

Valfaris | A Metal Game That Will Test Your Mettle

Valfaris is a game that takes it's focus from it's own namesake. It is a 2D action-platformer of a Contra persuasion that is centered around a paradise gone dark, and the son of it's king who returns to it in order to try, and figure out why it is the way it is. Valfaris is the location at which this game takes place, and Therion is the protagonist with which you'll face what lies in wait. Armed with a trio of weapons, and other useful abilities such as a shield Therion must brave the darkness infested wilds of Valfaris as he journeys forth to find his father, or at the very least what happened to him. The road from beginning to end is wrought with perils in the form of environmental hazards as well as bosses, and lesser creatures. An adventure that's made all the more impressive by masterful pixel art, and Celtic Metal music made just for this experience.

Burgertime Party! | A Retro Based Remake Done Justice

Do you like burgers? Do you like the cartoony Cuphead character style art? Do you like puzzle platformers? Do you like it all with a side order of local multiplayer? If you do chances are you'll like this re-imagining of Data East's retro Burgertime experience. Complete with four fully fledged modes of play that are playable solo, and with up to three other players you'll be tasked as Pepper Pete to take on the Food Foes as well as both of said characters as they clash in the ultimate food fight party extravaganza. You'll find that along with the new art direction, new modes of play, and new challenges comes a Solo, Main, Challenge, and Battle Burger option where perfecting your playthrough is the key to a high score. Whether you are trying to earn the gold star ranking, the trophies for feats accomplished, or are going classic with higher tiers of difficulty for that global leaderboard position you'll need to master your maneuvers across obstacle laden ladder accessible towers as you use pepper to fend of fiendish Food Foes in an attempt to make burgers layer by layer. It is not an easy undertaking as this time around pepper is somewhat limited, and the environmental hazards to overcome while you dodge Mr. Hotdog, Mr. Pickle, Mr. Egg, and Mr. Donut are aplenty.

Family Tree | Trajectory Based Puzzle Platforming With A Fruity Twist

Perhaps one of the most interesting platformers I've ever played comes in the form of, "Family Tree" from Infinite State Games. This pinball meets platforming experience featuring a fruity family torn apart by a sinister sugar skull named Pedro really takes the cake. With added music of an interesting variety including dub-step, and acid house it's a trippy experience to say the least. One that will have you playing through 128 increasingly challenging levels across four theme inclusive seasons while taking on side challenges, and an endless climbing mode for up to four players. As you command the role of Mister, and Misus Fruits whose children were abducted by the nefarious Pedro you will need to quickly ascend the towering tree innards before you via cannon catapults as you dodge wacky enemies, and odd obstructions keeping you from collecting that which will mean perfection for the playthrough rescues at hand. Both the fruity children themselves, and the 4 coins per level that hover ever so conveniently within the hollowed out tree structures included.

Alliance Alive HD | An Upscaling Of An Amazing JRPG Adventure

Mirroring the evils of society, and the governing bodies of today's real world, 'Alliance Alive' brings to us a familiar plot premise told through classic RPG gameplay, and enhanced HD visuals. Complimented by added mechanics paying homage to RPGs of the past, and others that are somewhat new to the genre as well as specific to this experience. As the game opens up through visually enhanced cutscenes, textual art panel inclusive storytelling, and in-game character interactions we find a fantasy world plagued by the invasion of  Daemons, and divided realms born from a resulting barrier where beast folk enforce the laws without mercy. Leaving humans to be the last underground resistance to the oppressive darkness, and the rule thereof. In the midst of the darkened skies, and society's downfall there lies hope in the guise of a girl named Azura, her childhood friend Galil, her father Wyatt, and the guilds that will join in an alliance to find the blue skies of a thousand bygone years. It's a story of hope enduring, and the final fight for freedom. One we all can relate to.

Habroxia | An Entry Level Shmup For The PS4

If you've played earlier shmups like Gradius and Space Invaders you'll have a good clue as to how Habroxia plays, and what type of shoot 'em up it is. Even though it has it's own slightly different hybrid take on mechanics, and even features it's own unique visual design as well as it's own approach to gameplay the waves of enemies including how you approach them within the handful of modes made available will feel very familiar. Compared to other shmups, and bullet hell shooters Lillymo Games' creation is also a bit more tame, and entry level by design. Said design has it's ups, and downs to note. For example, it is somewhat too reliant upon the upgrade system that is it's base feature for progressing through the 15 stages of the main mode. Outside of that the alternate modes that you unlock such as Invasion, Rescue, and Shield Maiden at every five level completion will offer only slight replay value as well as a means to farm for credits which act as the game's in-game currency. Sadly, in all that it offers it does not include global leaderboards though. Thus making the chain combo scoring that is attached to the experience less than beneficial to those gamers looking to compare their feats of mastery with other worldly competitors.

Sudden Strike 4: Complete Collection | A Military RTS In All It's Entirety

Sudden Strike 4 is a real time strategy (RTS) game that focuses heavily on the various WWII campaigns. It includes eleven campaigns stretched across the core game, and bonus DLC including various axis & ally perspectives. Through voiced narration, historic video clips, and added textual facts the game takes the player through the war from different fronts as they command troops, and units to see the battle through as they would have seen it done, but with guided mission objectives, and rewards for completing the tasks at hand accounted for. You'll fight as the Germans, the Soviets, and the Allies among others as you use the doctrines of historical commanders, and tweak said skill based doctrines to your benefit. There are over 45 missions in total within the complete collection. The DLC campaigns included. Each with an obtainable 3 star rankings based on objective performance, and your ability to come out of the set battle victorious. Using user friendly commands tied to face buttons, shoulder buttons, thumbsticks, and the DPad you will be able to fast track combat as you point, and click troops, and units from point to point on the mini or main map. The troops, and units being like their real world counterparts in that they feature functions, and abilities that can be used to aid other troops and units as they make their way to areas of interest, and do as directed.

