Samantha Lienhard's Blog, page 139

New Information About Dai Gyakuten Saiban 2

New details are on the way for the sequel to Dai Gyakuten Saiban, or The Great Ace Attorney.

If you’re like me, and avoiding Dai Gyakuten Saiban spoilers because you’re still waiting for its localization, there isn’t too much speculating we can do about the sequel. Nevertheless, let’s take a look at what we know.

At the Ace Attorney 15th Anniversary Event, Dai Gyakuten Saiban 2 was confirmed for the 3DS, and they also revealed a new trailer. The trailer doesn’t actually show much about the game itself, but features banter between the protagonist and Sherlock Holmes as they try to analyze the logo.

(It even jokes about the fact that they don’t have much to show yet.)

Here is the trailer subtitled in English, courtesy of Bolt2nd.

Dai Gyakuten Saiban 2 will also be featured in the newest issue of Famitsu, and some information has already surfaced. Like the first game, it will take place in both Japan and England. It deals with a “cursed room” and the World’s Fair, both of which seem to have been referenced in the original.

Best of all, it will resolve the first game’s mysteries. Loose ends and unresolved mysteries were the main source of Dai Gyakuten Saiban’s mixed reception, which could be one of the things holding it back from a worldwide release. Dai Gyakuten Saiban 2 clearing up those problems is definitely good news.

Capcom still hasn’t announced plans to localize the first Dai Gyakuten Saiban, but I believe the sequel improves our chances of getting them both (especially if it has a positive reception).

What do you think? Can we look forward to a Dai Gyakuten Saiban localization announcement in the future?

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Shantae & the Pirate’s Curse is Even Better Than Its Predecessor

In my review of Risky’s Revenge, I said the sequel seemed even better.

It is. Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse was a blast to play.

It picks up after the events of Risky’s Revenge, where Scuttle Town has been taken over by the Ammo Baron.

Meanwhile, the evil Pirate Master, once sealed away by the genies, is attempting to revive himself. Shantae teams up with her former nemesis, the pirate captain Risky Boots, to stop the Pirate Master’s plans.

Risky’s Revenge felt like a Metroidvania with a few Zelda-like elements, and Pirate’s Curse feels almost like what a Zelda game would be if The Legend of Zelda was a 2D platformer.

Instead of a single overworld with new areas to unlock like in its predecessor, Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse sends you to several different island. On those islands, you’ll go through dungeons filled with locked doors and occasional puzzles and find new pieces of equipment to help you access new areas.

Click for Risky's Revenge ending spoilerSince Shantae lost her powers at the end of Risky’s Revenge, she can no longer transform. Instead, she uses tools that once belonged to Risky.

The dialogue is even funnier than it was in Risky’s Revenge, with many ridiculous moments and even a bit of fourth-wall-breaking. Pirate’s Curse has a quirky cast of characters and a stronger emphasis on story, particularly where the characters are concerned.

It might not keep you in tense anticipation of where the plot will go, but I was genuinely intrigued by Shantae’s interactions with her allies, especially Rottytops and Risky Boots.

Depending on how well you do at gathering the game’s collectibles, you’ll also see one of two endings: the basic ending or an extended true ending. Fortunately, the game’s structure generally makes it fun to seek out hidden areas (except for a few tedious areas I wished I didn’t have to backtrack through in search of secrets), and I recommend going for the true ending.

Overall, I found Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse to be a really fun, not to mention funny, platformer. I’m looking forward to playing Half-Genie Hero, although I’ve heard it makes some significant changes.

What are your thoughts on Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse?

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Is Reggie Hinting at Mother 3?

Ever since Nintendo released Mother as EarthBound Beginnings, I expected them to finally translate Mother 3. I even predicted it for E3 2016.

So far, my prediction hasn’t come true, but I haven’t given up yet… and especially not now.

After the Nintendo Switch presentation, Reggie Fils-Aime spoke to both IGN and GameSpot about Mother 3 and Metroid.

