Last week we learned that Tales of Xillia 2 would be released on August 21st in PAL regions and now Bandai Namco has also went into detail about the type of versions that will be available for purchase once the game is released. First of all, we have the Tales of Xillia 2 Collector’s Edition, shown above, that includes the full game, a Ludger Kresnik figure, a replica of Elle’s pocket watch, the art book and original soundtrack for Tales of Xillia 2, and a Metalcase of Ludger’s cat Rollo.
Second we have the basic Day 1 edition, shown below, which comes with the game itself, a soundtrack, and a metalcase for the game but unlike the cat one, this is simply a metal case featuring the game’s standard box art.
Side-scrollers are possibly one of my all time favourite video game genres. From “Metroid” to “Castlevania”, “Kirby” to “Metal Slug” and from “Megaman” to “Mario”, I love them all! Luckily for some one like me the mobile stores have an abundance of side-scrolling titles to wet the appetite but not all of them do as good a job as they boast. “Lethal Lance” is a game that I feel fits that description, with what seems like some brilliant visuals and an “old-school” gameplay style it’s kind of hard to pass this one up. Thanks to developers “LL Team” and publishers “BulkyPix” I’ve been given the chance to review “Lethal Lance”. Let’s just see how well it does.
Gameplay
“Lethal Lance” is, for all intents and purposes; a pretty basic game to play. It’s your typical side-scrolling shooter that can be best described as a mix between “Mario” and “Megaman” on an extremely fundamental level. The player is given four buttons; left, right, jump and shoot. That is all, which isn’t bad, as I mentioned; this game is basic. Players are tasked with shooting their way through levels, collecting coins and doing their best not to get hurt while racing against the clock.
Reaching a lamp indicates the end of a level and your score is decided by just how well you did: Having lost no lives (with the game giving you three), having collected all the coins and having reached the end of the stage within the time constraints a player will earn three stars which, may I just add, is a system that a great deal of mobile titles have decided to implement for no reason apart from, what seems like, “Angry Birds did it so I guess we’ll do it too”.
Fully completing stages with three stars does nothing within the game, yes you can choose to share your score on Facebook or Twitter but that’s the fast track to losing online friends so I doubt anyone will dare boast about it to their “virtual” friends. The game really has nothing else to offer apart from exactly what you see on screen; there are no rewards for doing good and there are really no consequences for doing bad apart from a bad score which I’m not sure many people hold in high regard. While it executes the basics of your typical side-scrolling/shooter well…it does become monotonous quite quickly and I believe it is because the developers chose to stick only with the basics instead of mastering and then building upon them.
Visuals
I’ll always give credit when credit is due and I think “Lethal Lance” deserves it for the high quality aesthetics featured within it. While I did go pretty hard on the title gameplay-wise, I really enjoyed the way it look and it was one of the aspects (alongside the audio) that actually kept me playing the game for as long as I did. Not only are each of the levels well-designed but the colour schemes for the different locations are great! With beautiful vibrant colours and crisp animation it’s hard to look at such a title and say it DOESN’T look good.
I’ve seen far too many mobile title developers that put minimal effort into the visuals of their games, luckily “Lethal Lance” does not fall victim to that, instead the developers clearly put a great deal of effort into the games aesthetics and, as a man who enjoys the beauty in life, I can really appreciate that. Animation-wise this game is perfectly smooth like top-shelf peanut butter, honestly the way the background moves in accordance to lance himself as well as the foreground is only comparable to that of running water, it’s fluid in motion and makes for a very nice looking game.
Audio
I found myself being quite surprised at just how brilliant the soundtrack for this game was. While many of the tracks did tend to repeat themselves, my love for them did not diminish. The best way I can describe the musical theme for “Lethal Lance” is that it’s mostly “synthpop”. Most of the music was made up by bubbly synthesizer tones and notes which made for some seriously funky tunes that I really couldn’t get enough of.
