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!

superadventuresingaming.blogspot.com

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.]

ncloud.blogspot.com

 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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Muramasa: The Demon Blade, Hand-Drawn Pandemonium

Prepare to be spirited away into a pixel world of scheming Shogunate Lords, wandering samurai warriors, ninja clans, frenzied Demons and various scornful Gods, all warring over powerful swords known as Demon Blades.

Muramasa: The Demon Blade is an action-adventure hack-n-slash game, with a sheath full of Japanese mythology and lore. Every piece of scenery in this digitized wonderland was crafted with precise and vivid strokes: farmland hills burst from the screen with bold colours, dark bamboo forests hide secrets of their foggy caves, temples stand tall and unbowed, rivers of water teem with life, and trees sway with dreamlike movement.

It's very clear that the background artists were inspired by the 17th century impressionist masters, Hokusai and Hiroshige. Tokatsu, Eight Views of Hell, is a reference to the naming conventions used by both artists to indicate which “View” or place in Japan they were painting. And there's the more creative use of Hokusai's most famous piece of work The Great Wave at Kanagawa, which places your character directly on the boat – fighting a Kraken. Marvelous!

kotaku.com

There are two selectable characters: Kisuke – an amnesiac fugitive aided by a foxy spirit. And Momohime – a princess possessed by a cunning spirit of a swordsman known as Izuna Jinkuro. It does not matter which character you pick first, their paths intersect and funnel into several climatic endings. Luckily, both protagonists share the same controller scheme; by learning one, you'll acclimatize yourself to both.

The D-pad is used for movement: jumping, ducking, rolling and running. The buttons are mapped to attack, special techniques and item use. Holding down the attack button blocks, in this stance, combining the directional D-pad inputs activates blazing fast aerial strikes, upward slashes and powerful defense breakers. However, the true rulers of the battlefield are the Demon blades you forge. Depending on the equipped blade, you may command tornadoes, spiritual energy orbs, or execute various enemy grinding attacks.

Your repertoire of demon slaying tools will increase with each level-up and defeated foe. Each enemy has a distinctive look and attack patterns, that require a planned approach to fighting: some bosses need to be climbed to reach their exposed mantra, others have protective barriers, or are susceptible to more damage by deflecting their attacks. I don’t want to give away too much, but the spectacle of fighting a raging dragon within a thunderstorm will be imprinted on your psyche long after you shut off the game.

cnet.com

You'll even do a bit of cooking! Collecting recipes and using gathered ingredients, gives you a chance to make provisions. When not in combat mode, you can start a fire and throw a bunch of ingredients into a pot and boil/grill actual usable items that heal or give extra properties. It is refreshing to see such a simple approach for item procurement. Your character may even become too full if he/she eats a big meal, which will prevent them from using healing items for a set amount of time

The game has an easy learning curve, many save spots, and you can revive at the same screen you were downed. Or you can always level up your character, and seek out stat enhancing items to equip. There's also a nifty map system that overlays onto the screen to show you the level's layout and reveal points of interest.

Muramasa's soundtrack is very enjoyable too. The music has an unpredictable almost theatrical feel that surprises the listener by shifting in tone and speed. And features a unique blend of traditional Japanese music – lutes, flutes, violins, bells, precise rhythmic drum beats – and more modern, off the cuff, instrumentation: pulsating bass, rockin' guitars and bombastic electronic keyboard licks.

Because of the insane amount of time it takes to create moving hand-drawn artwork, the backgrounds are often reused in each of the various levels, along with many of the foes. You'll spend a lot of time running from left to right and vice versa. Stopping only for story tidbits, and to cook much needed rations. I also noticed some wonky balancing in the difficulty setting, most evident while playing as Momohime.

Unlike the backgrounds the characters are drawn in a style known as Chibi. And all in-game dialogue is in Japanese. If this is not your forte, this title may not be for you. Your loss. On a more dramatic note, getting the true ending will be a battle of determination, requiring the forging of all 108 Demon Blades. This means a lot of grinding and soul collecting (souls being the mojo of forging). I recommend using the Classic Controller!

