Now this is what you want from a second episode. This is exactly what you want. The story was left hanging on the previous episode and is quickly resolved here, with Kaito solving the gears puzzle, which is great because it progresses things at a pace I’d much prefer.
I’d be in agony if the focus of this episode was on Kaito solving the cliffhanger from the previous episode. Thankfully the focus quickly shifts to what is without a doubt going to be the over-arching storyline for this series. Kaito has been contracted as a Solver, which is essentially a person who is a genius at solving puzzles. There are many Solvers each tackling Sage Puzzles all over the world, of which the Pyramids and Stone Henge happen to be anicent Sage Puzzles.
It was the universe building that really impressed me with this episode. I am a huge fan of the ancient puzzles concept. While I doubt, Kaito will ever tackle the pyramids, it is nice to know that the history of this secret puzzle world is long and deep.
One problem I have with a lot of series is that the world feels too small and almost as though there is invisible walls blocking them off from the rest of the world. Thankfully this little bit of universe constructing really made the mythology and scale of Phi Brain feel so much bigger.
Other than that we were introduced to a new character named Gammon who has the title of Gallileo. Now while I admit I like his character design, I find his personality to be grating. He reminded me of a poor man’s Kuwabara (Yu Yu Hakusho). It seems they tried to create a similar dynamic, but I found his voice and portrayal to be utterly annoying. However I am willing to give him a chance and hope that he gets given further depth in coming episodes.
As for the focus of this episode, which is the car puzzle. I absolutely loved it! I did not anticipate it’s solution and unlike the gears puzzle, it actually was understandable how Kaito solved it. I look forward to more “Puzzle Time” moments in future episodes. Because honestly that puzzle was just a lot of fun and despite the somewhat one dimensional villain pulling the strings and trying to sabotage the puzzle, I enjoyed it for showing us that Kaito’s Oprheous Armband is not simply a Deus Ex Machina item.
While I can imagine people may have had a few grumblings regarding the skipping of the small puzzle solutions, I don’t think it’s because the creators don’t know the solution, I think it’s to entice you to try it yourself. I personally prefer the focus on the big puzzle of the episode. Here’s hoping for the next few weeks we get a sort of “Puzzle of the Week” formula. I’m enjoying this formula too much for it to end abruptly for the heavy story which we all know will eventually be coming.
Speaking of the heavy story, we have the fabled “Kami no Puzzle” or the “God’s Puzzle”, that Kaito is blazing a trail towards. I’m more fascinated with what the puzzle actually is than how Kaito will come across it. I am going to hazard a guess that the “God’s Puzzle” refers to the meaning of life. Whether Phi Brain will go so philopshical is still to be determined but I am hoping it does. This is a series that I believe can pull of a message such as “Life is a puzzle”. Whether it does, only time will tell.
This episode was a great sign for things to come and has really got me excited for this series. Of all the series that have started this season I feel this series has the most potential to become something truly brilliant. I can’t wait to see what puzzle Kaito has to solve next week.
Dead Rising 2: Off the Record Developer: Capcom Vancouver Publisher: Capcom Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 (Reviewed) Release Date: October 11, 2011 Price: $39.99 – Available Here
Overview:
One of the most common enemies you can find in the world of gaming today is the zombie. Sure you can find countless reasons as to why that is, but the fact of the matter is that one company has taken zombies and turned them into their bread and butter. Capcom has made quite a name for themselves with their zombie titles, such as Resident Evil and most recently Dead Rising.
Dead Rising 2 Original was released last year and seen by many as a huge improvement to the series as a whole, but it was missing one thing… a certain photo journalist who has covered wars. Now Dead Rising 2: Off the Record has been released by Capcom and it brings back everyone’s favorite man with a camera, Frank West. With a few new modes and adjustments, does this fresh coat of West paint justify a purchase of a title we’ve seen a year ago?
Story:
One would believe that managing to break such a huge story like what occurred at the Willamette Mall would be enough to set one up for life with enough popularity and money to make anyone, even a journalist content. But living in the limelight can only last so long and life has become hard for the now bankrupt Frank West.
