Man, what a crazy month! Starting from June, there was the E3 conference to start off the Summer. Following that was the Steam Summer Sales that began a lot sooner than I thought. Despite my efforts, I still ended up spending twice as much as I wanted to for the sales. Then I started playing Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty while watching the playoffs for DotA 2 on the first week of July. Then EVO 2014 streams started that weekend with some of the craziest matches in fighting game history; One being BlazBlue Chrono Phantasma Grand Finals (Starting at 01:40:58) that had 7 match points before Garireo reached the ultimate victory. That was definitely THE most intense Grand Final of EVO this year. I also enjoyed the finals for Super Smash Bros. Melee. There was also the Grand Final for Ultra Street Fighter IV, which wasn't as exciting; however, there was an interesting fact about the winner: He used a Playstation 1 gamepad throughout the tournament. I don't know how he did it. That controller used to give me blisters all the time before they introduced the dual analog sticks. My favorite EVO moment this year was Justin Wong related, just like last year.
Starting at 12:18. It's the last match with 2 points for both players, and the victor will move onto the Grand Finals. Justin Wong is down to his Akuma, who can easily be taken out in one combo, and Filipino Champ had brought out his Phoenix with a level 5 meter which transforms her into Dark Phoenix. At that pivotal moment when Filipino Champ got the hit confirm at 12:26, I immediately thought "it's over, Justin lost..." But to my surprise, Filipino Champ X-Factored and dove in WITH his support out to hopefully end it right there. In that crucial moment, Justin Wong was able to react to it with a Messatsu-Goshoryu, (a special Shoryuken/Dragon Punch) which has a good amount of frames of invincibility during start-up, and make contact with both characters of Filipino Champ which finished the match right there. I kept wondering if it would have been different if Filipino Champ was a bit more patient and stalled those last 20 seconds (Justin Wong used to do that ALL the time!). Still, it was one of those great moments that makes watching these matches streamed live worth it. Right after EVO was the DotA 2 International which holds the record for highest reward pot of over $10 Million in e-sports history. Unfortunately, I've been so worn out from watching so many streams, keeping up with work, and trying to clear games that I didn't follow The International very closely and ended up missing the Grand Finals. I heard it was pretty decisive and wasn't that fun to watch compared to the lower brackets and early playoffs.
In between all that news following, game buying, and stream watching madness, I managed to get some work done. I had finished the Ultima Exodus Remix Project I've been working on and successfully uploaded all 10 tracks on Youtube.
All 10 tracks are in that player there. With the project finally completed, I started finishing up loose ends with projects I was working on before this week. Right after that, I'm going to need to start looking at job openings again, but this time for Audio rather than Quality Assurance. It's causing a bit of stress as more time passes and my chances of finding a job becomes slimmer. But I refuse to give up and work at a job that I won't allow me to get better with music and learn more about game development. Until I find one, I might continue doing more remix projects, because remix, arranging, and covering videogame music has been something I've been wanting to do all my life and wasn't able to until just recently.
In terms of games, I'd say I've been playing a lot more enjoyable games compared to what I played back in April and May. I finally got around to finishing Dragon's Crown and was presented with end-game content with a lot more I can do! It was surprising to see after the credits ended and there was more to the game. I finally got around to finishing Dead Rising 2 as well, and it was so painful. There were some aspects I really enjoyed out of the game, but it mostly frustrated me. There isn't much to say about it. One of my friends bought me Mitsurugi Kamui Hikae for my Birthday and I played it days after and finished it pretty quickly. For a Indie developed Hack-n-Slash, I thought it was solid. It was challenging, had a lot of combo options and skills, a decent amount of unlockables, and a very pretty main character. Phantasy Star Portable, I've had on my PSP since 2009 and never beat because of how incredibly grindy it got at the end. I tried one last time as I've played it off and on for the past 4 years after graduating, but I still wasn't able to defeat the final form of the last boss and so I gave up. I watched the ending cinematics on Youtube and considered the game to be finished under my excel sheet. Magicite was one of the games I bought during the Steam Summer Sale. It's an Action-Platformer with crafting aspects and rogue-like elements. It's like a mix between Terraria and Risk of Rain. I played the game quite a bit with two of my friends and I managed to finally beat it twice: once solo and the 2nd time with my friends. I also finished Resident Evil 6 with a friend recently and really enjoyed it a lot! I can see why a lot of fans are upset with it as it's a lot less about exploration, puzzles, and horror and a bigger focus on Action and cooperative play. I thought Capcom did a great job making a fun co-op game with long-time favorite characters of the series. I had bought a lot of 2D platformers during the Steam Summer Sale and ended up being very disappointed in a lot of them. Inescapable was short, boring, and had a dumb ending. Oniken had incredible cutscenes that truly felt like a NES game, but took some of the worst aspects of Action-platformers for its game play and design. Ultionus: A Tale of Petty Revenge, I didn't have much expectations for, but I bought it because Jake "Virt" Kaufman created the music for it. The game wasn't that great, but the ending credits song by A_Rival is amazing!