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Those subtle flaws are overwritten by the game's smooth 2D animation, edgy design and perfect control. I would expect nothing less from the folks that made Odin Sphere and Dragon's Crown. Video games crafted with love and finesse such as this one are on the endangered species list. Make sure to snag them if you come across one. You will not regret it.

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Last strike to the gusto, Classic games like Muramasa will increase in value – this has been proven with the resurgence of interest in retro video games – simply because interactive artworks need patrons to enjoy them.

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Muramasa: The Demon Blade gets four promiscuous Kitsune spirits out of five. 

play it proud

 Developer: Vanillaware

Publisher: Ignition

Platform: Wii, PS Vita 

Released: 2009/2013 (Vita)

Genre: Action-Adventure, Hack-n-slash

Castlevania Symphony of the Night: One Enchanted Evening

If you're a fan of Castlevania, you probably know that talking about all the viable games in the canon is like reaching into a coffin full of sticky gummy bats: picking the best one may be time consuming and a bit sticky. 

The entire series has about 20 (quite similar) games, but only a few gems worth snagging.

There's a lot of 'vanias to mull over, but the one thing I always felt to be true is that the series is at its best when exploring an interesting castle via a clever map layout.

!!!

fantasyanime.com

This was my queue to finally dig into my retro video games box, and find the very first Castlevania that used an on-screen map to help players navigate a maze-like castle: A PS1 classic named Castlevania Symphony of the Night.

I placed my aged PS1 on a predetermined angle to properly load the game (that laser was always a bit finicky), excitedly slid in my copy of SOTN, and gently closed the disc cover (took me a few tries due to a sticky flap button).

But enough talk, let's have at this.

games.culturesite.org

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is a 2D side-scroller first released in 1997, on the original PlayStation. The game differs a lot from its early classic installments, and is consider the best in the series, because of its open-ended design and infusion of RPG elements, that include exploration, leveling up, and a robust equipment system.

Strap your cloak on, and help Alucard (a dhampir), stop Dracula's eternal spite of mankind by banishing his demonic dad back to the realm of Daimakaimura. Ok, I'm overlooking several plot points and tidbits, but this is an adventure game after all, and as cool as the story is, it's all about "The Adventuring".

I haven't played this game in over 10 years, but its colourful graphics and smoothly animated sprites are just as impressive as they were in 1997. And as soon as the first musical crescendo signaled the beginning of the adventure, I was ready to delve into this retro goodness, once more (or for the sixth time, to be precise).

Groove that Stakes the Heart

The music contained within this game is legendary. When I heard it the first time, I paused the game to check if there was an entire orchestra shoved into my PS1. Moody. Melodic. Transcendent. The compositions are unique and unexpected, yet super refined. No filler here. Many of the tracks contain rocking guitar work, bouncing bass, enchanting violins, jazzy drums, gripping angelic choirs and subtle (and not so subtle) piano pieces.

This melange of instruments creates some of the wildest and most entrancing music ever produced for a video game. You'll find yourself wanting to pause in the various places of the castle just to hear the entire track play out. I wont jive more, just listen to my favourite track: The Tragic Prince. Do it!

Curiously, all the spoken dialog in the game sounds like it was recorded inside a cone-shell placed at the bottom of a large decrepit dresser. I'm not sure where the producer found the English voice talent, but the spoken dubbing is seriously comical. Luckily, there isn't a lot of voice-overs in the game. And none of the sound FX share the same issues (woo!).

Candlelight Fantasia

The game's graphics are on par with the music: SOTN creators meticulously crafted every inch of the castle with incredible attention to detail. Every room and area of Dracula's Castle feels and looks different. Although many of backgrounds are 2D and hand-drawn, many of the architectural textures have pronounced depth and are so articulate they almost look photo-realistic.

