Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl Full Review

Happy Autumn dear readers, and welcome back to my esteemed blog.  With the fall season making it’s arrival, many hit titles are making their ways on to store shelves.  Our next title for review is Etrian Odyssey: The Millennium Girl for the Nintendo 3DS.  Etrian Odyssey is a massive dungeon crawling RPG series from Atlus.  This is a complete remake of the original Etrian Odyssey that was on Nintendo DS.  It is a niche title with a fairly large fan base.  So the question on everyone’s mind is, does this latest entry in the series satisfy the hunger of gamers all over?

Graphics:  Fans of Etrian Odyssey 4 will be more than happy with this graphical overhaul of the original title.  Artwork is well done and the transition of the dungeons and monsters to 3D are beautifully executed.  The anime style movie sequences also add a little more push to the graphical arsenal.  Score 9/10

Sound:  The musical score of Etrian Odyssey has always been one of it’s strongest features, and this musical score does not disappoint.  The little voice over work that is provided does the game justice when needed.  Score: 8.5/10

Gameplay:  JRPG fans will jump for joy at Etrian Odyssey’s traditional turn-based gameplay.  The game also takes a unique approach by offering a story mode, which even though very cliched, offers a different approach to the traditional dungeon exploring, level grinding, treasure hunting goodness that makes Etrian Odyssey such a joy to play.  You can also choose to play the original, which sticks to the traditional mechanics that I mentioned above.  Score: 9.5/10

Whether you were introduced to Etrian Odyssey late in the years and want to experience the original, or someone that wants to experience the remake, this is a good way to experience where it all began.  Highest recommendation.

Final Score: 9/10

I am currently in the process of reviewing Beyond Two Souls for the PS3.  I will also be reviewing Pokemon X for the Nintendo 3DS this weekend.  Whew, lots of blogging on the way, but I will get these up for you, my readers.  Thanks again and as always, be sure to subscribe to my blog and tell your friends about me.  Until next time, see you soon.

Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl Demo Review

                                     Welcome back friends to my esteemed blog.  I do apologize for the brief hiatus but, once again life has required a huge chunk of my time.  That however has passed and now the blogging will continue on.  As many of you may know, Atlus has brought us a plethora of amazing RPG’s over the years.  One series for the Nintendo DS and 3DS that has gained huge popularity is Etrian Odyssey a first-person, dungeon crawling RPG.  This series has four installments, all of which have been very awesome, and today I had the opportunity to demo the fifth installment entitled Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl for the Nintendo 3DS.

Graphics:  The opening anime intro helps to gear you up for the experience.  Those who are familiar with the franchise will find Etrian Odyssey’s graphics just as beautiful as ever.  The 3D only adds more to the amazing package.  Character designs are similar to previous installments, while monster designs thus far are decently animated.  Score: 9/10

Sound:  One of the best features of the Etrian Odyssey series is it’s amazing soundtrack, and The Millennium Girl does not disappoint.  The music in the dungeons are beautifully done.  The music during battles are not only fitting but, they have that pump you up effect.  A beautiful score thus far, and seeing as how Yuzo Koshiro composed the score, this will definitely be an amazing musical score.  Score: 9.5/10

Gameplay:  Fans of turn-based RPG’s will enjoy this amazing installment.  Don’t be confused though, the Etrian Odyssey franchises can be VERY HARD depending on the opponents you face.  The anime movie sequences that are being included adds more meat to the package in terms of story.  If you are looking for fun and challenging battles, look no further when this is released in it’s full splendor.  Score: 9.5/10

I was very impressed with this demo, and will definitely be first to pick up my copy when it is released on October 1, 2013.  Tune in next time for a full review.  Until then everyone, keep on gaming.

Tales of Xillia Review: Does this Tale tell it all?

Welcome back friends to another edition of my esteemed blog.  The Tales series is celebrating its 15^th anniversary, and what better way to ring in the year then with the release of another Tales title.  This time around they have brought Tales of Xillia to our Playstation 3 console.   Let’s see if this tale is as telling as the others.

Graphics:  These days a lot of people are interested in soulless polish.  Although Xillia does feature anime style characters and interesting environments, the graphical quality is not up to snuff with other titles such as Ni No Kuni.  However, despite its lack of graphical muscle, it still delivers a visual experience.  Score:  8.5/10

Sound:  The music is pretty well done.  Fans of previous Tales titles will enjoy this wonderful work from Motoi Sakuraba.  This soundtrack tends to draw you into the game, especially towards the climax.  The voice acting is well done overall, except for the voice actress who plays Milla.  I found her voice to be slightly substandard and performed with little effort.  Score: 8/10

Gameplay:  The story of Xillia takes place from the perspective of two protagonists, Jude Mathis, a medical student trying to discover the reasoning behind the absence of the spirits, and Milla Maxwell, lord of the spirits on a quest to regain the “four” that have been stolen from her.  Even though you have the choice of playing one of the two protagonists, they’re individual quests intertwine with one another. 

