Samantha Lienhard's Blog, page 158

The Split Personality of Dragon Age: Inquisition

Last week, after 118 hours of gameplay, I finished Dragon Age: Inquisition.

I went into Inquisition feeling conflicted. While Dragon Age: Origins was one of the best games I played, I had mixed feelings toward its sequel, and Inquisition was open world, not my preferred style.

Since I played it for over 100 hours, you’d think I’d be 100% in favor of Inquisition. And I did enjoy it. Dragon Age: Inquisition is a good game.

Nevertheless, I left it feeling decidedly conflicted.

Inquisition splits its open world into several large regions, rather than a single connected world. In theory, this makes it more appealing to me. There were distinct areas to explore.

However, the majority of those areas mean nothing to the overall plot. There’s a plot tie-in to get you there, but the main quest quietly waits in another area while you complete sidequests that ultimately feeling meaningless. You get power and influence, yes, but the quests felt more like a series of objectives to complete for completion’s sake, rather than part of my struggle to save the world.

In Dragon Age: Origins, your plot quest was usually in a large area with a variety of sidequests you could also pick up. Dragon Age 2 put everything in a single city and its surroundings. But Inquisition keeps the sidequests so separate from the main quest, they almost feel like two different games.

A few areas did it right. The Western Approach, for example, was a wide open area with a plot quest within it. I explored and did sidequests on my way to and from the plot event. It worked. I enjoyed it. But most of the game is not like that.

But Inquisition really wanted to focus on exploring its open world, so a lot of game content lies there… which makes its main story not only feel separate, but somewhat weak. I enjoyed its plot points, but there was so much nothing in between them, the pacing felt stilted. I was shocked to reach the end, because it felt like it came too quickly despite 100+ hours of gameplay.

On a more minor note, I have some criticisms of the character creator. Xenoblade Chronicles X is under fire because you can’t make your character’s chest size identical to yours, but what about Inquisition’s hairstyles?

Origins and DA2 may not have had the greatest hairstyle selection, but why take away half those options? And why are there so many bald/shaved/buzzed options compared to everything else?

And why, when I finally gave my Inquisitor black hair, did it look brown in most scenes? Oh well. Character customization is fun, but it’s not a huge deal.

This is the only time my Inquisitor’s hair ever looked black.

And the rest of the cast made up for my lackluster Inquisitor.

My party members were phenomenal, and one of my favorite parts of the game. Cassandra, the Seeker from DA2’s frame story, returned and proved to be a quite entertaining character. Iron Bull (the most laid-back qunari you’ll ever meet, and my romance option of choice) and an unusual spirit named Cole joined her as my favorites. The rest of the party also had shining moments (with the possible exception of Blackwall, whom I found rather boring).

You can spend a lot of time in Inquisition just talking to party members, and it was one of the things I liked the most.

On the other hand, my criticisms of the way Dragon Age 2 handled romance remained, and I missed the more organic, natural way of romancing a character that Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect used. I felt as though I simply had to pick a character and choose the right options (helpfully marked with a heart icon) rather than get to know the character and let the relationship develop, like another player explains in more detail.

And despite an ominous start, the main villain disappointed me. After the early portion of the game, I stopped feeling threatened by him. I didn’t feel Origins’ oppressing sense of being up against an unstoppable enemy.

Spoilers for epilogue/TrespasserI’m talking, of course, about Corypheus. If you approach the game from the perspective that Fen’Harel is actually the main villain, that was handled in a much better fashion… though you only realize it in retrospect.

The major choices also felt disappointing. Other than the first big choice, whether to side with the mages or templars (in a war which quickly ends, despite Dragon Age 2 setting it up as major plot point), I never felt like I was hard-pressed to make a tough decision.

(Part of this is because of the choices I made in previous games. What could have been a difficult choice at one point instead had me choose between a beloved character I spent hours with and an NPC I barely knew. Emotional impact gone.)

One last criticism, and then I’ll stop complaining. Dragon Age Keep. I knew going into this that choices couldn’t be carried over the same way, but I thought when I imported my Origins/DA2 saves into the Keep, it would register my choices. No, I still had to select them manually.

I thought it would at least import my previous protagonists’ appearances. No, instead of the exciting moment I expected when my Hawke would walk in, Inquisition sent me back to its horrible character creator to attempt to remake her as best I could.

Close enough, but she’s not my Hawke.

