Hyper Void (PS4)

In my twenty plus years as a gamer I've seen all kinds of shmups (shoot 'em ups) come to light. From the Atari 2600's "Yar's Revenge" (which basically amounted to clusters of tiny moving pixels) to the more complex, and intense bullet hell shooters of today the creations developers have designed have evolved in more diverse ways than what most video game genres can claim. I think the fact that shmups aren't the hardest thing to develop makes the interest in creating such games all the more attractive to developers thus making them an easy go to project, and one of the most plentiful of indie gaming experiences for gamers to purchase these days. I think the developers who grew up at the time I did when arcades were a hit, and such shooters were commonplace really connect with the genre on a personal level. Thankfully there are also gamers around who still love the high scoring challenges, and challenging nature that such games provide as well.

When it comes to Inframez' vision of a shoot 'em up I think it's safe to say that "Hyper Void" somewhat surpassed the visual hype that was the trailer, and at the same time kind of lived down the sickening graphics that most of you will be worried about. At the heart of the experience "Hyper Void" is a simple space saga in the making that will most likely be lost to the gamer due to the more binary terminology, and the way the story elements are presented in-game. Sure there is a story if you stop long enough to read it, but spamming the various shooting options, and control functions will often times cause you to skip the virtual panel pop-ups that house said information. Regardless of this fact the gameplay itself is a deeply involved "Wipeout" inspired gaming experience that will definitely test your mettle as a high scoring arcade game player, and try to impress you while doing so. The game is both simple in layout, easy to pick up on, and vastly complex in the way the visual environments are depicted. If you remember the wire frame computer graphics of the 80's arcade scene, and enjoyed that first introduction into the realm of 3D I think you might just enjoy 'Hyper Void' for it's visually heavy gameplay. Be warned though it does have the potential to cause seizures in those who have a family history of it. Thankfully the warning is one of the first things you'll see when the game starts up.

What Warrants a Perfect 10 Rating in Gaming?

In light of the hype that surrounded MGSV's perfect rating I feel inclined to voice my opinion about what I think warrants a "10/10" rating in the world of gaming. Before I get into that though I want to explain that I can't recall in my career as a gaming critic ever having scored a game with a perfect numerical rating. I've just never found such a game, and if I were to be 100% honest I'd say that that game does not exist even with today's gaming technology advances in place. There are too many factors to consider when rating a game based on number values as well as particular in-game features that must be evaluated, and unless all those points are flawless then such a perfect score would be invalid. That's why I tend to avoid numerical ratings altogether.

While I've personally been amazed at what Konami has done with MGSV (and speechless at moments) I still cannot bring myself to saying that the game is perfect. It honestly isn't. Despite my urge to critique the knit picking things related to MGSV's build I will refrain from doing so, because I want to keep this article as generic as possible. This isn't only about MGSV. This article is about giving a game a perfect score, and whether or not the game deserves it. It's also about what a perfect game would have to be like to gain such a rating.

Amnesia: Memories (PS VITA)

Produced initially as a visual novel game for the PlayStation Portable back in August of 2011, the "Amnesia" series has continued on throughout the gaming scene in various forms, and has captivated it's core Japanese fanbase while doing so. In turn this capturing of the core audience's attention has also caused the creation of other non-game related merchandise including a 2013 anime series on the side. It has even brought the series over to our western shores via translated versions. The story behind said visual novel based experience is basically of the "Otome" game classification. Meaning that the gamer will be taking on the role of a female protagonist, and will be engaging in relationship related scenarios with provided male characters while progressing the plot at hand. While there's really nothing sexual to be shown in the provided situations the romantic relationships found within do play a prominent part in said instances. In the case of "Amnesia: Memories", for example the nameless female protagonist in question finds herself waking up without a name, recollection of she is, or what has happened in her real world to cause her to forget all of said information. What she is left to deal with as she awakes, and traverses several possible alternate realities/worlds named after playing card suits (Heart, Spade, Club, Diamond) is a lingering tug-of-war relationship with a supposed boyfriend, and a separate possible love interest/s.