The backgrounds are filled with all manner of Gothic relics, statues, odd contraptions, ghastly trinkets and memorable architecture. I cannot think of another 2D game where I would stop playing just to examine a painting, a piece of furniture, or just take in the symmetrical nature of the stage props. Many outer rooms also extend beyond the actual field of play, to reveal rooftops held by angelic statues, inner-workings of machines, or hanging skeletal remains of previous adventurers. Neat.

Because this game came out at the pinnacle of the early 3D craze, the developers did render certain objects in 3D, but the end result was a bit lackluster and quite unnecessary since 95% of this game was hand-drawn. Although effects such as the scrolling sky found in the Royal Chapel stage, and the river of flowing lava in the Catacombs, add a flavorful dimension to the game, and complement the 2D art quite nicely.

game-cinema.ru

 Bloodstained Lineage

At first, Alucard won't have immediate access to many areas of the castle, but as you level him up and explore, more of the map will reveal itself to you. Still, many items are cleverly hidden requiring you to examine your surroundings closely. Wooden plank blocking the way? Lure an explosive barrel hurling skeleton. Background gears sound strange when hit? Try locking them with repeated attacks. There's an inconspicuous looking-glass atop of a tower? Well... look through it! And don't forget to break odd-looking walls!!

The castle may seem like a jumbled mess, but after an hour spend inside the devil's dwelling, you'll find yourself wanting to explore every inch of the game. And the rewards for doing so are well worth the effort. Items. Items. And items. Listing all the weapons, armour, and trinkets would take an entire span of this review, so I'll only mention a couple curiosities: A sword that summons undead warriors, a cape that turns Alucard semi-invisible, and shoes that discretely increase his height (?).

There are also some unique finds, which will allow Alucard to morph into a wolf, a bat, and take form of a mist cloud. Several Familiars will join the fight (providing that you'll find them): a faerie, that debuffs Alucard's negative stats and heals him; a little mischievous devil, with a flair for elemental attacks; a living sword which floats around, always poised to attack; a ghastly skull and a little cute bat.

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Of Dhampirs and Men

Alucard can equip a shield in one hand and a sword/mace/brass knuckle in the other. He can also put on stat-increasing/element resistant items in the form of capes, masks, armour, helmets, and numerous rings. Being a bad-ass half-vampire, he can also perform secret techniques that range from feeding on spilled blood for a quick HP regen, teleporting in a column of fire, to blatantly sucking life energy from his opponents. (Soul Steal for the win!)

Dracula's castle is truly an occult bazaar full of strange critters and monstrosities: demonic knights, possessed marionettes, poltergeist swords, merman, flea-men, ghastly goblins, elemental spirits, slimes, and many more – it's a compendium of evil mythological lore made real by crafty Japanese game-makers. Some of the bosses are truly stunning, and are so huge that the screen cannot contain their sprites. 

Special mention must go to Granfaloon aka The Legion (a gigantic sphere made entirely of ghastly nude bodies), and Galamoth (an armour-clad supernatural behemoth that attacks with electricity).

taringa.net

I could go on, but the delights of this game are best when tasted on your own. Go on, play this 2D Danse Macabre before it vanishes along with the fading moonlight.

Castlevania: SOTN gets five majestically howling Wargs out of five.

But wait! Just when you think it's all done, there's another Castle that literally 'inverts' the gameplay!!!

I'll let you figure out that one.

Also, Alucard is Dracula spelled backwards... you may leave now, no need to thank me.

shake it off!

Developer: Konami

Publisher: Konami

Platform: PlayStation, Sega Saturn, PS3, Xbox 360, PSP

Released:1997

Genre: Action-Platformer-RPG

Shovel Knight: A Pristine Pixel Crown

If I asked you, what's the best 8-bit game, what would you say? Castlevania? Mega Man 2? Both are classics, no doubt. But. The best 8-bit game by far is Shovel Knight. 

Never heard of it? That's because the game just recently came out. A brand new 2D adventure that's guaranteed to flicker your pixelated love pump. Start rotating those thumbs, you'll need 'em to be primed.

