We haven’t seen a whole lot of Natsume‘s HomeTown Story since they announced it many months ago but today the company has decided that they should be releasing an E3 trailer what with the event kicking off in less than 24 hours.
In the video which you can see below Natsume is showing off numerous elements of the game including character creation, shop management, shop building, townsfolk, mystical creatures and more. It looks like that despite stepping away from Harvest Moon, the title will still be something of a life simulator but one that involves managing a shop rather than a farm.
Having racked up a modest eight hours on the PC trying out the Company of Heroes 2 Open Beta of late, I thought it might be worth sharing my initial thoughts prior to the full review, which will follow shortly.
So the Beta currently only offers access to the multiplayer/skirmish elements of the game, which is my preferred area of the RTS world so, no complaints there. I first wanted to try out the updated matchmaking system, as it’s a Beta and I was expecting a few issues worthy of noting so that players are aware of them at this stage, but this is hardly the case from what I can tell. I was partnered with players that had a similar connection quality to my own and lag was minimal. I enjoyed very few timeouts and so at this point I’m going to call it a success. However, when the servers get busy this may be a different story, so bear that in mind, perhaps. The connection between two human players facing two A.Is was fluid even when things got busy on a map intended for 6-8 players.
In terms of unit variety, it’s a veritable treasure trove of choice. But with that comes the problem of how to spend those manpower points that are always few and far between. Various bonuses come from selecting one of three commander specialties, as with the earlier titles in the series, but the level of depth and customization that has been added to that mechanism is truly impressive. In terms of unit strengths versus weaknesses, expect that to play as central a role in the fighting as it has in previous games. One minute your MG team is doing swimmingly, holding a victory point, until a tank shows up, at which point you call in the artillery, at which point they use air support on your artillery, at which point you throw a large brick, and so on.
In terms of the Essence Engine, it makes a real impact and gives the old gameplay mechanics that made the series so notable a breath of next-gen life. It’s deeply satisfying to see what is essentially everything players loved about the original Company of Heroes and Opposing Fronts retained (because it works, ‘if it ain’t broke…’), whilst offering additional features that simply add to the realism. Units navigate the terrain more intelligently, and are more reactive to fire than in previous games. As usual, the vehicle-based German faction have a decided edge (specifically regarding production speed) over the Soviets, but this for me was one of the selling points of the series, as I enjoy a challenge that presents me with unseen difficulties.
If comparing this to say, Chris Taylor’s Supreme Commander, it’s easy to see where ‘camps’ amongst RTS gamers can form. In Company of Heroes, the focus is on realism, tight resources, fierce fighting and pure strategy. With Supreme Commander the focus is on amassing huge quantities of resources to aid in the building the biggest things possible faster than the opponent, and if you don’t… enjoy watching your base get smashed to bits by what looks like something out of Far Cry: Blood Dragon. Although patrolling and the other features that define the SupCom series work well, they don’t compare in depth to physically having to point your guns in the direction of any given problem. Company of Heroes is plate spinning strategy at it’s finest, is what I’m getting at. You can’t simply set up a patrol and let the units look after themselves, and that’s why I’m such a fan. I like both styles of RTS, don’t get me wrong, but I clearly prefer the former. This is an RTS for players who actually want to see how they’d fare making real, difficult decisions in a chaotic setting. This is if anything, a simulator as much as it is a strategy title.
The weather effects are hard to assess and comment on fully with access only to a few maps and chosen settings, but I will say that what we’ve been given looks fantastic. The destructibility of the environment transfers farther than anticipated, too. I was expecting some nice building animations and little else, but firing different weapons on to terrain of varying density, elevation etc. produced a wealth of different effects. It feels much more immersive to see your shots affecting and shaping the environment, rather than say, the Age of Empires way of doing things: “One dust animation should do it… For everything. Next.”
