Dark Souls: Soul Soup for the Wicked

I've been feeling very nostalgic lately. Strangely, the latest memory jolt wasn't about games from yesteryear, 8/16/32-bit era, but for a much current stock of games. One game called out, above all other titles, from the depths of my psyche to be played again. 

That game is the beloved, and simultaneously hated, Dark Souls.

Much has been said about Dark Souls. The world of Lordran is a very brooding, mysterious and dangerous place for gamers of all walks of life. It is fair to say, that this third-person hack-and-slash adventurer, not only injected new interest into the dusty action-rpg genre, but also swiftly cemented FromSoftware as the kingmaker of ungodly, difficult, impossible to put down, games.

The game is hard, cryptic, and unrelenting in its onslaught to demolish new players wishing to delve into its clutches. This viciously circular curriculum is only possible because of the open world structure of Dark Souls, and its minimalist approach to lore/mechanics and general pointers. Those wishing to learn about the in-game world, must closely examine every nook, found item, while observing the sprawling environment. To progress in DS, is to die! And die and die again!

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The difficulty scaling of DS does not come from the many hard-hitting enemies encountered, but from the game's core design based on dying/reviving/exploring/leveling up:

Dying

No hints are given. Items must be looted, earned, or found. Helpful NPC are hidden throughout the world, and only help at a price. Strangely, the paths a rarely blocked; as if the game is trolling you by saying you are free to go anywhere. And indeed anywhere can be explored, should one wish. Except, an early visit to most places guarantees a swift demise. Many hideous and wild creatures hunt the realm of Lordran: Undead Wraiths, Drakes, Possessed Knights, Hellish Demons and all manner of twisted abominations, such as Bosses and their unsavory breed.

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Reviving

Death and rebirth is in the design. Upon revival, recovery of lost souls collected from fallen enemies (souls being the currency of DS) is always a possibility. A tricky feat, as DS enemies are prone to violent rng ganking, and the levels are filled with traps, chasms and dead ends filled with OP mobs. The bonfire save points peppered through the realm, provide as safe zone for restoring life-replenishing flasks and leveling up. Each bonfire can be kindled to increase its healing effectiveness by the use of Humanity: a sort of ritual of strengthening which reverses the process of hollowing. Adding another layer of difficulty are the unique NPC and player invasions which can happen while a player is in human form, knee deep in vigorous combat.

To offset this, cooperation with other friendly players is possible, and recommended for those in need of a helping blade. Also, experiencing those whattha fuuuuck/fuuuuck yeah!!! moments is always more fun with another person.

Exploring

Where to go and how best to get there is a staple conundrum in the DS universe. Each area is a part of a bigger whole that makes up the massive open world. Traveling through castle ramparts, ascending dilapidated chapels, looting catacombs, clearing out a wicked fortress, visiting a legendary metropolis, and fighting through the capital of a fallen civilization is all in the day’s work in DS. The genius of level design on display falls in the realm of perfection, as each area is seemingly connected by hidden paths that prompt the urge to explore.

Although the game is six years old, and its graphical limitations are now very visible, the overworld design still holds true. Each level is like a piece of classical painting that will etch its grandeur into player's psyche, stimulating urges to revisit time and time again. [A dedicated patching community crafts many graphical fixes for free download to PC users.]

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 Leveling up (true way)

Beating the game, and playing it again is the true way of experiencing DS, as more things will fall into place the second/third time around. Sure, the game is known for many hellishly aggravating spots, but to those resilient players with a keen eye and a knack for memorization, DS becomes a pleasure ride beyond compare. Choosing a proper starting class, selecting and finding the right item from the get-go, and proper distribution of stats, unlocks an incredible meta depth to DS. (Meta which takes form of specific character builds, progression paths, speed-running options, and the like.)

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Dark Souls is a rare game resistant to the tides of change in the industry. Its legacy is not carried by popularity or sales or even FormSoftware. Dark Souls lives gorging on the devotion of its fans: the freaks, the instigators, the adventurers, the statisticians, and community curators. What else needs to be said? Just this, in Lordran, eternal is the trail that binds us all together. Salutations to all the Stray Souls, and good hunting!

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Pandora's Tower: Emotion and Beauty Caught in a Storm

Wound of a World 

Patched by 13 Towers 

Floating Above a Void 

One Brave Knight 

One Distressed Soul 

Once Upon a Time...

Curse of the Flesh Must be Resolved

Pandora's Tower feels like an old-style epic that focuses on character development as much as it does on action. The two main protagonists are Aeron: a young man who is tasked with conquering beastly masters of thirteen mysterious towers; and his cursed childhood friend Elena: a girl who needs to consume the masters' flesh to rid of her curse.

This is may seem like a creepy premise for a game, but it works because of the evolving relationship between Aeron and Elena. What begins as friendship evolves into a relationship, finally flourishing into love. And this love motif is not some forgetful notion to be used as a mere narrative drive, it's actually ingrained into the gameplay.