Shovel Knight is a 2D action-platformer, made to resemble old 8-bit games of yesteryear. In an industry that rotates triple-A games like used up socks, this may seem like madness. Yet one company (Yacht Club Games) dared to dream in pixels, and launched an ultra successful Kickstarter project that has materialized the most talked-about game of 2014.

taringa.net

Seeking treasure to unearth, Shovel Knight and his companion Shield Knight have entered the Tower of Faith. While exploring the tower, the two knights become spellbound by a powerful dark amulet. Moments later, Shovel Knight awakens without his comrade.

What's a noble to do, but ready his shovel and brave the challenges ahead!

The graphics are sharp and vibrant. And the sprites – while pixelated – are surprisingly clean and detailed. The colour palette mirrors Nintendo's entire range of bustling 53 colours, with about 12 colours displayed at a time. Add some solid parallax scrolling for depth, and you got a game. A game that is not about the graphics; but about depth of gameplay, and a renewed crusade for innovative play mechanics.

It's all about the soul within it the armour: remember that, all you future squires.

There are shops to visit, castles to storm, and errands to solve. Doted across the mini map are numerous locals in need of good ol' shoveling. Each castle is home to a unique knight, that must be dethroned to progress farther. But getting to the last screen is no easy task, perils are everywhere. The jumps need to be timed PERFECTLY, enemies need to be utilized as living platforms, magic needs to rationing, and bonus abilities have to be unearthed to make progress a bit easier -- this game's everywhere you wanna be.

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You're not considered a gamer until you've balanced yourself while bouncing on a moving gear, just to execute a perfectly timed vault over a chasm, while phasing through that one flying foe that's about to ram you into a pit. Luckily, there are many useful skills/items to purchase and find: fireball wand, a rustic gear platform, arcing anchors, rolling blob balls, and several armours to craft. While the game is challenging, it's never unfair, because every time you perish you only loose a portion of cash – which can be recovered, providing you make it back to reclaim it.

The game's world is filled with quirky characters, who spout offbeat lines, making you smirk every time a text box pops up. The writer has a flair for penmanship, unleashing streams of text that flood your cerebellum with goodness. Chatting with an NPC is never dull. On par with the writing, are the lovable characters: anthropomorphic horse maidens, goat scholars, frog gentlemen, twisted tree-bards, propeller wearing mice, shifty ghosts and sleepy yellow dragons! It's a strange brew of men and beasts, oh so delightful.

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The Boss Knight encounters are very a la Mega Man: with foes unleashing patterned onslaughts, which can only be quelled by practiced counter-attacks. I don't want to give away too much, but this game will demand that you remember your repertoire of moves quickly. It's quite amazing how much personality is contained within all those pixelated sprites. And since ROM is not an issue, the game contains a fair amount of lengthy content, and lots of chiptune music that will shovel its way into your groove veins.

Shovel Knight pays homage to the glorious and memorable games of your youth, and unlocks that special time and place you've stored away inside a nostalgia box. The game reanimates that perfect freeze-frame in time, where you're pulling on the controller as if it's going to extend your jump trajectory. Or that moment when you have finally managed to defeat the last boss, and you're stomping about the basement, joyous and victorious, at 2 am.

This clever title latches onto that youthful magic, and asks only to be enjoyed wholeheartedly and repeatedly. And what it gives back is totally wonderful: A continuation of the best time of your life. I tip my golden chalice, and wish for all the Lord Knights to return once more.

Shovel Knight gets five jewel-encrusted shovels out of five.

Developer: Yacht Club Games

Publisher: Yacht Club Games

Platform: 3DS, Wii U, Windows, OS X, Linux

Released: 2014

Genre: Action-Platformer

You'll Dig It!

 

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

rpgfan.com

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

picstopin.com

Tomb Raider: Explorer's Journey into Cult of Croft

If your only recollection of Tomb Raider is the two marginal flicks staring Angelina Jolie, do yourself a favour and look up Lara Croft. Long story short, she's an intelligent, athletic, explorer of ancient tombs, who happens to collect valuable trinkets—a total everyday woman.

