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Crow's review corner
Topic Started: Sep 25 2010, 12:37 AM (3,075 Views)
Crow Hiroshima
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Its bedtime! Bed=Ethnic Time=Cleansing
Ah thanks Hiro! I look forward to this one. I was thinking about downloading the game, just wanted an opinion.
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Hiro_Tsukasa
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NICE DRIVE!
So, I normally do XBL Indie Games but Crow asked me to review an XBLA game. Since a ton of really awesome XBLA games have been coming out recently I thought I'd do a bunch of quick mini-reviews to help get the word out on them. Probably be doing them in sets of two or something. Thus it's time for...

HIRO TSUKASA'S XBLA ROUND-UP

Might And Magic: Clash of Heroes HD
This spin off to the Might and Magic series is a first for it in many categories. The first to deviate into the puzzle realm and the first to use anime-styled art, the first to be on a handheld portable (this game originally debuted on the DS, the XBLA release is an HD remake). That being said, for those who aren't familiar with the series this game ultimately stands alone quite well.

They claim the game is set 40 years before the Heroes V saga, but having not played that entry in the series it really held little relevance to me. It's pretty clear the game was meant to be a standalone so there's no fear of a sweeping meta-plot. However, because of this the game seems like pretty generic fantasy fare. The game takes place in the region of Ashan and covers five different regions each with its own hero you'll control as they grow in strength and ultimately get involved with stopping a demonic plot hell bent on plunging the world into chaos.

Been there, done that but if you're looking for a deeply involved JRPG then this isn't the place. The true shining achievement of this game is its gameplay. As mentioned, the actual battles are handled out as a puzzle game. The obvious comparison here is to Puzzle Quest but I think this game outshines it in gameplay and in offering just a bit more depth to what story content is there.

Monsters are positioned at the top of the screen marching forward and you in turn deploy units at the bottom of the screen to face off against them or construct objects to slow their advance. It's kind of like a vertical Plants vs. Zombies on crack. As you play through the game you'll unlock different units that have various abilities or rules to how they work making there be a good bit of depth to the game.

Between battles you move around on a world map dotted with locations marching from spot to spot like a board game. Along the way are sometimes NPC's to converse to. Some even give side-quests apart from your main goal and while this is a nice feature these primarily revolve around being fetch quest or glorified MMO-Monster Hunts where you need to fight X battles of a certain type.

Still, for all its shortcomings if you're a fan of both puzzle games and RPG's then this is a solid release. Your mileage might vary further from being a fan of the series to begin with. As far as the HD conversion, having originally played the DS release extensively I can say it's really quite nice. This isn't just some upscale... they actually redrew the sprites and art into high-def remakes. So while the game is primarily the same it got a much deserved face lift.

Pros
-Well thought out and involved puzzle gameplay.
-For a game that is primarily a puzzle game there's a lot of value here. Upwards of 25-30 hours just to finish the main game doing everything.
-HD upgrade from the DS version is gorgeous.
-The XBLA has online multiplayer which is always a bonus for those that enjoy competition plus it makes it far more convenient than finding another person with a DS AND the game.

Cons
-Story is RPG-Lite compared to traditional RPG's.
-Story also suffers from cliche'd characters and cheesy dialogue.

Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes HD is available on X-Box Live's Marketplace (and PSN) for 1200 MS points which is the equivalent of 15 bucks. For 15 bucks you're getting a lot of content but puzzle games aren't for everyone... so, as with most games on XBLA, I'd advise trying the demo since it's available anyways.

Link: http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/Product/Might-Magic-Clash-of-Heroes/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d80258410a19?cid=search

====

Trouble Witches Neo
If there is one genre the 360 has found a niche for in Japan it's with SHMUPs (SHoot 'eM UP aka Arcade Shooters aka what Shooter meant before the FPS took over) and in the last year or so it has literally been blanketed with releases and exclusives. The great bonus of this is the ease of releasing XBLA games means a greater chance for them to be translated and receive global releases.

Trouble Witches Neo is a horizontal SHMUP (meaning its scrolls along the screen horizontal) with a pretty crazy history. The first game, Trouble Witches, was a quirky doujin game that eventually gained a large enough following that the devs got enough backing to give it a more upgraded and refined arcade release. This did well enough to catch the eye of SNK Playmore and with their backing the XBLA release of Neo has come about.