Then there were 2D platformers I got that were pretty good or incredible! 1001 Spikes is one of the incredible ones! There are so many games that want to capture the retro, 8-bit era magic of games but don't quite get it other than mimicking the graphics with some annoying chip-tunes that screams "generic videogame music!" But 1001 Spikes seems to get it right! Rather than emulating a game for the NES and saying that it's retro, it has all the concepts of a retro game with a modern mind behind it. 1001 Spikes is a difficult, troll-a-thon, platformer that consists of very short, but very challenging levels that are all intricately designed with a defined concept behind it. Every jump, every enemy, and every trap are carefully placed for reasons of player reaction, challenge, and opposition. It's a game where you will die a lot but learn from with each try with a satisfaction of completion at the end of each level. Memorization is required and so is quick reflexes and reactions. Much like Dragon's Crown, I thought I had completed the game when it starts playing a cinematic and then presents more gameplay at the end! Besides the many modes and content available, there's also a ton of extra characters to play as. Some that are quite familiar from other game franchises. It's just one surprise after another with this game, and I love it! The last Hardcore platformer I played that felt this great was Super Meat Boy. One of the secret characters in 1001 Spikes is Nyx from NyxQuest. I remembered the game but never got it, and so I did during the Steam Summer Sale. It was a short 3 hour adventure, but it had some really nice gameplay that utilizes the mouse to move everything around and the keyboard to jump, fly and glide towards safety. It was a pretty fun game and I only hated one of the levels. Another 2D platformer I got that I absolutely loved was Abyss Odyssey. I actually pre-ordered it and didn't even know much about it. I saw a trailer for it during E3 and said "it looks kinda like Castlevania and I'm craving for a Metroidvania game right now." There were many surprises in store for me in this game as the combat system is inspired by fighting games, particularly Super Smash Bros. Fighting is similar to Super Smash Bros. with the ability to skill cancel like in Street Fighter or the game Valdis Story. The game has some rogue-like elements where the levels, enemies, item placements, shops, and altars are randomly generated. This game is also very tough, but not in the same way as 1001 Spikes. Contrary to 1001 Spikes, you CAN'T memorize anything in Abyss Odyssey since everything changes every time you play. The combat system has a lot of depth to it for being so heavily associated with Super Smash Bros. and it kept me wanting more as I played the game. The music is great too!
Along with the game, I also get the soundtrack for free for pre-purchasing and I'm glad I did. I'd say I played Magicite (23 hours) and Abyss Odyssey (25 hours) the most recently. Others games I've completed recently are: StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty (working on Heart of the Swarm now), Killer is Dead (which I loved), and Sniper Elite V2 (it was sorta fun).
I've got a lot of stuff ahead of me in the next month such as looking for a job in audio, finishing up projects, and clearing more of my backlog.
P.S. I started watching an animé called Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka? (Is the Order a Rabbit?) and it's so cute I can't contain myself!
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Friday, June 13, 2014
E3 2014
This week just flew by. The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) came and gone with a lot of exciting news for just about everyone except PS Vita owners. There are plenty of interesting projects set for PC, PS4, XB1, Wii U, 3DS, and a few for PS3 and Xbox 360 shown at E3 this year. But it seemed a bit empty on PS Vita announcements. I came up with 5 lists of games, categorizing games: I feel like I want to play right now, games I'll eventually get, games I'm on the fence on, games I may or may not look into, and games I'm not interested in. I'll just talk about the game I really want to play right now. It was difficult to keep the list short as there were so many games I want to talk about. I wanted to make everything alphabetical, but I'm too tired and lazy to do that.
