Indie Gala and Capsule Computers are welcoming October with a new indie bundle. This week’s Every Monday Bundle #27 contains six indie games.
Pretentious Game– Ask a linguist about the power of words and they probably can go on for hours. Skip the extensive lecture and check out Pretentious Game, a puzzle platformer about poetry and love.
Train Town – A casual train sim from the makers of Trainz Simulator.
Trainz Trouble– Manage the movement of several trains and guide everyone to safety in this frantic puzzle title.
Mechanic Escape– Mech is the last of the TV-sets! Guide Mech through 80 challenging levels, just try not to get electrocuted.
T.E.C. 3001 – A high speed runner that will challenge players to jump, charge, dodge, and slide through a variety of obstacles.
Fly’N– A gorgeous platformer featuring 40 levels and four different playable characters.
For the first 24 hours, the bundle is only $1.99. Afterwards, the price goes up, so grab your copy at Indie Gala.
Overview
When Demon Souls came out years ago, it brought us a deep challenge that was all about memorization, attention to detail, and responding to repetition. It was the ultimate test in trial and error, and though its merits may be up in the air for some, there is no denying the impact the franchise made due to the heavy amount of copycats that followed shortly after. NIS America decided to take that same style of play and implement it in a new strategy RPG by the name of Natural Doctrine. Sure, you will die, even the trailer mentions that countless times. The question is with this new release is does one formula work in another genre. Well, the results are in. How does Natural Doctrine fare? Let’s find out.
Story
Typically, the story is the most important element of a strategy RPG. Titles such as Fire Emblem and Disgaea deliver rich worlds to the player, full of meaningful and memorable character interaction. While there is a tale to be told within the post-apocalyptic land in Natural Doctrine, it all comes off as cliche and extremely lacking, with paper thin character development and cringe-worthy dialogue segments. I know, most might be thinking that it is all about the gameplay, but in any title that is brutally hard, why should we as the audience settle for anything less than average?
To its credit, there are some moments that do not revolve around the main protagonist Jeff (yes, Jeff) that are enjoyable, such as the solo scenes of backstory – and more specifically Anca, who honestly is the most interesting member of the cast from the moment the game starts up. I guess I have become a bit more critical over the years with narratives in RPGs, but even with that its hard to truly recommend this title when it comes to a story – as again, the one here simply exists as a reason to get from point A to point B.
Gameplay
The gameplay in Natural Doctrine is a lot to take in. I can not put that lightly. While this title is set up like a more modernized version of your standard, typical strategy RPG, there is so much going on that not participating in the tutorials provided at the start is like buying a ticket to a never-ending “Game Over” screen. Even with those little tutorials however, we never really get to learn about advanced tactics that come later, as Jeff and company have to participate in trial and error to survive. Trial and error is fine, but there is a nice line between trial and error and freedom in a game, and you will quickly learn that the line is jumped over several times as you have to continuously set up your tactics in only one specific way to clear battles.
Linking is a unique feature that allows players to line up in a pattern on the field and team up to take down a specific area of foes without interruption from an opponent’s turn. In other words, you can do a great deal of damage by using this strategy by treating all of your characters as one unit, as they all will attack at once. This is something that needs to be on the top of your mind as you set up your characters, as if you put several characters in the wrong spot or too close together, they can suffer an instant death at the hands of a boss or larger enemy. Its a clever mechanic at heart, as proper linking is honestly the key to victory, and the added boosts of attack and defense are crucial at times to simply survive.
With each great feature that is presented comes a lot of deaths and frustration just to discover the basics within the game that were not really provided in the tutorials. For instance, if you want to open a chest, you cannot do so on a linked turn. Even when you do collect loot, it usually holds nothing of substance, so collecting loot can be a risk if the enemy is quickly approaching. The skill tree for each character is actually really simple to use, but again – can cost you big if not utilized correctly. As with most RPGs, characters who level up are awarded points that can be spent upgrading the large skill tree, but if you level up the wrong attack at the wrong time and miss out on something that is needed to solve a puzzle or hit the weakness of a foe, you are punished by having to do what could have been a twenty minute battle all over again.