Overall, Neo is an upgraded port of the Arcade version sporting a few additional characters not featured in the arcade as well as a new 360 Arrange Mode that shakes up the rules of the game a bit. Like most SHMUPs you're be flying along on the screen (in this game as a moe witch in lieu of a star ship or something) blasting everything in your path and trying to weave your little hitbox through more bullets than you can count.

It seems like most people either love or hate SHMUP, entirely on the notion of the actual skill it requires to master them, so maybe it's best left at that. However, Neo makes a great entry point for someone interested in getting into the genre. Among SHMUPs it can certainly be considered one of the easier ones with its lowest difficulty setting even being tolerable for newbies to master. Fans of SHMUPs need not fear, after 1cc-ing (1 Credit Clear AKA not using any continues) the game you unlock a 4th difficulty that puts you safely in the realm of soul-crushing.

If I had to summarize the game given the theme and characters I'd have to say it's horizontal Touhou. Especially so due to the characters... I know the original Trouble Witches pre-dated Touhou but it is hard to ignore when the advertised added new character is a Japanese shrine maiden who even wears detachable sleeves like Reimu.

In any case, aside from not being vertical the gameplay at least has its own quirks that make it stand out. Every witch has a familiar that fires along with them (which sadly is just like Cave's Deathsmiles which is another horizontal SHMUP on the 360 involving moe witches) but they have their own unique twist. At any time, you can use them to deploy a magic circle.

Any bullets that touch this circle freeze in place or slow down (barring certain powerful variants) giving you an easier time dodging. Not only this, but if you manage to kill the enemy that fired the shots then they will be canceled into gold coins. These coins can be gathered and used in shops throughout each stage.

The shops allow you features like buying extra lives (a godsend in a SHMUP even if they are expensive), expanding your MP bar which determines how long your Magic Barrier remains active or Spell Cards. Spell Cards replace the typical Bomb in most SHMUPs and all have varying effects such as a wide shot, explosive bombs and etc. Certain cards are certainly more effective in certain areas and certain bosses so there's an element of strategy there.

Despite all its similarities to other titles there's enough unique-ness to TWN to really make it shine on its own. For those that want re-playability there's a lot. Aside from an Arcade Mode of both the Original and Arrange 360 Mode, A360 Mode also packs a Story Mode for every character complete with CG stills and fully voiced dialog (Please Note: The english dubbing is horrible, borderline parody sounding even though it wasn't their intention. I recommend playing with it just once for lulz then deciding what you'd prefer). Each character also have stats in different areas (such as how fast their Magic Barrier drains and starting MP and their own shot patterns) so using each character is like a new game in and of itself.

For achievement hunters this game is a pretty easy 200/200. There are only 3 truly challenging achievements and if you're struggling there's already a DLC character out (I should add that nicely, she even comes with her own Story Mode Scenario) whose stats are basically maxed and whose shot pattern covers most of the screen making it a cakewalk even for beginners.

There's also two challenge modes, one that is totally based on racking up high scores (there's an interesting feature to maxing up high scores involved with using Spell Cards but it's a bit complex and I won't get into it here, just know there's some depth there for people that want to chase high scores) and another that is a glorified boss rush that is endless and just has the bosses growing stronger with each cycle. Besides this, there is also local and online co-op so you can experience all of this with another friend.

SHMUPs are an odd genre anymore and certainly one that doesn't get much love in the west, but Trouble Witches Neo stands as a solid SHMUP on its own and a great entry point for someone into the genre.

Pros
-Easier difficulty (compared to most SHMUPs) make it a great entry point for new players.
-Lots of depth to scoring for hardcore SHMUP fans.
-Tons of replayability from all the various game modes.
-English Dub is atrocious. (and damn funny in the process)

Cons
-Lack of "throw controller into wall" challenge for Hardcore SHMUP fans.
-Awkwardly similar to other popular SHMUPs in content and presentation (Touhou/Deathsmiles)
-English Dub is atrocious.

Trouble Witches Neo is available as an X-Box Live exclusive for 800MS which is roughly 10 bucks. As mentioned, a DLC character named Luca is available (with her own story mode scenario and stats that will break the game for you) for 160MS or 2 bucks.