The combat system is as fun as ever, with a few new additions to it, that being the new link system.  The link system allows the character your controlling to link with another character.  You and that character work together as a team, one character will hack and slash at an enemy, while the other attacks or binds them from behind.  There are also special attacks that can be performed with each linked character combination to deal an even more devastating and flashy blow to your opponents.  The status leveling system is more than just gaining a level and increasing most of your status attributes automatically.  This time, there is a grid leveling system similar to that of Final Fantasy 10.  While not as diverse and robust as FF 10, it is still a nice addition that adds depth to the process of level grinding.  There are also numerous side quests that add to the journey.  All in all, a good blend of depth that adds to the amazing adventure.        Score: 9/10 

Tales of Xillia is a great way to ring in the 15^th anniversary of the series, and with the sequel already in the works for a state side release, we can only wait in anticipation for the sequel to an already amazing adventure.

 

Final Score: 8.5/10

Dragon’s Crown Review

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome back friends to my outstanding blog.  I apologize for this delayed review but, as many of you are well aware I am in the process of reviewing two very anticipated RPGs for the Playstation 3 console-both of which are extensive and very engaging-Dragon’s Crown and Tales of Xillia.  Rather than delaying the flow of blogs, I decided to just review one title at a time.  First up is Dragon’s Crown.

Dragon’s Crown is the newest title developed by VanillaWare, a small niche company that is responsible for titles such as Princess Crown, Odin Sphere, GrimGrimoire, and Muramasa The Demon Blade.  Originally this title was going to be published by XSeed however, they scrapped the project due to what I believe was financial reasons.  So, Atlus heard the calls from their fans and brought Dragon’s Crown to the United States.  With all the near misses in porting this title stateside, was the effort worth it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Graphics:  To say that Dragon’s Crown is a visual masterpiece would be the biggest understatement of 2013.  The most unique attribute about Dragon’s Crown’s graphics all the in-game backgrounds, characters, creatures and effects are painted by hand.  This approach adds a very unique touch that differentiates from other titles, and Vanillaware definitely deserves praises for this beautiful achievement.  Some gamers out there will also notice the extreme detail that is in every character, especially in the females, the sorceress being the biggest example.  Score: 10/10

Sound:  The musical score is very fitting for the world of Dragon’s Crown.  There are several tracks that stand out above the rest,  like the over world theme.  Besides a few sounds the characters make in battle, and of course their quotes when highlighting them during the selection screen, the only voice work is that of the narrator, which is well done.  The narrator however becomes consistently annoying repeating your objective every time you leave a tavern or shop.     Score: 9/10

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gameplay:  This is where the meat of the package is at.  Fans of Golden Axe will feel right at home with this title.  Dragon’s Crown may seem short with only nine dungeons to explore but, there are two paths per dungeon to explore with two bosses at the end of each path.  The game can be either a short ride or a long excruciating challenge depending on the character you select.  You can recruit other fighters to join in your quest by finding their bones in dungeons and resurrecting them.

There are numerous quests that will keep you more than occupied throughout the adventure,  but the biggest and most unique feature is the loot system.  Throughout each dungeon you will find a plethora of items and equipment that will remain un-appraised until completion.  Once you complete a dungeon, you can spend your gold to appraise the item, or simply cash in your chips and sell it straight out.  Keep in mind, there are LOTS OF ITEMS to find in Dragon’s Crown.  Also in Dragon’s Crown are hidden jewels and trinkets that you discover hidden in the backgrounds of the dungeons which will increase your score.  The campaign mode per character class takes about 20 hours to beat but, fans who are looking for an action RPG with tremendous depth will end their search with Dragon’s Crown with it’s 100 plus hours of gameplay for those looking to earn that platinum.   Score: 10/10  

Issues:  Dragon’s Crown is available for PS3 and PSVita.  Unfortunately the Vita version does not support cross-buy or cross-play.  This is a huge letdown, especially for those Vita owners that want to play with friends.

This is a title that should be in everyone’s possession.  The style of the game is nostalgic, but unique with it’s art style and design.  Definitely recommend this title to everybody.

Final Score: 9.5/10

Be sure to follow my blog everyone.  Thanks again, and see you next time with my Tales of Xillia review.

