Monthly Archives: December 2017

Any ‘Port’ In A Storm: Xenoverse 2 (Switch) Review

by Jason Parker (Ragachak)

DB Xenvoerse 2 Review - 1

You know, just chillin’ in Canton City.

Today, I’m taking a look at one of my favorite games in the Dragonball franchise. Is that a controversial opinion? I don’t know, but knowing my luck, probably. But while normally I’m firmly against “Time Travel MacGuffin Nonsense” as I’ve come to call it, I enjoyed thoroughly this take on it, as I’m sure I said in my original review of Dragonball Xenoverse 2, right on this website. So, Dragonball Xenoverse 2 is the latest game to get ported over to the Switch, allowing users to take Xenoverse 2 anywhere they go. How does it hold up though? Sure, from a technological standpoint, it’s not as sound, because that’s just the way things go. But it looks brighter, prettier to me. The colors just seem to pop more than they did on my PC. But what’s the story for someone who has not played the first game? Towa and Mira are the two major villains, and they’re trying to corrupt the Dragonball universe’s timeline.

DB Xenoverse (Switch) Review - 2

Damnit Goku, I’m supposed to be the main character this time!

And that’s just what Dragonball needs, more insane chaos. So, the Time Patrollers job is to set the timeline right by going back and stopping these villains, the only way they know how: With violence. So players create a Majin, Sayajin, Human, Freiza Clan, or Namekian and go into battle! There are absolutely tons of missions and content to go through, and the good thing about this version is that you can unlock and play all the story missions from the first game, so if you missed out/enjoyed them, you can go back and play them. It’s also a great way to level up characters. There are tons of skills to use, equipment to wear and customizable stuff, and this version also features a local co-op mode, that’s supposed to be a lot of fun (I have not had an opportunity to try that for myself). I’ve tried the gameplay in several different ways, with the console in portable mode, set up as a controller, and using the joycons separately. Using the joycons by themselves felt kind of clunky, but that might be because I kept fat-fingering instead of dodging. I have to say, I enjoyed it though, and playing in all other modes was smooth and fluid.

DB Xenoverse (Switch) Review - 4

RIP Krillin.

The biggest thing for me is the ability to play it in portable mode. That’s the way it has to feel the best, and it sincerely does. The gameplay is just as good as it was with a PS4 controller. The buttons all make sense, but like most Dragonball games, it’s going to feel repetitive and tedious after a while. It’s not a game that I can sit down and play for hours because I’m going to use the same combos and button motions over and over. Unless you really like min-maxing and experimenting, you’ll probably play a few missions here and there, only to come back to it later. But one of the things that I still love is the absolute crazy amount of special moves you can slap together, and being able to hunt down the Dragon Balls to make wishes. Well, I guess I shouldn’t say “can”, and more “will”. Because if you really want to succeed in the game, you’re going to farm Dragon Balls for a very (very) long time. But I do love being able to play it in portable mode, and take the fight anywhere I feel like. That’s one of the biggest points for me, having a portable Dragonball game.

DB Xenoverse (Switch) Review - 5

Mm. DLC.

I was able to clearly see everything on the portable/tablet mode, the response time for the buttons was solid. Though personally, I’m not a fan of motion controls, so I tend to avoid those at all costs. They were novel and interesting in Tenkaichi 3 on the Wii, but it got old fast. So, the gameplay is solid, the graphics look good despite being on the Switch. There has to be a downside somewhere. There almost always seems to be one. And here it is: DLC. I’m genuinely disappointed that you have to buy the DLC again. You’d think it would be bundled in, but alas. Sure, you start with the ability to use Jaco and Goku Black but you have to purchase the DLC all over again if you want access to it. And I own the Season Pass on PC, so I had to pass on buying it again. You can also buy T-Medals, which was not something you could do on PC. So, the currency that you need to unlock more powerful items/gear in the T-Medal shop … you can spend real money on? This is the biggest mark against the game in my estimation. I’d be less upset perhaps if you could just have all the DLC right out of the gate. It’s delicately balanced by having more content, but I don’t like being able to buy T-Medals. I’d rather earn them if it’s all the same.

