Valkyria Chronicles

I have to again give thanks to Project X Zone. I've immersed myself in several games this past summer due to the variety of characters from that game in particular. I've gotten my hands on several different RPGs and a hack/slash/adventure game series. I'll write reviews on those games once I finish them or get the chance to review the ones I already finished. Today's post is about a game I've played almost two months ago and enjoyed overall. This game is a strategy/tactical game loosely based on World War 2 in Europe called Valkyria Chronicles.

Gameplay: You are in charge of a squad of about twenty people and two tanks. One of the tanks is your commander, once lost, you lose the game. Moving your units is pretty straight forward, just pick one and move him or her to whatever location. You do have a limit on the distance you can travel which will decrease if you move the same unit again. Action wise you can only do one action per pick such as
heal, use a grenade, fire rifle, etc. If you want to do another action you have to pick the same unit again. The object of the missions is to capture the enemy base camp and/or complete mission specific tasks such as eliminate all enemies, activate a switch, evacuate people, defend a gate, etc. These missions are turn based where you move first and your opponent moves after. Once you use all your command points- currency to use units: one to use a foot soldier, two for tanks, and one-two for using special orders- or end turn the enemy moves and vice-verse. The orders are used to help either strengthen, heal, or raise stats of your units. Speaking of strengthening you can upgrade your units/tanks by upgrading weapons, leveling them up with experience, and replaying missions to earn extra money and experience. The gameplay can become quite challenging if you don't take time to build up your squad. By all means do it whenever you have a lot of money and experience.

Story: Set during 1930's Europa, two superpowers the Eastern Imperial Alliance and Atlantic Federation start a war against each other. The small nation of Gallia, situated between these two factions, get involved once the Imperials attack them for Gallia's abundance in a fuel source called ragnite. The Imperials also have a special weapon aside from their technologically superior army, a descendant of Valkyria. An ancient race with powers strong enough to wipe out a civilization. As leader of Squad 7 of the Gallian Militia, your task is to lead your troops, push back the enemy, and defend your homeland.

Lieutenant Welkin Gunther: Son of a famous general and leader of Squad 7.

Alicia Melchiott:  Your subordinate and love interest who supports your efforts.

Isara: Adopted sister and engineer of your tank, "The Edelweiss."

Maximilian: Commander-in-chief of Imperial Alliance and suffers from an ego complex.

General Selvaria Bles: Descendant of Valkyria and one of three Imperial generals.

Review: Again it was thanks to Project X Zone that led me to this game. I had a broad idea of what to expect but I got pulled in with the lovable characters, gameplay, and interesting story. The gameplay was also fun. I never really played a strategy/tactical RPG in that kind of manner. I really enjoyed the characters and story which left me wanting to possibly look into the sequels. I would get into it but I don't want to spoil it for everyone. You'll have to try the game yourself.

The only downside is that you have to play constantly if you want to get some of the best stuff and leveling your squad to its maximum potential. The gameplay can get boring if you replay missions over and over again. Unfortunately that's what happens when you play the same game again and again.

Pros:

• Great Story
• Lovable Characters
• Fun gameplay

Cons:

• Repetitive gameplay can get boring.

Overall I'm giving this game a rating of 4 to 5 stars. I personally enjoyed it but I'm sure there are fans of Advanced Wars and other such tactical RPG games that could be a little better. I may look into the sequels but they're available only on the playstation portable. Who knows but for now I'll probably review the games I haven't yet.

Sakura Wars So Long My Love

As a gamer I've never really gotten into the RPG genre. Sure I played RPG games such as Kingdom Hearts or Mass Effect, I just never got into it. I never really liked that your choices could affect gameplay or the amount of time required to play. Over the past few months my opinions on RPGs have changed quite drastically. I've gotten my hands on a few different games such as Project X Zone and Fire Emblem Awakening. I have completed those and I'll probably review them at some point, for now I want to focus on a different game. This game was a Playstation 2 game released in 2010 and it was the only North American release out of a "Japanese Only" series. That game was known as Sakura Wars: So Long My Love.

Gameplay: The game is a strategy RPG and involves cut scenes, choices, limited free roam, and a battle segment. For the most part you just watch these cut scenes, make certain responses, and watch the effects. The whole idea is that the choices you make build up or degrade your relationships with your friends. As for the free roam you mainly have a task but you can do whatever you want as long as you accomplish it. The battle sequence is turn-based and the object is to either eliminate all enemies or accomplish a certain task.

