This month is passing by way too fast! But I already suspected that it would be a short and unproductive month considering two major games I wanted were releasing (Super Smash Bros 3DS and Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus). I was able to do a bit of job searching and work before I started my downward spiral of gaming this month, but I'm not sure if it made much of a difference. I'd love to do music for an awesome game, but I don't know how to go about landing such a job. Other than that, I did finish one mix and am working on my last mix before I get back into remixing/composing/arranging/etc.
But with the amount of gaming I've been doing, I want to be able to reflect upon them. Luckily for me, most of the games I played this month were good if not great! I've had times where I played a bunch of bad games all at once! So it was nice being able to enjoy so many games in a row. I'll reflect on the games I've finished this month and then get onto a few major rants.
Ys: Memories of Celceta (PS Vita)
I might have mentioned the Ys series in the past, but I first took notice of it starting with Ys 3: Wanderers of Ys for the Super Nintendo but never actually go to play any Ys games until just a few years ago. I played a remake of the first Ys and made the mistake of playing on normal instead of Easy or Very Easy because I felt like the game wasn't challenging in the beginning. Well, it turned out to be extremely hard near the end and I never got to beat the last boss because I would either die to him, or from all the tiles on the floor disappearing. We eventually got an English release of Ys: The Oath in Felghana and Ys: Origin of which I bought both for PC. Ys: The Oath in Felghana is a PC remake of Ys 3: The Wanderers of Ys, and so I decided to look for the SNES version of it and play through it. Man, it's a good thing I didn't get the game back when I was a kid. I probably would've hated it! The game wasn't very good and had a LOT of problems from a game design perspective. But I loved the music. The series has always been top-down, but Ys 3 was a 2D Platformer view. The remake went back to top-down view. So when I played The Oath in Felghana, I was happy to hear all the songs in an amazing arrangement. It's one thing I started liking about the Ys series, the music. Ys: Memories of Celceta is a re-imagining of Ys 4. There were two games for the original Ys 4 game and both were by different developers. Falcom decided to make an official and definitive 4th game to their series with Memories of Celceta. The beginning of the game is super slow. There is a LOT of talking. But when the game finally started, it was so fast paced. I chose to play on the easiest difficulty due to past experiences I've had with the series. But this time around, I thought it was TOO easy. A lot of the music was only "okay" until I got near the end and heard the song posted right above. The second I stepped onto the map and heard this song, I thought "now THIS sounds like a Ys game". I'm not quite sure what it is, but I felt like this Ys game was missing something. I have no idea what it is, but I felt like it was lacking something throughout the entire time I played. Still, I enjoyed the game immensely and am even considering playing it a 2nd time through on the hardest difficulty someday. But with games rapidly spewing out, I might never get around to doing it.
Electronic Super Joy: Groove City (PC)
There isn't much to say about this platformer game since I knew what to expect: mediocre gameplay, amazing soundtrack! I actually didn't want to get Groove City after playing the original Electronic Super Joy, but I was given a coupon which allowed me to buy the game for $0.27. I mainly bought it so that I could get the soundtrack when it goes on sale because I knew what the gameplay was going to be like. This time around, the game is even shorter. Thankfully, it stays a lot more consistent and isn't as gimmicky. But the level designs and overall gameplay just left me dissatisfied and annoyed, again... I can't wait to buy the soundtrack though.
Halo: Spartan Assault (PC)
I was thinking people didn't like this game because it says "Halo" but was a top-down shooter. I like top-down shooters, so I thought I'd give it a try. Sadly, the game was boring, frustrating, slow, and captivating. I understand that it was originally a mobile game, but I don't see how it would be fun on a mobile device. In fact, it'd be even more frustrating playing with touch screen controls! You move slower when you shoot when you already move slow to begin with, an explosion can kill you in one hit and you'll have to start the mission over again (you die pretty easily sometimes), the story wasn't very interesting (and Halo has a rich lore), and combat ultimately just didn't feel satisfying. Thankfully, putting this and Electronic Super Joy: Groove City only took away 5 hours together. Everything else I played this month has been pretty good.
Strider (2014) (PC)
I knew Strider was a short game, so I decided to blaze through it when I was taking a break from playing so much Smash Bros. The action-adventure platformer game was fast-paced, stylish, and combat just felt so good. I really did feel like a ninja running through enemies while slashing them down and flipping around the stage like an acrobat. I wasn't expecting an open-world experience though. I thought it was going to be a linear stage-to-stage deal for an arcade like experience. The game was challenging, had amazing visuals, and very satisfying gameplay. I wish the music was louder though. I could never really hear the music despite cranking it up to the max.
