My Thoughts on TERA

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

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

The Witch And The Hundred Knight 2 Is A New And Refined Standalone Sequel

Getting back into this series I was filled with a lot of questions regarding what direction NISA could take the story, and how they could change things to breathe life back into seemingly overlooked idea that was the first game. These lingering questions were thankfully met with brilliant answers. For the most part NISA stayed true to the first game's formula ultimately streamlining the experience, and adding in only a handful of new features as to not overwhelm those looking to get back into the now established series. Returning alongside the witch versus the villagers theme is the governing and depleting Gigacalories system, the playable Hundred Knight himself, and the base combo centered weapon stacking. That along with the stomach for storage, item rarity, weapon krafting, the mystical dodge, and the overall grind for better loot return in a refined/reinvented manner meant to make all features easy to access. Necessary functions are now assigned to the DPad directional inputs, R1 and accompanying face buttons, the face buttons alone, the OPTIONS button, and the touchpad. New to the game is the continuously alternating story involving a sister named Milm who early on becomes afflicted with the witch disease, her sister Amalie who is her caretaker, and a foul mouthed witch antagonist named Chelka who all become intertwined unwillingly in the current witch wars scenario. A battle now waged between the Rot Branch's Weisse Ritter alliance, their Holy Valkyries, and a couple of witches including the newly awakened witch Chelka.

Paying Respects To My Grandmother Who Made My Journey Into Gaming Possible

My grandmother is my favorite person in the world. She's a Godly woman committed to reading the scriptures daily, and is wholly dedicated to her family. She prays for us all the time, and often says she'd take on our suffering if it would ease our pain. Throughout my life she's stuck up for me, looked after me when I was young, and encouraged me to be the best I could be. In her 80's now she suffers a lot of ailments, but still finds the occasional happy moment with me, and I with her. I remember fondly her taking me, and my siblings shopping for a Nintendo Entertainment System when we were younger, and her beaming with happiness to see us happy once she had bought the console. If it weren't for her I may not have ever gotten into gaming like I did, and for that I'll be forever grateful. Not only did she do that, but she's the reason I got a PS Vita, and why I've been able to support my hobby. I personally don't like to accept her money, but she finds happiness in my happiness, and to be quite honest she won't take no for an answer. She awaits my return from the trip to Gamestop, and always asks if I got something good, and I share with her what I bought.

10tons Shmup "Tesla vs Lovecraft" Is An Improbable Battle Of Genius And Madness

Like the epic battles between King Kong, and Godzilla 10tons studios takes two iconic characters from the world of man, and pits them against one another in a decisive battle made somewhat plausible yet not. In this battle of science versus fiction we find famed scientist Nikola Tesla battling horror author H.P.Lovecraft. A man whom had warned Tesla in a live demonstration that he did not know the powers he was meddling with. Those powers being free electricity for all. A tale we all know too well. After being imprisoned for the theatrical disturbance Lovecraft unleashes hell on Earth Eldritch horror style causing Tesla to counteract the threat with weaponized inventions of his own. Through mechs, augmented artillery, and perks of the shmup kind Tesla faces off against fiendish foe after fiendish foe in portal spawned waves powered by Cthulhu statues. Ultimately going between planes of existence including that of Arkham, the Aether, and Eldritch Tesla dares the adverse difficulty as he faces the monstrosities of old.

An HD Return To Damascus Gear Via Operation Osaka

Arc System Works, and A+ Games' 'Damascus Gear' series offerings continue with an updated HD port of 'Damascus Gear: Operation Osaka' for the PS4. This twenty dollar visual, and all inclusive upgrade brings to fans of the series a revamped and remastered story driven mech based RPG experience with the basic features of the first installment still intact along with some changes in focus. New to the series are missions that take the gamer through multiple floors of the Cosmopolis in order to loot new gear for their GEARS, and farm rare materials to pay of a ridiculous debt taken on, and passed down to the new pilot by his/her parents. Most of the game revolves around this debt story arch in that your progress, and ranking will afford you the gear, and monetary compensation needed to pay off the various loans. Beneath the debt driven gameplay you, your operator, and your mech will be engaging in gladiatorial Japanese mech battles via the "Arena". A 1v1 sports spectacle in which the winner leaves with a huge lump sum of money, supposing they win. You will ultimately be switching focus between doing missions to engaging in arena combat while occasionally being haunted by an enigmatic person or entity who seems to know something more about your destiny than you do.