Story: Set in 1928, your player Shinjiro Taiga, a young Navy Lieutenant, is transferred to the New York Combat Revue Stars Division. A group of people who perform musicals, plays, and dances while fighting evil behind the scenes. Upon arriving your overall task is to lead your fellow comrades, which are five girls, and fight evil that's threatening the city and your team. Your tasks will involve interactions with your teammates and whoever is behind the rising evil.

Shinjiro Taiga: Your hero and supposed leader of the Stars Division. Although he's a prodigy in Japan he has to prove himself in America.

Gemini Sunrise: A clumsy cowgirl from Texas and is interested in Japanese culture.

Chieron Archer: Lawyer and somewhat aggressive and/or hard on others.

Rosita Aries: A young bounty hunter with a craving for food.

Diana Caprice: A doctor in trainer and shows compassion to those around her.

Subaru Kujo: A quiet and mysterious women. She does show a lot of intelligence but her quiet nature makes it difficult to interact with her.

Ratchet: Your boss and she sometimes provides support along the way.

Mr. Sunnyside: Commander of the Stars Division. He sometimes is a little crazy but his motives are good in the end.

Review: There's honestly not a lot to review because the game is pretty straightforward. Just deal with whatever task comes your way. The story itself is very interesting but I don't want to spoil it for you. I really enjoy the cut scenes and found some of them hilarious if not ridiculous. I also enjoyed the interactions between the various characters. It felt like I was actually interacting with real people except that they're girls. I truly love that whatever you do proceeds the story in various ways which increases the replay value to see what all the interactions do. One of the best parts is the importance of relationships and how they are important to our everyday life.

On the down side though, the game itself felt like a movie most of the time. Yes there are parts where you free roam and fight, but a majority of the game is cut scenes. Other than that I really have nothing to gripe about because I can't stop enjoying it!



Pros:

• Interesting story
• Enjoyable cut scenes and dialogue
• Interactions between characters progress story differently
• Great moral on relationships

Cons:

• Feels a little more like a movie

Overall: I have to give this game between four to five stars. Honestly it's meant to stand out on it's own and be different from other RPGs. I personally enjoyed it including Gemini Sunrise's character. If you have nothing better to play and want to try something new, this is probably the game for you.




Here's the opening for the game in case you wanted to get a better idea:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLV4HDkpKIU

Yang Xiao Long

Obviously the show RWBY itself needs no introduction for those who've read my review on the first volume. This time I want to talk about one of my favorite characters from the show so far, Yang. She was first introduced in the Yellow Trailer in June 2013. A seventeen-year-old girl who sports shotgun gauntlets, rage/super saiyan attack mode, and a flaming heart symbol. She's seen as a party girl and having a little spunk to her personality. Yang's voice actress, Barbara Dunkleman, describes Yang as, "the kind of person who will teach someone how to swim by pushing them in the water." (2013) This is seen at various points in the first volume but let's look at the story we have so far.

We first see our heroine enter a bar trying to get information on some girl from a guy named Junior. She tries interrogating him in a very surprising fashion. I recommend watching the Yellow Trailer to see why. When the interrogation goes downhill she finds herself in a fist fight with Junior's goons, twin henchwomen, and Junior himself. Yang wins in the end and runs into her younger sister, Ruby Rose. Fast forward or backwards-it's unknown at this point- to the beginning of Volume 1 where are story begins.


Yang is excited to that Ruby is attending Beacon Academy and encourages Ruby to try meeting new people. They split off temporarily and meet up during roll call where Yang asks about Ruby's day. Ruby starts whining about an incident between her and another girl named Weiss Schnee but Yang stays optimistic. That night Yang continues to encourage Ruby to meet new people and goes out the way to get Ruby to meet Blake Belladona at the other side of the room. The meeting went off well and Yang showed great appreciation that Ruby finally met a new person.

Before initiation Yang still encourages Ruby to make new friends but Ruby still has desires to be with Yang. When the initiation starts Ruby and Yang are separated in the emerald forest. Yang and Blake find each other, during a fight with bear-like creatures, and they become partners. The pair soon reach the site where the artifacts are hidden which are used for assigning teams. As soon as Blake and Yang pick out their artifacts, the rest of the cast- Ruby, Weiss, Jaune, Nora, Lie, Pyrrha- arrive at the site by various means.  The group is attacked by various creatures causing them to split off into four and fight the creatures. After the battle, the teams RWBY- Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang- and JNPR-Jaune, Pyrhha, Lie, and Nora- are formed.