Not only did it fit the game well but the tracks were just great! You really got a sense for the type of game it was. Even the sound effects were well-made, each and every auditoral aspect of this game was perfectly done, no individual sounds got annoying or lost their hold on me and that’s a massive feat for any game, especially a mobile game of this kind.
Overall
I feel as though the developers chose to keep gameplay mechanics basic so that they could instead focus on both the visual and audio aspects which actually turned out fantastically though it would have been a much better game had they just taken some more time to build upon what they had mastered. Illustrators don’t just master drawing the outlines of different images, once that talent is perfected it’s built upon, unfortunately something the developers of “Lethal Lance” did not do.
In saying that I do honestly believe the audio and visual aspects to have been done perfectly but, at the end of the day, this is a game and a game also needs to have engaging gameplay mechanics. If you’re in need for a simple, good-looking game to play than “Lethal Lance” is for you but don’t jump into this thinking it will scratch all of your side-scroller itches. In end; it’s a brilliant title with some smooth visuals, a fantastic soundtrack but a super basic gameplay style that leaves a little to be desired.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Chess is a lot more exciting than you’d think. Especially when the pieces possess their own will and the match also mixes in ideas from simulation games, both fighting and love. They say all’s fair in love and war, but how fair is love during war? Putting that to the test in the last episode, Sora managed to turn the tides of war with little more than a heartfelt confession to a Queen and a rousing speech to his troops. Unfortunately for him, his opponent isn’t going down without a fight…no matter how dirty it gets.
Continuing to spiral further and further down the path of ludicrousy, this episode treats us to the rise of a third faction on the chess board: Red. Led by the former Black Queen, these pieces stand alongside White in order to strike down the Mad King. Seriously, how awesome does that sound? And this isn’t even the plot of the series, this is just a game. The drama forced upon this chess match is so ridiculous and over the top, that it loops back around to being cool. I have never before been so interested in a game of chess before. Having been driven into a corner, Kurami decides to go for broke and orders her troops to sacrifice their lives in order to slay the Red Queen. However, in the midst of her final assault, Kurami’s kings cracks and her pieces crumble. Now I’ll be honest here, the reason that Kurami lost is a little vague. As far as I understand it, as a reflection of her own personality and leadership qualities, Kurami had a powerful link to her King. As she was backed into a corner, she began to panic and envision the situation as if it were a real war. Having convinced herself that Sora and Shiro are enemy spies, the idea snuck into her head that they would assassinate her should she become King. Therefore resulting in the seemingly spontaneous destruction of her King and subsequent loss of the game. Also her overuse of Elven magic can’t have helped the situation. Fear and suspicion are powerful tools if used correctly, but they can also lead to one’s own downfall. Kurami learned that the hard way, which led to a rather unexpected display of emotion. Don’t judge a book by its cover I guess.
…and a Sad King falls
Once again showing that he is one of the smartest people in Elkia (the other being Shiro), Sora utilises his talents of manipulation to cleanse the government of spies, ascertain the truth and put the country back on track in a single hand of Scissors, Paper, Rock. It is this same attention to detail that allowed both him and Shiro to become King together, though admittedly that took a while longer.The same day also see’s Sora resolve crop issues and establish a budget for the country, resolving two problems that have apparently plagued Elkia for too long. Not to let the seriousness of running a country overwhelm the anime, we learn that Sora only understands how to act because he pays attention to all of the domestic factors when playing Civilisation. Who ever said games don’t teach people anything?
After Shiro help him reign in his deathly fear of  crowds, Sora makes a grand speech to the people of Elkia about the defining factor of Imanity: weakness. I know that doesn’t exactly sound uplifting, but it actually is. He declares that only the weak understand how to stand against the strong and though the Ten Pledges have enforced weakness on every race, Imanity are the original weaklings. Though the Exceed may become wiser, they will never be as wise as those who have lived their lives on the bottom. Though this unexpectedly moving display, Sora manages to win over the hearts and minds of his citizens, instilling in them a pride they had long forgotten. So energised are they by this that Sora also reveals the next step in his reign as King: reclaiming Imanity’s lost territories. Now that’s how you rule, less than a day on the throne and he already has all of Elkia standing behind him, ready to march on the world. Though war is against the First Pledge, as always, Sora has meticulously planned everything out. Refusing to believe that a human could best magic unaided, the Exceed races will believe that another country is helping Elkia. Not knowing who it is, each country will bide its time, unable to strike without fear of repercussions. Once again, another display of brilliance that really sets Sora apart from other anime protagonists. Rather than everything working out on its own, Sora makes it work out one way or another.