He told IGN that localizing Mother 3 has “a different set of complexities” because “it really isn’t a Nintendo-owned franchise,” although they are definitely committed to Metroid.

He told GameSpot that he knows fans are interested in Mother 3 and a new Metroid game, and said, “I have nothing to announce–here.”

And to both IGN and GameSpot, he said they should talk to him a year from now.

Of the two, Metroid is the most likely hope to be fulfilled, but it’s interesting that his comments included Mother 3 as well. Is Reggie hinting that we’ll see a new Metroid game, a translated Mother 3, or both before the end of the year?

I still believe they wouldn’t have released EarthBound Beginnings if they didn’t plan to eventually release Mother 3 as well. For now, however, all we can do is wait.

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Top 10 Upcoming 3D Platformers

Back in 2015, I wrote about five upcoming 3D platformers. I learned about several more after that.

Some of these, such as Ratchet and Clank and FreezeMe (stay tuned for my review later this year) have already come out, but many 3D platformers are still on the way.

If you miss the 3D platformers of old, here are 10 upcoming games to keep your eye on.

10. Fiona Frightening and the Wicked Wardrobe

The concept for Fiona Frightening sounds fantastic: a 3D platformer about a young witch who uses her Creep allies and the Wicked Wardrobe to fight a Boogieman intent on rewriting the story with himself as the winner. It was planned for the Wii U and would have music by Grant Kirkhope. Plus, Linkara voiced one of the characters.

Unfortunately, the reason it’s so low on my list is because it appears to be in limbo. The game is still being made, but progress seems slow.

I hope to see more of Fiona Frightening soon.

9. Lobodestroyo

Like Fiona Frightening, the much-anticipated Lobodestroyo, which stars a wolf named Mutt and a luchador spirit named Dorado, has gone rather quiet.

In fact, it went so quiet, many people worried this N64-inspired 3D platformer was dead until the developers explained their setbacks.

They have a new website and a new plan. Lobodestroyo isn’t dead, but it might be quite a while before we get to play it. Nevertheless, it should be a fantastic game when that day comes.

8. Skylar & Plux: Adventure on Clover Island

Unlike a lot of 3D platformers on this list, which style themselves after games like Banjo-Kazooie and Super Mario 64, Skylar & Plux: Adventure on Clover Island has more of a Ratchet and Clank vibe to it. A cat and an owl team up to fight an army of robots, using upgrades and gadgets along the way.

(Ignore the “Coming 2016” in the video.)

It’s planned for the first quarter of 2017 for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. So if you’re looking for a platformer more like Ratchet and Clank, Skylar & Plux might be just what you need.

7. Clive ‘N’ Wrench

Although I first blogged about Clive ‘N’ Wrench before its name changed, I continued to follow it through its unfortunately-unsuccessful Kickstarter campaign.

However, the developers continued their work on Clive ‘N’ Wrench despite this setback, and it’s still coming along nicely. The most recent update gave glimpses of its various worlds.

Clive ‘N’ Wrench will no longer be coming to the Wii U, but it is planned for the PC first, with Mac and Linux versions to follow.

6.Happy Hell

Meanwhile, Happy Hell (which I described as “a Faustian 3D platformer“) is also coming along well.

This quirky and spooky platformer about a cat trying to escape Happy Hell (with gameplay inspired by Nintendo 64 classics, although with a twist due to its soul-stealing premise) should be out this year for the PC, Mac, and Linux.

Keep an eye on the Facebook page for regular updates.

5. Funk Unplugged

Funk Unplugged is a 3D platformer for the PC inspired by Nintendo 64 classics and focused on the power of music. It was funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign and is planned for a late 2017 launch.

It stars an amplifier named Ampy and his friend Mik on a quest to save Rockhalla from the G-Men and reclaim the powerful platinum records. Yes. Rockhalla. It’s a paradise for rock and roll stars.

Funk Unplugged has gameplay styled after classic 3D platformers, and its wonderfully goofy premise just makes me more interested.

4. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy

Crash Bandicoot fans let out a collective cheer of delight when the N. Sane Trilogy was announced for the PlayStation 4. Although it’s just an enhanced remastering of the original three Crash Bandicoot games, it’s still fantastic news for fans of the genre… and it might pave the way for new Crash Bandicoot games in the future.

The Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy will be out in 2017.

3. A Hat in Time

I’ve been excited for A Hat in Time ever since it was first unveiled, and I even recorded a few sections of the beta as I played through it.

This fun-filled adventure of Hat Kid and her nemesis Mustache Girl, with gameplay heavily inspired by Banjo-Kazooie, is due out in 2017 for the PC and Mac. It hasn’t lost any of its charm for me since I backed it on Kickstarter, and although it doesn’t have a definite release date yet, I can’t wait to play the full game.

2. Yooka-Laylee

I haven’t gone into great detail about the gameplay of most of these, because most of them are following a set model, the style of 3D platforming popularized by games like Banjo-Kazooie and Super Mario 64 (with some exceptions, such as Skylar & Plux).

But Yooka-Laylee takes that further than any of the others. Created by former Rare developers, it has a Banjo-Kazooie vibe through and through.

Yooka-Laylee might as well be “Banjo-Threeie,” and it’s one of my top anticipated games of 2017. Best of all, it has a solid release date. The exciting adventure of the bear and bird chameleon and bat begins on April 11, 2017 for the PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, and Xbox One.

A Nintendo Switch version of Yooka-Laylee will follow.

And that brings us to the one game that captured my attention more than even Yooka-Laylee…

1. Super Mario Odyssey

While Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie are my favorite 3D platformers, I love Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. And Super Mario Galaxy, but especially the 64/Sunshine style.

I waited all through the Wii U’s life cycle for a new Mario game in the style of those three, and it never came. But for the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo announced Super Mario Odyssey, a 3D platformer with open areas in the style of Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine.

Say what you will about the Nintendo Switch, but Super Mario Odyssey looks fantastic. It’s the 3D platformer I’m currently most excited for, and I only wish it was due out sooner than Holiday 2017.

The 3D platformer genre might not be as strong as it once was, but it’s far from dead. These 10 games are all titles to look forward to, with many due out this year. From indie games to major titles, 3D platforming is still around.

Which upcoming 3D platformers are you most excited for? Are there any more I should be aware of?

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Baten Kaitos is a Unique JRPG

Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean is one of those games I’ve meant to play for years and finally got around to.

(I played it at the same time as a friend, who also reviewed it. This was one of my main motivations to finally pull it out of my backlog of doom.)

Anyway, I enjoyed Baten Kaitos, and it’s one of the more unique JRPGs I’ve seen.

First, the combat system is card-based. You set up a deck for each character in advance, and cards (referred to as magnus) are selected from that deck randomly at the start of each battle. During your turn, you select these cards to attack.

The cards are numbered, and these numbers let you get “prizes,” such as selecting cards with matching numbers or numbers that go in order. Your damage is multiplied for doing this.

During the enemy’s turn, you also select defense cards to defend. Everything is handled through the card system, and although a timer forces you to choose your cards quickly, I greatly preferred this to the action card-based combat in Chain of Memories.

Most cards can also be combined in special combos to form new cards. For example, if you have a sculpting knife magnus that says it can be used to carve wood, and you have a wood magnus, you can use them together to get a wooden carving. This can be fun, although also a little frustrating, since some combinations are obscure, many require you to use them in a certain order, and you have to wait in battle for all the cards in the combination to show up in your hand (which is random).

Many cards also change with the passage of time, like milk turning into cheese. Baten Kaitos is either a dream or a nightmare for completionists.

This isn’t the only thing that makes it unique, though. You, the player, are actually acknowledged in the game as a separate being. You are a Guardian Spirit who has bonded with the main character Kalas, you tell the characters your name and gender, and they directly address you and ask your opinion from time to time.

