Natural Doctrine (PS3/PS4/PS VITA)

I was truly baffled by this particular NISA release. It was about as simple in design as it gets in the area of story development, and gameplay. While the game did have it's slight visual perks in the way of art options, and in-game character design the lack of the usual NISA cutscenes really hurt the game's potential. The added fact that the gameplay was geared around long dull fights against a handful advantageous of enemies at a time also did the game a huge disservice. I will however say that the RPG mechanics were innovative enough to grab my attention, and for what it's worth they worked pretty darn well. I just wish that the character's were more fleshed out, and that their story was equally as so.

CastleStorm: Definitive Edition (PS4)

Longtime fans of the 'Worms', and 'Angry Birds' franchises can now rejoice knowing that a new competitor to the genre has re-emerged on the Playstation 4 console in an all inclusive definitive edition. The Monty Python style ballista shooting arcade game makes a triumphant return with enhanced graphics, all of the former DLC, and some new features exclusive to the PS4 gaming experience. You'll find Sir Gareth, and his king once again trying to thwart Rufus's plan to lead the opposing viking hordes to victory. You'll meet tons of wacky characters in plenty of silly cutscenes as the plot thickens in more ways than one. You'll even get to utilize Zen Studio's own unique brand of weaponry as you try to keep your own kingdom stronghold (aka, castle) intact. There's plenty to do, and perfection to achieve should one be brave enough to take the challenge head-on. While the gameplay remains same as before you will find that this definitive edition lives up to it's name, and that it is aimed at the audience who might have missed out the first time around.

Destiny (PS4) - Thoughts & Opinions + Clan Details

Hello all ye Destiny enthusiasts! Welcome to my official thoughts, opinions, and clan recruitment article! As many of you likely know by now I'm deep into my first Destiny playthrough on the PS4. In fact I'm rank 23 at the moment. As far as character classes go I chose to go with the hunter class from the start, and have not regretted my choice since. While I have run into some issues along the way regarding gameplay I have found the game to be a mostly pleasant experience. My only complaints lie with the ridiculously hard boss fights that are only hard, because of the swarms of re-spawning lesser enemies that appear, and the fact that some of the designed in-game terrain can cause issues when you are attempting to get away from the fray for some health recovery. Other than that everything is peachy king.

When it comes to game, and genre comparison you'll find that if you've ever played Borderlands you'll have a good idea as to what type of game Destiny is. While it does have some signature HALO FPS action, some CoD bits, and some Borderlands style RPG elements the game does good to stand on it's own two metaphorical feet though. You'll be taking on repeated co-op missions with your three man/woman fireteam across a handful of planets including Earth, the Moon, Venus, and Mars in hopes of scoring better equipment for your custom created character. Once you level up through consecutive playthroughs you'll also unlock a multiplayer mode known as the 'Crucible' in which you'll find some CoD-like modes as well as some competitive modes more akin to the HALO experience. Whether you like co-op games, or like going all out in the competitive sense you'll more than likely find yourself enjoying what Destiny has to offer. One thing to keep in mind when playing Destiny is that the good things come to those who wait, namely those who get to rank 20, or beyond with their chosen character.

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!

Let's Talk - "Pre-Orders, Niche Games & the CoD Phenomenon"

Last night while shopping at Gamestop I had an interesting conversation with an employee about pre-orders, and their importance to game sales. We talked about the pro's mostly, and never really discussed the negative effects that it could have on sales, or the gaming industry. When it comes to pre-orders I'm personally not entirely against them, and I'm not entirely for them. I think in some instances they can really hurt the industry, and in others they offer the customer some additional physical merchandise worth having, and collecting. On the negative side of the debate you'll find that developers, and publishers are now basing their retail copy production, and distribution on pre-order sales alone. The problem with this practice is that not all games are going to be blockbuster hits like 'Destiny', or 'Call of Duty'. Not every genre of video games, or video games in general are going to bring in that sort of income, especially when said game is categorized amongst the gaming community as a "niche" title. With that being said though there is still a thriving market for good, and I stress "GOOD" niche games.