The final part of volume 1 basically includes the start of school life for the girls. They have classes to attend and/or study for, events to attend, and maintaining their relationships. Everything was going great until the team learned about Blake's faunus heritage/White Fang membership which that society looks down on. Gripped with fear Blake goes into hiding and the team tries to find her. Ruby and Yang show concern for Blake's well-being while Weiss's feelings remain unknown. Blake was found and amends were made between Blake and Weiss. Ruby is excited to see that the team is back together and the four push on towards the unknown future.

Yang has a personality of being bright, energetic, and confident in her actions. When she interrogated Junior she did it in a way that one wouldn't expect a teenage girl to do. Also she played him towards the end as the stereotypical "little woman," but she fooled him again. She said, "Oh Junior, I was only playing with you! Don't be so sensitive! Let's kiss and make up alright?"(Yellow Trailer) Junior did take the bait and before his lips could reach hers, she punched him square in the face. Let alone the way I got to see her fight and take out Junior's henchmen was pretty amazing. She also has an "adrenaline rush," that makes her more powerful than normal whenever she gets angry or a piece of her hair is cut. Just seeing her be, "more than meets the eyes," makes her character stand out.

She also cares for those around her especially her sister Ruby. Yang has a kind of "motherly," attitude toward Ruby which Ruby is on and off about. Ruby mentioned that Yang used to read to her at bedtime in Episode 3. Yang also encourages Ruby to try to make friends, "You've got friends all around you, you just haven't met them yet."(Episode 3) Yang was there when Ruby tried meeting Blake which caused Yang feel proud of Ruby. Another caring moment was when Ruby was almost killed by a creature during the intiation event in Episode 8. Weiss saved Ruby and Yang embraced Ruby expressing her feelings that Ruby was safe. Yang also showed joy to Ruby when Ruby became the leader of team RWBY. All of this just shows how much of a mother Yang is to Ruby.

In regards to others, Yang tries to be nice to everyone around her even if she doesn't agree with them. The best example is when the team finds out about Blake's faunus heritage. Weiss is up and arms about it but Yang doesn't care whatsoever about Blake being a faunus. Yang did mention before this situation, "it must be tough being a faunus." (Episode 11) Yang sees Blake as a person and doesn't care about Blake's heritage. Yang also never approved of Weiss's snotty/rude behavior every since they became Team RWBY. The worst of it was when Ruby and Weiss first met and Weiss criticized Ruby to death. Yang did try to bring peace between Ruby and Weiss but there's still tension going on. Yang's current view is that Weiss needs to stop mistreating Ruby and not be so cruel to others.

So far this is all we have seen of Yang's character. Hopefully in Volume 2 we'll see Yang's character develop a bit more. Based on seeing the mother role Yang is playing I think tension may increase between her and Ruby. Ruby could one day be like, "Stop trying to be like Mom," and the two will despise each other temporarily. I also could see that Yang may be trying to do something that she thinks will help Ruby but cause more harm than good. I can only speculate based on the Yellow Trailer and Volume 1. I will add more content or make a part 2 to this analysis. All I can say now is that I'm pumped up for Volume 2 and I can't wait to see how the story progresses!

Links/References

All of RWBY Volume 1

http://rwby.wikia.com/wiki/Yang_Xiao_Long

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCw_aAS7vWI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoJzEb7qH28

Images from deviant art, google images, and pixiv.

Thanks to Roosterteeth and all the fans of the hit-show RWBY.
I don't own any of this content and I thank the sources mentioned. This material is used for educational purposes only.

Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2

A castle protruding through the night sky, werewolves hiding in the bushes, skeleton soldiers, lurking in the halls, Medusa heads flying in arcs, and all you have to fight with is your trusted whip known as the "vampire killer." Your task is to explore the castle and destroy its owner, Count Dracula. If you already guessed that this is the setting for the Castlevania series you should give yourself a pat on the back. Now, Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2 is the final installment in the Lords of Shadow saga and a sequel to Castlevania Lords of Shadow and Mirror of Fate. After playing the two previous titles I had some high hopes for the final installment but I was only partially satisfied.

Gameplay: If you're already familiar with the previous games the control/actions are pretty similar. You have a direct/area attacks with your whip, magic that steals health/causes more damage, and various side items that suit whatever needs you desire. There are also skills that you can purchase and upgrade from experience points earned after defeating enemies. The only new mechanics is that you can change into a rat and be stealthy/access small places. I heard mixed reviews about it but I think the idea was to demonstrate Dracula's power. In the original story Dracula he can control various creatures including the rat. He has other powers including launching bats, becoming mist, becoming a dragon with supercharged attacks, etc. Overall the gameplay is similar to previous games with a few added actions and all of the attacks relate to Dracula in a way.

