The first gameplay trailer for Bandai Namco‘s Tekken 7, coming to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Arcade in 2015, has made its way online. You can view the trailer embedded at the bottom of this article.
From new modes and characters to fight techniques/abilities, this footage is very telling. Firstly, we get our first real glimpse at newbies Claudio and Katarina in action. Of note, although the trailer is in Japanese, Katarina sounds like she has a Brazilian Portuguese accent. Also highlighted is level destruction, leading to arena-specific transitions. And, though it initially seemed like a take on the breaker/counter, the recently revealed ‘Power Clash’ ability is more akin to enabling one hit of armour; the player still takes damage, but doesn’t flinch, allowing them to attack as the opponent is mid-animation. Juggles also seem to play a bigger part in the gameplay.
Check it out below and let us know what you think!
Overview
For the past 20 years, I have held the Power Rangers franchise on a pedestal. Sure, I am now 27 and some say that is a bit too old to enjoy a product aimed at kids, but since I was a kid when the first five morphed into action, I think still enjoying my nostalgia is perfectly fine. One part of the namesake however that has always been hit and miss has been the video game releases. Honestly, it hasn’t been since Super Legends since I legitimately enjoyed an adaptation, as the quality just hasn’t been there. Power Rangers Super Megaforce is yet another stab at bringing the latest set of heroes to portables, and has landed on the 3DS. Is this title enough to snag up just for the sake of it, or another disappointment to add to the list? Let’s find out.
Gameplay
I would do a story section in most reviews that actually have a story, but the one within Super Megaforce is so light and slapped together that I can’t exactly recall any dialogue that actually meant anything. Sure, that is to be expected somewhat, but if you have played one you have played them all in terms of a narrative, as this title has the rangers fighting “monster of the week” over and over until the big boss makes an appearance and poses a true threat. Players start the game by selecting not one, but two rangers to take to the streets and bash enemies with. Before you get too excited, this is mainly just to feel like there is a team aspect to the game, and never truly adds anything to the experience. You can set the AI of your partner for close combat or ranged attacks (or go for balanced), but this feature also comes with flaws as every time I used ranged, my ally would just sit from far away and do very little to fight.
You would think that adding two players – even if one was computer controlled would add a a layer, but there are no double team moves, just another ranger on the screen offering extremely mild assistance. To best explain the genre we are dealing with here, Super Megaforce sells itself as a beat-em up. I suppose this is correct as the rangers do utilize their attacks while walking on a side-scrolling path, but for some reason, the developers removed the martial arts from the game, so it is just blasters and weapons that we get to use to attack with. If this were any other series, I could let this pass. Sadly, this is Power Rangers and martial arts have gave the franchise its spirit since Super Sentai was birthed in 1975. That being said, the gameplay is a bit stiff, but playable. Though there are not a ton of attacks and the action is a bit slow, I found myself getting into the rhythm of things for the most part and making it up to the grand boss battle that would follow.
Yes, the boss battle. To defeat a boss, players have to fight through repetition as they pound on a boss with a large HP bar. Bosses are supposed to have a lot of HP, but the ones in Super Megaforce have far too much compared to the standard henchmen, and the game goes from stiff to boring almost instantly once one of these fights presents itself. If there was a special challenge or a unique mechanic attached to the game, sure – I would understand this. However, all that it takes is patience to win as the player’s special moves do little to deal extra damage and outside of changing a technique from time to time, which is not a positive as most bosses do not have much to provide any type of obstacle that the player can feel good about defeating.
The Megazord battles are a bit better because they are over rather quick, much like how it goes down in the television series. The battle system works for these bouts as its honestly just a paper, rock, scissors fight, where players select an attack and hope that the boss is left open to take damage. Sure, its simple and not very thought through, but it services the game and if the stages were better, I would have no qualms with these segments ending each chapter. Players can collect coins as they traverse through the game, which can be utilized in the in-game shop to purchase potions, and unlock bonus features for the game. Sadly, there is a gimmick attached with unlocking rangers by buying special keys separately. If this were a better game, I would dish some cash to play as Rock, Aisha, Kimberly, and Tommy, but asking your consumers to pay more is a bit of a slap in the face for such a boring experience.
Visuals
I don’t want to harp on the visuals even if they are a bit dated, as the rangers still look like themselves and we could have seen worse. The animations however are very limited and choppy at times, and the worlds themselves are nothing to write home about. Its not that the detail isn’t there, its just that it all comes together as plain, dark, and muddy as a whole. Scroll up, look at that boxart. The suits are brightly colored and the logo is sharp as a tack. That isn’t what players are getting with this experience, and its sad to see that more love was not put in.
Audio
The audio isn’t much better. There is a bit of voicework, but it seems poorly done as the dialogue is nothing more than screaming out the colors as well as the team name from time to time, with a bit of grunts specific to the ranger. The soundtrack is terrible. Not all of it is the game’s fault as the mockery Saban has made by trying to remake Ron Wasserman’s tunes is something that is out of Bandai Namco’s hands, but the generic beats in the game itself really paint a picture of how little love went into making what could have been a special piece of fan service.
Overall
Power Rangers Super Megaforce has a small spark to it. I wanted to enjoy it as the blueprint for a good Power Rangers title feels like it is somewhere buried underneath the blandness, but sadly, with no martial arts or personality to speak of, this title ends up feeling boring and stiff overall. I understand that younger gamers are more forgiving, but why should developers cut quality when they don’t have to? There are fans who have been throwing money at Power Rangers for years, and it feels like a slap in the face to myself, and all of those fans who will go out and pick up this release due to the fact that there isn’t another option, just to get a little more entertainment out of their favorite brand. Do yourself a favor, ranger fans. Keep waiting, as Super Megaforce is simply a disappointment.
