Saturday, September 20, 2014

Review: Fairy Fencer F - Fencing Away to Save the Fairies!

Originally Published on the Official Blast Away the Game Review Facebook Page
Review by Dustin Murphy

Pros:
-A hysterical cast that will leave players rolling in their chairs
-Very forgiving combat system for new players to Compile Heart titles
-Nobuo Uematsu’s score sets the mood for the game and does not disappoint
-An insanely large amount of tutorials that will help guide players through the title
-A simplified dungeon selection that makes exploration a tad bit easier to handle
Cons:
-Characters come and go, which itself, can be annoying
-Loot drops seem far and few, but doing side quests from the pub makes up for this.
-The plot at times loses its focus and its charm, but does regain it a bit down the road.
-World shaping for many can be confusing and tedious when figuring out what to do.

 Ever wondered what would happen when the publisher of Prinny, Hyperdimension Neptunia and Disgaea can do with a new IP? You get something as amusing as Fairy Fencer F, which follows the story of our overly hungry, grumpy, and whiny as well as comical lead character known as Fang. Fang is one that has had the mishap of becoming a Fencer or rather a hero, but has no care to do it, but how did he become one? His luck got the best of him when he pulled out a magical sword from within the ground, much like King Arthur did with Excalibur, and let it be told; he gained a fairy. Once he removed the sword his new traveling partner Eryn comes aboard, with her sense of humour and bubbly attitude, it’s only a surprise Fang hasn’t left her behind to wonder endlessly or just vanish. Taking her along, Fang begins his journey to help Eryn unseal the Goddess and bring world peace upon the world.
 Following the well known Compile Heart style we saw with past titles such as Hyperdimension Neptunia and Hyperdimension Neptunia PP, we see a lot of humour, but unfortunately the sexual innuendos that come out full force. This is only one of the small underlying issues though, but this does not take away the humour and or the silliness that made this game just a bit more than just a genuine adventure. The game is downright hysterical and for anime fans; comical through and through. Carrying forth through the title, players will easily be able to see how each of the heroes that join the party come across with their own unique fairies. Personally, the game is enjoyable because of the laid back and silly conversations that take place, in many ways it reminds me of several anime titles I loved bunched into one, but their names won’t be stated her.

 Much like a few of Compile Heart and their past titles, this one easily could adapt itself to their other franchise (Hyperdimension Neptunia), and speculatively been designed to use that system on purpose, but it works and it works well. In Fairy Fencer F, players will be able to use the new combat system that we witnessed in Hyperdimension Re;birth 1, which allows players to get multiple targets into an attack range, and do so with simple, but slightly complex combat menus. One of the many things that was rather amusing about this games combat system was the uniqueness in going between ‘tension’, which helps players ‘Fairize’ (think Hyperdimensions HD mode for Neptunia and her friends) and in turn, deal more damage. This is something that will make players, much like myself, save up as much tension and SP as possible and go to town on enemies. Unfortunately, this does not always work, and can easily upset players since the difficulty of the title is a mere joke in the beginning compared to how it plays out later into the game.
 The goal is simple, however; clear dungeons, beat the bad guys, and ultimately earn a new Fury, which in turn helps save the Vile God or the Goddess. This becomes even more repetitive as players will find themselves using Fairies to work with. By “equipping” them in the equipment menu, I found myself quickly boosting my damage for Fang by spending all my points, literally, into his attack, combos, magic attack, and even his defenses. This is one of the few things I found disappointing and taking away the classic JRPG feel I’ve come so accustomed to, but they make it work and very well.