Beauty Distressed 

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When not exploring the towers, Aeron is able to talk with Elena. By exchanging some kind words with the lovely maiden their relationship grows, which influences the type of ending you'll get at the end of your journey. Just like real life, having a good report with a girl is pivotal to character development.

How far the couple's bond extends dependents on several neat features: By conversing, selecting the right responses, and sharing information the two lovers sooth and confine each other. Any item in Aeron's possession can be given as a gift -- although, Elena is not interested in weaponry or weird items. She prefers lovely trinkets such as rings, broaches, or household items, which she'll often use to spruce up their hideout.

The towers provide many items that can be turned into useful equipment and fancy gifts. And Mavda, the eccentric merchant woman who carries her monstrous husband inside a large cauldron strapped to her back, is always ready to lend a hand -- at a reasonable price of course. What's neat about the game is that Elena wears her gifts around the hideout, and if you let her curse get too far, her abrupt transformation into a ghastly being will break the items.

Glory of the Chain 

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During frequent visits to the towers the focus is action, searching, and monster slaying. To combat the hostile critters of the towers, Aron can be equipped with various weapons, armour and helpful trinkets. The youth's main tool of combat is an enchanted Oraclos Chain, which can be used to bind, pull, and tear all foes. The chain is also spiritually linked to Elena, and shows how far along her curse is progressing, wait too long and beauty shifts to beast.

By aiming the Wiimote at specific objects an "O" icon appears, enabling you to interact with them by using the chain. The stages are made for fast movement, and offer plenty of opportunities for fulfilling platforming and swinging action. While aiming, the game slows down, allowing for swift targeting of specific parts. Enemies can be bound to objects, or to each other to link their life points, and be disarmed from armour or weapons.

During boss encounters, the chain's mechanics really shine. To avoid being swept into a hellish inferno, Aeron must cling onto a cavernous ceiling, and wait until a gigantic molten master surfaces to tear at its flesh. When facing the plant-like master, the chain is used to pull the boss to prevent it from healing in the sun light. I don't want to give away too much, but trust me, each encounter with a master is memorable and innovative.

Towers of Wonder; Sounds of Doom; You Will Return

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Visually Pandora's Tower is one of the best looking Wii titles available. The textures are smooth, the colours are bright and bold, and each of the towers has challenges unique to its surroundings and constructs. Running around, you'll often loose yourself in the emotive atmosphere of this game. The two recurring issues I had with the overall design, was not being able to control the camera, and noticing reused sections/rooms throughout the towers.

The score for this game is of highest quality. Fully orchestrated, and clearly based on classical opera compositions of grand master composers like Franz Liszt and Caccini. The symphonic arrangements in this game will take you to euphoric highs. Just listen to this Boss Theme. It kind of sucks that the tracks get reused a bit throughout the adventure. And I really wish there was more classical music similar to this score in more games.

The game's world has a very rich back-story that you'll piece together by reading tomes about the towers, conversing with Mavda, and witnessing Elena's vivid visions. There are many subtle, political, and religious overtones that complement the game's focus on turmoil and destiny. And I enjoyed the parallels between a world that's about to be torn apart by war, and the healing bond of youthful love.

It's worth noting that after beating the game once, you'll gain access to more rooms and items, which will help you get the best ending, if you did not do so the first time around.

Just like Pandora's Box, Pandora's Tower was destined not to be played with. However, because of some dedicated North American fanfare Nintendo's decision not to localize the game for the American audience was overturned. Thanks to the fine people who spoke up, we can all witness Aeron's resolve to keep his lover from loosing her humanity to the hungry beast within.

Pandora's Tower gets 92 sturdy chain links out of a 100. 

Developer: Ganbarion
Publisher: Xseed Games
Platform: Wii
Genre: Action RPG
Released: 2013

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Dragon's Crown: Return to the 2D Roost

Dragon's Crown stands among current next-gen offerings as an absolute delicacy: like a Wyvern-roasted, crispy, sheep meal.

Hide your herd; here be Dragons!

What you'll like

Dragon's Crown is a four player simultaneous (online or local) action-RPG which places you in highly-emotive fantasy settings. If you dream of Dungeons & Dragons ventures, you'll be very comfortable playing this game.

Better yet, make some room in the basement and invite your mates to join this wicked treasure jaunt. The combat is easy, the awesome visuals paint the screen, and the outlandish music blends with great narration to move the plot-driven story onward. 

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When starting, you can select from six different characters: Fighter, Amazon, Wizard, Elf, Dwarf, and Sorceress. If you're hands-on, sword to the throat, kinda guy/gal you'll enjoy the brawler types: Fighter and Dwarf. If you're a sneaky attacker with a flair for technicality you'll enjoy the Elf and Amazon. If indirect action and pyrotechnical spell-casting is what you live for then have cool the Wizard and Sorceress will travel.

In a dungeon-crawler such as this content is what lures most players to return. And return you will, as the game has an engaging story, hidden areas, and multiple optional paths to take. Each character can be customized with a different colour patterns, equipped with various weapons, and can pick from a large roster of skills and abilities. But... is there loot? Oh, there be loot, and plenty of it. Found within the sprawling lush lands of Dragon's Crown are piles of weapons, myriads of intricate trinkets and items, and many many side-quests.

