Team 17 return from the Worms franchise with a Lemmings inspired puzzle of madness, dark humour and gore in Flockers. The sheep infused steampunk universe will take players into a baa-d nightmare – a non-sexualised and more violent version of ‘Catherine’. Is Flockers the next best thing for Team 17 or just a sheep thrill?
Story
Meet the Flockers, a herd of cartoonish sheep running rampage in the Worm’s weapons factory towards freedom. To reach the green pastures, the flock must survive a series of deadly machinery and heinous traps across sixty levels, plus bonus levels. It is at the hands of you, the Shepherd, to guide the school of flock to safety by shearing through each of the diabolical puzzles. In an attempt to further the narrative behind Flockers, the game features animated cut scenes for sheer amusement. The story is feeble and simply an extension of the previous Worms titles. Nevertheless, players won’t mind too much about the lack of story, as the game engages them to apply strategic thinking, time management and tactical skills.
Gameplay
The mechanics of Flockers seem straightforward enough for an A to B puzzle, however there are a few elements which contribute to the challenging nature of the game. To kill a flocking herd, players just need to sit back and enjoy the show. Unless they are extremely lucky, the sheep cannot make it through the level alive on their own. Players need to strategically distribute abilities and formations to certain members of the herd, based on the number of special boxes they collect. The designer hat (purple beanie) enables sheep to jump over gaps, the red cape entitles sheep to fly up walls and the explosive device can be used to blow up sheep and destroy wooden crates. There are four types of formations – one square, two squares, two steps and three steps –most of which halt sheep to become stepping stones for accessing higher platforms, and barriers to prevent their woolly friends from committing suicide. These sheep can be released from their formations, although usually the ones that stop are left behind and don’t make to the end.
One of the most convenient in-game options is being able to fast-forward and pause at any time in each of the levels. The pause feature is particularly useful for zooming out of the map and planning the safest path/s ahead for your flock – even if there is only one sheep remaining. In contrast, when you cannot prevent the sheep shaving, it’s best to speed up the process and focus on the lambs that count. Players will get to the end of the puzzle with a few sheep still active; yet sacrifices must be made to ensure that the fittest sheep (technically the best dressed) survive.
At the end of each 10 minute level, players will receive bonuses for the sheep saved, time taken, abilities left and Golden Fleece captured. As an incentive for replay, players are rated with three stars per level for their overall performance and can earn rewards in the form of new types of sheep. For example, if you three star 30 levels you get the Skeleton Sheep. Of course, the most satisfying achievement is the Black Sheep for completing every level – it is hard to bleat! A leaderboard is accessible for online gameplay and a good motivator for players to improve their scores.
Much to my disappointment, the controls are a flocking mess on the Xbox One. Having to use the left joystick for moving the cursor and the D-pad for toggle zoom is difficult to manage in the same frame. The cursor is ridiculously slow and inaccurate (despite modifying cursor sensitivity), which makes the entire gameplay process a lot more frustrating. From the get-go, players are expected to understand how Flockers works with a few diagrams and in-game pointers. While there is a menu for understanding the game controls and having the choice to change the controller layout, the options are limited and hard to adjust to.
Visuals & Audio
Flock and Awe. The visuals and animation are stunning, for the very fact that a strong contrast exists between the white cotton balls of sheep and the dark and sinister steampunk universe. Once you claim the prizes of white, green, pink, black, purple and blue blood – the massacre is a masterpiece. The lead artist, Chris Black and lead designer, John Eggett created a surrealistic atmosphere that defies gravity and teleportation for flocking slaughter, much to the macabre style of Tim Burton’s work.
Oliver Wood delivers a rather odd and cheerful soundtrack for Flockers, almost as if players are taking a pleasant ride through a theme park or playing on a baa-cade machine. The repetitive music hits a few nerves, although works quite well as background tunes for maintaining concentration in the game. What I loved most about the sound effects and design, was the authenticity of the grinding machinery and the realness given to herd of sheep. The gruesome yelps of pain that come with being squashed to death or sliced to smithereens by a buzz saw is heartbreaking . . . the first few times. Once players accept that most sheep cannot survive, they’ll start to like the sound of them dying.
