BlazBlue - The Good & The Bad

In the past, on this very blog I've covered extensively some of the BlazBlue games. From Calamity Trigger to Chrono Phantasma EXTEND I've owned, critiqued, and played every release in some form or fashion. In each encounter I've both praised them, and even talked badly about them in regards to their constantly evolving, and longstanding features. Regardless of the good, or the bad I feel BlazBlue could be greater than it is. In fact I hope it does improve for the sake of the gamers willing to continue investing in the series. I feel there's definitely a need for change in several aspects of the game, and that the developer desperately needs to make these changes lest the series continues to attract or maintain a lesser and lesser audience ...

Is a Balanced Fighting Game Possible?

I've been playing fighting games for years now. Many years to be more precise. Ever since my 13th birthday when I got "Street Fighter II: Championship Ed." for the Sega Genesis I've been into the genre. To put that into perspective I'm nearing 40 years old now. That is a long time to dedicate to such a hobby. In my years spent with gaming, specifically with fighters (and I've played more than most gamers) I've noticed a trend that has been there pretty much from the start. That trend being the fact that the games in the fighting game genre have never really been balanced. Whether it be the OP (over-powered) bosses, an unbalanced roster, or poorly applied mechanics something has always been unfair for one player or the other.

What makes this so bad is that fighting games are now being marketed as an eSports type of experience. Developers have become so wholly focused on emphasizing the competitive scene that they've lost sight of what makes the genre so great. In doing so they continue to fail to see that their games are still the unbalanced mess that they always were. They don't realize how important it is to balance things out, and don't really seem to care. I think in a way the developers seek out the "show" associated with the fighting game tournament scene more so than they do making the actual fights in said games fun, and fair. Probably for sales purposes. They want their sponsored players to make a 3-ring circus out of the televised competitions for those watching, because a flashy tournament full of special effects, attention getting characters, and hype is seemingly more important than having a proper in-game fight with intense fun filled back & forth action.

BlazBlue Chronophantasma EXTEND (PS4)

BlazBlue is a fighting game experience that is closely akin to it's Guilty Gear predecessors. In it you'll find an assorted variety of different character archetypes some of which are very close to what Guilty Gear has offered in the past. You'll also find one of the richest, if not the richest of fighting game mythologies surrounding said characters within the game's structural story mode confines. At heart this unique mythology, or lore does have subtle nods to Guilty Gears timeline of events, but seems to pick up after some of it's own world changing tragedies regarding a magic war against a recurring threat. There's various governing orders involved, and characters whose given abilities vary according to their role in the plot. Some characters wield a type of Seithr driven magic known as Ars Magus while others use science to do their bidding. There's even a council of seven heroes whose past feats have come back to haunt them in the form of an apocalypse seeking group of puppeteers. There are constant clashes between the law abiding NOL "Novus Orvis Librarium", the renegade lone wolves like 'Ragna the Bloodedge', the science foundation built/managed by Kokonoe, and the "Phantoms of Time". The conflicts are many, and those involved are continuously getting dragged into the fray whether they like it or not. While Chronophantasma is not by any means the conclusive end of the story at hand it does clear up a lot of details while advancing the ongoing plot significantly. Along with the story, and it's provided mythology/history are also plenty of offline, and online activities to enjoy as usual. Each of which offer the gamer more bang for their buck.

BlazBlue Chronophantasma EXTEND - Preview Review

In my time spent with the latest release of BBCPEX I've come to realize that I'm going to have to invest some quality time in a proper playthrough of the game in order to gain an understanding about everything it offers, and to give it a fair chance. So far I've sampled the key modes of play, and features, but have yet to try out the two new characters. I can say that for the most part the game remains the same as the last version technically, and functionally. It is also a mostly all-inclusive port. By "mostly all-inclusive" I mean that you don't have to pay for a majority of the lobby, color palette, or stage DLC that you had to pay for in the vanilla version of the game. This can all be unlocked through the gallery via the in-game currency you earn as you play online, and offline modes. Aksys Games did create some new DLC though that you will have to pony up the dough for in order to obtain. This includes a couple new color palettes, some new voice-over options, and a handful of lobby avatar items. As far as the new characters go one is a third Carl Clover clone (Celica), and the other a Nu-13 clone.

Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters (PS3/PS VITA)

Ghost hunting, and the theme of ghosts in general are two topics that are explored in a lighthearted fashion within the world of Toybox Inc.'s new interactive visual novel, "Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters". The tale itself begins rather abruptly with you put in the thick of it's plot as the main character 'Ryusuke Touma'. You are given little explanation of why it is that you are there other than the the information gained through your initial tasked duties of conversing with the Kurenai academy students, and staff who appear before you. This commonplace RPG socialization which is done through multiple choice actions, and reactions (via two five point wheel apps) gets you acquainted with the main characters of interest, and helps you eventually become a part of a secret ghost hunting society known as "The Gatekeepers Inc". It is this rag tag group of individuals led by Chizuru (a mature secretary type woman) who ultimately discovers your unique ability that enables you to see ghosts, and in doing so they recruit you for a job that is not unlike that of a Scooby-Doo, or Ghostbusters team member. There are plenty of otherworldly hijinks as you, Chizuru, Sadoi the driver, Sengen the support specialist, Kyosuge the rocker, Mifune the troubled school girl, and the rest of the gang do business as modern-day exorcists for hire. Between the tasks of organization, the actual job completion, and the breaks thereafter the episodic track by track set of encounters will draw you ever closer to finding the truth about the life hereafter, and those who work with you behind the scene as mediators, "The Gatekeepers Inc".

