Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl Review

Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl
Developed by: ATLUS
Published by: ATLUS
Date of Release: October 1, 2013
Price: $39.99

I'm going to be straight up honest here. I've played plenty of dungeon crawlers over the years, however I am a newbie to the Etrian Odyssey series. That said, I have played through many masterpieces such as Wizardry, Dungeon Master, Eye of The Beholder, and the recently release Legend of Grimrock. The dungeon crawler genre can certainly be a daunting trial for the uninitiated, as after your create your party you are generally turned loose into a world with scant provisions, and no general sense of where to go, in fact you often have to draw your own map as you go along.



The situation is quite similar in Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl, with a few minor details. For one, you have an actual story to contend with, rather than merely being dumped into a labyrinth and being told "find your way out". Plus the art of mapping is taught to you from the get go (it's actually your first quest!). The difficulty is quite nicely scaled as well, with options for players of all skill levels. Newcomers and genre veterans alike will find EOU to be quite accessible. The controls for both gameplay and mapping are incredibly intuitive, and the battle system is finely tuned and easy to understand.



But what of the presentation? From anime cutscenes to awesome voice acting, ATLUS has gone the extra mile to ensure that Etrian Odyssey Untold is the premiere dungeon crawler for the 3DS, and it shows. The visuals are nothing short of gorgeous, with 3D effects that seem organic and natural in their nature. It may in fact be one of the prettiest 3DS titles to date. Add to that an absolutely rocking soundtrack by veteran composer Yuzo Koshiro (Ys, Dragon Slayer) and it is clear that EOU is the complete package.



So to reiterate: Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl packs a power and punchy presentation, a stunning soundtrack, captivating cutscenes, and gorgeous graphics. If the thought of mapping your adventure turns you off, do not fear: the game has an auto mapping feature that will make your life easy. Backtracking is made less of a drag by letting you warp between previously explored areas, and the Picnic difficulty will certainly tone down the stress if you are new to dungeon crawling. So if you have a 3DS and are looking for a damn good time, get out there and buy this awesome game already!

Shadow Warrior Review

Shadow Warrior
Developed by: Flying Wild Hog
Published by: Devolver Digital
Date of Release: September 26, 2013
Price: $39.99

The year is 1997, it is the past. The badass machismo of Duke Nukem 3D that once ruled the FPS genre with an iron fist is starting to wear thin. The world needs a new hero, and that hero is Lo Wang. Formerly a ninja assassin for the great Zilla corporation, this grizzled and wise ass-kicker had been betrayed by his boss and left for dead. Embarking on a delightfully offensive campaign of bloody revenge, Lo Wang kicked Zilla's ass and chased him back under the rock he slithered out from under. Sadly, much time has passed without a new entry in what started out as a kick-asstastic series, and fans were left to wonder what would become as out hero. Thankfully Flying Wild Hog has come to the rescue, rebooting the series with a swift kick to the family jewels.



The new incarnation of Shadow Warrior starts with a much younger Lo Wang cruising down the road in a slick sportster, singing to the tune of Stan Bush's "The Touch" (many kudos for that!). He is on his way to purchase a rare and valuable sword for his boss, Orochi Zilla. Of course things are bound to go wrong, and our hero finds himself up to his Wang in trouble, kicking things off with a katana-based choreography of carnage that makes the Crazy 88 fight scene in Kill Bill look like a Saturday morning cartoon. And this is where we first meet the true star of this game, Lo Wang's trusty sword. Forget all the fancy firepower the game gives you, why use a gun when you can grab some laser-hardened steel and cut yourself some demon sashimi? The melee combat is so good that it has the unfortunate side effect of completely overshadowing the otherwise excellent gunplay.



Even with all the seemingly overwhelming attention that Flying Wild Hog put into the stunning gameplay mechanics, the rest of the experience does not suffer for it. The graphics are absolutely gorgeous, with near-infinite detail placed into the smallest details of each level. Sakura blossoms sway in the breeze, and koi splash merrily in their ponds, awaiting a shower of demon intestines on which to gorge themselves on. You can even leave bloody trails of footprints snaking through the levels, I definitely haven't seen that level of detail in years. The humor of the original game also has not been diminished over time, this new entry is just as full of snark and wit. Be sure to look for every fortune cookie you can find!



When you add it all together, Shadow Warrior is quite honestly a full product, even with the omission of multiplayer. The massive and rousing single player campaign quite makes up for it. With a multitude of ways to dispatch your demonic nemeses, be it by the blade, the bullet, or by mystic powers, things will never get dull as you carve a bloody swath through the hordes of enemies that await. As with their previous work, Hard Reset, Flying Wild Hog has crafted a fine masterpiece of gaming that utterly should not be missed. So go forth young grasshopper, and kick some ass!

