Within The Blade | PS4 Review

Stealthy, stylish, and stumbling is Ratalaika's newly published ninja platformer, "Within The Blade". This pixelated indie with a simplistic narrative about a lone ninja in training overcoming an all powerful evil ruler is one with multiple features that builds upon it's base bloody combat, and tricky platforming gimmicks. Offering up a skill tree, and crafting vendor to compliment it's core mechanics it enhances what would otherwise be a basic experience. In a back and forth fashion you, the gamer, will be controlling the trained ninja protagonist Hideaki as he clears areas of enemy foot soldiers, and returns to his village to spend collected coin and use found or bought ingredients on item or weapon recipes. Additionally applying earned skill points on unlockable combat skills, crafting abilities, and improved stats or immunities. Perfection is the key to capitalizing on the game's reward system, and by ending a run in the most stealthy fashion while not taking hits you will earn a respectable rank as well as a title befitting of your efforts alongside the perks.

The Procession To Calvary | PS4 Review

Blasphemy! BlaSpHeMy!! BLASPHEMY!!! Now that I have that out of the way ... What is "The Procession To Calvary" other than sacrilegious blasphemy? Well, it's a point and click adventure of Monty Python-esque proportions. A rudely applied renaissance-like take on the period of religious turmoil as seen during the Holy Wars, and the time of Christ. A darkly comedic journey through a conjoined collage of well crafted stages and settings comprised of paintings with portraits of people animated within as a part of some twisted theatrical paper thin puppet play. A deeply disturbing satire with a reflection on human history, and humanity itself through the most negative of perspectives. All while playing out to the tune of classical music, and opera from famous composers. 

Despotism 3K | PS4 Review

There are games that preach superficial messages at you, and then there are games like Despotism 3K which showcases the cold hard truth about this life of ours. As the title suggests this game is all about Despotism, or tyrannical rule via authoritarianism. In this instance though we don't have real world leaders herding, and slaughtering humans like cattle, but instead an AI overlord who is hellbent on turning humanity into it's own personal army. To do this the AI has to maintain resources. Those resources being humans, and the product of human labor. This requires breeding them, keeping them feed, having them run a hamster wheel for energy, and sacrificing them to the energy reactor when in a pinch. 

This daily cycle of breeding, herding and slaughtering is done by upgradable mechanical devices controlled by the AI, and each day that passes the demands for the upgrades and resources that the humans provide grow. Mostly due to the growing population of humans that are being controlled, and maintained by the AI overlord. Like the real world though things that normally wouldn't effect the tyrannical leader or AI directly do undermine it's rule and effect it's human livestock. Ultimately making on the spot choices crucial to the survival of those it depends upon. Things like existential crisis, seasonal weather events, and even spatial anomalies will test your mettle, and decision making skills as a cold as steel dictator.

Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny | Nintendo Switch Review

They say if it's not broken then there's no need to fix it. I think this applies to NISA's latest entry in the Disgaea series. While 'Disgaea 6' does feature a new cast of leading characters, a new story, and some new features it remains mostly the same in the way of mechanics. With the exception of one mechanic gimmick that ties into the main character's design. The 'Super Resurrection' ...

Entering the scene as the game's protag we find a persistent low tier zombie named Zed who is hellbent on defeating the most powerful God of Destruction ever to plague the worlds. Alongside his putrid pug pal Cerberus, and a rag tag group of recruits he aims to do just that. Being the zombie that he is death is not an issue. With his special ability known as 'Super Reincarnation' dying only makes him stronger in that regard. The catch being that with each death he's transported to a new world where his gained stats and mana are reset, but his remaining strengths enhanced. It is through this rinse, and repeat cycle of battles, and losses that he goes forth with a heartfelt mission in mind ...