(I also was really disappointed when the Architect didn’t make an appearance in Inquisition. I waited through all of DA2 for him and thought this was his time to return!)

After all this, it must sound like I disliked Dragon Age: Inquisition. I didn’t. I loved my party members and their interactions. Some banter and scenes made me laugh out loud.

I enjoyed exploring the world, even if its lack of relevance to the plot eventually made me tire of it. Despite the main plot’s flaws, it had some epic moments. And the epilogue’s twist struck me as so brilliant, I only wished the rest of the story lived up to it.

Although it falls far short of Dragon Age: Origins, Inquisition is a good game. In many ways, it’s two okay games. And if they worked together a little more, instead of making Dragon Age: Inquisition feel like it has a split personality, it could have been a great game.

As it is, I recommend Dragon Age: Inquisition with some reservations, and hope the next game learns from its mistakes.

Did you enjoy this post? Be sure to share it with your social networks!

The post The Split Personality of Dragon Age: Inquisition appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.

GameFaqs’ Best Game Ever Round 2 – My Picks

Round 1 of GameFaqs’ “Best. Game. Ever.” contest has ended, and the winners have moved on to Round 2. Some of my picks one, some lost (poor Ace Attorney), but let’s take a look at the latest contenders!

Note: at the time I’m writing this, Division I and Division II already had their vote.

Division I

Chrono Trigger vs. Dragon Quest VIII – Two RPGs up against one another makes this a tough decision, but since I played and enjoyed Chrono Trigger, that’s where my vote went.

Mega Man X vs. Final Fantasy X – Final Fantasy X may not be a favorite of mine, but I still prefer it to Mega Man X. Therefore, I voted for Final Fantasy X.

(Also, can we talk about how Tidus’s voice actor is in Tales of Symphonia and sounds completely different?)

Super Smash Bros. Melee vs. Pokémon Gold/Silver – Despite my heartbreak that TWEWY didn’t make it out of the first round, I still love Pokémon Gold/Silver for being the games that got me into the series… and then brought me back into the series with their remakes. My vote went to Pokémon Gold/Silver.

Kingdom Hearts II vs. The Last of Us – I haven’t played either game yet, but I really love the Kingdom Hearts series so far. Acting under the assumption that KH2 won’t disappoint me, I voted for it.

(Yes, I’ll try The Last of Us someday, too.)

Division II

Final Fantasy VI vs. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door – It hurt, it really did. Paper Mario is one of my favorite series (not counting the abomination), and I had to vote against it twice!

Final Fantasy VI was a brilliant game and stands out to me for having some of my favorite gaming memories. As much as I love The Thousand-Year Door, Final Fantasy VI deserved to win.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic vs. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker – I suppose I should be pleased that so many games I love ended up on this list, but ouch. Wind Waker holds a special place in my heart as my first Zelda game (and still my favorite), but I voted for Knights of the Old Republic because it’s a great RPG and one of the best Star Wars games.

It also includes one of my favorite robots, HK-47.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U vs. Mass Effect – I’m sorry. I know people love it, but Smash Bros. just doesn’t do it for me (although Cloud’s inclusion intrigues me). I voted for the first Mass Effect, which I loved for its story and characters.

Halo: Combat Evolved vs. Final Fantasy VII – Halo: Combat Evolved was great. I love it and the whole Halo universe. But I love Final Fantasy VII more, and that’s what I voted for.

Division III

Super Mario Bros. 3 vs. Pokémon Red/Blue – I have nothing against Mario, but I prefer the Pokémon gameplay more. They might not be my favorites in the series, but I’d like to see Pokémon Red/Blue win.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 vs. Uncharted 2 – It’s hard for me to have an opinion on this one. I promise I’ll give Uncharted 2 a try someday. But for now… I abstain.

Fallout 3 vs. Undertale – Oh man, have we got a tough fight ahead of us. Fallout 3 is an incredibly popular game, but one which I have no interest in. Undertale, on the other hand…

Vote forUndertale!

Final Fantasy VIII vs. Super Mario World – I’m impressed FFVIII made it this far. In this match-up, I’ll concede Super Mario World probably should win, but my personal tastes make me vote for Final Fantasy VIII.

Division IV

Skyrim vs. GoldenEye 007 – I haven’t played either, but I suppose I’d like to see GoldenEye win, if only because it’s from Rare.