Link: http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/Product/TROUBLE-WITCHES-NEO/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d802584109b8?cid=search
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Crow Hiroshima
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Its bedtime! Bed=Ethnic Time=Cleansing
*Blows dust off topic* Holy crap its been awhile. Man who would have thought after the summer I have had, I wouldn't have put up a review. Well that changes, I wrote some reviews over the summer, well at least started on them before a project took over my life. I plan on posting the one for Portal 2, Infamous 2, and my new favorite game Catherine. So expect those by saturday.
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Crow Hiroshima
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Its bedtime! Bed=Ethnic Time=Cleansing
Man its been awhile, but I had some free time, and finally got around to this.

Batman: Arkham City

Well the caped detective is back for his 2nd game, and to be honest, I didn't think it could get any better but it does! The game starts by showing to the state that Gotham is in since the first game. Since the Arkham Asylum incident, the warden has decided that he needs a bigger area to contain all of these hardened criminals. So what does he cook up? Well how about we give them their own part of the city to run? Not the smartest idea....at least to me...

The game starts with you being thrown into the middle of the hell hole that is Arkham City, after a VERY interesting opening, I have to say one of the best in gaming. (That I have seen) After that your off to discover just what is going on in this city, and what is the secret behind Protocol 10. This leads Batman to cross paths with some of his greatest villains, from Mr.Freeze, to Joker, you name them, then odds are they made the game.

Now with all these different villains Batman is going to need tools to help him defeat these dastardly criminals (Yea I watch some batman episodes from the old days, so what?!). But that's no problem, seeing as all of your favorite weapons from the first game make a return in this installment. From the Batclaw, to the remote control Batarang, all your favorite weapons are here. But even with the weapons your greatest arsenal is Batman himself, the free flow battle system returns in this game, and to be honest, feels smoother then ever, allowing you to take down groups of enemies, without much trouble.

The overall game is great, and for fans of Batman, this game will be the holy grail, but even if your not a fan, and don't know the lore, and mystic of Batman, the overall gameplay, and story will keep you hooked until the end, not to mention you get to play as Catwoman...and she's hot! What else is there to say?

Concept: Bring the Dark Knight back for another round with some of his greatest villains, and throw in the sexy Catwoman? I smell game of the year!

Graphics:Beautiful to look at, and I love the new art direction for some of Batman's greatest villains.

Sound:All of the voices are great, and to be honest, it seems like they tried hard to make the villains sound the way we imagine them to sound. And never have I heard Two Face sound so good.

Playability: Combat is still fast, and precise for the dark knight, and his weapons all flow greatly into the combat, allowing you to fight any way you want to.

Final Score: 5/5
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BronxKev
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Jobber To The Gods
Do you have any plans on reviewing Gears of War 3?
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Crow Hiroshima
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Its bedtime! Bed=Ethnic Time=Cleansing
Yes I did, but I spent so much time playing it that by the time I got around to writing the review it had been almost 2 weeks. But I guess I can write it up.
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Crow Hiroshima
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Its bedtime! Bed=Ethnic Time=Cleansing
Whew! Got this one up in a quick fashion, but when you don't have a long single player story....that happens....

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Battlefield 3

Well this review I have been waiting to do since E3, finally Battlefield 3 is here and its ready to make everyone say call of what?

Battlefield 3 is by far one of the best looking games so far for any console, the graphics at times are so impressive that I seem to forget I'm playing a game, not watching a movie. The frostbite 2 engine seems like its the wave of the future as far things go, so take a good look, and say goodbye to Unreal, because this engine gives you better accuracy with your weapons, and smoother textures.

The gameplay is where this game shines, not only do the weapons respond great, at times it seems like the recoil from a gun is to much, forcing me to concentrate my fire more precisely, and shoot in burst, rather then fire wildly into a cloud of dust, and if that sounds like a complaint then your an idiot.

The games Ai may be the best that I have seen, but considering how bad the Ai in Bad Company was, that isn't saying much, the enemies are smarter, using real tactics to flank, and out-manuver you, sometimes forcing you to out think them just to survive. Your teammates are also smarter, using real military tactics to help you in combat, and at times they prove more useful then you, but don't take that the wrong way, its actually fun to have teammates that aren't a complete waste of space.