Overall
Flockers is baa far an immensely funny and entertaining puzzler, which will have players grazed and confused. Who would’ve thought that Team 17 would serve up Lamb as their main course . . . and raise the baa-r! Forgive the sheepish puns, but Flockers is definitely worth buying for avid Lemmings fans. Lucky for you, the sheep are breaking baa-d on PC and PS4 as well. From me to ewe, baa-rty hard!
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Destiny has transformed from one of the most hyped video game releases of all time to a hot topic in the center of several debates. You see, reviews from several outlets are finally coming in, and the results are mixed. Is it a bad thing to get an 8? No, not at all. I personally love Destiny (or what I have played thus far) and honestly believe Bungie delivered on their promises. But if a developer manages to deliver on promises, can they also beat the hype? That is the issue, as when people spend money, they want to feel like they are justified doing so and nothing upsets gamers more than spending money on something that isn’t loved by everyone else (funny world, eh?). The so called “gamers” these days want something they can attach themselves to for years at a time, and without an unforgettable story to replay, and all of those other Game of the Year elements, the crowd who picked this title up day one are starting to get a little fussy.
As many of you know, Bungie worked on Destiny for years (with rumors of development dating back to 2009 and earlier due to the sign you see above from Halo 3: ODST), but it wasn’t until Activision and Bungie made their partnership known in late 2012 to confirm its existence that we all became victims of the hype. Sure, the new consoles were not announced at that time, but pre-order bonuses came shortly after, people were hitting up retailers, and buzz was everywhere for the game no one really knew anything about aside from the fact that it was Halo with a better fashion sense. Soon enough, we would learn about the Playstation 4 and Xbox One versions, and hear all about how this one game was going to change the way an entire audience thought about the FPS genre. It was all great – until release day. Now the game looms in a center spot where yes, it is good, but it isn’t good enough to enthrall everyone, causing reception from critics and gamers alike to be mixed. Fans of the game are upset because of the criticism, while those disappointed want to try to share their frustrations on every public review site known to man. That is the whole conversation, and yes, hype is a part of it, but so many of us forget how each new generation seems to work.
Every generation of gaming takes a couple of years to take off, as one or two big releases have to pave the way for what the flagship genre is going to be across the board. Last generation, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Halo 3 took the first-person shooter genre from a rapidly growing market to a blockbuster genre that could do little wrong in the eyes of most. The motion controlled gimmickry also had Nintendo take the lead, but would also lead Nintendo down an individual path where the famed publisher would no longer try to compete with visuals, but go after delivering unique and more family oriented experiences. Before that, the Playstation 2, Gamecube, and Xbox were duking it out as well, with Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy X making the biggest splashes, cementing the longevity of the Playstation 2 as Nintendo and Microsoft took a backseat to churn up what would take them to the top later on. As similar as the games are this current generation compared to the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, we are in a totally different atmosphere than where we were in 2007. Minecraft is now the top selling game across the board, and Call of Duty and Halo have not fizzled, but definitely lack the impact they used to have.
Enter Destiny. 2014. A game with a huge budget, millions spent on promotion, and all of the tools needed to be successful. With the Playstation 4 currently in the lead of the next generation, we get our exclusive content on that console – which honestly makes sense. Why isn’t Destiny being deemed Game of the Year yet though? Well, for one there really isn’t a solid story, and the performances from the voice actors in my opinion are so-so at best (Sorry Mr. Dinklage). There is also the issue of a shelf life, as no matter how much Bungie wants to promise, they cannot fight the fact that eventually this release will be one of those $4.99 budget bin games with a vacant server in years. Sure, those are the detractors, but Destiny is still an amazing experience. The gameplay is solid, the multiplayer is a blast, and if you have the right friends, this is a title that could live on for a long time, regardless of what the next big thing will be. Gamers now want everything or nothing though. If the game is too short, you will hear critics say “you can beat this in an hour”. If it is too long it is “riddled with boring filler”. Nothing is ever good enough as if you don’t make a Game of the Year in the AAA business, you’re title is considered a flop.