Bunny Must Die! Review

Bunny Must Die! Chelsea and the 7 Devils (Steam)
Developed by: Platine Dispositif
Lovingly Localized by: Rockin' Android
Date of Release: September 26, 2013
Price: $9.99

The Year is 1999X. Thermomewclear power: a modern scientific marvel that allows free clean energy for all of bunnykind. This safe and renewable energy was the perfect solution, until the Thermomewclear Power Plant blew up and cursed poor Bunny with a pair cat ears. Still retaining her long lapine ears as well, she is vexed by the fact that no one can tell if she is a rabbit or a cat. She even went as far as to seek the aid of a wise old bunny, but unfortunately he was brutally murdered by a rampaging bull and has left Bunny stranded in the cave of the 7 devils. If you think sounds mightily effed up, you are probably right, but no matter. It is time for Bunny to set forth and kick some devilish ass!




Bunny Must Die! Chelsea and the 7 Devils is a classic example of the tried and true Metroidvania formula. It was created pretty much singlehandedly by Aeju Murasame of Platine Dispositif (aside from voicework), and like his other works the game can be punishingly hard at times. The original release was only in Japan, with 4:3 graphics and a midi-ish soundtrack. However this localization is the cat's meow, offering many enhancements over the original release, such as mew new widescreen graphics coded in by Murasame, a wild soundtrack arrangement by Woofle, and a fresh English translation by none other than the extraordinary Sara Leen!




When starting BMD the first thing you'll notice is the lush hand-drawn anime graphics. The next thing you'll notice is that you can't walk to the right. You must first walk to the left a few steps to collect "The Gears of The Past" to be able to turn around. This quirky bit of humor quite obviously pokes fun at the general mechanics of the Metroidvania genre (in the way that you often must collect many items to make any progress), and trust me when I say that a whole lot more will be lampooned before you finish the game. The game even pokes fun at you (and then throws a viciously hard boss fight your way) for sequence breaking. Yes, the large-foreheaded first boss lady will fly off the handle if you skip her. However if you Do manage to finish off her enraged form, you get an achievement.




Now despite the amusing jokes and cliches blown out of proportion, the gameplay in Bunny Must Die is no joke. You have your tried-and-true Metroidvania exploration and progression, with plenty of Castlevania-style combat. You also gain the ability to bend time to your will, and that opens a whole new dimension in gameplay and puzzle solving. I should note though that no matter how good you are at this sort of game, you WILL die often. Just go into this adventure knowing that fact and you will have a good time. The way we learn is by making mistakes, right? And sometimes being repeatedly run over by a turret-tank while it fires searing hot laser beams up your arse can be a learning experience too.




Rockin' Android has definitely gone all-out in the process of making Bunny Must Die a breakout title for the western world. They have go so far as to give the options to use the original graphical mode and soundtrack, despite the overhaul that is provided by default. This speaks volumes of their dedication to customer satisfaction, and to their preservation of the original product's values. Just as with the Gundemonium Collection, Rockin' Android has taken an already awesome property and further polished it to gleam like a diamond and stand out on it's own in a rough sea of indie games. They have even included the arranged soundtrack for your listening pleasure, just check the install folder.




Now when it comes to buying Bunny Must Die there are a few options. Desura, GamersGate, and Playism. However, there is also the matter of Steam. Bunny clawed her way through Greenlight hell to get released, and her long struggle has paid off with a grand new port that has cloud saving, leaderboards, and achievements! Head on over to Bunny Must Die! on Steam and get it while it's hot!




So to recap: Bunny Must Die! Chelsea and the 7 Devils offers frenetic platforming, Metroidvania-inspired exploration, kickass brutal bosses, a rocking re-arranged soundtrack, a superbly localized and hilarious story, a cute as heck main character, a super secret hidden character with a second playthrough, and tight controls that ensure that if you screw up, it's your own damn fault. What the heck are you waiting for? Bust out your favorite gamepad, buy the game, and kick some demonic patootie! Bunny's fate depends on YOU!

Skullgirls PC Review

Skullgirls (PC)
Developed By: Lab Zero Games
Published By: Marvelous AQL
Date of Release: August 22, 2013
Price: $14.99

In the fast-paced world of the fighting game tournament scene, there is one thing that matters above all else: balance. If a game has severely unbalanced fighters, then it may as well be thrown straight out the window. Another problem is cloning, to make it seem like a game has plenty of characters to go around, the devs may simply take one characters mechanics and re-apply it to another. We constantly see examples of games that just try too hard to shoehorn everything in to one crowded roster, and with games like Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3 shoving 48 playable characters into the spotlight there is just no hope of a fair and balanced fight.