This time the party responsible for unhinging the crypt again is Crystal Dynamics: a company famed for creating Gex and the Legacy of Kain games. If you're expecting a hot-pants sporting, dual-pistol wielding Lara of old, you may be a little surprised.

For this title, Crystal Dynamics chose to focus on the origin story of fan favourite English archaeologist, Lara Croft. A time when she seems less experienced, yet determined to make her mark nevertheless. Proving once again that archaeology can be a very demanding trade.

Will of Yamatai

gtplanet.net

After a violent shipwreck, Lara finds herself bound and hanging upside down in a confined cave. In a frenzied attempt to escape her predicament, Lara lands on a protruding spike which punctures through her abdomen (good job freeing her). Bloodied and hurt, she stumbles through the darkness into a gory sacrificial chamber. Her discovery indicates a beginning of a malicious struggle she must overcome to escape the mysterious Yamatai island, and its brutish inhabitants: The Solarii Brotherhood.

In an attempt to flee a volatile roundup of her crew-mates, Lara is forced to kill for the first time. This scene is absolutely brutal and not for the squeamish. It also sets the tonality of the entire game: you must learn to survive at all cost. In fact, the entire game engine is set up on that premise. And that's a good thing. You'll hunt, collect artifacts, explore puzzle-filled tombs, and combat waves of crazed enemies.

Every enemy that you neutralize can be searched for items. And many weapon upgrades can be found as you progress. Your movement is not restricted by a preset path, as the stages intertwine and change in layout as the story moves on. There's also plenty of opportunities to back-track with new weapon upgrades to uncover more areas and story tidbits. My favourite way of traversing is using Lara's bow to shoot ropes across great chasms and then zip-lining away.

Crafting with Croft

digitaltrends.com

Reaching a campsite provides opportunity for respite, and enables Lara to use gained experience points to unlock skills and abilities. Those can range from survival skills, such as, arrow recovery and more space to carry ammo, to combat upgrades that make you more proficient at stealth kills. (Stabbing a foe in the toe with an arrow just to axe him in the head never gets old.) The best part about this experience-based upgrading is that it feels like a natural way of gaining skills as the game progresses.

The game's design esthetic borrows from Eastern cultures, and integrates imposing statues, temples, and modern scavenged technology to create a distinctive tapestry of memorable visuals. The island itself is prone to extreme and changing weather patters which prevent you from reaching your goal safely. The environmental conditions in this game are stunning, especially when coupled with the highly detailed and realistic structures of the ancient island.

Blinding winds blanket the landscape, tearing apart everything that's not bolted down. Lightning bolts strike mountains, moving the very ground you're on—swiftly providing some inverted platforming travel. And there are plenty of crazy action sequences: Lara crushes through a falling B-52, and smashes into its glass cockpit with just enough time to reach for a parachute before the glass cracks, then free-falls through a dense forest canopy hoping for a safe landing. I hope you like quick-time events because there are many.

Journey-Woman Lives
 

kikoo.pl

The story is fantastic, and structured with tight and mature writing. A forgotten ancient tribe that worshiped a supernatural queen, a violent and raging cult, fearsome bloodthirsty Japanese demons, and plenty of emotional scenes to tie it all together. Indeed, the mysterious dark island possess many dreadful secrets for Lara to uncover as she progresses. The voice acting is great, and the entirety of the dialogue feels like a well crafted script. Penned by, Rhianna Pratchett, and voiced by English actress, Camilla Luddington, this new young Lara is in the right hands. Or vocal chords I should say.

The music in the game tends to build tension, and feels like a natural extension of the environments you travel through: chimes, woodwind instruments, subtle piano parts, and some very strange horror-like FX—made by a homemade steel contraption, used for all the intense encounters in the game. This standout score was composed by Jason Graves, whose work can be heard in the Dead Space series and Star Trek: Legacy.

The multilayer component of the game is also worth a mention. There's the standard PvP combat, Private Rescue where teams must move medical supplies to marked locations, and Cry for Help, which involves exploring the map to retrieve batteries and defending radio beacons from scavengers by setting traps. All the mechanics from the main game carry over to multilayer, making this—first-ever—addition to Tomb Raider functional and fun.