Destiny is not a Game of the Year title. It is not the best game ever made, nor is it the title that everyone will remember for kickstarting this generation. It is however a release that is trying to take this online, digital mentality that console gaming has been trying for years and make it an easier pill to swallow. Sure, the gold trophies may not surround Bungie’s latest, but I want to think it will be remembered for starting a new trend. Across all genres, maybe we will finally see single player experiences crossover into shared ones with integrated multiplayer, as well as further improvement on the narrative for this franchise as feedback rolls in. Gamers are voting with their wallets and while Destiny is already a monster hit, it lacks some of the key ingredients to be legendary. Destiny won’t be known for being a classic, but instead as one of the first games that delivered to the generation of the “now” – and that is perfectly fine. Stop trying to take pictures of the stars, and enjoy them for what they are before they fizzle out. Destiny is a fantastic game right now, and for now – that is all that matters.
Vlad the Impaler– One part RPG, one part graphic novel, and one part adventure game, Vlad the Impaler gives a fantasy spin to the dreaded historical figure.
Motte Island– A new perspective on the horror genre, players will explore Motte Island on a quest to rescue their sister from the forces of evil.
The Campaign Series: Fall Weiss – A turn based strategy game covering the Polish battlefield in the early days of World War II.
The Witch’s Yarn – A quirky point and click adventure featuring a widowed witch named Wednesday who gave up everything for her human lover, who has now died. Wednesday’s humble life as a small business owner is about to be turned upside down.
Hero Siege – Don’t die in this hack’n slash rogue-like RPG. The game features over 70 enemies, 8 classes, and 130 items.
Words for Evil – Take one part of Boggle and mix it with an RPG, shake thoroughly, and pour out Words for Evil. Be sure to vote for the game on Steam Greenlight.
For the first 24 hours of the sale, Indie Gala’s Every Monday Bundle #25 will be $1.89. Afterwards, the price will rise, so snag a copy at Indie Gala now.
In a video reminiscent of David Attenborough’s nature documentaries, Ubisoft showed off the elephants that inhabit Kyrat in a new trailer. Players will be able to ride into battle on these giant mammals in Far Cry 4. The elephants are able to use their massive bodies to destroy barricades and crush enemies underfoot.
Far Cry 4 takes players to Kyrat, a fictional region up in the Himalaya mountains. Pagan Min has declared himself king and taken control of the area, which is now embroiled in a violent civil war. The game will be released for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Windows on November 18th, 2014 in North America and Europe. Australians will have to wait til November 20th to get their hands on the game.
The fifth entry in the Ultimate Ninja Storm series, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution draws its audience in once again with the offer of fast paced, off the wall, crazy ninja battles. With the promise of unique stories to be told and the most refined fighting system to date, is this really a Revolution for the series, or does this latest title fail to do enough differently from its predecessors to warrant a purchase? Read on for our full review.
Story
Not being a numbered entry in the series, Storm Revolution opts to tell four unique stories rather than continue the games telling of the original story from the anime. The games main story mode is called The Ninja World Tournament and involves you picking from any of the unlocked ninja to enter this tournament with. The aim of this mode is to make your way to the final battle of the tournament where you will then be crowned the greatest ninja ever. For lack of a better word, this mode feels rushed and has a number of problems with it. The mode is very repetitive, with you basically repeating the same steps to advance through the tournament each time. Areas are blocked off with an outdated energy barrier mechanic, with my path also being blocked by some rocks I could have easily cleared with my standard jump but couldn’t just so I could take the linear path the game had laid out for me.