Players are given a brief explanation of what occurred in Frank’s life after the events of Dead Rising 1, and pick up in the only place Frank can manage to find some money. That is the reality TV show Terror is Reality where Frank must fight zombies in a twisted version of wrestling including grinders and fire while risking it all to win big. Shortly after his time on stage, Frank’s journalistic senses begin to tingle as he discovers something isn’t quite right about TK and that there is trouble brewing in Fortune City.
Immediately, those who have played the Dead Rising 2 Original will see that the story begins to deviate slightly in detail from the original here, though at its core most of the game is quite the same. The storyline is still more or less the same thing, wherein Frank West must survive for three days before the military arrives. This of course entails rescuing stranded survivors and fighting off psychopaths of every shape and size, quite literally in one case.
One of the biggest differences here is rather than having a daughter to return and give Zombrex to; Frank himself will need it every 24 hours as he is still infected from the events of the first game. This is a nice little addition which helps streamline the game a bit more as you can give yourself Zombrex with a simple tap of a button when you need it, as long as you have some on hand.
The biggest question about the storyline though is whether or not it is worth playing through if you have played Dead Rising 2 Original. Now if you haven’t, then by all means this is perhaps the best way to jump into the series, especially if you managed to just finish the original Dead Rising as the story flows perfectly between the two. But back to originality.
Dead Rising 2: Off the Record will feature many superficial differences to the storyline which some may recognize. Whether it be how a psychopath responds to Frank, or even the new psychopaths added in these are nice changes. But the biggest change is how the main storyline will unfold. At its very core the story is still the same, but the twists taken along the way have been changed significantly and near the end players will be given an entirely new experience that quite honestly sums things up better than Dead Rising 2 Original.
Graphics:
Dead Rising 2: Off the Record unfortunately hasn’t seen much of an upgrade from Dead Rising 2 Original, which means that a lot of the mall looks exactly the same as you remember it. A few areas have been expanded upon however and a number of small additions have been added to existing places, including the neon lit Uranus Zone which is an entirely new and fun area with plenty of environmental interactions that have been designed well and provide plenty of extra enjoyment.
On the other hand, while there still can be many hundreds of zombies on screen at a time they will still look quite the same minus a few new zombie models that have been thrown in. There is also a small amount of texture pop that I experienced when driving through areas which I did not recall from the original.
Audio:
Being as there is a completely new main character as well as a handful of new survivors and psychos of course there are a few new voice actors who join the scene. Frank’s voice work is handled nice and he sounds the same as he did in Dead Rising 1, and a number of other new characters are given decent voices. Everyone else will sound similar to what they did in Dead Rising 2 Original, but some of their dialogue is re-recorded as new lines are used often in the original story.
As usual the background music as you roam through the mall matches a mall’s music perfectly, something non-obtrusive and calming. That all changes whenever a psycho is met and usually rock music helps get the blood pumping quickly and the new music for the new psychos is enjoyable, though still mildly forgetful.
Something else quite noticeable is the fact that all radio transmissions are completely voiced now. This means that your conversations over the radio, which is now thankfully completely hands free for all your zombie killing needs, are voiced so you will constantly hear Stacey tell you wear survivors are or what she has seen. Also be prepared for a few scares here and there when your peaceful walk through the zombie infested Fortune City is abruptly disturbed by a classic horror movie sound and an unseen or previously thought dead zombie lunges and grabs you from nowhere. This sound effect plus zombie attack never failed to cause me to jump and make me stay alert.
Gameplay:
Dead Rising 2: Off the Record doesn’t break from the rest of the series significantly with its gameplay, as everything from Dead Rising 2 Original returns. There are plenty of zombies to kill with a large variety of combo weapons, all of which return from the past game including a handful of new weapons usually focused around the new Uranus Zone and players level up Frank by obtaining PP by saving survivors, performing certain tasks and of course killing zombies and psychopaths.
There is a completely new way to earn PP however, though perhaps new isn’t the best way to put it. Frank West returns complete with his trusty camera and this means that there are many pictures to be taken. Psychos and survivors will flash PP symbols over their heads during special moments, PP stickers are littered around the environment and players can take the same classic genre pictures as before including Horror, Drama, Erotica, Outtake and Brutality. The camera feature makes a welcome return in Off the Record and while some may not use it very often, others will enjoy finding and taking the craziest or most valuable pictures possible.