It’s Over 8000: 3/5

DB Xenvoerse (Switch) Review - 3

Perfect? No. Fun? Hell yes.

Fans of Dragon Ball who did not play Xenoverse on other consoles/PC will get a lot out of this. People who didn’t already buy DLC will also probably enjoy it. But having to re-purchase it again, is a negative in my eyes, and something potential buyers ought to be aware of. Xenoverse and Doom both came with all of their earlier content built right in (along with all the old bugs). But that aside, the game is still solid, still a fun Dragon Ball romp and is definitely what I needed to tide me over while I wait on the best fighting game of 2018 (It will be, mark my words): Dragon Ball FighterZ.  Xenoverse 2 is still pretty, still fun, but still gets a little repetitive after a few hours of play. But that is something I have been willing to overlook throughout all my years of Dragon Ball games (because they basically all suffer from this). The only real issue I saw was some very minor, rare framerate issues in portable mode, but never in docked mode. There is a bit of a downgrade in the portable mode in graphics, but not enough to bother me. It’s still vibrant and pretty. But I feel like it is something that people should also be aware of. I’m fortunate to not have experienced it yet, but I am still working on missions. Will fans of the series who already own want to buy it again? Probably not, but this is still a fantastic way to introduce someone to the Xenoverse series for Dragonball fans who might have missed out.  While it’s not perfect, it’s still a hell of a lot of fun for lovers of the Dragonball franchise.

 

 

Heroes Evolved Giveaway

We’ve partnered with R2Games to give away a bonus pack for Heroes Evolved, currently celebrating the addition of Bruce Lee as a playable hero!

Heroes Evolved is a 5v5 online arena game, in which players assume the role of a powerful hero, and work together as a team to destroy the opposing base. Gameplay is fast paced, tactical, and, above all, very fun. It appeals to both casual and hardcore gamers, offering multiple modes with a focus ranging from serious tournaments to just-for-laughs brawls.

As the first in what R2Games intends to be a series of playable pop-culture characters, Bruce Lee made his Heroes Evolved debut on October 18, along with an impressive set of moves inspired by his classic films and an iconic alternate skin. To ensure a faithful and respectful reproduction of their hero, R2Games worked closely with expert martial artists over several weeks to fully motion capture and recreate Bruce Lee’s impressive skills.


Your Code Includes:

  • 3 days XP card
  • 3 days Gold card
  • 1 day Hero Card *2

Note: Codes may only be redeemed once on a single account.

To Redeem Your Code:

  1. Log in Heroes Evolved and click “Social” Button.
  2. In Social page, click GIFT CENTER and choose Redeem button
  3. Fill in redeem code and press COLLECT to receive your gifts.

Note: Unfortunately ad blockers may interfere with our site. If you have any issues claiming a key, please disable them and try again.

Still having problems redeeming? Please check this thread.

Hyakki Castle Review

by Andrew Skelton (Outfoxed)

 

First person dungeon crawlers seemed to die out for a while, didn’t they?  They exploded back on the scene thanks to games like Legend of Grimrock and its sequel, although it seems to remain an underappreciated genre.  Well, Asakusa Games wants to help that problem with Hyakki Castle.  In fact, it also seeks to add to it with a unique mechanic: party splitting!  Boasting a cast of creatures plucked straight from Japan’s history, myths, legends, and in some cases, nightmares, does your party stand a chance in this perilous dungeon?

 

Edo as Edo

Set in a time after the Warring States period of Feudal Japan, Hyakki Castle’s story focuses on the onmyoji (a Japanese version of a sorcerer) Doman Kitgata, and his attempts to overthrow the Tokugawa Shogunate.  Exiled for his crimes, he erects a giant, chaotic castle on his prison island, and once more threatens the land.  Your party, given the blessing of the Emperor, sets sail to Hyakki Castle, only to be shipwrecked and caught by the wicked servants of the isle.

