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Potential Builds for the New Pokemon

July 24, 2016 dan

In the past few months, competitive Pokemon has started to take over my life. I have yet to get into VGC, but I’ve been spending a lot of time playing the Smogon style on Pokemon Showdown. As a result, all of these new Pokemon announcements have been really making me excited to see what I could do with team building potential for Pokemon Sun and Moon. And after the newest announcement from earlier this week, with a few new Pokemon to work with, I want to make a few predictions on how I think they’ll play, along with a basic build idea for them. Keep in mind, I’m not the best at competitive Pokemon right now, as I’ve only been playing for about 2 months, but I feel like I know enough about the game and the way Pokemon work to give a good prediction. Just as a disclaimer: For the sake of keeping this article not stupidly long, I’m not going to do predictions for ALL of the Pokemon; just my favorites so far. Also, I’m assuming all of these Pokemon will have stats to make it into OU, just to make things easier to work with. No exact numbers, just generalizations like “really good” and “horrible”.

Mudsdale

mudsdale

Okay, so can we just talk about the Pokemon that the Assault Vest has been waiting for its whole life? Mudsdale’s new ability is Stamina, which increases its defense every time it’s hit by an attack. Judging from its ability, its Ground typing, and the fact that its design looks relatively bulky, I’ll say that Mudsdale is going to be a physical tank. If you look at its description on the Pokemon website, it says that, “Its legs are coated in protective mud, and the weight of this coating increases the force of its kicks. One kick, and a car is a pile of scrap!” So this obviously means it’s going to have a high attack stat. Or, hopefully, anyway. Judging from its ability and how the site talks about its power and stamina. Now, I don’t know if stamina translates into defenses or HP or both, but I’m betting on both. I believe HP and defense will be its highest stats, with attack coming in next. I’d be willing to bet its sp. def is, uh… Competent, with speed and sp. attack being its lowest stats.

For a potential build, let’s make it a bulky physical attacker. I would give this thing Stamina as its ability, and an Assault Vest for the item. Invest max EVs into HP, and then invest in defense and attack, with preference on defense. For its nature, make it either Impish (+def, -sp. atk) or Careful (+sp. def, -sp. atk) depending on how much “just in case” survivability you want to give it with sp. attacks. Being a ground type, it has access to Earthquake, which is a no-brainer choice. For other moves, I’d say give him Drain Punch (hey he may not have hands but that doesn’t stop Togekiss) for staying power, Grass Knot for coverage, and Stone Edge for another strong move.

Salandit

salandit

Now onto this cute little guy, Salandit. It’s adorable, and since I already love Krookodile, I love its concept. It’s got a poison/fire typing, which is a type I’ve been wanting to see for a while now. Unlike Mudsdale, we don’t have as much information from Salandit’s description to make as accurate a guess, but I’m going to try to make one to the best of my ability. Also, I’m pretty sure this thing is going to evolve, so let’s also assume that I’m talking about its final evolution, whatever that may be. Its information on the site says that “Salandit is not a very powerful Pokémon, but its cunning nature allows it to battle fiercely by throwing its opponents off balance.” This implies to me that its stats are gonna be something along the lines of a stall-y, utility kind of Pokemon. Its attack and sp. attack will likely be its weakest stats, with speed being its highest. I can’t really say anything else for stats because of how little the description gives away, but for the sake of a build let’s assume it’s got good sp. def, decent defense, and decent HP. Its ability is Corrosion, which enables it to poison literally any Pokemon, even steel- and poison-types.

I’d say the best way to make Salandit work would be a stall build, specifically, Toxic stall. EV investment varies on what its stats get, obviously, but let’s assume its high speed stat will be high enough that you don’t really need to invest in it for what it does. Focus max EVs into HP, and spread the rest out between defense and sp. def, giving more to sp. def. When it comes to this kind of layout, I prefer spreading it like so: 252 HP/80 def/172 sp. def. The investment into both allows for more well-roundedness without sacrificing bulk. Give it a Timid (+spe, -atk) nature just to guarantee it’ll outspeed most enemies. If it ends up that way regardless of nature, make it Calm (+sp. def, -atk). For moves, we wanna go for some lame play. Give it Toxic, Sludge Bomb/Wave, Recover/Slack Off/etc., and Roar/Dragon Tail. Toxic because Toxic, Sludge Bomb/Wave so Taunt doesn’t destroy it, a recovery move for staying power, and Roar/Dragon Tail to prevent your opponent from setting up on it. For items, Leftovers. If it doesn’t get access to a recovery move, give it the good ol’ Resto Chesto.

Drampa

drampa

THIS THING IS MY GODDAMN SPIRIT ANIMAL OH MY GOD

Uh… Aaaaaanway. I love Drampa. And I am absolutely using this thing on my team the moment I catch one. So let’s get into it. Drampa is a Normal/Dragon type with the ability Berserk, which raises its Sp. attack by one stage when its health drops below 50%. Along with this, its description says that “While Drampa is usually a very gentle Pokémon, it can fly into a rage if a child it cares for is hurt in some way. The Dragon Breath move that it fires off at such times is powerful enough to blow down buildings!” With this in mind, I’m going to assume its sp. atk will be its highest stat, probably with its sp. def and defense at second highest, with sp. def being a little bit higher than defense because of how calm and indifference he looks. Its attack will likely be abysmal, and speed and HP being okay.

As for a potential build, I’ll go for a bulky sp. attacker. Berserk now not only functions as an ability, but a good potential scare tactic because of how bulky Drampa is. It’ll be hard to OHKO or 2HKO. Give him Leftovers, and make him Calm (+sp. def, -atk) nature. For EVs, invest entirely into HP, and split the rest between sp. def and sp. atk, with preference to sp. atk to make Berserk more powerful. For moves, I’d run Draco Meteor, Recover/Slack Off, etc., Hyper Voice, and Fire Blast. Draco Meteor gets better use with Drampa because of Berserk making the drawback not as bad, a recovery move for staying power, Hyper Voice for your default STAB move, and Fire Blast for coverage.

Hopefully I (or you) will get to use at least similar builds to these when the actual game comes out. This generation has been on point so far with the Pokemon that have been released so far, and I’ve got a lot of hopes for the competitive scene once Pokemon Sun and Moon come out.

All images courtesy of the official website for Pokemon Sun and Moon.

5 Japanese Games that would make Horrible Anime

July 24, 2016 Kennedy

Especially in the midst of the success of the Ace Attorney anime and the convention season, everyone loves talking about what games they think would make good anime–particularly Japanese games for obvious reasons. I’ve watched a pretty fair share in anime in my day, I even co-host a podcast on anime. My point being, I think I know enough about anime and the anime industry that I could make some pretty sound predictions about Japanese games that wouldn’t make good anime. But just to make sure we’re on the same page for this list, let me lay out some rules and disclaimers:

This is NOT a list of my least favorite Japanese games. I’ve exclusively selected games that I like for this list to help get my point across.
All the games on this list are Japanese, but they’re not all JRPGs
All these are games have not received an anime adaption
I’m not saying that these would 100% definitely make bad anime–nor am I implying that they ever will get anime. I have no way of knowing if any of these will ever get an anime, nor would I have any way of knowing if they were bad unless I’ve watched them. These are just educated guesses–games that I think would have a significantly higher chance at having a bad anime regardless of circumstances.
When I say “anime” I mean anime–not an OVA, not a movie, not a special. I mean a full-blown anime with at least 12 episodes, though almost certainly more. The fact that most anime from the last decade are 12, 24-26, or 52 episodes should be kept in mind, though. I’m assuming the anime would be an adaptation of the games (EX: Persona 4, Ace Attorney) NOT a continuation, re-imagining, or separate story of any kind (EX: any of the .hack// anime, Advent Children)