Something that many gamers may find quite useful is a new adjustment to the way the save system works in Dead Rising 2: Off the Record. Namely players will now be given checkpoints whenever they enter a new area, complete a mission and begin or end a fight with a psychopath. These checkpoints serve like something similar to an autosave which allows you to load them whenever you feel like or in case you happen to die. Saving in restrooms is obviously still necessary as that is the only way to permanently record your progress but this is a huge plus that allows for players not to have to run to the bathroom every five seconds to make sure they won’t lose their progress upon death.
If story mode isn’t quite your thing however, rather than including Terror is Reality from Dead Rising Original, players now have a completely wide open mode named “Sandbox Mode.” This gameplay mode places the player in Fortune City with absolutely no time limit. Frank no longer needs Zombrex, there are no missions to do, just pure zombie killing and exploring fun. Players can also take on certain Challenges which are littered around Sandbox Mode which range from racing to an area in time, killing a certain amount of zombies, obtaining PP, and much more. Players can then rank themselves on leaderboards as well as take any money or levels they earn into story mode to help themselves out.
Of course the co-op mode has returned as well. There are specific co-op only challenges littered throughout Sandbox Mode which means you are more than welcome to bring a buddy along to kill zombies and complete these Challenges. Or for those who don’t want to run around aimlessly with a friend they can also join in story mode and assist in any way possible here.
Overall:
Dead Rising 2: Off the Record takes the protagonist and photo mechanic that people loved from Dead Rising 1, the gameplay mechanics of Dead Rising 2 Original and combined them together in a mixing bowl, threw in a few spices of enhancements, story adjustments and new content to create what we have here.
Now the biggest problem is the fact that some may see this as a simple expansion to Dead Rising 2, and in some rights it is, as the storyline is still quite predictable for the most part and there are a few adjustments to Fortune City but not enough to make you feel like you’ve never been there before. But the inclusion of the Sandbox Mode and the new better flowing storyline are certainly enough to make Dead Rising 2: Off the Record a title that surpasses its original.
After a bit of speculation, it now seems that Sonic Generations will be released on the PC, right alongside it’s console and handheld counterparts. This news comes today due to listings for a PC version emerging on both Direct2Drive and Greenman Gaming. Not much has been announced of how this version will differ from the others on the market, but it does seem that the 3D and 2D aspects have been left in place based on the information at both online retailers. The price point also will catch many eyes, as this version it priced at a cool MSRP of just $29.99.
Sonic Generations will make it’s PC debut just days after the Xbox 360, PS3, and 3DS versions all launch, with a release date of Nov. 4th.
Ya know, I think this was going to be a huge announcement for sometime down the road, but it seems both TMZ and Dana White have let the cat out of the bag. Brock Lesnar, who has been absent from the WWE since Wrestlemania 20 has now been all but “officially” confirmed for WWE ’12 due to Dana White remarking on a new licensing deal between WWE and Lesnar.
Here is the official statement over at TMZ’s website:
After SEVEN YEARS apart, UFC pain machine Brock Lesnar is getting back into business with the company that put him on the map — WWE — in a deal that will make him the “featured star” in a brand new video game.
Multiple sources confirm …the people developing “WWE: 12” approached Brock back in January and asked for permission to use his name and likeness in the game and the advertising campaign.
We’re told Brock loved the idea — but wouldn’t sign off unless his current boss, UFC honcho Dana White, gave his blessing. Fortunately, it worked out.
TMZ spoke with White, who told us, “I love WWE and I have nothing but love for Vince McMahon — I’m totally OK with Brock being in the game.”
This is a big deal for sure for any wrestling fan as while Brock’s stint was rather short, he certainly made a mark in this history books for the brand. A new trailer is set to be released tomorrow for WWE ’12 (according to TMZ anyway), and once it arrives we will be sure to bring it to you here so stay tuned to this developing story.
Aussie gamer’s heading over to the Gold Coast for the EB expo this weekend will be in for a few exclusive treats in the THQ area.
Saint’s Row the Third will be making it’s playable Aussie debut in the form of a hands on demo, and is if that weren’t enough THQ are promising some Penthouse girls to make sure guests are ‘lavished with attention’ (I’m guessing they won’t be hands on, sorry boys). Also along for the show will be several characters from the game, including Shauni, Laura and Zimos. That’s right, there will be Penthouse girls and a man dressed like that.