 Once players have gone through the combat system, which is quickly explained as well as taught, players will be clobbered in tutorials. These tutorials will describe everything from leveling, combat, dungeons, boss fights, character interactions, what vendors do as well as how, clear down to how world shaping works. Some of these tutorials seem very misplaced and honestly unwarranted. The one that was the most useful was what we will discuss next; The Vile God and the Goddess.
 As many of you know by now, Fang is on the quest to revive the Goddess and or the Vile God, which in turn, brings about massive forces to once more walk the planet. It’s not as easy as it sounds. Players will need to clear the dungeons, as stated before, which in turn gives them fairies to use in order to “fuse” them with a fury that has the Vile God and the Goddess in a sleeping state. As these weapons are removed, they will initiate a fight, which includes a boss. Some of these bosses will be between five and ten levels higher than the player. This means you may not want to go unprepared and if you do, prepare to pay the price. Once the Fury’s encounter has been cleared, the weapon will affect the character that wears them with damage modifiers for certain elements, dungeon modifiers, but also, they do have a negative effect sometimes. There were instances I did find that shifting fairies around was for the best. The downside? Each of them have to be leveled as if they are an entirely new character, but luckily, only by equipping them.

 In return, fairies can be used in order to change how dungeons function. The most helpful one is the capability for higher loot drops, and lowered XP (experience) gain. Since XP is so easily gained that farming seems like a joke. Though some of them can make the game harder, which is a pleasant sign since the difficulty barely changes and leaves players hungering for more. For those wanting some fun, this is up your alley, but for those wanting a hard challenge could easily find themselves turned away unless they find the storyline as amusing as it is. The downside to some of these fairies is some of them will have something like this at C Rank “+1 Magic Attack” and gives your character of choice a “-1 Physical Attack”, these trade offs are unfortunate, but can easily be countered by finding what stat weights are best for the character that equips that fairy.
 With the combat system and dungeon crawling put aside, there was something unique that can be noted; the soundtrack. When playing the game I found myself rather amused by this as it easily resembled songs I’ve heard before, most of them having vocals of which some could compare to Skyrim’s ‘Dragonborn Comes’, while others turned my ears even more so that I could enjoy the J-Pop listing. The best soundtrack in there? The Fairize theme. I found myself constantly tapping my toes to it, which in turn demonstrates Nobuo Uematsu’s taste for capturing the games target audience. Within a few hours? I found myself humming many of the games songs and even themes, which leads to show that Nobuo Uematsu’s departure from Square-Enix in ways worked in his favor. Though the game does take a hint from some of my favorite animes. The music changes over time in a ‘episodic’ type of format. This is a welcome change instead of hearing ‘Full Contact’ all the time, which alone, is a blessing since the song itself is amazing.
 With that being said, the game is a simple dungeon crawler with very anime like themes. With how well it has already been received, Compile Heart has already announced that a sequel is in the works at their pre-TGS show. What comes in Fairy Fender F: Advent Dark Force? The original Fairy Fencer F, but also the sequel. Where will it be going? To the PlayStation 4. This leaves room for many of us to question, will it make its way to the PlayStation Vita? For now, the game is charming where it is, and makes itself right at home on the PlayStation 3.
So what has Fairy Fencer F charmed itself into a score of? A wonderful 7 out of 10.
 Fairy Fencer F is now available at all online and local retailers, but also through the PlayStation Store as a digital download. For more information, please visit the official Fanry Fencer F Website: http://nisamerica.com/games/fairyfencerf/
 

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Review: Hyperdimension Neptunia Producing Perfection - A Spotlight That's too Dim


Hyperdimension Neptunia Producing Perfection - A Spotlight That's too Dim
Originally Published on the Official Blast Away the Game Review Facebook Page
Review by Dustin Murphy



Pros:
  • Story can be seen as easy to understand, half-intelligent, which is nice for younger crowds
  • The voice acting luckily fills the entire campaign and puts it on par with the other entries
  • Controls are extremely easy to use and does not require a tutorial to navigate with
  • Multiple friendships allow for changes in dialogue and campaign as well as a new spin on personalities.
  • The song choices are quite entertaining, but do not allow for much variation in the long run
  • Performances can be edited via character outfits, song choices, stage placement, and even stage effects.