The new royal family
Despite all of these dramatic moments, the most interesting reveal comes with the return of Tet. Ever the gamer, we learn that there is a reason the Exceed are comprised of sixteen races and that reason is centred around a game we are all familiar with: chess. As we now know, the ruler of each race is bestowed with a Race Piece, said to embody everything that race is. With sixteen races comes sixteen pieces, coincidentally the exact amount of pieces on one side of a chess board. See where this is going? Should anyone manage to obtain all sixteen Race Pieces, they are presented with a unique opportunity: the chance to play God. Should the challenger manage to best Tet, they will acquire his position as the One True God of Disboard, reigning over everything. It’s quite the prize. Naturally Blank sets their sights on challenging Tet and attaining the position of God, as it’s their policy to be the best at every game they play. However, what I found interesting was that this goal is by no means an impossible task. Remember the chess game Blank played before being transported to Disboard? That was Tet on the other side. See Blank has already bested God once, in fact revenge is the reason why Tet brought them to Disboard in the first place. Kind of petty for a God if I do say so myself. However, despite this rivalry, both parties hold no true animosity towards each other. Tet is happy he has a worthy opponent, whilst both Sora and Shiro thank Tet for bringing them to the world in which they belong. It’s uplifting as it is epic that the two talk so casually to a God, as Stephanie can attest to.
The Game of Gods
With their eyes now set on a position just a few steps above King, Sora and Shiro now have yet another goal to strive for: To beat God. Of course in order to reach said goal they will first have to best every other Exceed race in Disboard and conquer the world, but that shouldn’t be too hard for Blank…right?
Stephanie lost her chance to be King, there’s no getting around that fact. By the rules of her own country, Kurami is now King. More accurately, she’s about to be. Which provides Sora the perfect opportunity to look cool and dramatically storm the coronation ceremony. Having resolved last episode to fight for Stephanie’s ideals and prove that her grandfather was a wise king, the sibling pair do the only thing they know how to resolve a situation, the only thing they’re allowed to do: play a game.
What a bizarre pair they make
You’d think that a world based on unwavering rules and regulations would have some kind of order right? Nope. Having been in Disboard for roughly two days, Sora has already manipulated his way from pauper to possible King. It’s pretty damn impressive when you think about it. Especially since he skipped the entire round robin tournament organised for King contenders. Just one of the flaws in the system. As Sora notes, if one were to receive outside help from another Exceed race, they could win unopposed. This, in turn, would create a Puppet King and doom Elkia. Seriously, how has no one figured out this weakness before? No wonder the other races are winning. Hell, Kurami is so impressed by Sora’s deductive reasoning that she believe that he is also getting help from another race, a fact he cleverly allows to remain uncertain. Yet another example of how, though he seems to act somewhat rash, Sora has actually thought out every eventuality before making a single move.
What better way to decide the next person to ascend to the throne than with chess, the game of Kings. See what they did there? However, as we already know, Disboard isn’t exactly a normal kind of world. As such, the rules are a little bit different for this match, at least they are after Kurami has her way. Though the pieces remain the same, each possesses a will of their own and reacts to their master’s commands in the manner they see fit. It is due to this reason that we witness Shiro begin to panic for the first time. Though she possesses an incredible analytic brain, she is unable to cope with the rules, which render her unable to perform her best moves. To her credit however, Shiro has more than one back up move and continues to fight until the pressure becomes to much. In a truly telling moment of character, we also see that her first thought isn’t about losing the game, but of disappointing her brother. As one half of Blank, her defeat becomes his defeat, the mere thought of which brings her to tears. It is at this point that Sora intervenes to comfort his sister, showing that even in times of trouble, they can always count on each other. It’s pretty darn sweet.