Hyakki Castle Screenshot

The story is simple and sets the tone of the game.  That being said, there’s precious little story advancement in the game itself, so having even this small bit of lore goes a long way in explaining your character’s actions and motives.  While it would have been nice to see a bit in the way of story scenes elsewhere, the real focus of the game is in the exploration and adventure, so it’s a minor detail to me.

 

Demons and Birdmen and Cats, Oh My!

Hyakki Castle has four playable races and four playable classes.  You can freely choose their gender, and have four choices in voice too (four male, four female).  The races available are human, the monstrous Oni, the crafty Tengu, and the devout Nekomata.  Humans are the more balanced of the races, as can be expected.  Likewise, Oni boast more health, Tengu more attack power, and Nekomata more magical aptitude.  If you’re looking to min/max your characters, this will make a very slight difference, but you can choose your characters however you’d like.

Hyakki Castle Screenshot

Class wise, Hyakki Castle offers the samurai, the ninja/kunoichi, the sohei, and the shinkan/miko classes.  Samurai are damage dealers, ninja/kunoichi offer damage and debuffs, sohei are the tanks and buffing class, and shinkan/miko are healers and mages.  Unfortunately, I found the sohei and the ninja/kunoichi classes lacking compared to the samurai and the shinkan/miko classes.  Still, feel free to form your party how you will!

 

One Foot in Front of the Other

There’s a very slight tutorial when you first start exploring.  Since you start with one character, the game begins in its unique split party mode. This one of the main draws of Hyakki Castle versus other first person adventure games in the genre.  You’re given instruction on how to move and how to interact with objects.  What it doesn’t provide, however, is any sort of combat tutorial, nor any indication you can learn various skills on each character beyond their basic attacks.  Combat plays a big part in the game, and skills help manage combat significantly, so having even a short explanation would go a long way.

 

Plundering Weird Castles for Profit

As I’ve pointed out before, exploration is a major theme of the game.  Each of the floor maps are quite large, and the game boasts 15 floors to conquer.  As you explore, you’ll encounter monsters, traps, puzzles, and treasures (par for the course for an adventure game!).  A lot of the puzzles in the game revolve around switch manipulation or party splitting to trigger multiple pressure plates.  A little more variety would have been appreciated.

Hyakki Castle Screenshot

Treasures, in this case, take many forms.  There are health and mana potions to be found, various food items to sate hunger — hunger is important because if it drops too low, your characters will deal less damage and take more — and equipment to strengthen your party.  In addition, there are assorted collectibles to claim, and finding them all will provide some nice bonuses to the party!

 

You Push, I Pull

Various creatures of Japanese folklore wander the floors of Hyakki Castle, and knowing how to deal with them is important.  All characters have a basic attack unlocked from the beginning.  Unlike other games in the genre, there is no need to worry about things like front and back row, though some classes do get ranged attacks to make things much easier.

Hyakki Castle Screenshot

One important thing to know, however, is it’s always wise to dodge as much as possible.  Most enemies have two attacks: a single target one that is of low risk, and a party attack that does major damage.  The latter type of attacks are almost always telegraphed, however, which is why learning to dodge is so important.  An attack can’t hit you if you’re not there, after all.

 

Pointy End Towards Target

In addition to the points you are given at character creation, you gain skill points as you gain levels.  You can use these skill points to unlock additional abilities for each class.  For example, the shinkan/miko can get access to healing, resurrection, and elemental damaging spells.  Sohei get attacks to draw threat to them, and a variety of elemental buffs to protect the party.  Every class has a set of passive abilities they learn at set levels, which range from additional health or mana regeneration, increased offense or defense traits, and even some like the sohei ability to take less damage when below a certain health threshold.