Cons:

  • A single play through runs about 3-4 hours at most and has very little gameplay uses outside of the directional pad and making choices.
  • Creativity behind the game is lackluster and does not allow for a true Hypderdimension Neptunia experience.
  • HDD Forms are lacking throughout the entire campaign and do not seem to trigger as much as one would hope.
  • The four song choices and very few stage selections do not allow for a long-ending enjoyment

Final Score: 6 out of 10



  The Hyperdimension Neptunia series is one that has been a well appreciated fan-favorite on the PlayStation 3 and now the PlayStation Vita. Having become popular enough to earn itself a manga series as well as an anime adaption. Though there is one thing in the series that does not have the charm and satirical mind that the other entries have come to be known for. Hyperdimension Neptunia Producing Perfection is the one entry within the franchise that has dimmed the spotlight and left a bad taste in the mouth of a few people that have played it. The misfortune with this entry is that it targets fans of the idols games. This is not something that should have been done unfortunately. 

 Hyperdimension Neptunia PP takes place in the gaming world of Gameindustry, just like all the other titles. In this one a group called MOB48 (a literal nudge at the pop group AKB48) has taken over Gameindustri through becoming singing idols. This group has begun to hurt the ratings that the CPUs have earned through their fame and protection of Gameindustri. This is where our game takes place, our character is summoned from the 'real world' to Gameindustri in order to help Vert, Neptune, Noire, and Blanc get their ratings back. Thanks to this occurrence, you are put in the spot of being their producer, which means you take on the responsibility that is required in order to get their ratings back. This includes planning events, their days off so they can relieve stress, and even their costume designs for performances. 



 With these tasks at hand, the game is very straightforward in having players navigate a set of menus almost the entire way through. Why is this? The game is pretty much introduced as a graphic novel, which means lots of menu navigating and conversations. This leaves itself for very little gameplay in the means of actual outside of menus gameplay. What is this portion of the game? The converts where players will be pushing square, triangle, and even buttons on the d-pa in order to "produce" the concert. The problem? It's boring, very boring, and will not entertain those looking for a high paced game. The most problematic portion of this game is that interactions are based on menu choices, so are the in-game friendships, which luckily, carry over into new game plus. Unfortunately the biggest drawbacks of this title was the simple fact that the interactions seem so far and few that they make little to no sense. Some of them will raise stress (bad news there), guts, voice, rhythm, and even knowledge. These stats are not thoroughly explained on what they will benefit and how, but one thing is certain, like any RPG-esque game? Those stats are worth getting up and maintaining. With that aside though, the game has its moments where a few good laughs are provided, the game can only play on those, and hopefully gives a shining example of what needs to change in the future. For those expecting a Hastune Miku like title will be very disappointed when the time comes around. Hopefully if they make a part two, that's what we will see. Till then, players will need to survive Producing Perfection and hopefully find some enjoyment in it. Why? Even with the HDD forms happening in song, which changes voice and appearance, there is not much to be celebrated. This is one of the few times I will say that players should avoid the game unless they are fans of interactive novels. Till then, stick it out with Hyperdimension Neptunia, Mk. 2, Victory and Re;birth 1 (review coming soon).

 With all that being said, Hyperdimension Neptunia Producing Perfection is a lackluster game that does not hit its mark. Instead this game has fallen flat on its face in a tailspin that it can not recover from no matter how hard it tries. Even with a few laughs, notable characters from the franchise, Producing Perfection is a miserable misadventure that players should forget about sooner than later. However, die hard fans of the franchise might just enjoy the game and find some noteworthy moments in it.

Gear up, Racing fans for the Racing Simulation The Crew!