‘Twas beauty saved the beast
Having been sitting in the background observing, Sora’s entrance into the chess match is one of purpose…and humour. Turning the game on its head, Sora rallies his troops together, promising monetary rewards, exemption from tax and the right to bang anyone they desire. Needless to say this is answered with a resounding battle cry and Sora begins to make his move. So unexpected was his tactic that Kurami herself becomes flustered as she loses control of the game she rigged in her favour. Serves her right. In fact, Sora changes the game so much that it becomes confusing to us. Hear me out. Though just a “chess” game, the battlecries and speeches hark to a much more dramatic scene. A climactic battle that will determine the course the world takes. Which it kind of is, though you wouldn’t have guessed when they began. The drama continues to follow a steady increase until we’re left witnessing a war in its purest form. Bravery, loyalty, manipulation, corruption, fear…love. All of these emotions clash when Kurami just can’t accept the fact that Sora is the better player. Truly, I have to give NGNL credit for turning what promised to be just another game into something this awesome. What other anime would have love be such a crucial factor in a chess match?
Your move
With Kurami’s Queen having defected to a less manipulative side of the board, things are looking up for Sora and Shiro. Of course, it’s not over ’til it’s over and knowing Kurami she’s bound to have another card up her sleeve. Plus Sora and Shiro risk losing their pieces should they even attempt to attack. But, much like Steph’s grandfather, Sora believes in another method. A way to win without fighting. And if anyone can achieve that, it’s Blank.
Having spent last episode becoming accustomed to their new situation, Sora and Shiro are settling into Disboard quite nicely. They’re gaming prodigies after all. That being said, not all who have met the siblings see them in a positive light…especially one girl. Having lost despite being informed by Sora that her opponent was cheating, she’s decided to find out the truth. Though of course she doesn’t realise, she’s already being played.
Do NOT leave Shiro alone
First of all, Sora is a Grade A manipulative bastard…and it is hilarious. Though I do feel for poor Stephanie, the way that Sora forced her hand (in more ways than one) was brilliant. Despite his outwardly lax behaviour, there is never a moment when he isn’t thinking. It is because of this that he can so easily acquire what he wants, especially in this world. Hell, the guy manages to turn Scissors, Paper, Rock into a mind game. Devious. Though to her credit, Stephanie isn’t as inept as her first appearance would make it seem. In fact she is rather quickly able to understand the outcomes that may arise from Sora’s game and plans accordingly…wrong, but accordingly. Of course Sora knew that she would know what he knew and knew to go ahead and do what he knew she wouldn’t know…trust me, it makes sense. Just don’t trust Sora, Steph learned that the hard way. In fact, trust seems to be her best and worst trait. Best because it’s nice to believe in people, worst because she lives in a world run solely on game law. It’s probably a good thing she met Sora and Shiro, who knows what could’ve happened to her if she was left by herself.
After managing to best Stephanie in a deceptively simple game, Sora deceive her once more. Though it was kinda her own fault. Ever the schemer, Sora recounts how he never actually answered Staphanie when she assumed that all he wanted should they tie was a place to stay. Whoops. It is at this point that Sora unleashes his ultimate plan, with a menacing face and dark aura he commands Stephanie…to fall in love with him. Diabolical. Of course he immediately chastised by Shiro who points out how he should have just forced Stephanie to obey him, rather than seeking to sate his own desires. In addition to this, Shiro is genuinely hurt by the fact that her brother wishes for a girl other than her in his life, hinting at just how close the two are. It’s pretty strange, though still kinda sweet. Even stranger however is Stephanie’s reaction to the proposal. Whether because of her absolute adherence to the Ten Pledges or her own desires, she immediately begins to see Sora as a charismatic bishounen. However, she also shows resistance to her own perception, leading to moments that were actually funny. I can’t remember the last time an anime actually made me laugh out loud. Well played NGNL.
