If Yu Yu Hakusho and Soul Eater had a baby, Noragami would definitely be it. It borrows from other series of the same genre of anime certainly, but what makes Noragami so damn good is its execution, that is where the brilliance lies. If episode 1 was all about introducing us to the premise, episode 2 is a masterwork of world-building.
In this one episode, Noragamai sets the table for the entire series, giving colour and life to the world between the Near and Far Shore. It details the mythology of the Near and Far Shore, the Phantoms that live between them and the rules of the world. Its a great episode all around that gives an incredible level of depth to the Noragami mythos.
With that I feel pretty confident in saying that Noragami is the best anime of Winter thus far. Its got two solid episodes clocked on the meter and things look to continue strong. The concept is great, the mythology is highly intriguing and the action on screen is compelling. Not only that but the cast is well-rounded with plenty of great gags to lighten things up.
The episode opens up where we left off last week. Hiyori is coming to grips with the new reality that lays before her. She is now a drifter between the Near and Far Shore. Her soul keeps falling out of her body in what ends up being a hilarious sight gag. Yato has promised to grant her wish of bringing her back to normal. But in the mean time she has to help him find a Regalia (a human weapon, not unlike those in Soul Eater). After she spends the episode searching across town for a Regalia for Yato, she winds up in a spot of trouble. From this point on things get turned up to 11.
Smack bam right in the face, we get hit by development after development. The pacing and timing here is utterly superb. Each revelation is handled with a deft hand, as to not over explain, but also detail just enough. There are two points here that are worth noting however. The first of all is Hiyori’s tail. We learn via Yato that this is a link between her spiritual and physical forms and that if it were cut off, she would die. If that link is broken, she could possibly become a phantom. The second point of note is the introduction of the third member of the cast, Yukine, Yato’s new Regalia.
Now while I’m no big fan of Yuki Kaji’s ham-fisted voice work, which grates on the nerves more than it does just about anything else. Despite that, I did get a real kick out of the debut of Yukine. His tsundere reaction to Yato cracked me up, it was unexpected and timed perfectly. Especially after we get a brief glimpse at the look at his sad life.
It is a surreal thought to think that Yato just witnessed Yukine’s life from start to end. How do you cope with that? How does that make you feel? Well I’m sure we will see more of this connection between Yato and Yukine in the coming weeks, but damn you can colour me intrigued after this brilliant episode.
This was a great follow-up for Noragami to its excellent premiere last week. It built upon its premise in great fashion, detailing the concepts and rules of this world all the while further developing its solid cast of characters. If Noragami can continue on with this consistently, I’ll be one happy soul. Noragami has got me hanging for a new episode each week. I can’t wait to head back down to the place between the Near and Far Shore and see what the Stray God gets up to next.
While gamers, myself included, have been able to enjoy the over-the-top fan-service that Senran Kagura Burst provides for a few months, gamers in Europe are still waiting for the title to be released in their region, although they are receiving both a physical release and a digital option whereas North America was provided only a digital release.
Well today publisher Zen United has announced that the game will be released on February 28th at retail and February 27th through the 3DS‘ Nintendo eShop. As you may have noticed the box art for the game has also been revealed and can be seen to the right. As for how the game is, our review of the North American version can be found here.
Overview Ninjas are cool. Everybody knows that. They have swords, smokebombs and they run silently through the night. They also kill people…which isn’t good per say, but still the swords are cool. On top of all that, the last thing you want to give a ninja is a reason to go after you. Say by doing something like getting in their way. Unfortunately not everybody got that memo and many characters were harmed in the making of this videogame. No animals though.
What terrible advertisement placement
Story More of a mission than a story. Kuro, our player character, has received some dire news. It would appear that the Amida Clan is rising once again, which isn’t good for reasons unexplained. Anyway, it is up to the lone ninja to slay his way through opposing forces to ensure that his Sensei receives the message and begins preparations. Trouble is afoot.
Gameplay Shadow Blade plays like an old fashioned side-scroller, on account of it being a side-scroller game. Players take control of the ninja Kuro and attempt to make it to the end of each stage. Of course, it’s not as simple as all that. First of all, the game isn’t a flat landscape. Luckily ninjas are quite adept at jumping, a skill that is consistently useful. As the game progresses, Kuro gains the ability to double jump and air dash, abilities that greatly increase his aerial acumen. Coincidentally, these skills are acquired just when they are needed. Talk about lucky. For a little extra height, wall jumping is also an option.