Gear up, Racing fans for the Racing Simulation The Crew! 
Originally Published on the Official Blast Away the Game Review Facebook Page
By: Devon Day



Who's ready for some adrenaline? Any takers? Well, for those of you that are, you are in luck. Ubisoft, creators of the famed Assasians Creed series, Rayman series, and other synonymous series have a new trailer for The Crew, a shared world racing game that is coming out on November 11. What is the motto of the game? Never Drive Alone. Be it cooperative or competitive, be sure to check out this trailer if you are craving for another racing game.

Again, that will do it for me? What are your thoughts on shared world games and The Crew? Do you think they fit with all genre's? Do you think The Crew will do well? Are you looking forward to other racing games like Project Cars or DriveClub? Please leave your thoughts below. Thank you for reading, and as always, hope to see you again. Until next time, this is Devon Day; Checking out.

Bayonetta 2 Gets New Information In Preparation of Launch


Bayonetta 2 Gets New Information In Preparation of Launch
 Originally Published on the Official Blast Away the Game Review Facebook Page
Written by Dustin Murphy



 Bayonetta 2 has been a force to reckon with, as the title gets closer to its October 24th launch date, which is set exclusively for the Nintendo Wii U console. With this title, the vocal brontide has been nothing short of excitement. This game has caused fans to clamor, every time they heard the game mentioned. For some, this announcement was a bit of an issue due to the lack of the first entry, Bayonetta, having not made it to Nintendo consoles before. Luckily, now it will, and players will be getting more than just the first and second titles, in the series. As of this past week, Nintendo and Platinum games announced that Bayonetta will be taking on several appearances. Lets take a look at the names we know so far; Princess Peach, Daisy, Link, and Samus and they aren't done, not yet, it has also been announced that she will be getting a Fox McCloud, most of you know him from Star Fox, type outfit. One that will definitely be interstellar enough for those of you Science Fiction fans that want to mix their fantasy with it!

 If that information wasn’t enough for you, Nintendo and Platinum games has also revealed, that Rodin will be playable in the upcoming titles Tag Climax mode, which was shown off in the most recent Nintendo Direct. As stated previously, Bayonetta will be released with Bayonetta 2, and will be priced at 59.99 USD at retailers, while Nintendo also detailed the fact that a special discount will be given when buying the titles digitally through the eShop. The special discount will bring both games, when purchased together, to 59.98 USD. A few dollars savings when said and done.

 The Nintendo Direct had also detailed more about Bayonetta 2’s storyline, mechanics, weapon, magic, and the infamous Torture Attacks. After such was explained, they went on to detail the new Umbran Climax. After that was explained they continued to outline the new Muspelheim challenges rooms, and how the games ranking system room will work as well as how to spend the Halos earned to buy weapons and last, but not least, modify weapons. We can only wait to see how our well dressed lady will take the night off and fight in style against the enemy.

To view the Nintendo Direct in its entirety, visithttp://www.nintendo.com/nintendo-direct

For more information about Bayonetta 2, visithttp://bayonetta2.nintendo.com/

Infamous: First Light Review


Infamous: First Light Review

 Originally Published on the Official Blast Away the Game Review Facebook Page
By: Justin DeMaio - PSN ID: CorePuncher



Pros: 
• Stand Alone Game
• New Game Modes
• More Next-Gen Infamous Game play

Cons:
• No New Powers
• Lackluster Story
• Simplified Missions

Rating: 7 out of 10 – Decent





 As I finished playing Infamous: First Light I was convinced that it was a good DLC and worth buying, but after the dust settled, I realized that I will likely never play it again, coupled with having to find parts of the game that I don’t like for this review, my rating for the game has gone down. Granted my initial rating was fairly high.