Resist Sora’s charm? MUDA MUDA MUDA!
This episode also features a scene that, though played for humour, is actually quite frightening. After sending Sora careening down a hallway, utilising her humour based combat proficiency, Stephanie bears witness to what happens when the siblings are separated. Unable to see the other, both Sora and Shiro completely break down, cowering in fear. Sora frantically apologises to Stephanie for accidentally groping her (the cause of her outburst), citing his fear that he would never get the chance again, living the rest of his life without anyone other than Shiro to love. Shiro is even less coherent, simply panicking whilst imploring someone to tell her where her brother is. Though we are aware that the two lived alone together, it isn’t until this moment that we saw the true extent of their co-dependence. I shudder to think about what made them this way and fear that someone may exploit this weakness should it be discovered.
After coming to terms with their new living arrangements, Stephanie provides some exposition regarding the world of Disboard and the sixteen races that populate it, collectively known as the Exceed. All following the Ten Pledges, these races are also ranked in order of their affinity to magic. Coming in first, of course, are the Old Deus…or they would, if they weren’t dead. This race formerly ruled over Disboard and were the Gods who fought in legend, with Tet as the only survivor and One True God. We also learn that Imanity (the human race) comes in dead last on the magic charts. Their affinity is so low in fact, that they can’t even detect the presence of magic. Not exactly a benefit in a world of games. Though now that Sora and Shiro stand under the Imanity banner, perhaps things will change? Stephanie certainly seems to believe so. After all, Sora can transform even the simplest games into crises of faith and Shiro can learn an entire language in roughly twenty minutes. So I’m inclined to agree with Stephanie on this one.
The saviours of Elkia
After gaining an ally and friend in Stephanie, Sora and Shiro’s prospects are on the rise. Running into the girl who bested Stephanie in poker once more, Sora resolves to prove that Steph’s grandfather was a wise king despite the loss Imanity suffered under his rule. Said resolution also provides him with a new objective. Nothing major, just to become the King…for now.
Life is complicated. As you make your way through the day to day mundanities of life, you cross paths with countless others who call this big blue marble home. You form bonds, be they friendly or not, and build a complex mesh of ideaologies that form the foundation for life…Then there are those beyond that. Whether intentional or not, some forgo a connection to the outside world in order to delve deeper into their own psyche…Or they just don’t like people. Regardless of the reason, forcing an introvert into society isn’t the best idea. That is unless there existed a world specifically tailored to their mindset…
Meet Sora and Shiro, a brother and sister duo who pretty much define the term shut-in. Wearing their NEET classification with pride, the two spend all hours of the day playing various games. From MMOs to chess, they utilise their genius intellect to dominate all who would dare oppose them. Having built a name for themselves as the enigmatic Blank, an unbeatable quartet of fighters, the two are able to overcome even cheating foes with sheer skill. It’s honestly very impressive. Not to mention the fact that both Sora and Shiro manage to control two characters at once. Hell, Shiro uses her feet to play…though I don’t recommend staying awake for five days straight for any reason. Poor girl.
Meet God…
After receiving a mysterious e-mail, Sora and Shiro are invited into a chess game that proves surprisingly difficult for the gaming savants. It is at this point that the anime takes a rather sharp turn into the realm of seriousness. After being asked his honest opinion on the world, Sora explains how, to him and his sister, life is nothing but a crappy game. With no absolute rules, existence is nothing but a pit of chaos that should be avoided, hence their shut-in lifestyle. Though not even 10 minutes into the first episode, we’ve already jumped from quirky family who love video games, to ostracised siblings who only have each other. While this lends credence to their obviously close relationship despite the age gap, it also provides insight into their gaming habits. In the virtual world, people respect their power, stare upon them in awe. Even those who would dare to cheat are unable to compete with their power. Who wouldn’t want that? Yet they always leave their name blank. Despite their obvious desire for connection with other people, their introversion still dominates their choices. The duo almost  relish in the disconnect that anonymity provides them. Like looking at humanity through a window. Close enough to witness, but not participate.
