Samantha Lienhard's Blog, page 142

Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure is a Charming Action Game

I’ve had Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure for a while (and even gave away a copy during my Tales of Zestiria Let’s Play), and now I’ve finally played it.

I played the Steam version, but it’s also available for the PSP and most recently the 3DS.

Gurumin is described as an action RPG, which I don’t understand. Action, yes. It’s an action-adventure game similar to The Legend of Zelda, if Zelda included a good dose of 3D platforming.

Regardless of what genre it is, Gurumin is fun. It stars a young girl named Parin, who befriends a group of benevolent monsters. When their village is attacked by the Phantoms, Parin takes up the legendary drill used to defeat an ancient enemy and sets out to fight the Phantom and help her friends.

Yes, a drill. She doesn’t have a sword or any traditional weapon. She fights with a drill.

In addition to your basic drill attack, you also can use charged attacks and a variety of special attacks you unlock during the game. You can also equip your drill with elemental effects. As you fight, you’ll build your drill’s power gauge, which determines its strength and certain moves you can use.

Your equipment is also important (and this may be what makes people think of it as an RPG), as you find a variety of headgear to boost your stats. You only can wear one at a time, and you may need to change equipment on the fly based on new situations. These pieces of equipment can be upgraded by spending junk you collect from armored Phantoms.

Phantoms are adorable. Sure, they’re the bad guys, but they’re as cute as the friendly monsters. Even the random enemies you fight in dungeons are cute, with little emoticon speech bubbles when they talk to each other, and the main cast of baddies is impossible to hate.

The Phantoms in #Gurumin are such a lovable bunch of weirdos I can't really dislike them…

— Samantha Lienhard (@SamLienhard) October 30, 2016

Not that these are particularly deep characters, mind you, just likable. The same goes for the friendly monsters, who all have their own traits, but most of whom only have minor roles in the story.

The power of friendship fuels this story and it’s all pretty lighthearted, although as you fight your way through Phantoms to help the monsters, there are a couple of twists along the way. It was an enjoyable story with a satisfactory conclusion, although I wish they’d clarified one point.

Click for Gurumin spoilerWhat happened to the real Prince?

I really thought he was Black Bean, but the Black Bean fight ended without any clarification.

And were the Phantoms going in search of the Prince at the end?

If they’re holding this in reserve for a sequel, that’s fine with me. Now I just hope they make a sequel. I wouldn’t say no to more Gurumin!

Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure is a fun action-adventure game that gives you a number of dungeons to fight through, with a ranking system that encourages you to replay dungeons to fight every monster and smash every jar, and entertains you with a cute story about a girl and her monster friends. It may not be quite an RPG, but it’s definitely a fun, charming game.

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Final Fantasy Brand Manager on the Future of the Series

I’m currently playing World of Final Fantasy and looking forward to Final Fantasy XV, but I’m always interested in knowing what might be in store for the future.

At Lucca Comics & Games 2016, Final Fantasy brand manager Shinji Hashimoto addressed a few different Final Fantasy topics.

Final Fantasy X-3

Apparently, many fans want a Final Fantasy X-3.

I enjoyed Final Fantasy X, but I haven’t played X-2 yet (should I get on that?), so I didn’t know it was a possibility.

According to Hashimoto, they can’t make a Final Fantasy X-3 yet since Kitase and Nomura are busy with the Final Fantasy VII Remake and Kingdom Hearts III.

However, he knows how popular Tidus and Yuna are, so it sounds like it’s not out of the question for the future.

More Lightning?

I still don’t understand why Lightning is such a popular character, but Hashimoto said that since she is, they’re still looking for ways to “bring her up in the future.”

I didn’t like her much in Final Fantasy XIII, but I have yet to finish the sequels to see if my opinion changes.

Final Fantasy XVI

When he addressed the next major entry in the series, he pointed out that Final Fantasy XV won’t necessarily dictate the course of the series from here on out. Since they “reassess the numbered releases of the Final Fantasy series from scratch,” Final Fantasy XVI won’t necessarily have a modern setting or action combat.

