Review #311: Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme VS - Force

 Bandai Namco misses the mark.

 It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of the Gundam VS games, Extreme VS and Full Boost being among my favorite games of the past generation. Extreme VS has received two major revisions, Maxi Boost and Maxi Boost ON, but us console gamers have been left in the dust. We've waited years for the next console port, only to be greeted with... this.

 What is the Gundam Vs games known for? For the 2 on 2 fighting. Every console port of the series has included at least Arcade Mode and Offline VS(Player and CPU), ever since Federation VS Zeon on PS2, and most of the time, they also included lengthy Missions Modes for Console players. Extreme VS Force only has Mission Mode.  Oh, there's offline VS too... but not against CPUs, only other players via ad hoc. What the...? They made a mode that's always been an extra, that's been a diversion, the main course. The only course. And it's only 93 missions long. Extreme VS' mission mode had over 100, and I think Full Boost had almost 100. But they also included Offline VS CPU, Online VS and Arcade Modes with multiple routes. This is a problem.

 So, what's 'Force Mode' all about? It's a collection of missions with various goals. Usually you have to defeat every enemy, defeat the enemy ship or capture all bases before your ship is destroyed or the enemy captures all bases. Missions have different requirements, depending on the missions you'll be allowed to take up to five units with you, divided into four teams of twos, and sometimes, even a ship unit. The A.I, when engaging in fights, is decent, but they won't move unless you tell them to, which you do by tapping L. You can't tell'em to go after a unit, but you can pinpoint them to key spots on the map, and they'll fight anything that comes their way, which is a bit weird to say the least. Destroying enemy units will net you Force Points which can then be used in the Strategy Menu, which range from temporary damage buffs to healing. There's no real depth to the game, but it can be fun.

 It can be fun because the engine was not made for this type of game. For instance, the camera and the lock on target is terrible. This works in the 2 on 2 battles the engine was meant to run, but when there's up to six targets on the screen, locking on to your desired enemy can be a bit of a pain. Sure, you can use the right analog stick to direct the lock, but it's still not very efficient. While not locked onto a unit, you can rotate the camera with the right analog stick or press R+O to set it behind your back. R+O is also used to release the lock. It's a bit cumbersome, but it can be managed.

 Finishing missions grants your units experience points, which makes them stronger as they level up, and grant you GP. GP is used to unlock certain missions or to buy buffs before missions. They are also used to restore your machines. Y'see, the game wants you to play as the other units, so using the same machine more than once in a row will lower its max HP for the next mission. It's dumb, because it's counter-intuitive. You want to level up your units, so you have to use them, but if you use them too much they deteriorate. And why did they do it? Because this is the only way to play the game there is, and they don't want you to get bored by relying on the same units over and over again. Which would've been fixed by having a VS CPU mode, like every other game in the series, because even the word 'Versus' is on the title, but Namco just couldn't be arsed. So many times did I unlock a new unit and thought to myself 'Cool! Now let's try out on a fight!'... only to remind myself that I had to play one of the missions. To be faire, there's a few 2 on 2 fights among the missions, but it's always against the same units.

 And then there's the character roster. Vanilla Extreme VS had over 60 units. Full boost had over 90. Let's go even before that, Gundam VS Gundam on the PSP had over 60 units as well. Extreme VS Force only has 40. The other games also had more modes as well. And the saddest part is I could've done with the reduced character roster if only it had had offline VS CPU at least.

 On its own, Extreme VS Force is a decent game. On its own. But as part of the Gundam VS franchise, this is so underwhelming. So lackluster. It's not up to the series standards. All that said, the game is receiving a steady flow of free patches with Arcade, Offline VS and more units. But I don't have any of those yet, so I'm reviewing the game as is. Once there's more meat to it, I will come back to it and rereview it, because I love the series, but as of now, this is shameful towards the franchise..
 4.0 out of 10

Now Playing; Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme VS - Force

 I hate Sony's Vita account system.

 The way the Vita account system makes it a hassle to get to play with the pre-order bonuses, goddamn it Sony. The PS3 had an excellent account system, but now? Get Sony'd.

 That out of the way, EXTREME VS IS BACK! Kinda. And I'd rather have Maxi Boost, but I'll take what I can get. Anyways, Extreme Force is a bit weird, because it uses the 'Extreme Vs' brand but doesn't even have an offline VS CPU mode. There's only 'Force Mode' and Ad-hoc mode. Because the Vita is so popular. There's also about one third the amount of playable mobile suits Full Boost had. A THIRD. And I could've dealt with the reduced roster if I could've had Offline vs. Which makes this a rather polarizing game...