Smoking in confined places can be dangerous
Moving on from movement, there are also a number of enemies who will attempt to hinder Kuro’s progress. Though they appear sparsely, these enemies are a very real threat as Kuro will be defeated in a single hit. Starting at the common swordsman, opponents will steadily increase in strength and variation as the levels progress, even netting themselves some long ranged weaponry. Enemies also bolster their forces with a number of tricky traps and devious devices. Mainly spikes. Deadly, deadly spikes. They’re also not opposed to electricity, so watch out for that.
The game itself runs on a star based ranking system, a ninja star based ranking system in fact. Enemies killed, time taken to complete a level, collectibles collected. Each of these factor into the total score. That being said, a perfect star ranking is not recquired to progress through the game, as simply finishing a level will suffice. There is a total of three chapters in the game and an additional Hardcore option, featuring a few extra levels that are considerably harder due to the lack of checkpoints.
How did he even get there?
Visuals and Audio Shadow Blade features a very unique and stylised look. Characters feature certain exaggerated elements, such as slender limbs or a dramatically hunched pose. Kuro himself is also recognisable by his odd style, for example his pure white eyes and solid black mask. The bright yellow scarf is also fairly attention drawing. The backgrounds are also rather picturesque and feature elements that, whilst visually pleasing, do not overpower the characters in the foreground. The overall visual theme varies depending on the chapter and serve as a visual connection between the levels.
Being centred on the actions of a ninja, the soundtrack is understandably inspired by ancient sounds. Japanese percussion and wind instruments give the game an authentic air, lending to the old fashioned nature of the plot. Strings are also played when point orbs are collecting, adding an extra track to the audio that is only truly appreciated during a clean run through of the stage. Closer to a gameplay level, sword strikes are met with a classic “schwing” sound effect. Firearms also have a charge up tune, serving as a warning for Kuro to get out of the laser sights. Quickly.
Special delivery from Ninja News Network
Overall Shadow Blade is a simple, fast paced bundle of fun. With ninjas, so it’s at least 20% cooler than regular side-scrollers. The game’s slow release tutorial provides a fair learning curve and doesn’t overload with moves right from the get go. The option to choose either a touch or button based control scheme also adds range to the game, making it more accessible to players and their individual preferences. The levels themselves take roughly one minute to complete and, as such, do not prove to much trouble to complete. Even if you’re of the perfectionist mindset, it’s not too much effort to replay a level until those three ninja stars shine on the score screen. Essentially, Shadow Blade is a short, fun experience that is more about the gameplay than any form of plot. Though ninjas are notoriously secretive, they probably wouldn’t reveal much anyway…
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Well they did it. Just when you thought Kill la Kill was maxed out on the crazy scale, they ramp it up once more. From the sadness and shock in which the last episode ended, rises a storm of unrelenting chaos and confusion that threatens to consume the Kansai region. But such is to be expected in this series…
With the Tri-City Schools Raid Trip underway, Satsuki has finally begun to realise her goal of world domination and, subsequently, revolution. Well every army needs a target so, under the “divide and conquer” mentality, Satsuki divides her army in three and sends them to Kyoto, Kobe and Osaka. Her Elites finally net a chance to redeem themselves, following their defeats at the hands of Ryuko. With a division under their command, they begin their assault on some…strange places. I mean, if you thought Hannouji was strange…you’d be right, but these places take the cake.
Let me see your school spirits
Though the Goku Uniforms remain a uniquely Hannouji garb, that doesn’t mean other schools don’t possess skills of their own. Say, I don’t know, an American Gridiron team clad in steel-plated armour. Though naturally this force only emerges after a barrage of Molotov cocktails fail to stop their opponents. Which they did. Fail I mean. Anyway, befitting his overall personality, Gamagoori expresses a power greater than steel, than fire, than a charging American School Football team: discipline. You see to true students, rules are ironclad, unshakeable guidelines by which all should live. They will remain strong through all adversity. So naturally a book containing said rule can pierce steel right? Well that’s what happened. Luckily, on the type chart of insanity, ironclad is beaten by marbled beef…I can’t even begin to justify this stuff anymore. So with steak-lined military hardware from Russia, Kobe launches a counter attack that is immediately repelled by, once again, the ironclad rulebook. I mean everybody knows that tank shells are deflected by guidelines. It’s Ridiculousness 101. If Hannouji students are indeed protected by the very rules imposed on them, then their faith in Satsuki may just be as understandable as their fear. Maybe.