Some reviewers taking a look at the Beta have said that they found it disappointing, as if they expect vast changes from every sequel offered by the developers of a successful series, and to that I issue the following response: Anyone who is willing to criticize a title harshly for its A.I during its Beta stage should stand up from the computer right now, find a vice and issue themselves some nad-related-justice; and by criticize, I mean bash the A.I. Now I won’t name names, but I will say that the Beta is primarily (from what I understand) a means of working out issues with the A.I, to perfect it for release and to give Relic a head start when planning their post release support and updates. So with that in mind, expect fans of the series to love this game, for precisely the reasons that many reviewers don’t seem to like it.
The screenshots show off a bit of gameplay, but more interesting are the leaked character renders.
Much like previous Assassin’s Creed games, a host of personalities will be playable in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag’s multiplayer, and big surprise all of them look pretty piratey (argggg). And hopefully its multiplayer is as strong as Assassin’s Creed III is.
In terms of actual gameplay details, I guess you’ll have to wait for Ubisoft’s E3 press conference.
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is set to be released on October 29th in North America and November 1st in Europe for current and next-gen consoles.
Forever associated with Nathan Drake and the Uncharted franchise, people seem to forget that Naughty Dog have been around a long time, and already proved their ability to adopt new hardware and utilise it to provide radically different experiences for the player. From the legendary Crash Bandicoot to the popular Jak & Daxterand globetrotting adventures of Uncharted, the team have consistently made great games. Does their post-pandemic The Last of Us match, or perhaps exceed that bar of quality? Read on to find out.
Story
The cordyceps – a parasitic fungi that infects the brain of its victim, controls their behaviour and transforms them into grotesque, aggressive monstrosities. That’s the threat faced within the reality of The Last of Us. The fungi exists in real life, but the specific species that was the inspiration for the story’s menace only targets ants and other arthropods/insects. The theoretical possibility of it jumping over to humans is quite frightening, and is thus an effective basis for the pandemic that causes “the apocalypse” in the game.
20 years after the outbreak in a time of martial law, Joel (Troy Baker) and Tess (Anna Wersching) – black marketeers within Boston’s quarantine zone – have a snake in their midst; someone who’s sold their guns without permission. The duo seek him out with vengeful intentions, and in doing so come across Marlene (Marle Dandridge), the leader of a resistance group called the Fireflies. They make a deal to smuggle something out of the city for her: a girl named Ellie (Ashley Johnson). At this point, so many questions arise, most pertinent of all: who is she to Marlene and why is she so important?
With such a character/story driven title such as The Last of Us, I find it hard to talk about any plot point outside of this setup. There are so many twists and turns in the players’ journey…almost everything is a spoiler! Just know that this is a tale that you will not soon forget. The relationship between the main protagonists is the focus. Outside of Heavy Rain, I haven’t seen a game tackle the kinds of themes that The Last of Us does, and convincingly at that. In fact, it’s probably the preeminent example for the industry. A warning: it often times can be quite depressing and emotionally draining, which is due to its relatable nature and expertly written script.
Gameplay
Joel can handle a gun, that’s for sure. Being involved in the black market for years, he’s surely been at both ends of the barrel. You start off with a pistol – naturally – with new mechanics and combat elements being introduced over the course of the game at a great pace. Weapon sway is heavy at first, but can be improved – through finding and applying “supplements” (signified in the game world by a pill icon) – along with other attributes of Joel’s like maximum health, “listen mode” distance (“listen mode” allows you to track enemy silhouettes through walls), shiv skills and more. This can be done from your backpack inventory (the “select” button).
Also accessible from your backpack inventory is the crafting mechanic and collectibles. Crafting is an integral part of the gameplay. Throughout your travels, you will find ingredients such as binding, blades, rags and explosives that can be used to make very useful items. There are offensive and defensive items, which will generally share the same two set ingredients that must be possessed in order to craft either one. So you must decide: “do I want to use one binding and one alcohol to craft a health kit, or a molotov cocktail?”. It all depends on your play-style; if you go out guns-blazing, it might be smart to have some health kits handy.
You have the options to play through, from beginning to end, stealthily or otherwise. Ellie sometimes gets involved in the combat by throwing nearby bricks or bottles at the bad guys, which you can also do to momentarily stun them, or as a method of distraction. Melee weapons can be found throughout and degrade with each hit, but can be modified through crafting to become more deadly or durable. “Dynamic stealth” as Naughty Dog call it, allows you to break line of sight and re-enter a hidden state. However, enemies won’t be quick to let you off the hook, with each type of adversary bringing their own unique challenges.