It’s an unusual bit of meta commentary/fourth-wall-breaking that feels odd at first, but works out nicely.

The game is set in a world made up of floating islands. Each island has its own culture and unique style, and you’ll travel from island to island in an attempt to stop the devastating End Magnus from being unleashed. You’ll encounter many battles, side quests, and a few puzzles, and the locations are pretty varied and interesting.

Although I never formed a strong attachment to any of the characters, I found them to be likable and entertaining (especially The Great Mizuti). The story itself is intriguing enough, with some great moments and revelations, including one plot twist I never saw coming.

Click for major Baten Kaitos spoilerSomeone in the party is a traitor? That’s common enough. The traitor is the MAIN CHARACTER?! That stunned me.

Most games can’t get away with that, since the player is supposed to be in control of the main character. Baten Kaitos, however, clearly makes you a separate being from Kalas, which allows it to pull off such a twist.

Now, the voice acting is not good. I don’t often comment on voice acting, but there were points where I had to fight amusement in serious scenes because of it. The voices themselves aren’t the problem so much as their delivery, with unnatural pauses, odd emphasis and inflection, and a general sense that the actors didn’t know what emotion to convey.

But whether you suppress your amusement or just turn the voices off, look past the voice acting and you’ll find a well-written story and an exciting journey.

Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean is a unique JRPG and one well-worth experiencing if you can find a copy. And who knows? Maybe we’ll get that third game someday.

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Where Are the Nintendo Switch Launch Titles?

Last night, I watched the Nintendo Switch presentation in eager anticipation. (I then covered a ton of news over at Nintendo Chit Chat, so those articles will appear throughout today and the week ahead.)

I liked what I saw, and there were many awesome games announced, especially for a JRPG fan like me.

And Super Mario Odyssey? It sounds like everything I want from the main Mario series.

Directly compared to the styles of Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine, full 3D worlds to explore, an airship to travel between worlds… yes, this is the Mario game I waited for throughout the Wii U’s life cycle. If it was a launch title, I’d buy the Nintendo Switch at launch.

But Super Mario Odyssey isn’t a launch title. It’s planned for holiday 2017. And coming out of the Nintendo Switch presentation, that was my greatest concern for the console. Where are its launch titles?

Nintendo Switch Launch Day Titles

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
1-2-Switch
Skylanders Imaginators
Just Dance 2017

Nintendo Switch Launch Window Titles

Has Been Heroes (March)
I Am Setsuna (March)
Super Bomberman R (March)
Snipperclips: Cut it Out, Together! (March)
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (April 28)
ARMS (Spring 2017)
Sonic Mania (Spring 2017)
Lego City Undercover (Spring 2017)

After that, we have Splatoon 2 in the summer, NBA2K17 in September, Skyrim in the fall, Super Mario Odyssey during the holiday season, and a bunch of other titles confirmed for 2017 and beyond.

Sure, some of those other games sound fantastic! Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Disgaea 5 Complete, Fast RMX, Fire Emblem Warriors, Rime, Shin Megami Tensei, Project Octopath Traveler, No More Heroes, Tales… these are all coming to the Nintendo Switch.

Just not right away.

That’s fine… but the launch lineup concerns me. Maybe additional launch titles will be announced, but until then, I’m not ready to get a Nintendo Switch just yet.

What do you think about the Nintendo Switch’s initial library?

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My Exciting (But Strange) Journey Through Final Fantasy XV

Before I get into this, let me say one thing: I enjoyed Final Fantasy XV.

I want to get that out of the way up front, because I’m going to level a lot of criticisms at it. Final Fantasy XV has flaws, but I had fun with it and I’m happy I played it.

Combat was fun and I didn’t mind not having full control over the car. Most areas allow fast-travel, and other times I’d just set the car’s location and do something else while they drove. Chocobo riding was fantastic, and I only wish I could buy my Chocobo permanently.

Now, I want to apologize for a faulty assumption I made about how linear the end would be. While it isn’t wholly linear, you don’t get to explore the world in the traditional sense.