Meanwhile, Jakuzure also runs into some trouble when her target employs some animal deities. Or something like that. Anyway, these geomagnetic Bey Spirits give Inumuta the chance to showcase his tactical acumen by utilising the Art Club, instructing them on how to alter the school’s phase space and disrupt it’s geomagnetism, thereby eliminating the apparitions who appear due to electrical interference with the brain’s receptors because of magic and science and stuff. Anywho, music rains down and another school is brought to it’s metaphorical knees before Hannouji. These Elite guys are pretty competent when they’re not losing to a protagonist.
Do not get between Mako and food
Osaka proves the greatest challenge. Though their communication network was severed by Hannouji, as with the other school, there was one element that Inumuta did not expect: grandmothers. Using their own brand of superpower, rumours spread across the region at a record pace, allowing Osak to prepare for the Hannouji invasion. Never underestimate anyone, especially in this show. Regardless, Osaka serves as the greatest foe to Hannouji in both strength and ideals. So concerned with money that even the citizens are controlled by the school system, Osaka wishes the world to remain as it is because they lead good lives. Their fighters use money as ammunition for crying out loud. The whole city basically serves as a hyperbolic representation of capitalist society as it now stands, that which Satsuki seeks to tear down. When every character behaves in such a reprehensible way, it get kinda hard to tell who the bad guy is anymore…Satsuki’s still high on the list though.
In the midst of all the chaos and clash of crazy weaponry lies Mako. Oblivious as ever, in her own special way. Using the comedic powers that arise in her when sufficiently motivated, Mako catches money fired out of a gun in order to go on a spending spree. She is on a field trip after all. Her Osaka escapades once again showcase her inhuman exuberance and ability to find joy in the little things. Something almost every other character appears incapable of, too caught up in their complex plans and twisted ideals. Speaking of complex plans, it is in the face of Satsuki’s plan that he decides to shed his assumed identity, fully revealing himself as the Nudist he is…
Taking badass to a new level
Desiring a swift and absolute victory, it is revealed that Satsuki had the shredded remains of Senketsu affixed to select members of her student-soldier army. Which ultimately serves as little more than a beacon. One that Ryuko is determined to follow. Clad in what remains of Senketsu, which happens to take the form of a sentient scarf, she sets out to collect the various pieces of her friend in the hopes of reforming him. To cut a long story short, that’s exactly what the episode does. Rather than beginning a long, drawn out anime story arc, Ryuko gathers every piece of Senketsu back in on trumpet filled display of awesomeness. Well, almost every piece. It would seem that Ryuko’s gauntlet is still at large and it just so happens to be in the worst possible hands: Satsuki’s. Just in case you didn’t think she was powerful enough, the Kamui wearing President now has the added booster of a second Kamui.
So with Ryuko burning with motivation to save her friend and Satsuki standing in her way, next episode is bound to be full of action, excitement and a little verbal combat. Whatever happens, let the battle for Senketsu begin!
Yes, we’ve seen a few clean snippets of gameplay from Rambo The Video Game in a previous trailer, but a new compilation of raw clips has found its way online showcasing the HUD, interface elements and more of this on-rails shooter… and it’s not pretty folks.
Maybe the next film will center around the mercenary hunting down whoever released this gameplay video, because it will do nothing but hurt potential sales and lessen Sly’s royalties. If you’re a Rambo fan, maybe this will be too much for your heart to bear. Check it out below, but don’t say we didn’t warn you… it’s practically old school, arcade Time Crisis with a Rambo façade (no, that’s actually not a good thing).
Almost two years after it launched as the must-have game for the PS Vita, Assassin’s Creed: Liberation has finally (to the delight of many) made its way to home consoles. This isn’t a straight port, and has brought with it a slew of updates. Everything from visually, to audio and even gameplay are far superior to the original version. However, the story of the Louisiana-born assassin Avaline de Grampre is not without its faults. No matter how many tweaks and upgrades the game has received, it was still originally made to be played on the go – and that really holds it back from reaching the same level as the rest of the series. In contrast to many other main series Assassin’s titles; Liberationis mostly small, overly easy missions and is outlined by graphical and gameplay bugs, as well as far too frequent, yet overly thin story sections.
Story
Set in Louisinanna after the French and Indian War, Assassin’s Creed: Liberation puts you in the role of Aveline; an assassin caught between three different worlds. One day after her mother vanishes, she is adopted and raised by a wealthy businessman and his wife – all while secretly training to become an Assassin. Avaline is determined to find her mother, put a stop to slavery in the region and make sure those responsible for both never have the chance to do so again.