Just to up the macho ante a little bit more, gamers will also have the chance to try out the ‘bigger, badder, better’ WWE12 as well as UFC Undisputed 3. Street Fighter x Tekken competitions will also be held live, and anyone who survives five rounds will walk away with an as yet undisclosed prize (Penthouse girl? Pimp hat?)
THQ will also show Disney Universe, featuring over 40 Disney and Pixar characters in an “off-the-wall non-stop action adventure”. Also on the cartoony side of this strangely polarised exhibit will be the new uDraw GameTablet for Xbox 360 and PS3. Gamers will be able to have a hands on session with the gadget which attempts to turn consoles into an art studio. In case everyone’s a bit rubbish on the creative side there will also be a professional anime artist on hand to do live demonstrations with the tablet!
The EB Games Expo is taking place on the 16th and 17th of October at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre. What will you be playing?
Only a few hours ago legions of Mass Effect fans had one of their worst nightmares confirmed –there will be multiplayer!
With the initial announcement over, Bioware were keen to get the details out quickly, giving this Wednesday as the date for more official updates. It seems however that even two days is far too long to wait, and details have emerged over at the Bioware forums from Community Manager Chris Priestly.
The main point that is being continually stressed? You guessed it – the inclusion of multiplayer will not detract from the single player experience.
It is important to note that the system is entirely optional and just another way players can have control over your game experience – it is still possible to achieve the optimal, complete ending of the game in Mass Effect 3 through single-player alone.
Co-op was deemed the best option to take (and personally I’m incredibly thankful they went down this route) as it sits well with the overriding story of the game – uniting against a common enemy to save the galaxy.
None of the single player characters, including Commander Shepard, will feature in the co-op mode. Players will instead choose from a variety of races including Krogan, Turian and Asari, each fully customisable and with their own special skill set.
Despite being ‘entirely optional’ co-op will have an impact on the game’s final outcome via the new ‘Galaxy at War’ system for ME3, which will eventually cover more platforms and interfaces to be announced at a later date. What shape these ‘platforms and interfaces’ will take is anyone’s guess at the moment, but it wouldn’t be crazy to imagine that somewhere down the line there might be some social networking/app involvement.
The system itself is designed to measure the ‘Galactic Readiness’ level for the final battle, and sounds like a bit of a helping hand for players who don’t fare so well in the single player campaign. Another percieved slap in the face for the fans? We’ll have to wait and see.
Game Name:The Dark Meadow Platform(s): iPad (reviewed), iPhone (iOS 3.1.3 or later) Developer(s): Phosphor Games Genre(s): Horror/Adventure Release Date: Oct 06, 2011 (US) Price: $5.99 BUY NOW!
It’s really rare when I become hyped over any iOS title, but I literally counted down the days to release with Phosphor Games’ The Dark Meadow. This title places the player in an abandoned hospital that is over-run with evil. Assisted by an elderly voice over an intercom and a couple of weapons, it is now up to you to put a stop to this and dig deeper to find out just how your character got mixed in among the madness within. So how does everything come together for this eerie and ambitious iOS game? Here is my review for The Dark Meadow.
Story
The Dark Meadow starts out with your character waking up in an abandoned hospital that has apparently been vacant for years. A menacing yet campy personality soon greets himself over the intercom system, providing a bit of clarity of just why your there. Not all is known though, as this title’s plot mainly consists of exploring this creaky old building and just trying to survive while you look for answers. This may sound a bit light on actual narrative, but the brilliant writing given to this “mysterious voice” that plays while you explore your new surroundings makes the journey interesting, eerie, and humorous until the very end.
You see, The Dark Meadow is all about exploration as several newspaper clippings, dusty books, and other findings are worked in to give a bit of background and depth to the story that in turn provide incentive to progress. This setting is full of a dark and mysterious tone as well, where each path you choose to take could very well unlock more secrets along the way. One other thing that was really stand-out was the minor details given to each level, such as old posters that literally told stories of the past while also giving off a reason to chuckle from time to time. After just a few minutes in, it’s quite obvious that Phosphor wanted the player to feel as “lost” as the main protagonist in this creepy hospital and thankfully, that objective was a success on their part as this may be one of the most immersive experiences I have played on the iOS.