On the infected side, “runners” are fast and travel in packs; players can feel more comfortable taking a head-on approach with them and going to town with their bat or what-have-you. “Clickers” have completely impaired eyesight, rely on sound and will kill you instantly if they grab a hold of you (sneaking is a must). “Bloaters” are stronger, more resilient and throw spore bombs (for lack of a better term) which damage your health. Situations where the immediate area is infested with these infected have a horror-feel and occur in darker locations, so the flashlight becomes a significant tool…just don’t shine it on a “runner”.
Human enemies – “hunters” – are equipped with everything from weaker 2×4’s to a variety of guns. They are much smarter in the sense that they will audibly communicate with each other, attempt to flank you, return to the last spot they saw you when in-tow and react to you, your actions and the world around them. While you can’t grapple-kill a “clicker” (without a shiv upgrade), you can always “acquire” a human shield and perform a non-lethal or lethal finisher from that position. Tense is the best word to describe each and every encounter, with real strategy being necessary to survive them on higher difficulties especially.
Outside of combat and scavenging/crafting, Joel and Ellie interact in a variety of ways, commonly in efforts to overcome traversal obstacles. You will find yourself boosting Ellie up, carrying and placing planks and ladders, diving and swimming through the water with a palette to move her across on (she can’t swim…what a burden…). There are also talkative moments where you can engage in “optional conversations” that add a little extra context to the subject and their relationship. There is also a total of 140 collectibles to find, including various Artifacts (letters, mementos, recordings, etc.), Firefly Pendants, Comics (Dark Horse stamped comic books under the title “Savage Starlight”) and Training Manuals.
Training manuals add bonuses such as extended smoke screen time or additional hits for your melee weapon. The final form of upgrading is achieved at tool benches strewn across the lands. Along the way, you will scavenge parts and toolkits (5 in total). You can then spend these parts to add gun holsters, increase clip sizes and a myriad of other abilities specific to each weapon in your inventory. The number of toolkits you possess determines what level of upgrade you can initiate. All the various enhancements mentioned, once completing the story, will carry on when starting a New Game+ (only at or below the difficulty option you beat the game on initially).
As you may tell, gameplay is incredibly deep for this genre of game, although this kind of game has rarely been seen. I wish I could offer some perspective on the multiplayer aspect, but I did not receive an online pass with my press review kit (bit of an oversight Sony!). However, I think it’s safe to say that nobody is buying The Last of Us for the multiplayer, which is not an insult in any way! The single-player campaign will keep you busy for upwards of 18 hours (if you are searching for every collectible) so it is well worth it on that front alone.
Visual
The Last of Us is one of the most stunning games on the PS3, if not the most. The environments – through being rarely populated with any sort of human presence – can be appreciated for their own beauty without distractions. The amount of detail that went into dressing each location is indicative of the dedication of the team. From the overgrowth and all-but-abandoned cities to the wilderness and quarantine zones, it ironically feels like a living, breathing world, even though only 10% of its population has been left living and breathing.
The cutscenes and performance capture is top-notch; a marked improvement over Uncharted 3. The expressions that are conveyed, almost by the eyes alone, rival any other title, and are nuanced – a key difference between this and the occasionally goofy, over-the-top facial expressions of Nathan Drake and his comrades. The lighting system brings a level of realism and adjusts as you enter differently lit areas, much like your eyes would adjust in real life (although almost instantly here). I encountered a couple visual bugs, such as the flames not appearing from the end of the flamethrower, and rare artifacting when using the flashlight in certain areas.
Audio
A large part of what makes the story of The Last of Us so impactful and moving is the stellar score by 2-time Oscar winning composer Gustavo Santaolalla (Brokeback Mountain,Babel). The music heightens the sense of hopelessness and loneliness, enhances the sadness felt during the most tender, human moments, and even uplifts in the very few moments of serenity. The ronroco – a Spanish-origin guitar that the Argentinian composer favors – is heart-wrenchingly beautiful. The voice acting is equally impressive, and that goes for the whole cast.
Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson deliver their performances of main characters Joel and Ellie with such realism and emotion. There’s also a key character that reintroduces Naughty Dog fans to a certain, now iconic, voice actor. All bases have been covered in regards to the sound effects, from the sizzle of charred bodies to the clatter of dropped bottles. Meanwhile, the crazed grunts and whispers of the “runners”, the clicking of the aptly named “clickers” and more beastly sounds of “bloaters” aid in making the infected truly petrifying. I experienced one specific instance where walking too close to the rear wall of ‘Bill’s Bar’ would initiate the exterior’s ambient track, which is undoubtedly a simple node placement issue within the game engine’s editor.
Overall
The Last of Us is the most tense experience I’ve ever had in playing a video game, and is definitely in the top 2 on my list for most emotional and powerful storytelling for the medium. Ever! When considering the depth of combat, the harmony of the various mechanics, the brilliant performance capture, script and lasting impressions, it is fair to call this the best, defining game for the PS3. A new franchise is born amongst the remains of human civilisation.
For me, Naughty Dog have taken their place among the likes of Rockstar and Valve in being unable to make a bad game. Just to see what they can do in the next-gen is reason enough to buy a PlayStation 4. My final thought is: “I want to spend more time in this beautiful wasteland!!” and can’t wait to see what the announced single-player DLC will entail. The game is gruesome and mature to the umpteenth level, but every PS3 owner should buy this game!
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Users around the world have begun to report that they have been able to acquire a copy of the 2011 title, Fable 3, for free from the Xbox 360 Live marketplace. Fable III is the third Fable title in the series of games, published by Microsoft, that feature a rather stylistic brand of roleplaying.
The reported method for obtaining the free copy of Fable III is to access the Xbox Live marketplace from your Xbox 360 console, choose to buy the game with Microsoft Points and be logged in as a gold account. Players that have missed an opportunity to play this title, may now attempt to do so using the above method. However, we are unsure as to whether or not it would work through the online store on the Official Website, but it is reporting it as it’s official price of $19.99.
Edit: Confirmed it works on the website by switching to MSP.
State of Decay Developer:Undead Labs Publisher:Microsoft Platform: XBLA Release Date:June 5, 2013 Price:1600 MSP ($20) – Available Here
Overview
Over the last few years zombies have invaded almost every aspect of entertainment. Many movies are being filmed with zombies at the center; books have long been using zombies to their benefit and one of the most popular television shows features zombies. In video games zombies have also been running rampant where a zombie game of some sort is being released every couple of months. However while zombies may be running rampant, not every zombie is the same and Undead Labs’ State of Decay is here to prove that fact. Will the game be successful in this endeavor?
Story
In the beginning of State of Decay, two men named Marcus and Ed have returned from a long fishing trip to suddenly find a group of cannibals trying to kill and eat them. After dispatching these zombie like creatures they make their way to the local Ranger’s Station where they come across a handful of survivors who explain that the dead have started to rise again and the world has gone to hell because of the zombie plague.
After scouting out the area for supplies, the player is then directed to head to the church inside of one of Trumball Valley’s small towns. However from here our story of State of Decay becomes something entirely different. You see, rather than trying to track down the cause of the zombie apocalypse, attempting to take down some corporation or find a cure of some sort, State of Decay is all about survival.
In fact, Marcus and Ed, the two survivors players start with, can die at any time leaving players either at a game over screen or stuck with a group of ragtag survivors playing as one of the few friends they made since starting the game. The reason for this is that players do not take control of any one single survivor nor is the story centered on the survival of one person. Instead it is about the survival of the community as a whole.
Along these lines there are a few side-stories that progress throughout the game, mostly focusing on other survivors, but these are far from the focus and are also easy to miss and vague at best. Where the true enjoyment of the story lies is how the game can progress differently for anyone. A few hours into State of Decay, your group of survivors, playable characters, home base and more may be far different from that of your friends and while there is a final goal that can be completed to end the game, State of Decay proves that the best part of a game is the journey, not the destination.