Thankfully, we have Skullgirls on pc now. When it comes to the lofty ambition of being the perfect tournament fighter, it manages to deliver on all levels! Lab Zero has made an already smashingly impressive console brawler shine even brigter on the PC. By bringing together a team of fighting game industry experts to craft Skullgirls into a pulse-pounding pandemoniac plethora of pugilistic perfection, Lab Zero has once again saved the day for fighting fans. What we have here is a set of 8 well-tuned femme fatales who are ready to kick ass and take names. You have the option of choosing either one full-powered character, a halved-strength duo, or a tag team trio of weaker fighters. No matter your choice you can rest assured that the game is ready to balance itself out, so choose the playing style that suits your tastes.




The graphical merits of Skullgirls are quite astounding, with each character fluidly hand animated in 1080p. The graphical quality is quite in it's own class, even upstaging recent fighters such as Blazblue. The stages themselves are no less detailed, with throngs of fully animated background characters, and a gorgeously parallaxed art style that almost feels three-dimensional. The eye-catching visuals are underlined by an impressive score by none other than Michiru Yamane, famous for her long running contribution to the aural tapestry of the Castlevania series. All of these elements perfectly meld together into a wonderfully film-noire/art deco aesthetic.




One last point I'd like to touch on is the excellent online gameplay, provided by the GGPO (Good Game Peace Out) netcode. It allows for a virtually lag-free online experience, regardless of the player's real-world proximity to one another. In my online experiences with Skullgirls I found no lag or dropped frames at all. In my humble opinion Reverge labs has crafted the finest tournament fighting experience possible, and for that I salute them. Skullgirls is well worth the price, so get out there and buy it today! Also be sure to download the Squigly DLC, as she's free until November 22!

Rise of The Triad Review

Rise of The Triad
Developed By: Interceptor Entertainment
Published By: Apogee Software
Date of Release: July 31, 2013
Price: $14.99

The year is 2013, and the First Person Shooter genre has gone to hell in a handbasket. The once sprawling, secret-filled maps of yesteryear have given way to liner corridors, with cutscenes every few steps. In trying to emulate blockbuster movies, videogames have lost sight of so much of what made them such worthwhile experiences. Regerating health has replaced healing pickups, and button mashing quicktime events have infected every inch of the FPS experience. Not to mention that most modern heroes are such wusses that they can't even wade into the crossfire without dying instantly, preferring to hide behind cover trading shots like spineless cowards. Thank god for Rise of The Triad, and for the awesome and ballsy team at Interceptor Entertainment for bringing it to us.

The first thing you're gonna notice when you start up Rise of The Triad is that the launcher lets you customize EVERY LITTLE DETAIL of the graphics settings. That's right, no craptastic console port here. Once you get into the ingame menu you can finish setting the basics like resolution, brightness and stuff, as well as choose your FOV. Again, no consoleized bullshit here. You also have full reign over your control bindings as well as audio levels (also be sure to try Classic Mode in the audio menu for a nostalgic blast!). That's not to say the new soundtrack isn't utterly badass, because the newly remixed tracks by Andrew Hulshult (of Burying The Trend) are utter ear candy. The use of the Unreal Engine also makes for eye candy, Rise of The Triad has NEVER looked this good. It's good to see that the folks at Interceptor give a damn about what makes PC gaming sofa king awesome.

For one thing, the sprawling mazelike levels that made oldschool gaming so much fun make a triumphant return, with dead ends, keys to match up with doors, and a total boatload of secrets. Seriously look EVERYWHERE around you, chances are that little out-of-the-way nook or cranny is hiding something badassedly awesome. The team at Interceptor have hidden awesome references new and old alike all over the levels (Dopefish Lives!). Oh, and then there's the other thing that makes PC gaming especially kicking rad: MODS! Rise of The Triad fully supports modding, and even has it's own easy to use drag-and-drop level editor (coming SOON™) so that you can make your own insidious arenas of mayhem and death! Not only that, but all future DLC is FREE (no Disc Locked Content here folks!).

Ok, all that stuff sound fine and dandy, but how does it actually play? Well imagine someone took the original Rise of The Triad, made it prettier, added proper aiming and WASD controls, and then basically turned everything up to 11 AND added more cowbell. Rise of The Triad looks and plays effing amazing, with a perfect challenge level for any player out there. There's a veritable army of foes waiting for you to take them on, and enough firepower to deal with them all. And that's just the singleplayer, there is also a full fledged badass multiplayer experience to be had, and let me tell you it is utter forking bliss. What other game lets you turn into a dog, zip across a bridge at breakneck speeds, and then tear your enemies a new one with your razor-sharp maw? CoD's dog is a wussy chihuahua compared to this beast. Oh and if you want you can do 'shrooms while you blast your foes into chutney.