Metroid Prime vs. Half-Life 2 – I just didn’t enjoy Half-Life 2 when I tried to play it, with the possible exception of Ravenholm. While I haven’t played Metroid Prime yet either, I’ll tentatively place my hopes there.

Super Mario 64 vs. Final Fantasy Tactics – I haven’t played FF Tactics and I doubt I will. In contrast, Super Mario 64 was one of the games of my childhood, and I believe it had an important influence on video games. My vote goes to Super Mario 64.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess vs. Persona 4 – People tell me Persona 4 is an amazing game. Yet Twilight Princess (which is getting an HD remaster) was quite fun. It doesn’t stand out to me as much as Wind Waker, but I’ll stick with The Legend of Zelda for this vote.

Division V

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time vs. Suikoden II – I’ve heard so many good things about Suikoden II that I want it to win, but without having played it, I can’t bring myself to vote against it. Yet while I liked Ocarina, how can I vote against a JRPG that gets such high praise? …I abstain.

Okami vs. Final Fantasy IX – As much as I want to like Okami, there’s just something about it that made it hard for me to enjoy. Then there’s one of the first JRPGs I ever played, Final Fantasy IX. It might be controversial, but for me, Final Fantasy IX wins.

Donkey Kong Country 2 vs. Fire Emblem: Awakening – It pains me to see that neither of my choices from last time made it into the next round. I haven’t played either, and while people recommend Awakening all the time, I’m not sure how I feel about it. Once again, I abstain.

Banjo-Kazooie vs. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night – Will the much-beloved SotN cast another one of my favorite games out of the running? With all due respect to Castlevania, I hope Banjo-Kazooie makes it into Round 3.

Division VI

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past vs. Final Fantasy IV – This is a troubling one for me: a game I’ve started but never been able to complete up against a game I’ve started and forgot to complete. Due to my love of JRPGs, I will vote for Final Fantasy IV and redouble my vow to actually finish it.

Metal Gear Solid V vs. Dark Souls – Two more games I’ve never played, and both are open world. (However, I have watched Dark Souls, thanks to Game Informer’s Super Replay.) Yikes. Once again, my love of RPGs (and fantasy) is the deciding factor. Dark Souls.

Super Metroid vs. Super Mario Galaxy – This is a tough one, and I’m still disappointed Dragon Age didn’t advance to this round. While I enjoyed Super Mario Galaxy, and I haven’t played Super Metroid, I nevertheless think Super Metroid should win.

Final Fantasy XII vs. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask – When these games came up in Round 1, I was forced to abstain. Here we are again, two games that have been highly recommended to me, of which I’ve played neither. Once again, I abstain.

Division VII

Grand Theft Auto V vs. Super Mario RPG – I’m sad Shenmue didn’t make it, and I doubt I need to repeat my feelings toward the GTA series. Super Mario RPG all the way. I promise to play it.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas vs. Chrono Cross – Yep, Chrono Cross. I promise to play it.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt vs. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty – If Resident Evil made it this far, I’d be conflicted. As it is… well, we’ve got an RPG in the running, from a series I’ve become quite fond of even if I haven’t made it to the games yet. I vote for Geralt, Ciri, and The Witcher 3.

Fallout: New Vegas vs. Resident Evil 4 – Urk. This feels like one of those match-ups where I should abstain, but I won’t. Although I’m no Fallout fan, I will not vote for the game that led Resident Evil down the path of action. I will cast my vote against Resident Evil 4 and hope for New Vegas’s success.

Division VIII

Metal Gear Solid vs. EarthBound – I don’t dislike MGS, for all the times I’ve voted against it so far, but the quirky cult classic RPG, wins for me. EarthBound all the way!

Shadow of the Colossus vs. Red Dead Redemption – I’ve played neither of these games, but a game with subtle storytelling about defeating giant monsters appeals to me more than an open world Wild West game (speaking of the Wild West, why didn’t any Wild Arms games make it on the list, eh?), so I’ll vote for Shadow of the Colossus.

(Also, I think it’s ridiculous that RDD beat Bayonetta 2, but that’s just me.)

Metal Gear Solid 3 vs. BioShock – Hmm… I haven’t played either game, but I might vote for Metal Gear Solid 3 (in part because BioShock beat Silent Hill 2 to get here). Maybe you can convince me otherwise in the comments.