Gameplay
As I mentioned earlier, State of Decay isn’t a game seeking to find the origin of the zombies or a cure of any kind; it is about trying to survive as a community. This means that not only must you battle against the zombies, or Zeds as they are called, to survive, you must also manage supplies to keep your home base well stocked.
The interesting part is, while you are free to scavenge medical supplies, ammo, materials, food, gasoline for the home base alongside weaponry, food/pills for health and guns for yourself, once you have searched an area and cleaned it out, there will never be anything in that house again. This means that if you clear out all of the areas close to your home base, you will have to venture further and further away each time to acquire more necessary resources.
The same goes for vehicles. The game tracks every vehicle in the game and leaves them where you left them, meaning that it is possible to have an area completely devoid of vehicles due to poor planning or poor driving. You see, when a car is wrecked and explodes, it is gone forever and along those lines, when a character is dead, they are also dead forever. This means that Marcus who can be one of your best survivors can be ripped in half by zombies and you will need to make do with the rest of the cast.
The way that the survivors are handled in this game is unique as well. They will grow tired from scavenging for supplies to long, fall sick due to lack of medicine or improper home facilities, become injured from missions and more. The reason for this is that you are simply a part of a community and the world itself is still revolving around you. This means that other survivors can become trapped or may require your assistance in dispatching zombies and if you ignore their cries for assistance, they can either survive and be angry with you, or die and be gone forever.
Zombies in State of Decay are rather interesting as well. There are your basic zombies that can be dispatched easily on their own but they can quickly become dangerous in close quarters, especially when they begin o swarm you. You see, the zombies in State of Decay can hear quite well, to the point where searching a place too quickly can draw every Zed in the area to your vulnerable survivor. This doesn’t even touch upon the fact that there are numerous special zombies that can make things difficult, including vicious Ferals, exploding zombies and more.
Thankfully players have a number of weapons at their disposal to put away the undead horde including a number of special skills that players learn once their survivor becomes a veteran zombie slayer. Every weapon in the game features a durability level and can be broken and lost forever, but through proper inventory management players will be able to use everything from a table leg, a fireman’s axe, a kendo stick and more to stave off the undead. As for the aforementioned abilities, players can easily push and shove zombies out of the way with the press of the Y button and pressing LB + Y together can initiate devastating finishing moves to fallen or crouching zombies and occasionally you will even get an amazing looking slow motion execution.
As mentioned earlier, State of Decay is a world that is living and dying around you and this continues when you aren’t playing the game as well. If you choose to step away from the game for a few days in the middle of a mission, with survivors missing or low on supplies, you may return to a community where either everyone has died or abandoned you or at best, a very unhappy group of people. This makes the resource management all the more important and helps convey the sense that this game is about survival more than anything else.
Visuals
Unfortunately this journey isn’t the most beautiful one in the world and it is also plagued with a number of issues. Everything in State of Decay looks very dated but despite this, there are a number of areas in the game, including an area with debris from a crashed 747 plane that are gorgeous looking. There is also a rather nicely handled day and night system with nice lighting effects from flashlights/headlights.
However as mentioned before, the game has a number of issues with it’s graphics. There are numerous areas that you will scavenge through and there will be many times you will explore the same exact home for the tenth time in a different area. These repeated areas are only a small problem however compared to the game’s terrible pop-in rate. Usually when the game begins, players have to wait around a minute before venturing out as textures and environmental objects load properly. This also occurs often when driving through towns and along roads as various objects in the road including debris and road signs will often pop-in right when you about to hit them or you will crash into invisible objects only to see them appear a few seconds later.
Audio
As far as the game’s voice work goes, State of Decay has a nice set of voice actors taking care of characters and all of them are decently voiced. Unfortunately many of their lines are repeated ad nauseam, including a joke about a pony, so these repetitive lines become very grinding after a short time frame.
Thankfully the game has great atmosphere which makes up for the problematic voice work. This atmosphere is created through the subtle use of background music, zombie moans and the noises of the world around you.