Under Night In-Birth EXE:Late (PS3)

Out of Japan's arcades, and onto the PS3 home console French-Bread's spiritual successor to "Melty Blood' aims to capture both the casual, and hardcore gaming community with it's easy to pick up, but hard to master build. At the heart of it is a story about a once a month event known as the "Hollow Night" in which 'Voids (creatures who feast upon EXS/Existence)', and 'In-Births (Individuals who have become infected during an encounter with a Void)' battle throughout the night in order to sway the balance of order, and chaos. There are a handful of different rival factions, and lone individuals who end up getting caught in the fray. Each of them must fight their way through a kill, or be killed tournament the likes of which could change the outcome of life (or the lack thereof) as they know it. You'll find the order of the Night Blade, Licht Kreis, Third Reich, and a few others are amongst those who find themselves drawn to fight in the bloody battle. Each faction of course has their own views on the situation, and intend on going about things as they see fit. In total there are 16 hard hitting fighters who each sport their own weapons, and unique fighting styles. Whoever comes out on top at the end of the ten man/woman tournament will go home the victor only to await the next Hollow Night, and it's many unusual encounters.

Guilty Gear Xrd SIGN (PS4)

Before you get into the thick of this review there's some things I want you to understand. First off there will be no significant story spoilers. I've made a promise to ArcSysWorks not to include such details, and honestly I think you'll enjoy the game more if I don't giveaway too much of what goes on therein. Secondly I found both flaws, and impressive features during my extensive, and thorough playthrough of the game. I will disclose both findings in a decent, and respectable manner. There's no pressure from the developer to sway me to do so either, for those of you who are wondering. I simply feel it is important that you know about the game's flaws, and the game's more noteworthy features as it will better help you to decide if this fighter is the one for you. As usual I'll also be detailing the new mechanics as well as all other significant features, and modes of play. Here at the Inferno I believe in being thorough even if that means typing up a short story length review. For ease of access sake though I will be dividing each game oriented subject up by titled section for easy reference, and return reading should you need to go back later to finish reading the entire review, or have the need to return to parts you may want to recheck. I think that about wraps up the intro, so sit back, relax, and prepare for my in-depth review of "Guilty Gear Xrd SIGN"! Heaven or Hell!!! Let's ROCK!!! ...

Arcana Heart 3 Love Max!!!!! (PS3/PS VITA)

Oddly enough this was my first time playing an 'Arcana Heart' game. I had often times thought about paying $29.99 for the former digital PSN release, but never did due to nature of the gamble I'd be taking. Forking over $30 dollars for a digital fighter can be sort of iffy, if you know what I mean? Regardless of my choice not to get the game at the time though I still thought that it looked interesting enough for a fighter. The fact that it featured an all girl roster comprised of the wackiest sort of anime characters definitely had my attention. The rarity of the game itself even intrigued me. It's not often that you get to see anime fighters such as the Arcana Heart series released here in the states, and when they are released they are few, and far between. I think that fact alone played a huge role in my seeking out of this latest re-release for review purposes. I was definitely curious to see how it stood up against modern fighting games, and was anxious to find out if it was a solid experience in regards to the genre. The gaming gods know I've seen my fair share of failed fighting game creations, and I was hoping that this would not follow that trend. Thankfully after giving it some time I think I've grown to like it quite a bit, quite a lot if I do say so myself!

BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma (PS3)

In the world of fighting games you'll find that not all games are created equal. You have your easy to play, and understand fighters such as that of the "Street Fighter" series, and then you have the more elaborate fighters such as "BlazBlue", and "Marvel vs Capcom" which demand so much more from the player. While BlazBlue, in general utilizes the same core practices as that of 'Street Fighter', or "King of the Fighters" including things like special button inputs to release certain attacks, and combo oriented fighting it still stands apart from the rest of the fighting game genre's offerings by making the applied mechanics more meticulous in nature.

Additions such as BlazBlue's exclusive 'OverDrive', 'Astral Heat', and 'Break Bursts' greatly alter the gameplay at hand. In doing so it demands dedicated attention from the player in order for that said player to come out victorious amongst the top tier players that make up it's faithful online community. Another huge thing that sets Arc System Works latest fighting franchise apart from the rest is the massive amount of content that comes with every game. A fully fleshed out 'Story Mode' with it's own in-depth character mythology as well as intricately laid out character specific interactions are among the many features that make the setting, and it's inhabitants all the more realistic, and relative.

Muramasa Rebirth (PS VITA)

Out of all the gaming gems that Vanillaware, and George Kamitani have released "Muramasa: The Demon Blades" was, without a doubt my all-time favorite action-rpg from them. It was one of the first games that I pre-ordered, and was one of the first Wii games to draw in my undivided attention indefinitely. I played the game through completely creating all 108 Demon Blades, finishing both character stories, and both difficulty settings. It was a video game adventure I don't think I'll ever forget.

Recently, being the rather fortunate journalist that I am I was able to secure a code for the PS Vita re-launch of the original game. Appropriately titled "Muramasa Rebirth" the game not only presented an HD visual overhaul making it look worlds better than before, but it also offered additional DLC enabling the player to experience the game through four new character perspectives. While only two batches of DLC are out at this time you can rest assured Aksys Games will follow through with the final two intended DLC releases. Aside from the DLC additions you'll find that the enhanced gameplay was presented in a more fluid manner than before with more responsive controls, and spot on features that matched what the massive Wii version had in store. This handheld version of the classic tale will no doubt come off as being the definitive version of the two as a result.