StarCraft vs. Mass Effect 2 – I’m not a fan of RTS games, but I liked Mass Effect 2, so that’s what I’ll vote for.

Which are your picks for Round 2 of GameFaqs’ Best. Game. Ever. contest? Let me know in the comments. See you in Round 3!

Did you enjoy this post? Be sure to share it with your social networks!

The post GameFaqs’ Best Game Ever Round 2 – My Picks appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.

Preparing For Xenoblade Chronicles X

Xenoblade Chronicles X comes out in two weeks, on December 4. As someone looking forward to it (it’s one of my most-anticipated games of the year despite being open world), I’d like to address some of the most common questions about it I’ve seen.

Can you play Xenoblade Chronicles X if you haven’t played the original Xenoblade Chronicles?

Yes, yes, so much YES. The biggest misconception I’ve seen is that X is a sequel. I blame the name. Xenoblade Chronicles X is a spiritual successor to Xenoblade, related only through shout-outs, similar gameplay, and some common features (like the Nopon race).

They are very different games. For starters, Xenoblade was pretty much fantasy, while X is science fiction.

Xenoblade had a focused, linear story, while X focuses more on exploration and character development. People who have played it say it has deeper lore than Xenoblade.

Combat is the greatest similarity, but X’s system seems more complex.

What are the data packs for?

In the Nintendo Direct, Nintendo announced that the four downloadable data packs for Xenoblade Chronicles X are now available. These have caused almost as many misconceptions as the name.

The data packs do not add anything new to the game. They do not contain content that didn’t fit on the disc.

Rather, they install some of the game’s frequently-used information to your Wii U, to make loading times faster. This is why the data packs are pointless if you get the digital version. If you get the digital version, the entire game is installed.

Should I get the data packs?

If you’re buying Xenoblade Chronicles X digitally, no. If you’re buying a retail copy, here’s a comparison video from GameXplain.

Do you want the faster loading times? Then the data packs are worth it. There are four:

Basic High-Speed Data Loading Pack
Enemy High-Speed Data Loading Pack
Player High-Speed Data Loading Pack
Skell High-Speed Data Loading Pack

Nintendo recommends you at least get the first one.

You’ll need slightly over 15 GB to download all of them, though they seem to only take up about 10 GB of space. If you, like me, are out of space on your Wii U hard drive, you can pick up an external drive.

Personally, I’m getting a 1 TB portable drive along with a cable so I can use it with my Wii U. I was tempted during the Fatal Frame V digital-only debacle, and the data packs convinced me.

Is the game censored?

Everyone’s favorite topic.

Yes, a 13-year-old party member’s armor has been adjusted so it covers slightly more skin. Every other female character can still wear the skimpy armor, so don’t panic.

To the people upset over this, are you also upset that Ace Attorney changed a joke involving Dr. Hotti and Pearl? (Janet Hsu’s blogs in general are a good resource to see why localization isn’t the same as a literal translation.)

The bust slider for the female player character has also been removed. In the original Japanese version, when you customized a female character, you could adjust both her height and chest size. In the localized version, you can only adjust her height.

If you call this censorship, I suppose you’re right. However, I don’t think it’s enough to warrant a boycott over, because what does a character’s chest size have to do with exploring an alien world in a sci-fi RPG?

For those of you who are upset because you can’t make your character accurately look like you, though… I have a question. If make your character identical to you is so important that removing the bust slider makes it a deal-breaker, shouldn’t you also be upset that you can’t change the character’s shoulder width? What about hand size? What if you don’t find a hairstyle that matches yours?

I’m just saying, arguing that removing the bust slider means you can’t make the character look like you assumes every other body part can be customized to match you (or maybe you just consider the chest more important).

Enough of that, what about religious censorship? By now, you’ve probably heard people crying that Xenoblade Chronicles X has censored all references to religious philosophy. Has it?

The BLADE acronym has been changed from “Beyond the Logos Artificial Destiny Emancipator” to “Builders of the Legacy After the Destruction of Earth.”
The Testament division has been renamed to Reclaimers.

That’s it. No need to panic.

Personally, I don’t mind. I think the majority of players would read “Beyond the Logos Artificial Destiny Emancipator” as a bunch of cool-sounding words slapped together into something meaningless, rather than something philosophical. And since the Reclaimers focus on reclaiming lost items from the ship… yeah.

Is the story good?