Lastly the vehicle combat is much improved, and is actually well intergrated into the game, air combat is fluent, and easy to comprehend, and master, so these sequences aren't the chore that they where in the last game, and this time they where acually enjoyable.

My only complaint with the game, is my complaint with every war game, they are too short, but I guess in this day, and age, people tune in just for the online play so I guess that's what you pay for, but still a 4-5 hour main story is too short for someone like me who plays the online but I like the single-player too, but I'm the last of a dieing breed.

Concept: Take the Battlefeild franchise to the next level by creating a game with an amazing scale where war seems too real.

Graphics: Frostbite 2 is the future of gaming and it shows in this game, you will spend most of your time looking at the scenery while your teammates deal with enemies.

Sound: Everything sounds true to life, from the realistic sound of shell casings hitting the ground, to the way the soliders interact with eachother, if you have surround sound speakers....use them!!

Playability: The main story is short, but the online is why your there anyway, and as usual the online in Battlefeild does not fail, and while not as famous as CoD's online, its just as good.

Final Score:4/5
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Crow Hiroshima
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Its bedtime! Bed=Ethnic Time=Cleansing
Ok I had 3 reviews to do in two weeks, but with Skyrim's release....I haven't been able to do much. Expect the uncharted 3 review by tomorrow, and the skyrim and COD review wendsday. But in the hopes of not dropping any spoilers... Skyrim is awesome..... ^_^
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Crow Hiroshima
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Well I'm not going to say much other then here we go.

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The Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM

Bethesda is back again, and as usual they are overachivers once again. This time it isn't Fallout that brings the company praise. It is the newest adventure in their greatest franchise The Elder Scrolls V. This game is their best work by far, and as hard as it may be to believe for some people. This may be the greatest game EVER made.

Skyrim takes place in...well Skyrim the most northern part of the land of Tamriel. You are a fugitive on your way to your execution (your always in jail at the start of these games!!). And just when all seems lost, and your about to lose your head, you are saved...by a Dragon. After by far one of the best starts to an Elder Scrolls game ever you escape captivity, and the dragon only to thrown to the world to do whatever you please. And I do mean whatever you please.

The game throws you into a vibrant world full of life, and color, as you travel the land, doing quest (will touch that later). The story itself can honestly not be explained, but not because its too complicated, but because there are so many story-lines going on in the game that's its hard to explain one, without making the game sound one-deminsional. But the overall backdrop of the game centers around the return of the dragons to the land, a race of creatures long thought extinct, have returned to the land of Skyrim, and they are after you. The last of the Dragonborn, an ancient race of people who can speak, and understand the dragon language, a language that can be converted into 'Shouts' that have varying effects.

The battle system, is as varying as the world itself, no longer are you forced to play with the style that favors the game, but instead you can now play to the style that suits you. Want to be a duel-weilding badass? Go ahead. Want to wield magic, and a weapon? Do it. Want to just use magic, and magic only? YOU CAN! Its all possible this time around, and that may be the true strength of this game, it allows you to play it to your style, and doesn't force you to play a certain way for anything. And because of that, the skill system has been redone, rewarding you for how you play, instead of forcing you to study everything, and buy skills you wouldn't need, or want. The skill tree has been streamlined, and is easier to understand for those of us who need to be eased back into the game. The only downfall to the games battle system that I can think of, really isn't that big, the game doesn't scale down to your level so be careful about what you fight at the start...just leave the giants alone ok? XD

The graphics within the game are sheer beauty, I know I said Battlefield 3 may be the best looking game ever made, well I'm prepared to eat those words as Skyrim brings great graphics to the table, and everything in the world is detailed, from mountain rocks, to tables in the home of npc's. Its all beautiful to look at. I have been caught off guard many times within the game, because I was so busy looking at a waterfall that I didn't hear that bandit sneaking up on me.

The game is filled with much to do, as the quest, no matter how small one may seem, brings its own engrossing story to the table, causing you to actually care about what's happening around you, and strive to see the ending. I spent the better part of the start of the game ignoring the main quest, in favor for the quest that the Champions guild gave me, and at one point I thought it was a part of the main story only to find out they have nothing to do with the war going on in the world. That moment right there showed me all that this game has to offer.