On that note…

Zero Escape (999/Virtue’s Last Reward/Zero Time Dilemma)

via redbrick.me

Any Zero Escape game–especially Zero Time Dilemma–would make a horrible anime for the same reason Watchmen made a horrible movie and Bioshock would make a horrible anything-but-a-game: The medium this story was told through is no accident–it’s a story that only works as a game. The major theme of the series is learning that your decisions–not the characters in the game, but you, the player–in the game come at a cost, and ultimately, you have to go through every decision to reach a true ending. In an anime, you’d lose that theme: It’s a theme that only works as a game because it’s a theme that thrives on the player’s decision’s. Moreover, without spoiling it, I’ll say that it would also ruin the point of the ending of Zero Time Dilemma, as it also plays into the theme of the player’s choices–not the characters in the game, but the player themselves–will always come at a cost. It’s a very subtle but graceful way of breaking the fourth wall that only works through a medium in which you yourself can make a conscious decision–a medium like a game. In an anime, you don’t have to make decisions, the characters do, and therefore the theme is lost. Again: Bioshock does the exact same thing which is why the idea of a Bioshock movie absolutely sickens me. Watchmen does this as well (although in comic book form) which is partially why the movie never stood a chance at being good.

The entire Silent Hill franchise

via criticalteatime.wordpress.com

Silent Hill is a very tricky beast when it comes to adaptation. As you may or may not know, there have already been 2 Silent Hill movies made in the West. Personally, I think they’re okay movies as long as you’re not considering them to be adaptations of their games (Silent Hill 1 and 3) but rather, a re-imagining. If nothing else, like their games, they’re visually stunning. But there’s a number of reasons why I think any given Silent Hill game wouldn’t make a good anime: First and foremost, the visuals. Silent Hill games are generally made to look like horror movies, which is why we see a realistic art style and dynamic camera angles in each entry. By making it look, well…anime, it loses its tone of realism, and thus a lot of the seriousness would be lost as well as the idea of it being like a horror movie–because now it simply doesn’t look like one. Secondly, it’s a survival horror series: By making it an anime–something you watch rather than experience, you lose the survival aspect of it–therefore losing even more of what makes it Silent Hill. Finally, another important theme in Silent Hill is exploration: Wandering around the almost barren, unfamiliar streets of Silent Hill and exploring–at least when you’re not greeted by a locked door. It’s one thing when you’re the one doing the exploring–it’s another watching someone do it. Although I doubt it would be awful, and of the games on this list I think that (if it were Silent Hill 1-4) a Silent Hill game would have a higher chance of being at least somewhat more interesting than the rest of these, but because so much of the already short Silent Hill games are spent exploring and solving puzzles, I doubt simply watching it (which you’d almost certainly have to because Silent Hill games are so short) would be as fun. Without a doubt it would lead to pacing issues that simply aren’t present in the games. I think that, if done properly, a really good Silent Hill–and I mean really good–movie is very possible. It’s already been proven that it can at least be okay. I just don’t think that, primarily due to the length which would definitely cause pacing issues, art styles, and lack of involvement, a Silent Hill anime would likely get really stale and repetitive really fast.

Besides, if the Silent Hill game that got an anime happened to be Book of Memories, that alone would be a red flag.

The entire Kingdom Hearts franchise

via gamezone.com

As dearly beloved (ba dum tssss) as Kingdom Hearts is, it should come as no surprise that it’s on this list. First of all, the length. Between all the games, it would probably take so long to finish a Kingdom Hearts anime that covered everything that Kingdom Hearts 3 would probably be out by the time the anime finished–and that’s assuming that its production company would give it all the time it needs rather than restricting its episode count like practically every anime to have come out in the past 10 years as I mentioned at the beginning of the article. Second, Kingdom Hearts is infamous for its horrible, incomprehensible writing. Especially if it had to be shortened and thus further rushing the already questionble writing, you’ll do Kingdom Hearts no favors. If you take the game play out of Kingdom Hearts, you’re left with a story that loses itself in its alleged symbolism, clearly doesn’t know where its been or where its going, and tries entirely too hard to be emotional and unpredictable to the point where it becomes the entire opposite: Dry, predictable, and forceful (and thus highly unsuccessful) in its “emotional plot twists.” The characters make it no better, since almost all of them are two-dimensional tropes rather than characters. The whole thing would look like a desperate attempt by the devs to see how many Disney characters they can throw in before Disney will finally sleep with them and give them some royalties.

In other words, I’m saying a Kingdom Hearts anime would be awful because it would be Once Upon a Time, but animated.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

via dorkly.com

When I think about why Ocarina of Time is such a fun game, I think about the freedom of the game: Freedom to forget the story and go on side quests whenever you want, freedom to leave the temple and explore, a huge open world with so much to explore and dozens–if not hundreds–of secrets to uncover. Sure, none of these things are required to beat the game, but they make it exponentially more fun. Ocarina of Time isn’t a very story-driven game–at least not very much compared to other Zelda games. This is a game that emphasizes the player’s freedom and wants you to get distracted and take your time and do what you want, when you want. This is a theme common in Zelda games, but is most prevalent in Ocarina of Time–at least out of the Zelda games I’ve played. I’m not an expert when it comes to The Legend of Zelda. Far from it. However, without the sense of freedom to do what you want when you want–not to mention the game play and the puzzles–I think Ocarina of Time would suffer more than any other Zelda game to rely entirely on its writing, characters, and story alone–free of side quests or distractions of any kind–as an anime would have to. Because it was made to be such a free game, the story isn’t as interesting as it is in other Zelda games–particularly Majora’s Mask, which has excellent storytelling in addition to freedom and fun game play. In short, Ocarina of Time wouldn’t be very interesting to watch because it would likely turn into another generic adventure anime with no particular highlights. Whereas games like Majora’s Mask and Twilight Princess, for example, could still be found generally enjoyable relying on just their writing, Ocarina would struggle exponentially more than them because it simply has less writing because the game emphasizes freedom and game play more than any other Zelda game. The fun of Ocarina of Time comes from its freedom and game play–not the writing and story.

Anything Donkey Kong related

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, to help get my point across, I exclusively used games that I love for this list–including Kingdom Hearts, which I know is probably hard to believe at this point since I trash talked it so much, I’m sure. This doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t watch any of these anime though: If an anime were announced for any of these titles tomorrow, I’d absolutely watch them. I just wouldn’t count on them being good unless it were a side story or a retelling of some kind. Regardless, I’d like to encourage leaving comments with your thoughts: What are some games you like that you think would make awful anime? Why? Do you disagree with any of the games on this list? Did I leave anything out? Again, in the pursuit of knowledge, I’d like to heavily encourage feedback.

Gaming’s Undervalued Treasures: Darkwing Duck (NES)

July 22, 2016 colin

Image courtesy of Moby Games.

Darkwing Duck for the NES is just as great as the show
Darkwing Duck is good platformer that does the show justice. It is also a solid entry into the consistently great library of Capcom Disney games.

Darkwing Duck is a broad superhero parody which ran from 1990 to 1992 on the Disney Afternoon block. The show was about Drake Mallard and his title character alter ego, battling crime in St. Canard. Along for the ride is his adopted daughter Goslyn and wheelman/sidekick Launchpad McQuack, who is from DuckTales. The show had a silly cast of characters who were parodies of comic book and spy film villains. It’s a fondly remembered show, which combines the quality animated comedy of Disney and the fun of comic books.