I can’t really answer that, because I haven’t played it. However, people who played the Japanese version seem to think it’s setting up a larger saga.

Those are the biggest questions I’ve heard asked about Xenoblade Chronicles X. GameXplain has also been releasing Q&A videos. Part 1 and Part 2 are out now.

Have more questions about Xenoblade Chronicles X? Ask in the comments, and if I don’t know the answer, I’ll try to find out.

Did you enjoy this post? Be sure to share it with your social networks!

The post Preparing For Xenoblade Chronicles X appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.

NaNoWriMo Tips for Gamers

NaNoWriMo is past the halfway mark. I’m ahead of schedule, with around 34,000 words.

It’s hard to focus on a new book project with Tales of Zestiria waiting for me (although Sorey would approve). Then there’s Dragon Age, Kingdom Hearts, Yo-Kai Watch… not to mention all the popular new games I don’t care for.

The video game fall rush collided with NaNoWriMo, and that’s dangerous. How can you find time to write and play video games as the same time?

Since I’ve managed well enough so far, here you go: my top NaNoWriMo tips for gamers.

1. Schedule Your Time

Don’t give me that look! I know, you have enough schedules to worry about without scheduling your free time as well. Believe it or not, though, it works.

I set aside certain hours to focus on writing. Once those hours pass, I’m free to play games. That makes it easier to work, because a definite end point is in sight.

Alternately, you could schedule your video game time instead. Set aside a couple of hours just for gaming, and you’ll feel better about not writing the rest of the game.

2. Prioritize

This should probably be done together with the previous tip. After all, if you plan some video game hours first, you might be tempted to deviate from your schedule… Not that I know this from experience or anything. Ahem.

But if you get your writing done first, you have nothing to worry about. To stay on pace for NaNoWriMo, you need to write at least 1667 words a day. Maybe you should meet your goal before you turn to other activities.

3. Reward System

1667 words might be too much to do all at once. And maybe you hate schedules. Why not use a reward system instead? Once you write a certain amount, you reward yourself by playing a game.

Maybe 500 words = 1 hour of Zestiria (or Yo-Kai Watch, or Fallout, or whatever you’re playing). Adjust your rewards scale to fit your writing style, and you’ll write faster in no time!

4. Write to Epic Gaming Music

I feel like writing already. Music in general helps me write, but there’s nothing like an awesome video game song to make an exciting scene flow.

In addition to The Legend of Aesir, I recommend Descole’s Theme, It Can Waver and Fight, Announce the Truth 2013, and Black As Sin, Red As Blood.

The downside is that you might get distracted imagining your characters doing epic things without actually writing them. Oops. Hands on keyboard.

5. Let Your Favorite Characters Encourage You

So you’ve got a schedule, you’ve set your priorities, rewards are in place… and you quietly let it slip away because this game is so much fun.

Then your favorite video game character appears and demands to know why you aren’t writing.

“But I wanted to see you!” you say, controller in hand.

Your character of choice fixes you with an icy glare. “This is your writing time.”

“But–”

“Write. Now.”

You quickly pause the game and open your WIP.

6. Laugh Maniacally As Your Backlog Grows

Bah, who says you need to play video games? Write! Write more! And when the unplayed games build up into a massive backlog of doom, let out a maniacal laugh and continue writing, because nothing can stop you now! Nothing! Ahahaha!

…What were we talking about?

7. Build A Robot To Help You Multi-Task

Ahahaha!

Think there aren’t enough hours to divide between gaming and writing? Maybe you’re right. The solution? Multi-task!

Yes, put those hours to the most efficient use possible by writing and gaming at the same time. Of course, for maximum efficiency, you’ll need either text-to-speech software and superb powers of concentration, or four hands.

Draw inspiration from the Professor Layton series and create an easy-to-operate robotic machine that will follow your directions to both type and operate the game control while you direct all of its actions from the control room.

Why are you looking at me like that?

8. Ignore Distractions

The absolute best thing you can do is ignore anything that might hinder your writing… such as the ill-conceived advice of an insane writer who thinks you have the time to build giant robots. Disregard my previous two points, and you’ll be on the right track.

I’ll be honest, I had one more legitimate piece of advice to share, but I was so busy laughing maniacally during Tip #6, I forgot it.

So, In Summary…

Schedule your time, prioritize writing, use video games as a reward, and use whatever inspiration keeps you on track. You’ll win NaNoWriMo and play some fantastic games.