Click for FFXV structure spoilerYou can return to the past through your memories (basically time travel, although the story does not have time travel and this isn’t acknowledged) and explore the open world that way.

However, you can’t naturally explore the world around you in the later parts of the game.

I wouldn’t necessarily split the open vs. linear sections into two halves, however. If you intend to do side quests, the first “half” of the game is considerably longer than the second.

This leads to very strange pacing, and that is one of my biggest problems with Final Fantasy XV. The pacing is bizarre.

The Open World

At first, you have several open areas to explore. A few become unlocked as you play, but it’s generally pretty open. My feelings on this section are mixed. Its story and exploration aren’t as well-integrated as Xenoblade Chronicles X (the main reason I enjoyed that open world), but it doesn’t have the jarring disconnect of Dragon Age: Inquisition, either.

Unfortunately, a lot of the side quests are repetitive. One guy’s quests always send you to look for dog tags, another guy always sends you to look for stones, hunts have you kill a monster without any story, etc.

And many (though not all) don’t bother to give you details about what you’re looking for or where to go, since you can run to the quest marker on your mini-map.

(These made me miss side quests where I had to think about what to do and where to go.)

But the overall vibe was fun, the quests often resulted in entertaining dialogue, and I enjoyed the interactions between the four main characters. The main cast is great. My favorite will always be Ignis, but I loved the team. It was always fun to see their reactions to quests and dungeons, and even more fun to encounter a special scene or quest while camping.

Now, if you do a lot of side quests, this section of the game has slow pacing. Hours will pass in between story details. That’s why it’s such a shock when you leave the open world behind and walk into an onslaught of story.

The Linear “Half”

The more linear section of the game is filled with story, and since there are no side quests in later areas, you get plot event after plot event at a breakneck speed with no time to breathe. And little time to explore, which makes it puzzling that the map details areas you’ll never visit.

A little exploration or a few side quests, even repetitive side quests, would have made it easier to process all the story events that happen here. But even without them, the storytelling of Final Fantasy XV has problems.

I think Final Fantasy XV has a good story. It’s just not told particularly well. Several events happen off-screen that really should be on-screen. Some of these might be intended for DLC (which is annoying), but others feel like they rushed the game and didn’t have time to include everything.

Click for major Final Fantasy XV spoilersA sample of off-screen events that should be on-screen:

Gladio leave the party and gets a scar. (DLC!)
Ignis is blinded, which is a major part of the story going forward. (DLC!)
Luna. I didn’t feel I knew Luna well enough to feel sad when she died.
Noctis mopes after Luna’s death to the point where Gladio gets annoyed. Due to the time skip, it makes it feel like Gladio is a jerk. We need to see their relationship degrade.
Ravus changes sides, even though the last time we saw him, he still hated Noctis.
Ravus dies.
Iedolas is turned into a daemon. (I’ll give them some credit that it was a shock to find out that the monster stalking me was him. The surprise worked well.)
Noctis ends up in a prison after his conversation with Bahamut. (???)
Ten years pass, forcing us to get an infodump from Talcott about things we won’t get to see (including what Iris and Cindy are up to).

Also, remember when I looked at the Final Fantasy XV villains and I hoped the mad scientist would have a fun role in the game? What happened to him? Verstael appears in one early scene and then never is seen again.

Verstael’s only scene

Things like this make me feel like Final Fantasy XV was somehow rushed and they had to cut things out or skip important details. There’s a lot of trailer footage not in the game, too.

Previous Final Fantasy games switch to other characters if the main protagonist isn’t involved in important scenes. Final Fantasy XV does show events Noctis isn’t present for, so why not fill in these gaps, as well?

Now, there’s one section where I thought it worked really well… and this is probably my most controversial Final Fantasy XV opinion.

Chapter 13

I loved Chapter 13. Loved it.

People complain about Chapter 13 so much, it’s actually going to be patched eventually to “fix” it. But to me, it doesn’t need to be fixed.