 ... is what I would've said. The Japanese has been patched, and the Hong Kong version is gonna get the patch in about a month as well, to add offline VS CPU. And it includes 3 more units. And then there's patch 1.03 which adds another 3 units. Which means we'll be getting more free units in the future. And there's offline VS now as well! And I think they promised an Arcade Mode as well.

 Anyways, the game works well on the Vita, after getting used to the shoulder-button shortcuts for the special attacks it's a bit weird going back to double button presses, but it's not too bad. The missions themselves are OK, but it's very clear that this engine was not made for this kind of game. Which means that this could've been a great extra mode, like Mission Mode on Vanilla and Full Boost, but not the main --and only, mode. But it's being fixed now with the addition of other modes via free updates.

 And I'm not in favor of 'fixing', or 'completing' games after release, I actually hate when companies release unfinished games because 'they can patch the rest down the line', y'know, like Capcom and Street Fighter V. But this is Gundam Extreme VS, dammit!

Now Playing: Ar Tonelico Qoga - Knell of Ar Ciel

 Now this game is borderline creepy.

 Oh, Japan, you crazy bunch of perverts you! Taking creepiness into the next level, Ar Tonelico is a game where waifu moe girls that look 10 years old or younger get stronger as they lose clothes. Yeah, they went full Japan. As years went by, Japanese Media has centered around fanservice, and there's no escaping it, it doesn't matter what show you are watching, what manga you are reading or what game you are playing, if it comes from Japan, chances are it's gonna have fanservice. And I got tired of it. Which means we're already off to a bad start.

 But here's the deal, I wasn't the biggest fan of Ar Tonelico 1, so I never got the sequel, and even if I considered it, the game breaking bug surrounding a certain boss was a huge turn off. But then I came across some footage from Ar Tonelico Qoga, and 'OMG IT LOOKS JUST LIKE THE TALES GAMES!', so I decided to give it a try! And here I am, rather disappointed.

 The combat is a shallow shadow copy of the one from the Tale's games. Battles take place in real time, while three combatants run around dishing damage and protecting a fourth, a girl that sings magic. It's a bit more complex than that, timing your hits with the tempo of the song will make a gauge, in the form of a heart, fill, and then you can purge their... you can purge their clothes, to make them stronger. Welcome to Japan. And that's the gist of it, it's simple to a fault.

 And then there's the story, it feels like I'm playing Ar Tonelico 1. There's substitute characters for the two Reyvateils, and the third 'secret' one is a carbon copy of AT 1's secret Rv, there's even an Ayatame look alike too. The 'Diving' works exactly like the one from AT 1 and follows the same lame generic Japanese waifu-related situations. And while the plot is slightly different, it still plays out in the same way, as a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure the brunette Reyvateil works for the bad guys, just as the brunette Reyvateil did on the first game.

 Basically, if you like waifu, fanservice fests, this is your game. If you liked Ar Tonelico 1 and don't mind more of the same, this is your game. Because there is an audience for this game, one that I'm not a part of. Everyone else, like me, would do better to skip it. Except that I already bought it, so I'm gonna follow this game all the way to the end, even if it kills me.

Review #310: Fist of the North Star - Ken's Rage 2

 This is not the true successor.

 Let me tell you a bit about myself. I love Dynasty Warriors and I love Hokuto no Ken, which means than when Fist of the North Star - Ken's Rage was announced I was static, and when I finally got to play it... I adored it. It's among my favorite Musou games. And then Ken's Rage 2 was announced, and I got even more hyped, and then I played it.... Godammit, Koei.

 There's two modes, Legend Mode and Dream Mode, let's cover the former first. It's an extended redux of sorts of the previous game's Legend Mode, covering the Raoh, Shura and Final arcs from the series. 'More' is not always better, case in point, Shura is the worst thing to ever happen to Hokuto no Ken. Us fans have a saying 'What happened at Shura stays at Shura', it's a mess full of plot holes and stupidity. And Hokuto no Ken is filled with ridiculous, sometimes even stupid stuff, but it's good stupid, while Shura is just dumb stupid. I could've sword that Koei said that they would rewrite Shura alongside Ohara and Buronson, but its the same mess it's always been, with one of the stupidest things to happen to Rin, where she is basically turned from a badass into an object. 'Hah! I pressed this pressure point that will make her fall in love with whoever she sees first!' and then a couple of guys take turns 'She must see Kenshiro!', 'Nah, you keep her, I got better stuff to do.', etc, etc. God, I hate Shura.

