Post by Dantan on Dec 9, 2011 1:36:27 GMT
Hail all I have returned sorry about my absence lately I got sick. Then when I got better I had to fit a new graphics card in and since then been playing Skyrim for like hundreds of hours of my life. XD
Now I also got my hands on 2 2D fighting games lately one for myself and one was an early present. So I am going to review em both here just to make up for my absence and because I like to see what you all think of these games if you played em. Also keep in mind these are for the PS3.
Arcana Heart 3
Story:
Since this is a Japanese game with no English dub you have to put your faith in the english translation which isn't a big problem. Out of all the scenes you will see you may get the odd translated Engrish you generally find translated in this sort of game. The story itself is tricky in the fact that you can choose your character and then it allows you to choose certain routes between each fight sometimes giving you 5-6 options. However this inevitably all leads to the same point and no matter what choices you make it all leads to one predictable and scripted linear conclusion that plays out even when you have played through it once or twice before with different characters. Thus all it effects is who you fight until the bosses. The story is pretty generic really with no other backbone apart from your hunting for Macguffins to get you somewhere just to fight a final boss of the game. Also sometimes characters seem to get into fights with each other for no particular reason other then hey lets fight. Like for example when I met a character that asked if the character I was playing as wanted help a fight started and then gave her answer after. Which in the end seems pointless and cannot be taken seriously.
Gameplay:
This is where Arc Systems shines through it has 23 playable characters to choose from however they also have 23 arcana (summon spirits) you can choose to mix and match however you like.
This brings to a fighting genre another way to tactically play against opponents such as using ice allows you to skate across the arena, using time to record a strike and use it as a trap for your foe, using mirrors to use opponents attacks against them, using water to slow your opponent down, etc.
This gives you options to kick your opponents can all over the place whether you do it through your own strength, get the arcana to help a little or use the arcana all the way through the fight.
There is also a Special meter at the bottom of the screen which goes up to three charges which your chosen character can either use one charge on a normal special or use all three on their ultimate special. However both you and the arcana share this special meter and to be able to use three charges you have to build it up first. Which in a normal two round match is very slow progress as it doesn't add much to the bar when attacking or being hit. Also there are no options to increase your health or special meter starting points before a starting a fight. So if you really want to use your chosen characters ultimate specials prepare to grind away and lose a round or by uping the round numbers to 5 get it charged to full.
The computer A.I. is fairly competent at standing against you on easy to normal difficulties however on the higher difficulties the computer will hand your arse on a silver plater for you to eat including the secret boss in score attack mode you swear blind was only put in there to drive you insane.
The moveset of the characters has a fair number of moves that compliments the different styles though you will have to keep in mind some of the characters moves especially on a normal pad maybe more difficult then they should be or just insane in how the creators expected you to pull em off.
Presentation:
The characters in general are all very Japanese archtypes. So if you seen anime or anything Japanese in general you can get the jist that as the entire cast is full of girls. There is a cute 8 year old fighting with drawings, busty kung fu fighting android in a tight suit, ass kicking nun with devil wings, clumsy high school girl that wants to fight for love and justice, another nun you swear was inspired from the castlevania series, a crazy one with a split personality, etc.
The sprites themselves are well designed each character is recognisable and have unique features however a few of the characters may annoy you with their screams alone or just look bland to look at and the occasional blurriness may not impress those who want perfection in their sprites. Another feature added which I thought would be distracting at first are animated pictures that play beside the fighter your playing as showing attack, damage, victory, defeat and other animations as you play. But after playing it for awhile it didn't bother me and they are quite detailed and fluid in animation though with some inconsistencies such as hair length being longer then their sprite counterparts, etc. If you are not a fan of this sort of feature you can turn it off in the options.