Capcom released a game based on the show in 1992 for the NES. Darkwing Duck uses the Mega Man mold of being a platformer where jumping and shooting are key. However, Darkwing Duck is not just another Mega Man clone. Darkwing Duck has some creative level design and boss fights. It stuffs two seasons worth of characters and locations to set it apart from the Blue Bomber.

However, being released at the very end of both the NES and show’s lifespan, the game could not have had a more unlucky release window. Which is a shame. Darkwing Duck on the NES is a fun adaptation that manages to have the personality of the show and fantastic gameplay to back it up.

“WHEN THERE’S TROUBLE YOU CALL DW!”
Darkwing is informed the criminal organization known as F.O.W.L. started to run rampant throughout St. Canard. DW is armed with a variety of gadget to help him on his quest to rid the city of crime.

Darkwing Duck has the same open-ended stage selection of Mega Man. Launchpad drills Darkwing on what villain has taken over what section of the city. QuackerJack, the Joker parody of Darkwing Duck takes control of the bridge; Wolfduck controls downtown and the Liquidator has seized the sewers. Other villains from the show will appear, such as the nefarious Steelbeak, the pseudo-Electro spoof Megavolt and Darkwing Duck’s nemesis Negaduck!

Launchpad is willing to bring DW anywhere! Image courtesy of Hardcore Gaming 101.

Let’s get dangerous… on the NES
Turning on Darkwing Duck for the NES, players will be greeted with a semi-recreation of the show’s memorable intro.

The game oozes with the energy of the cartoon, with DW yelling his classic battle cry, “I AM DARKWING DUCK” at the beginning of each level. The colorful graphics and animation reflect the cartoon perfectly

About to take on QuackerJack. Image courtesy of GameFAQs.

Released in 1992, Capcom knows how to squeeze out whatever graphical capabilities the NES has. Darkwing Duck is a fanatastic showcase for the NES’ graphics and has vibrant and varied colors throughout the game. Characters look like their TV show counterparts.

The game manages to nail the cartoony expressions. Image courtesy of Hardcore Gaming 101.

As the terror that flaps in the night, Darkwing moves fluidly thanks in part to some incredibly responsive controls. Darkwing Duck will certainly invoke memories of Mega Man with all the jumping and the shooting. The level design is certainly inspired. There is enough interesting platforming all throughout Darkwing Duck’s world, such as using a grapping hook to climb up buildings or using tires to get across spiked floors.

DW’s array of gadgets help him move around the stages. Image courtesy of Hardcore Gaming 101.

However, unlike Mega Man, Darkwing does not steal the powers of his enemies. Instead he has to find his own power-ups. DW can gain electric powered ammunition or arrows that shoot in two directions for his gun. It’s a small touch, but the game does not feel exactly like Mega Man once the player gets used to it.

Darkwing Duck for the NES is always challenging. Even for veteran Mega Man players. The abundance of creative enemy types also raise up the ante for each stage. DW may be a superhero, but he will need a player of great skill to take care of the enemies. Boss fights in Darkwing Duck are challenging, having the player utilize their platforming skills to the nth degree.

One of Gaming’s Undervalued Treasures
Darkwing Duck is a great Disney cartoon which holds up even today. Darkwing Duck on the NES is an excellent platformer that does the classic show justice. It does not set the world on fire, but it is a fun game in its own right. Colorful graphics go along with the solid gameplay to create an experience any fan of Darkwing Duck can enjoy.

If Darkwing Duck could provide his own narration for his game, he would say something like this:

“This is a game that is a blast to play. This is a game that shows off my crime fighting skills perfectly. This is DARKWING DUCK…on the NES!!!”

Our hero ladies and gentlemen and his typical catchphrase.
Image courtesy of Nintendo World Report.

VR’s More Likeable Sibling: Augmented Reality

July 21, 2016 Deanna

AR, or augmented reality, is VR’s younger cousin. VR is targeted mostly towards developers at this point. AR doesn’t have many popular apps, and security is becoming a large issue now with Pokemon Go being able to read everyone’s GPS data and sell it to our reptilian overlords.

It’s just like in real life! (via The Verge)

Let me start out by outlining the difference between the two. VR (virtual reality) is essentially using a headset to project oneself into a made-up experience. AR uses images from the world you’re in and puts virtual elements over them, like an interactive skin. Got it? Good.

Plenty of AR applications have already been developed, most notably: Pokemon GO!. The technology and the idea has been around for a while, though. Hell, Ikea has one to help you pick out furniture for your home. There are a plethora of apps that work with Google Cardboard– remember that thing?– that use AR as their base, from horror games to Yelp and Google Translate. The possibilities are endless.

AR’s main selling point is that it’s a lot more accessible than VR. Aside from that free GearVR Samsung was giving away with the purchase of any Galaxy S7 for a while, it’s pretty expensive and hard to get into. Not everyone has $800 to drop on an HTC Vive, and not everyone has the funds to get the newest Galaxy either.

Unless you’ve got one of these that you can put your phone in. Then VR might be within your reach. (via Amazon)

As far as real-world applications go, Yelp and Google Translate have it pretty spot-on. They offer something expected. Useful, instant information about the surrounding world. Ikea’s onto something as well: better to see what your furniture would look like rather than buy it, bring it home, build it, and realize that it doesn’t go with your home decor. At least, that’s what I think.

On the gaming side, there are plenty of things that would benefit from an AR facelift. For instance, take Viridi: a free game on Steam about raising a small garden of succulent plants. There are expansions you can buy that allow you to have plants around an apartment, among other things. If you haven’t picked it up on Steam yet, it’s free (with micro transactions). It’s relaxing and each week there’s a random free plant available in the shop. I highly recommend it. Needless to say, it would be pretty sweet to have some low-maintenance electronic plants chilling in my house.

There are other situations I can speak to that would lend themselves to VR nicely, and for fear of being unable to develop them myself, I won’t disclose quite yet. (Sorry folks!)

The long and short of this is, while I think VR is going to be big and it’s going to be something pretty interesting to get into, I don’t think now is the time. It’s much like 4k video: it’s expensive (noticing a trend here?) and a bit unwieldy. No one’s going to wander around with a full headset on, but almost everyone has a smartphone.

Then again… nah. Still looks silly. (via Engadget)

Iron from Ice- Telltale Game of Thrones Season 1 Review

July 20, 2016 Ricky

When you play the Game of Thrones you win…or you die. However this game doesn’t seem to follow those rules. While its a great prospect to have control in events of Game of Thrones, especially if you are a huge fan of the series like myself, you’ll see that this game quickly drops the ball as the episodes go by.

Gameplay

In typical Telltale fashion, the game places emphasis in how you respond in conversations and choices to advance the story. Often these are presented with multiple prompts for response with a time limit. You can always choose to stay silent as an option. Something handy in these games is that it allows for multiple saves and a “rewind” function, allowing you to amend a decision if you regret it.

The few times there is combat, they are always in the form of quick time events. A lot of them require a lot of trial and error, especially when they need you to hit a certain target, which can be a tad more difficult when not playing on a console.

in typical telltale fashion, you decide wheather you want to bow to another, or stand your ground. Image Source: Gamepressure.com

in typical telltale fashion, you decide whether you want to bow to another, or stand your ground. Image Source: Gamepressure.com

One frustrating element during these quick time events is sometimes the game won’t fault you for missing them and sometimes it will. There was a section where I missed a command prompt and was presented with the death screen (Saying “Valar Morghulis” as would be typical for Game of Thrones). I tried it again and succeeded, but happened to miss a command thirty seconds later, yet the character still dodged and continued just fine. And these combat sections get very monotonous, very fast.