Mecha Naruto has some funny lines in his story mode, even if his delivery is a bit robotic.
After you beat Ninja World Tournament mode once you then unlock a separate story revolving around the game specific character Mecha Naruto, designed by series creator Kishimoto. This story has much more heart to it and contains some very interesting, touching and at times weird scenes (there is one scene where Mecha Naruto freaks out because everyone is judging him and it’s pretty creepy). This mode features some terrifically animated cutscenes like the previous Storm games and the final boss is epic and challenging.
Outside of the rather disappointing Ninja World Tournament, the game tells three unique stories through the Ninja Escapades mode. These stories are told through animated cutscenes that are produced by the same company that create the anime and two out of the three stories feature battles in between when appropriate. The first story revolves around the creation of the evil super group The Akatsuki, showing how a number of members came to join and why The Akatsuki was formed in the first place. This story fails to deliver any type of revelations regarding character back story or the reason as to why each member joined the group, with most of them joining simply because they lost a battle where you controlled the character who beat them. You probably won’t play through this story more than once unless it’s to acquire S rank on the battles.
“The Two Uchiha” is a great watch.
The second story is much more engaging and focuses on Shisui Uchiha as he tries to save his village from being wiped out by the Hidden Leaf. You get some new takes on the story you know from the anime and manga as well as some more insight into the back story of Itachi and Shisui and the whole destruction of the Uchiha clan storyline. Character’s have unique motivations for their actions and you get to see a side of Itachi not shown very often as well as why he became the person that he was. The last story doesn’t feature any battles and focuses on Kushina (Naruto’s mother) and her bond with Minato’ students, mostly Obito. This story contains a big spoiler for the anime so those invested in the show might want to turn away at the end. This is a short film at about 5 minutes, but gives a little more insight into Kushina’s wish to be a mother and Obito’s personality.
To complete all unique story based modes took about 5 hours, which would have been shortened by perhaps one or two hours had I skipped all the cutscenes. That being said, the game isn’t lacking in single player modes with free battle featuring a lot of unique gameplay modes to keep you occupied including practice, survival, tournaments and the new league mode. Some modes place a random set of rules before each match which is fun and can really change how you fight in a match. Then there is the online mode which has been revamped for the better apart from the removal of the spectator feature from online tournaments. I found matches quickly and they contained no lag as well despite my less than stellar connection.
There are plenty of game modes to keep you engaged.
Gameplay
While the story telling may not be up to par with the greatness of Storm 3, the fighting system here is greatly refined and goes a long way to creating a more competitive fighter. Many glitches and overpowered strategies have been fixed to create a balanced fighter and is that a remarkable feat given the variety present in this game. There are 100 unique characters all with their own combos, tilts, grabs, Jutsu and Ultimate Jutsu. If you include all the unique awakenings that often have completely different move sets and that you can bring up to two support characters to aid you in each battle, there are perhaps thousands of different combinations for you to try out, and that’s not even factoring in the three battle modes that you have to choose from before each battle which I will discuss later.
Fights are fun, fast and full of strategy and skill. With the addition of the counter attack, which puts you in a vulnerable stance but will leave your opponent stunned if they attack or dash into you, mindlessly mashing the attack and chakra dash button is no longer a way to guarantee victory unless you have worn down your opponents chakra first. Another option in battle that has been added is a charge attack that can only be used twice a match and is rather difficult to land, however if you can successfully pull it of it too will leave your opponent in a dazed state allowing you to follow up with any attack you wish. Using items and your supports at the correct time is another crucial element of the battle system and is another element the player has to juggle while performing their offensive and defensive maneuvers while also monitoring their chakra and substitution gauge.
The diversity within the roster is astounding.
One of the biggest changes the game has made is making you choose your battle mode before each fight. These modes are Ultimate, Awakening and Drive, each with unique characteristics that limit your options in battle but enhance others. Personally I am not a fan of this change as it limits your options in battle where as previous games let you access all these abilities at once. While it does provide some element of strategy as you must choose what fits your play style best and has obviously played a role in the games balancing, taking away the variety of actions you can perform in a fight is a hard choice to praise.