Saint's Row 4 (PC)
Saint's Row is a huge game, like Grand Theft Auto is. Saint's Row 4 is even crazier than the 3rd one with an outlandish story, crazy powers for the character, and a lot of absurdity as usual. I think I liked the 3rd one a tad more because it felt so much grander and believable. SR4 was just so crazy the whole way through that nothing really surprised me anymore. It was a fun game a whole of a lot less buggier than the 3rd one. I'm not sure if I should keep it on my hard drive any longer to play a bit more or if I should just move onto new games. I definitely want to get around to play Sleeping Dogs.
Far Cry 3 (PC)
I was very worried about playing this next iteration of the Open-World First-person Shooter Adventure. I liked the beginning of the first one and then hate the rest of the game. Far Cry 2's mechanics felt better with gun handling, the feel of shots, etc. But it had so many things about it that annoyed me that I ended up giving up on the game which I rarely do. Far Cry 2 had guns that jammed up randomly, break in the middle of a fire-fight, required a LOT of running back and forth with minimal fast-travel options, annoying healing mechanic where you had to keep eating medicine for malaria and take out bullets shot in you before you can heal, vehicles that constantly broke down or blew up, and a level design that required constant tracking on the map because everything looked the same in the jungle. My little bit hope in FC3 being really good was my experience with Blood Dragon, which was a pretty fun game. FC3 had a dumb story that sometimes made sense and other times I just don't understand why the character would act the way he did (at least it wasn't as dumb as FC2's story). But that was all overshadowed by how good the game felt. Stealth was a much more viable option and worked a lot better this time around. Aiming, shooting, use of throwables and such all felt fluid, visceral and meaningful. Being able to run, slide, peek and climb made the game feel a lot less stiff. I'm glad the game turned out to be really fun. I can't really decide whether I want to keep it around a bit longer or if I should move onto other FPS games.
Tomb Raider (2013) (PC)
I've always disliked the series. Tomb Raider is an action-adventure series that always felt more like a death simulator. Having played the first two Tomb Raider games, I remembered the clunky controls, the horrible camera handling, the inconsistent platforming, and lots and lots of dying. Dying from animals, from falling, from traps, from fall objects, etc. But the Tomb Raider that released last year had peaked my interest when they boasted the game being about survival, hunting, and action. It was dark and gritty and seemed to have the quality of a lot of action-adventure games found nowadays. And for the first time, I thought Lara Croft looked very attractive! I always thought Lara Croft had a generic, angry face. So for $5, I was definitely going to give this game a chance. It was clear that the developers wanted to a have a much deeper and meaningful story behind this game and decided to tell a story of how and why Lara Croft became so interested in adventure, danger, and Tomb Raiding. Lara feels so human in this iteration because she shows weakness. It seems like a common characteristic to attach to protagonists in games now, but I found it effective. In the beginning of the game, she's filled with wonder, curiosity and excitement. But as the situation turns dire and Lara finds herself fighting obstacles and opposition, she starts to show pain, fear, and caution. It really sucked for Lara seeing how she gets hurts from the environment, having so many people trying to kill her, and losing so much along the way. In turn, the player was learning like she was as new challenges appear. I got better in combat situations and solving puzzles, much like Lara felt as the story progresses. Everything felt right: combat, platforming, controls, story flow (granted, beginning was a little slow), puzzles, camera control, etc. Not only was it a good Tomb Raider game, I felt like it was a really good Action-Adventure game of the last generation, right next to games like Uncharted 2 and The Last of Us. The last three games I listed are all open-world games, and they were all really fun. So it's kind of hard to let go of them just yet.