Things I'd Like To See Improved Upon In Borderlands 3

As of this weekend I'm deep into my first playthrough of Borderlands 3 on the PS4. I chose to go with FL4K as my first character, and for the most part he's been a decent choice though a bit squishy when it comes down to survival. That having been said I chose to go with a high crit build, and didn't optimize my skill trees for the pets or health bonuses. Even so I'm doing alright solo, and as I've said I'm deep into my playthrough. Having completed all side missions along the way as they became available along with key story missions when said side missions were done. Seeing most of my friends whiz past me in rank during my own progression due their grinding approach outside of the main campaign leaves me a little envious, but being the OC (obsessive compulsive) guy I am I wanted to do a complete playthrough before going into the alternative grind centered modes. My approach has served me well to that end.

Borderlands 3 | My Own Thoughts & Opinions

Beyond the drama, and past all the technical issues I am personally finding myself engrossed in the Borderlands 3 grind loop. This is coming from a gamer who has never fully completed Borderlands or Borderlands 2. For whatever reason the third installment has hooked me where the others failed to do so. Maybe it's the newly updated mechanics, the new characters, or the engaging plot filled quests and side quests that are more than just target hunts to participate in. For me everything in the game is enriched in some way. Through well thought dialogue, and humor that I actually laugh at I'm finding the entirety of the new Borderlands universe to be alive, and thriving. There's never a dull moment. Whether you are completing the campaign, farming for guns, or engaging with NPCs it all comes together in a complimentary fashion befitting of a Triple A label. In the company of friends or alone there is plenty of fun to be had, and it scales appropriately while rewarding accordingly. Depending on how much the drama surrounding development and corporate PR effects you though you'll either be willing to give it a chance, or not. Just know that there is an entire team of developers involved that may or may not have had the same ideas in dealing with things as the head of marketing did.

FUZE4 | A Unique Coding Experience For Experienced Coders

At times I've referred to coding as digital witchcraft. Media magic conjured up by deals with the Devil. I've stated that making games out of text, symbols, and numbers does not make any logical real world sense. Not even with the modern hardware to back it up. Going into FUZE4 I'd hoped I'd be wrong about this assumption. That I'd not only be able to see and understand how coding works, but also make some sense out of the seemingly illogical. Unfortunately in my time with the programming tool I still ended up completely clueless as to how any of it functions. The developer of the FUZE coding program definitely went out of their way to explain things through help menu references, and definitely offered all the necessary tools to create programs, but even with all of that available content I was at a loss. I still do not understand coding. I did not figure out how to write my own programs, and I did not understand how to use the tools at hand. Even after reading through the help menu tutorials, and looking over each of the eight menus I could not make sense of anything. It was filled with college level lingo as if it were a college lesson being taught by a professor, and not the beginner's guide I thought it would be. It reads as if it expects you to understand the basics enough to apply them to advanced coding applications. It's like it skips past the fundamentals, and the foundation rushing into what you could do if you understood coding on a slightly deeper level. I digress though ...

The Daily Grind ... A Poem by Brad Carver

Sometimes I like to bust a rhyme. To share with my friends some well thought lines. Below you'll find such poem in all it's lyrical glory. A poem about social media, and the usual daily story ...

Sennheiser GSP 670 Wireless Gaming Headset | A Bit Pricey And A Bit Flawed

Gamers always seem to be searching for that perfect headset to compliment their online gaming sessions. The one that affords them a luxury feel of comfort, quality sound input/output, clear chat, ease of use, and overall durability. It's very rare to find such a headset at the usual price point though, especially one that incorporates expert design and deep technological understanding from the manufacturer's tried and tested standpoint. Supposing you were willing to pay top dollar though, and are in the market for such a headset that has, but one flaw you might be interested to know that Sennheiser has such a thing. In fact I'll be giving you the lowdown about one of their finer examples soon enough. Before I do though I'd like to give some brief background information on Sennheiser. Sennheiser is a audio/communication product company that isn't a new name among established headset, and peripheral providers. Their series of products comes from upwards of 70 years of experience in the industry. An award winning legacy that started in 1945 through Dr. Fritz Sennheiser, and continues to this very day through globally reaching outlets. They are, at heart, a global reaching company with a specialty for catering to those consumers who only want the best of the best in regards to communication, and audio tech. While their products are anything, but cheap in price, you will get a product that mostly reflects the high cost to be paid. Whether or not it's something you're willing to pay for is up to you. Hopefully by the end of this review you'll have a good idea what the headset can do in regards to performance regardless of that choice.

Injection π23 - No Name, No Number (PS4)

Do you miss that old school Silent Hill fix? That psychological horror that makes you question your sanity while delivering pulse pounding puzzle solving investigations involving pop-ins from the paranormal? Well, Abramelin's "Injection π23" might just fill that void of wanting. Might being the keyword. Taking inspiration from games like Silent Hill, and Slenderman this indie nightmare, in all of it's sensory overloading glory, drags the gamer kicking and screaming back down retro gaming's memory lane where a certain disturbed individual finds himself in a world filled with macabre mystery. While utilizing tools found in the various haunting landscapes, and finding clues among the gore plastered scenery you'll need to mind your health, stamina, and noise making as you unlock rooms, and locations that hide various key items meant to get you to the end of hellish world you find yourself in. A goal that will either free you from the madness therein, or make you realize the futility in your running of errands.

Doughlings: Invasion | A New Entry In A Series That Reinvents Retro Games

The Doughlings franchise by Hero Concept is a sort of series of games with it's own unique lore that utilizes retro gaming genres as it's core gameplay element. This particular installment of the Doughlings series, for example, features a tale of the Doughlings being invaded by space invaders who aim to conquer the residents of the Doughling world through a sneaky preemptive meteor strike. They basically send down a meteor of mass destruction down to the Doughling planet to obliterate all existence there, but Dr. Morpheus finds out the plan, and launches a counter offensive against the would be invaders. Packing heat in the form of a color gun, and utilizing various personas, or abilities gained from elixir allocation Morpheus must make a stand or risk the very existence of his own kind. A story which is nicely packaged in comic book panel form with a spoken voice-over inclusive introduction at the start.