Chapter 13 feels like it wandered in from a different genre.

Click for Chapter 13 style spoilersSurvival horror, to be precise. It veered into Silent Hill or Resident Evil territory.

If the game belonged to that genre, I’d judge it more harshly, but as a light touch of that genre in an RPG, it delighted me. The storytelling in Chapter 13 also finds an agreeable pace: steady, gradual, with small details here and there until they finally come together.

I’m in the minority here, but while Chapter 13 is many people’s least favorite Final Fantasy XV sections, it’s honestly one of my favorites.

The Story Overall

You know what else I liked a lot? Ardyn. While a lot of the villains suffer from the storytelling, Ardyn is much more entertaining here than he was in Kingsglaive.

In fact, I enjoyed the story overall. The plot events were exciting, and I grew attached to the main characters. When certain things went wrong, I felt terrible for them. If one of them was in danger, I worried.

That’s why I want to see more of this story… and why I wish certain events were handled differently.

Click for MAJOR Final Fantasy XV spoilersIn particular, the conversation with Bahamut really bugs me.

When I reached Ardyn’s revelation that he was Ardyn Lucis Caelum, I was stunned.

By his account, he was a king who saved people from the Starscourge by absorbing the plague into his own body. But instead of being thanked as a savior, he was ostracized and vilified, his throne taken from him.

This makes Ardyn more sympathetic. It suggests that he was a victim, and that Noctis’s ancestor was in the wrong, even though now Ardyn has gone insane and needs to be stopped.

Then Bahamut explains it away as Ardyn being “so impure of body and soul [he] was deemed unworthy of the Crystal’s light, and forbidden to ascend” and essentially makes it sound like Ardyn was always in the wrong.

The game sticks with this, discussing the irony of how a king of light became a twisted monster and not touching upon the notion that maybe Ardyn was wronged. They don’t even discuss Ardyn’s perspective or try to tell him why he was rejected.

It makes sense for Bahamut to take that viewpoint, but it feels as though the game itself wants you to quickly hurry past any sympathy and return to viewing him as an evil monster that must be destroyed.

The plot also progresses so quickly, there’s no time to develop true sympathy for Ardyn.

Yet there’s official art of Ardyn like this and this! They obviously intended him to be a fallen savior figure!

(And they call Noctis the “King of Kings” so many times it can’t be a coincidence. Noctis is the new savior who will destroy the fallen savior.)

Kingsglaive makes the Lucii seem pretty cold, so it’s not a stretch to imagine the jealous king Ardyn describes.

So why didn’t the game develop this further? It’s an ambiguous story, but the game acts as though it wants you to accept Bahamut’s side without question.

It’s rare for me to praise Tales of Zestiria’s story, but this is where a mechanic like the Earthen Historia could have been used to great effect. The Earthen Historia let the party see tiny glimpses of the past. If something like that showed us what Ardyn used to be like and what happened to him, it would be a lot stronger.

Maybe that can come in an update someday, too…

I believed in Final Fantasy XV. I still do. Final Fantasy XV is an enjoyable, if flawed, game with an endearing main cast and an exciting plot that unfortunately feels rushed.

Maybe someday we’ll get to see Final Fantasy XV as it should have been.

“>Buy Final Fantasy XV from Amazon

Buy Final Fantasy XV from Play-Asia

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Will Monolith Soft Announce a Nintendo Switch Game on Thursday?

Ever since I finished Xenoblade Chronicles X, I’ve hoped for a sequel announcement. Xenoblade Chronicles X, despite not being as story-driven as most JRPGs I love, won me over with its world and humor.

It ended with a clear sequel hook… and several questions that need to be resolved.

There have already been rumors of a Nintendo Switch port of Xenoblade Chronicles X, although according to the rumors, Monolith Soft isn’t handling the port themselves.

However, it seems as though Monolith Soft might have something in store for the January 12 Nintendo Switch event.