As you play the game, and get to know the girl's odd situation more intimately through character driven conversation, detective work, and her daily routine things begin to make sense, but only if you choose the right replies to the questions that are asked of you. This is one of those game series where choices greatly impact the story's outcome, and as such you will certainly find different endings for each scenario based on what you choose. The balancing scale in the middle of all of said character interactions being that of "affection", "trust", and "suspicion". Mind you there is a common ground in the different worlds that the female protagonist encounters though, and for the most part that common ground comes from a rather fantastical source as you'll find out from the start.

"What I am & What I'm Not""

From time to time I like to post an article going over my life's journey, and how it is I got to this point at being a gaming, and adult film journalist. It's sort of a way to keep things in check, while trying to make sense of why it is I do what I do. In that sense it's all a reflection for me. For most of you you'll likely see me as an underdog who kind of appeared out of nowhere, but to me it's been a long hard road getting here (A certain Marilyn Manson song comes to mind). I haven't exactly been a "somebody" all of my life, and until a little over four/five years ago I did not become as well known as I am today. For the longest I have lived in silence, and solitude withdrawn from society, and have been unable to reach out to anyone like you. I kept to myself in my little corner of the world, and used my imagination, and creativity to make the days before me more tolerable. I often times read books, wrote poetry, did art, played video games, watched movies, and listened to music in the confines of a single room in the house I grew up in. I can't remember the last time I had an actual friend in my life, nor do I recall what it's like to have a close friend to hang out with. I've become so accustom to being alone that until now I was not even a person in the sense I could not relate with people on a personal level. I lived in my own little fantasy world which resided in my own imagination. I had genius conversations with myself, and even enjoyed video games by myself. Even with the occasional support of family members I still felt alone in this world.

Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls (PS VITA)

NISA's Danganronpa series continues it's twisted, and often times morbid tale with one hell of a plot deviation that most gamers will not see coming. This 'Spike Chunsoft' re-imagining of the traditional Danganronpa formula not only impresses with it's visual aesthetics, deep seeded storytelling, and action RPG inspired gameplay mechanics, but goes well beyond all of that to provide likely the best entry in the series to date. It touches base on some real world problems while continuing to be it's own beast of burden. We find some returning characters of interest as well as a character or two that was briefly shown in the previous two game entries. All of which are showcased through amazing in-game visuals as well as through decent length anime sequences, and CG cutscenes that will no doubt keep the gamer closely following what the hell is going on. Content wise this sequel is more robust in nature, and more hefty with everything that it offers. While the developer could have easily made it a more linear experience they added extra mini-games, secret items to discover, and a grade system among other things that will have you spending plenty of time outside of merely advancing the plot. As usual the game is chapter based, and will incorporate some of the elements of the previous Danganronpa experiences while doing it's own things with them.

Shutshimi: Seriously Swole (PS4/PS VITA)

If you like your WTF with a side order of memes, and pop culture nods then you might just like Neon Deity Game's, "Shutshimi: Seriously Swole". Like Konami's 'Paroduis' (a Gradius Spin-off) you'll find an unlikely protagonist shooting unusual oddities in a fictional shmup driven environment. In the case of this particular indie shmup you'll play as what some journalists deem a "Reverse Mermaid". The creature in question is a fish with two buff arms in the place of fins. For whatever reason this guppy with a shotgun, and a cigar in his mouth has a beef with invaders who have invaded his oceanic paradise. That's all that's disclosed via intro plot text before you are thrust head first with no f**ks given into a series of wave based mini-game inspired modes that incorporate the usual shmup mechanics. Through the provided mode selection screen you'll enter an underwater world filled with creatures that ought not be there as well as some that will have you second guessing your current state of mind. The game doesn't take itself seriously, and plays on the memes, pop culture nods, and WTF inspirations of social media. In a way it's like a trend itself in that it bundles all the absurd worldly trends into one super wacky gaming package. Sure there's an actual game embedded in the nonsense, but it's more so a nod to nods.