TERRORHYTHM (NS)

Terrorhythm. I can say it is definitely a terror to play, and it's definitely got rhythm. I think what it all boils down to though is an awkward control scheme, poorly explained mechanics, and the loss of story in translation. Believe it or not, but Terrorhtyhm does have a backstory. A backstory about a music led rebellion via a protagonist who is fighting music censorship through what equates to dance combat. As said protagonist in a stationary position you must apply the beat to the music while fighting off foes through four different actions including right and left directional attacks, intermittent shield dropping beat pulses, and a range extension. By constantly pressing buttons to the beat you setup combo opportunities, and gain score standing through a feat inclusive end tally. Things like enemies killed, beats correctly hit, beats dropped, life left, combos, and a few other things included. The game features several stages with unique trance or electro-synth music tracks, and four different difficulty settings including relaxed, normal, hard, and terror. The music is actually catchy, but the gameplay not so much. All in all it's a score based leaderboard affair, but one that ultimately complicates itself through a control scheme that isn't really viable in handheld mode, nor doable in docked mode due to a confusing UI.

Vasara Collection | A Classic Shmup Revival With A New Mode Of Play

For the first time on console. You don't often see such a claim when it comes to video games. Even when it's shmups from Asia. That being said QUBytes did indeed bring to us the "Vasara Collection" in all it's wonderful glory for the first time on consoles, and modern consoles at that. Included in the collection are the two older game ports titled, "Vasara" and "Vasara 2" from the respective series developed by Visco as well as "Vasara Timeless" which seems to be a more modern version of those older releases with it's own unique mechanics for an up to four player local co-op session. All in all it's a three for the price of one kind of deal which may or may not be worth it to you depending on what kind of game genres you like ...

Most of you reading this are probably wondering what theme this particular shoot 'em up series contains at this point, and if you guessed samurai you'd be close. The two main games take some of the real life feudal Japanese history/lore, and put a sort of fantasy anime twist on it all. As one of a handful of various fully named male, and female protagonists sporting different period attire according to profession (Ninja, Samurai, Rogue, Shogun, Monk), and piloting a variety of different mechanized ships you go into battle against the forces involved in the fall of Osaka Castle of 1600 as well as against Oda Nobunga, and his army of loyal generals. At your disposal on your journey to rid the world of the nefarious opposition is a blocking melee attack, and rapid fire shot of varying types according to ship/character as well as the usual bullet hell clearing bombs. Utilizing your tools of destruction you must clear out enemies large, and small in order to face off against the main enemies that lie in wait within the six stage playthrough. Whether it be soldiers, sub-boss generals, or boss type generals piloting enemy craft. With each defeated enemy leaving in their wake a banner that adds to an end score tally along with other tallied loot found hidden away you could find yourself on at the top of the games' global leaderboards, and in the footnotes of feudal fantasy history if you can prove yourself worthy enough to capitalize on such point earned fame and fortune.

"The Gamer's Brain": How Neuroscience, and UX Can Impact Video Game Design by Celia Hodent

As a gamer we are mostly aware now of the mental gymnastics taking place within the corporate side of the gaming industry due to informative journalistic leaks regarding questionable moneymaking efforts. We are aware of the mental manipulation that takes place, and the UX (user experience) tactics that experts utilize to create lucrative business endeavors. As we are aware so too are the game developers, and publishers. Developers, and publisher who hire UX experts like Celia Hodent (Epic Games/Fortnite, Ubisoft ...) to be a panel adviser. While this particular book, "The Gamer's Brain", isn't directed at us as gamers in that regard I feel it can still serve a dual purpose for both gamers, and game creators alike if they care to learn a little more about the industry they partake of. The book is very telling in it's detailed breakdown of how the gamer brain works on a neurological/psychological level, and how to best work that knowledge into game design for profit sake, and business sustainability. Using college level explanations, and various graphic references to backup information such as data pertaining to neuroscience, and UX understanding Celia Hodent unveils the inner workings of the user experience through her own personal industry experience. Broken up into two parts that each span seven chapters Celia eases the reader into things like perception, attention, cognitive bias, and eventually methodology as well as application in the processes of the creation of successful video games. It's more or less a comprehensive guide for a better business perspective.

Ninja, Twitch, and Manufactured Idols

I'm going to do it. I'm going to go there. I'm going to tell you some harsh truths that will undermine eSports, eSports legends, and the industry that promotes said things. First, and foremost Ninja is a manufactured idol. His popularity was created, or rather manufactured by the eSports business PR to sell product. That product was, and is still Fortnite. He was a tool just like all the other tools in business. Bought out, and sold out to the idea of hype peddling. Tell me, if you can, what makes Ninja any better than other streamers? Is it his cool blue hair? His personality? His skills? Nope, nope, and HELL NO! What it is, is his connections. Like so many spotlighted gaming heroes Ninja makes bank on association. His fandom flocks to him like idol worshipers to be associated themselves. It's the cool crowd syndrome. Kind of like in school where following the cool kid around earned you cool points in a sort of social hierarchy. For Ninja his coolness is earned in a similar way. By being associated with big name industry bigwigs, and sponsors his cool factor is elevated. Only for that reason.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall | Political Propaganda?

Politics. Everyone claims to hate it unless it's preaching their side of the debate. I, personally hate politics of any kind being pushed in a one sided manner in my paid for entertainment. I feel that shit should be kept out of entertainment, especially video games and films that can influence youth in such a manipulative manner by not giving the full scope of the argument, or both sides from a neutral standpoint. It is this very thing that brings me to typing up what could be considered by some to be a click bait article. I assure it is not though as Paradox Interactive, and their game "Age of Wonders: Planetfall" exhibits what seems to be a deliberately divisive narrative that is often spun within the realm of politics, and now within various forms of entertainment. That narrative being the demonizing of white men, in this particular case. In the teaser trailer we see an army of space soldiers led by a cliche white male captain. We see the captain and his army land on an uncharted planet, and we see two indigenous tribes come forth to confront the white man, and his army of white clad space soldiers. The fact that the indigenous humans are seemingly African in race further points to an underlying narrative that encompasses the hate of white men, and their past real world conquering of native populations. The aliens of the game seemingly representing the same agenda, but to a different degree. Perhaps inline with the real world illegal immigration situation. Whatever the case may be it is easy to see there is purpose behind the character design in this game.