Soraya Saga, one of the primary people behind the Xeno games (and the wife of Tetsuya Takahashi, the head of Monolith Soft), has been retweeting Nintendo’s announcement of the event. She also tweeted about the Nintendo Treehouse gameplay demonstration on January 13.

Finally, she tweeted an unexplained message of: “Keep calm and keep your pants on.”

pic.twitter.com/8PZ48PoGnt

— 嵯峨空哉 (@sorayasaga) January 5, 2017

All together, it sounds like she wants fans to look forward to something.

Could Monolith Soft be ready to announce a new Xenoblade game for the Nintendo Switch, possibly a sequel to Xenoblade Chronicles X? There are other games to keep in mind, as well.

While Xenosaga HD often seems like a pipe dream, Xenosaga on the Switch might not be impossible. After all, Bandai Namco (who might have the rights to Xenosaga)) is on the list of Switch partners.

And don’t forget, Bandai Namco expressed interest in creating a new Baten Kaitos, another series developed by Monolith Soft.

Now, as much as I want to believe Monolith Soft is going to announce a Xenoblade Chronicles X 2, Xenosaga HD, or Baten Kaitos 3 (or… 2? since the second is a prequel?), it might not be anything so exciting. Monolith Soft helped with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, so it might even be just about that.

Nevertheless, I’d love to see a new game announcement from Monolith Soft. What are you hoping to see?

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Operation Backlog Completion: Round 2

Last year, I launched Operation Backlog Completion to finally make a dent in my backlog.

I vowed to play at least 30 games during 2016 and therefore get through 15% of my backlog.

I played more than 30 games, and as a result, 15% of my backlog is now… about 33 games.

Okay, that’s not the way it’s supposed to go.

It’s time for Operation Backlog Completion: Round 2! In 2017, I will try to beat at least 40 games to make a legitimate dent in my backlog.

Operation Backlog Completion 2017

And I’ll try not to replace those games at such a fast rate this time.

This year, I have additional backlog goals, as well. First, I will play the games I put on my “Top 5 Anticipated Games” lists. These are:

Cosmic Star Heroine
Batman: Arkham Knight
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Yooka-Laylee
Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue
Tales of Berseria
Finding Paradise
Muv-Luv Alternative

Of course, this depends on the unreleased ones coming out this year, and I will play The Witcher 2 before Wild Hunt. I also really intended to play Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE last year, so that should be high on the list for this year.

Second, I will to play any crowdfunded games I already have but haven’t played. These are:

Aviary Attorney
Aurion: Legacy of the Kori-Odan

(And maybe Mighty No. 9, but I haven’t decided yet.)

When I put it like that, my backlog has no chance, right? Take that, backlog!

Which of these games do you recommend the most? Do you have any backlog-defeating strategies to share?

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The post Operation Backlog Completion: Round 2 appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.

Muv-Luv (Extra/Unlimited): Two Parallel Games in One

The last game I played in 2016 was Muv-Luv, a visual novel recently made available in English for the first (official) time.

Muv-Luv is split into two parts: Muv-Luv Extra and Muv-Luv Unlimited.

Some people consider them separate games, but since they’re sold as a single game (and in the original Japanese version, you had to play Extra to unlock Unlimited), I decided to review them together.

Still, since they’re essentially two parallel games in one, let’s look at them one at a time.

Muv-Luv Extra

Muv-Luv Extra is a romantic comedy about a high school senior named Takeru who wakes up one morning to find a mysterious young woman in bed with him.

She’s a rich heiress who claims their destinies are bound together, and ridiculous antics ensue.

You know how shows like I Dream of Jeannie have the protagonist’s life change in insane, impossible ways they can’t possibly explain? Replace “magic” with “money” and you’ve got the vibe of Muv-Luv. For example, Meiya convinces Takeru’s entire neighborhood to move away and brings a legion of chefs to school to cook for him.

Meanwhile, Takeru’s childhood friend Sumika is none too pleased about Meiya’s attempts to win Takeru, which leads to a rivalry between them.