Persona 4 The Animation Review

Welcome back everyone to my esteemed blog.  I apologize for the procrastination of this particular review, but I wanted to view this series in it’s entirety before putting my two cents in.  Persona 4 has been called one of the best RPG’s of all time for it’s characters, amazing story, battle system, and of course it’s amazing soundtrack compliments of Shoji Meguro.  Now Persona 4 has been brought back again into a full animated series.  Does Persona 4 The Animation do justice for the already amazing gaming franchise?  Let’s review.

For those of you who are unaware of the story, it focuses on the protagonist Yu Narukami who travels from the big city to the small village of Inaba, where he stays with his Uncle Dojima and his daughter Nanako for the school year while his parents are abroad.  In the village of Inaba there is an urban legend that many have believed to be true.  The legend says if you watch a blank television screen at midnight on a rainy day, you will see your true love on the screen.  They call it the midnight channel.  This story takes a deadly twist when a string of unsolved murders occur.  This is where the story of Persona 4 begins.

While Yu goes to school he comes upon an interesting group of friends that come together and decide to solve the mystery of the Inaba murders with the help of their Personas.  I know that many of you already know the story behind Persona 4, but for those who have been oblivious to this game, i won’t go into too much detail as it may spoil the experience and mystery.

From the moment you play episode one, you will instantly feel joy as this series follows the video game 100 percent!  Shoji Meguro’s magical soundtrack accompanies this amazing animated series along with some new amazing songs.  The original character voices from the video game also return to keep that nostalgic feeling.

After watching both blu-ray sets (also available on DVD) I felt absolutely satisfied with this series and confirmed that it was definitely worth every penny.  If you are a persona fanatic, and have not yet seen this animated series…well…what are you waiting for?  Don’t miss out on this amazing animated series that does justice for an amazing game.

Final Score: 10/10

Gaming Updates!

Welcome back dear readers to my amazing blog.  I do apologize for the hiatus, but there were circumstances beyond my control that literally consumed my time.  Nevertheless, I have returned to give you more gaming blogging goodness.

I have a few updates that I wanted to inform my fellow readers about:

1.  Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse HD Remake

This was quite a shocker to find out.  I was huge fan of this game growing up.  From the details I have been able to uncover, this is being developed by the same development team of the original game.  I am personally excited about this remake.  It is scheduled for a summer release for XBOX Live, PSN, and PC.  There is no price as of yet.

2.  Playstation All Stars Battle Royale…what happened to it?

For those of you who are not aware, Sony has angered a lot of people (myself included) by releasing numerous patches and updates that nerfs characters to the point of unplayability simply because unskilled players online complain and whine on the forums.  Sackboy is a great example of this case matter.  Although a complex character, Sackboy could be devastating if you could master his unorthodox techniques.  People complained about his techniques charging his super meter too quickly.  So what does Sony do?  They release an update with a patch to make him not only slow in his technique execution, but weak in generating his super moves meter.  I think Sony should have left this game alone and not be so easily intimidated by the mindless whining of people who simply are unskilled and blame the game and creators for their inept gaming abilities.  The updates in my opinion have done more damage to this game than good.  What are your thoughts?

3. YS Celceta Sea of Trees coming to North America

The Playstation Vita has not been doing very well in North America, hopefully this title will give it a little oomph.  Ys Celceta Sea of Trees, which is a remake of YS 4 is coming stateside this fall.  I will definitely be looking forward to this title.  

Are there any updates or issues you want to discuss?  Leave me your feedback, and as always be sure to follow my blog, and see you next time.

Lucas

 

 

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Review

Welcome back friends to another edition of The Gaming Angel.  I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, and here is to the start of a new year.

Great RPG’s have become a rarity in recent years, and fans have began to wonder whether or not there will ever be another great RPG that will make leaps and bounds above today’s current RPG’s.  Well folks, I am happy to answer that question with a big solid yes.  Namco Bandai has satisfied the hunger of RPG fans with the release of Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch.

I apologize in advance for the delay with this review, but I wanted to enjoy this game thoroughly, since I have been waiting for over a year for it’s release.  So, is this title worth an RPG fan’s time?  Here’s the verdict.