Mortal Kombat 11 | Flawless Failure! Greedality!

Fighting game developers throughout the years have tried desperately to find a place among the gaming community for their games to thrive. We've seen the genre start off in a humble manner, and with basic functionality evolving into a more complicated spectacle of flash, and deeply involved mechanics. From there we've also seen the push for online competition, and casual play as well. We've seen the domination of Japanese fighters, and the rise of a select few American borne creations as well as the fall of both. What we haven't seen though is anyone in the business perfect the formula, and release a fighter that not only offers a tournament worthy challenge, but also proper value for what the consumer pays. It seems more, and more often that studios take away features that were once commonplace in a fighting game, and freely so, replacing them with blatant monetization schemes that take advantage of the community's goodwill. Fastforward to the here, and now and we find Netherrealm Studios releasing one of the most undeserving fighting games in all of fighting game history. A culmination of grind, and greed made manifest in an experience that does not take itself seriously enough.

Kill la Kill the Game: IF (PS4)

I'm going to do something I usually don't do. I'm going to suggest that if you are on the fence about buying this game to download the demo, and play it first before reading my review. Afterwards return here to find out what I think about the game, and what features the game has to offer ...

Pawarumi (NS)

Rock, paper, scissors, and a shmup. A shmup, and an Aztec theme. These are things we usually wouldn't think of as something that would go together so easily or smoothly. Thankfully the French studio Manufacture 43 put them together quite seamlessly, and in such a way as to create one of the genre's most unique experiences, to date, for the Nintendo Switch.

Utilizing divine creatures, and a future mythos taken lightly from Aztec mythology we find a shmup that foregoes the need for upgrades, power-ups, and the usual shoot 'em up approach. In the place of the usual staple features the developer has applied a system where shields, and supers are gained by pitting certain colored weapons of the animal variety (Red Jaguar Missiles, Blue Condor Lasers & Green Serpent Gatling) against opposing ship colors to build up respective meters, and the use of a crushing mechanic to do bonus damage in a similar fashion. The triple color scheme, and how it works is explained away in a hands-on demo style tutorial that can be intimidating at first, but more understandable as you play. A tutorial that tells you to build up a shield via a boost mechanic you have to shoot colored enemies with the same color weapon. That to build up your super via a drain mechanic you have to play a sort of rock-paper-scissors opposite game putting the weaker weapon color against the stronger enemy ship color. Needless to say earning the crushing blow is done by using a stronger weapon color to destroy ships of a weaker color. To make things easy pressing a button will show you what each shot type does in accordance to colors with a color coded meter, and crush indicator at the bottom of the screen.

Gunpowder on the Teeth: Arcade (NS)

Touted as a hardcore military platformer with simple mechanics, "Gunpowder on the Teeth: Arcade" makes it's way on the Nintendo Switch as exactly that. This grey scaled pixel perfect arcade experience has you filling the combat boots, and army fatigues of different soldiers as well as piloting various vehicles of mass destruction as you face insurmountable odds in what could best be described as a tough as nails speed run experience. Much like that of Super Meat Boy, but with run and gun elements at play. As one of several soldiers with their own unique weapon class you'll take to the fight in various parts of the known world. Running, gunning, and bombing targets as you make your way from start to finish. The finish being an awaiting chopper at the end of the challenging obstacle course. Of course between you, and that escape lies the boot camp-like missions that will have you acting as a saboteur, shooting down soldiers, and blasting the fool out of armored heat packing vehicles with grenades and a whole arsenal of life ending tools. All while collecting dog tags, earning score for various feats, and outpacing the onscreen timer.

SENRAN KAGURA Peach Ball (NS)

Brave, and bold is Senran Kagura's provocative return to formula. Doing what they were unable to do on the PlayStation 4 XSEED, Honey Parade Games, and Tamsoft Corporoation bring back, in pinball form, what fans of the series have loved from the beginning. A mature game featuring fun loving fighting females who are unabashedly driven by their own sexually fueled antics, and desires. Taking the tale from the usual Shinobi school setting, and rivalry therein the developer weaves a sort of side story that begins with a fighting game tournament at an arcade joint run by Haruka. Five of the series femme fatale take to the tournament with the goal to be the best of the best, and win the ultimate prize. Only to encounter a wacky mishap brought on by the contamination of a beastly formula confused for hand soap in the girls' restroom. One of the girls, on pee break, washes her hands with Haruka's misplaced Beastall, and becomes a sort of furry version of herself. A young woman with doggy features, if you will. Through her affectionate licking she spreads the affliction to the remaining four Shinobi girls, and in turn they each transform into a different half-animal and half-human hybrid. The resulting problem being that the longer they are under the influence of Beastall the more animal-like they become. To counter the concoction Haruka conjures up an odd plan to put the girls in a special pinball game, and cure them with a special ball. That, and through shared memories help them regain their human conscience.

Q-YO Blaster (NS)

Out of all of the shmups I've ever reviewed I'd say "Q-YO Blaster" is by far the zaniest of them all. It surpasses the wacky content of the Parodius series, and takes an odd approach to the old shoot 'em up formula. Blending what could be best described as a PIXAR studios storytelling path, and the old style cartoon antics of Cuphead, the team at TEAM ROBOT BLACK HAT conjures up a tale about Earth's last stand against an intergalactic plague of insects. Through the comic book panel conversations of the misfit casting therein we find the Earth contact Mr. Cheeks, a humanoid hamster, preparing for the impact of a worm carrying meteorite through radio conversations of an intergalactic team out to stop the threat from spreading further across the galaxy. As one of several pilots of anime, and creature/mechanoid fame you must pilot through the interiors of houses, apocalyptic urban streets, and into realms unknown. Ultimately facing off against weaponized insects of the common garden variety, souped up by futuristic enhancements.