*Story: Dracula awakens from a strange sleep in the present world weak, amnesiac, and without his powers. He's welcomed back by his former ally/traitor Zobek who warns Dracula that Satan is returning. Dracula accepts Zobek's request to stop him but at the cost that Zobek will help Dracula break from his immortal bonds. Dracula travels throughout his castle, which is now a city, regaining his powers and putting the pieces of his broken memory back together. In the end he regains his powers, has his memory restored, and defeats Satan along with the evil that was unleashed on the city. (The story takes place in both the medieval and modern world. The medieval world serves as Dracula regaining his memories while he's regaining his powers in the present.)

Critique: The gameplay is nothing special aside from changing the actions to fit Dracula's style/actions. There are added elements including stealth, third person camera, and open world format. The story itself is a little dull but definitely interesting. I did say I was partially satisfied only because I truthfully didn't think the creators had anymore ideas of where to go in the story. The ending is satisfactory but I think it could have been done a little bit better.

Pros:

• Gameplay similar to previous titles with a few changes
• Same actions but suited to Dracula including a few new elements 

Cons:

• Story is a little dull
• Really nothing new except for a few changes.

Verdict: My feelings are mixed towards this game so I have to give it a range of about 2.5 to 3 stars out of 5 stars. This game is technically the last contribution to the Castlevania series and although it was a decent exit it could have been better. I did have some high hopes but I really shouldn't expect much from a game that really has nowhere else to go. I'm probably better off playing the original Castlevania on NES, and Bram Stoker's Dracula on Sega Genesis.


*(There's story DLC slated to be released in the next few weeks which I'll check out and add to this review.)

Halo: Spartan Assault

Hearing the word "halo," fills my head with memories of Master Chief, Covenant, Cortana, spartans, arbiter, sticking enemies with plasma grenades, flipping over Scorpion tanks, SWAT playlist, Slayer playlists, battle rifles, Grifball, etc. Halo is probably one of the most well know franchises alongside Call of Duty, Battlefield, and other first-person shooter games. Nowadays it seems that more Halo-related material is being spewed out into the market. For example, the recent release on Xbox One/Xbox 360 Halo: Spartan Assault. Originally this game was released alongside the release of the Microsoft Windows 8 Operating System and was a tablet/Windows 8 phone game. Reviews for it were mixed and as I already mentioned it was released for Xbox One/Xbox 360 as Xbox Live game. I purchased it off the Xbox marketplace and after playing I wish I didn't spend the money.

Gameplay: Again this was first released as a tablet/Windows 8 phone game and it's pretty noticeable if you're playing on any of the Xboxes. What you have is a sky-view third person shooter. You can control the distance to throw grenades and your direction of fire with the right analog stick. It's also a complete various objectives to finish the level. Most of the gameplay mechanics/controls are similar to past Halo games with the difference being it's from a bird's eye view. There's also options to choose your armor abilities, weapons, campaign boosters, etc. Aside from campaign there's a cooperative game play mode that I didn't try out yet. I'm unsure if I'll even give it a try.

Story: The setting is between the events of Halo 3 and Halo 4 on the planet Draetheus V and its moon. The Covenant truce from Halo 3 crumbles and humanity is again at war with the Covenant. Spartans Davis and Palmer are stationed on Draetheus V and lead a resistance against the Covenant. In the end Spartan Palmer successfully drives the Covenant away and loses the planet and Spartan Davis.

Critique: I bought this game out of sure curiosity and to satisfy my Halo nerdom. After playing I found the game to be boring and somewhat entertaining if I wanted to briefly pass the time. The missions are super short pending on if you're trying to get the achievements. The objectives are repetitive and get dull after doing them four or five times. The only real story elements are from the movie introductions and mission descriptions. The whole game itself is just repetitive to the point that your mind will go numb. The only positive I can think of is that Halo feeling/elements that many of us are quite familiar with. What really takes the cake is the birds-eye view which to me should be reserved to real-time-strategy games like Age of Empires.

Pros:

• Halo feeling/elements.
• Somewhat entertaining.

Cons:

• Repetitive gameplay
• Birds-eye view camera.