Routes with the other main female characters are available and take the story in quite different directions, but the core plot is about Takeru, Meiya, and Sumika.

Oh, and there’s a physics teacher named Yuuko, who is basically a mad scientist.

You might question why she’s allowed to dress like that for teaching high school, but Yuuko has a considerable amount of influence over everyone.

Several of the situations in Muv-Luv Extra are a bit contrived… but they’re often contrived by Yuuko, who loves manipulating people almost as much as she loves science.

Now, when I began the game, my first thought was that Takeru was a jerk. But I can deal with a jerk protagonist who gets better, and Takeru did grow on me (if nothing else, through sympathy as Meiya and her cohorts turn his life upside down).

I also had to smile every time Takeru referenced a video game, all of which are nods to real-world video games, such as his favorite stealth series, Rebel Gear Squalid (starring Squalid Drake).

Many people who played Extra shudder and sob over the lacrosse section, but while learning about lacrosse wasn’t the most fun ever, it still had enough silliness to entertain me.

Overall, Muv-Luv Extra was lighthearted romantic comedy fun. Some people recommend skipping it and going straight to Unlimited… but I disagree. It’s worth playing Extra at least once through Meiya or Sumika’s route before you move on. My understanding of the characters and the story in Extra made Unlimited mean much more to me.

Be warned: if you don’t know about the genre difference between Extra and Unlimited, and you don’t want to know it, stop reading now and just be content to know that I found Unlimited to be the more interesting of the two.

For everyone else, let’s continue on.

Muv-Luv Unlimited

Muv-Luv Unlimited begins during one of the final arcs of Extra, but quickly sets a different tone.

Takeru wakes up to find an empty neighborhood, a downed mech, and a military base in place of his school, where he’s promptly arrested for being suspicious.

He soon meets Yuuko… not the Yuuko he knows, but a scientist with great authority at Yokohama Base. Not only does she believe his story, but she also helps him adjust to the new world he’s found himself in.

This is a world where humanity is on the brink of annihilation at the hands of an alien race called the BETA.

Takeru joins the ranks of the cadets at Yokohama Base. They happen to be all of his old classmates, except for Sumika, who seemingly doesn’t exist in this world. Although he still hopes to return home, he slowly gets to know his fellow trainees and adjust to his new life.

In many ways, Muv-Luv Unlimited parallels Muv-Luv Extra.

Instead of high school classes, they take classes to learn how to fight, survive, and eventually pilot giant mecha called TSFs.

Instead of Meiya being a rich heiress trying to adjust to the lives of ordinary people, Takeru is the fish-out-of-water, a high school kid from our world trying to find his place in a grim universe where any teenager his age is expected to be ready to fight the BETA.

Instead of an important lacrosse tournament, the class is preparing for an exam that will qualify them to become TSF pilots.

It’s not all dark. There is still humor and romance. It still is, to some extent, a romantic comedy.

But it definitely has a grimmer tone. Yuuko, for example, is a more serious character… devoted to research, but not manipulative like her Extra self.

Takeru slowly comes to understand that the people around him are prepared and willing to give their lives to protect others. He undergoes true character development here in a way he couldn’t in Muv-Luv Extra.

While Extra was a fun story, Unlimited was an exciting one. I wanted to know more about the BETA, and I became invested in this mission to fight for humanity.

It ended in such a way that I felt satisfied, but also impatient to learn more. As a result, the sequel, Muv-Luv Alternative, is one of my most-anticipated games of the year.

People talk about Muv-Luv Alternative as though it’s the true reason to play the Muv-Luv series, and the first game is just a necessary step to get there. I disagree and say Muv-Luv is pretty interesting in its own right.

Both halves have their own appeal, and together they create a whole I’m happy I played. Or, well, read. It’s a visual novel, after all.

Are you interested in Muv-Luv?

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The post Muv-Luv (Extra/Unlimited): Two Parallel Games in One appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.