Finally the music isn't up to scratch as the rest of the game as the majority of it can be not as good as it should be however with a few exceptions which can be quite catchy but overall its not that spectacular. With no composer listed in the credits and no where to be found on the Internet there either wasn't a composer or the composer was so embarrassed with their contribution they wanted to be forgotten in the depths of the void as to not anger the spirit of Bruce Lee to punch em in the lower regions. Also be warned this game has lots of fan service and many lesbian undertones that can be spotted coming from several miles before it actually starts. (no pun intended)
Conclusion:
Overall this is an average fighter it has its good points and bad points, the style may not appeal to everyone but with those that have interest in anime, fighters where the entire cast is girls, fighting games, etc.
It is quite fun to play especially against your friends but if you want your fighting game to have an engaging story, team battles and many options to make your fighting more frantic. Then this isn't the fighting game for you. But if you want just a fighting game with a vast number of characters, styles and a few gameplay features that are not in any other fighting then get it if your so inclined to. (I spent just £20 on this)
Rating - 6/10
King of Fighters XIII
Story:
KOF XIII is a game that is suppose to conclude what SNK dub the Ash Saga now without giving much away it story is quite intriguing in some cases while other times it is just confusing until you played through it a few more times. However expect to get lost in reading the text over the somewhat stiffly animated cut scenes as you have no control over it and unless your a very fast reader some of the story will just fly by regardless whether you are still with em or not leaving you in the dark about why certain things are happening. Though these bad points can hamper the experience for some people you can tell SNK put a passable effort into making it a good story for the fans.
Gameplay:
With a hefty 33 playable characters plus 2 unplayable boss characters this game stomps on its predecessor with returning fan favourites such as Kula Diamond, Yuri Sakazaki, Mai Shiranui, etc.
However the characters have a lack of moves that may make some people spam certain combos that they know off the top of their head or just use specials. Also many systems are in place such as drive cancels, super cancels, HD cancels, etc add a certain dynamic to the fast paced fighting. There are many modes to play such as survival, time attack, story and arcade mode. But to advance through the arcade mode to get teams endings and to unlock certain characters. You must in each match complete certain tasks the game sets you to do in that match and it must be done for all of the matches. This can get quite tedious, get you stuck cause you don't know the character that well or get you K.O.ed by the computer for trying to complete said task.
Button presses are also important when performing moves as they are so precise it just damn difficult as you cant get the speed over the directional buttons right or the game is missing some inputs that you may or may not have missed accidentally. Within the first hour I got this game trying to practice some specials with one character and trying to get the character to do these special moves I wanted was very difficult and blistered my thumb. (This was done on a pad) But other then a few minor things the fighting system is well structured with all other systems built in pretty well and practising with characters is essential in learning as they differ in difficulty and how they interact with timing in the all the different cancel systems. Also as an added feature you can customise your own fighter by changing the colour of the sprite's clothes, hair, skin, eye colour, etc which is a nice touch for those that want to customise their favorite character to their liking. (keep in mind that to unlock more colours one has to play a character 10 times each to unlock a set of new colours for that character only)
Presentation:
KOF XIII presents itself very beautifully with a nice choice of colour palate for the background and sprites. The Sprites are well animated and fluid and special moves as well as ultimate specials look absolutely fantastic. However closer look at the screen may reveal blurry pixels on certain details of the sprite but unless you sit two centimetres to the screen baking your eyes in pixels close up then its a tiny detail to not get worked up over.
The music is very good each one giving you a sense of getting pumped for a fight or be as calm as the wind in destroying your opponent. It also hits all the right notes in moments of dread or the fight against the final boss giving you a feeling of wanting to beat the cheap b$%&*!d to a pulp. With many characters and each having a distinct style there is something for everyone. Though it will make you wonder if SNK's sprites jiggle physics are getting worse or more better. (not naming any character in particular XD)
Conclusion:
KOF XIII is much better then its predecessor in many ways however with many small points pulling it down it cannot be dubbed the King of Fighters out there. Also there feels like many lost opportunities as many other characters from the past KOF's make cameo appearances in the endings and stage backgrounds and many new interesting characters are shown in the story on screen but are not playable in the game itself. But with a solid fighting system with many characters and modes to play offline and playing against friends and strangers online it can be very enjoyable. Though do expect the occasional cheap shot from the computer, the mega hard bosses even on easy mode and the many more experienced players may just stomp all over you and your ego. But all in all it is a good fighting game but lets hope SNK's next KOF project can live up to its name.