Overall
State of Decay may seem like a basic zombie title at first glance, what with two random people being stuck in a horrible situation trying to survive the best they can. However it quickly blossoms into what may be the most unique and enjoyable game involving zombies in many years. State of Decay is a game that tasks players with bringing a community through the zombie apocalypse while managing their morale, resources and lives while also battling against hordes of undead creates something that, despite its technical problems, should not be missed.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Ahead of their E3 2013 press conference Microsoft have released their E3 trailer for the hotly anticipated Forza Motorsport 5, the 5th installment in Microsoft’s realistic racing video-game franchise known as Forza Motorsport.
You can check out the brand new trailer for Forza Motorsport 5 below which showcases the impressive power of the Xbox One console. The game itself is exclusive to the Xbox One, however no release date has yet to be confirmed for either the console or the game.
Stay tuned for more information on Forza Motorsport 5 as we are sure to get more news on this title over the course of E3.
Remember Me is the the newest game from Capcom, the studio behind the Resident Evil and Street Fighter franchises. Taking place in a dystopian future Paris, memory hunter Nilin must fight to recover her own memories and help the struggling resistance as they fight against the evil Memorize corporation.
Join Capsule Computers editor Joe Morgan as he introduces you to the gritty neon world of Neo-Paris. In this Let’s Play-style video, he’ll work through the entire first chapter giving his impressions along the way. We’ll see combat and its customization, traversal and platforming, and most interestingly, memory scrubbing (which allows her to alter someone’s memories).
We will be livestreaming the footage to our Twitchpage. We’ll be sure to upload it to our YouTubepage later for those that missed the livestream as well. Also be sure to follow us on Twitter, and Facebooksince we’ll let everyone know when a livestream begins that way. Be sure to leave a comment here or head on over to our YouTube page and leave a comment so we know what you think of our newest feature.
TITAN: Escape the Tower Developer: Microids, Joystick Replay Publisher:Anuman Interactive Platforms:PC, iOS (Reviewed), Android Release Date: June 6, 2013 Price: $1.29 – Available Here
Overview
High definition remakes have become more and more popular. Companies like Sony have been raking in the dough simply by reworking the graphics on PlayStation 2 games to make them high definition then re-releasing them for their current generation console. TITANhas been around knocking down walls for 25 years now. The folks at Joystick Replay, Microids, and Anuman have decided to give it a facelift and bring it into the era of high definition. How does it stand up? Should we remember this TITAN or keep him imprisoned in the tower? Let’s find out.
Story
You’ve been locked up in a tower by a mad scientist. Armed with only a cubic robot, called a pod, and a metal ball, you’ve got to use quick thinking and skill to escape from the tower alive. You’ll have to conquer fiendish puzzles and defeat evil denizens to claim your freedom.
Gameplay
The concept of TITAN has been around nearly as long as video games have been mainstream. You have to use a ball to break every block on a level. Though the game has been made in different forms over the years (most often involving a horizontal paddle instead of a robot), the idea is nothing new. That’s not a bad thing, especially considering that it’s a remake.
Instead of a paddle, you’ll control a cubic robot that can walk around. Much like the paddle, you can hit the ball to guide it at certain angles. This is critical in TITAN. The entire point of the game is to work through each level, taking out all of the blocks as quickly as possible.
To help you clear the field more swiftly, you can get power-ups that affect the ball or the robot. Lighting the ball on fire so it blasts through everything or freezing enemies in place so you can maneuver are great helps and having them work in tandem is satisfying. It’s just a shame that the user interface design makes the icons so small, activating the one you want on the first try is a shot in the dark at best, and an infuriating ordeal at worst.
The controls in the game should theoretically be simple. You simply maneuver a robot to have him hit the ball while avoiding enemies and obstacles. This is, unfortunately, the single weakest point of TITAN. It is so poorly executed, in fact, that I would suggest it renders the game nothing more than an exercise in futility. This is especially true for more complex levels, boss levels, and higher difficulties.
