#FIGHTING the urge to not just watch all the cutscenes especially for 4

[silodoors]

I beat re2 a few days ago I'm. IMMMMM

[royalxiii]

My Personal Top 10 Games of 2016

I know a lot people had a bad 2016, but for us gamers, it was a pretty good year (if you don’t mind all the delays that is)! So why not make a good old top 10 list? It’s always fun! 

I’m also gonna have my personal “out of 10″ score for each game’s gameplay AND story, since both are equally important to me. As well as a mini-ish review and why it’s placed where it is. Without further ado, here we go!

*Contains Spoilers* 

*Keep in mind I haven’t played every game, nor do I have a Xbone or Gaming PC.*

10) The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD (Wii U)

Gameplay: 8/10 | Story: 9/10

Twilight Princess is one of those “love it, or hate it” Zelda games. For me, even though I’m aware of it’s faults, I love Twilight Princess. Even more so without the motion controls. I love Wolf Link (even though I wish there was more reasons to use him), Midna, Zant, the darker and creepy atmosphere, I love it all! So why is it at number ten? Well, I personally don’t believe ports and enhanced versions should be on a “top 10 games of the year” list (they should be for new games only). But I haven’t finished a lot of games I got this year, and I was missing two slots. So here you go!  

9) Gravity Rush - Remastered - (PS4)

Gameplay: 9.5/10 | Story: 9/10

Like TP above, Gravity Rush is lower on the list only because it’s a port/HD version of a old game. I really loved Gravity Rush back on the Vita, but I was quite confused at the story. But once I replayed it on PS4, knowing what I knew, it was easier to follow (even though you really don’t figure much out by the end). Gameplay feels so, SO, much better on the PS4! I love the Vita, but playing GR on it cramped my hands so much. It feels just right on the PS4 controller. Playing through this again makes me even more excited for Gravity Rush 2 this month! 

8) Pokken Tournament (Wii U)

Gameplay: 9/10 | Story: 3/10

At last, a actual new game! Pokken is such a oddity, but goddamn I love this game. I’m pretty horrible at fighting games, especially ones that aren’t “Smash Bros.” style. But I had fun playing this, and when I had friends over, they loved it too! There’s not much of a story, which wasn’t surprising, but the Shadow Mewtwo segment was interesting enough to keep me playing. Still haven’t beaten the bastard (last battle) though. I hope to see this ported or get a sequel on the NS!  

7) Ratchet & Clank -2016- (PS4)

Gameplay: 9.5/10 | Story: 5/10

Ah, Ratchet & Clank! One of the handful of games on my “Must Buy Day-One” list for every new installment. The series has been a bit on the shaky side after A Crack in Time, both in gameplay and in story. But this game (at least gameplay-wise) is a real return to form! Unfortunately, since this is a game based off a movie (based off a game), there’s pretty much no story since you’re suppose to watch it’s movie counterpart (which isn’t great). But it’s still a fun time! And there’s a in-game cheat to turn bolts into rupees, which is fucking fantastic. 

6) Shantae: 1/2 Genie Hero (PS4, Vita, Wii U, X1, PC) 

Gameplay: 9/10 | Story: 8.5/10

Oh Shantae, you were so close to becoming a 2017 game, good for you for staying in 2016 :3 This is game is beautiful! The animation is so good and lovely! And it’s as fun as any Shantae game before it (I do miss using Risky’s gear though)! My only complaint is the slide segment that’s used twice. For me, they ruin the pacing and they drag on for a little to long both times. Other than that, I really loved it and I can’t wait for the Risky Boots DLC! Also the music is fantastic XD

5) Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice - (3DS)

Gameplay: 9/10 | Story: 10/10

I love the Ace Attorney series, warts and all. That being said, I didn’t like the last game, Dual Destinies. Although I liked a lot of new characters from it (and it’s DLC Case), I never felt so out of sync with out to proceed in the Court Cases. By the end I just wanted it to be over. But with Spirit of Justice, it was like the game was reading my mind or vise versa. I was so in-tune with the cases and only messed up a handful of times! And the story is wonderful and heartbreaking, as this series is known to be. I really can’t wait to see the future for Wright and his friends :D

4) Final Fantasy XV (PS4 and X1)

Gameplay: 9.5/10 | Story: 8/10

People are gonna hate me for this, luckily this blog ain’t popular enough for a huge backlash. FFXV is game I, much like a lot of people, have been waiting for since it was first revealed as Final Fantasy Verses XIII back in 2006. So obviously, there are high, and I mean high, expectations for a game ten years in the making. For the most part, it does succeed, at least with gameplay. Unfortunately, the story is lacking. Not in plot, mind you, but in cutscenes. I know cutscenes are the bane of some people’s existence, but to them I say “fuck you, why the hell are you play a JRPG in the first place then?!” Cutscenes  don’t only add personality to the main characters and depth to the story, but also to show other character’s within the story and why we should care or hate them. I know FFXV will be getting a update with new cutscenes later, but for now it’s sort of bare bones for me, and I don’t want to feel like that for this game. I see so much good in it, so it’s only natural I want to love and care for everything in it, right?

3) Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (PS4)

Gameplay: 9/10 | Story: 9.8/10

What a way to end Nate’s story, I fucking love this game! It’s so beautiful, the writing is great, the characters are great, and that fucking epilogue makes me want a Uncharted featuring Nate’s daughter. With Sam acting as her Sully. I know it wont happen, but I can dream can’t I? The gameplay is mostly the same, but it’s still fun. I love being able to almost always complete areas in stealth mode. Much like most games on here, I can’t wait for it’s story DLC :3

2) Kirby: Planet Robobot (3DS)

Gameplay: 10/10 | Story: 9/10

This may seem very, VERY, odd that Kirby beat both FFXV and Uncharted 4 for me. But I have to give the number two spot to this game because, well, I just had so much fun playing it! Once I got it, I barley ever put it down. It was 100% fun from beginning to end. Hell, I was actually completing it as I was playing it! Granted, I haven’t picked it back up since I completed it. But I’m already feeling the urge to replay it as I type this, and that’s the sign of a good game. Story-wise, it’s sort of what you’d expect from Kirby, but it’s still fun and entertaining. I wouldn’t change it for the world. I just wish it had post-game levels or something to that effect. 

1) Pokemon: Sun & Moon (3DS)

Gameplay: 9.8/10 | Story: 10\10

Given that my blog is mostly Kingdom Hearts and Pokemon, and all the news updates, drawings, a report of my gameplay for both games, this shouldn’t be much of a surprise. Even though I have some problems with it, this game is fucking fantastic! There’s a lot of upgrades to how things work that needed working on for a loooong time. From small things like your PC no longer has the useless “Withdraw and Deposit” options, to big things like no HMs! And recovering from the somewhat bland story in XY, the story and characters in SM is really fun and interesting! Hell, there were times where I was actually laughing out loud! I don’t think a Pokemon game has ever done that before! This game is just a real treat from beginning to end! As far as nitpicks and things that just piss me off from the oversight, well it defiantly has it’s fair share. But this is mostly at the Trainer Customization and some movepools for the New and Alolan Form Pokemon. In any case, even after beaten both Sun and Moon, I can hardly wait to get another copy to play my Popplio Team :D

Honorable Mentions 

(AKA Games I’m Loving but Haven’t Finished)

World of Final Fantasy (PS4 and Vita)

I honestly didn’t think I’d like this game, but it does grow on you! I stopped playing because I want to wait for the Sora Summon DLC (coming out this month!) Plus Pokemon came out soon after. What makes this game great is that, unlike other non-Pokemon monster-catching games, the monster-catching part isn’t almost 100% completely random. Like Tales of Symphonia 2, Ni no Kuni, and Yo-Kai Watch to name a few. The story is kinda interesting as long as you get used to to voice acting, which isn’t bad but the dialog is kinda awkward and Tama’s the-the is so annoying. In any case, I can’t wait to get back and beat it!

Watch_Dogs 2 (PS4, X1, PC)

I got this game for Christmas, and started it after beating FFXV and Shantae. So far I’ve been loving it! So far it’s much better then the original Watch_Dogs in graphics, gameplay, and story (granted, I’m still basically in the beginning. Doing a lot of side-quest). As of now this is the game I’m currently playing in till Gravity Rush 2, which will then be taken over by Kh2.8. 

[rinabrunoblog]

Epic Seven RPG Review

Probably one of the best looking Hero-Collector RPGs, Epic Seven was available solely in Asia for the first few months of release but is available for the English speaking market for a few months now and the feedback is entirely positive. There are but a few in-depth overviews on the web so let’s have a go at this seemingly new generation of turn-based, hero collector, RPG, action, and what-not game.

Smilegate Megaport Overcool NotAFool?