Gloom and Shine

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My only issue with the game was the graphic depictions of Lara's numerous deaths. When Lara dies, she really dies in agony. What's really unsettling about it, is that the game auto saves right before dying. This repeats the fatality until you get the timing of the button press, or become proficient at avoiding lethal objects. I don't have issues with gory content if it delivers a more believable experience, but some of the scenarios got a bit daunting for my taste.

Also, the survival skills that seemed interesting in the beginning, like gathering meat from killed animals, were rendered useless rather quickly. Mostly because Lara's health regenerates fast, and combat becomes more predominate later on. And there's the guide markers: Ledges marked with flashing lines, which tend to stand out too much from the environment and delude the immersion factor.

Putting the gory bits and shinny delusions aside, I'm happy to say that playing this revival of the Lara Croft franchise was like stumbling upon a valued historical artifact in my backyard: an experience definitely worth treasuring. Marooned on a mysterious island, Lara must learn to survive in a very hostile environment. Driven by her astounding inborn determination she must overcome her vulnerabilities and become a survivor. Will you help her find her way?

Tomb Raider gets five benevolent Japanese figurines out of five. 

Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Publisher: Square Enix
Platform: PS3/4, Xbox 360/One, OS X
Genre: Action Adventure
Released: 2013

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Christmas With The Batman, an Origins Story

When I first heard that the new Batman game would focus on the masked crusader's origins, I was ecstatic. Now here's a hero with an extensive back story and lots of flying mammal skeletons in his closet. Plenty of material to choose from for a new game, I said. And patiently waited.

An origin story, almost

The creators of Batman Arkham Origins chose to stick to the well crafted formula set by Arkham Asylum and Arkham City games. The combat is still smooth and dynamic, gadgets are aplenty, and the atmosphere is galvanizing. Unfortunately, beyond that, the game does not stray out of its comfortable and preset foundation. A pity, since the title Origins states a beginning of something new in development.

Let's have a closer look under the cowl, because Arkham Origins is still a solid noteworthy title.

A relentless kingpin known as The Black Mask puts out a hit on Batman. Moments later (literally) a slew of shady foes answer the call to kill: Deathstroke, Bane, Copperhead, Deadshot, Anarky, Firefly and Penguin. Looks like there will be no Christmas dinner for Bruce Wayne. Alfred will have to feed the bats again, alone. And on his Birthday no less—OK, I made that one up.

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A night in Gotham 

Out of the cold winter night Batman descends on a criminal-infested Gotham City. Swiftly proving that the production values in this game are staggering. The large gloomy city is designed to mirror characteristics of Tim Burton's Batman flicks: many archways, domed structures, tall steeples, grimy alleyways, odd statues, and rooftops. And the best part: By using his famed grapnel gun, Batman can easily scour the entire impressively detailed Gotham City landscape.

Since the entire city is under martial law, there are lots of criminals to bust and stalk. This allows plenty of opportunities to utilize Batman's silent take-down techniques and gadgets like batarangs, explosive gel mines, smoke bombs and numerous other crime-busting devices. The majority of fights are executed using the fluid combat system established by Origins predecessors. You'll counter, dodge, and flow from one foe to the next, gain experience, unlock more abilities, and feel great about it. It's awesome. Except, it was all done in previous games.

Now you may point out—as my friend did—that this is a beat 'em up game after all. Yes, that it is. And a fine one at that. However, this is a third entry in the Batman franchise. And for a game that promises to present a “young, raw, more unrefined” Batman, it still feels like you're controlling an experienced master crime-buster we all know from the previous games.

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Opportunity cowed 

Playing through certain parts of the game, I felt like there were many opportunities for the designers to come up with something different. When the anti-authority angst-y youth, Anarky, threatens to blow up Gotham's economic centres of power, Batman is tasked with disarming the bombs. After doing so, Batman engages Anarky in combat and busts his face. I would have gotten more enjoyment trying to convince Anarky to join my side, and have him target some of my foes.

