Yearly Archives: 2018

Edge of Eternity Enters Early Access in November

Playdius announced at Gamescom that their upcoming JRPG Edge of Eternity will be entering Early Access on November 29th, 2018. This is following a successful Kickstarter campaign and months of intense development work. The team of nine at Midgar Studio is getting set to invite players to the world of Heryon, the fantasy planet setting for Edge of Eternity.

“Edge of Eternity is a labor of love designed as a tribute to JRPG classics,” says Jeremy Zeler, Head of Midgar Studio. “But building this ambitious JRPG has been a long journey. We still have a lot we want to deliver to make Edge of Eternity everything we want it to be. That’s why we decided to move forward with an Early Access launch.”

Music Review: Music Box Classics (Video Game Music Box)

Video Game Music Box Review -image

by Jason Parker (Ragachak)

Okay, this is probably the hardest album(s) I’ve ever had to review, because there’s just such a huge glut of amazing music done in this fascinating way. Music Box Classics is a project where Video Game Music Box has prepared some of the most memorable game music and performed it in a “Music Box” style, so chimes and pleasant, relaxing sounds. It’s a fascinating experience to listen to “Vampire Killer” from Castlevania in soft chimes and bells if I’m being completely honest. This particular collection highlights the following games: Castlevania, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VII, Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, and Undertale. I’m going to pick a few songs out of the collection that I enjoyed the most, but come on guys. This is a 96 track collection, and I 100% feel like people need to have it in their lives, especially as gaming fans. Is there such a thing as a USB Music Box?

Can I get one of those to put this music on? Maybe one that looks like Castlevania on the top? That would be pretty badass. So what I think I’ll do in this review, is I’ll talk about some of my memories in childhood that this song invokes and why it may be special to me. This is a very therapeutic album for me. Since I received all seven volumes at once, I thought I might try to spread the love across all of them. They are available now on Bandcamp, iTunes, and Spotify. I absolutely cannot recommend these albums enough. Each one is true to the Music Box style and very calming to listen to.

Honorable Mentions: Silence of Daylight (Castlevania), Gato’s Song (Chrono Trigger), Robo’s Theme (Chrono Trigger), Chocobo Theme (FFVII), Aerith’s Theme (FFVII), One Winged Angel (FFVII), Battle (VS Wild Pokemon), Celadon City (Pokemon), Victory (VS Trainer)(Pokemon), Song of Time (Zelda), Zelda Main Theme (Zelda), The Dark World (Zelda), ASGORE (Underatle), Spear of Justice (Underatle), Shop (Undertale)

“Music Box Classics will be a lifelong project, with each new album dedicated to a single game title or game theme,” notes arranger Video Game Music Box. “Each album will feature pure music box sound with no additional instruments. This is perfect for relaxing or falling asleep. And for those gamer parents who want to introduce their little ones to video game music early on, these will be the perfect albums”.

Bloody Tears (From Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest) (Track 4): I’ve gone on record more than once to say that I enjoyed Castlevania II for what it was. And their version of Bloody Tears was also wonderful. Castlevania II’s problem was that it was incredibly poorly translated. Possibly the worst translation of all time. None of it was useful. But listening to Bloody Tears in a music box is quite soothing. Simon’s Quest did have a quality soundtrack. It’s a shame that level of attention and quality was not given to … the rest of the game. Can you pluck bells? That’s the sound I feel like I’m getting here at the beginning, and then a soft, chiming keyboard. For a game that was so maddening, maybe this could have helped soothe the beast of angry, young Jason. Who can say?

Schala’s Theme (from Chrono Trigger) (Track 25): Schala’s theme already felt like it belonged in a music box. The soft chiming feel of the track and overwhelming peace it brought me to listen to really felt perfect this way. Schala as a character was just such a heart-warming one. The majority of the Zeal Kingdom was mad with power, jealous, petty, arrogant and overall, just mean-spirited, thanks to Queen Zeal. Janus, who would become Magus was not quite evil (and never was, I don’t think. That’s for another day), and was powerful, but an arrogant child. But as long as he had his big sister Schala around, Janus was a pretty good kid. The song itself has that same calming effect, even now. Chrono Trigger is one of my all-time favorites, and Schala’s Theme ranks up there with “At the Fall of the Night (Azala’s last moments), “Far Off Promise”, “Undersea Palace” with my favorite songs. Chrono Trigger invokes a lot of personal memories for me, as it came to me at a very low point in my childhood, but gave me a little hope that my fate wasn’t to be what it currently felt like it was. That I could change it. Quality stuff, that. Everyone needs hope.