Unlike past games, Aveline is not related to the regular series protagonist -Desmond Miles. Instead you are playing a game designed by Abstergo that puts you in the role of an Assassin purely for fun. This leads itself to an incredibly meta design choice by the developers. At the beginning of the game, you are informed that it was created by Ubisoft in conjunction with Abstergo. This is a clever nod to the series, as well as an attempt to
Liberation’s story is held back by its game-design. This is a title that was originally designed to be played on the go and in short bursts, which means that many of the story sections are quite thin compared to the rest of the series. Not only is there not as in-depth a story to go on but it also means that with the exception of Aveline, character development takes a bit of a hit. The story sections are also fairly frequent, breaking up the gameplay more often than I would like in an Assassin’s Creed game – every few minutes another short cinematic plays, which can really pull you out of the experience.
While the story does suffer in some parts, it does provide a few notable new additions to the Assassin’s Creed formula. Firstly and more importantly – Aveline is the series’ first female protagonist. After playing as Altair, Ezio, Haytham, Connor and Edward she is a nice change of pace. It is also fun to see her interact with people through her various guises and personae; the game really plays on the whole “stuck between three worlds” concept, which helps develop Aveline as a character – something that Altair Connor never really got through their campaigns, and that took Ezio three games to achieve.
Gameplay
Anyone who has played an Assassin’s Creed game before will immediately be familiar with Liberation. The controls are all the same as the previous console installments, allowing you to jump straight into the action. The same stealth-based and free-running gameplay is here, and the choice of New Orleans for a locale means we get to see and scale some environments that are new to the franchise. Easily the most notable is the bayou – the overgrown Louisianian swamplands. You will need to use all of your free-running and climbing skills, as well as a series of small canoes to navigate your way through the murky waters.
Aside from the location, everything here is pretty similar to how you remember it from previous games. You will need to use a variety of tools and weapons to make your way through the environment in order to best assassinate your target and unravel the Templar mystery. Since this was originally a spin-off title to Assassin’s Creed III, it is easy to draw comparisons between the two. Thankfully Liberation doesn’t suffer from ACIII’s biggest downside – its tutorial. Connor’s tutorial (which lasted almost 1/4 of the ACIII campaign) was a thing of torture that detracted many people away from the game. Thankfully Aveline is a little quicker on the uptake and if anything her tutorial is too short. New players to the franchise aren’t given much time to accustom themselves to the controls of the game before it begins.
One of the most notable differences in gameplay that Liberation has from the other games in the franchise is the unique “persona” options. Aveline is a woman trapped between worlds – she is a black woman during the time of slavery, an assassin, and a member of a well-off family. While stuck between these three competing worlds, Aveline makes the most of them – by utilising three different personae in order to gather intel or complete her missions. Each of these personas has their own infamy level that can be changed in various ways, and swapping between two to complete a sequence is not unheard of.
The “Lady” Persona is unable to hold any weapons outside of her wrist blades and a few other small unlockable items as the game progresses (like a blowgun parasol). Likewise she cannot run or climb and must rely on her beauty and grace to charm the town guards into letting her get to places. Her standing as the daughter of a wealthy businessman allows her to access areas that she would otherwise be unable to, in order to gather information.
On the other end of the spectrum is her “Slave” Persona. The slave can run and fight, but is also able to blend easier with the crowd; especially if she is carrying a box or crate. Lastly she can be
herself” in her Assassin guise – with her own set of unique robes (that come included with a sweet as tri-corn hat). In this form, Aveline is more likely to be spotted by guards, but can freely move, run and assassinate with ease. The persona system is a new and frankly pretty cool addition to the series. The problem is that it doesn’t feel all that fleshed out, and maybe if the game was a little longer or with a little more content, there would be more use to it. Regardless I am hopeful that it will make a return in a future AC installment.
Liberation was originally intended to be played on the go, and this is very noticeable even now. Missions are relatively short, with the whole game only lasting about 10 hours. While this is by no means a short time, the Assassin’s Creed games have notably long campaigns. It isn’t unthinkable to smash through the entire game and collect all of the game’s hidden objectives in under 15 hours total, which doesn’t leave much of a chance for replayability. The missions themselves are all pretty easy compared to its brethren.
Mostly you will find yourself running from point a to point b, killing a few guys then running to point c. Not only are the missions themselves easy, but they will frequently have nonsensical or just inane 100% sync goals. The best example of this is when you are given a side-goal of “not swimming” in a mission that hardly even takes you NEAR the water. These kinds of goals are the majority, with another large amount being dedicated to time-based objectives. The small-burst style of gameplay works well for hand-held consoles, but just doesn’t make the transition to at-home playing.