I want it! (Feel like playing it now!):
[Tom Clancy's The Division]
Let's talk about Tom Clancy's The Division. This was teased last year and even showed some gameplay footage. This year, they presented a cinematic trailer and some more gameplay footages. My friends and I have been looking for a cooperative shooter with survival aspects but never found one to be really solid. Games like WarZ (now called "Infestation: Survivor Stories), Nether, and a bunch of other new comers like H1Z1, 7 Days to Die, DayZ Standalone, Rust, The Forest, and The Dead Linger all have potential and the works, but don't feel refined or filled with as much content. It worries me that there might not actually be that much to do in the game, but if there are a lot of clear and defined objectives that my friends and I can fulfill and be able to do more than just survive and kill other players out right, it might just the game we're looking for. So far, the game shows off some great cover-based gun-fights and very clean user-interface menus. I'm looking forward to the launch of this game.
[Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege]
-
Ubisoft obviously has a set of winners in its hands with Assassin's Creed Unity and Far Cry 4 being among some of the most talked about games this E3. But Ubisoft throws us a surprise reveal of their new Rainbow Six game that, not only shocked the audience, but impressed gamers with this gameplay trailer. Although it's clearly scripted, the video does a good job of showing off the capabilities in detail to presentation and mechanics within the game. Walls and ceilings can be blown off or shot down. Hostages react to the environment around them. Various gadgets changes up the strategies in approaching, disengaging and planning a fight. I've recently played Takedown: Red Sabre with my friends and did enjoy the game to a certain extent despite how poorly designed it was (or enjoyed it BECAUSE it was so bad) and talked about how great games like SWAT 4 and the older Rainbow Six games were like. So it was such a delight to see such extensive and deep gameplay mechanics in this trailer. I'm looking forward to seeing more of the game as it reaches a launch date.
[Bloodborne]
What do I say about this? It's From Software's new project, so I'm definitely ecstatic. The trailer; however, was confusing and ambiguous as it does little to tell a story or how the game plays. In fact, there were one too many game trailers that was all cinematic with no gameplay and that really bugged me. I did see the leaked footages when the game was still being called "Project Beast" and I do like how it looks a bit more hack 'n Slashy than previous Souls games. What I'm left with is wanting more. I really shouldn't even be getting this excited about Bloodborne when I haven't even gone through Dark Souls 2 yet...
[Lords of the Fallen]
Lords of the Fallen certainly screams "Souls clone", but I think that's what has me interested. What new twists and game mechanics did the developers add to the formula that makes it stand out? I'm very curious on the end result and hope that this turns out to be a good game.
[Hyrule Warriors]
I love Dynasty Warriors. And I mean I LOVE Dynasty Warriors. I have Dynasty Warriors 3-8 and own the Xtreme Legends add-on to almost all of them. I've played through Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce, Warriors Orochi, and other spin-offs in the series. The developers have a solid combat mechanic that makes for a fluid and action-pack Hack 'n Slash game. Hyrule Warriors isn't new to the world as it was announced a while ago, but that doesn't make me any less excited when seeing more of it shown at E3 this year. This is another game that makes me want to get a Wii U.
[Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus]
I still remember the first time I saw the first Senran Kagura game and thought it'd be a dumb and die out after the first game. I was just so mesmerized by the in-game combat system that it left an impression on me. When Senran Kagura Burst came out in North America, I decided to give it a try and fell in love with it. The story, the music, the characters, the fluid combat, and the light-hearted humor as well as the dire tone it takes when talking about death and what it meant to be a shinobi all sunk in and stuck with me after I played over 50 hours of the game. I became a fan and was really hoping they'd bring the PS Vita iteration over after I realized how much I liked the series. I'm sad that it's always advertised for the nudity, but I guess it was the designers' intention to do so when it was being made in Japan (At least this trailer shows a lot of combat). The gameplay is very similar to Dynasty Warriors with its own unique twist on aerial combat (if it's anything like the 3DS version, at least). I don't have a PS Vita yet, but I want to pre-order it just to make sure I get a physical copy of the game. I'm very happy I'm going to get the chance to play this game.
I'm also going to note that they're bringing over the Music Rhythm, Cooking game over as well: Senran Kagura Bon Appétit!). I'm not as excited about that game as I'm picky on Music Rhythm games. The gameplay looks boring and I haven't heard a song that I like from it so far. I'll still keep an eye out for it though.