Graphics:  From the moment you turn on the game…Breathtaking is an understatement when describing the beauty of this game’s graphics.  The beautiful environments, cel-shaded characters, and amazing animated movie cut scenes courtesy of Studio Ghibli all blend together to bring us a timeless tale chock full of eye candy.
Score 10/10

Sound:  The musical score of Ni No Kuni is absolutely flawless.  It was composed by the world famous Joe Hisaishi.  The music was performed by the Japanese Philharmonic Orchestra.  This duo is a sure formula for perfection and it is executed brilliantly.
Score: 10/10

Gameplay: The gameplay of Ni No Kuni is a unique blend of Tales of Destiny meets Pokemon.  The exploration is pretty much like your typical JRPG.  The battle system is a nice refreshing subject.  Battle consists of all characters being in an open map area much like Tales of Destiny, and you have the option of fighting the characters yourself (Oliver) or you can summon these Pokemon like familiars to fight in your place.  It’s a blend of past gameplay elements that work wonderfully together.  RPG fans all over will drool over this.  Score: 10/10

Ni No Kuni is an RPG that fans have been waiting for!  If you have ever played an RPG (past or present) or a hardcore RPG fan that has lost hope in a perfect RPG ever coming around, then you need to pick up Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch.  You will not be disappointed.

Final Score: 10/10

Thanks for reading my blogs, and be sure to subscribe and tell your friends!  Also, for those that may not know, I have a YouTube page which consists of me playing games (past and present) and doing commentary at the same time.  Be sure to subscribe folks!  My username on YouTube is CrystalEsper.  Thanks again folks and see you next time.

A title that deserves an HD re-release

Hello everyone, and welcome back to my blog.  I hope your 4th of July festivities were fun and safe.  I have noticed a recent string of HD re-releases that have been released or are in the works for the Playstation 3 and XBOX 360 gaming consoles.  One title stuck out in my mind, and I thought I should share this insight with you.  The title that I think deserves a reboot in high definition is Shining Force 3.  This title was released for the Sega Saturn near the end of it’s life cycle in 1997.  This was by far the most revolutionary strategy RPG of it’s time next to Dragon Force, also for the Sega Saturn.

Sadly, Shining Force 3 consisted of three scenarios, but only scenario one was ported to the United States leaving many fans of the series on a cliff hanger to this very day.  The Sega Saturn died shortly after it’s release.  I believe that porting all three scenarios translated in one collective HD package would not only benefit Sega in the long run, but bring a smile to a lot of long time faithful Sega fans.  What are your thoughts everyone?  Please share this blog with your friends.  Maybe we can get a petition started to ask for this HD re-release of a timeless classic.

Diablo 3: It was a long wait, but was it all worth it?

Welcome back to my esteemed blog.  Sorry for the delay in postings, but of course being a military veteran I spent the weekend with the family on this glorious memorial holiday.  I also managed to get my hands on Diablo 3.  I had a lot of high hopes for this title, especially since it has been well over a decade since Diablo 2 was released.  So after all this time waiting, does the third installment satisfy the desires of it’s fans?  Read on to find out.

Graphics:  In terms of graphics, Diablo 3 does not fail to impress.  Beautiful from the moment you begin your new adventure.  The CG movie scenes are very well done.  The in-game graphics are not to be overlooked.  I found the designs of the characters and creatures to be astonishing not to mention the environmental designs.  The bosses you encounter in this installment will impress you guaranteed.  Score: 9.5/10

Sound: The musical score is well done and fits the setting of Diablo 3.  The voice acting can be hit or miss once in a blue moon, but otherwise it is a wonderful soundtrack.  Score: 9/10

Gameplay: From the moment I installed this game and began my new campaign, six hours literally went by in the blink of an eye.  I found it very difficult to pull myself away from this game.  The gameplay is very similar to it’s predecessor with a few new tricks.  Combine that with a seemingly endless amount of hidden items, side quests, and online capabilities, and you have a formula for a title that will keep players hooked for years to come.  Score: 9.5/10

Issues:  Since this title is fairly new, there are a few hiccups that rarely occur when playing online.  Blizzard is working endlessly to end this issue and make Diablo 3 a wonderful experience.

Final Score: 9.5/10

Thanks for reading and following my blog.  Be sure to tell your fellow bloggers about me.  I always welcome comments and questions.  Thanks again.

Lucas

Dragon’s Crown Update

Hello everyone, and welcome to my esteemed blog.  For those of you who have been keeping up with my blogs.  I spoke about a particular VanillaWare title called Dragon’s Crown which was scheduled to be released for the Playstation 3 in the spring of this year.

There was a slight scare because the company that was going to release it originally had made a decision to scrap the project entirely.  Thankfully happy readers Atlus has decided to pick up the project and put it in the very capable hands of their team.  Atlus will be publishing this title for the Playstation 3 and PS Vita systems.  Both are slated for an early 2013 release, but things can change.  Let’s just be thankful that this title is still on the way.  

Thank you for reading, and be sure to follow my blog.  As always, your comments and questions are more than welcome.  

Lucas