Rating - 8/10
Now I also got my hands on 2 2D fighting games lately one for myself and one was an early present. So I am going to review em both here just to make up for my absence and because I like to see what you all think of these games if you played em. Also keep in mind these are for the PS3.
Arcana Heart 3
Story:
Since this is a Japanese game with no English dub you have to put your faith in the english translation which isn't a big problem. Out of all the scenes you will see you may get the odd translated Engrish you generally find translated in this sort of game. The story itself is tricky in the fact that you can choose your character and then it allows you to choose certain routes between each fight sometimes giving you 5-6 options. However this inevitably all leads to the same point and no matter what choices you make it all leads to one predictable and scripted linear conclusion that plays out even when you have played through it once or twice before with different characters. Thus all it effects is who you fight until the bosses. The story is pretty generic really with no other backbone apart from your hunting for Macguffins to get you somewhere just to fight a final boss of the game. Also sometimes characters seem to get into fights with each other for no particular reason other then hey lets fight. Like for example when I met a character that asked if the character I was playing as wanted help a fight started and then gave her answer after. Which in the end seems pointless and cannot be taken seriously.
Gameplay:
This is where Arc Systems shines through it has 23 playable characters to choose from however they also have 23 arcana (summon spirits) you can choose to mix and match however you like.
This brings to a fighting genre another way to tactically play against opponents such as using ice allows you to skate across the arena, using time to record a strike and use it as a trap for your foe, using mirrors to use opponents attacks against them, using water to slow your opponent down, etc.
This gives you options to kick your opponents can all over the place whether you do it through your own strength, get the arcana to help a little or use the arcana all the way through the fight.
There is also a Special meter at the bottom of the screen which goes up to three charges which your chosen character can either use one charge on a normal special or use all three on their ultimate special. However both you and the arcana share this special meter and to be able to use three charges you have to build it up first. Which in a normal two round match is very slow progress as it doesn't add much to the bar when attacking or being hit. Also there are no options to increase your health or special meter starting points before a starting a fight. So if you really want to use your chosen characters ultimate specials prepare to grind away and lose a round or by uping the round numbers to 5 get it charged to full.
The computer A.I. is fairly competent at standing against you on easy to normal difficulties however on the higher difficulties the computer will hand your arse on a silver plater for you to eat including the secret boss in score attack mode you swear blind was only put in there to drive you insane.
The moveset of the characters has a fair number of moves that compliments the different styles though you will have to keep in mind some of the characters moves especially on a normal pad maybe more difficult then they should be or just insane in how the creators expected you to pull em off.
Presentation:
The characters in general are all very Japanese archtypes. So if you seen anime or anything Japanese in general you can get the jist that as the entire cast is full of girls. There is a cute 8 year old fighting with drawings, busty kung fu fighting android in a tight suit, ass kicking nun with devil wings, clumsy high school girl that wants to fight for love and justice, another nun you swear was inspired from the castlevania series, a crazy one with a split personality, etc.
The sprites themselves are well designed each character is recognisable and have unique features however a few of the characters may annoy you with their screams alone or just look bland to look at and the occasional blurriness may not impress those who want perfection in their sprites. Another feature added which I thought would be distracting at first are animated pictures that play beside the fighter your playing as showing attack, damage, victory, defeat and other animations as you play. But after playing it for awhile it didn't bother me and they are quite detailed and fluid in animation though with some inconsistencies such as hair length being longer then their sprite counterparts, etc. If you are not a fan of this sort of feature you can turn it off in the options.
Finally the music isn't up to scratch as the rest of the game as the majority of it can be not as good as it should be however with a few exceptions which can be quite catchy but overall its not that spectacular. With no composer listed in the credits and no where to be found on the Internet there either wasn't a composer or the composer was so embarrassed with their contribution they wanted to be forgotten in the depths of the void as to not anger the spirit of Bruce Lee to punch em in the lower regions. Also be warned this game has lots of fan service and many lesbian undertones that can be spotted coming from several miles before it actually starts. (no pun intended)
Conclusion:
Overall this is an average fighter it has its good points and bad points, the style may not appeal to everyone but with those that have interest in anime, fighters where the entire cast is girls, fighting games, etc.