Hyakki Castle Screenshot

Each character can equip three items: a weapon, a piece of armor, and an accessory.  Like most games, equipment helps boost your attack and defense, while some raise health and mana.  Others give a boost to specific elemental attacks or defense.  Since some enemies resist one of the three elements (fire, water, earth), these weapons can help overcome their weaknesses in times of need.

 

Final Thoughts:  Good (3/5)

Hyakki Castle is an enjoyable game, don’t get me wrong, but it’s riddled with problems.  Exploration is its focus, but there’s very little reason to explore.  There are hardly any secrets to be found,  unlike a game such as Legend of Grimrock.  Enemies don’t respawn on floors, so backtracking isn’t remotely threatening either.  The split party mechanic, played up in promotional materials for the game, doesn’t carry the weight it should.  Splitting the party in combat means the attacks you’re meant to avoid just became harder to dodge.  The puzzles that involve the mechanic are simplistic in nature, too. More could definitely have been done.  Class balance is also an issue I touched on previously — sohei become less important when you realize the dangerous attacks hit all party members, and ninja/kunoichi just can’t keep up with the power of the samurai or the versatility of the shinkan/miko.

Hyakki Castle Screenshot

That being said, the game itself is absolutely stunning, and all of the creatures have their footholds in Japanese myth and legend.  Seeing them brought to life in all their creepy glory is quite a thing to behold (like the wall that opens its eye to attack you).  Finding all the collectible items is also quite nice, and the fact it rewards you with some impressive buffs is also a nice touch.  If you’re a fan of first person adventure games and enjoy the lore and legends of Feudal Japan, Hyakki Castle might just be worth a look.  If you’re not interested in both, it just may not be worth your time.

Hyakki Castle Screenshots

Note: A game key was provided for review purposes.

The Fog Has Cleared and Golem Gates Has Arrived on Steam Early Access

Golem Gates, the combination of deck building with RTS gameplay is now available in Steam’s Early Access system. he full multiplayer experience is available with 1v1 and 2v2 matchmaking, custom player matches, local AI bot matches, and a co-op Survival mode. The game can be purchased for an early-bird price of $19.99. As the Early Access goes on, multiplayer will be polished, and on March 28th, will be joined by a single player campaign and addition co-op maps to flesh out the game.

SEGA and Intel Partner to Bring Anarchy to Total War: Warhammer II

Aimed more at the higher-end gaming PC crowd, SEGA and Intel are teaming up  to create an experimental game mode in Total War: Warhammer II. Called “The Laboratory”, it will be free on December 14th, 2017. The Laboratory‘s numerous sliders allow multiple game variables to be tweaked, pushing battles in new and ridiculous directions. Players can massively ramp-up unit sizes, remove the bounds of gravity, and increase impact force tenfold to create scenes of pure chaos. With sixteen different settings to tinker with, players can even save their best combinations of tweaks to use again or share with friends.

Further details can be found at this Q&A.

Portal Knights Arrives on iOS and Android Today

Portal Knights_Mobile_Action

Portal Knights, the award-winning sandbox action-RPG from 505 Games/Keen Games is debuting today on a global stage for iOS/Android devices for 4.99. “Players around the world have created countless unique adventures in Portal Knights since its launch earlier this year on PC and console, and because of their enthusiasm we wanted to make the fun even more accessible, first with our launch on Switch, and now with today’s mobile launch,” said Tim Woodley, SVP of global brand and marketing, 505 Games. “You can now truly access the imaginative world of Portal Knights no matter where you are.” Up to four players can work together in local multiplayer when connected to the same WiFi signal, and do battle against a host of epic bosses and random events.

“We’ve been so encouraged by the positive response to Portal Knights on PC and mobile that we wanted to give our fans even more ways to play, as well as making the action and adventure available to a wider audience,” Antony Christoulakis, Keen Games. “Our players have been instrumental in our journey every step of the way, from our days in Early Access all the way through today’s mobile launch, and we appreciate their support as we continue to expand the world of Portal Knights.”