I personally find great fault with on-screen joysticks in general, but TITAN’s is actually the worst example I’ve seen to date. On the iPhone, reaction time is a fraction of a second (or more) behind the action, leading you to feel like you’re under water. This is only FURTHER compounded by the fact that it repositions itself when you pick up your finger to adjust it. The end result will be slower times or, worse, your death because you couldn’t maneuver around a wall to escape an enemy that could have easily been avoided with better controls.
Visuals & Audio TITAN did, indeed, get a facelift. The new version of the game looks fantastic, even on a screen as small as the iPhone’s. The colors really pop and the special effects add a lot of flare. This lends to the aesthetic that you’re in some sort of dubstep-inspired neon future, a la Tron.
The camera options provide you with both a polygonal isometric view and a top-down view. One provides more flash for the eyes, while the other removes some of the clutter for a bit more classic feel. The options are much appreciated, even if they can’t compensate for the horrendous controls.
The sound feels all over the place with TITAN. The sound effects serve their purpose well enough with the breaking of each block coming alive. The music is another story, however. It feels drab and repetitive, offering nothing more than boorish techno-laced bass beats that never do anything to stand out, and that’s unfortunate.
Overall
Overall, TITAN is a weak mixed bag. The graphics look great, but the user interface (which was obviously designed for iPad and poorly scaled to its smaller counterpart) is entirely too small, leading to frustration. On top of that, the audio is unexciting. The biggest transgression of all, though, are the virtually unresponsive controls. While these same issues likely don’t affect the PC version of the game, it renders the iPhone version virtually inert. Unless you have terribly fond memories of the classic and, for some reason, only own an iPhone, you should avoid this game without question.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Overview
When Donkey Kong Country Returns launched on the Nintendo Wii, Retro Studios proved that they could fill the shoes of Rare and put on a great show with an old favorite. Over two years later, the big ape is back in the same title, but this time on a smaller platform. Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D drops one gimmick for another, replacing mandatory waggle control with an optional 3D aspect, and as you could imagine – this does make the game more enjoyable. The actual value of re-playing through the game however is sure to be the question for most DK fans out there, so does this return of a return bode well? Let’s find out.
Story
I don’t want to spend too much time on the story aspect of Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, as if you played the original, you know the basics. The Tiki Tak Tribe are stealing all of the bananas on the island and hypnotizing animals to do their bidding, and it is up to our old hero do knock them down with his large fists. Diddy, Cranky, and a few old faces also come in to assist, but even with their inclusions, I felt like this tale just didn’t capture my attention like it did back on the Wii.
Sure, the plot is charming in its own little way, but the Tikis feel like a lesser enemy that just do not fit within Donkey Kong’s world. Back when I played the Wii version, the plot was new, it was fresh, and it seemed to flow well with the much more challenging Gameplay that DKC Returns offers. Since then however I have went back and spent a chunk of time yet again with the original three Donkey Kong Country titles, and I can say now that in comparison, this title just does not hold up in the same way the classics do. Compared to the maniacal robots and beavers of the past, the Tikis are a threat that don’t seem very threatening – yet produce a great challenge despite their “filler” appearance. As I said, I did like this plot the first time and don’t necessarily hate it now, but I do feel as if the plot was the afterthought of the game creation after experiencing it yet again.
Gameplay
I would honestly say you could forget about the plot, and forget about that whole spiel you just read about my loss of endearment with the narrative- just because the gameplay is even better this time around. Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D packs its punch with polished and perfected side-scrolling platforming, mixed with trial and error mechanics to ensure a challenge is had while players attempt to traverse to their destination. While the controls are tight, they do take some getting used to, as rolling now feels a tad un-natural due to the face button mapping, but with a bit of practice, players will get the hang of the game and be making tight jumps and bashing birds and other foes without even batting an eyelash.
The waggle is also gone, replaced with nothing but buttons to do your dirty work for you. This means no discomfort will stand in your way, so it was nice to see that issues from the fans were addressed during this title’s second outing. Much like my opinion of the story, my personal perspective of DKC Returns also changed a tad with the gameplay – but for the better. Every stage feels completely different from the next due to the varied landscapes, which is able to keep the player on their toes with falling statues, random blast barrel placement, and portions where the player must suddenly slow down to succeed. Yes, the stages are cleverly crafted, and this port really captures that by enhancing accessibility to keep frustrations at a low. “New Mode” adds an extra heart, disposable power-ups from Cranky, and cheaper prices on balloons to allow even new players some relief from the difficulty spikes.