 I really enjoyed playing Infamous: Second Son and Infamous: First Light is definitely more of the same. While that’s a good thing in certain respects because Second Son was a good game and it’s a blast to run around Seattle with super powers, it also leaves me wanting more. The Infamous story continues to lack scale and purpose and while it may be Sucker Punch’s intention to keep it local and personal to the main character, it leaves me not caring at all about what happens in the story. For somebody with super powers, you want to use those powers not just for yourself, but for the city, nation, or world. Whether you’re a good guy or bad guy, wouldn’t you use those powers for more than just to find out where your brother is? I understand relatives are important but let’s think big! Personally, I could care less about Fetch’s brother. Granted, I did care more for Fetch’s story than I did for Delsin’s, but it still was lacking something major in my eyes, scope, and a meaningful outcome. I would prefer my missions to be a bit more diverse than just keeping cops off of a drug dealer’s back by easily shooting them as they walk down an alley. Some of the missions are just way too simple and require hardly any thought or skill whatsoever. Trust me; this game is not all bad though. If you don’t own Infamous: Second Son, then you can drop a measly $15 on First Light and get a lot of what Second Son has to offer and It may help you decide if you’d want to purchase Second Son. In other words, you do not need to own Second Son in order to play First Light. This makes it a less risky investment on purchasing the game to see if you like it. This also means First Light comes with its own set of PSN trophies, including a new Platinum trophy. Trophy hunters rejoice!

 Another aspect of First Light that I really enjoyed was the new game modes which are essentially different challenge arenas. In these arenas you’ll face off against a seemingly infinite number of enemies, allowing you to blast away and flex your muscles for as long as you can survive. These challenge arenas essentially make up for the lack of immersive and large-scale battles lacking in the main stories plot because they do take a bit of skill and thought to be successful.

 In all, I’m happy with my purchase of Infamous: First Light and while I would still recommend buying it, don’t be disappointed when you get more of the same from Second Son.

Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment Review


Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment Review
Originally Published on the Official Blast Away the Game Review Facebook Page  
Written by Josh Turner



Pros: 
• Fun and addicting MMO styled Combat
• Rewarding crafting system
• Large open environments

Cons: 
• An unimaginable amount of typos, and grammar errors
• Lack of control over allies combat patterns, and equipment
• Ally AI is stupid at best

(Overview) 

 This has been a title I’ve been counting the days down to within my head; awaiting it North American release like a good fan boy. Sword Art Online is, in case you missed my previous write up, a Japanese Anime about a VMMORPG where the users have been trapped within the game, unable to log-out and forced to continue playing against they’re own will. There happens to be another stipulation built around all this as well; if they die, or get forcibly removed from the game, they will die in real life.

 So, seeing that the show/manga is growing ever more popular, obviously, a video game was right around the corner. The question remained though; how would a game, about being stuck in a VR game, translate over into a handheld adventure.

(Story)



 So, clarifying something upfront with this game; this is non-canon to the events of SAO, and will not follow the same story of the show after floor 75. So to you faithful fans, you know what that means and I will leave it at that for everyone who doesn’t. This game is also two stories in one; Infinity Moment, and Hallow Fragment. Each has their own story arches, as well as unique characters. For Infinity Moment, the story is as follows. After clearing floor 75, Kirito and gang emerges successfully onto the other side, and enters into the unknown land of floor 76. Upon entering, the group quickly finds that for some reason all of their stats (Attack, defense, etc) had been reset to starting level, while they’re actual level had been left in tack. They quickly redouble they’re efforts to clear Floor 100 and in the process forging a new alliance with a strange woman called Strea.

 As for Hallow Fragment; while exploring one day, Kirito is randomly teleported into a zone he has never seen before, let alone the fact it isn’t on any of his maps. He quickly encounters a strange girl running through the forest by the name of Philla, behind her is a Skull Reaper. Which is usually the boss of Floor 75, but for some reason is a random foe in this area. Upon exploring, he finds that this new land is ridden with powerful weapons, and rich treasures. However he also finds that this place also is chalk full with powerful new foes, as well as the infamous Laughing Coffin guild.