So let's chalk things up here: Big freaking guns, frickin awesome powerups, four massive single player episodes, enough multiplayer to choke a horse (one of those big Clydesdale things, not some rainbow colored friendship pony), more guns, mayhem, Dopefish, secrets, adjustable FOV, ludicrous gibs, and a guy who is seriously named I.P. Freely. How could you possibly go wrong with this fluffy stack of murder pancakes? If you don't go out and buy this game now, you are seriously missing out and should really reconsider your priorities in life. Rise of The Triad earns a solid 11 out of 10, and also pre-emptively wins the Slipgate Complex FPS of The Year awards for the next decade, or until they come out with a sequel. Go. Buy it now. El Oscuro is a very inpatient guy, you don't wanna get on his craplist.

Apogee Throwback Pack Review

Apogee Throwback pack
Developed By: Apogee Software
Published By: Interceptor Entertainment
Date of Release: July 1, 2013
Price: $9.99 (Free of you preorder ROTT 2013!)

In the year 1995, the First Person Shooter genre was going strong. Wolfenstein 3D... Doom... Heretic... They all put id Software on the map, and defined the genre. And then Apogee Software blew the FPS concept to tiny bloody chunks, and rebuilt it into something totally ludicrous. Enter Rise of The Triad. Starting out as a sequel to Wolfenstein 3D, Rise of The Triad was revamped into a whole new experience. Featuring five unique playable characters, a massive arsenal of deadly firepower, an actual narrative, dog mode, god mode, shrooms mode, one incredibly deadly baseball bat, enemies who begged you to spare their lives (before flopping over to play dead so they could stab you in the back as soon as you turn around), and enough ludicrous gibs to earn it the billing of "most violent game ever", RoTT was an amazing experience when played alone. Add to that the amazing "COMM-BAT" multiplayer experience, it's pretty clear that Rise of The Triad hit a home run.



But let's head back to a time two years before Rise of The Triad came to be. In 1993, JAM Productions created a new game franchise centered around a hero named Blake Stone, and had Apogee Software publish it. A sci-fi thriller to the core, Aliens of Gold saw the titular secret agent Blake Stone facing off against his nemesis, an insidiously corrupt and morally bankrupt geneticist named Dr. Pyrus Goldfire. Technologically it built on the Wolfenstein 3D engine, adding in new features such as friendly NPC characters, working vending machines, and most impressively for the time, floor and ceiling textures. Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold actually managed to beat id Software's Doom to the market by one week and achieved modest popularity because of it, but was unfortunately overshadowed by the explosive popularity of id's smash hit.



The release of Doom and subsequent decline in sales of the first Blake Stone did not faze JAM Productions however, and in the following year of 1994 they released a new entry, Blake Stone: Planet Strike. Picking up immediately after Aliens of Gold, Planet Strike continues Blake's pursuit of Dr. Goldfire and this mutant army. Not only did it introduce more levels, more weapons, and more monsters, Planet Fire also included a fully functional automap feature, a handy too for those who tended to get lost in the mazelike levels. It's a more than worthy conclusion to an awesome as hell duology, and it definitely earns its place in this fine compilation.



When you take these three classic games and compare them to the stale FPS games of this generation, it becomes quite clear that a helluva lot more consideration was put into the level design and gameplay back in the days of yore. These three oldschool masterpieces gain massive amounts of replayability from the fact that back then the devs took time to design secrets and challenges to keep players coming back for more, unlike today's cookie cutter cinematic borefests. Another thing that is clear is how much time and effort Interceptor put into polishing these gems so that they shine on modern PCs. They are all lovingly wrapped in a DosBox-based frontend, and run natively in widescreen from the get go, no need for fiddling around with configuration to get these oldschool beauties running. They've even thrown in the original Rise of The Triad soundtrack, and the Extreme RoTT expansion at no extra cost. So what the hell are you waiting for, get yer ass on Steam and buy this beautiful pack of games. Better yet, pay an extra $5 and get RoTT 2013 as well!

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Review

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Legendary Edition
Developed By: Bethesda Softworks
Published By: Zenimax Media
Date of release: 06/04/3013
Price: $59.99





"But... there is one they fear. In their tongue... he is 'Dovahkiin' - Dragonborn!"

Over the last couple decades the PC has seen countless RPG series come and go, hailing from countries all over the world. From Poland's CD Projekt came The Witcher, from Canada's Bioware came Baldur's Gate, Knights of The Old Republic, Neverwinter Knights, Mass Effect, and Dragon Age, and Japan contributed countless anime-inspired epics like the Final Fantasies and The Last Remnant. However all the while, one American company worked hard to bring their own style of RPG to the table. That company is Bethesda Softworks.




In 1994 after making various sports titles and action games, Bethesda Softworks released The Elder Scrolls: Arena, the first game in this epic series of first person RPGS. Though critics were harsh at first, the game quickly became a cult hit and spawned numerous sequels and spinoffs, including 1996's Dagerfall, 2002's Morrowind, and 2006's Oblivion. Morrowind and Oblivion proved to be so popular that they both spawned a couple of expansion sets each, extending their stories quite considerably.And now, 5 years after Oblivion hit the scene, a new chapter in The Elder Scrolls is born, Skyrim!