Beyond combat, you are allowed to walk around and examine from time to time. While they help show more of the community you are in and the characters in it, too often it feels like it’s breaking up the action, and all you want it for it to end.

Graphics

The Telltale art design blends very well with the world of Game of Thrones, helping to create nearly spot-on likenesses of characters (aside from Margaery looking a bit off in my opinion). The lip flaps may not perfect, not always moving in perfect rhythm with what’s said. In one scene,my game didn’t show the mouths didn’t move at ALL. But that same kind of quality doesn’t carry over to the scenery.

Although its pre-rendered, the look gorgeous, especially with the light and atmosphere of each set piece helped to convey the mood and paint the world as vividly as possible.

Ironwrath quickly shows itself to be one of the best designs in the game, making the Forrester castle’s segments the most beautiful. Image Source: Game of Thrones.wikia.com

The scenery also works well in tandem with some fantastic music to set up key moments of the story. And that transitions into my next point.

Sound

The voice acting in the game is all-around very well done. Although some characters like, Mira, have voices that are a little too monotone. Image Source: Geeklyinc.com

The music in the game seems like it was taken straight from the show, showing the quality of this original score. Music coming in and out of certain hard and tense decisions only helped to show the gravity of the situation and the risks shown.

For voice acting however, it can be hit or miss. They even bring in actors from the show such as Peter Dinklage(Tyrion Lannister), Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister), Kit Harrington (Jon Snow),Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen), Natalie Dormer (Margaery Tyrell), and Iwan Rheon (Ramsay Snow). While Dinklage, Headey, Clarke and ESPECIALLY Rheon bring their characters to life, Dormer and Harrington sound a bit too bored.

For non-show voice actors, they are for the most part very well done. I especially highlight Gared’s voice acting as some of the most moving in the whole game. However, I hope you’re a fan of Yuri Lowenthall, because he is everywhere in this game.

Story

The real highlight of a Telltale game. If you are familiar with the Game of Thrones universe, then you know the setting ideally. If not then the game won’t really hold your hand. You take on the role of several members of House Forrester, a noble house of the North who are loyal to the Stark Family. They are very much like the Starks, but don’t trust the wrong people as easily. Their rivals are the Whitehills, who both fight for control for resources and land.

In continuity of the show, the game begins at the end of Season 3 and the beginning of Season 4. If you haven’t gotten that far in the show then I recommend you stop reading.

Certain characters you can favor more than others, and that will affect their role in the story. Image Source: Gamestar.de

The first episode begins as House Forrester is betrayed by the Boltons and the Freys at the Red Wedding. From there on you play as Gared Tuttle (a servant to House Forrester) at the Wall, Mira Forrester at King’s Landing, Asher Forrester at Essos/Mereen, and Ethan Forrester at Ironwrath, the Forrester family castle. That isn’t the limit of playable characters, but telling you would spoil the game.

Several cast members of the show make an appearance. Some more worthless than others however. Tyrion and Cercei are hard to outmaneuver and just as crafty as they would be in the show. Ramsay Snow is every bit as sadistic and disturbing as you would expect. However, while it’s great to have Kit Harrington come in as Jon Snow, aside from a minor moment with Gared, he has no impact on the plot. The same could be said for Emilia Clarke as Daenerys. If you aren’t as big a fan of her in the show, then you will despise her in this game, acting overly hostile and going back on deals.

As great as it is to have Gared learn from him as a mentor, Jon really offers nothing in terms of the story, and really acts as more of a glorified cameo. Image Source: IGN.com

One of the biggest criticisms I have for this game’s story is that while oftentimes it will say “Tyrion will remember this” or “Margaery appreciated that”, when really, it has no bearing on what happens later. Characters will completely forget any kindness or slight you’ve done to them in favor of furthering the already set path of the story. Because the story really is on a set path…no matter what you do.

Sure there may be slight variations, but things generally end the same for all characters, and no choices really affect the ending until the final two episodes. However, despite the lack of freedom the game is supposedly built on, the story is actually very good. In classic Game of Thrones fashion you can’t count on anyone to make it out in one piece, but you still grow to love the characters and want the Forresters to make it out on top.

Even the Whitehills are even placed in a human light. While they all seem to be insufferably annoying brutes, they do have some humanity that you can discover, and even exploit if you wanted.

Final Verdict

Season 1 of Telltale’s Game of Thrones starts off very strong but fails to deliver as time goes on. A lot of game changing decisions don’t take place until the final two episodes, but the story none the less is well done. The designs and music help to elevate the story that fits in perfectly within the universe of Game of Thrones. Despite some flaws in the story choices and the quick-time events becoming monotonous, the game is still a good experience, especially if you are a Game of Thrones fan. I recommend if it is ever on sale, then go for it.

A lost opportunity. Image Source: ausgamers.com

TLC’s D&D 5e Homebrew: Alchemy and Alcohol

July 18, 2016 Greg

The Lifecast’s Dungeon Master Greg Fernandes shares some of his homebrew ideas. This edition involves making potions more interesting.

Gameboy Ads: It was a Different Time

July 17, 2016 Kennedy

I’m one year away from getting my Bachelor’s degree in advertising, and if there’s one thing I learned about the advertising industry in these past few years, it’s that it’s a mine field. All it takes is one wrong word, one wrong model, one wrong shirt, or one wrong placement, and suddenly the whole ad takes a completely new meaning–oftentimes a negative one. Let me show you an example.

via Cracked

Here we have an American Starbucks ad from 2002. Looks harmless right? The customers didn’t think so. This ad is from the Spring of 2002–care to remember what was heavy on America’s mind in 2002? I’ll give you a hint–it involved two tall, side by side structures and a flying object that planned on collapsing, but not into cool. That’s right, this ad was recalled because many customers thought that it was trying to demean 9/11. Was it intentional? Absolutely not. But this is just the point I’m making: Customers oftentimes see things that photographers and graphic designers don’t–and all it takes is one person to say, “Hey, this ad looks like 9/11!” and another person to agree with them before that’s all anyone can see. Suddenly, a harmless ad has turned into a vicious mockery–all without the company intending it. The advertising industry can be absolutely incredible sometimes.

As you can see, timing is one of the biggest factors that can lead to an otherwise harmless ad taking on a whole new meaning–just ask Weight Watchers, who probably learned this lesson the hardest in 1997. To summarize, the day following the death of Princess Diana–who, I’d like to remind you, died in a car accident in an attempt to flee a paparazzi–Weight Watchers sent out mail-in ads featuring the Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson saying that losing weight is “harder than outrunning the paparazzi.” You see where this is going, right? The campaign had been planned out months in advance, and by the time the news of Diana came in, the ads had already been mailed out and were immediately recalled. Timing is arguably the biggest factor that can lead to ads taking on completely new meanings. If that Starbucks ad had been released at least 3-4 years later, I highly doubt it would’ve been recalled for resembling 9/11. Likewise, had that Weight Watchers ad come out at least a year or two later, it wouldn’t have received any negative backlash either. But that’s not to say that time does nothing but work against an ad as it did for Starbucks and Weight Watchers–in Nintendo’s case, timing worked for them when it came time to start advertising the Gameboy.