[Guilty Gear Xrd]
It's been much too long since there was an actual Guilty Gear game (after about a dozen ports) and so it's hard to contain my excitement for this. I had ignored Guilty Gear when the series began as the darker theme and crazy looking characters made me disinterested in it. When I had stumbled across some music for it and realized it was from the Guilty Gear series, I became curious because I thought the music was incredible. I eventually played a few of the games and loved the stylish and fluid combos and combat mechanics. It is not an easy fighting game, that's for sure. After falling in love with the music and gameplay, I started learning more about the characters and then got sucked into the story. It's convoluted and confusing, but it brings out a lot of personality out of the game once you start to understand what's going on. One of the biggest changes the game has in the newest installment in the series is having the game run in 3D while still looking like it was 2D. The first time I saw it in motion and found out it was in 3D, it blew my mind. To have such fluid motion in 3D space while retaining the clean look of a 2D fighter was not something I was expecting. You can tell that it's in 3D whenever there's a special or finish pulled off at the end of a round or match and the camera pans around the characters. I'm excited, but also worried as my PS3's Hard Drive is filled to the brim with mandatory fighting game install data.
[Bayonetta 2]
Nintendo took the community by surprise when Bayonetta 2 was finally announced exclusively for the Nintendo Wii U. It seems like it was a smart choice since the reveal of more gameplay footage and a release date for the game this E3 has hyped many gamers into wanting a Wii U. Bayonetta was such a solid Action game with a strong presentation, it's no wonder so many people are excited for the sequel.
[Xenoblade Chronicles X]
There's nothing to be said about this game. I'm just so excited for it. I'm also really sad I didn't buy Xenoblade Chronicles when it first came out as the only copies left are held by sellers who want over $100 for it. I will find a copy of that game and play it. I'm glad the Western audience don't have to petition and argue to get this iteration of the game over here.
[Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F 2]
Last year, I bought Hatsune Miku Project Diva F on impulse on the first day in fear that it might become one of those games where it gets sold out and all available copies rise in price (like Xenoblade Chronicles). I wasn't going to get the game, but did when I found out that it was a physical copy. Alongside that, I looked up and bought a mini controller for the game for over $100 just to improve my experience with the game (and it did). I liked it. The graphics were colorful and vibrant, the gameplay was simple to understand but challenging as you play harder difficulties, and I liked a majority of the songs picked for the game. With 40 more songs in this next game, I'm willing to get it. I need to justify the purchase of that controller! And also because it's fun.
[Super Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS]
WINNER OF THE SHOW! Maybe...It's kind of hard to announce a winner this year since there were so many exciting news this year (albeit, no news about Final Fantasy 15 or Phantasy Star Online 2/Phantasy Star Nova) I know I dubbed Super Smash Bros. as the winner of the show last year, but it's different this year! Last year, it was a reveal. This year, it's a hype for the release! With the game close to launch, Nintendo wants to get everyone excited. During the show, they revealed Palutena, Pac-Man, Mii Fighters, the Amiibo concept, some of the content that will be in the game, and they also allowed players around the nation at select Best Buys to try out the game. I'm just so excited for this game and it's possibly the one I want most out of the list. I can't wait to play as Mega Man, Pac-Man and Palutena!
I'll get it, Eventually... (Will Buy)
-Battlefield Hardline
-Mirror's Edge 2
-Dragon Age Inquisition
-Super Ultra Dead Rising 3 Arcade Remix Hyper Edition EX+ Alpha
-Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel
-Mass Effect 4
-Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
-The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
-Assassin's Creed: Unity
-Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor
-Far Cry 4
-Below
-Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
-Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright
-Devil's Third
-Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number
-Broforce
-Persona 4 Arena Ultimax
-Abyss Odyssey
-Kingdom Under Fire 2
-Gauntlet (2014)
-Batman: Arkham Knight
-Homefront The Revolution
-Tales of Hearts R
-Tales of Xillia 2
-Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
-Hunt: Horrors of the Gilded Age
-Dying Light
-Fairy Fencer F
-Ultra Street Fighter IV
-Xblaze Code Embryo
-Final Fantasy Type-0 HD
-Final Fantasy Agito
Looks interesting. (Will decide as I learn more)
-Scalebound (XB1 Exclusive for now...)
-Mortal Kombat X
-Lara Croft: The Temple of Osiris
-Battlecry
-Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
-Enemy Front
-Titanfall 2
-Dead Island 2
-Destiny (I want PC version!)