Skip forward to present time, and it's pretty obvious that Skyrim is the bees knees as far as RPGs go, winning SEVERAL game of the year awards. Now that the dust has settles and a few amazingly awesome expansion packs have come out, Bethesda has once again followed their tradition and released a compilation version, titled The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim legendary Edition. Let's take a look at what it has to offer, eh?

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim continues the series long tradition of first-person roleplaying, with a metric crapton of new features. Gone is the decrepit and buggy Gamebryo engine, replaced with Bethesda's own in house Creation Engine. The Creation Engine allows for an infinitely more complex game experience with jaw-dropping new graphics and animation, and massive draw distances that are truly unrivaled in this genre.

The gameplay in Skyrim is largely unchanged from earlier titles, meaning it's a first-person RPG with swords and sorcery, cloak and dagger assassinations, sharpshooting archery, and the like. A massive variety of weapons and spells are at your disposal, with an amazing inventory system to keep everything organized. The ability to assign weapons and spell combos to hotkeys insures that you will never be caught in the heat of battle without an appropriate combat response. Speaking of battle, familiar foes return such as mudcrabs, horkers, bandits and wolves. However this time you have a new force to contend with: DRAGONS!




In the land of Skyrim, legions of once-dead dragons have begun to awaken from the grave, and it is up to you as Dragonborn to discover why they are coming back to life, and hopefully return them to the grave. Every time you kill a dragon you absorb it's soul, which you then use to unlock dragon shouts, powerful spells that let you harness the dragon language. You will have to find the words that make up each shout, they are scattered around the world on stone walls usually guarded by dragons.

As usual for the Elder Scrolls series the production values are astounding. Standing atop any of the games numerous vantage points you are treated to sweeping views of valleys and vistas, with little to no scenery pop-in. The voice work is top notch, with every line of dialogue perfectly handled. The sound effects are masterful, from the clinking of swords on shields, to the "thwpp" of an arrow taking flight. The music... oh my god the music. Jeremy Soule once again has crafted a masterful score, from the epic choral theme music simply titled "Dragonborn", peaceful ambient tracks played in town, playful tavern tunes, to urgent battle themes, the soundtrack is a treat to the ears. A massive 4-CD soundtrack set is available for preorder on Directsong.com for a modest $29.99, and all orders placed before December 23rd will be autographed by Jeremy himself.




In my experience playing Skyrim it has been nearly bug free, but I do have to mention one funny experience I had. I was making my way through an area full of geysers and hot springs, and there were herds of mammoths milling about in the warm waters. One mammoth trotted out of the hot spring and started up a small hill, and then simply flew off into the sky. If only there was a way to ride such an amazing beast, travel would take no time at all!




Back in November of 2011 when The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim launched, it did so to great critical acclaim. Despite a few bugs here and there, it was quite a favorable experience and left many fans wanting more. Well the wait is over, the first expansion for Skyrim is here! Titled Dawnguard, it chronicles the long-fought struggle between mankind and the oh so recently over-popular children of the night: vampires. Though you may cringe in fear of angsty teen supernatural romance, this is an epic tale worthy of the Elder Scrolls name, not Twilight. These vampires do NOT sparkle.




When I first started playing Skyrim again after installing Dawnguard I took an hour or so to tie up some loose ends and finish some of the extra quests in my journal. I heard rumors of vampires and the return of the Dawnguard, however i decided to take my time and see to my own matters first. I was NOT prepared for a full-fledged vampire assault on my own hometown of Whiterun, (which sadly left Adrianne Avenicci dead). Choking back tears as the courier delivered my inheritance, I vowed to see this undead scourge wiped from the land.




I would imagine that the motives for each player's journey through Dawnguard will differ in how they first encounter the vampiric scourge, and whether they wish to side with them, or fight them. I for one immediately sought out the fortress of the dawnguard, and was quick to join their ranks. I really missed the antics of my glitchy npc blacksmith neighbor, and those undead bastards were gonna pay for her death.




However enough about me, let's talk upgrades! Three new blessings, four new shouts, and nine new spells! You want more friends and foes? Try 80 new NPC characters split between factions! Still not enough? Fine, have a werewolf skill tree, and the ability ro transform into a vampire lord! But wait, there's more! New areas to discover! 40 more quests! Crossbows! Sexy undead princesses! And ABSOLUTELY NO EMO TEENAGE VAMPIRES WHO SPARKLE IN THE SUN! You know we can't keep doing this all day folks, so place your order now!

All in all I had an amazing time with Skyrim. If you play straight through the main quest you can expect a decent length of about 16-18 hours, however you WILL get sidetracked by all of the amazing sidequests, and places to explore. Skyrim will will utterly draw you in to it's massively immersive world, and devour your spare time just as readily as Dovahkiin will devour the soul of a dragon. You have been warned!