The new four player (offline only) battle orb format which you will be spending most of your time in within Ninja World Tournament mode is fun to begin with, but you will soon discover which attacks are most effective for acquiring the battle orbs that lead to your victory so this style of fighting quickly becomes repetitive. The addition of new traps and rails that you can grind on and perform unique attacks help breath some new life into the mode as you progress but they too become mundane after a few battles. Despite this being a four player mode, rarely did it feel I was taking on another three ninja at once with me and my opponent often being the only ones on screen while the other two battled it out in a similar one on one scenario.
Four player ninja action isn’t as great as you would expect.
A big problem that the Ninja World Tournament modes have is the tedious and unnecessary free roam aspect. Running around slowly in this pretty lifeless world serves no purpose except to trigger the next event or partake in missions that are plain boring for the most part. Many end in a simple battle or involve you running around the map trying to find someone or get to certain places before a time limit (which makes no sense as there is no skill involved in running around the map). One mission even had me run all the way across the map to get a calculator than run all the way back to the other side of the map to continue the mission. This aspect was the worst part of the game for me and I was all too happy when the next cut scene would start to get me out of these segments.
A cool feature CyberConenct2 have added to this game is the Network Clone. This is essentially an A.I. character that you build, choosing the character, their supports and battle mode. You can then customise that character with 5 equipment slots that will affect the way they fight, with many of the stronger items being unlocked as your progress through the game. You then send them off to appear in other peoples games in the free roam section of the Ninja World Tournament but you can also be randomly challenged by these creations while you are fighting online. After a day or so they will come back with experience to level up and get stronger while also giving you a reward (typically a rare item) they have found on their travels. It’s a neat, well implemented idea reminiscent of the old Dragon Ball Z Budokai 3 games AI code system, and serves as a break if you’re brunt out on all the fighting.
Network Clones can be customised anyway you like!
Graphics
Graphically this series has essentially gone unchanged since the first Storm title back in 2008, but surprisingly this is not a bad thing. The series is often praised for its ability to look like the show and is touted as some of the best use of cel-shading of the PS3/Xbox generation. While it is a shame not to see the series move on to next gen just to see what CyberConnect2 can do with the power of the new consoles, the presentation of this game is still stunning. Characters look spot on to their anime counterparts and stages look just as good, despite their being little to no sense of interaction within them. Characters are animated extremely well and their attacks all look graceful and fluent while also appearing damaging at the same time.
CyberConnect2 are also known for their devotion to creating spectacular Ultimate Attacks and they don’t let down their audience with Revolution. Giant energy bombs, whirlwinds, massive summonings, attacks cutting mountains in half. These ultimate sequences look fantastic and never get old no how many times you land a Tailed Beast Bomb. CC2 have even raised the bar this game, giving the option to use Combination Ultimate Attacks if the correct members are present on your team.
The new Ultimate Combination Jutsu look epic!
Those who are a fan of customisation will be more than pleased here, as for the first time in the series the game lets you equip gear to certain parts of your body with items ranging from giant battle axes, to masks, to scrolls and more. You can also customise your gamer card with unique skins, images and titles to further distinguish yourself from the crowd.
Menus retain that classic Japanese/Storm series feel they have for the last few titles and easy to understand and navigate. Apart from a small issue with pop in within the Ninja World Tournament free roam mode (which further adds to the notion that section of the game was rushed), the presentation of this game is near perfect and fits the Naruto universe incredibly well.
Giant characters have a great sense of scale in Storm Revolution.