Have any tips you’d like to share for dividing your time between writing and gaming (or anything, really)? Share your thoughts and advice in the comments below.

Did you enjoy this post? Be sure to share it with your social networks!

The post NaNoWriMo Tips for Gamers appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.

Solve a 15-Year-Old Murder in Root Letter

“I killed someone.

I have to pay for my crime.

This is a farewell.

Goodbye.”

So begins your investigation of a murder that took place 15 years ago in √Letter, or Root Letter, a newly-announced adventure game from Kadokawa Games.

In 1999, you had a high school pen pal named Aya Fumino. However, you never heard from her after graduation.

Fifteen years later, you receive the final letter you thought she never sent… in which she confesses to murder.

You go to the Shimane Prefecture in search of the truth about Aya. All you have are 11 letters and photographs, and seven classmates who refuse to talk. If you want to learn what really happened 15 years ago, you’ll need to get the truth from Aya’s classmates while also going through her letters.

According to Kotaku, gameplay is split into two parts. During simulation sections, you’ll read Aya’s letters and choose how you responded 15 years ago. In this way, your choices affect the past and help determine which ending you get.

During adventure sections, you’ll question Aya’s classmates and use information from the letters to pull more details from them. This sounds similar to Ace Attorney’s investigation sections, and some fans see similarities between Root Letter and the investigation segments of Ace Attorney.

And like Ace Attorney 6, we can start looking forward to it now, because Root Letter has been confirmed for a worldwide release in Spring 2016 for PS4 and PS Vita. One more trailer was released today, a very short video in which Aya introduces the game.

More information is available at the Root Letter official site, although it’s all in Japanese.

Between Root Letter, Ace Attorney 6, Black Holmes, and Aviary Attorney, we have a lot of mysteries to look forward to. Now, if Capcom would just announce localization of Gyakuten Kenji 2 and Dai Gyakuten Saiban…

Did you enjoy this post? Be sure to share it with your social networks!

The post Solve a 15-Year-Old Murder in Root Letter appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.

Cloud Storms Into Battle and Other Nintendo Direct News

Of the Nintendo Direct predictions I made on Wednesday, only a handful game true. And when I expected a new Smash Bros. character to be announced, I would never in a million years have guessed Cloud Strife.

It seems too early for him to be the winner of the ballot, so do his few appearances on Nintendo consoles (like in Chain of Memories, which I’m playing now) qualify him as a Nintendo character? Weird…

Well, there’s a special Smash Bros. broadcast coming in December, so maybe we’ll learn more then.

But while Cloud was the stand-out shocker of the Nintendo Direct, it was actually a great presentation even without that. If you missed it, you can watch the full video below.

The Twilight Princess HD rumors were true after all. Not only that, it’s getting a retail release and a special amiibo! I’m actually tempted. I enjoyed Twilight Princess a lot.

Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon also caught my attention. I’ve never played any of the PMD games, but maybe this one will be a good place to start.

I have a wary interest in Xenoblade Chronicles X. While its open world structure turns me away, its sci-fi story keeps me interested. I’ll probably play it, and since I love retail copies, I probably should get some external storage and start downloading those data packs…

Of the indie games shown, Typoman interests me the most. Although its aesthetic reminds me of Limbo, which I didn’t love, its use of words has my attention. I ignored it up until now, but I might need to try it once it comes out.

And… that Yo-Kai Watch ad…

I’m really enjoying Yo-Kai Watch so far, and I loved the Yo-Kai Watch ad during the Nintendo Direct. It was much more entertaining than if they just reminded us the game was out.

Makes perfect sense.

Now, let’s talk for a minute about Pokkén Tournament. I have little interest in it. While I love Pokémon, I’m not a big fan of fighting games. If I couldn’t even get into Smash, why on Earth would I look twice at Pokkén?

That Shadow Mewtwo, though…

Shadow Mewtwo is not enough to make me want to play Pokkén Tournament. As much as I love Mewtwo, it’s not enough. Really.

…

Ahem. I’m still conflicted about Star Fox. It’s not a genre that greatly appeals to me. On the other hand, Platinum is involved. I’ll keep my eye on it as its release draws near. Maybe the reviews will convince me.

But the game I’m conflicted about more than anything is Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. I want to believe in it. Yet when I look at it, I see more Sticker Star (which I hated) than Dream Team (which I consider a great, albeit flawed, game).