(Personally, I’d love another turn-based numbered Final Fantasy game.)

Other Topics

Hashimoto also said the release date for Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age hasn’t been decided yet, and the Final Fantasy VII Remake doesn’t have an announced release date or window yet, either.

He also touched on Kingdom Hearts 2.8 and said that A Fragmentary Passage is “not something that you’ll be able to finish quickly.” That’s good to know, since many fans had the impression that it might only last an hour or so.

Do you want a Final Fantasy X-3 or more appearances from Lightning? What would you think of a Final Fantasy XVI with a fantasy setting and turn-based/ATB combat?

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What’s Up With EDGE’s Final Fantasy XV Preview?

Pictured: Noctis, Ignis, and Gladio trying to figure out the EDGE mystery

Yesterday, something controversial happened. Something that still has people debating and arguing over it today.

That’s right, the Final Fantasy XV preview in EDGE Magazine!

For its 300th issue, EDGE Magazine previewed Final Fantasy XV. Or… maybe they reviewed it. That’s where a lot of the confusion today comes from.

(Note: I have not actually read the article in question. People have said it contains spoilers, not only story spoilers but also gameplay spoilers. If you wish to read it, the scans are here.)

The controversy began because the preview had a lot of criticisms: the game felt disjointed, the story wasn’t as strong as he wanted, the late-game sections weren’t good, etc. However, despite the negative tone of the article, the writer says it was a positive experience overall.

But as fans tried to come to terms with the article, it got even stranger than just negative comments about an anticipated game. How much of Final Fantasy XV did EDGE get to play? Was it a review, the way the article makes it sound?

Although the article’s writer, Simon Parkin, says he played it all the way to the final battle, the official Final Fantasy XV Twitter account’s reaction to being asked why they gave EDGE the entire game was “We didn’t.”

Another fan then asked how EDGE could discuss the game’s ending, and Square Enix repeated that EDGE “didn’t play the compete game or finish the game for their preview,” and that they didn’t get to see the complete story.

@Darji @Ozziii @FrelKitsune @SQUARE_ENIX_EU They didn't play the compete game or finish the game for their preview. All clear?

— Final Fantasy XV (@FFXVEN) November 8, 2016

So, what exactly is going on here? Was it a review or an extended preview? Did Parkin play all 15 chapters or only 14? Did the preview build have pieces cut from it, leading to mistaken conclusions?

According to the writer, the preview covered 40 hours worth of gameplay. That seems a bit short for Final Fantasy XV, but fits the idea that it was a run straight through to the end, with side content and other content cut from the build. But still, a preview that includes the ending?

This mystery has tossed the Final Fantasy XV subreddit into chaos as fans argue over whether EDGE played the full game or not.

What do you think is going on with EDGE’s preview/review of Final Fantasy XV? Do you believe EDGE or Square Enix… or do you think the truth lies somewhere in the middle?

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Happy N7 Day!

Happy N7 Day!

Unlike many of the atypical holidays we celebrate here, N7 Day is common among Mass Effect fans. Even BioWare recognizes November 7 as the Mass Effect holiday.

And for this N7 day, they treated fans with new information about the next game in the series, Mass Effect: Andromeda.

For a while, I’ve been asking what Andromeda is all about. Until today, we still knew very little about it (excluding information from leaks) except that it involved an expedition into the Andromeda galaxy. Here is the official description:

Take the role of the Pathfinder, leading humanity’s search for a new home in this unexplored and unforgiving region of space. You’ll chart your own course, navigating the Andromeda galaxy to unravel its mysteries, discover vivid alien worlds, and lead the charge to find the human race a new home among the stars. You’ll be able to upgrade and customize your gameplay experience with a deep and flexible progression system, and lead your squad into action-packed combat using advanced weaponry, special abilities, and more than a few new tricks.”

That sounds interesting enough, particularly what seems to be an emphasis on exploring alien planets. I loved planetary exploration in the first Mass Effect, so I’m happy to see that return (preferably in a less tedious way).

Now let’s take a look at the trailer.