As I’m sure your grandparents–even your parents or older friends and relatives–have wonderfully displayed for you, different eras of history had different values. Different values, different mindsets, different morals, different concerns, different interests. An ad that was effective in the 60’s wouldn’t be very effective today–and likewise, an ad made in 2016 wouldn’t be very effective in the 60’s. Ads generally have a very short shelf life because of how fast society changes–what’s trending, what’s effective, where is the target audience. Obviously there are a few ads out there that have managed to survive the tests of time longer than most–most well known among them probably being the man in the Hathaway shirt–but generally, even the longest living ads don’t live for more than a year. Think about it: A year ago, did you see any ads that are still where you found them? Are they still completely unchanged? Probably not. As society changes, so do ads. This is why ads from even the late 80’s and 90’s–such as the Gameboy–probably wouldn’t stop at just being ineffective in today’s market, but would probably be considered offensive by some.

Enough talk, let me show you what I mean:

via Coloribus

In recent years, eating disorders have really started coming to the forefront of America’s attention–definitely much more so than they were in the early 90’s. That’s why when this ad was published, nobody bat an eye at it–because it was the early 90’s. Eating disorders weren’t considered a major problem by the American media yet. If this were to be published today, I’d bet you anything in the world that it would be criticized for “making fun of anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders.”

But that one’s not awful, right? To consider it offensive is a bit of a stretch, and I’m not trying to start a debate over whether it’s because people these days are more sensitive or if it’s because people have always been like this and it’s just that the Internet has been a more effective outlet to voice these concerns. When there’s an ad, no matter how innocent, someone somewhere will always find at least one thing they don’t like about it. You could have a charity ad filled with corgi puppies and someone, somewhere will say, “I don’t like this ad because I like pugs better.” It’s just that some ads–like any of the ones I’ve already mentioned–have more agreeable, more obvious reasons to be disliked than others. You can complain about the corgis all you want, but the fact of the matter is, most people think they’re cute and won’t care that it’s not a different breed of dog–because corgis are still cute. And I think this ad is one of those ads. You could argue that it’s offensive, you could argue that it’s just made in good fun. It’s not exactly heavily leaning in one direction or the other. Do I think it would cause controversy if it was used today? I could see it causing a little stir, but nothing major. I doubt it would get recalled, but I could definitely imagine some people having a problem with it. But the fact of the matter is, because of the time it was published, it didn’t cause any problems. Most Gameboy ads fall under this umbrella.

via Kinja

via 8-bitcentral

via imgur

Another important factor to keep in mind about Gameboy ads is that at the time, although children were the largest audience for Nintendo, its adult audience was still sizable enough to make it worth making ads for–which is why you’ve probably noticed adult themes in some of these. Does that excuse some of these ads from being notable? You could argue one way or the other since, at the end of the day, Nintendo did still consider itself a family-friendly company even then, and these ads were basically their equivalent to some of the occasional adult lines in old kid’s movies.

Those are the ads that, in my opinion, might be considered slightly controversial if they were released today–they might have a few concerned customers (but again: no ad doesn’t) but it’s doubtful that they’d cause a major uproar.

Then there are these two:

via gameboyoriginal.blogspot

via gameboyoriginal.blogspot

Both of these ads are from the early 90’s–they’re from a time where trying to poke fun at racism and rape weren’t considered a red flag in not just advertising, but the media as a whole. Because of the time these ads came out in–a time where racism and rape weren’t in the spotlight of American media–these ads weren’t considered problematic. It should go without saying that if these ads were published today, they would put the utmost negative spotlight on the otherwise family-friendly Nintendo. They would be recalled immediately, talked about in several news outlets, and might even cause legal problems for Nintendo. Amidst the Pokemon Go hype, great expectations for the NX and Breath of the Wild, and the upcoming Pokemon Sun and Moon, it seems as though Nintendo is untouchable: Like nothing can bring them down right now. If these ads were to be published today, however, I’m absolutely certain that they’d be Nintendo’s kryptonite.

I’m not saying that we should judge Nintendo for these ads, though. Like I mentioned: It was a different time with different values. I’m not trying to say that this makes these ads okay–because frankly, it doesn’t–but these ads from 20 years ago don’t reflect the thoughts and feelings. These ads are awful, yes, but trying to purge them from Nintendo history is like trying to forget that there was a time when racism and rape weren’t considered major problems in the media–it’s like trying to censor Nintendo’s history. We’re not pardoning them, we’re simply acknowledging that there was a time when such behavior was considered acceptable. Censoring them and trying to brush them to the side is like trying to say it never happened. I’m not saying Nintendo should be proud of these–it shouldn’t. If I were in charge of their marketing, I know I wouldn’t be. I just think it’s important for us to remember the time these ads came out during when looking at these: These ads are 20 years old and should be taken with a grain of salt. They reflect Nintendo of the early 90’s–not Nintendo of 2016. It was an awkward time for Nintendo’s advertising department–their awkward, middle school years. They’re not proud of them–they shouldn’t be–but let’s not forget that there was a time when this was considered acceptable advertising.

The point I’m trying to make here is to show you how short the life of an ad is–these ads from 20 years ago would be considered downright unacceptable,and without a doubt would cost Nintendo millions of dollars, in today’s media. As I mentioned in the beginning of this, the advertising industry is a mine field, and if you didn’t believe me in the beginning of the article, I hope you do now. It’s looking back at ads like these that make me wonder what ads of today will be considered offensive in 20 years–or even 50 years! If you thought some of these ads were bad, you should consider looking at ads from the 40’s and 50’s. It was a different time full of different people with different values.

Why it’s Harder for me to get into Pokemon Go

July 13, 2016 Kennedy

Pokemon Go. I don’t need to tell you what it is, I don’t need to tell you how great it is, I don’t even need to tell why this game is revolutionary. TheJWittz uploaded a quick video about it yesterday, and he mentioned that one of the biggest flaws of Pokemon Go is that it’s significantly more difficult when you live in a rural area, and you know what? That couldn’t be more true. I’m writing this article to shed some light on one of the main issues of this game that I think gets incredibly overlooked because of the other issues that effect everyone regardless of where they’re playing–issues like staying on for more than 10 or 15 minutes at a time, the battery power it eats up, and so on. If you live in either a rural area or a state where it’s overwhelmingly hot during this time of the year–especially if you live somewhere that’s both at once, as I do–this game loses some of its charm because it’s just so much harder to play since you have to go really out of your way to play it.

I live in Northern Oklahoma City, and contrary to its name, there’s nothing “city” about Oklahoma City. Below is a picture of the area surrounding my house. As you can see, there’s one Pokestop, and it’s a pretty fair distance away. A fair distance I can’t make without a car because the only walkable area of Oklahoma city is Bricktown–which is a 30-40 minute drive away from me. It’s a good thing gas is pretty cheap over here, because you’ll have to drive a pretty fair distance to find a Pokestop or a gym. I don’t even know where the closest gym is to me because I just haven’t been able to find one within 20 minutes of my house.

Wow, look at all these Pokestops

But I know what you’re thinking: Going out and exploring is one of the best parts of Pokemon Go. I’m not denying that, but you know what’s not one of the best parts? Needing to go on a 30 or 40 minute road trip just to catch anything but Rattata and Weedle. Even if you are feeling gutsy enough to go walking around, Oklahoma is incredibly hot. And it’s even worse for me because being the pale ginger that I am, I have a long, illustrious history of sunburns, and even if I were to by some miracle apply enough sunscreen to prevent a sunburn, I live in a very green area full of snakes and bugs. If you don’t believe me, here’s a peek just past my backyard. Pretty, yes, but not very useful for Pokemon hunting.