Naturally the e-mail received was far from ordinary and the siblings soon find themselves plummeting from the sky above a foreign world. It is during this unexpected freefall that we meet the One True God, a rambunctious little chap known as Tet. Being the God of Games and sole surviving member of his race, it is Tet who imbued upon his world a set of easy to follow instructions, intended to appease his love of playing: the Ten Pledges.
Ok, so it’s not the best poker face…
All murder, war and robbery is forbidden in this world.
All conflict in this world will be resolved through games.
In games, each player will bet something that they agree is of equal value
As long as it doesn’t go against number three, what they bet and the rules of the game will not be questioned.
The challenged party has the right to decide the rules of the game.
Any bets made in accordance with the pledges must be upheld.
Conflicts between groups will be conducted by designated representatives with absolute authority.
Being caught cheating during a game is grounds for an instant loss.
In the name of God, the previous rules may never be changed.
Let’s all have fun and play together!
Being a world practically designed for them, Sora and Shiro have no trouble comprehending (and subsequently manipulating) the irrevocable rules of the world. Though from what we’ve seen so far, it doesn’t come as much of a shock. Despite living in isolation, Shiro expresses the same boldness he exhibits when playing as Blank. Combined with the fact that he does not give his name to those he meets, he seems happy that he can fully adopt his online persona. Becoming his “true” self. Following his train of thought in response to Tet’s e-mail, he even ponders why the protagonists of stories long to return to Earth, should they find themselves lost. This creates an interesting story element, in that, at this point, we have no idea where Sora and Shiro are heading. They have no grand goal to drive them forward, nor a desire to do anything but play. Even Sora’s self made list of objectives included nothing more than “Find a place to stay”. All things considered, it’s rather interesting to see characters who, though lost, are actually content. If anything, they’ve already come home after being lost for years. Quite a clever inverse of a traditional story type.
Let the games begin
Well with their first objective completed, Sora and Shiro are one day into their brand new lives. Having already showcased their prodigious talents and witnessed the lengths other will go to in order to cinch victory, the games have only just begun in the world of Disboard. If that wasn’t chaotic enough, the girl Shiro informed regarding her opponent’s cheating turns up in the middle of the night clad in nothing but a blanket.
Overview
It’s taken a while but the venerable Steam platform for the PC is finally playing host to a range of Japanese titles. I don’t mean the multiplatform heavyweights like Resident Evil and Dark Souls but little gems, thanks to the Greenlight program, from Japan’s vibrant indie or “doujin” scene. There’s a whole world of creative shoot ’em ups, RPGs and visual novels out there on the PC that many of us Western gamers haven’t even heard of.
The bizarrely-titled Croixleur Sigma is one of the latest Japanese indie titles to hit Western PCs as an upgraded version of its predecessor, Croxleur. The revamped Sigma promises a new character, new modes, improved graphics and new music. How does it stack up as high-speed, hack ‘n slash title at a budget price?
Story Make no mistake, Croixleur Sigma is a game built primarily on arcade mechanics. But like many arcade-style games that doesn’t stop it from having a Story mode. The game is set in the Queen’s realm of Ilance where, unbenownst to the Queen, her two loyal factions known as the Knights and Aristocrats vye for supremacy.
You play as either the feisty Lucrezia Visconti or the proud Francesca Storaro whilst taking on the Adjuvant Trial, which is essentially a set of stages with branching paths, character conversations and multiple endings. Lucrezia and Francesca are childhood friends who put aside their past connections and compete as rivals. As you progress up the tower, the enemies become more difficult and the challenge intensifies.
There isn’t a lot of meat in the plot and although the interaction back and forth between Lucrenzia and Francesca is amusing (the voicework is nicely done), you won’t find much to pick apart here aside from the crazy and inventive names.