It’s an exciting enough trailer with some glimpses of potential villains, but I still don’t have a good grasp on the story or gameplay. However, the end reveals that gameplay will be shown at the Game Awards on December 1.

BioWare also announced the editions:

Standard Edition ($59.99)

Deep Space Explorer Armor (pre-order bonus)
Nomad Skin (pre-order bonus)
Multiplayer Booster Pack (pre-order bonus)

Deluxe Edition ($69.99)

Deep Space Explorer Armor
Nomad Skin
Multiplayer Booster Pack
Pathfinder Casual Outfit
Scavenger Armor
Pathfinder Elite Weapon Set (4)
Pet Pyjak
Digital Soundtrack
Multiplayer Deluxe Launch Pack

Super Deluxe Edition ($99.99)

Deep Space Explorer Armor
Nomad Skin
Multiplayer Booster Pack
Pathfinder Casual Outfit
Scavenger Armor
Pathfinder Elite Weapon Set (4)
Pet Pyjak
Digital Soundtrack
Multiplayer Deluxe Launch Pack
Multiplayer Super Deluxe Booster Packs

There are also two Collector’s Editions that don’t include a copy of the game. One is a $99.99 CE that includes a die cast model of the Nomad, the ground vehicle used in Andromeda (the successor to the Mako), an a steelbook case for the game. The other is a $199.99 CE that includes a remote control version of the Nomad and the steelbook case.

Meanwhile, Game Informer is covering Andromeda news as well, including the return of loyalty missions. It sounds as those these missions don’t really impact anything in the story, but if the cast is interesting, I’m still happy to see loyalty missions return.

In other N7 Day news, Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 are now playable on the Xbox One through backward compatibility (though only if you have the disc).

What do you think about what we’ve seen of Mass Effect Andromeda so far?

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A New Hatoful Boyfriend Plush Project Kickstarter is Live!

The old Kickstarter for Hatoful Boyfriend plushies was a big success, but they’re not done yet!

If you, like me, said things like, “Will you make an Azami plushie? What about Ryuuji?” you’re in luck! The second Hatoful Boyfriend plush project has begun on Kickstarter!

Characters announced for this second project so far are:

Tohri
Azami
Rabu-san
Hitori
Kazuaki-kun
Ryuuji

Two limited edition plushies will also be made:

Albert
The King

Finally, there is a special 12-inch Anghel set that also includes Wallenstein, Dark Anghel, and a wearable Anghel poncho.

Head on over to the Hatoful Boyfriend 2nd Semester Plush Project Kickstarter page to take a look!

Note: The visual novel/management sim I helped create, Anime Studio Simulator, is now available on Steam!
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NaNoWriMo 2016 Begins!

Image courtesy of National Novel Writing Month.

It’s November, and you know what that means… NaNoWriMo!

National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, is a magical time of year when thousands of crazy writers decide to write an entire 50,000 word novel in a single month.

It’s an excellent way to get a first draft written… and motivation to keep yourself writing. I write almost every day, but NaNoWriMo still makes me put in an extra effort to write more than ever.

Many of my favorite novel ideas have come from NaNoWriMo.

This year’s is a new novel with the working title of Unto Dust. It has that working title because it sounds nicer than calling it “Untitled Novel.”

And because it sprang from a short story idea, and the short story would have used that title. It made much more sense for the short story, although with the wild turns the writing process takes, it could make sense again by the time I’m done with the novel.

Last year, I went into NaNo armed with only a map. It didn’t go well.

This time, I have many ideas! Fluffy ideas, perhaps, but we can work on it from there.

And you can now track my progress! Since I surpassed my Operation Backlog Completion goal, I replaced my video game completion meter with a NaNoWriMo progress bar.

Here’s a more detailed one.

I’m off to a good start, and it should be a fun ride! Are you participating in NaNoWriMo this year?

Note: I was supposed to announce a winner for the contest today, but you all resisted the urge to get free games and decided not to enter. If you DID enter, contact me and we’ll search for your lost comment.
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Celebrating All Things Spooky: A Night in the Lonesome October

Happy Halloween!