Welcome to Oklahoma “City”

In summary, it’s really hard for me to really get into some of the best aspects of this game because I just don’t live in a big city. There are a few Pokestops within a reasonable distance of me, but they’re very few and far between, and I can’t even find a gym near me. In fact, despite everything I just said about Oklahoma City, it’s still the most populated area of Oklahoma, alongside Tulsa and Norman. But I know people who live in cities vastly less populated like Clinton and Henryetta who just couldn’t be having a worse time right now for the same reasons, but to a more extreme. I live in a rural state where it’s incredibly hot and sunny, and in a very green area that’s full of bugs and snakes–it’s very unwise to go outside for long over here, especially when you sunburn as easily as me. I hate that I have to go Downtown if I want anything other than Rattata or Weedle. And again, I know that going out and looking for hot spots is part of the fun of this game, but I can’t just make these long, 40 minute trips whenever I want to play Pokemon Go–I wish I could, but I just can’t. As inconvenient as all this sounds though, that doesn’t mean I don’t love this game.

Screenshot_2016-07-13-12-11-29

Here’s a screenshot I took in Downtown Oklahoma City today–as you can see, there’s a few gyms and several Pokestops–because it’s walkable, I was also able to wander around and catch several different Pokemon–Pokemon I couldn’t dream of finding by my house, solely because I can walk and wander around here without worrying about getting bit by bugs, and it’s more shady. When visiting an area like this, I feel like I can finally enjoy the game to its fullest potential. This is without a doubt the best mobile game I’ve played–more than that, this game is downright revolutionary. Pokemon fans have been dreaming of a game like this for years–and the fact that a game like this now exists for free is mind blowing. We’re living in this insane cyberpunk future where local news stations make articles about the best Pokemon spots in your city and I’m absolutely blown away. It’s incredible to see so many people enjoy such a wonderful game so actively.

This game is incredible. It’s made me exercise more in the last week than I have in probably my whole life, it’s making all of my childhood dreams come true, and I absolutely love it. I just wish it were more fair for those of us not living in a big city–especially for those of us living in areas where, for whatever reason, going outside for long just isn’t a good idea. I really don’t like being on the road for 40 minutes if I just want to challenge a gym or go to more than one Pokestop. I know going out and exploring is part of the fun of this game, but you gotta’ realize that we don’t all live in walkable areas and gas costs money.

Gaming’s Undervalued Treasures: Wario World

July 12, 2016 colin

Image courtesy of GameFAQs.

Wario World is a short, but packed, GameCube exclusive

Wario World is the title character’s only major GameCube outing, but it is one that is absolutely worth checking out.

Wario is a cult favorite character. His goofy grin, lust for gold and money and overall ridiculous demeanor have gained him legions of fans. Gamers look see what Mario’s evil doppelganger is up to next. Gamers have played his Wario Ware Inc. games, which feature mini games that are addictive as chocolate or the hilarious Wario Land games on the various Nintendo handhelds.

Wario World is a little bit of both, showing off the silly sense of humor and intensely fun gameplay found in his other titles. Developed by the geniuses at Treasure, Wario World also features a ton of creative platforming and a personality reflective of the character.

Wario World received a lot of positive reviews back when it was released in 2003, but every critic pointed out the same issue: the tiny length. It was also released to a lackluster ad campaign, but it did have a genuinely funny commercial parodying the 80s classic Wall Street.

Wario World is short and bulky, like its protagonist
Wario World takes place after our anti-hero has amassed a collection of cash and gold that would rival Bruce Wayne, Tony Stark and Scrooge McDuck combined. However, there is a sentient jewel dubbed the Black Jewel, who turns the collection into monsters. Worse yet, Wario has been thrown out of his extravagant castle. Wario World has our portly hero going through four unique worlds and trying to get all of his money back. And he does this by any means necessary.

The bare bones story is more than enough for gamers to start playing Wario World. The game is incredibly short, clocking it at just under six hours. One part of a level can be completed quickly. Which is saying a lot since Treasure has packed each stage with enough collectibles, puzzles and secret areas to keep players glued to the screen.

Punching and smashing your way to wealth! Image courtesy of Giant Bomb user ddensel.

Along with the gold coins that need to be collected, Wario must find boss tokens, heart tanks and little elves who represent parts of whatever stage Wario is stuck in. The abundance of trinkets to find make Wario World a collect-a-thon not unlike any typical Rare game, however the collecting is not as daunting as some of their games.

Collecting the various objects found in Wario World does not require backbreaking grinding or searching every last miniscule pixel on screen, but instead allows for some minor exploration on relatively straightforward levels. It’s quick and easy and thanks to the spectacular control set up, jumping around in Wario World is always a blast. There’s is more than enough secret stages that keep ramping up the challenge of the game, such as the puzzles where the player will have to futz around with the camera to help Wario fund the macguffin he needs.

Wario World benefits from Treasure’s unique gameplay found in their games. Image courtesy of Giant Bomb user ddensel.

Wario will be using his fists and a repitore of over-exaggerated pro wrestling style moves. This element makes Wario World feel more like a beat ‘em up rather than a standard running and jumping platformer.

A unique atmosphere helps give Wario World an identity apart from other platformers
Where Wario World truly shines is its bizarre environments and character design. The basic idea behind certain levels are generic, boiling down to typical “forrest,” “ice,” and “spooky” levels seen in most 3D platformers, but it is in the enemy and boss designs that make it feel more creative.

Instead of jumping on goombas, Wario will be pummeling dinosaurs, strange machines and evil theme park-esque mascots. The bosses are even more uniquely designed and actually require the player to learn a good amount of skill with Wario’s repitoire of moves. Wario World’s antagonists are a breath of fresh air from the typical Mario rogues gallery.

Wario swinging around one of the game’s bizarre bosses. Image courtesy of Giant Bomb user ddensel.

The music can only be described as a cross between vaudeville and The Muppet Show, but composed by Primus. A large portion of Wario World’s music is horn-based and carries out the goofy tone set by it’s title character. The pause music has become infamous, due to Wario’s childish taunting.

Wario World has this overly animated, Tex Avery cartoon aesthetic where it is all over exaggerated and takes advantage of the fantasy elements found within itself. It could be compared to Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, which also featured an innovative art style, inventive boss battles and an overall distinctive feel.

One of Gaming’s Undervalued Treasures
Wario World is very much like the protagonist. It’s stocky, but full of energy and character. Treasure spent a lot of time fleshing out this weird universe for Wario to destroy and it just reeks of originality. The game’s brief length may not warrant the price tag, as Wario World does fetch some decent prices on Amazon.com, but it’s worth shelling out for the craziness Wario gets himself into.

Excellent controls, a strong sense of identity and chock full of fun make Wario World worth playing. Player’s shouldn’t let the short length scare them off, if someone is into speed runs Wario World could scratch that itch for speed runners looking to try a new game.

Image courtesy of Giant Bomb user mento.

Furi – Intense Combat, A+ Soundtrack (Early Impressions)

July 7, 2016 Deanna

OH MAN. Here we go, guys. Furi is a game where many of my favorite things intersect. First, you have a neon-dipped, fast-paced game based around satisfying controls and combat. Next up, a somewhat vague story driven by characters who sincerely kick ass, in more ways than one. And finally, to round out this list of things, a shorter list: a killer synth-based soundtrack with collector’s edition vinyl, and immensely difficult gameplay.

I should preface the rest of this review by saying that I’m not used to difficult games by any margin. I’m pretty sure Bloodborne and Hotline Miami rank among the hardest games I’ve played. I don’t know if that says anything about me as a person, but I like to take it easy in my games. You know, go along for the ride.