Audio
Like the graphics, the sound in the Storm series is often presented to a high standard. In regards to Revolution this holds true apart from a few minor sound problems I came across, most in regards to inappropriate volume levels. Sometimes characters speak very quietly in cutscenes within the Ninja Escapades mode which makes them hard to hear and my opponents supports sounded much too loud in one battle I had in the World Tournament mode. Lack of spoken dialogue for most of The Ninja World Tournament mode was an issue, with characters only giving one word prompts such as “Huh” or “Woah” to sum up an entire sentence which wasn’t always appropriate. Character spoken taunts can also become a bit insipid when they continuously repeat phrases like “leave it to me” during battle.
As expected in major anime game releases these days, both the English and Japanese voice cast are present so fans can have their pick. Characters all seem to be played by their original English voice actors and do a great job delivering their lines with the correct emotion sans a few awkwardly spoken lines here and there. Dialogue during story fights return and is a nice touch. There is even commentary during some matches in the World Tournament mode but unfortunately it only takes two battles before you are hearing the same lines spoken repeatedly. The soundtrack, while not as impressive as past installments, still delivers, with epic background music during fights and soothing melodies to help you relax between all the mayhem. The music playing during the animated sequences sounded surprisingly similar to the show which was another highlight of the audio.
Character voices and the soundtrack sound great for the most part.
Overall
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution is a must buy for the hardcore Naruto fan and a great buy for those who don’t follow the series closely or at all. CyberConnect2 have done a great job refining the battle system to make it a much more polished product than we have seen in previous installments, being both inviting to newcomers and hard to master for hardcore fighting fans while really delivering in the fan service category with 100 playable characters and heaps of nods to the series with their awakenings and abilities.
While the story content can be completed within a few hours and The World Tournament mode is underwhelming, the amount of game modes both on and offline add enough re-playability centered around the amazing combat to keep players coming back. The game looks vibrant and the battles are a spectacle to watch with a great soundtrack and voice acting supporting the action. If you are looking for a Naruto game that covers the original story in detail, than I would recommend Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 before giving this a look. However if you are more focused on gameplay and are looking for the best Naruto fighter currently on offer, look no further than Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution.
In just a few short weeks, Sydney will be playing host to the biggest domestic gaming event of the year – the EB Games Expo. Three days where gamers can get their hands on the latest and upcoming games. In the expo’s short life-span visiting game developers have always been part of the festivities and this year Microsoft are bringing out the big guns. Taking center stage and speaking directly to the crowd will be Marcus Smith, creative director of Sunset Overdrive, and Ben Penrose, art director for Forza Horizon 2.
Ben Penrose – Forza Horizon 2Marcus Smith – Sunset Overdrive
The two developers will be taking to the stage at various points in the expo, sharing stories and answering questions from the fans in attendance. Sunset Overdrive and Forza Horizon 2 are some of the biggest releases hitting Xbox One in the coming months, so these two developers being present really is a big deal. We will be covering all the action from the EB Expo from October 3rd – 5th so make sure you grab your ticket and join us for all the action right here at Capsule Computers.
We already know that Little Orbit is planning to make a video game based on Spielberg’s series Falling Skies. Falling Skies: The Game is an anticipated game of action, drama and survival, and now we have more details about the gameplay. It going to be made as a turn-based strategy game, set in a tense and gritty world. Engage in covert tactical operation to fight against alien invaders and for the survival of the human race.
This game is going to truly be a massive and immersive game, with engaging tactical combat and a deep story driven experience, Falling Skies: The Game will offer players a never-ending list of missions. There is also going to be a multitude of skills and equipment upgrades to unlock, and with dynamic enemy AI and map randomisation, this means that players can play their own way and even achieve game-changing objectives.
Little Orbit is also taking it a step further by making two gameplay modes: Resource Management and Tactical Combat modes. Resource management occurs between missions where players return to ‘base camp’ to customise units, obtain new recruits and purchase upgrades. Upon entering a tactical combat mission, the player takes control over each member of the squad, assigning actions, abilities and items.
A teaser trailer is already out for Falling Skies: The Game. Let’s hope that the game reflects the aspects of the show that makes in so great.