Visuals & Audio
It is undeniable that Assassin’s Creed Liberation looks better now than it ever has – but it isn’t without its faults. The character models have been almost completely redone from the original Vita version and now look on par to many of the previous games in the series. While it looks great, it still doesn’t hold a candle to what we saw in Black Flag. Environments have all been given a face-lift too, and the Bayou especially is one of the most unique and interesting locations in the AC universe.
The game’s bugs sadly don’t just extend to the gameplay, but also affect the world itself. Frequently while playing I found sections of the world would take a considerable amount of time to “pop-in,” while other times I would be able to see the entire game’s map-grid. Even cut-scenes suffered from visual glitches, and more than once I had characters facing different directions to one another and talking into a brick wall. At first I thought this was assassin’s trying to be sneaky and look like they weren’t talking to one another – until they starting doing gestures to the other person while not actually looking at them.
The Assassin’s Creed games can be (somewhat) violent – but that is the nature of a game where you kill someone. However Liberation offers a slight alternative – you can turn off the blood. For many of us, this would detract from the game but none the less it is a nice feature to have, especially for parents with younger children. It may seem silly, but turning off the blood really does help you feel like it is not as violent (if you don’t believe me, compare the original to the uncensored version of The Wolverine).
The audio here has gotten a massive boost too. Everything sounds so much more clean, crisp and natural. Character voices are spot on and feel authentic to the time and place. In the original version, sometimes the heavy Louisiana or Spanish accents made it difficult to properly hear all of the dialogue, but that is another problem that has since been done away with. While the accents are still quite thick, they are much clearer and easier to hear – resulting in a game that is notably more fun to listen to.
Overall
This is the best looking, sounding and playing version of Aveline’s story and if you are a fan of the series who hasn’t been able to play this one yet then there is more of that sweet run, climb and stab gameplay for you to enjoy. Sadly though, Aveline’s story just isn’t all that compelling; and its biggest flaw is that it was designed as a portable experience. As an on-the-go Assassin’s Creed game, Liberation worked. Now however, many of the gameplay mechanics that were introduced to facilitate the shorter play-times just make the game and its world feel all that much smaller. The same can be said for the missions themselves as they lack any real depth, difficulty or length. Many of the sequences take about the same amount of time as a long mission in any of the other games and all contribute to Liberation HD being the weakest installment in the franchise.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
With the Western release of Toukiden: The Age of Demons growing ever closer, Tecmo Koei has released the introduction video for the title which just so happens to be a four and a half minute long anime intro to the game which will feature players fighting in groups as they take on Oni (demons) of various shapes and sizes before they destroy humanity.
The video has been given English subtitles and you can check it out below. As for Toukiden: The Age of Demons, it is currently slated to be released on February 11th in North America and February 14th in Europe.
Focus Home Interactive and Tindalos Interactive (Stellar Impact) released their first video for their upcoming RTS called Etherium this week. The video, entitled “First Troop Deployment,” teases the many units available, from the small infantry to the giant collosi of war that will do battle on the player’s behalf.
Etheriumwill feature a non-linear campaign and multiplayer support for up to four players. Players will pledge allegiance to one of three factions fighting for the valuable etherium resources on the planet Serenade and her six sister planets. To complicate matters further, the unpredictable weather can turn the tide of the battle. An ice storm can freeze a river providing a golden flanking opportunity or a sandstorm can hide an incoming army until it is too late. The game will be released in Q2 of 2014 for Windows.
While Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky is just starting to make its way West in March, the game has been out in Japan for quite some time. So long in fact that the game is actually being given an anime adaptation, making it the first ever for Gust and Tecmo Koei‘s Atelier series.
This week, thanks to the latest issue of Dengeki, we have learned that the anime for Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky will be debuting in April of this year. The anime is being handled by Studio Gokumi. It will be interesting to see which North American anime company will aim for the rights to the anime, if any.
More details were revealed for Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2: Sister’s Generation this week and it will please quite a few fans of the series. Since the first game was released in the West by NIS America, a guest character named Red has long been a fan favorite but she has not appeared in any subsequent games and not even in the remake of the first title.
However it has been revealed that not only will Red be included in this game, but so will 5pb, Falcom, and Cave. To top that off, the company characters from Hyperdimension Neptunia V, CyberConnect2, Marvelous AQL, Broccoli, and Tekken, will also be appearing in the title. With all of these characters to work with, there have been a few tweaks to the battle system where partnering characters together can trigger assist finishers.