Furi is having none of that. Even during its tutorial level, Furi pushes gameplay that’s challenging to most people. The fights are long and frustrating at times, and my only qualm here is that a checkpoint after a boss has lost a certain amount of health, maybe two-thirds, would be nice. Furi offers an easier difficulty for those who don’t want to put up with the normal one, but you sacrifice the ability to earn achievements and unlock harder difficulties. You also lose the ability to unlock their speed run mode.

There’s something that keeps me coming back to Furi even as the difficulty ramps up. There’s no feeling quite like decimating a boss in their final stage without getting hit, and it’s something that comes with practice. Even in my limited play time so far, I can see myself improving. And we’ll get to that in a bit.

To set the scene, where I’m at, anyway, you’re an unnamed silent protagonist breaking out of prison with the help of some other unnamed dude wearing a purple bunny hood. To gain your freedom, “The jailer is the key. Kill him, and you’ll be free.” After every battle, you learn more about your guide, and about why you were locked up in the first place.

This boss features Carpenter Brut’s “You’re Mine”, composed for the game. (via PlayStation Blog)

Gameplay and Handling

If you’re going to make a boss-rush bullet hell game, you need to nail the responsiveness of your controls. And congratulations, The Game Bakers, you’ve done it. Moving around is satisfying, as it should be with twin-stick games. You have a parry which will heal you when successful, a slash attack, and a dash at your disposal to get yourself out of tight situations and inflict damage. Parrying an attack at the last second activates a “perfect parry”, which knocks the boss down.

There’s some advanced tech in the movements as well, where you can charge a slash while dashing to avoid enemy attacks.While I find a lot of these are situational, it’s pretty nice to know. Along with healing after a successful parry, there are green projectiles that turn into health orbs when shot. They’re few and far-between, and it can sometimes be riskier getting to them than staying put.

There are a couple mechanics which make the long fights more manageable. One which I find breaks up the monotony of endless dodging is that after knocking out a boss’s shields, combat shifts to a close-quarters fight. Additionally, when you take a full bar of life off a boss, your current one is entirely healed. Conversely, the boss gets this advantage as well, and if you fail in close-quarters, the boss heals up their shields, too. This is another area where I’m critical of the choice. It seems unfair sometimes, as parrying while in close-quarters or during the shield phase doesn’t heal all too much, but it’s not a deal breaker.

Between the bosses, there’s a fair amount of exposition. These are like walking simulators with some story and background. I’m not a huge fan of walking through them so slowly. The great thing here is that there’s an auto-walk option, so you can sit back and enjoy the cutscene leading up to the next boss.

There isn’t much but talking and walking. (via The Game Bakers)

Difficulty and Frustration Factor

While I’ve already covered how difficult the game is, I haven’t quite covered how infuriating some battles are. There’s a lot to watch out for, and a lot to focus on. Sometimes due to the colorful nature of the game, projectiles and ground attacks blur together. And while it makes for interesting visuals and some pretty hard stuff to dodge, unfortunately it makes it so I can’t sit for hours and work my way through. I can do 45 minutes at most without getting sloppy– dodging directly into damage, parrying poorly, and giving up too much of my precious life bar. And unfortunately there’s nothing I can do to combat this but get better at rushing the boss and taking breaks.

I don’t want to, though. I want to be able to sink hours into the game without tearing my hair out, and to prove to myself that not only can I get good, but I can actually withstand the difficulty a game puts in front of me without falling off in how effective I am at fighting. I feel like the real fight here is to not set the difficulty to an easier one. And trust me, that temptation is alive and kicking even as I write this.

Up close and personal with the first jailer. (via The Game Bakers)

Soundtrack

Despite all the shortcomings I have with difficult games, the one thing that keeps me going is the soundtrack. Initially I heard about the game browsing on YouTube. I can’t remember what led me there, but I saw a new track with Carpenter Brut’s name on it. I wasn’t a hard sell, Carpenter Brut is among one of my favorite synthwave artists. He sits among several others that are well-known for their music: Danger, Lorn, Scattle, and Kn1ght, to name a few. It’s available for purchase on Bandcamp (here!) as either a digital album or a collector’s edition vinyl, which is limited to a run of 800. Excuse me while I stare out my window and wait for it to arrive, please.

It’s worth the exorbitant shipping price, you gotta believe me. (Image via Bandcamp)

In Conclusion

If you enjoy difficult games, or even just a challenge, do yourself a favor and add this one to your collection. I can’t urge you enough, without being entirely repetitive, about how much you should play this game. Even if you have to do it on easy mode, do it. There’s no game I’d recommend more from this year so far.

Zero Time Dilemma: A Spoiler-Free Review

July 6, 2016 Kennedy

This is a spoiler-free review. No Zero Time Dilemma (henceforth ZTD) spoilers, no Virtue’s Last Reward (henceforth VLR), and no 999 spoilers. Read to your heart’s content, but know that this is a trilogy that needs to be played in order: 999, VLR, and then ZTD. DO NOT play ZTD with having first played 999 and then VLR because several very important scenes won’t make sense, and moreover, you’ll spoil 999 and VLR for yourself.

It’s no secret that I’m quite a big fan of the Zero Escape series.

Being the finishing piece in a trilogy of critically acclaimed games, ZTD had very high expectations for its release. Ignoring the Amazon snafu (which thankfully, didn’t affect me) it seems to have been very well received within its first week, and definitely living up to the hype. Like many other fans, I’ve been looking forward to this game since before its release was even confirmed. I had high hopes. Seeing as how I picked it up on a Tuesday and beat it the following Friday, I’d say it didn’t disappoint.

Writing:

Arguably the most important part of a Zero Escape game is its writing. Most notably, it’s unique, almost Bioshock-esque way of strongly yet gracefully breaking the fourth wall—which is stronger than ever in ZTD. The plot, at its base, remains unchanged: Nine people are captured by a mysterious figure going by the name of Zero, who tells them that they must risk their lives and play his game to escape a confined area. Taking place one year after 999, it features the two main protagonists of 999, the two main protagonists of VLR, and 5 new characters. Unlike any other Zero Escape game, , character interactions feel more personal in this game because there are simply more characters who knew each other prior to the events of ZTD. Moreover, they’re the most bold, dynamic group we’ve seen in a Zero Escape game. Watching them interact with each other throughout the course of the game an seeing just how even the smallest things can set them off and how it effects everyone else—very much like a domino effect—is one of the best parts of the game. Moreso than any other Zero Escape game, ZTD truly brings the player into its world with its writing. The only main flaw with the writing is that whereas most of it is so detailed and well-thought out (like these games have been in the past) certain aspects of it (which I won’t mention specifically, but the image will say it all for those of you who have played the game, I’m sure) seemed to be written hastily, as they were never fully explained, and in some aspects, almost seem contradictory to previously established facts and traits of certain characters. Compared to the otherwise stellar writing in the game, it makes it all the more obvious when something wasn’t thought out to the fullest. Fortunately, this only happens a small number of times, but unfortunately, it only makes it all the more obvious and disappointing when it does happen. Although the writing in this game isn’t perfect, and definitely flawed by the aforementioned hasty sections, overall it’s still wonderful: All the questions left behind from 999 and VLR have been answered (albeit, some of them answered poorly, but answered nonetheless.) It’s worth mentioning, however, that this game left behind a few small questions itself. Not a ton of questions, but enough, I think, to warrant making an epilogue.