Every October, fans read A Night in the Lonesome October, which has one chapter for each day of the month in which it’s set.

(I read it in January and forgot about re-reading it this month, but that’s beside the point.)

A Night in the Lonesome October is an unusual and quirky novel. The overall plot, about a door to another world that can be opened on Halloween and the people who try to either enable this or prevent it, takes clear inspiration from H.P. Lovecraft.

Everything is told from the point of view of Snuff, a dog who belongs to one the “Players” trying to keep the door closed, Jack. Although never directly stated, it’s strongly implied that he is Jack the Ripper.

(In fact, according to rumor, the author wrote A Night in the Lonesome October because someone made a bet he couldn’t get readers to root for Jack the Ripper.)

But Jack isn’t the only familiar face. From “The Great Detective” to Larry Talbot, most of the cast comes straight from traditional stories. Part of the fun of reading it for the first time is figuring out who is who.

And Snuff isn’t the only animal. Every Player has a familiar. These animals are just as much characters as the humans, which adds even more charm to the story. Oh, and no one knows who is on which side.

Although many dark things happen during the story, it’s fairly light in tone… occupying a middle ground between the Lovecraftian stories we looked at earlier this month, Eternal Darkness (darker than dark) and Cthulhu Saves the World (outright comedy).

A Night in the Lonesome October is an enjoyable and mysterious story, all the more so due to its cast and themes. I’ve never read anything quite like it before. If you want to read something that’s a little bit spooky and all-around fun, look this one up and enjoy your night in the lonesome October.

Remember, today is your last chance to win copies of Breath of Death VII and Cthulhu Saves the World! Read the guidelines here for more details.

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Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Opening Movie and More

Yesterday was a huge day for Kingdom Hearts news.

Let’s start with something minor: this winter, Sora will be added to World of Final Fantasy as a free limited-time DLC Champion.

I’ve been enjoying World of Final Fantasy, and I’m curious if this means they’ll add other characters as time goes on. (Champions are essentially summons.)

Next, in a shocking announcement many people thought would never come, the Kingdom Hearts compilations are coming to the PlayStation 4! Kingdom Hearts 1.5 & 2.5 will be available on March 9th in Japan, March 28th in North America, and March 31st 2017 in Europe. You can already pre-order it from Amazon.

If you’re unfamiliar with the remixes, this collection contains:

Kingdom Hearts Final Mix
Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories
Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (HD cutscenes only)
Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep Final Mix
Kingdom Hearts Re:coded (HD cutscenes only)

In other words, this is the definitive way to catch up on the series aside from the content included in Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue.

And speaking of which, Square Enix also released the opening movie of Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep 0.2, part of the upcoming 2.8 collection. It’s truly epic.

Finally, two new Kingdom Hearts 3 screenshots were revealed. They show Olympus and Sora using new Drive Forms, which confirms that Drive Forms will return.

Are you excited for Kingdom Hearts 2.8 and Kingdom Hearts 3? What do you think about the full collection finally being available on the PS4? Let me know your thoughts on yesterday’s Kingdom Hearts news and the awesome opening movie in the comments.

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Playing Through a Classic: Suikoden

For many years, I heard people recommend the classic JRPG Suikoden. It eventually became available on PSN, which is good, since physical copies are rare and expensive now.

Going into it, all I really knew about Suikoden is that you can recruit a lot of characters. 108 of them, in fact. This is both what I liked the most about the game and what I liked the least.

I liked it the most because at a certain point, you get a base and can begin to recruit characters. It’s always exciting to talk to an NPC and realize you can recruit them, either immediately or after fulfilling specific criteria.

For example, one character wouldn’t join until I reached a high enough level. Another needed me to have a certain character in my party first.

By the end of the game, I was only missing a handful of characters, so I used a guide to find the remaining handful, some of whom were a bit tricky to get. (The guide also told me when the last chance to recruit people was, since the game doesn’t make it clear.) Getting all 108 characters earns you the best ending.