Smilegate is developing video games since 2002 and has over half a dozen subsidiaries, including for investment and entertainment. Epic Seven was nurtured by their Smilegate Megaport section, but it doesn’t matter much because the whole company’s priority is video gaming, publishing, and social contribution. They are based in South Korea, the place from where all the gaming myths and legends come from, and they make PC, mobile, and virtually all other platform games there are.

They are behind such titles as CrossFire, SoulWorker, Lost Ark, SkySaga: Infinite Isles, ChaosMasters, and more… It appears they have a particular tendency to not leave any space in-between the titles of their games.

Epic Seven Looks AMAZING!

The game naturally looks up to the new generation of anime-friendly game modeling, with their own contribution in the incredibly detailed character appearance and overall mechanics that flash over the entire screen like Christmas, only better.

The best thing about it are probably the cutscenes, which are in fact done like short animes. So, there are these entire animated movies that tell the tale and introduce the player with the characters and the plot. And, before you start thinking that these are maybe some animations similar to motion comic style or something like that, you need to realize they are actually fully developed anime, with animation quality that matches Attack On Titan, for example.

The rest of the game looks amazing as well, with artful backgrounds that really help put the atmosphere to the play. Every detail visible on your screen has got its light and shadow rendered to perfection. Every character model has its unique appearance and style, and all are quite distinctive giving new players easy time to get to know the story fast. Spells, animations, and virtually everything in this game lights up in a way that it will bring satisfaction to even the most demanding soul.

Who better to tell the tale but the Asians?

Since the game has only recently become available for the English speaking market, the story was fairly unknown to players who still managed to get the game via some assistant client. The initial plot resembles Greek Mythology in terms of personifications of the divine.

So the Gods are at war and this Celestial conflict already claimed many lives and victims. One of those victims is Orbis, who was also supposedly the lover of Diche, a goddess with the power of creation.

Diches sorrow and sadness for the death of her love makes her create an entire world on his lifeless body, which is the world we as players begin on. Diche then pledges to abandon the Celestial war and entirely dedicate herself to watching over her new creation. – the Orbis-land.

Ilryos, a friend of both Diche and the deceased Orbis, attempts to snap Diche out of her sorrow-stricken trans and urges her to aid them in the ongoing conflict. His methods become violent, as he sends out his own Arch-Demon to attack the Orbis-land and destroy the what he calls illusion Diche is preoccupied with.

In return, Diche creates a superhuman called Ras, who is donned the ‘great heir’ title and she also creates 4 of his subjects, the lesser heirs.

These lesser heirs are normal beings in the Orbis-land, who help Ras fight the Arch-Demon. They are given the power to do so, like the power of rebirth (but without the memory of their previous life).

When all guardians fall, the entire world resets, and only Ras keeps the memory of what transpired, which is an interesting way to incorporate the usual gaming system to the story. It is not anything out of the ordinary, but at least they took the time and effort to fuse the story and the gameplay together.

Epic Seven Gameplay

As the title suggests, Epic Seven is an animated, Online, RPG, turn-based, action game that takes its core gameplay from familiar games such as Summoners War. Here you move your team of 3 guardians, all with 3 unique abilities, and encounter demons in the Orbis-land you need to destroy. The character progression is naturally present in all aspects of the game, as well as the other familiar mechanics such as items, special attacks, combos, etc…

During the off-stage of the game, you Heroes chill in the tavern, where you can apply all the usual stuff, like buffs, potions, items, special boosts, packs, level them up, and everything you all are quite familiar with, no doubt.

The damage sources in this game, however, do not just have the usual rock/paper/scissors mechanics and are entirely unique and independent, only relying on your skill, character progression, and damage type like magic or physical.

You collect the usual stuff, like resources, gems, crystals, and use them to purchase various upgrades for your characters, like runes, weapons, ability boosts, and stuff. An especially welcomed addition in Epic Seven is the initiative bar, placed on the left side of the screen by default. It lets you know the order in which the characters will have their moves in combat. This was lacking in many titles in similar genres so far.

A complete hit!

Epic Seven is taking over the English speaking market fast and with a good reason. It is a beautiful game, with a fusion of several highly popular genres, and all that is packed in an incredibly progressive environment. Everything other similar games lack, South Koreans did right and it is no surprise. The game has a 4.8-Star rating in the App Store (6.8K votes) and 4.3 on Google Play (94K votes) which proves its awesomeness. Epic Seven is easy to pick up but offers endless content and quite a rewarding experience, so it comes highly recommended!

Epic Seven RPG Review syndicated from https://lucystrickland.wordpress.com/