-Yoshi Woolly World
-Zelda Wii U
-Captain Toad Treasure Tracker
-Splatoon
-Starfox Wii U
-Sonic Boom
-Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix
-Fantasy Life
-Senran Kagura: Bon Appétit!
-The Evil Within
-Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed
-Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call
-Tales from the Borderlands
-Rollers of the Realm
-Deep Down
Maybe I'll look into it... (Might check it out)
-Sunset Overdrive
-Ori and the Blind Forest
-Rise of the Tomb Raider
-Evolve
-Let it Die
-Abzu
-LittleBigPlanet 3
-The Order: 1886
-Arena of Fate
-Mario Party 10
-Mario Maker
-Dreadnought
-Project Guard (Nintendo)
-Project Giant Robot (Nintendo)
-Galak-Z
-No Man's Sky
-Brandish: The Dark Revenant
-Corpse Party
-Story of Seasons
-Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution
-Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment
-Fantasia: Music Evolved
-Art Academy
-Mario vs. Donkey Kong (New)
-Pokémon Art Academy
-WiiSports Club
-Hitman Sniper
-Mad Max
-Dragon Quest XI
-Nosgoth
-Assassin's Creed Comet
-Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
-Dawngate
-Kingdom Hearts 3
-Not a Hero
-Persona 5
-Project Spark
-Puzzle Heroes Saga
-Quantum Break
-Ratchet & Clank Remastered
-Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem
-Tetris Ultimate
-Everybody's Gone to the Rapture
-Lifeless Planet
-Summoners War: Sky Arena
-The Witness
-Samurai Warriors 4
No, Thank you. (Not interested)
-Halo: The Master Chief Collection (Now if it was for PC...)
-The Sims 4
-Phantom Dust
-Crackdown
-Fable Legends
-Halo 5: Guardians (If only it released on PC...)
-Forza Horizon 2
-Drive Club
-Transformers Universe
-MECH
-Valiant Hearts: The Great War
-Grim Fandango Remastered
-Entwined
-Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
-Doom 4
-Pokémon: Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
-Black Gold Online
-Alien: Isolation
-The Crew
-Counterspy
-Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes
-Citizens of Earth
-Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty
-Velocity 2X
-Invizimals: The Resistance
-Lemmings Touch
-Final Fantasy VII G Bike
-Elite Dangerous
-Dragon Ball Xenoverse
-Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn
-Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2
-Tenkai Knight: Brave Battle
-Fossil Fighters Frontier
-Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth
-WWE 2K15
-Just Dance 2015
-Just Dance Now
-Shape Up
-Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham
-Grid Autosport
-Hohokum
-White Night
-Skylanders: Trap Team
-The Playroom
-Road Not Taken
-Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom
-Alphadia Genesis
-A-Train: City Simulator
-Chariot
-Costume Quest 2
-Criterion Racing Game
-Defense Grid 2
-Disney Planes Fire & Rescue
-Disney Violetta: Rhythm & Music
-EA Sports UFC
-End of Serenity
-Eve Valkyrie
-Falling Skies: The Game
-FIFA 15
-Gabrielle's Monstrous Duel
-Game of Thrones (Telltale)
-Gears of War 4
-Grand Theft Auto 5 (For Next Gen)
-Grey Goo
-Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley
-Heroes of Gaia
-Hometown Story: Pocket
-How to Train Your Dragon 2
-Inside
-Killer Instinct Season 2
-Kingdom Come Deliverance
-The Last of Us (PS4)
-Madden NFL 15
-Metro: Redux
-Natural Doctrine
-NHL 15
-Ninja Strike
-Reel Fishing: Master's Challenge
-Reel Fishing Pocket 2: Ocean
-Star Wars Battlefront
-Star Wars (Visceral Project)
-Taichi Panda
-Threes
-Tiger Woods PGA Tour 15
-Warhammer 40K: The Eternal Crusade
-Winx Club: Saving Alfea
-Happy Wars
-Fru
Look at this list! I probably missed quite a few games too considering how many games don't get coverage on gaming media (as experienced first hand going to E3 back in 2010). It's getting more and more difficult to keep up with games nowadays. I'm really glad to see such a great show presented this year at E3, but I can't help but wonder how I'm going to be able to get through all the games I want to play shown when I'm still struggling with a backlog...haha.