Not all of these characters are useful in combat. Some add new features to your base instead. By the end, my base had shopkeepers, its own inn (and save point), a guy painting a mural of the heroes, a teleportation system that effectively allows for fast travel, and more!

I loved returning after recruiting a bunch of people to see how my based had changed.

Screenshot borrowed from the Internet since I can’t take screenshots of this game.

So then, what made it something I liked the least? Just like with another RPG I played this year, Xenoblade Chronicles X, the sheer number of characters gets in the way of character development.

At the start of the game, I grew fond of the small starting cast. Then I met more characters. And more. And more. I slowly stopped caring about them as much. It isn’t possible for a game to give 108 characters meaningful screen time in 20-30 hours.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed it. It had a more grounded story than a lot of JRPGs, with a focus on overthrowing an empire rather than saving the world (despite magic playing an important role), which I think also would have benefited from more character development.

Gameplay-wise, it’s a traditional turn-based RPG. You can have six party members in battle at a time, three in the front row (short and medium-range attacks) and three in the back row (medium and long-range attacks). Interestingly, you don’t equip new weapons. Each character has a weapon you can upgrade by visiting a blacksmith. Magic and other special abilities are handled through runes you can attach to each character.

There are also large-scale battles between armies and special one-on-one duels, although both of these come down largely to a rock-paper-scissors style of countering attacks. Characters can die permanently in these battles if you aren’t careful.

Overall, I enjoyed Suikoden. It isn’t a new favorite, but it’s a classic and I’m happy I tried it. I look forward to playing Suikoden II, which many people praise as one of the greatest JRPGs of all.

Have you played Suikoden? What did you think of it?

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Celebrating All Things Spooky: Cthulhu Saves the World

Two weeks ago, we discussed the Lovecraftian horror of Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem.

Last week, we discussed the ridiculous parody RPG, Breath of Death VII.

Now let’s bring the two together and discuss the ridiculous Lovecraftian parody RPG, Cthulhu Saves the World.

Cthulhu Saves the World and Breath of Death VII were both developed by Zeboyd Games, so the two have a lot in common, from their little twists on classic JRPG gameplay to their humor. They’re also sold together in a bundle. I’d say Cthulhu Saves the World is the funnier of the two, although I might be biased since it’s filled to the brim with Lovecraft references.

(Like Breath of Death, it has a longer parody name, but I’d rather not type it all out.)

The premise is simple. Cthulhu awakens and rises from the lost city of R’lyeh to spread insanity and destruction, but he’s defeated. His powers are sealed away. The only way he can ever regain them is if he becomes a hero… and so, Cthulhu sets out to rescue people, find lost dogs, and save villages until he is recognized as a true hero and can regain his power.

It’s wacky, ridiculous, and fun, filled with nods to H.P. Lovecraft, RPG tropes, and just about everything else.

Even monster descriptions include humor and references, like enemy crabs that are immune to massive damage from weak points, or vampires that don’t sparkle in the sunlight.

You regain all your HP after each battle, but only a fraction of your MP, and enemies are dangerous enough to make you think through the best way to defeat them without expending too much MP. 1-Ups are rare, and are used to restart a battle if your entire party dies. Potions can restore a dead character, as can certain powerful healing spells.

Enemies grow stronger with each turn, so you’ll want to finish battles as quickly as possible. However, some of your attacks are more powerful based on your current combo count, which makes the number of hits you deal important as well.

The only criticism I have is that every dungeon is a maze. Even the limited number of random encounters per area, an enjoyable feature overall, doesn’t remove all the frustration from the numerous mazes. By the end, I stopped exploring for treasure chests and just focused on getting through each maze.

Nevertheless, Cthulhu Saves the World is the sort of game you’ll play more for its humor than its gameplay, and it does not disappoint. There are also bonus modes you unlock once you finish the main story. Like humor? Like Lovecraft? Like RPGs? Then play Cthulhu Saves the World.

…and don’t forget, every comment you make on a Celebrating All Things Spooky blog post before November 1, 2016 gives you a chance to win your own copy of Cthulhu Saves the World and Breath of Death VII!

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