 But, y'know, Shura is just one arc, even shorter than Raoh's, and then there's the Final arc which is rather good and as emotional(Manly tears will be shed) as Raoh's arc was, so it's not such a wash, is it? Wrong. The presentation is both lazy and laughable. They 'reenacted' the manga panels with the 3D models They are barely even animated. Let's play devil's advocate, let's say that they were huge fans of the manga and wanted to redo it in 3D, fine. Then why not simply use the panels from the manga? Look, these character models look fantastic in motion, but on 2-D stills? They look terrible. These cutscenes look straight out of something like Garry's mod, with laughable gestures on the characters' faces, it looks terrible. And you have to actually watch them play out or skip them, it'd been just fine if I could just tap X to advance the dialogue, since I can read faster than they can talk Japanese. Eventually I started skipping these, since nowadays I don't like having my time wasted. To be fair, there's still a few cutscenes, some are from the previous game, some are new and some have been edited a bit, and they are still fantastic. These are a joy to watch, reenacting the scenes from the manga oh so beautifully, which is a stark contrast to the other, more common manga-like cutscenes. But the problems with Legend Mode are more than skindeep, the way the levels play is a bore. Why do I play Warriors/Musou games? To bash dozens of heads in. It's cathartic, it's fun. But the game wastes your time with unskippable 'Event' scenes, where characters stand awkwardly while talking in a very drawn out way, it's so damn boring, since I can read the text oh so much faster than they speak, and it's not like it's trying to immerse me into the game, since characters look so awkward as these moments play out! But not only does the game waste my time, it also forces the player onto awkward objectives like half-baked stealth missions. Stealth missions? I'm playing a Warriors game, I want to fight, I don't want to go around stealthily, I've Dishonored for that, goddamn. And the rest of the objectives are just dull and restrictive, I lost count of how many times the game locked me onto a tiny area for two minutes with a 'kill as many enemies as you can' objective. Where's the freedom that Warriors game give you when going through battlefields? I loved going through the previous game's Legend Mode, but this time around I couldn't wait for it to end.

 Then there's 'Dream Mode' where each of the 20 characters get about 8 stages each(To be fair, some are repeated) alongside a what-if story(Told via those awful manga-like cutscenes). And... I couldn't take it. I played 5 stages with Ryuga before calling it quits and uninstalling the game. But why is it so bad? Warriors games, even those based around capture points, like the Gundam DW games, always pepper the stages with moving enemies and allies, so that it feels like a battle. Here it's you and the bases. There's no moving enemies, although every now and then an enemy commander will spawn and chase you(While not even bothering with the bases), and sometimes you'll get allies. Oh, and capturing bases makes allied NPC fodder arrive. But where's the moving enemy fodder? It's so dull, boring... Lifeless. I've never, ever had had so little fun with a Warriors game. I clocked about 60 hours, and even got the Platinum Trophy, on the previous game. I clocked over 120 hours on DW: Gundam 3, which I platinum'd as well, not to mention all the other Warriors games I've played, to say that I love the franchise is an understatement. But Ken's Rage 2 gravitated between being a chore and being a bore.

 And the saddest part about it? There's been noticeable improvements to the previous game. The previous game had only 7 characters or so(Albeit all of them very different from each other), now we get 20. There's grown up Bat, there's Shachi, there's Shew! Although, on the flip side, not all characters feel as... 'complete'. Some characters have very, very limited movesets, like Rin and Juda. Jumping has been removed entirely, which I didn't like at first, but you get used to it, and in its place now you've got a dodge, and by using energy you can use it to dodge any kind of attack. I objected to the increased speed at first, but then I popped the first game in, to compare, and.. as much as I loved the first game due to how heavy it felt, the new one feels much better thanks to the increased speed. I've read that some people said that this game looks worse... and they are wrong, no two ways about it. As I said before, I actually played the previous game again, to compare, and... the textures were hideous, PS2-level, if not worse. This time around, character models are much more detailed, much more defined and with proper textures. The special effects have been enhanced as well, there's more variety on the environments and on NPCs, and this game looks better in almost every respect.

 The way you level up your stats has also changed, while the previous game had the Meridian Chart, which I really liked, now you must collect scrolls and equip up to five of them. It's... it's not a terrible idea, but it pales in comparison to the Meridian Charts. Special Moves also work a bit differently, previously, after executing it, the game would freeze and show you multiple camera angles, while your character said the name of the technique. It was very accurate to the anime, and look really badass. Now... they work as in any other Dynasty Warriors game, without the extra fanfare, which is disappointing to say the least.