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The game's magnificently sculpted fantasy world is a delight to look at. Each area is intricately detailed by a process called “hand-shaping,” which lets the artists create 3D-like environments and characters in 2D. Ruined temples, cursed towers, treacherous mountains, and crumbling fortresses, all pull your eye into the landscape. Wraiths, vampires, dragons, busty... eh, blood thirsty babes, and other mythical critters await your blades. Some of the later bosses—such as the titular dragons—are so big they stuff the entire TV screen. When the action heats up with explosive spells, and bodies fly, the awesome factor gets upped tenfold – creating truly stunning visceral experiences.

What you might dismiss

The gameplay, while balanced and flavorful, can become a little daunting after prolonged play time; this is a hack-and-slash brawler, after all. Because each player has to pause the same screen to go into equip menus, playing with four can affect the pacing a bit. Also this is a mature tittle; as you may have heard there was some sexist controversy around this game due to questionable appearance and proportions of certain female characters. Consider this:

• Vanillaware lives and dies on appealing to its core audience: mature males. This partly influences their design choices; 

• Dragon's Crown takes place in a fantasy setting with fictional characters; and

• There's far less sexuality in this game than in “Lady Marmalade” video

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Is the quest worth it?

Do Dragons love treasure? The answer to both questions is: Yes. What you'll get if you buy Dragon's Crown is a content-filled, well-crafted product made by skillful tradesman who live for their craft. Vanillaware is a company which solely focuses on 2D games. And each title of theirs is as gorgeous as it is imaginative and unique. Now break the boundary of the norm and go forth into lands less travelled. You will not regret it.

If you haven't played Vanillaware's Odin Sphere or Muramasa: The Demon Blade, then I suggest you track those gems down. Those games and Dragon's Crown are some of the best next-gen old-school 2D adventurers out there. Check out Dragon's Crown Landing page too. Venture on. 

Developer: Vanillaware, Atlus

Publisher: Atlus, NIS America

Platform: PS3, PS Vita

Released: 2013

Genre: Action-Adventure, RP

Deus Ex: Human Revolution Review

Initiating
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Synchronizing ------------ Revolving
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                                        Deus Ex --------------- [Start]

Deus Ex takes place in the near-future when humans are able to augment themselves with cybernetic implants. Presented against a backdrop of a major breakthrough in human evolution, the game has a sense of real sophistication and contains well researched content on issues of technological evolution, class warfare, poverty and politics. 

After a near-fatal encounter with a terrorist group, Adam Jensen is physically augmented with cybernetics by his employer. Recommissioned for duty, Adam's new mission is to find the augments responsible for shattering his body and stealing his employer's research. Moving from one lead to another, Adam quickly becomes pulled into a world-wide conspiracy of corporate espionage. 

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Deus Ex is a cyberpunk-themed, first-person, action game that seamlessly blends role-playing elements into its gameplay. The game's impressively immense world is completely open-ended, and its story is very nonlinear: you are always given several options on how to approach a situation and progress farther. The story takes you through several countries: Extending the futurist settings and allowing you to witness the social and economic turmoil caused by human augmentation technology.  

When exploring, you're able to converse with NPCs and interact with numerous objects and terminals within the game's extensive world. At any given time you can arm yourself and takeout any NPC; although, in doing so, you will be considered as a hostile and be taken down promptly. Choosing to advance through social interaction/persuasion usually gives you the best benefits, as the game is more focused on stealth and non-lethal progression. But if you shoot a gang banger or two, whose to know?

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When following the main objective(s), you'll often encounter numerous characters asking for your help (you are a detective after all). If you decide to help, new points of interest become active on the map for you to investigate. These side-quests never really detract from your main objectives, and often net you major experience points while revealing more of the intriguing story.  

As you progress and earn experience points, more of Adam's cyber-implants can be activated. While upgrading, you can choose to augment specific body parts: brain, eyes, chest, arms, etc. This of course translates into a number of cool abilities. For example: upgrading the arms allows Adam to lift heavy objects, take-down foes (cyborg-style), or punch through walls; upgrading the cranium increases Adam's stealth techniques, his social persuasion skills, and hacking abilities.

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Hacking is a big part of this game, as there are numerous terminals, locked doors, and PCs to invade and conquer. By hacking, you'll often gain access to additional areas, syphon out key info, and generally feel like a bad-ass Neuromancer. When infiltrating/investigating a stealthy approach to combat is usually the most effective way to progress. Although there are a myriad of cool and customizable weapons at your disposal, knocking foes unconscious and skillful navigating the environment without being spotted is always a better idea than going in blazing. 

While the game has some rather dry boss encounters and freezing/skipping issues, taken in its entirety this sepia-toned, enamel coated, and progressive cyberpunk epic has an enduring quality to it: A must own chapter in the Deus Ex saga.

Developer: Eidos Montreal
Publisher: Square Enix
Platform: PC, PS3, Xbox360
Released: 2011
Genre: Action-adventure RPG