Bloodstained PR Statement (UPDATE)

After posting my review, and heading to my email to give the PR the news it appears there were some acknowledged issues with frame rate within certain parts of the game. Apparently I haven't encountered those areas yet. That having been said the PR has reassured those who bought the game that patches will be released to address each area's frame rate issues. They ask for your patience. Seeing Koji's dedication to the game already I don't doubt he'll iron out the kinks. Whether or not you want to wait for those patches will be up to you though. Again, I'll say that from what I've played it was smooth, but if the PR thinks that these claims are founded in reality then they must be. Me not having completed the game could be the very reason I missed these slowdown moments. Still, from a base standpoint (issues aside), I feel the game has the potential to be a buy worthy product. Maybe not right now, but I have faith that they'll patch the game as promised. There's a lot at stake not to.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (NS)

Today, the day of launch, I've seen gamers/reviewers hate on this port of the game saying it's bad. That it's got lag or frame rate issues. I've also seen gamers excited to get their hands on the game project they backed, as well as buy it fresh from the store. I'm sure some of you reading this now are wondering, with there being mixed reception, whether or not Koji Igarashi's vision for the game plays out the same on the Nintendo Switch as it does on the PlayStation 4 version of "Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night". The simple answer is, "Yes". With patch 1.02 applied the game plays smoothly from what I've experienced, specifically in handheld mode. As far as visuals go it's a bit darker than the PS4 version, but graphically in sync with that version. It is an improvement upon the previously hated rendering, and though I feel Koji, and his team could have gone a different route with the visual aesthetics it's still good enough for the indie project it is. I think the team did good enough to keep intact the visual art style we Castlevania fans grew up with, and though it takes on a 2.5D design it is a competent return to formula. One that is a mixture of a couple of different Castlevania experiences.

Super Neptunia RPG (PS4/NS)

IFI never strays away from tackling important topics of discussion involving the gaming industry, and the gaming community. They always find ways to integrate their cute assortment of Gameindustri Goddesses in standalone stories meant to not only give the gamer something fun to play, but also to provide something to reflect upon in a more serious manner. In this particular RPG retro tribute, which happens to be a joint effort between Compile Heart and Artisan Studios, we find one such tale unfolding in somewhat real time via gamer progress as Neptune, and the gang get caught up in yet another round of mischief and mayhem. Neptune, the series protagonist, returns as the series protagonist once again in what could best be described as an amnesiac's return to the past of gaming itself.

Taking design elements from "Final Fantasy 7", and even "The Legend of Zelda II" the developer uses Nep-Nep and company as a means to bring light to a situation regarding the past Gamindustri's cartridge based retro monopoly, and their unwillingness to change formula for something more risky, innovative, and potentially more rewarding. For the future of the industry. On one side of the fight are the bad guys, and gals including Filyn and the Bombyx gang. A group not unlike Shinra of FF7. On the opposite, and good side lies Chrome along with other joining allies of a common interest. Bombyx, much like the Shinra Corp of FF7, tries to keep the population of Lastation feeding the greed monster that is cartridge/retro gaming. Damaging the industry as a whole a lot like the Mako Reactor in FF7 with the perpetual game creation to sales cycle as it's metaphorical energy source. In order to make ends meet financially these businesses, and homeowners (or game devs, if you will) are forced to pay a tax in the form of a cartridge based game. If the game succeeds in making Bombyx money, and gains favorable reviews for the experience provided the creators get to continue living as they have, a life of luxury. If not they are kicked to the curb, quite literally. It's no doubt a metaphor for the dirty developer, and corporate dealings that go on in the real world. That, and how it ties-in with the gaming communities fixation with gaming's past, and the industry's greedy intent in going forward in regards to said demands.

Verlet Swing (PS4)

Verlet Swing. What exactly is a Verlet Swing? To understand this you need to know what Verlet Integration is, and in laymen's terms that is Newton's equations for motion. It is used for calculating trajectory in regards to particles in various types of simulations including that of the molecular, and computer graphics kind. I think it's safe to assume that this is the foundation on which Flamebait Games based their own trajectory focused swinging simulator. It's like they took Spider-man's web slinging antics, threw in a timer, and end objective to reach amid many obstacles and paths as well as an added a sort of 80's art flair. Something like you'd see on the old Trapper Keeper notebooks, and portfolio folders from back in the day. Keeping the mechanics simple, and the challenge progressively challenging the developer does good to create something unique among the speed run gaming greats.

Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R | Nintendo Switch Review

As fighting games continue onward their features evolve. It's a given. Such is the case of "Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R", as one might expect. Fast forward a few installments to a point just before the series' most lengthy cut off, and you will find this game being the penultimate edition of the PS2 era Guilty Gear series. An enhanced edition of an already enhanced edition. Arc System Works, along the way, had experimented with several different new features, modes, mechanics, and characters before finally settling on this culmination of the Guilty Gear fighting game experience. With the largest roster to date including some new faces such as Bridget, Robo-Ky, Order-Sol, Anji-Mito, Jam, Dizzy, A.B.A., and a few others the series returned in a much more robust form. More akin to the Guilty Gears of the modern gaming age it also included a handful of newly introduced modes including a 3v3 team elimination mode, a new iteration of M.O.M. (Medal of Millionaire), Arcade Mode, a Gallery, Survival Mode, and online PvP play. Even the mechanics included evolved in such away as to be faster, more efficiently executable, and flashier than before. Utilizing a new BURST gauge, tension gauge, and mechanics revolving around both deeply involved defenses as well as offenses along with new finishers this game set out to make it or break it for the series. It was a sight to behold back in the day, and even as a Nintendo Switch port it still, to this day, holds it's own as one of the most memorable entries in the franchise.

