Thursday, March 10, 2022

Young Souls | PS4 Review

Coming at you like a colorful 90's cartoon for adult children "Young Souls" pulls no punches in aspiring to be a multi-genre action game of proper blend. This arcadey brawler with fighting game mechanics, and RPG elements presented in a light Soulsborne fashion transcends the realm of humans and takes a deep dive into the cavernous world of goblins. Through the eyes of twins Jenn and Tristan we discover a fantastical world hidden just below the surface. A world of war torn goblin species discovered by their father-like professor. A man of educational renown who acts as a mediator between human, and goblin kind in a geo-political sense. Unsuspecting of the secretive goings on of the professor's work Jenn and Tristan stumble haphazardly upon his portal to the goblin world after realizing he'd been kidnapped from their home. Filled with teenage angst, and a devil may care attitude the pink haired duo jumps head first into an otherworldly adventure that might be more than the two of them can handle ...

Wednesday, March 9, 2022

The Cruel King & The Great Hero

With the charm of a children's storybook and moral lessons not unlike that of Grimm's fairytales NISA's, "The Cruel King & The Great Hero" takes the gamer on a heartfelt journey involving one of the most unlikely duos in RPG history. Starring a young and determined girl named Yuu, whose father passed on early in her life, we find her with a fatherly caretaker in the form of the great Dragon King. A king of monsters who now lives in harmony between two worlds that were once at odds with one another. The human world, and the world of monsters. 

Aspiring to be a great hero like her passed away papa, Yuu trains under the guidance and aid of her newfound father figure the Dragon King as she attempts to achieve her dream of heroism. Through acts of kindness, and the battle against the bad monsters Yuu along with the Dragon King, and other tag along partners befriended along the way help her in her quest to become the heroine she's always dreamt she was capable of being. Of course this telling of Yuu's and the Dragon King's tale comes with some twists and turns as there is deception and secrets amongst the ranks. A plan to turn ally against ally in the world of both monsters, and men. Trust is tested, and faith realized as Yuu sets out to face her destiny ...

Thursday, March 3, 2022

Dexter Stardust: Adventures In Outer Space | Nintendo Switch Review

If you're old enough, like I am, you might know of old TV shows like Buck Rogers. You might also know of a gaming genre known as point & click adventures which were made popular by the likes of studios such as LucasArts. Through games like Monkey Island. If you're not aware of the existence of these things though be prepared to be educated through my review of "Dexter Stardust: Adventures In Outer Space". A game that embodies both the 60's era sci-fi TV series, and the point & click video game adventures of yesteryear ...

Dexter Stardust, and his adventures in outer space span several chapters which are included in this ten dollar package deal. Each episode, much like the TV series that inspired it, are titled and numbered with their own stories and plot twists. Each following the goings on between space courier Dexter Stardust, and his female co-pilot Aurora. Both of whom are survivors of humanity's near extinction at the hands of an alien species known as the Vreesians. Inhabitants of Planet X who wiped out Planet Earth, and left Dexter fatherless and in the care of his business minded uncle Jedo. 

While Dexter's current life situation has him as a courier peddling dashboard hula girls for cash, and a lover of tacos he always seems to find himself in a puzzling predicament on route to delivering the goods. Often times with a surprising lack of awareness. It is here, in the many spacefaring encounters, that the pointing and clicking comes in handy as it allows Dexter and company to interact with both the planetary environments they find themselves in, the objects that are strewn about, and the characters of interest. All of which forwards the plot through five episodic adventures that are tied together, universally, but distinctly different in content and style.

Wednesday, March 2, 2022

Crown Trick | PS4 Review

Roguelikes have grown in popularity over the past several years. There's been all kinds of different takes on them ranging from action roguelikes to bullet hell driven ones. Most are indies, and most get their fair share of time in the streamer spotlight. In that regard Team17's "Crown Trick" is not all that different. The gated room based dungeon structure holds true to games like "The Binding of Isaac" while the more involved mechanics take on a slightly new form. 

Centered around a girl known as Elle, and her adventures to save her world we find a certain crown shaped being has summoned her for a cause not unlike her own. Venturing onward with the omniscient and outspoken one eyed crown resting firmly on her brow as a partner with benefits Elle tries to right the wrongs of an Evil Duke named Vlad whose sacrificial shenanigans has bled the Nightmare Realm's problems over into the real world, and vice versa. The synchronous turn-based battle that ensues between the unlikely pair, and their newly sworn enemy is one that's all about randomized runs, looting, and turn based strategy ...