I want it! (Feel like playing it now!):
[Tom Clancy's The Division]
Let's talk about Tom Clancy's The Division. This was teased last year and even showed some gameplay footage. This year, they presented a cinematic trailer and some more gameplay footages. My friends and I have been looking for a cooperative shooter with survival aspects but never found one to be really solid. Games like WarZ (now called "Infestation: Survivor Stories), Nether, and a bunch of other new comers like H1Z1, 7 Days to Die, DayZ Standalone, Rust, The Forest, and The Dead Linger all have potential and the works, but don't feel refined or filled with as much content. It worries me that there might not actually be that much to do in the game, but if there are a lot of clear and defined objectives that my friends and I can fulfill and be able to do more than just survive and kill other players out right, it might just the game we're looking for. So far, the game shows off some great cover-based gun-fights and very clean user-interface menus. I'm looking forward to the launch of this game.
[Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege]
-
Ubisoft obviously has a set of winners in its hands with Assassin's Creed Unity and Far Cry 4 being among some of the most talked about games this E3. But Ubisoft throws us a surprise reveal of their new Rainbow Six game that, not only shocked the audience, but impressed gamers with this gameplay trailer. Although it's clearly scripted, the video does a good job of showing off the capabilities in detail to presentation and mechanics within the game. Walls and ceilings can be blown off or shot down. Hostages react to the environment around them. Various gadgets changes up the strategies in approaching, disengaging and planning a fight. I've recently played Takedown: Red Sabre with my friends and did enjoy the game to a certain extent despite how poorly designed it was (or enjoyed it BECAUSE it was so bad) and talked about how great games like SWAT 4 and the older Rainbow Six games were like. So it was such a delight to see such extensive and deep gameplay mechanics in this trailer. I'm looking forward to seeing more of the game as it reaches a launch date.
[Bloodborne]
What do I say about this? It's From Software's new project, so I'm definitely ecstatic. The trailer; however, was confusing and ambiguous as it does little to tell a story or how the game plays. In fact, there were one too many game trailers that was all cinematic with no gameplay and that really bugged me. I did see the leaked footages when the game was still being called "Project Beast" and I do like how it looks a bit more hack 'n Slashy than previous Souls games. What I'm left with is wanting more. I really shouldn't even be getting this excited about Bloodborne when I haven't even gone through Dark Souls 2 yet...
[Lords of the Fallen]
Lords of the Fallen certainly screams "Souls clone", but I think that's what has me interested. What new twists and game mechanics did the developers add to the formula that makes it stand out? I'm very curious on the end result and hope that this turns out to be a good game.
[Hyrule Warriors]
I love Dynasty Warriors. And I mean I LOVE Dynasty Warriors. I have Dynasty Warriors 3-8 and own the Xtreme Legends add-on to almost all of them. I've played through Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce, Warriors Orochi, and other spin-offs in the series. The developers have a solid combat mechanic that makes for a fluid and action-pack Hack 'n Slash game. Hyrule Warriors isn't new to the world as it was announced a while ago, but that doesn't make me any less excited when seeing more of it shown at E3 this year. This is another game that makes me want to get a Wii U.
[Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus]
I still remember the first time I saw the first Senran Kagura game and thought it'd be a dumb and die out after the first game. I was just so mesmerized by the in-game combat system that it left an impression on me. When Senran Kagura Burst came out in North America, I decided to give it a try and fell in love with it. The story, the music, the characters, the fluid combat, and the light-hearted humor as well as the dire tone it takes when talking about death and what it meant to be a shinobi all sunk in and stuck with me after I played over 50 hours of the game. I became a fan and was really hoping they'd bring the PS Vita iteration over after I realized how much I liked the series. I'm sad that it's always advertised for the nudity, but I guess it was the designers' intention to do so when it was being made in Japan (At least this trailer shows a lot of combat). The gameplay is very similar to Dynasty Warriors with its own unique twist on aerial combat (if it's anything like the 3DS version, at least). I don't have a PS Vita yet, but I want to pre-order it just to make sure I get a physical copy of the game. I'm very happy I'm going to get the chance to play this game.
I'm also going to note that they're bringing over the Music Rhythm, Cooking game over as well: Senran Kagura Bon Appétit!). I'm not as excited about that game as I'm picky on Music Rhythm games. The gameplay looks boring and I haven't heard a song that I like from it so far. I'll still keep an eye out for it though.