CBE Software are proud to re-introduce their indie adventure, J.U.L.I.A. Among The Stars to Steam, following their original sci-fi narrative game ‘J.U.L.I.A’ released in March 2012.
The promising title focuses on Rachel Manners, a 35 year-old astrobiologist, who finds herself orbiting an unknown planet with two unique companions – J.U.L.I.A. the space probe’s AI and Mobot, a huge reconnaissance robot. As a team, they must explore the mysteries of this solar system . . . the question is can they handle what they discover?
J.U.L.I.A. Among The Stars features a unique and engaging storyline, challenging and original puzzles, beautifully composed music, a new exploration mode, mission logs and more optional side-stories and quests.
The game is currently available on Steam and CBE’s DRM free store here for $19.99 USD ($22.12 AUD) for Windows PC. The Mac and Linux versions will be released later this month.
Those who are familiar with Innocent Grey’s adult PC visual novel Kara no Shoujo will be happy to hear that MangaGamer has just released a demo for the prequel to that game, Cartagra ~Affliction of the Soul~. While no release date for this $34.95 title has been set yet, potential buyers can download the demo here. (18+ Only)
Cartagra ~Affliction of the Soul~ is set four years prior to the events that occur in Kara no Shoujo and players will be following Takashiro Shugo as he looks into a serial killer who has been murdering prostitutes in the city of Ueno only for the case to devolve into an even more terrifying mystery the deeper he goes.
Overview Creating a direct sequel to any RPG can be a difficult endeavor. Not only will fans be upset if the storyline in the sequel damages their impressions of the first game, but they will also be disappointed if the game doesn’t offer anything new. Bandai Namco has experienced something like this in the past with Tales of Symphonia’s sequel, but they are trying again with Tales of Xillia 2. Being a direct sequel, is Tales of Xillia 2 worth your time or is it an RPG that should be left alone?
Story Tales of Xillia 2 takes place roughly a year after the ending of the first game and players take on the role of Ludger Kresnik, a generally silent protagonist who, through unfortunate circumstances, meets with a young girl named Elle who is seeking the Land of Canaan. After surviving a devastating attack with the help of a returning character from the first game, Ludger is saddled with a massive debt and learns that the world is suffering after the events from the first game.
Numerous alternate dimensions have begun appearing and are wreaking havoc on the dimension Ludger lives and the only way to seal these dimensions off is to destroy them. On this journey Ludger and Elle end up meeting with and recruiting the cast from the original game, making these two the odd couple as fans of the series should be very familiar with the rest of the cast at this point. Especially in the case of Ludger, whose silent nature is a far different approach to the standard Tales protagonist.
Despite this, Ludger manages to grow a little on the player, thanks to the fact that many times throughout the game players will be prompted to pick from two different dialogue or action options, allowing them to make Ludger act how they wish, even if it doesn’t really doesn’t make up for the fact that he comes off as a bland lead character. In fact, his few saving graces come from his interactions with Elle.
Instead the best part of Tales of Xillia 2’s storyline comes from the fact that the original cast returns and all of them have grown, both physically and mentally, over the past year and thanks to this, Xillia 2 feels like a proper continuation rather than any simple standalone game. Players will be able to learn more about their favorite returning characters and there have even been special character specific loyalty missions included in the game that helps develop each character and open up their relationship with Ludger.
Although Ludger may not be the most enthralling lead in a Tales game, his interactions with Elle and the return of the old Xillia cast make up for his faults as the group must travel through a notably darker storyline than the first game. Even though it might take a few hours to actually pick up the pace, there are some surprising plot twists and revelations occurring throughout Xillia 2’s story that not only leave the events of the first game untouched but properly expand the Xillia story, making it hard for players to pull away, even if a certain game mechanic will make it difficult to continue at times.