 While searching the new floor they encounter new players who have no knowledge of SAO; Leafa, who is Kirito’s sister who has been playing ALO while he has been trapped in his coma, and strange girl who seems to be suffering from amnesia, after falling from the sky. So yes, as I said, this is completely non-canon, and should not be taken into context with the show or anime. Now granted, even though this is completely non-canon, you may end up like me, and have a bit of an issue wrapping your head around the situation. I understand about making your own unique storyline, but when you discount so many events that have occurred to create your universe, while sampling characters and events that happen in the series it starts to become confusing on exactly where the story is heading.

Now the major, unrelenting draw back for both parts of the game that breaks immersion, as well is just plain annoying is the mind numbing amount of typos throughout the game. Barely a cut scene goes by without at least three words being miss-spelled, as well as grammatical errors, and nonsensical sentences. This is probably one of the sloppiest translations I’ve ever seen in any format, and it just shows the pure laziness on the developers half. This is why there is something called “quality testing”, and that whole team deserves to be fired.

For the actual core story though, this will take you sometime to finish. Clocking in around 80 hours’ worth of game play, SAO for the Vita will keep you busy for quite some time. That is, unless the game begins to annoy you too much.

(Gameplay)

Since SAO is an MMO throughout the show and manga, I have to admit when I first learned that the game was a single player experience, let alone a portable one, it caused me to raise an eyebrow out of concern. Granted, there have been games that mimic the unique world of a MMO and successfully pull it off like FFXII for instance. How they accomplish this is by mimicking an MMO environment, and filling it with NPC’s that are pre-programed to act as humanly as possibly. Think Skyrim. This idea works well on paper; however, collision detection issues make the NPC constantly not only walk into you, and then proceed to bug out, but also walk/run into walls which tends to draw you out of the immersion.
The primary focus of the game, as you might have figured by the name, is sword based combat. This combat is fast, fluid, and very aggressive and is the one major redeeming quality this game has at the end of the day. The combat has two layers of depth to it. You’re simpler, “keep-pounding-square-until-it-dies!” technique or you can take the other approach of leveling each of your weapon skills, as well as crafting the most powerful blades possible.

Either of these approaches can get you to the same end result, but seeing as there is an added level of depth for your true RPG gamer was a welcome change. What isn’t welcome though is the immense amount of grinding that is required for you to become powerful, it also doesn’t help when the exp system in the game is a running joke. Kill an enemy 10-15 levels lower then you, which takes 10 seconds, and gain 250-500 exp. Kill an enemy 30 levels higher than you, which can take 10+ minutes, gain 750-900 exp. As I said… this system is a joke. If you are expecting people to grind their way through your game, you need to include a higher bounty on your higher leveled creatures to reward the player for taking down such a formidable foe.


 Besides that, environments are large, but with pre-set paths to explore. Some feel, and looked reused from other Bandi Namco RPG’s. For the most part they are your trope environments like, creepy castle, dark forest, and large valley. There are some unique ones sprinkled in, like some really cool levels where you’re on floated islands in the sky, but they are so few and far in-between that they are barely noticeable. There is also a town you can explore within floor 76, where you can check out Lizbeth’s armor shop, and Agil’s pub. However, I do admit I was disappointed that you can’t check out any other Floors towns, though they show them briefly once you clear the boss.


 You do have quite a few options when it comes to weapons. Anything from bows, to great swords will be at your disposal, each with their own skill sets, and growth tree. Each of these weapons will also have their own unique traits in speed, power, etc. These powerful skills can be used in the heat of combat by not only you, but by your ever present AI helper. Only thing is the AI isn’t exactly the smartest in the world, and you have an overall lack of control over their actions. You have your basic commands like “Heal” or “Use Skill” but no real control over if they will act defensively or over aggressively during combat. Which can lead to many headaches in a game where you, or your partner parish, and it’s over.