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Roccat announced today they will be joining the Intel Extreme Masters Season 9 tournament series as a major sponsor for four events.
“Our dedication to the eSports community is well-established, with our own Team ROCCAT League of Legends team, and world champion StarCraft II player HyuN representing us proudly. We are heavily invested in the success of the eSporting ecosystem, and are extremely proud to join one of its most lauded representatives in Intel Extreme Masters for these exciting events. We can’t wait to show up in Northern California to be a part of the madness,” said Rene Korte, CEO of Roccat.
Roccat will be sponsoring events in California, Germany, Taiwan, and Poland. Things kick off at San Jose, California’s SAP Center on December 6-7 and culminates at the world championships in Katowice, Poland on March 12, 2015. Check out the full schedule at the official Intel Extreme Masters site.
Today Sekai Project announced that they have partnered with Nekoworks to help release Nekopara Volume 1 in the West and to do this they are not only helping give the visual novel an English translation, they are also trying to get it on Steam through Steam Greenlight.
Nekopara follows the story of Kashou Minazuki, a young man trying to establish his own pastry shop called “La Soleil.” Once he moves out however he finds that two catgirls named Chocola and Vanilla have tagged along with him. Not having the heart to send them away, Kashou accepts their help in order to make La Soleil a success.
Currently no release date has been announced for Nekopara Volume 1 but it is worth noting that the Steam release will be the “All Ages” version of Nekopara and that Nekoworks will release the 18+ version of the PC game starting on December 30th, though additional details concerning that version will be released later. For now you can check out some screenshots of the game as well as the introduction trailers for both Chocola and Vanilla below.
Earlier today we reported that Telltale’s Game of Thrones series would be releasing sometime soon for the PlayStation 3, PC, and Xbox 360 and now Telltale Games has decided to reveal some more information about the game, as well as new platforms. Now this six episode season will be released on the aforementioned consoles as well as the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Mac, and iOS.
They went on to say that the game will pick up near the end of the third season of Game of Thrones’ TV show and end before the beginning of season five and it will tell an original tale in the world created by George R.R. Martin. The story will focus on House Forrester “a noble house from the Wolfswood in the north of Westeros” where players will be controlling five members of the house throughout the season, ranging from direct family to servants.
Telltale goes on to say that “Playing as five characters not only reflects the epic scope of Game of Thrones, but is also something that the player needs to be mindful of. This is because the actions of one character can ripple out to affect the rest of House Forrester. Multiply the actions of one character by five, and you’re truly playing the Game of Thrones … where you win, or you die.”
Today Idea Factory International released a number of new battle screenshots as well as the opening video for Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth2: Sisters Generation. These screenshots show off the modified battle system and for those who haven’t been following the title, it also features new playable characters and extra story content that was not available in the original Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2.
You can check out the screenshots as well as the opening movie below. Currently Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth2: Sisters Generation is set to be released physically and digitally in North America and Europe sometime in 2015 for the PlayStation Vita.
You’ve tested their skills on the battlefield with Shinovi Versus but how will the Senran Kagura girls manage in a cooking battle? Well you can now find out as Senran Kagura Bon Appétit has just been released onto the PlayStation Network for the PS Vita. Featuring fast-paced rhythm gameplay set to upbeat Japanese music, players will compete against other ninjas in order to impress shinobi master Honzō with their cooking.
If they lose however, they will be stripped completely of their clothing and forced into quite a risqué situation. This initial release is priced at $14.99 and features the Hanzo and Crimson Squad girls while the second half featuring Gessen x Hebijo, also priced at $14.99, will be released on November 25th.
To celebrate the launch of Senran Kagura Bon Appétit, XSEED Games has released a number of new screenshots as well as a launch trailer that you can check out below.
If you happen to be a fan of Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed franchise then this must be a really amazing week for you as not one but two Assassin’s Creed titles are hitting stores this week. Assassin’s Creed Rogue been released for last-gen consoles but Assassin’s Creed Unity has also been launched on current-gen platforms and the PC in North America while gamers in the UK have a few extra days to wait.
For those who haven’t been following the games, Assassin’s Creed Unity takes place during the French Revolution where a young man named Arno sets out on a deadly path of redemption that sees him thrust into the middle of a ruthless struggle for the fate of a nation. As for Assassin’s Creed Rogue, players will take control of Shay Patrick Cormac during the Seven Years War where Cormac is betrayed by the Brotherhood and becomes an Assassin hunting Templar.
Rumiko Takahashi is the author behind many long running anime series including Urusei Yatsura, Ranma ½, and most recently InuYasha and now it seems that she will be able to add another anime adaptation to her repertoire. This week’s issue of Shōnen Sunday has revealed that a “super important announcement” will be made for her latest series, Rin-ne.
Of course there is no guarantee that the announcement will be an anime adaptation, but considering the manga is already at twenty three volumes and most of her works have turned into successful long running series, the timing seems perfect. Those who may not want to wait around for the anime to air can currently purchase the Rin-ne manga in English through Viz Media.
FUNimation has begun announcing the English dub cast for Free! Eternal Summer, despite the series not actually having a release date in North America and the first season’s home video license being held by Crunchyroll with the latter company not responding to FUNimation’s inquiries about the rights.
Every day this week the company will be revealing one character’s English voice actor and yesterday they revealed that J. Michael Tatum would be voicing Rei Ryugazaki while today they have announced that Greg Ayres will be handing the voice work for Nagisa Hazuki. Both of these voice actors have a large number of titles and characters under their belts so it will be interesting to see how they portray these two characters.