I need to see some story. Please, Nintendo. Original characters, plot, anything!

Final Fantasy Explorers could be entertaining, and the announcement that Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow will be coming to Virtual Console really took me by surprise. I expected Pokémon Z, but this is great news, especially for people who never got to play the original Pokémon games!

Moving on, I never played Hyrule Warriors, but I want to. Maybe I should just wait for Hyrule Warriors Legends instead. (Does anyone know if Tetra will be available on the Wii U version without the 3DS version?) The new character “Linkle” has also caused a stir, though she was first discovered over a year ago. Just saying.

And in fantastic news for Dragon Quest fans, the 3DS remakes of Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past and Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King are coming West!

From what I understand, Nintendo is publishing them, not Square Enix, which suggests this is another situation like Bravely Default, where Nintendo stepped in to localize a game Square Enix didn’t want to. (Someone correct me if I’m wrong.) It’s stuff like this that makes me think Nintendo could be the ones to finally give us Gyakuten Kenji 2.

And of course, Cloud’s big announcement blew my mind at the end.

Despite the lack of Ace Attorney news, this was a fun Nintendo Direct. What were your favorite moments, and which games are you looking forward to the most?

Did you enjoy this post? Be sure to share it with your social networks!

The post Cloud Storms Into Battle and Other Nintendo Direct News appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.

November 2015 Nintendo Direct Predictions

Nintendo has announced a new Nintendo Direct for tomorrow at 2 PM PT/5 PM ET.

This will be the first Nintendo Direct since the sad passing of Mr. Iwata, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see some sort of tribute to him. Aside from that, it will focus on upcoming Wii U and 3DS games (and not NX or mobile).

So, what can we expect to see?

Let me get my usual unlikely guesses out of the way first. These are not predictions so much as more of my pipe dreams: I want Ace Attorney Investigations 2. Bundle it with Apollo Justice and Investigations, and you’ve got the perfect 3DS follow-up to the Trilogy to bring the entire series to 3DS.

They can call it the Not Phoenix Wright Trilogy, or the Red Trilogy, or anything they want, but I want to see AAI2 officially localized.

The same goes for Dai Gyakuten Saiban. Maybe Capcom’s lack of news was actually because Nintendo wanted to keep it a secret for this Nintendo Direct. Yeah.

Actual Predictions

Now that the pipe dreams are out of the way, what about new information about Ace Attorney 6? That one is being localized, and it certainly qualifies as an upcoming 3DS game.

I expect to see new details about Xenoblade Chronicles X. It comes out in less than a month, the latest “survival guide” was just revealed, and this is the perfect way to remind people about it before the holidays.

I also predict at least a few details about Star Fox Zero and The Legend of Zelda Wii U. And possibly Genei Ibun Roku #Fe, which could use an official English title so people don’t say, “What?” when I talk about it. Nintendo needs to remind people about the Wii U’s strong upcoming games.

Then there are rumors of games like Twilight Princess HD, which has enough supporting evidence that it could be officially announced tomorrow. I’d love to see other Wii games announced for the Wii U, too.

When it comes to surprises, what about Pokémon Z?

No one knew if X and Y would get a third version, but with the recent details about Zygarde, it seems likely (unless they get direct sequels like the previous generation did).

Personally, I found Pokémon X/Y disappointing, and it’ll take a lot to convince me to get Z. Nevertheless, I think we have a good chance of seeing it.

I also predict we’ll see more of Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, the crossover between the Mario & Luigi and Paper Mario series announced at E3. It’s coming out everywhere but here next month (why such a long delay?), so it’s about time they show more footage.

Hopefully footage that involves characters. And plots. Please do not repeat the mistakes Sticker Star made…

Those are my only Nintendo Direct predictions right now. Tomorrow, join me in watching it on the official site. What do you hope to see–and what do you expect to see?

Did you enjoy this post? Be sure to share it with your social networks!

The post November 2015 Nintendo Direct Predictions appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.

Witcher Movie Planned for 2017

Last week, Platige Films announced its collaboration with the Sean Daniel Company to create a movie about Geralt of Rivia.

If you’re familiar with the apparent curse that all movie adaptations of video games turn out terrible, don’t panic. This movie isn’t based on the Witcher games.