Guilty Gear (NS)

Though I've played, and owned most of the other Guilty Gear games I've never, before now, played the original release. I knew it was released on the original PlayStation console, and that the series never really caught on big until later on. Having the chance to experience It though I've gained a new appreciation for the advancements in tech the newer series releases made in the way of in-game mechanics. Though the original Guilty Gear does harbor at least some hints of the series direction taken by Arc System Works in the way of design it is not the perfected fighter that is Revelator/2, or Xrd SIGN. It has it's flaws, and a unique, but never again used Chaos Gauge that was kind of abusive. In the right hands, and with the right character the gauge could be filled multiple times quickly, and the action mechanics used in rapid succession without much pause. There's that, and the Insta-Kills that can be done in the first round ending all rounds thereafter. Before I get too far ahead of myself though I will say that for the asking price of $9.99 it's not a bad deal, regardless. Gameplay maintains a smooth experience across a couple modes of play, and one that offers a bit of an origin story for those looking to see where it all began. With 10 classic characters, and the presence of one that was never seen in such a way again it is truly something to behold, especially for fans of the series and the studio.

Hellmut: The Badass From Hell (NS)

Badassery. It comes in many forms. From heroes doing heroic things to kung fu masters beating the ever-loving daylights out of gangs of misguided miscreants, and more you'll find that there are many different reasons as to why someone would be considered a badass. In the case of this here twin-stick shooter and rogue-like dungeon crawler known as "Hellmut: The Badass From Hell" though said badassery comes in the form of something rather unexpected. In the short-lived story tease we find a mad scientist looking for immortality. Unfortunately for him he creates a DOOM portal situation opening up the gates of hell, and letting loose into the world the devil and his demonic minions. It results in the scientist being blasted into nothing but the remnants of a Sub-Zero Mortal Kombat fatality ... head, spinal cord, and all that jazz ... and has him resurrected as such by a playful DnD style watcher God who decides to toy with his newly found play thing. This old God known as Ka-Ra basically reanimates the mad doctor's remains, and gifts him the ability to shoot projectiles like a shmup spaceship. That, and the ability to mutate into a select variety of hellish minions with their own unique active, and passive abilities. With these newly gifted powers the mad antagonist must face the demons he's let loose, and survive long enough to fight the devil himself.

Golem Gates (PS4)

I've got a joke for you. A MOBA, an RTS game, and Deck Building game walk into a bar ... out walks Golem Gates. I know it's not particularly the funniest thing you've ever read, but it sums up Golem Gates quite well. Golem Gates is it's own take on the whole demons versus angels mythos. One that has MOBA style lane objectives in the form of maps, and RTS and TCG strategy implementation via card decks and resource management. It ultimately pits harbingers of heaven against harbingers of darkness, or hell. As one such heavenly harbinger you must stand your ground against hidden armies of darkness as you make use of their energy sources to create glyphs that can be used to amass your own army of troops as well as defenses and enhancements to keep yourself from being stealth killed by unseen mobs. It is your use of energy, and crafting of glyphs that will allow you to meet various end goals. Whether it be facing, and dealing with like-minded harbingers, or downing generators to cut off power supplies to bigger targets you will need to strategically play the battlefield like a chess master if you hope to prevail.

Octogeddon (NS)

I do so like games with odd blends of retro experiences. They are rare occurrences in the industry, but when done well they can bring together genres in such a way as to revitalize them. Octogeddon just so happens to be one such experience. To me Octogeddon is a game that takes the rolly polly action of Katamari Damacy (Calamari Damacy ... sorry, couldn't help it) at it's base level, and blends it quite nicely with the city destroying antics of Rampage. The gameplay revolves around a disgruntled social media consuming cephalopod with interchangeable arms, and pits him against a world of cruel humans who engage in regular mockery of his species on a Youtube-like streaming platform known as "Stoopstoob". From the display of sea creature butchery to comedy at the expense of octopus kind this tentacled terror finds himself enraged enough to enact Armageddon. Octogeddon, if you will. Using advance DNA splicing he replaces his tentacles with various creature DNA, and even welcomes support of aquatic mates to aid in his wanton destruction of cities, and famous landmarks. Starting with New York City, and the Statue of Liberty he sets out on a mission spanning across oceans and land to put a stop to the stoopidity of Stoopstoob, and the human consumption thereof.

Skelly Selest (PS4)

Skelly Selest is an interesting indie of imaginative inspiration. It takes old horror movie tropes, and combines them with indie game ideas already done to create perhaps one of the more interesting mixtures of modern day gaming genres. The game's story alone is a bold reminder of a certain line quoted from a more well known zombie film franchise. The one going on about an overcrowded hell, and the damned walking the Earth. So forth, and so on. George A. Romero would be proud. While that quote sets the foundation of the game's given plot the developer takes that very premise a step further by adding that the damned are basically trying to knock down heaven's gate in true Diablo fashion, and bring heaven down upon it's metaphorical knees. That, and the key fact that heaven's guardians aren't themselves the angelic beings you'd think they would be, but are instead skeletal vessels wielding heavenly weapons.

As a skeletal warrior of God you basically take up arms much like the hunter from Bloodborne with a gun in one hand, and an axe in the other. Ultimately facing off against endless hordes of the damned across multiple modes in a neverending fashion similar to the torment of hell itself. You'll fight in hunts for Arch Lichemancers, do some dungeon crawling in a similar fashion to "The Binding of Isaac", face endless waves of increasingly difficult to defeat denizens in a coliseum, and even play against the damned in a single player versus CPU card/tile game that utilizes diamond shaped character cards with four numerical values placed at each corner. In an attempt to go up against similar cards that have lesser or greater values themselves. The goal of the latter being to flip as many cards in your favor as possible by either having greater numbers that beat the opponents play by single or double digits. Double digits basically flipping multiple opponents cards that are connected by adjacent placing on a playing field of diamond slots with a random centerpiece value set before the coin is flipped, and the first turn taken. Kind of like Tic-Tac-Toe, but not. Needless to say there's plenty to play, and get into if you are a brave enough soul to face the insurmountable odds.