As I mentioned during my time with the first title, the difficulty in Donkey Kong Country Returns is a factor, but makes the game better in the end. For every mistake you make and death you rack up, it is truly just another lesson learned. Sometimes that lesson will be to slow down and be more cautious, while at other times it will be to judge your own timing and attempt to jump to that next platform with a more precise movement. The circle pad gives players more control of Donkey and Diddy, and with the organic challenge and more tools at hand to deal with rough spots, frustration is almost a thing of the past. Oddly enough, I would say a good contrast of Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D can be found within recent Sonic titles. Sonic has lost a lot of his fans due to the more recent level design. Sure, those 3D levels look beautiful and Sonic is still fast, but that franchise has stuck with using poor stage layouts that create an illusion of a challenge, rather than actually building a game that functions without breaking. Donkey Kong Country Returns delivers an experience that has teeth, but backs it up by keeping those choppers flossed and shiny throughout every world within the game. Bosses are genuinely fun to fight and utilize the in-game mechanics perfectly, and the mine-cart rides still bring excitement due to the test of reflexes involved.
Just like the original, if you die too much, the game will basically show you how to do the level without error. We have seen this in many recent Nintendo titles, and just like the rest of the lot, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D’s “EASY” function of sorts is purely optional, giving the player the choice to get unstuck at the cost of a bit of ego. Those wanting even more after finishing the game will definitely have the full package to partake in as well, with time challenges, a sack full of collectibles to be found, and a game that is still built to bring out the speed-runner in all of us. The replay value could be infinite if you let it, as there is always ways to challenge yourself within this port, and that is what made the first title so loved by fans and seekers of hard games alike.
Visuals and Audio
The Wii wasn’t the most powerful console on the market a couple of years ago, but Donkey Kong Country Returns was still a stunning creation in the graphics department due to the heavy use of shadow, color, and animation. The 3DS version spares no expense in attempting to bring the same to handheld owners, but is a little less appealing due to a small drop in framerate and size of the screen. If you do not have a 3DS XL (which I played this game on), there is a good chance you might have a bit of trouble playing Donkey Kong’s 3D adventure the way it was meant to be played. Remember in the first title where DK would shoot to the background? Well, on televisions – that worked well as we could still get the full experience without much discomfort to the eyes. When the 3DS version tries the same, it can be hard to make precise jumps due to the shrinkage of DK, and that can cause some unwanted deaths. The levels are just so big and have so much happening that the transition to a smaller screen just does not come off as natural as the Wii version in my eyes, but this can also be looked at as a preference thing as I imagine most will be able to spot their Kong just fine and make those jumps in the distance if they just slow it down a tad.
The soundtrack is still marvelous, thankfully. The remixed tracks from the classic hold up well on the 3DS, and those familiar tunes are made to bang on that nostalgia bone at full force, regurgitating charm from the old Rare franchise with the new gameplay experience on full display. The sound effects are also of high quality, with DK and Diddy’s little monkey chatter bringing their characters to life, and every enemy having their own little chirps and roars to give them a unique presence. I might even say that even though this is just an upgraded port, it still outshines many other original titles we have seen Nintendo put on the 3DS based off audio alone.
Overall
Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D is a game that didn’t need to happen, but comes to the 3DS almost effortlessly, bringing with it some of the most polished platforming we have seen in decades. Yeah, my opinion of the plot has changed, but if you have yet to experience the game, there is no better way to do so than with the portable port that gets it right in almost every way. Rare created a legacy for Donkey Kong and changed the way platformers play. We will never see that version of the ape again however, and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D acts as a wonderful second look of what the future holds for one of Nintendo’s most beloved mascots. Gameplay over gimmickry is something Nintendo have been showing us during the past year, and if you are looking for a pure piece of quality to add to your library at an already discounted price, its time to go Bananas all over again with the king of swing.
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