System Shock 2 Review

System Shock 2
Developed By: Looking Glass Studios
Published By: Night Dive Studios
Date of Release: May 10, 2013
Price: $9.99

In the year 2072 a rogue artificial intelligence known as SHODAN lost her mind. In her limitless imagination, SHODAN saw herself as a goddess, destined to inherit the Earth. That image was snuffed out by the hacker who created her...

In September 1994 Looking Glass Studios shocked the PC gaming world. Famous for their work on Ultima Underworld, they had decided to branch out into the realm of science fiction, and so System Shock was born. Thought it was never commercially successful, its successful blend of sci-fi action and horror gained a massive cult following. In 1999 Looking Glass partnered with Irrational Games to produce a sequel, System Shock 2. It also fared about the same commercially as it's predecessor, quickly becoming a cult classic as well. To this day original copies are still highly sought out by collectors, often fetching exorbitantly high prices. However thanks to the efforts of a mysterious hacker named le Corbeau, System Shock 2 has now been remastered and re-released on Steam with full compatibility for modern PCs.



System Shock 2 takes place a full 42 years after the events of the original game. As the events on Citadel Station fade into memory, the Faster-Than Light starship Von Braun is on its maiden voyage, and you are a soldier assigned to the military vessel Rickenbacker to provide security during the Von Braun's shakedown run. Things however do not go as planned, and all hell breaks loose. You awaken with amnesia some time after everything has gone south, and it is up to you to try and find out what fate has befallen the two ships and their crews. The stunningly written narrative is presented to you by audio logs and emails left behind by crew members, and it serves as a chilling reminder of how alone you truly are out here in space.



Gameplay-wise, System Shock 2 is quite similar to its predecessor, seemingly being a first person shooter at first glance. Once you get into the fray however, it quickly becomes apparent that LGS has created a seamless blend of RPG and survival horror. The controls may seem a bit strange at first, but they add a whole range of movements rarely seen in the genre. However if you want a more traditional WASD setup, you can quickly remap everything to your liking. Near infinite possibilities exist to customize your character as the game progresses, letting you mold your game experience to suit your playing style.



If there are any failings that I could point out about the original System Shock 2 it would be the limited video options and a handful of rampant bugs that can seriously put a damper on what can be considered to be the greatest game ever made. However the Steam release fixes all of these problems, and has completely redefined the experience. If System Shock 2 is the king of all sci-fi horror games, then consider this to be an extra layer of polish on its crown. If you consider yourself at all to be a PC gamer, then you owe it to yourself to buy this game. There is still nothing currently out there that can match it, and there likely will not be for a very long time. Head over to Steam and buy yourself a copy!

Ys I & II Chronicles+ Review

Ys I & II Chronicles+
Developed By: Nihon Falcom
Epic Localization Programming By: Sara Leen
Published By: XSEED
Date of Release: February 14, 2013
Price: $14.99

Back in 2011 when XSEED released Ys I & II Chronicles on the PSP, many fans called it the definitive version of the two titles which launched the epic series. At the time they were certainly right to do so. Chronicles was a port of the PC release Ys I & II Complete, which was an updated version of Ys I and II Eternal, which was a PC remake of Ys Books I & II for the TurboCD, which was a third party re-imagining by Hudson of Ys Books I & II for the PC-88. So now, the PSP version of Chronicles has been ported back to the PC and combined with all the goodness of Complete and Eternal, to create a fusion of a port and a remake of a port of a remake of a port of the original (wrapped in bacon). Eternal and Complete have been integrated tightly together into a delicious multi-layered Dagwood Sandwich of cleria-infused high fantasy. If you're still here and my crazy-ass attempt at an explanation hasn't fried your brain, then you'll understand when I say that Ys I & II Chronicles+ for PC is in fact the definitive release for these epic tales.



Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the amazing localization programmer Sara Leen, when you play Ys I & II Chronicles+ you have a nearly overwhelming set of options to tailor your experience to your liking. You have the option to play in a 4:3 ratio with the interface (and pretty frames) from Ys Eternal, or the minimalistic and clean widescreen interface from the PSP Chronicles release. Any resolution your monitor can handle is supported, and you have the option to smooth out the screen bilinear-style or use the original pixellicious unfiltered point rendering. After that there is the option to choose either the original Complete artwork, or the redrawn Chronicles style art. It should be noted that the artwork has been completely remastered for the higher resolutions possible on the PC, so you see much more of it then was possible on the tiny PSP screen. Last but not least you have the option to choose your soundtrack. Included are the bright and chippy FM-Synthesis MIDI stylings of the PC-88 original, the gently arranged tracks from Eternal/Complete, and finally the hard-riffing face-melting hair metal that is the Chronicles soundtrack. My favorite by far is the metal soundscape driven by Falcom's JDK Band, but tastes will differ.