It is quite fun to play especially against your friends but if you want your fighting game to have an engaging story, team battles and many options to make your fighting more frantic. Then this isn't the fighting game for you. But if you want just a fighting game with a vast number of characters, styles and a few gameplay features that are not in any other fighting then get it if your so inclined to. (I spent just £20 on this)
Rating - 6/10
King of Fighters XIII
Story:
KOF XIII is a game that is suppose to conclude what SNK dub the Ash Saga now without giving much away it story is quite intriguing in some cases while other times it is just confusing until you played through it a few more times. However expect to get lost in reading the text over the somewhat stiffly animated cut scenes as you have no control over it and unless your a very fast reader some of the story will just fly by regardless whether you are still with em or not leaving you in the dark about why certain things are happening. Though these bad points can hamper the experience for some people you can tell SNK put a passable effort into making it a good story for the fans.
Gameplay:
With a hefty 33 playable characters plus 2 unplayable boss characters this game stomps on its predecessor with returning fan favourites such as Kula Diamond, Yuri Sakazaki, Mai Shiranui, etc.
However the characters have a lack of moves that may make some people spam certain combos that they know off the top of their head or just use specials. Also many systems are in place such as drive cancels, super cancels, HD cancels, etc add a certain dynamic to the fast paced fighting. There are many modes to play such as survival, time attack, story and arcade mode. But to advance through the arcade mode to get teams endings and to unlock certain characters. You must in each match complete certain tasks the game sets you to do in that match and it must be done for all of the matches. This can get quite tedious, get you stuck cause you don't know the character that well or get you K.O.ed by the computer for trying to complete said task.
Button presses are also important when performing moves as they are so precise it just damn difficult as you cant get the speed over the directional buttons right or the game is missing some inputs that you may or may not have missed accidentally. Within the first hour I got this game trying to practice some specials with one character and trying to get the character to do these special moves I wanted was very difficult and blistered my thumb. (This was done on a pad) But other then a few minor things the fighting system is well structured with all other systems built in pretty well and practising with characters is essential in learning as they differ in difficulty and how they interact with timing in the all the different cancel systems. Also as an added feature you can customise your own fighter by changing the colour of the sprite's clothes, hair, skin, eye colour, etc which is a nice touch for those that want to customise their favorite character to their liking. (keep in mind that to unlock more colours one has to play a character 10 times each to unlock a set of new colours for that character only)
Presentation:
KOF XIII presents itself very beautifully with a nice choice of colour palate for the background and sprites. The Sprites are well animated and fluid and special moves as well as ultimate specials look absolutely fantastic. However closer look at the screen may reveal blurry pixels on certain details of the sprite but unless you sit two centimetres to the screen baking your eyes in pixels close up then its a tiny detail to not get worked up over.
The music is very good each one giving you a sense of getting pumped for a fight or be as calm as the wind in destroying your opponent. It also hits all the right notes in moments of dread or the fight against the final boss giving you a feeling of wanting to beat the cheap b$%&*!d to a pulp. With many characters and each having a distinct style there is something for everyone. Though it will make you wonder if SNK's sprites jiggle physics are getting worse or more better. (not naming any character in particular XD)
Conclusion:
KOF XIII is much better then its predecessor in many ways however with many small points pulling it down it cannot be dubbed the King of Fighters out there. Also there feels like many lost opportunities as many other characters from the past KOF's make cameo appearances in the endings and stage backgrounds and many new interesting characters are shown in the story on screen but are not playable in the game itself. But with a solid fighting system with many characters and modes to play offline and playing against friends and strangers online it can be very enjoyable. Though do expect the occasional cheap shot from the computer, the mega hard bosses even on easy mode and the many more experienced players may just stomp all over you and your ego. But all in all it is a good fighting game but lets hope SNK's next KOF project can live up to its name.
Rating - 8/10