Verdict: I give this game a rating range between 2 to 3 out of 5 stars. Yes the game is bad to almost decent but only because of the repetitive gameplay. I actually wish that this game was made into a console game and had a similar style to Halo 3:ODST. To me that would make more sense and give big-time fans a better experience.

      

Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag

For quite some time I haven't been able to sit down and play a decent video game. Mainly it's due to school and that I possess several games that I've beaten at least a few times each. Not to mention that the only games I play are the ones related to my interests. This time I've decided to try a new game which I'm familiar with but I never got the full experience. That game is Assassin's Creed 4 Black Flag. I heard of this game back in October 2013 but I didn't pay much attention except to the pirate motif to it. It wasn't until I recently saw the Pirates of the Caribbean movies that I decided to give the game a try. I have to say that I was mildly impressed with it, but not all of it.

Gameplay: The gameplay is the same as the previous installments in the Assassin's Creed series. You can climb, blend in with the crowd, assassinate enemies, use various weapons including the pistol, sleep/berserk darts, and wrist blades, and complete side quests aside from the main missions. The world is also enormous so there's many places to explore. What's new is that there's a naval combat system in the game which was introduce in Assassin's Creed 3 but updated for Assassin's Creed 4. In this system you can pirate merchant ships, destroy forts, harpoon oceanic creatures, or just sail the sea to your heart's content while your crew sings away. I personally enjoyed this naval system and I can't stop playing it because it's so much fun, especially when you can pirate merchant ships. Other than that the gameplay is very similar to previous titles.

Story: There are two settings in the Assassin's Creed series, a future setting and the historical setting the game takes place in. As a whole there are two groups of people: the Templars and Assassins. The Templars want to control the world and create a new order and the Assassins are a resistance force against them. I don't want to get too much into the future setting because it spans throughout the series. The future setting in this title though centers around some guy who's working for a Templar run corporation and undercover with the Assassins. The future setting in this game was really pointless and wasted my time when I wanted to go back to finish the historical story. Now that I think about it I don't know why the developers/creative team didn't just stick with the historical story by itself.

Now for the historical setting, you're a sailor/privateer named Edward Kenway who gets tangled in a plot with the Templars and the undercover acts of the Assassins. Along the way he's working with famous pirates Blackbeard, Anne Bonny, Mary Read, and a host of other characters while establishing a pirate-run republic and searching for "The Observatory." An artifact that the Templars want to use to control the world and valuble treasure to Kenway. In the end Kenway becomes joins the assassins, establishes a pirate-run area, and prevents the Templars from reaching thier goal of world domination.

Review: I really have nothing to gripe about in the gameplay. It's all the same thing and nothing new for those who've played prievious titles. I still give high praise to the naval combat system. My words cannot fully express how much fun it is. It will get boring in time but for now it's worth it until you get the collectibles/finish side quests. The story on the other hand, wasn't all that great.

The story in Assassin's Creed technically received praise in the past but not for this one. As I said before the future setting was worthless and not good. I didn't see it as necessary nor do I think the future setting is necessary for any of the games. The historical setting was ok, better than the future setting for sure. I honestly think, after reading about the historical settings for the past games, the creative teams are running out of ideas for the story. Although I enjoyed the pirate motif it's still the same formula, become an assassin and fight the Templars. I did enjoy seeing Kenway's character develop the story itself didn't exactly phase me in any way.

Overall:

Pros:

• Amazing Naval Combat system
• A few added elements to the game
• Pirate motif

Cons:

• Story wasn't all that great
• Same mechanics/gameplay style as with previous games.  

I really enjoyed this game but if I had no knowledge of the previous games I probably would have enjoyed it more. I still recommend this game to those around me. Hopefully the next creative team will be able to make improvements for a possible Assassin's Creed 5. I give this game a rating within the range of three to four out of five stars. With all due respect though, ancient pirates were pretty cool and had amazing lives roaming the seven seas. 

Update #1

Hey guys sorry I haven't written or posted anything in a while. I've been busy with school, my position working with my Microbiology teacher, and my regular daily life. I will post my next review soon. I have plenty of things to review after what I've been reading, watching, listening etc. I also want to add that I'm planning on writing different kinds of posts other than reviews. I've decided to write character analyses from books, shows, video games, etc. Again I plan on writing again real soon as soon as I catch a break! Hope you guys enjoy reading my posts because my next post will be a real treat! As a teaser my next post will be a character analysis but from one of my earlier review posts. Hope this is a good enough teaser and happy reading guys!