[Guilty Gear Xrd]
It's been much too long since there was an actual Guilty Gear game (after about a dozen ports) and so it's hard to contain my excitement for this. I had ignored Guilty Gear when the series began as the darker theme and crazy looking characters made me disinterested in it. When I had stumbled across some music for it and realized it was from the Guilty Gear series, I became curious because I thought the music was incredible. I eventually played a few of the games and loved the stylish and fluid combos and combat mechanics. It is not an easy fighting game, that's for sure. After falling in love with the music and gameplay, I started learning more about the characters and then got sucked into the story. It's convoluted and confusing, but it brings out a lot of personality out of the game once you start to understand what's going on. One of the biggest changes the game has in the newest installment in the series is having the game run in 3D while still looking like it was 2D. The first time I saw it in motion and found out it was in 3D, it blew my mind. To have such fluid motion in 3D space while retaining the clean look of a 2D fighter was not something I was expecting. You can tell that it's in 3D whenever there's a special or finish pulled off at the end of a round or match and the camera pans around the characters. I'm excited, but also worried as my PS3's Hard Drive is filled to the brim with mandatory fighting game install data.
[Bayonetta 2]
Nintendo took the community by surprise when Bayonetta 2 was finally announced exclusively for the Nintendo Wii U. It seems like it was a smart choice since the reveal of more gameplay footage and a release date for the game this E3 has hyped many gamers into wanting a Wii U. Bayonetta was such a solid Action game with a strong presentation, it's no wonder so many people are excited for the sequel.
[Xenoblade Chronicles X]
There's nothing to be said about this game. I'm just so excited for it. I'm also really sad I didn't buy Xenoblade Chronicles when it first came out as the only copies left are held by sellers who want over $100 for it. I will find a copy of that game and play it. I'm glad the Western audience don't have to petition and argue to get this iteration of the game over here.
[Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F 2]
Last year, I bought Hatsune Miku Project Diva F on impulse on the first day in fear that it might become one of those games where it gets sold out and all available copies rise in price (like Xenoblade Chronicles). I wasn't going to get the game, but did when I found out that it was a physical copy. Alongside that, I looked up and bought a mini controller for the game for over $100 just to improve my experience with the game (and it did). I liked it. The graphics were colorful and vibrant, the gameplay was simple to understand but challenging as you play harder difficulties, and I liked a majority of the songs picked for the game. With 40 more songs in this next game, I'm willing to get it. I need to justify the purchase of that controller! And also because it's fun.
[Super Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS]
WINNER OF THE SHOW! Maybe...It's kind of hard to announce a winner this year since there were so many exciting news this year (albeit, no news about Final Fantasy 15 or Phantasy Star Online 2/Phantasy Star Nova) I know I dubbed Super Smash Bros. as the winner of the show last year, but it's different this year! Last year, it was a reveal. This year, it's a hype for the release! With the game close to launch, Nintendo wants to get everyone excited. During the show, they revealed Palutena, Pac-Man, Mii Fighters, the Amiibo concept, some of the content that will be in the game, and they also allowed players around the nation at select Best Buys to try out the game. I'm just so excited for this game and it's possibly the one I want most out of the list. I can't wait to play as Mega Man, Pac-Man and Palutena!
I'll get it, Eventually... (Will Buy)
-Battlefield Hardline
-Mirror's Edge 2
-Dragon Age Inquisition
-Super Ultra Dead Rising 3 Arcade Remix Hyper Edition EX+ Alpha
-Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel
-Mass Effect 4
-Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
-The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
-Assassin's Creed: Unity
-Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor
-Far Cry 4
-Below
-Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
-Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright
-Devil's Third
-Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number
-Broforce
-Persona 4 Arena Ultimax
-Abyss Odyssey
-Kingdom Under Fire 2
-Gauntlet (2014)
-Batman: Arkham Knight
-Homefront The Revolution
-Tales of Hearts R
-Tales of Xillia 2
-Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
-Hunt: Horrors of the Gilded Age
-Dying Light
-Fairy Fencer F
-Ultra Street Fighter IV
-Xblaze Code Embryo
-Final Fantasy Type-0 HD
-Final Fantasy Agito
Looks interesting. (Will decide as I learn more)
-Scalebound (XB1 Exclusive for now...)
-Mortal Kombat X
-Lara Croft: The Temple of Osiris
-Battlecry
-Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
-Enemy Front
-Titanfall 2
-Dead Island 2
-Destiny (I want PC version!)