This just in: Local Man Ruins Everything via koizumiappreciation.tumblr.com

Gameplay:

The gameplay of ZTD consists of 3 major things: Shifting from fragment to fragment, puzzles, and decision games. Without any kind of context, the player is thrown into a story that, rather than being linear, is scattered into fragments. These fragments are bits of the story through the perspective of different groups of characters. You play as the different groups at different times, making different decisions that will affect other fragments. When it comes times to make choices, the story will branch based on what you choose, though you will return later to see what would happen had you done something else. When you switch to a new fragment, it’s referred to as “shifting” and there are characters who become aware of it, eventually, which is one of the major factors that the plot revolves around. Ultimately, you’ll be exploring every possible fragment and seeing every possible outcome and using your knowledge of the story to lead you to one true ending. Through this, you get to see the story unfold in a way unlike any other game. Additionally, there is a flowchart to help you keep track of the chronological order of everything.

via TechRaptor

Secondly, there are the puzzles. This is wherein the most gameplay resides. Throughout the game, you’ll be trapped in 13 different rooms and, through a series of puzzles and use of just about anything you can fin in the room, must escape. Additionally, many times the rooms will contain something that’s relevant to the plot, as well, so it’s not like you can just escape from a room and be done with it. What you find in that room remains relevant. Just as its the nature of a Zero Escape game to have these puzzles, though, it’s also in their nature to be quite… obtuse. ZTD is very interesting in this regard because there are many escape puzzles in this game which are, for a Zero Escape game (which are already known to be pretty tricky unless you’re using a guide or a walkthrough) pretty easy. These games make it no secret that they want you to use your brain—whether its in the scientifically-inclined writing or the gameplay. Despite that, however, most of the puzzles in this game didn’t feel as challenging as they were in the previous entries. On the other hand, the rooms that were difficult were obscenely difficult. There’s very little in-between, making it really hard to say whether this game is an easy or hard one overall—especially considering that you can do these rooms in any order you want because of the non-linear nature of this game.

via usgamer

Finally, there’s the decisions. Zero has gathered and trapped our nine protagonists to play the Decision Game. Essentially, what that means is, he reveals to them that to escape they need 6 X-Passes. Every time someone dies, an X-Pass is revealed—essentially meaning that to escape, 6 people must die. To add to the suspense, he constantly puts the characters in very difficult situations and puts them into (usually) life-threatning decisions: The Decision Game. You, the player, will be the one making the decision. As mentioned before, the point of the game is to see every possible outcome, so eventually, you will choose every possible answer to every possible dilemma. Rather than taking away from the situational drama, however, it adds to it. The point of the game is to use knowledge that you learned from shifting between fragments—even if it’s something that the characters you’re playing as don’t know. It is explained in-game how it’s possible for them to have this knowledge, but this is a spoiler-free review. One of the most satisfying parts of the game is learning new knowledge that’ll affect a decision that you might not have been able to make, or revealing a new answer that’ll take you deeper into the rich story of ZTD.

via punkandlizard

Despite all this, it’s worth noting that you will definitely be spending more time in this game watching cutscenes than not. Having such good writing and a riveting plot, I don’t think it’s much of an issue, but if you don’t like games where you watch more than you play—even if there’s still definite gameplay—then you probably won’t like just ZTD, but the Zero Escape trilogy as a whole because all 3 games are like this.

Art/Graphics:

Although the 2D art looks superb—especially next to the art of the previous entries in the games—and the sprites look remarkably better than they did in previous games, the visuals in this game aren’t without sin. Particularly in characters with long hair there are several instances of slight clipping, and mouths almost never sync up to what the characters are saying. Some might attribute that to the fact that this is a Japanese game and that it’s designed for the Japanese voice actors. I find that strange, however, seeing as how Zero Escape is remarkably more successful in the West. Moreover, the English version was released before the Japanese. Combined with the stiff animations, it’s easy to see why several fans were disappointed. Regardless, although noticeable, these aren’t major issues that are so distracting that they detract from the game over all.

via GamersAssaultWeekly

Verdict:

Although slightly marred by slipshod graphics and a few dashes of hasty writing, ZTD is the finest entry in the Zero Escape trilogy. It’s been a very long time since a game has put me on an emotional roller coaster as extreme in the one in ZTD. Worth every penny of its $40 price. A must-play for any Zero Escape fan, fans of puzzle games, fans of science fiction, or anyone looking for a few new handheld games to play.

via wegotthiscovered

Dead by Daylight: Let it Rain Blood

July 4, 2016 Tiffany

We’re entering my territory now, people! I love me some bloody sacrifices and knees weak arms spaghetti suspense. Dead by Daylight is the whole package. We got the blood, the stabby stabbies(I love the sound effects), the screaming & whimpering, more blood, the caw caw from the birdies, and we can’t forget the adorable Wraith. I have a weird taste, I know. Needless to say, the atmosphere is spot on.

Roles

You can choose to play as Survivor or Killer. Each game has 4 Survivors and 1 Killer. Since I’m terrible at stealth, I mostly enjoy hunting peeps down as a killer. But don’t get me wrong because both roles are fun! I can’t help but compare it to hide and seek. I was one of the larger kids so hiding was not my forte. I’m also an impatient rascal and it doesn’t go well with stealth in general. That being said, I’m trying to git gud as survivor! (wish me luck because I NEED IT)

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Survivors: Dwight Fairfield, Meg Thomas, Claudette Morel, Jake Park

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Killers: The Trapper, The Wraith, The Hillbilly

Gameplay

Before the start of each game, you can go to your Loadout and equip whatever you gained through Bloodpoints, which are earned after each game and from completed quests (Daily Rituals). There are also chests you can open in-game.
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As a survivor, you and your teammates must start up generators. After doing so, you will need to make your way to an unlocked gate and interact with the power switch to escape. Sounds like a piece of cake, but not when you’re being hunt down by a killer and not to mention that each step takes a good amount of time to accomplish. But hey, it’s only fair to the killer.. I think. Cus y’know.. 4 v 1? …. ANYWAY. Just be ready to stealth or juke your way around the game or you’ll end up like this:

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Keep in mind that even though you have teammates, don’t count on them to prevent your death sentence. Chances are the Killer is nearby or your teammates are straight up selfish. Can’t blame them, though. In the end, we’re all trying to survive.

On the other hand, you hunt and sacrifice survivors to the… I am unsure what those freakish entities are. Every objective is highlighted for the killer for easy tracking and it alerts you if someone screwed up their skill checks or if a generator is started up. Killers can also see lit scratches on the ground if a survivor is running away from you.

Flaws

You would think you’re able to play with friends in online mode since it’s Multiplayer, but noooope! It sucks to know that you can only play with friends through private matches(Kill Your Friends), but good thing they’re working on it. Like c’mon.. It’s beneficial on a marketing standpoint, too! Imagine this scenario… based on a true story: “Yo, dude. Let’s play Dead by Daylight together. It’s real fun.” “Yeah, sure!” “Shaww yeeee” “Wait, I can’t even play with you” “Say what, bro?” “We can only play in a private match.” “But, like… It’s only us two. There would be only one survivor and a killer. That ain’t fun :(” “Yeah, I don’t know, man. This game seems tight, but I wanna get in a game with you, too.” See what I mean?! But in all seriousness, what kind of Multiplayer game doesn’t allow players to invite their friends or people they meet online? Apparently this game! That and no form of communication, either. There is a text chat in the pre-game lobby, but that’s it.

I’m a detail-specific person, so I’m just gonna point out something else that bothers me in Dead by Daylight. The Option menu. It it very limited and lacking. For example, you cannot exclusively lower/mute the background music and other usual sound options. The only option is to lower the master volume.

I realize I’m somewhat bashing on this game, but I would actually recommend it. Dead by Daylight gives you constant adrenaline and I’m not the type of person to get excited about things in general.

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