Overall this is the greatest game I have ever played, and like I said this may be the greatest game ever made, if you love open world adventures, with a story that shapes around what you want to do. This is your game.

Concept: Follow up on the success of Fallout, by creating a game that will take over the lives of those who play it? Greatness!

Graphics: The most stunning game I have ever seen, everything is detailed, and jumps right out at you in this vibrant world.

Sounds: One of the greatest scores to a game I have heard, the music, the voices, their all top notch.

Playability: This game will take over your life, and even through multiple playthroughs it will never play the same way twice.

Final Score: 5/5 (would give it more if I could)
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Snuggleface
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Mr. Grossly Incendscent
I do have to say, Skyrim is a game I have been looking forward to. So far it is how you have said it in your review, except for a few things. The graphics are not as beautiful as it stated in some of the magazine articles and online reviews had put it. Also it seems that Bethesda may have improved some of the mechanics, but i can still see Oblivion in the game. Not only that I get plenty of bugs, thought most of them are just laughable and nothing is bad about it, mainly crashing and freezing. Other than that, the game is great. Some many quest and things to do and plenty of places to explore. The combat is as you said and even the side jobs, like cooking and smithing, are actually fun. As of now i logged in a good amount of hours into it and I can't seem to stop playing it.

Oh yea on a side note, for a future review would you do Saints Row The Third. It has mixed reviews and it would be nice to hear from someone on this site to give a go at it. Hear it was like Grad Theft Auto but more crazy and less serious X3.
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Hiro_Tsukasa
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NICE DRIVE!
I rented Skyrim over the weekend and I have to say Crow's review is pretty spot on. It feels much more akin to Fallout than Oblivion and I think that's for the best. The system with Feats is a huge improvement over the arbitrary skills going up = level up = you're stats are based on what you did. Who really liked the idea of picking your class skills based solely on if you wanted to level up fast with sub-par stats or slowly with highly optimized stats? It wasn't fun and it really killed immersion.

Skyrim is gorgeous. Easily the most gorgeous Bethesda game and probably one of the most gorgeous games out right now. When I went for the first little side dungeon up in the snowy mountains I had to pause what I was actually doing multiple times just to look off at the views. All the usual Elder Scrolls stuff holds true as well like good writing and dialogue.

Dual-Wield adds a lot too and in more ways than you might think. Sure you can finally wander a TES game and be Drizzt (maybe fittingly so given all the snowy regions in Skyrim), but try dual wielding two spells and see how much fun you have.

As far as bugs go, that's usually expected with a game like this. In my time playing, I got to the first major city... forget its name but it looks like a giant rip off of the capital of Rohan in Lord of the Rings (nothing wrong with that) and I was around level 5 and experienced no bugs so far.

Also, I have to give mad props for their dungeon design. The one I went through was amazing and had a ton of not only clever traps but some interesting puzzles to solve just to advance. I felt like I had been thrown into an old AD&D 1e module and it was amazing.
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Crow Hiroshima
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Its bedtime! Bed=Ethnic Time=Cleansing
Yea through my like 30+ hours of play it froze on me once. But it was after it auto saved so I wasn't to mad, but once I noticed I had been playing it for like 6+ hours I'm glad it did, I needed a break. But I have to say to see they let you play the way you want to shocked me in a good way. I'm no where near 20% into the main story, but I haven't run out of things to do. By far the greatest game ever made. I will be doing my Uncharted 3 review, and COD reviews soon, but Skyrim is just sucking up my time outside of class and here. XD
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Hiro_Tsukasa
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NICE DRIVE!
Also, to my understanding, they have implemented a similar system to what was used in Daggerfall. That being that eventually the game will just auto-generate side quests for you endlessly. The game can continue on long after you have completed the main quest and every pre-set side quest. Which is pretty amazing~
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Crow Hiroshima
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Yea they gave it a name, it escapes me at the moment, but almost every action you make will generate a quest, so even after you finish the main quest, you can keep playing the game for an infinite amount of time, and I feel that this game should have cost be a little more since its so amazing, but I'm not complaining.
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Cypriss
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i've heard the combat is pretty dull, is that true? I mean in a game that's 70% fighting weird stuff that could be a dealbreaker
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