Ys I & II Chronicles+ sticks to its roots as far as gameplay goes, with the familiar roguelike-esque combat system that involves merely bumping into your foes to attack. However be warned that rushing in head-on will only get you killed, you must hit your opponent at an angle or from the side to successfully deal any damage. This may feel strange to players who started with newer entries in the Ys Series, however it does not actually take long to get used to the bump and grind of the classic system. Ys II does add in a ranged magic attack that will be required by most boss battles, but for general combat melee attacks will suffice. Speaking of boss battles, as usual they are definitely one of the highlights. You will need to memorize the boss patterns if you want to beat them, as rushing in blindly will only serve to get you killed. I'll admit that I got lost in the driving force of the soundtrack a few times during my playthrough, which only lead to an untimely death from whatever boss I was facing at the moment. Getting amped up in the moment when playing on the higher difficulties can be fatal indeed.



Regardless of whether you are an Ys veteran or not, Ys I & II Chronicles+ is a worthy addition to the collection of any RPG fan, and also serves as a perfect starting point to those who are new to the series. These classic tales of swords and sorcery are steeped in rich lore, and have truly withstood the test of time. At this time these is no better way to experience these treasures, and I doubt that this effort will ever be topped. The trials, travels and tribulations of Adol the Red have been done great justice, and will live on forever as a testament to the hard work and dedication of all those involved in bring this fine series into bidding. I raise a toast to all the members of XSEED, Falcom, JDK Band, and also to you, my dear friend Sara. Now to all my readers, go forth and experience this timeless saga for yourselves!

SimCity Review

SimCity
Developed By: Maxis
Published By: EA Games
Date of Release: March 5, 2013
Price: $59.99 ($79.99 for Digital Deluxe)

In the year 1984 an enterprising young programmer named Will Wright released his first game. In "Raid on Bungeling Bay" players had to bomb a series of factory towns before they could develop more advanced weaponry. Upon realizing how popular the game's editor was among players, Will Wright then set about to build it into a more detailed game, and in 1989 Sim City was born. It proved to be a smash hit, with amazing city planning features and a level micromanagement depth that had never been seen before. Over the years more and more sequels were made, advancing the series gameplay as technology allowed and bringing the series to many different platforms as well. And now in 2013 we have the most advanced Sim City game yet, simply titled "SimCity". The world of city planning has reached new heights!



The first thing you will notice upon starting SimCity is the new graphical presentation. Rather than being sprite based as previous entries in the series, SimCity is fully 3D rendered, with a tilt-shift effect which makes the entire experience reminiscent of playing with a model set. However this model set is alive and breathing, and you can watch your citizens as they go through their daily routines. The tilt-shift effect is quite frankly breathtaking, and combined with the Sims-esque aesthetic, it really makes this new SimCity stand out from previous entries in the series. The audio is quite remarkable as well, as you select the different infrastructure categories you hear very appropriate sound effects, be it the humming buzz of electricity, or the gloop-gloop of sewage processing.



Those who are new to micromanagement games need not be afraid of SimCity, as the built in tutorial will guide new players along without being too controlling, and it also serves as a welcome refresher even to veterans of the series. Those who don't care for a helping hand can turn it off completely, however it does tend to add a bit of narrative and charm to the experience. SimCity is after all a game that is all about the details, no matter how small. The depth of information in the various submenus is astounding, and in this reviewer's humble opinion the breadth of it's scope cannot be matched by any of the previous entries in the series. Rising to power as a mayor has never been so richly informational. The presentation for this game is top notch all the way, and every little detail really does shine.



Now I do have to address one small negative point with SimCity, and that is the server connection issues. For the first week after launch the game's servers were so taxed that many players couldn't even connect to play the game. However those issues are quickly being ironed out, and in fact at the time of this writing I myself have not experienced a single connection issue yet. EA has taken massive steps to smooth out the experience for everyone, and are even offering a free game as compensation to people who bought the game during the server troubles. That is a pretty good gesture in my opinion, and it shows how dedicated EA is to satisfying their customers. So minor server hiccups aside, SimCity is a rich and bold city planning experience, and it should not be missed out on. And if you want the best experience, definitely spring for the Digital Deluxe version on Origin, it adds some VERY classy building styles. Also superheros. Can't go wrong with those! So fear not if you are on the fence, and go buy SimCity today. Your city needs you, Mayor!

Bunny Must Die! Review

Bunny Must Die! Chelsea and the 7 Devils
Developed by: Platine Dispositif
Lovingly Localized by: Rockin' Android
Date of Release: September 15, 2012
Price: $10

The Year is 1999X. Thermomewclear power: a modern scientific marvel that allows free clean energy for all of bunnykind. This safe and renewable energy was the perfect solution, until the Thermomewclear Power Plant blew up and cursed poor Bunny with a pair cat ears. Still retaining her long lapine ears as well, she is vexed by the fact that no one can tell if she is a rabbit or a cat. She even went as far as to seek the aid of a wise old bunny, but unfortunately he was brutally murdered by a rampaging bull and has left Bunny stranded in the cave of the 7 devils. If you think sounds mightily effed up, you are probably right, but no matter. It is time for Bunny to set forth and kick some devilish ass!