Hyperdimension Neptunia Producing Perfection (PS Vita)
I would never have suspected that this would explode into such a huge series judging from the first game I played. I never finished the first Hyperdimension Neptunia game as I got distracted from other games, but I quickly fell in love with the series because it has so much personality. The original game was a turn-based RPG in a game-theme world that pokes fun at games, the industry, and at itself. The first game, honestly, was very slow and combat wasn't very inspiring. But the story and its characters were whacky, humorous, and unique to their own (even if they may fall into the traditional animé tropes). I wasn't sure if I really wanted to get Hyperdimension Neptunia PP since it was a sort of visual novel/managing sim game. I had thought it was a music rhythm game and was sad to find out it wasn't. But I bought it anyways since I've taken such a liking to the series (bought the original 3 games, watched the animé, planning on buying the other games in the series). The game doesn't really seem to make any sense in the beginning because it just gives a brief tutorial and then just tosses you into it. It takes a bit, but then I realize I'm supposed to find a balance between finding exposure opportunities to raise awareness of my selected idol, training them so that their stats raise, and keeping them relaxed so that they don't overwork themselves. Honestly, it's almost impossible to fail the game unless you're a ruthless producer who overworks their idol with no rest whatsoever. The game takes place in the world of Gamindustri watched over by the 4 goddesses: Purple Heart (Neptune representing Sega), Black Heart (Noire representing Sony), White Heart (Blanc representing Nintendo), and Green Heart (Vert representing Microsoft). Usually, the faith of the people in Gamindustri fuels the goddesses powers called "shares". But in HN:PP, idol groups become popular and starts taking away "shares" from the goddesses with the main one being MOB48 (a reference to the popular idol group AKB48 in Japan). So the goddesses summon a great producer from another world, which happens to be you, to help train them to be great idols. At first, it seemed like it was going to be very boring because it's nothing but talking, right? But I gave it a chance because Cherry Tree High Comedy Club was pretty much all talking and I had a ton of fun playing that game. And you know what? It really was fun! I can't say the gameplay was very compelling because the concert parts were pretty boring after a while because all you really have to do is move the camera around constantly and use the stage effects when they cheer (hard to fail), but the overall experience was entertaining. You would think that training goddesses would be fairly dull since they're goddesses! But they have human personalities that make them interesting. Much how I described Lara Croft in the new Tomb Raider, what makes the characters really interesting are their flaws. Neptune is lazy, child-like and a bit ditzy while also being energetic and friendly. So you have to find ways to motivate her and go along with her playful ways. Noire is the typical tsundere and has been my favorite character in the series, right next to IF. And as an extra bonus, she's voiced by Asami Imai who also voices Tsubaki Yayoi from BlazBlue, Ikaruga from Senran Kagura (who is also my favorite character in that series), and the Elf in Dragon's Crown (which was my first and favorite class). Being the tsundere that she is, she's not very honest with her feelings and has difficulties voicing what she really wants. She already has what it takes to be an idol, so you just have to steer her in the right direction and help her even when she says she doesn't want it. Blanc is hard to read as she soft spoken with subtle indications of emotion. It is until she gets angry that she raises her voice and speaks like a yakuza gangster (I feel like the English dub can't really capture the two sides of Blanc like the Japanese VA can). So working with her is like stepping on egg shells and holding a time bomb. Finally, Vert is a hardcore gamer and put everything in perspective of a game. this gets worrisome when she refuses to work in favor of playing more videogames. If anything, this game showcased the personality of the characters in the series and has made me an even bigger fan.
The game's true ending requires very specific steps to take in order to get it and 100% the game requires multiple play throughs (at least over 12 times) which I just don't have the time for. I started out playing Neptune's side 3 times over and finally decided to only play through each character once. I ended up playing the game for 22 hours total. I feel like $30 was kind of pushing it for this game and would have felt better at $20. Still, I don't regret getting the game after I've played through it. I really want to get through the 3 original games once I finish FF13 Lightning Returns. I also really hope they bring Hyperdimension Neptunia U to the West (It's an Action Beat-em-Up).
Super Smash Bros. 3DS (Nintendo 3DS)
I'll try to keep this as brief as possible because I could talk about Smash Bros. all day. Let me put this in perspective of how much I love this game: The game came out 2 weeks ago and I have already accumulated 90 hours on it. I was shocked to see how many hours I had put into the game just after the first week! They did a really good job on this iteration of Smash Bros. though. This time around, I feel like I enjoy playing a majority of the characters rather than half. There's a lot of content! Customization brings in a whole new factor into casual play and theory crafting. Online play is really solid and caters to both casual and competitive play. The game is just SO MUCH FUN! I'd also like to revisit my rant on Megaman as some of my opinions about him changed.
Note: A = Neutral Attack; B = Special Attack
Ground Attacks
A - Mega Buster (Safe): 2%-2.5% Damage. Not bad, good annoying damage.
Forward A - Running Mega Buster (Safe): Can be used to interrupt attacks and apply a tiny bit of damage. Can also be used to lead up to another attack.