Mad Hatter makes a brief appearance, offering a brief respite from combat. He forces Batman into a 2-D dreamworld where the Dark Knight has to rely on his platforming skills. This could have been a perfect side-quest to inject more puzzle-like elements into the gameplay. I would love an opportunity to use Batman's legendary computer—you know, the one takes up half the Bat Cave. Instead, we are, once again, tasked with finding collectibles, and doing missions to unlock extra content and additional moves. Not a very creative way to extend play time.

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Diving into delights 

Fortunately there are plenty of great moments in the game: Free-gliding through all the numerous structures will give you a feeling of total immersion and non-linear progression. It's fun. It's functional. It's all about being a powerful kick-ass hero. You now have an option of setting objectives according to your priority. By doing so, a giant Bat Signal will mark the spot you need to get to. This makes navigation a breeze, and you are never left wandering astray. You can also use Batman's slick jet to move onto drop off points, providing you disable Riddler's jamming towers. Nygma!!

I really enjoyed investigating crime scenes using Batman's scanner, and seeing the entire crime in a virtual reality state, where I could rewind time to see past actions and study the area for all possible clues. In a true Batman game tradition, the original tone-setting music is simply incredible, and can easily match any big budget Hollywood score. Also, the boss battles use the foundation of the solid combat engine, and allow you to exhibit all of Batman's skills and gadgets. I especially like how Batman scavenges his foes' weapons, and converts them to his cause.

It's hard to recommend this game to a newbie. If you never played Batman: Arkham Asylum, or Arkham City, I suggest you try those out. For the price of this game you could have both. And lets face it, you'll still probably get this game to complete your collection. Most likely at a lower cost, since you'd have to blow through two Batman games before getting to this one.

Batman Origins gets four scuffed Bat-cowls out of five. 

Developer: Warner Bros Games Montreal

Publisher: Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment

Platform: PC, PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360

Genre: Beat-'em-up

Released: 2013

Happy Holidays, Hope It's Pure West!

Thunder Force V, Glimpse of Shooter Heaven

To enjoy this review fully you'll need to put on a pair of nostalgia specs. If your monitor becomes a bit finicky and rough around the edges, don't fret, that's just the early 1998 resolution: a way-back realm of low polygons and rough CG compression.

Today we enter the house of PlayStation. Pop the flap open, place the black disk onto the reel—make sure to hold it by its sides—and press in the circular Power button. Let's begin our venture into another classic shooter: Thunder Force V.

Touted as the greatest shooter series amongst its numerous fans, Thunder Force V first came out on Sega Saturn in 1997, and got its well deserved PS1 port the following year. Thunder Force V deserves its spot in the limelight for three reasons: it has wickedly articulate mechanical designs—a la Gundam, lots of gnawing skirmishes, and a kick-ass hard-rocking soundtrack.

I was going to write how utterly and undeniably awesome Thunder Force V is, but as soon as I started playing it an unprecedented nostalgic feeling swept over me.

It's 1998, I'm 18 and chilling at my friend's house. He tells me to check out this new Japanese shooter he just got, and plumps the game disc into his PS1. He takes a few steps towards me to hand me a controller, but accidentally trips on the system's power cord, pulling the entire PS1 off of the TV shelf...

We spent the next 20 minutes trying to secure a near busted flap so the laser would read the disk. Two well placed Hobby Japan magazines later, and we're finally playing Thunder Force V. An hour into the game, we're staring at the screen mesmerized by the game's up-beat tempo, iconic design, while thumping our feet to some of the most irresistible rock/metal tunes to grace a video game.

I wasn't kidding when I told you to put on those nostalgia specs.

Playing shooters on the PS1 was almost ceremonial in my friend circles. Because everyone I knew had their system “chipped” to play imported and copied games; our combined game libraries were overflowing with obscure titles. We'd play games before and after school, sometimes popping into a friend's abode at lunch or during a spare class.