Lapis x Labyrinth (PS4)

Whether you choose to play it on PS4, or Nintendo Switch the experience that is NISA's "Lapis x Labyrinth" holds the same context, and content regardless of platform. Unlike a lot of their more deeply involved, and campaign heavy JRPGs of the past though this platforming cute 'em up takes the allure of looting, combines it with NISA's character stacking antics, and throws in a short story to boot. At the heart of it all is the briefly disclosed legend of a highly sought after tree of unimaginable treasure. That, and timeless accounts of adventurers seeking to find it, but forever failing. As a named leader of a party of mismatched character class types seeking the same object of wealth untold you set out on perhaps the last chance at looting this fabled fortune that time could soon forget. With the help of a village filled with quest givers, and other individuals of interest you will embark on this journey as you face off against many a foe in a floor by floor vertical descent to claim the ultimate prize or prizes.

Feudal Alloy (PS4)

Often times in the heat and hype of Triple A, and indie game releases we see gamers prioritize their purchases more around the hyped bigger releases, than the ambitious smaller indies. I have no doubt most of you chose to skip out on this week's selection of odd PS4 indies in lieu of "RAGE 2". Much like I did. While "RAGE 2" no doubt deserves at least some attention the other developers unfairly face uncertain sales numbers, and unfortunately so in light of said scheduled releases. What if I were to tell you though that a certain indie titled, "Feudal Alloy" was good enough for your money? That it took an old genre that's been rung through the ringer time and time again, and made it it's own unique experience? An experience just as a good as some Triple A releases, if not better. Well, that's exactly how I feel about Attu Games' first indie entry on the PS4 store. I think that not only did the developer give their 110% in effort, but the presentation also reflects such quality. From the voice acted intro narration to the hand drawn, and animated art it all comes together better than a lot of the Metroidvanias I've see on the indie front in the past few years.

Lovecraft's Untold Stories (PS4)

Like one of my other all-time favorite Lovecraft inspired indies called "The Darkest Dungeon", "Lovecraft's Untold Stories" really captures the essence of Lovecraft's lore. The very effects of insanity, and fear in a world haunted by the Old Ones. This time around the developer in question allows the gamer to experience the disorienting fright in the roles of a handful of unique individuals. Each with their own backstory, locations to explore, and mechanics based on a sort of twin stick shooter build. Initially you'll get to reprise the role of a named detective who finds himself, as most unfortunate Lovecraft characters do, searching for clues pertaining to a missing individual in a mansion. Through the shotgun armed detective you'll search for clues in the form of items with textual descriptions, and face off against cultist, and other Lovecraftian horrors as you try to solve the mystery at hand without completely losing your mind. Choosing the wrong actions in multiple choice situations can make things hairy scary though by inflicting an abnormal sanity status. Ultimately warping your perception of the world around you, and bringing you closer to facing the sum of all humankind's fears. Those fears being the Old Ones themselves. Fear inducing Old Gods such as Azataroth, Shubb-Niggurath, Cthulhu, Nyarlathotep, and Dagon. You will traverse various locales inspired by Lovecraftian lore including mansions, port city, hospitals, the jungle. and even the world beyond. Making rounds from area to area unlocking the mysteries through the roles of a detective, a professor, a witch, a thief, and even a ghoul. Each with their own unique play style.

Black Paradox (PS4)

Like so many other indie developers in the industry Fantastico Studios tries to capitalize on 80's pop culture in their pixel populated game. Through a rogue-like shoot'em up called, "Black Paradox" they take the gamer on visually VHS inspired galactic bounty hunt in a spaced out DeLorean against seven lieutenants of an organized galactic crime gang known only as the Hellraisers. This flight, and fight for monetary compensation across the known and unknown universe has you manning in both single player, and two player local co-op a decked out, and upgradeable flying DeLorean, of all things. An unusual spaceship choice of sorts with the capability to not only utilize an impressive array of technologically advanced weaponry along with shields, and other add-ons of use, but also associated boosted stats that change accordingly to said equipped items.

Sonic the Hedgehog | A Movie Mistake, An Artistic Pisstake, or A Proper Effort Not to Copy SEGA's Mascot?

There have been all sort of video game to movie failures over the years. The artistic direction behind these cash-in ideas always seem to miss the mark of the video game counterpart's greatness. Whether it be with the story being told, the lore interpretation, or character design directors just can't seem to understand what makes our favorite video game icons so memorable. Perhaps they try so hard not to create a clone that they end up creating something else entirely as a result out of respect of the source material. That having been said I've personally seen worse character design than that of the latest Sonic the Hedgehog depiction. Case in point the Super Mario Bros. movie that made King Koopa (aka, Bowser) into something totally different along with the Goombas, and Big Bertha. I get that Sonic looks more humanoid, and that he's on par with the furry fetish, but I do believe his design is not the worst. If anything my main concern lies with the story being told, and the chosen actors and actresses. None of which look fitting of a Sonic the Hedgehog tale ... outside of Jim Carrey's Dr. Robotnik imitation ... though even that is not purely Dr. Robotnik if we were to be honest.

Moero Chronicle H (NS)

In an age of gaming gone censored Compile Heart boldly dares to break free from the puritan industry trends that are currently being enforced, and releases one of their most "Adult" JRPGs yet! With "Moero Chronicles H" we get blessed with a story about a perverted protag with a childhood monster girl, friend. It is through Io, the perverted male protagonist, and Lilia the previously mentioned monster girl that we gain insight into the lurid, and lewd tale about a kingdom plagued by mysterious monster girl corruption.