Up A - Mega Uppercut (Risky): I still think it's risky. But if you don't use it until you know for sure that you can land it (they fall/roll into you) it's a good option for a finisher and feels so satisfying~
Down A - Slide Kick (Risky): I stopped using this as much since it has such a long animation. But I found out it's an amazing ledge guard and can send the opponent flying off.
Dash A - Top Spin (Risky): It's still a risky move, but I use it so often. Some opponents don't know how long the animation lasts and will put down shield too early.
Ground Smash Attacks
Forward Smash - Charge Shot (Risky): This can be good for some ledge guard set-ups, but it takes so long to start-up and finish that it's almost not worth trying.
Up Smash - Spark Shock (Risky): I said this wasn't a KO move before, and I was wrong. I've actually KO a lot with this move since it's a lot easier to set-up for. You need the opponent at a decent damage level before it can KO though. It's good for building up damage. It's still really risky and leaves you quite open if you're not careful using it.
Down Smash - Flame Blast (Risky): I was wrong about this one, too. It has very strong KO potential; however, I still think it's too slow that it's not worth using. I almost never use this skill.
Air Attacks
Neutral Air - Mega Buster (Safe): More annoying damage at your disposal! And it can be used to interrupt certain attacks.
Forward Air - Flame Sword (Debatable): I still really like this skill. It's good for combos and set-ups.
Back Air - Slash Claw (Safe): I still think this is the best move Mega Man has. I get most of my KOs from ledge guarding with this.
Up Air - Air Shooter (Safe): It's hard to KO with it, but you can add some extra damage at the very least utilizing this with your combos.
Down Air - Hard Knuckle (Debatable): This is significantly harder to utilize than previously expected. In the demo, I only got to try it on 5 characters. Now with new factors such as different characters and playstyles by players, it's easy to avoid. It can be useful in the center of the stage on certain instances.
Special Attacks
Grab - Super Arm (Safe): Yeah, Mega Man's Grab is pretty good.
B - Metal Blade (Debatable): If utilized correctly, it can be pretty good for set-ups and adding a little bit of damage in-between each attack. It's annoying when it's grabbed and thrown back at you though.
Side B - Crash Bomber (Risky): I still think it's risky if not more risky now that I have experience with playing with real players. It can easily put you in a situation where you stun lock yourself or even kill yourself when the opponent runs after you. It has some good set-ups when it works, but it's not recommended to be used as much against really good players.
Up B - Rush Coil (Safe): Good recovery and able to get out of some combos.
Down B - Leaf Shield (Risky): Yeah, I still think this is a terrible skill. It has been more of a hindrance than anything beneficial.
Final Smash - Rockman Special(Safe): I don't get that many chance to use this since I play Mega Man in competitive matches rather than casual matches.
Sadly, it's already hard to find friends to play Smash with. It's like everyone's already smashed out from the past two weeks.
Arcana Heart 3: LOVE MAX!!!!! (PS Vita)
I'm kind of sad with this purchase. Mainly because two weeks after it releases and a week after I bought it, EXAMU announces a third iteration to the game. Love Max doesn't have new characters and this 3rd one will have one extra one.
+ It might be because it's on a PS Vita, but I feel like the graphics are sharper and nicer looking
+ Three new modes, including an "After Story" mode. Sadly, it seems very short.
+ A LOT of new color palettes added, and some of them look really cool
+ Finally, a physical copy of the game! But I had to buy it at $40, booo....
+ At least I can play on the go now, sorta (I don't bring my PS Vita outside)
- You can't widescreen stretch in this one! It might be PS Vita specific, but I was sad to find that out.
- Not a whole lot of new content was added, yet there wasn't an option to upgrade from the original
- Loading screens: there are so many and they take so long! This is very annoying!
- I'm so used to playing on a fightstick for the PS3 that it feels weird to play on a PS Vita.
- $40 feels expensive for those who already bought the original for $30.
- You still can't change the CPU difficulty from the versus menu and require to go into options!
I feel very disappointed with this purchase as the $40 charge doesn't feel justified. Ultimately, I still like the game. I liked the game to begin with and wanted more out of it but got very little back with the money I paid for it. I essentially paid for a very expensive DLC: 3 modes (after story, time trial, challenges), extra color palettes, and character balances.
Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus (PS Vita)
There's not much to say about this game. I got it in the mail today. There goes the productivity for the last half of October!
To end this post, I'd like to share a cute, funny, and catchy Touhou song with you:
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