Gameplay
It’s no coincidence that the first thing you see when launch the game is a disclaimer telling you that a gamepad is highly recommended. Using a keyboard isn’t very fun and you’ll find that hammering the default keys such as Z, X and C are far from intuitive.
Once you plug in your gamepad and before you even whack your first enemy you will notice the clock. You have fifteen minutes to beat the game or it’s game over. It’s also game over if you die from the increasingly challenging waves of enemies as you progress the tower. There are boss stages of course, appropriately red and oozing with the threat of imminent death.
There’s buttons for your standard attack, jump, dash and special attack. Special attacks are governed by what weapon you hold out of a total of four. These can be found fairly easily as you kill more enemies which also drop silver and gold coins that charge your special attack meter. Enemies vary between melee, flying and spell-casting with different coloured versions of each representing the AI difficulty. Harder foes attack quicker and take more hits to defeat.
Surprisingly, this turns into some really fast-paced combat once you reach the higher difficulty areas and you’re trying to dodge potentially fatal hits. Combine that with attack collisions and temporary invincibility when dashes are timed right and you have a battle system that has more than meets the eye.
Your character also levels up but it’s not persistent, limited to the current playthrough and not as noticeable as I would have liked the effect to be. Your character doesn’t exactly have stats as in an RPG, for example, and so what exactly gets boosted isn’t too clear.
There are five modes on offer such as Story, Score Attack, Survival, Challenge and Bonus modes as well as 20 weapons with varying special attacks to collect. Even better they’ve included two player local co-op in case you need a hand in dealing with the challenge.
Croixleur Sigma sort of reminds me of a Ys game in a fixed arena without the RPG elements and party members. But the addition of basic combos strung together with fighter-inspired moves like rapid cancels and the aim of clearing each stage as efficiently as possible turn it into something a little different.
One issue I encountered was that the game doesn’t support alt-tab, crashing to a black screen when you attempt to go back. This isn’t that big of a deal but I’ve had the game crash a few times and losing my progress after I accidentally alt-tabbed the game in the mad button mashing while using the keyboard.
Visuals
For an arcade indie game, Croixleur Sigma doesn’t look that bad. If you’re familiar with games like Ys then you know to expect a basic graphics engine but with some really bright and colourful designs. Along with well drawn character portraits during conversations, Sigma is pleasing to look at.
The fact that it’s on PC also means you can enjoy it in 1080p with 8x Anti-Aliasing. There’s just enough here to make a game look attractive as you dart around an arena slashing away and dodging attacks.
Audio I don’t know how they do it but even the most basic of Japanese games have fun and catchy music. Combining synth with rock, the soundtrack here keeps you pumped as you dart around the screen and you will be reminded me of the classic JRPGs that you grew up with.
Unfortunately, music variety, much like enemy variation, is scarce and you’ll be hearing a handful of tunes, albeit really cool ones, over and over again. Character voice work is all in Japanese and it sounds tenacious and well done.
Overall The lack of variety and creativity in enemies, who mostly just change colours, is a little disappointing and while enjoyable in its simplicity, and difficulty, you will find yourself moving on to something else sooner rather than later.
But for the cheap price of $7.99, it’s hard not to recommend Croixleur Sigma for its great value. It’s fun in short bursts and it’s not to say no to some of that blistering-quick, Japanese brawler fix.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
The remastered version of of the 2011 title BloodRayne: Betrayal is now available on Steam. Remastered by developers Abstraction Games and published by Midnight City, BloodRayne: Betrayal follows dhampir Rayne in a side scrolling brawler that was originally released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. BloodRyane: Betrayal was the first 2d title in the series, as the series began its life as a 3d hack ‘n slash. The remastering goes to great lengths to polish the gameplay, including adding new checkpoints, rebalancing the game, and improving the precision of Rayne’s movements.
BloodRayne: Betrayal is available on Steam for $9.99. The game only runs on Windows.