Gameplay A large portion of Tales of Xillia 2’s gameplay has remained unchanged and in the case of the game’s combat system, that is a good thing. The original Xillia contained an enjoyable battle system that managed to capitalize on all of the strengths that past Tales games’ fast paced mechanics while adding a unique flair. Players will still actively control the action as it unfolds on the battlefield with the player being able to directly attack and use special Artes (skills) and link up with other fighters to unleash powerful attacks while supporting one another allowing for fluid combat that is some of the best you can find in a JRPG.
It is worth noting that Ludger does bring a few new elements to the game’s combat system. He happens to be a man of many talents and this allows him to swap between weapons in the middle of combat. Ludger can wield dual blades, a sledgehammer, and pistols and each of these weapon styles comes with a unique set of statuses and Artes that can be used to exploit enemy weaknesses. He also can wield a special ability that, once a meter is filled in battle, allows him to deal large amounts of damage to enemies whenever he is transformed.
The way characters gain abilities has also been changed in the jump between games. Players will now be making use of the Allium Orb system. Allium Orbs contain a pre-set set of skills that grow stronger over time and provide the player with new skills as they advance through the game. While players still have a bit of control over how their characters will progress in level, the new system does not allow quite as much customization as many players would prefer, as you might miss out on certain Artes if you don’t pay attention, especially since the Lilium Orb system allowed for better player choice.
Now before I mention a certain issue, I will say that there are a ton of things to do within the world of Xillia 2. Not only are there numerous side-quests to complete, including the aforementioned character storyline ones, but there are plenty of optional areas to explore and the adorable “Kitty Dispatch” system to manage. You see, a hundred cats have been spread around the world and as you find them with the help of your own cat Rollo, you will be able to use them to search for items. The phrase “Your kitty has returned” will become a common prompt as the items that are brought back are useful for side quests and creating equipment.
Now earlier I mentioned that there was a problem with the way the game handles story progression and it all comes down to Ludger’s debt. While it might be understandable to have players grind for experience because their next opponent could be challenging, the debt system in Xillia 2 is terrible. Due to Ludger’s debt, there will be countless times throughout the game that you will be unable to progress any further in the story or explore an area because you have not paid off a certain amount of your debt.
By gating off the storyline, which is already a slow-starter to begin with, and forcing players to grind side-quests, rather than offer them as a distraction, the game quickly feels like it becomes a chore. Rarely will players ever have the cash on hand at the time and instead will need to travel off and grind for money. In fact this whole system punishes the well-equipped and well-stocked player, because every time you use money for items it puts you further away from paying off your debt and continuing with the story.
Visuals & Audio Being a sequel, Tales of Xillia 2 looks very similar to the first game on the surface as the basic art style has not changed between the titles but it does feature a unique areas to stand out and of course the entire game’s various event scenes are as gorgeous looking as the previous game, with the various anime cut-scenes appearing as phenomenal as before. This visual splendor really helps make the fluid combat system really stand out and alleviates some of the issues from the constant grinding players will need to do. It is also nice to note that many of the returning characters have changed slightly in appearance, while Ludger and Elle and other original characters fit in nicely with the series’ aesthetic.
As for the game’s voice work, the English dub is a bit sub-standard at times but it benefits from a great sense of humor and how charming the characters can be at times. Of course it is unfortunate that there are many scenes that do not feature any voice work whatsoever, but considering the quality of the dub, that may be for the best. On the other hand, the Xillia 2’s soundtrack is exemplary, whether it is simply background music while exploring or important combat music, each track fits the game and the series’ lineage nicely.
Overall
Being a direct sequel to a popular JRPG, Tales of Xillia 2 does plenty of things right but also has a few missteps along the way. With the same enjoyable battle system, Ludger and Elle fitting in nicely with the returning Xillia cast, and a deep storyline featuring a darker tone, fans of the last game will have plenty of new content to enjoy even if some of it may appear similar. Unfortunately, the questionable design choices that are the Allium Orbs and obstructing debt system that forces players to grind money simply to advance, will hamper that enjoyment.
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