Natural Doctrine has too much depth for its own good as it seems to want to reward players with a satisfying, “hardcore” experience, but delivers too little of payoff for the amount of frustration you have to trek through to victory. Imagine finishing a large wave of enemies, and feeling excited to move on – only to find out that the character that just opened the door to the next area was killed instantly by a foe. Sure, you can dust yourself off and try again, but eventually it all gets tiring and tedious. The amount of layers of strategy within the game will exite fans of the genre instantly, but their lights are sure to dim in minutes as they discover an illusion of a challenge, with a hard difficulty masking shortcuts and shortcomings in the gameplay department.
Visuals & Audio
The visuals is Natural Doctrine are honestly fine for a strategy RPG, as the character models are detailed well, the gore is on point (yes, there is a good amount of blood), and while the environments are stale and plain, the cutscenes look decent when playing out in front of you. That said, for a Playstation 4 title, I would expect a little bit of push from the developers to make this title look better. You know those cheap, greenlight games on Steam? Well, I have seen a lot of RPGs that look a lot like this one on the service, as there is just not enough going on at any time to pull the player in. The HUD does not help matters either, as all of the strings of text from linking and enemies covers the screen in extremely ugly font that kills any immersion the player might have with the atmosphere quickly.
I normally can get past bad voice acting, but Natural Doctrine’s work was a bit too rough to forgive. Hearing Anca slowly speak “no, stop.” as she is hit or having the characters go back and forth with pointless banter is hilarious for all of the wrong reasons. The music is also very out of place, as intense rock sets the scene for something as simple as a goblin walking through a hallway. The sound in this game is bad, but there is some weird sense of charm about it all. Sure, its terrible, but its a lot of fun to watch.
Overall
Natural Doctrine wants to be that game that is so hard that it becomes the next great challenge on consoles. Sadly, Kadokawa struck out here as no matter how hard you make a game, you have to remember that there is a human at the end of the controller, waiting to be entertained. With a thin story, deep – yet unsatisfying – gameplay, a cluttered mess of a HUD, and laughable voice overs and music, Natural Doctrine is too much of a chore to enjoy. I am sure there will be some patient souls that can click with this title, but most will want to pass on Doctrine as while it shows promise as well ambition, it never pulls itself together enough to deliver in the end.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
You think the next generation consoles have killed the Xbox 360? Well think again! Microsoft have just announced a suite of new bundles for players to get their hands on this holiday season. Been meaning to check out Gears of War, well now you can! Here is a list of all the bundles that Microsoft will be rolling out for the console that has been on-sale for almost a decade:
Holiday Value Bundle ($297)– Includes a 500GB Xbox 360 Console, one month’s Xbox Live Gold membership, Call of Duty: Ghosts and Call of Duty: Black Ops II
EB Games Exclusive Holiday Value Bundle – Includes a special blue 500GB Xbox 360 Console, one month’s Xbox Live Gold membership, Call of Duty: Ghosts and Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Not only are these two bundles pretty good on your wallet, but Microsoft have also announced a new price-drop for the system (these prices take effect from October 1st):
Xbox 360 4GB Console – $179
Xbox 360 4GB Kinect Console – $249
Xbox 360 250GB Console – $199
Xbox 360 250GB Kinect Console – $299
Xbox 360 500GB Console – $279
Xbox 360 Blue 500GB Console – $279
So there you have it, Microsoft keeping their last-generation console alive. Will you be picking one up? Let us know in the comments below and make sure you stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the news on holiday gaming bundles as they become announced.
Overview There are many types of games in this industry, but few titles blended together wacky ideas and a serious storyline together as well as Swery65 managed to with Deadly Premonition. Since that release, Swery has been off the radar for a bit until it was revealed he was working on a new game, D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die. Being a game that can be played entirely with the Kinect and also one that was given a sudden release, does D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die deserve your attention?
Story David Young is a former officer with the Boston Police Department but when his wife, Little Peggy, is killed thanks to a new and strange drug called Real Blood circulating in the streets, David quits the force in order to become a private detective whose only goal is to solve the mystery of his wife’s murder. With his only memory from the night being Little Peggy’s final words, “Look for D,” Young closes himself away from the world.