Cosmo Canyon (from Final Fantasy VII) (Track 43): Why would I pick “Cosmo Canyon” when “One Winged Angel”, you might ask? Everyone would probably pick that I think, and it’s a terrific song. But I’m already not a gigantic fan of Final Fantasy VII. I enjoy the story for what it is, and the huge leaps in gameplay/mechanics that it offers from Final Fantasy VI. But it’s not my favorite. The song that stands out to me the most on the entire soundtrack for Final Fantasy VII is “Cosmo Canyon” though. Partly thanks to Mega Ran (I should review Black Materia next. . .) Though I seldom use Red XIII in my party, his song is soulful and deep. Convinced his father was a coward who left the rest of his tribe to die, he learns later in the game that his own father fought til the very end and was trapped in stone. The Playstation 1 could not possibly capture the heartrending sound that should have come from Nanaki at that very moment. That meant a lot to me in so many different ways, because I too learned that while my father may not have been the greatest man, he was not the monster he was made out to be. People can make mistakes, and grow. Most can, anyway.

Route 1 (from Pokemon) (Track 49): Pokemon really blew up over here between Middle and High School for me, but while I did have access to my sister’s Gameboy, I didn’t realize how much I’d ultimately enjoy Pokemon. I didn’t ask for it for Hanukkah because it wasn’t my Gameboy, so I didn’t really get to play it all that often. So I didn’t have that wonderful youth of exploring, trading, and catching them all until into adulthood with Pokemon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum. The Route 1 song is a hopeful, cheerful song, giving you the inspiration to march away from home and perhaps take the road less traveled by the rest of your friends and family. Which is what I wound up doing right after  High School. A lot of mistakes were made on that journey, but it ultimately led me back here, and it was worth it in the end.

Overworld (from Super Mario Bros. 2)(Track 65): So, out of all of the Mario Bros. music on this collection, the only song that really stood out to me was this and “Underwater” from Super Mario Bros. 1. I didn’t play Super Mario 64, Galaxy, or any of those when they first came out. I played a little 64 because one of my best friends, George had an N64, but that’s it. I rented Super Mario Bros. 2 a few times but didn’t own it until much later. I did, however, have 1 and 3. Super Mario Bros. 2’s overworld theme really sounded like a Beatles song to me, and that’s probably why I loved it so much. It sounded almost like an alternate version of “Can’t Buy Me Love”, I used to think. It was so cheerful and exciting, very different from the first game’s main theme. Mario 2 had one of my favorite Mario OST’s to this day. It was a weekend of fun and challenge, and once I learned the Warp Zones, I was really able to fly through most of the game in no time.

Hyrule Castle (from The Legend of Zelda 3: A Link to the Past)(Track 77): This one is another series that while I love it, I missed out on the “big” games in the series. I didn’t play OoT, Wind Waker, or Majora’s Mask. Hyrule Castle is the epitome of Zelda music to me, that and the Zelda 1 Overworld song. This one was a tie between the “Zelda Main Theme” and this one, but I was playing Zelda 3+Super Metroid Randomizer last night, so this song wins. I mostly played this at a friend’s house, like many games in my childhood, but Zelda 3 was such a beautiful game in my youth. Having a bigger, more visually appealing version of Hyrule was so wonderful. How do I know Video Game Music Box is talented? He took a sinister, dangerous song like Hyrule Castle and captured it perfectly in this format. That was a song that radiated danger, as a young Link sought out his Uncle (who died) and Princess Zelda, with Agahnim’s goons/soldiers all around. It’s a big one for me. If Link has the courage to do what must be done, so should you.

Megalovania (from UNDERTALE)(Track 95): So, I still have not beaten Undertale. It’s on my to-do list, which means it might be years before that finally happens. To me though, this was the most iconic song on the album, and though it misses a little something not being as fast a pace as the original song was, I really like it, and it still has that same emotional punch. Sadly, I don’t have a lot of memories tied to Undertale, but perhaps I will someday. It’s a very clever idea for an RPG, and though I loathe its roots in an EarthBound fan game and how that led to certain people trying to tie EarthBound to Undertale, I still very much enjoy the concept of the game.

 

Star Control: Origins – ‘By Any Means Necessary’ Trailer (Gamescom 2018)

A new Star Control: Origins trailer was revealed at Gamescom, that has a much different tone and all-new footage. Saving humanity is your goal, but that doesn’t mean you have to be a hero. Saving humanity by “any means necessary” means you can be a hero or villain, make friends or sworn enemies. It’s up to you how you that goes down.

Devil May Cry 5 Receives Release Date

DMC 5 Release Date

During Microsoft’s “Inside Xbox” show at Gamescom 2018, the release date for the next chapter in the legendary Devil May Cry franchise was revealed. Devil May Cry 5 is coming on March 8th, 2019. It will be arriving on the Xbox One, Playstation 4, and PC in that time, and the demonic threat has once again returned to Earth. A “demon tree” has taken root in Red Grave City, and Nero, alongside his partner Nico the “Weapons Artist” will arrive in the “Devil May Cry” motorhome. Nico will design a variety of unique Devil Breaker arms to give extra powers to tackle the newest threat.