Gameplay
My biggest fear before playing this title was how the game would control. I think most of us are familiar with the usual “touch-stick” that can be a pain to use for most titles of the same genre, but thankfully The Dark Meadow uses a point and click method for exploration. This works with the player tapping glowing points located on the floor, walls, and doors of each hallway, with the character moving automatically to that position without fail. Players can also slide their finger along the screen to turn 360 degrees and get a full view of their surroundings. Yes, everything is very simplified, but the quick and easy exploration allows for you as the player to take in the rich atmosphere that is presented without having to deal with the frustration of fighting with the touchscreen.
Most of the environment can be interacted with a tap on the screen. For instance, if you see a cabinet or a closed drawer, a simple touch will open it to reveal whatever may be hidden inside. This element may sound small, but unless you want to utilize the “pay for in-game currency scheme”, it’s almost a necessity to check every nook and cranny of your surroundings. This currency system also plays into an RPG aspect that The Dark Meadow so wonderfully executes. From the beginning, the player is allowed to access nearly every weapon and perk from the start by opening up the menu and cashing in their gold for a better crossbow, sword, or hit point boost. Grinding against enemies is a must to survive, as both EXP points and gold is rewarded after each battle. The concept is to pretty much use the gold, buy better weapons, and simply not die as often through the process of grinding. I normally don’t like the whole “pay for perks” scheme, but Phosphor’s setup gives the player a choice if they want to breeze through enemies by dropping some dough or to grind their way through the hospital the old fashioned way, so it all comes down to user preference in the long run.
Battles in the game may be one of the stand out features. As you trek your way through the hallways, various frighting foes will pop up out of no where and attempt to tear you apart. These bouts always start at a distance, with the monster slowly marching toward our protagonist and require two methods of combat to be utilized to be successful. The first method is for distant combat in the form of your handy crossbow. While the enemy is closing in, the player can fire arrows to lower their life bar before the close combat begins. Proper aim is everything as well with this, as these demons are fantastic at dodging and can be a bit tricky to hit without a steady hand. Shooting is not really a chore either, as all that is required is to pull back, aim, and fire. To keep the player on their toes, certain enemies can fire projectiles from afar, so you must observe the patterns of each type of enemy and safely dodge left or right using the commands at the bottom of the screen.
Close combat is executed with a sword and requires a bit more work than the crossbow. Once a foe approaches, the player will yank out their sharp weapon of choice and do battle “Infinity Blade” style. The same dodge commands are also in effect here, but this time it’s more crucial to execute them correctly. Most opponents usually either attack from the left, right, or jump from the center. Once that attack is successfully dodged, a prompt will appear to “ATTACK NOW” and you can take your finger and slash away until the enemy regains focus. I would say this is method of battle is part offense and defense though as if you don’t effectively dodge or block successfully, the process will then have to be repeated until the enemy at hand is stunned. Thankfully the touchscreen controls are always responsive and make this process addictive and fun throughout the entire game.
While everything is nearly perfect in the form of combat, The Dark Meadow still has a couple of small flaws that can hinder the experience. As I mentioned, the enemies and eerie setting make this world one that can easily suck the player in. After each battle is completed though, a victory screen will pop up and require you to watch your level and stats go up. I know that this is pretty standard for an RPG, but having that stat screen pop up completely takes the player out of the hospital and into the feeling that a game is being played. It’s a very minor complaint, but imagine if you were playing Resident Evil and killed a standard zombie and then had a menu pop up to display the currency you collected. The environment you have immersed yourself in would then disappear and you would then have to re-attach yourself to your surroundings. I got that feeling after nearly every battle and while it wasn’t nearly as crippling as it sounds, it still proved to be one of The Dark Meadow’s most prominent annoyances.
The other “flaw” really isn’t a flaw at all and one feature that I enjoyed, but some may find it to be a bit frustrating later on in the game. After you die, you’re returned to the very beginning while retaining your current stats and weaponry. This means that the player must traverse back to their previous location and do battle with any demons that get in the way all over again. This hospital isn’t huge, so most will not have a problem here as the extra grinding definitely comes in handy for the larger enemies later on, but it can be a bit frustrating having to start all over just after you found a new area to explore.