While this may sound fairly straightforward and is a common theme for cop revenge stories, you forget that this is Swery65. Not only does David have the ability to “Dive” into the past with the use of items called Mementos, but it appears that he might even be able to change the way these events unfold. While that may sound strange, it is only the tip of the iceberg when you realize that David lives with a freeloading girl who acts like a cat and picks up groceries and is helped out by a man capable of destroying a pantry full of food in under a minute.
While the majority of D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die takes place within David’s apartment and on a plane during these initial episodes, the way the story is told through David’s eyes is superb. He continuously battles with haunting memories of Little Peggy as he hallucinates her existence and even while you explore areas, tidbits of information can be revealed about even the most mundane objects in David’s life. As you walk around his apartment, both your partner and the aforementioned freeloader freely move around the house and can even leave the area and return, giving a lifelike feeling to the world.
The odd and quirky nature that Swery is known for runs rampant throughout D4 and it is a joy to behold, even though there are some segments that are a bit of a slog to get through. With plenty of great comedy, an intriguing storyline with noteworthy twists, and outlandish characters that are given more depth than you would expect, D4 is off to a great start here. Of course, if you happen to have a low tolerance for strange things you might not enjoy the random and wonderful things that occur throughout the story, but let me say that you are really missing out.
Gameplay Now D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die can be played with either the Kinect or with the controller and players are able to switch between each control method at any time. In essence, D4 is a point and click adventure game where the player must navigate through their given area, interacting with what is available while completing various objectives.
What makes this a fun task is the fact that the Kinect works wonderfully with D4. Opening doors, flipping through paperwork, lifting items, and more are all done with a swipe of the hand. Want to observe an object or push it away? Simply close your hand or push forward. The game responds to both the player’s left and right hands so you can choose your dominant hand if you so wish. The only part that is slightly annoying when it comes to the Kinect navigation is that to turn left or right, the player must swipe at the edge of the screen where with the controller, turning is as simple as pushing a shoulder button.
As David explores, he will interact with numerous simple objects, all of which have extra pieces of description as mentioned earlier, as well as some of the craziest NPCs in recent memory. Talking with these characters and participating in their “side-cases”, which range from answering plane trivia to running up and down aisles to check for dangers, is a delight, even if they can be a bit repetitive.
When you are investigating, you can activate a “Vision” mode which will highlight objects that can be interacted with as well as the next clue in the case. But be careful, every action takes some of David’s stamina and if you run out, it is game over. Both Vision and Stamina have meters that can be refilled by drinking fluids or eating food respectively and although they aren’t really a bothersome mechanic, they feel a bit unnecessary, even if food is readily available from a cat.
The girl at your apartment and this cat sell everything from food and alcohol to clothing and additional records from the game’s soundtrack. Players can not only purchase clothing to change David’s look, which boosts and lowers his stamina, health, and vision meters depending on the outfit, but also change the look three other main characters in the game, adding some nice motivation for completionists.
Outside of gathering items and completing objectives, the best part of D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die involve the action sequences. These are QTE moments that are absolutely wonderful to experience with the Kinect, and actually a hassle to try and complete with the controller. Rarely do Kinect games that require fast motions work well, but D4 pulls it off expertly. Players will need to swipe at the screen to knock objects out of the air, mimic grabs and dodges, and more to finish off these hilarious action packed sequences.
Visuals & Audio D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die uses a cel-shaded comic style design throughout the story and it works to the game’s benefit. While not the most awe inspiring level of detail is available through this art style, the humorous nature of the events that occur throughout the game really work well with this style. The aforementioned action sequences are also hilarious to watch as the ridiculous action choreography really shines in these moments.
The title also boasts some outlandish, but fitting, voice acting. Not only does David feature a perfect Boston sounding accent, but many of the strange characters you come across have their own, just as odd sounding, voice work. It also helps that the title sports an amazing soundtrack that ranges from fitting atmospheric tones and piano laden themes to even rock sequences that play out during action scenes.