The first arm Nico makes for Nero, the Overture Devil Breaker, looks plain in style allowing Nero to wear it inconspicuously throughout the city, but the hidden electric generator inside is enough to shock any demons that come too close. Adding a bit more versatility, the Gerbera Devil Breaker generates an intense heat that can be shot out as a highly powerful shockwave which can be used as a direct attack, reflect enemy projectiles, or even to propel Nero through the air and augment his evasion capabilities. Combined with the ‘Red Queen’ sword and ‘Blue Rose’ handgun, Nero’s power is not to be underestimated. But don’t forget, Dante’s on the way on his motorbike, and it’s up to the pair to set things right in the city.

Impulsion Review

By Terris Harned (NWOrpheus)

Have you ever found yourself wanting to play a game where you’re given some sort of experimental technology that bends the very laws of physics? A game that places you in a variety of rooms that manifest as puzzling challenges that you must overcome to advance? Do you think that game just wouldn’t be the same without a smarmy AI that adds an element of dark humor to the story? Well lucky for you, that game already exists! It’s called Impulsion, and was created by three French college students working on their Master thesis and released under the developer appellation Driving Force Games.

Okay, now I know what you’re thinking. That whole premise sounds AWFULLY familiar. That’s mostly where the comparison to that other game ends though. In Impulsion, for example, you don’t have one gun that shoots orange and blue energy that puts holes in walls that are connected. Nope, instead you’ve got two guns, one orange and one blue, that shoot spheres at the walls. See? Totally different games.

Seriously though, from here on, things do get pretty different. The spheres in Impulsion actually create an impulse; that is to say, they alter your momentum in one way or another. Blue spheres will speed you up and allow you to jump higher and farther. Red spheres, on the other hand, actually slow you down, but also allow you to jump again after you enter them. There’s a catch though: red spheres can only be placed on special raised red areas, usually a square or rectangle. You also can’t target those same rectangles with blue spheres, and if you shoot a blue sphere too close to a red sphere, or vice versa, they’ll cancel out the older one.

Still with me? Now for the fun part: the spheres don’t ONLY affect you. They also affect the obstacles in the game. There are a variety of ways you can use this to your advantage. You might speed up one light barrier, while slowing down the other, in order to separate them so you can run between them. Or you could speed up a floating platform so that you can reach it after making your leap of faith around a blind corner. The game really makes you think of clever ways to utilize the two spheres in order to progress to the next level.

Progression isn’t the only name of the game, though. Well, the name is Impulsion, not progression, but I mean it’s not the only point of the game. There are 25 levels to conquer, with increasingly difficult challenges to overcome. Each time to run a level, you get a rating, with A being the best, I think. If they work on an S-rank system I’ll never know, as the highest I ever got in any level, including the very first level, was an A-. Thankfully the game ranks you only on your actual successful run, and not on the many, many, many.. many…… MANY times you fail (there’s an achievement on Steam for failing 10,000 times. You probably won’t have to go too far out of your way if you’re an achievement hound).

You’re also timed for each run, and if you’re the competitive sort, there’s actually an online Leaderboard that you can compete on. Unfortunately for me, I don’t think there’s a leaderboard for most inglorious or most prolific dying. I would totally kill those boards.

There are a few issues I have with Impulsion, but I’ll admit full well that some are extremely nitpicky. First and foremost, you’re supposedly a robot. That being said, you don’t sound very robotic. Then again, neither does Archie the AI, so that much is forgivable. The rest of the story just kind of doesn’t work for me though. You’re a robot, in outer space, supposedly being tested before being sent into circulation. Where I start to have a problem is that you don’t come off an assembly line. You don’t even come out of a crate. Nope, you wake up on a medical gurney. Then there’s the whole premise. You don’t actually enter the rooms to take the tests. You’re hooked up to a simulator. But if you’re testing the robot’s capabilities, why is it sitting in a chair? It’s mostly a little thing, but it’s enough that it constantly bothers me while I’m playing. Still, as I said before, petty and nitpicky.

My other issue is that it’s just too damn hard, for me anyway. I got through level 7, then spent over an hour on level 8 dying, and after that didn’t have much motivation to go back. Granted, that’s a fault with me as much as with the game. However, I feel that the difficulty would be a much less bitter pill to swallow if you didn’t get sent back to the very beginning of the level every time you fail. Yes, there’s no checkpoint, no matter how long the level is. You do the entire thing in one go, or you don’t complete it.


This was after about 10 tries not getting past those laser hurdles.

Whether or not you’ll like Impulsion really probably comes down to whether or not you’ve got reflexes like the Flash. As an older gamer, pushing 40, I just don’t have them like I used to. However, I appreciate the effort that went into creating the game, and I absolutely believe that those who have better and faster reflexes than myself would find a great deal of enjoyment. To me, it ended up being a pretty game with a lot of frustration and cursing, after the first little bit. All in all though, Impulsion gets a solid 3 out of 5.

Final Verdict: Good (3/5)

Note: A game key was provided for review purposes.