-Yoshi Woolly World
-Zelda Wii U
-Captain Toad Treasure Tracker
-Splatoon
-Starfox Wii U
-Sonic Boom
-Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix
-Fantasy Life
-Senran Kagura: Bon Appétit!
-The Evil Within
-Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed
-Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call
-Tales from the Borderlands
-Rollers of the Realm
-Deep Down
Maybe I'll look into it... (Might check it out)
-Sunset Overdrive
-Ori and the Blind Forest
-Rise of the Tomb Raider
-Evolve
-Let it Die
-Abzu
-LittleBigPlanet 3
-The Order: 1886
-Arena of Fate
-Mario Party 10
-Mario Maker
-Dreadnought
-Project Guard (Nintendo)
-Project Giant Robot (Nintendo)
-Galak-Z
-No Man's Sky
-Brandish: The Dark Revenant
-Corpse Party
-Story of Seasons
-Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution
-Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment
-Fantasia: Music Evolved
-Art Academy
-Mario vs. Donkey Kong (New)
-Pokémon Art Academy
-WiiSports Club
-Hitman Sniper
-Mad Max
-Dragon Quest XI
-Nosgoth
-Assassin's Creed Comet
-Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
-Dawngate
-Kingdom Hearts 3
-Not a Hero
-Persona 5
-Project Spark
-Puzzle Heroes Saga
-Quantum Break
-Ratchet & Clank Remastered
-Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem
-Tetris Ultimate
-Everybody's Gone to the Rapture
-Lifeless Planet
-Summoners War: Sky Arena
-The Witness
-Samurai Warriors 4
No, Thank you. (Not interested)
-Halo: The Master Chief Collection (Now if it was for PC...)
-The Sims 4
-Phantom Dust
-Crackdown
-Fable Legends
-Halo 5: Guardians (If only it released on PC...)
-Forza Horizon 2
-Drive Club
-Transformers Universe
-MECH
-Valiant Hearts: The Great War
-Grim Fandango Remastered
-Entwined
-Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
-Doom 4
-Pokémon: Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
-Black Gold Online
-Alien: Isolation
-The Crew
-Counterspy
-Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes
-Citizens of Earth
-Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty
-Velocity 2X
-Invizimals: The Resistance
-Lemmings Touch
-Final Fantasy VII G Bike
-Elite Dangerous
-Dragon Ball Xenoverse
-Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn
-Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2
-Tenkai Knight: Brave Battle
-Fossil Fighters Frontier
-Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth
-WWE 2K15
-Just Dance 2015
-Just Dance Now
-Shape Up
-Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham
-Grid Autosport
-Hohokum
-White Night
-Skylanders: Trap Team
-The Playroom
-Road Not Taken
-Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom
-Alphadia Genesis
-A-Train: City Simulator
-Chariot
-Costume Quest 2
-Criterion Racing Game
-Defense Grid 2
-Disney Planes Fire & Rescue
-Disney Violetta: Rhythm & Music
-EA Sports UFC
-End of Serenity
-Eve Valkyrie
-Falling Skies: The Game
-FIFA 15
-Gabrielle's Monstrous Duel
-Game of Thrones (Telltale)
-Gears of War 4
-Grand Theft Auto 5 (For Next Gen)
-Grey Goo
-Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley
-Heroes of Gaia
-Hometown Story: Pocket
-How to Train Your Dragon 2
-Inside
-Killer Instinct Season 2
-Kingdom Come Deliverance
-The Last of Us (PS4)
-Madden NFL 15
-Metro: Redux
-Natural Doctrine
-NHL 15
-Ninja Strike
-Reel Fishing: Master's Challenge
-Reel Fishing Pocket 2: Ocean
-Star Wars Battlefront
-Star Wars (Visceral Project)
-Taichi Panda
-Threes
-Tiger Woods PGA Tour 15
-Warhammer 40K: The Eternal Crusade
-Winx Club: Saving Alfea
-Happy Wars
-Fru
Look at this list! I probably missed quite a few games too considering how many games don't get coverage on gaming media (as experienced first hand going to E3 back in 2010). It's getting more and more difficult to keep up with games nowadays. I'm really glad to see such a great show presented this year at E3, but I can't help but wonder how I'm going to be able to get through all the games I want to play shown when I'm still struggling with a backlog...haha.
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