Overall It came as quite a surprise when D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die was released suddenly, but it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise to learn that Swery has not lost a step when it comes to creating an enjoyable quirky storyline with enough twists and a unique enough look to really stand out. Add on the fact that the Kinect really shines with D4 and you have a story that will hopefully be continuing sometime in the future, especially since this one happens to end on a cliffhanger.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Slightly Mad Studios and Bandai Namco today revealed 8 new tracks for their ambitious racing title Project CARS. The team are excited to announce these new tracks which span from a huge variety of track types and locations from all over the world. In a clever move not all the tracks are simple circuits, with some being point to point drives along iconic locations. The first two tracks of this type are the California Highway which will take racers down the West Coast and a stunning drive down the Azure Coast of the French Riviera.
Other new tracks include Watkins Glen and Road America from the Untied States, Azure Circuit from France, Oulton and Glencairn from the United Kingdom, with Glencairn being the first karting track to be revealed, and finally a track a little closer to home, Australia’s own Mount Panorama. You can check out the gallery below for some stunningly beautiful screenshots of the newly revealed tracks. Project CARS is priding itself on having the highest quality visuals and they aren’t disappointing. You can view a trailer for Project CARS by following the link.
Three-coloured cards, clan warfare, awesome and powerful leaders and of course reprinting of the infamous fetchlands! All of this and more are part of the latest Magic: The Gathering expansion from Wizards of the Coast. After last week’s prerelease, Khans of Tarkir is now available in gaming stores across the world.
Whether you are all about quick, aggressive beat-downs or you are more about the slow grind, epic strategising and big creatures, Khans of Tarkir and its five clans has something to offer you.
You can grab packs of Khans of Tarkir from your local game store in individual Booster Packs (of 15 cards), Fat Packs (containing 9 Booster Packs), Booster Boxes (packed with 36 Booster Packs) or pre-built Intro Packs. So what are you waiting for? Get down and grab your Khans of Tarkir today!
Omega Quintet is set to be released in Japan next week and it looks like Compile Heart wants to make sure that potential buyers have a bit more knowledge about some of the game’s idols before the RPG launches. They have recently released trailers focusing on Otoha and Kyouka, two of the game’s five idols.
Otoha is a positive but clumsy girl who tries her best while Kyouka is more of a serious girl with a stubborn and commanding attitude. Check out the trailers below and let us hope that this PS4 title eventually makes its way West, outside of importation of course.
With Persona 4 Arena Ultimax set to be released in a few days, at least in North America, Atlus USA has announced the prices of some of the game’s DLC. Margaret, the only character who will only be available through paid DLC, will be priced at $4.99 when she is released on October 7th. As for Marie and Adachi, they will remain free for the first week after the game is released on September 30th before they too cost $4.99 a piece.
The company also announced that the complete Persona 4 Arena story mode will be priced at $9.99, while the glasses pack will cost $1.99 per character or $5.99 for the full set, additional colors will cost $1.99 each or $5.99 for the full set. To go along with this DLC pricing announcement, the company also released an unboxing video for the game that you can check out below.
Koei Tecmo has announced that Dead or Alive’s Ayane will be entering the world of Fatal Frame as a bonus mission. After the player finishes Fatal Frame: The Black Haired Shrine Maiden, a mission where Ayane will be the playable character will be unlocked.
Ayane travels to the mountain in order to save a new character named Tsumugi Katashina who she must find using a mystical purple thread she previously gave to the girl. Ayane cannot directly face off against the ghosts in the game and instead must avoid any ghosts using stealth. If she is seen, she can temporarily stun the ghosts using a “Soul Stone Lamp” to make her way through dangerous areas.
Continuing with their trend of releasing English character trailers for Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, Atlus USA has released a new pair of trailers for the game today, this time focusing on Persona 3’s Shinjiro Aragaki and Persona 4’s Yukiko Amagi.
Shinjiro Aragaki is described as a “front-line brawler” who wields the Persona Castor while Yukiko “excels in back-line support” where she benefits from ranged fan attacks and healing spells from her Persona Konohana Sakuya. Check out the trailers below and keep an eye out for Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth when it is released in North America on November 25th and in Europe on November 28th.