Rather, it’s based on the short stories “The Witcher” and “The Lesser Evil.” Both are found in The Last Wish, which I enjoyed and reviewed. (You can also get a PDF copy of “The Witcher” if you buy or redeem the first Witcher game from GOG.com.)

Okay, if you feel like movie adaptations of books often disregard the source material and ruin your favorite stories, now you can panic.

I admit, I’m one of those people. Whenever I hear a book I like is getting a movie adaptation, my excitement is tempered by sheer dread. My first reaction to the news that the Star Wars Extended Universe was no longer canon was, “At least they’ll never ruin Thrawn.” So I can’t help but worry they’ll ruin this, too.

However, it gives me some hope that the movie is based on two short stories rather than a full novel. They shouldn’t have to cut content. This movie is also intended to lead into a TV series, which gives me hope that they want to faithfully represent the universe.

On the other hand, the original announcement says the movie is based on “themes from” those two stories. It might just be the phrasing, because basing something on “themes” gives a lot of room for changes. Let’s hope they stay true to the source material.

If they do, this should be an interesting adaptation. “The Lesser Evil” in particular involves the fairy tale themes so prevalent in The Last Wish and reads like a grim, twisted spin on Snow White (while raising questions about whether there is truly such as thing as a “lesser evil) and shows how Geralt got the nickname the Butcher of Blaviken.

The movie is being directed by Tomasz Baginski and planned for a 2017 international release. While we remain cautiously optimistic, I recommend reading The Last Wish to see what these stories are all about.

Will the Witcher movie be a success or a failure? Will it stay true to the stories or veer off on its own path? Share your hopes and fears in the comments below.

Did you enjoy this post? Be sure to share it with your social networks!

The post Witcher Movie Planned for 2017 appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.

Yo-Kai Watch Is Now Out

My copy of Yo-Kai Watch

A game I’ve been looking forward to for a while is now out: Yo-Kai Watch.

My copy just arrived, and I’m excited to try it. (Which means Radiant Historia will be temporarily put on hold. Sorry, Radiant Historia.) Although a demo was released, people who played the full game say the demo is a poor representation.

For those of you who like non-gaming media as well, full episodes of the Yo-Kai Watch anime will now be available on the official Youtube channel. I’m not sure if they’ll upload the entire season, but at the time of this blog post, Episode 1 and Episode 2 are up. I’ll probably give it a try later on.

The manga is also available in English now, so someone check it out and let us know in the comments how it is.

Yo-Kai Watch is a game I’ve looked forward to for a long time, and I hope it meets my expectations. (Or better yet, exceeds them.)

And don’t forget, if this game fills you with an unquenchable thirst for anything yokai, I have a horror story called “Rokurokubi,” found in Wicked Words Quarterly, for you to check out. It’s a much darker take than the lighthearted Yo-Kai Watch, as “Rokurokubi” begins with a series of gruesome murders. Why?

Yokai is why.

Did you enjoy this post? Be sure to share it with your social networks!

The post Yo-Kai Watch Is Now Out appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.

Hatoful Boyfriend Plush Project

While I pace back and forth waiting for Holiday Star to arrive on Steam (which should happen sometime this fall), there’s a new Hatoful Boyfriend project to check out: the Hatoful Boyfriend Official Plush Project.

The creator of Hatoful Boyfriend has partnered with ESC-TOY LTD. to make plushies of Shuu, Ryouta, and Okosan, as well as limited quantity Souma Isa and Maid Ryouta plushies. (There’s also a limited number of large Shuu plushies.)

It started yesterday and met its funding goal almost immediately (Souma and Maid Ryouta are already sold out, I’m afraid). You better believe I backed the moment I saw I could get a Shuu plushie. He’s one of my favorite mad scientists, after all. The Kickstarter then hit its first stretch goal, which means they’ll also make a Nageki plushie as an add-on.

At the time I’m writing this, it’s already crossed its second stretch goal.

I’m not much of a toy collector, but I love this. I only hope they don’t underestimate the demand for Hatoful Boyfriend plushies.

If you’re wondering why in the world I’m so excited about these birds, check out my Hatoful Boyfriend review. Tiers $20 and up include a Hatoful Boyfriend Steam code, too.

And if you’re already a fan, let me know in the comments which character you most want to see a plushie of. *crosses fingers for the crimson angel of Judecca*

Did you enjoy this post? Be sure to share it with your social networks!

The post Hatoful Boyfriend Plush Project appeared first on Samantha Lienhard.