Bunny Must Die! Chelsea and the 7 Devils is a classic example of the tried and true Metroidvania formula. It was created pretty much singlehandedly by Murasame of Platine Dispositif (aside from voicework), and like his other works the game can be punishingly hard at times. The original release was only in Japan, with 4:3 graphics and a midi-ish soundtrack. However this localization offers many enhancements over the original release, such as and mew new widescreen graphics coded in by Murasame, a wild soundtrack arrangement by Woofle, and a fresh English translation by none other than my extraordinary editor Sara Leen!




When starting BMD the first thing you'll notice is the lush hand-drawn anime graphics. The next thing you'll notice is that you can't walk to the right. You must first walk to the left a few steps to collect "The Gears of The Past" to be able to turn around. This quirky bit of humor quite obviously pokes fun at the general mechanics of the Metroidvania genre, and trust me when I say that a whole lot more will be lampooned before you finish the game. The game even pokes fun at you (and then throws a viciously hard boss your way) for sequence breaking. Yes, the large-foreheaded first boss lady will fly off the handle if you skip her.




Now despite the amusing jokes and cliches blown out of proportion, the gameplay in Bunny Must Die is your standard Metroidvania exploration with plenty of Castlevania-style combat. You also gain the ability to bend time to your will, and that opens a whole new dimension in gameplay and puzzle solving. I should note though that no matter how good you are at this sort of game, you WILL die often. Just go into this adventure knowing that fact and you will have a good time. The way we learn is by making mistakes, right? And sometimes being repeatedly run over by a turret-tank while it fires laser beams up your arse is a learning experience too.




Rockin' Android has definitely gone all-out in the process of making Bunny Must Die a breakout title for the western world. They have go so far as to give the options to use the original graphical mode and soundtrack, despite the overhaul that is provided by default. This speaks volumes of their dedication to customer satisfaction, and to their preservation of the original product's values. Just as with the Gundemonium Collection, Rockin' Android has taken an already awesome property and further polished it to gleam like a diamond and stand out on it's own in the rough sea of indie games.




Now when it comes to buying Bunny Must Die there are a few options. Desura, GamersGate, and Playism. However, there is also the matter of Steam. Bunny Must Die is currently on Greenlight, and if it gets enough votes then it will be sold on Steam with all the usual benefits that the platform provides. So if you want to see it on Steam, head to the greenlight page HERE, and vote for it! There is also a demo available on the page, so feel free to check it out!




So to recap: Bunny Must Die! Chelsea and the 7 Devils offers frenetic platforming, Metroidvania-inspired exploration, kickass brutal bosses, a rocking re-arranged soundtrack, a superbly localized and hilarious story, a cute as heck main character, a super secret hidden character with a second playthrough, and tight controls that ensure that if you screw up, it's your own damn fault. What the heck are you waiting for? Bust out your favorite gamepad, buy the game, and kick some demonic patootie! Bunny's fate depends on YOU!

Rage: The Scorchers Review

Rage: The Scorchers
Developed by: id Software
Published by: Bethesda Softworks
Date of Release: December 18, 2012
Price: $4.99

Well, here we are just over a year after Rage made it's debut. It seemed like over time id had just forgotten it's carnage-driven masterpiece, but thankfully that is not the case! This may seem like the longest time ever that a company has take to release an addon for a AAA title, but when the DLC is this good, it definitely shows that id Software wanted to take the time to make it just right. Two months past the one year anniversary of Rage's burning hot release we have the official addon pack, titled The Scorchers. And what a hot time it's gonna be!




The first thing that you'll notice about The Scorchers is that it adds an all new difficulty setting to the game, Ultra Nightmare. Choose this difficulty, and only the most hardcore have a hope of survival. Also available is the option to play past the ending, so you don't have to start from scratch to play the new content if you've already finished the campaign. Whichever way you start it, you're going to want to head to the door at the back of the Hagar settlement, and get this party started.




Not long after you start the DLC quest you will gain access to the awesome new weapon that id has added, the Nailgun. This at first may seem like a simple throwback to the Quake days, however once you start using it you'll find that it's much more, with interchangeable barrels that allow sniping with rebar, and railgun shots. Add to that a new bandit clan to fight, a new Mutant Bash TV adventure, and an option to replay your best battles, The Scorchers takes the Rage experience to a whole new level. It's available on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, and after playing both the PC and PS3 versions I can say without a doubt it is worth the cash. So put on your asbestos underwear and get ready to heat things up!