Nintendo has been full of suprises lately. Yesterday they revealed their E3 plans through a video starring a mecha-Reggie with laser death beam eyes and today they completely caught everyone off guard with a Nintendo Direct specifically about Mario Kart 8 which has revealed pretty much every last detail about the game including the two final characters filling out the roster and a heap of online details. You can watch the full Nintendo Direct below which hosts the trailer towards the end. All the major points are summarised below.
The anti-gravity sections were inspired by the Rainbow Road track in Mario Kart 7 where racers could drive on the moon. Nintendo experiemented with upside down camera angles but found this to be too disorienting. In replays, the fixed camera option will still be available.
This was due to the increased power of the Wii U, which allowed them to add polygons to the curved corners.
During anti-gravity sections, bumping karts give you a speed boost, as does hitting these bumpers scattered on the course.
There will be 52 different customisation objects, including body kits, wheels and air gliders, all with different stats from 5 catergories including Speed, Acceleration, Weight, Cornering and Grip. Some of these are demonstrated in the video.
Baby Rosalina will be making her first appearance in the game as a light weight racer.
Pink Gold Peach rounds out the 30 strong roster (including Mii) as a heavy weight racer. This means Diddy Kong and King Boo will not be making an appearance.
The new items we introduced in our last article are reitarted on including the Boomerang and Piranha Plant. The Piranha Plant will also eat bananas on the course. The Crazy Eight and Super Horn were also shown off.
The Crazy Eight functions like the lucky seven from Mario Kart 7 and gives you 8 different items.
The Super Horn sends out a shockwave all around you, which sends your enemies into a spin and also can be used defensively to destroy any type of shell around you, including the Blue Shell!
Bikes and karts have been balanced as Nintendo was aware of the over dominance bikes had in time trials. It seems the wheelie function of the bike has been removed and karts will now go faster down straights. Which vehicle is faster will depend on the course.
12 player online racing is back and voice chat will also be available.
Ghost data functionality is returning, so you can download the top 10 times as ghosts or the times of your friends.
If you manage to beat staff ghost data, you will earn a stamp for miiverse.
4 different multiplayer modes including worldwide, regional, friends and tournaments.
Tournaments can have specific rules and can be set to be participated in at a certain day and time. Character and vehicle restrictions and more can be set in these tournaments.
Mario Kart TV is finally detailed in full. You can watch your highlights of the race, play them in slow motion and rewind them. You can upload your videos to Mario Kart TV, watch other users videos and also watch the most popular vidoes determined by repeat views. You can post your comments on these reels with Miiverse stamps and drawing.
You can even upload the videos directly to YouTube if you have a Google Account.
A new trailer has been released, veiwable at the end of the Nintendo Direct.
Nintendo are offering a free downloadable game to everyone who buys Mario Kart 8 on the e-Shop or at retail and registers it with Club Nintendo before the end of July. Europe and Australia/New Zealand have a choice of 10 titles while America has a choice of 4. These aren’t just any titles either, this is pretty much Nintendos cream of the crop selection.
To make up for the lack of games in America, Nintendo have their own premium Wii U bundle which will include a Mario themed Wii Remote and red Wii Wheel shell.
Surely you have to be impressed with all that information and that incredible offer. Don’t forget to watch the full direct video below to see all those highlights in action. This is looking to be the best Mario Kart yet. Let us know your thoughts on today’s announcement below and which game you will be downloading free if you are picking up Mario Kart 8 around launch time.
Japanese publication Sankei Shinbum is reporting that Resident Evil 7 will be officially dated by at E3 this year for PlayStation 4. All sorts of rumours have been floating around for the past year about the next installment in the Resident Evil franchise, but so far, nothing has panned out.
Capcom has been tight lipped about the next Resident Evil title. The last title in the series, Resident Evil 6, was released in 2012 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, with a PC port arriving six months later in 2013. It is almost certain that another Resident Evil title is surface eventually, but the big questions will be what title will it be?