 The beauty of the Warriors games is that the pit you in large scale battles, while you get to pummel dozens upon dozens of enemy fodder before arriving to an enemy general, which actually poses a threat. They are fun, relatively mindless, but fun. Ken's Rage 2 feels like a parody of these games, like what most people think the games are. Instead of large battlefields, populated by both fodder and generals, you go through dull, lifeless corridors, searching for 'bases', the only areas where enemies spawn, and then you have to defeat 50 of them. Maybe, every now and then, an enemy commander will spawn and chase you, or sometimes one will pop up from a base. It feels so mechanic, so soulless. It feels like it was made by people that were told 'make a Warriors game' but had never played one before. Then there's the 'Legend Mode', which feels like a chore, since you are restricted even more than in the corridor-based Dream Mode, to smaller areas, with repetitive objectives. And the game loves to waste your time, with dull unskippable 'event scenes', were they state the obvious, or with half-baked 'variety missions' like the aforementioned stealth sections.

 Ken's Rage 2 is a mess. And it's a shame, because they actually improved on the combat elements, but due to its restrictive, messy nature, these changes never get the chance to shine. And it's hilarious, because in Japan it was named 'Shin Hokuto Musou', 'True Hokuto Musou'. Because it was supposed to improve upon the previous game. And the saddest part? If they had kept how the previous Legend Mode worked, how the previous Dream Mode worked, they could've had something really, really good. But they decided to fix what wasn't broken.
 2.5 out of 10

Now Playing: Fist of the North Star - Ken's Rage 2

 Oh boy.

 And the disappointment train continues with Ken's Rage 2! Ken's Rage was one of my favorite Warriors game out there, partly because it felt relatively different, partly because it nailed the feeling of the series so well.

 So, where to start? The cutscenes. The previous game had amazing cutscenes that were a treat to watch. They were faithful to the manga and looked really nice. Now we've got seconds long cutscenes like those, and the rest are some very weird, sparsely animated manga-panel like scenes using the 3D models. And they are laughably bad, the character models look fantastic in motion, not in stills, where it comes across as some creepy Garry's mod shenanigans. Who thought that these were acceptable? I hope, HOPE that they only went this route with what the previous game covered, and instead will get proper cutscenes once we get to the Shura arc.

 Then there's the gameplay... it's been sped up. And, usually, I like fast paced games, but in Ken's rage, it made every move have extra oomph, which made it extra satisfying. Also, when using special moves it would freeze the screen and show the aftermath through various still camera angles. That's gone. For whatever reason, jumping is gone as well, which got changed into dodging. And the story mode is a drag, I understand they went for variety, but us Warriors fans want to bash enemies, not go through poorly made stealth sequences that offer no challenge or fun whatsoever.

 And... Yeah, I'm strangely hopeful for the game to get better once I unlock more characters and tackle dream mode. Maybe it's the story mode that's giving me a bad first impression. I hope. I mean, the Meridian chart leveling system was fun, right? Right? Well, it's gone, and now we have some weird scroll equipping system...? What?

Review #309: Bioshock Infinite - The Complete Edition

 Get the girl and clear the debt.

 Bioshock Infinite was kind of a big deal when it came out, as big, if not bigger, than the original Bioshock at its time. And... I kinda can't see why.

 You play as Booker DeWitt, a man swimming in debt due to gambling, who is offered a deal he can't refuse: Get the girl and wipe away the debt. And so Booker embarks towards the city of Columbia, a dystopia flying over the skies, where not everything is as it seems(It is a dystopia after all). Previous Bioshock games had had mute heroes, but very memorable villains. These time around, we have memorable heroes and supporting cast, but not much in the way of villains, not in the traditional sense anyways. For starters, Booker actually speaks, although he is a bit of a generic gruff guy that's just trying to do his job, but then there's Elizabeth, the girl in question, who will accompany you throughout most of the game. She's alright. I will concede that she is fairly expressive, the big eyes do help, but I wouldn't go as far as to call her a memorable character. As far as the rest of the characters go, it's pretty much Bioshock: You'll hear about all these important figures, be it heroes or villains, on audiologs until you finally meet them, just as in the previous games. The game also has a quirky sense of humor that pops up every now and then, just as in the previous games. It also has 'arc words', just as in the previous games(Bioshock 1 actually). To be honest, while the plot twist is entirely different, in many ways it felt like another take on Bioshock 1, even the setting is similar in its differences(It's a bit of an opposite to Rapture). Plus, the story is kinda... kinda plain and somewhat dull until the last stretch of the game, which, mind you, is totally worth it to follow all the way to the end.

