Bishoujo Battle Cyber Panic! | PS4 Review

Eastasiasoft, and their league of developers have done good in bringing to the West some formerly Japanese only gaming experiences. Whether it be more risque shoot 'em ups or the line clearing games like this particular game offers they've done good to let us in on something different. With 'Bishoujo Battle Cyber Panic!', in particular, we are privileged as a gamer to be able to not only unlock some impressive Bishoujo style anime art through gameplay, but also compete for top score on the game's online leaderboards. While the scoring, and goal are simple the execution is anything but that. You see, with games like this clearing sections of a picture is risky business. With enemies moving, and bouncing around the playing field ready to end your line to edge connections the task at had is made increasingly more difficult. Tack on the games base difficulty as well as additional difficulties per section of gallery art, and you have yourself quite the challenge. Luckily for you there are a handful of items or power-ups with which to ease the process. Just know that scoring is an ordeal that requires strategy, and multitasking. You have to mind the timer, your lives, the enemies, the spawning items, and complete a certain percentage of the artwork before you can unlock the prized art within.

Void Gore | PS4 Review

Void Gore should be a prime example of what not to do when designing a competitive shmup. Hear me out. The game itself relies too heavily on a currency focused upgrade system, and rogue-lite features. It makes you grind for an hour or two just to get to a point where your ship is competitively viable, but at the same time injecting random enemy elements that are usually stacked against you in their many forms. The experience is wholly inconsistent in many areas in regards to said randomness including that of damage output, bullet hell patterns, and enemy spawns. It also suffers from what I like to call a serious case of Satan's sucker punch. Meaning that a lot of your game overs will be due to things out of your control. Being blindsided by floating organs, chased down by chomping teeth, and singled out by sinister skulls is all too common. Speaking of which, the enemy variety leaves a lot to be desired. It shows laziness, and in it's lacking variety offers up no real boss battles at all outside of the one boss locked behind a currency paywall. The only upside I see is the easy to earn platinum trophy which is standard issue with this developer's games.

What Happened to the Community?

What happened to the community? The one I became a part of on social media? The one made up of friends who looked out for, and lifted up each other? The ones with similar interests? It feels more and more like I'm once again an outcast looking in. Wanting to fit in, but unable to, because everyone else is looking to fit in without realizing they are passing up the very opportunity to connect with others who also want to fit in. We tread blindly on the internet, and social media longing to be noticed as everyone does, but not stopping to realize that if we noticed others they too would notice us. Together we could live in the spotlight of our niche groups. Being a part of it, but unique and outstanding. In an age of flaunted copycat ideals, and trendy cultural ideas though the fight to stand out in the crowd is made almost impossible, and it is in that struggle that no one gets the recognition they deserve.

Neptunia Virtual Stars | PS4 Review

The master storytellers at Idea Factory do it again. Through their four staple Gameindustri Goddesses, and a couple of new characters they weave an intriguing, and thought provoking tale about the social goings on of the real world gaming community. This time around the focus is on the Vtuber sensation, and the clashing toxicity of online audiences. How hate, and malice can ruin experiences for both the hosts of content, the platform they broadcast content on, and those who enjoy the provided content. Starting off as most Neptunia games do the tale in question begins abruptly with a crisis in the making.

Virtual Stars, the standalone game that it is, introduces said crisis through two at odds Goddesses know as Faeria, and Kado. Faeria happens to be the goddess of Planet Emote within the Virtualand universe. Kado, on the other hand, is the evil antagonist from Obsolentia who is the cause of Emote's plight. Invading Emote, and erasing the content there is Kado's end goal, and through the help of her tag along partner HERO she initiates the invasion using her army of Antis. Summoned against their will Neptune, Blanc, Noire, and Vert along with the Vtubers MEWTRAL (Me & You) are tasked with saving Emote, and Virtualand from it's undoing by impressing the citizenry with their V-Idol talent, and weapon based skills. In a performance that is both musically inclined, and broadcasted for emotional energy. The very life source of planet Emote.