 Gratefully, one might say that this difficultly can be offset by the fact that even the enemy AI is horribly programmed! They are extremely predictable; usually within the first five seconds of combat they will use a special attack, which can be parried. If you are fighting a large group, sometimes one of them will forget that they are attacking you, and just straight up walk away from the battle, or turn their backs on you while you are fighting them. 
There is the inclusion of Ad-Hoc Multiplayer for up to four players at the same time, but seeing that its Ad-Hoc based, instead of online multiplayer I was unable to test it out, and I doubt it will get much usage because, if you really think about it, do you have four friends who own Vita’s, and are into SAO?


(Graphics & Sound)



 As noted earlier, sword out does have a tendency of reusing the trope designs of your standard RPG game. What add to the level of mediocre that this game excels at is its sub-standard graphics. Where it could be understandable for Infinity Moments half of the game, seeing that these PSP quality graphics are throughout the full game, it was a tad bit of a disappointment. Environments are well detailed, yet washed out. Characters armor and clothing have a lot of interesting designs on them, which are destroyed by the low res graphics that are used in here. What is even more surprising is that seeing a decent amount of screen tearing and frame rate issues in a game that isn’t even technically challenging to the hardware it’s being run on. Gratefully, the cut scenes are hand drawn for the most part, and give it the shows true art style. In these segments the game does become fairly pretty, but knowing that it’s pre-rendered does not help the fact. 


 As for sound, this is where the game does have some saving grace. The whole cast of SAO did lend their voices to the game providing a very authentic experience for the fans. However, one thing that was a little bit disappointing is that Kirito is only voiced for the first hour or so of the game, after that he is just text on the screen. It takes a bit away from the experience in the end, but nothing to terrible.
As for the rest of the game sound design, it’s just another thing to add to the list of disappointments. The soundtrack is lazily thrown together, alternating between the better parts of 5 songs depending on what you are doing within the game. Besides that all the random noises you hear in the game sounds like they are cut from a stock soundboard, and lack any real originality.

(Final Verdict)

This was a painful one for me to review. I had my hopes set real high that this could be a killer app for the Vita, let alone a worthwhile Anime game. What it is in all reality is a shameless cash-in that keeps enjoyment on a rudimentary level, yet provides annoyance on so many more. The thing that disappoints me the most is how most of these problems could have been caught with proper quality testing. Which leaves me asking; did the developers really not care, or were the publishers pushing them on a release date that fell within the launch window of season two in America?

Hallow Fragments does have its high points during battle that makes you forget about the faults within the title, but either during the fight, or right afterwards with awkward bugs where your character can become frozen in place. Another place a fan can derive enjoyment from is the story and the characters; however, it is also quickly taken away due to the insane amount of grammatical errors that draws you away from the immersion of the game.

Overall, and I say this being a fan of SAO, I regret paying $40 for this game. Heck, even $30 would be overcharging for it in my opinion. My recommendation would be to wait until it goes down/or on sale for $20. Also, as noted earlier, not only will this game really only be enjoyable by your SAO fan base, it’s also a grind fest. So unless you have the time, and enjoy killing the same enemy for hours on end to become powerful, I would recommend steering clear.

With a heavy heart, I give Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragments for the PS Vita a…

5 out of 10.

THEATRHYTHM: Final Fantasy Gets a Type-0 Treatment


THEATRHYTHM: Final Fantasy Gets a Type-0 Treatment!
  Originally Published on the Official Blast Away the Game Review Facebook Page
 Written by Dustin Murphy



 If you are a fan of THEATRHYTHM: FINAL FANTASY like me, you won’t be disappointed with the latest installment. With the latest information released, players can
 now to expect to see a glimpse of FINAL FANTASY TYPE-0 before it hits next-gen consoles in the future. These pieces of TYPE-0 will include music, characters, and even scenarios that take place from events within FINAL FANTASY TYPE-0.

 With this information received, fans who are attending PAX Prime 2014 can visit the Square-Enix booth (#3630) and receive a set of rare Collecta-Cards (Machina, Rem, and Ace from FF TYPE-0) that will be available physically and there’s even more to this! Attendees can also unlock the in-game versions with an in-game password for THEATRHYTHM: FINAL FANTASY CURTAIN CALL!

