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.