Heading out, not to be the hero, but as an ousted member of society, Io journey's with Lilia to confront whatever or whomever it is that's inflicting dark marks of status upon the monster girl population of Monstopia. Battling his own "Desires" Io, and their soon-to-be panty thieving seal-like companion, Otton, seek to rid the afflicted of their curses by rather unusual means. By traversing labyrinthine locations of the fantasy sort in first person dungeon crawling antics you will not only face-off against fiendish oddities in the form of fantasy creatures, but will also run into, and battle with monster girls whom you can recruit. Upwards of 50 monster girls of varying pedigree. The battle that unfolds against said monster girls is a dual clothes shedding experience with a touchy-feely mini-game added in to heat things up. An erotic series of events which has Io storing, and releasing pent up positive energy while his monster girl compatriots up the desire percentage a notch by adding in some charm of their own. A specialty skill unique, and beneficial to joining monster girls. Ultimately making attacks, and aura (fire, wind, earth, water) skills deal more attire destroying damage.

Path of Exile | What I like About It and Why You Should Play It On the PS4

PlayStation Cares About Sexual Content, But Do They Really Care About Your Children?

AngerForce: Reloaded ... Mode Demonstration Plus Features Showcase

AngerForce Reloaded (PS4)

I have been playing "AngerForce Reloaded" by Zodiac Interactive for review purposes. I like it. It manages to add in a few tweaks to the standard bullet hell gameplay formula including an energy meter, and tied-in dual skills that can be used to maximize scoring potential. For some reason it reminds me of Borderlands in some ways, it's graphical design. Definitely with the visual cell-shading, and the named bosses you encounter. The fact that it has a campaign for each of the four main characters spanning 7 stages in total divided between Noob, Normal, and Hardcore difficulties really adds that incentive to play through it thoroughly. The perk system in Arcade, and Campaign mode adds a bit of enhancement to possible gameplay perfection for those who commit to the grind. In the campaign you'll use earned points to upgrade characters across the board. Things pertaining to health, energy, bombs, power-up suction, and other things can be upgraded to improve upon point earning potential as well as prolonged survival. These points can not only be spent at the final stage of the set difficulty or upon death, but can also be used to revive characters as well as buy intermediate power-up refills should you need them.

In total there are four main characters in the game that you can play as, and as the title suggests they all have some sort of anger issues, each pertaining to a sought out fight against a mysterious masked figure and a war against robots and humans. The characters include the adopted, and orphaned Samhill, Echo who happens to be the daughter of the man behind the creation of the robots, Asimo who is a robot himself, and a forest spirit named Shin who obviously has a beef with all the destruction and mayhem brought on by the ongoing conflict.

Funko POPs | My Growing Collection

Those of you who follow me know I've posted a few reviews of Funko's POP!Vinyls in the past, and that they've been showcased on my "Hobby Highlight" page from time to time. My initial reviews were somewhat critical, but when you are reviewing collectibles the quality matters. I'm thankful to say though that with passing time the product has been shown more care for the price that is asked, and I have personally seen the paint jobs improve. Case in point the three new POPs I picked up including the Fallout76 Mothman, and the Devil & Angel Betty Boop were all painted well. No out of line paint, over-spray or poorly painted details. It's what you'd expect from a collectible that costs upwards of $12 each. To put it in better perspective the paint jobs on a Hotwheels car that costs the buyer only 99 cents was previously more impressively applied than the POPs. That's a huge disparity in possible quality per dollar. I do imagine though that there may be some corner cutting with stencil & airbrush application via machinery on POPs which could explain some of the paint over-spray in the earlier toys. That being said I think it's been sorted out for the most part, and with POPs becoming more & more detailed in build it's only fair that the toys should reflect a more appropriate per dollar quality presentation.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (PS4)

By now you have likely heard the two different opinions of Sekiro. That some players think it's harder than the Souls games, and that others think it's easier. In accordance to opinions I have personally found Sekiro to be something of it's own. Something doable. While the base level design, and enemy layout harbor similarities to the Souls games it is functionally more diverse than said experiences. It is faster, more fluid, and offers different ways to progress and dispatch the foes in front of you. The new stealth mechanics, and the shinobi prosthetic gives the players multiple tools in dealing with the threats they face. Additionally there are skills with a skill tree that come into play later on that will add a sort of variation to the more traditional stance based parry and punish system that you are introduced to at the earlier stages of the game.

The gameplay itself is fairly straightforward though, in all due respect. You play as an aged shinobi named Wolf who was rescued at a younger age, and taught the ways of the shinobi in order to protect his master's young lord. As Wolf you will keep to that task as you forward your mission, and backtrack to unlock portions of the game previously hidden behind key items, and key NPC interactions. Your base of operations is a dilapidated Buddhist temple kept in order by a monk whose prosthetic arm you now don. As your savior early on he guides you with wisdom along with a shrine maiden or rather doctor's assistant, and helps tune-up your prosthetic with new shinobi tools when you find them, and bring them back to him.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice | Making the Mile

SNK 40th Anniversary Collection (PS4)

I think a lot of us gamers take the current strides in gaming tech for granted. We don't stop to realize that modern gaming as we know it wouldn't be what it was if the early pioneers of the industry didn't stick with game development through trial and error. SNK, or Shin Nihon Kikaku (as it was once known), is one such pioneer. In their quest to make a name for themselves they not only created competitive alternative options to the hottest genres for the time, but also innovated, and paved the way for other developers to follow in their footsteps as well. In this particular 40th anniversary tribute those feats, and near defeats are made all the more evident. Through the game collection's museum, and it's compendium of ads, manuals, arcade labels, guides, and in-game assets we get to see what exactly makes SNK so special. From the span of 1978 to 1990, and through 70+ game releases SNK's many development decisions earned them a proper place in gaming history among the greats. While there was some struggle with reception, and perception they still managed to survive, and create some of gaming's most memorable moments. Whether it be shmups, early fighting games, RPG platformers, or unique genres all their own SNK's efforts have paid off as they still continue to do what they do to this very day.