 With a gun in your right hand, and a Plasmid... erm, 'Vigor', on your left, you'll go on your way through a somewhat linear path. Just as in the previous games. There's no longer passive skills to equip, but rather 'clothes', five pieces in all, which can grant you different bonuses. You also carry a regenerative shield now, which is kinda nice since you can't carry health packs any more. Oh, and you can only carry two weapons, but in an ironic twist of fate, ammo is way more plentiful this time around, since most enemies are armed, so if you run out of ammo, just swap one of your guns or wait for Elizabeth to pass you another clip. Oh, yeah, Elizabeth comes along for the ride, and she's not a burden since enemies just ignore her, and while she won't attack them, she will give you health packs, salt('mana') packs, ammo clips or even money every now and then. Remember how Bioshock 1 had a few horror elements? They are all gone now, all of your opposition and run-of-the-mill soldiers. And there's a ton of them at every turn of a corner. There's no tension, no fear, no nothing as you know a shootout is coming as soon as you arrive to the next open area.

 There's a new gameplay element in the form of 'Skylines', rails that lie above ground onto which you can use your melee weapon to hook on to. Rails felt like a gimmick to me, they are frequent, but not too frequent, and they double as both defensive and offensive tools. Once hooked, you can traverse them at fast speeds to avoid damage, but you can also drop down from them onto enemies and deal massive damage, if not outright kill them.  Oh, and when outside of combat, you'll sometimes have to use them to go to different places in Columbia. Not that there's a lot of to do besides going towards your objective, that said ,there are a few sidequests, and exploration often yields rewards in the form of Infusion tonics that can be used to upgrade your shield, health or salt reserves. And just as in the previos games, you'll scavenge for food to heal yourself and money to buy upgrades for your Vigors and guns.

 It seems like I'm giving the game a lot of hell for being 'more of the same', but I'm not. I mean, the game was so well received that I was expecting something revolutionary, but all I got was... more of the same. The same kind of writing, the same kind of environment, the same story structure(Even if it plays out in vastly different ways), the same kind of gameplay.... it almost felt like 'another take on Bioshock 1'. And mind you, when you are a game like Bioshock, being 'more of the same' is actually a good thing, it's just that I was expecting something game-changing.

 The Complete Edition includes all the DLC. Some which is just baffling, as it starts you off with 5 free infusion tonics and 2 entire pairs of clothing. Why? Why are you giving free stuff, and very useful stuff at that, just for preordering the game? That's just wrong. Then there's the 'Clash in the Clouds', which I didn't care for, that is an arena-based DLC, where you must survive wave after wave of enemy, having a small respite in between waves to prepare. You get to unlock art, but... eh, it's just an arena. Lastly, there's 'Burial at Sea 1' and 'Burial at Sea 2'. I loved Burial at Sea 1, it's a throwback to Bioshock 1, with returning plasmids and returning weapons. It's relatively harder than the main game, since ammo is more limited, and it delves deeper into Booker and Elizabeth. Kinda. Burial at Sea 2 pits you as Elizabeth, and while it offers a whole lot more story, with a few bits that actually contradict Bioshock 2, it was a bit more dull, since for whatever reason Elizabeth isn't as good as combat as Booker, so she has to rely on stealth. It's much slower paced as well, but it does give new insight on some of the NPCs from Infinite. Both of them are really good, but part 1 was more up my alley.

 I liked Bioshock Infinite, I had fun with Bioshock Infinite, but to call it slightly underwhelming is an understatement. It feels like something I have played before, like it's got little more to offer than its plot twist. And I must insist, even if I felt disappointed, the game is not bad by any means, Bioshock's gameplay is really good, so even if its more of the same, it's still welcome.
 8.0 out of 10

Now Playing: Bioshock Infinite - The Complete Edition

 I already booked my flight.

 Starting classes means more time locked up in my house, which translates into more time which means... 'first impressions' are back! Which is something I've always liked, to compare how I felt about something before finishing it, and comparing afterwards.

 Anyways, I'm up to the Hall of Heroes and so far... it's alright. Nothing special. I mean, I come from Dishonored, which gave me oh so many options and alternatives, and while there is exploration... it feels so linear. The game itself doesn't impress me either, because it's so similar to previous Bioshock games. Sure, it was cute how the game is the opposite of Rapture(You start on a lighthouse, but it takes you up instead of down, a dystopia on the sky instead of underwater, here there's a GOD, while Rapture stated: Men, not gods, etc), but... the novelty ran off, and all I'm left with is a third Bioshock games.

 And yes, the skylines are cool, but so far they feel like little more than a gimmick or a way to traverse the sky, and that's it.

 And I'm not saying the game is bad, not at all, just that it doesn't impress me. The story so far is, well, it's there, but nothing has gripped me yet. The gameplay is solid, but it feels exactly like the previous two Bioshock games, and mind you, it's fun, but it's nothing I hadn't seen before. Oh, except that I'm limited to two guns now because reasons!