Sometimes the good ol' Playstation would get finicky and not load certain games, or unplugging a controller would delete the memory card, but that didn't matter to us. Replaying games would mean more time spent with our favourite hobby. Sometimes we would stop playing to scrounge for some leftover pasta in the kitchen—which we would usually overcook due to not paying attention. Most times though, it was all about gaming till dawn.

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Getting together for some gaming was a familiar scene for the entire PS1 life cycle. It was a time of socializing in smaller less intrusive groups. And a time when the gaming industry was at the pinnacle of innovation—not technologically by creatively. Although I do not resent today's focus on sharing of our digitized persona, I do believe that to appreciate something artistic to a greater length one must observe and share the experience of it with another person present. Passively playing video games with close friends seems to be a forgotten hobby these days. Luckily my PS1 is still spinning all its games.

I hope you enjoyed spending time dodging bullets in the Den of Shooters. If you're curious about this often overlooked genre of games check out my feature on the origin of shoot 'em ups: Inside The Bullet Hurricane.  

Developer: Technosoft

Publisher: Technosoft, Working Designs

Platform: Sega Saturn, PlayStation

Genre: Shooter

Released: 1997

Raiden 3: Den of Red Thunder and Blue Lightning

Hi there reader. Do you like score-based vertical shooters? Are your digits dexterous enough to withstand onslaughts of virtual bullets? Is your PS2 getting kinda lonely sitting between its two fresher siblings?

If you answered yes to even one of those questions, you're cool enough to glide with the dual player lightning called Raiden 3. Place your PS2 vertically, unravel its controller cords, and sit down comfortably. Time to ride the lightning.

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The Raiden series is probably the most recognizable arcade-style game in shooter history. One or two players control either the red or the blue ship, and blast away clusters of enemy spacecraft. This formula has served the series well since its 1990 inception, and Raiden 3 is no different.

This is the type of game in which you'll spend many lives trying to figure out enemy patters. You'll chase elusive floating weapon upgrades. And you'll dodge waves of bullets shot from fleets of futuristic war machines like jets, choppers, submarines, spaceships, and huge menacing bosses. It's fun. It's frantic. And the best part: it can all be shared with another player, because the game can be played simultaneously.

All the classic Raiden weaponry is here too: the Vulcan shot which spreads broad, the piercing blue laser that's injected with lightning for good measure, and the good ol' Proton blast used to incinerate foes in a sweeping wave. There are also three different missile types and, of course, your ship is equipped with a projectile clearing, and very destructive, cluster bomb(s). Unleash the payload and let 'em rust in peace!

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Although the game is 2-D, all moving sprites and all the structures in the backgrounds have been skillfully sculpted with polygons—adding surprising depth to the scrolling battlefields. All the battlegrounds are scenic and enjoyable to fly by: beaches, cities, asteroid colonies, and metallic fortresses with confining corridors; everything in the game is well detailed and clearly defined. I almost feel bad for shooting down all those shiny jets and impressive bosses.

When two players are playing simultaneously, the screen can become splattered with bullets decreasing visibility and amplifying the inertia. This is what classic shooting action is all about. If you or the person you're playing with is new to shooters, the game has several difficulty levels that can either, ease you in, or grind you down.

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After finishing a stage, you can select to practice on that stage or try gunning for a higher score; you may even choose to fight any boss after beating the game once. There's a gallery of production artwork, and a feature to watch your saved replays. All the options make the game very user friendly and re-playable. For some added wackiness, I recommend the Double Play Mode where one player can control two ships with one controller.   

Classic arcade games like Raiden 3 are all almost gone and forgotten. I found my copy while cottaging in a small lake-side town, and payed $10 for it. It was worth every dollar. Anyone who still recalls the lure of the arcades will get a kick out of this classic. Filled with fast-paced action, easy to understand mechanics, and armed with catchy techno-synth tunes, Raiden 3 will take you on a memorable flight. Don't be afraid to clip your wings, and shoot down all incoming ships.

Developer: Moss Ltd.

Publisher: UFO

Platform: PS2

Genre: Vertical Shooter

Released: 2007 (US)

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