Graphics/Audio
Graphics, yes…where to begin. When I first seen the trailer for The Dark Meadow, my first thought was “this can’t be an iPhone title” as that clip alone displayed some of the most detailed environments I had seen on the platform. Needless to say,= my expectations were pretty high. Thankfully though, even that trailer didn’t give this game true justice as this may be one of the most atmospheric experiences I have played to date on the platform. Each room and hallway is covered in detail which makes exploration feel rewarding and enjoyable as you progress throughout this run-down hospital. Light creeks through old shutters, scraps of paper are browned from age and scattered about and every area can tell a story just through the former signs of life found within. Enemies are also unique in their own way, as these foes are just as twisted and menacingly designed as the world the inhabit. Due to the platform, one might expect a bit of framerate problems to occur, but I only had a bit of slowdown during a few battles out of the many I played, so the level of polish Phosphor applied is easy to be admired and makes this journey into the unknown an unforgettable one.
There really isn’t a lot to talk about in the form of an in-game soundtrack for this game, as The Dark Meadow usually lets it’s eerily realistic sound effects take control of all the audio. The elderly guide that assists you was also given some fantastic voicework. One minute he can send chills up your spine by threatening of a great challenge up ahead while the next the player will be provided with a bit of dark humor to explain these “new” surroundings. Without this insane assistant I still feel like I would have enjoyed the entire experience, but these dialogue sequences add a ton of personality to game and truly separate it from all other contenders on the market.
Overall
The Dark Meadow may very well be the most ambitious iOS releases to come out of 2011 so far. The atmosphere that was created is unrivaled in my opinion for the platform and the battle mechanics feel as polished and as the vivid setting that surrounds your mysterious character. Not everything in this world is perfect, but even with that said, I still would think that most are not going to let minor annoyances such as interrupting stat screens effect their enjoyment while exploring the dark and dusty environment ahead. If you are a fan of RPGs, survival horror, or just are looking for something to push your device to the limits while providing a few laughs and chills along the way, you can’t go wrong by investing six bucks to check into this hospital of horror.
Apple released their 24 hour sales statistics for the new iPhone 4S. Surpassing 1 million in sales, the iPhone 4S beat the pants off the previous 600,000 unit sale record of the iPhone 4. Some critics speculate that this is the last device that Steve Jobs had his hands in developing, but blueprints for the iPhone 5 have already begun. So whether people are buying the new device to honor the death of Jobs and/or wanted to upgrade from an older version, there is no doubt the demand is high.
Apple’s senior vice president Phil Schiller said the following:
“We are blown away with the incredible customer response to iPhone 4S The first day pre-orders for iPhone 4S have been the most for any new product that Apple has ever launched and we are thrilled that customers love iPhone 4S as much as we do.”
And if you weren’t lucky enough to pre-order the iPhone 4S, you may be waiting a week or 2 more due to supply shortage. Unless of course you want to pay extra on Ebay. Check out Apple’s site for more news of the iPhone 4S (HERE).
Saint Seiya fans will be pleased to know that it has been confirmed that the popular Gold Saints characters will play both a role in the upcoming Saint Seiya: Sanctuary Battle game’s story mode as well as be eventually unlockable for play.
That’s right you will be able to play as all the Gold Saints, including; Aries Mu, Taurus Aldebaran, Cancer Deathmask and all the others. This is huge news for fans who are eagerly anticipating news on the upcoming Playstation 3 exclusive title.
Thus far Saint Seiya: Sanctuary Battle is only set for a European release outside of Japan. That means it is unknown whether the rest of the world will be treated to this hotly anticipated title. What do you think of this news? Let us know in the shoutbox or comments section.
Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan is a perculiar series to say the very least. Whilst it contains similar themes to other anime and manga, it is incredibly unique in its execution of them. That is likely why it has become so popular. So popular in fact that a fighting game based upon the series was announced earlier this year, coinciding with the premiere of the anime’s second season.
Good news for fans of the series, is that the game will feature all of the Kyoto Yokai that have taken the role of central villain in the anime’s current storyline. This means that players will be able to play as characters such as Kidomaru and Hagaromo Gitsune in intense Yokai combat.
Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan – Great War of a Hundred Gathering Demons will march onto Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 on November 17th. What do you think of this announcement Nura fans? Let us know in the shoutbox or comments section.