Official Release Information:

 THEATRHYTHM: FINAL FANTASY CURTAIN CALL will be available on Tuesday, September 16 for $39.99 exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS™ system. Pre-orders for the game are now available throughAmazon.com and other participating retailers, and will include the ‘THEATRHYTHM: FINAL FANTASY CURTAIN CALL - REMIX SELECTIONS’ Music CD (five-tracks).

Official Homepage: www.theatrhythm.com
Official Facebook® Page: https://www.facebook.com/theatrhythm
Official Twitter®: @FinalFantasy

Poptropica: Forgotten Islands Offers Kids a Safe Online Game


Poptropica: Forgotten Islands Offers Kids a Safe Online Game
  Originally Published on the Official Blast Away the Game Review Facebook Page
 Written by Dustin Murphy



On October 14th, children of all ages will be able to take on a safe, fun, and amazing title that is available for them to experience an online community with players from all around the world! In this fully open 3D world, players will get to experience fully customizable characters and explore the world while taking on the mission of preventing a shadowy force that seeks to destroy the Forgotten Islands’! 



In this adventure, players will be focused on challenges that help with their reading capabilities as well as their problem-solving skills through game play challenges and mini-games. These challenges should be on-par for most age groups and will help kids learn while they unlock new areas within the islands! Players will also get to unlock clothes, accessories to create their own Poptropica character!

For more information, head over to the www.poptropica3ds.com and stay tuned for our review when it becomes available! For the latest on all of Ubisoft’s games, go check them out over at www.ubiblog.com.

Saban’s Power Rangers Super Megaforce


Saban’s Power Rangers Super Megaforce
Originally Pubished on the Official Blast Away the Game Review Facebook Page
Written by Kennard Prim



 Grab your morphers, megazord toys, and power ranger feety pajamas, Saban’s Power Rangers Super Megaforce is coming to the Nintendo 3DS on October 28th. An update of recent screenshots has arrived to fuel the nostalgia factor of any parent who once watched Power Rangers. The leader of various Ranger teams from previous entries in the franchise will be returning as playable characters in this game. Zeo, Turbo, In Space, Lost Galaxy and Lightspeed Rescue Red Rangers will be joining the fray as players’ progress. A unique feature of this game will be the ability to scan official Power Rangers trading cards with the 3DS camera to provide stats boosts and bonuses to your Rangers in game, giving reason to trade and share your collection with friends. As a longtime fan of Power Rangers, even at my age, I am excited by this game. This game is a great opportunity to introduce the current generation of children into a household hero show that has been around for over two decades. Whether this game will be your guilty pleasure, or a gift for a child in your family, it’s morphing time!

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

NAtURAL DOCtRINEs' Terrains Become a Life Saver

NAtURAL DOCtRINEs' Terrains Become a Life Saver
  Originally Published on the Official Blast Away the Game Review Facebook Page
 Written by Dustin Murphy


Have you ever wondered what it would be like to use the terrain around you to survive where survival seems the bleakest? NAtURAL DOCtRINE is going to do that in a brutal manner this time around. Kadowkawa Games has began to pull every little bit of attention to detail as possible in their first title in the strategy genre. Doing this will put any fan on the edge of their seat as they prepare to get their hands on the title in North America on September 23rd and September 26th for our friends in the European markets on PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4.


   NAtURAL DOCtRINE features beautiful visuals and very interesting game play that will span between the three consoles with cross-play and cross-save to back those mentioned visuals. In the world of NAtURAL DOCtRINE’s Feste, players will take on and conquer the evils that lurk within the mines just outside of the villages, this also means players will be handed the responsibility of keeping the Fortress like town of Feste alive. In the images that have recently surfaced, players will be using the environment to survive or die. This is something that not many games do. With these attentions to detail, Kadokawa Games has developed one of the most detailed Tactical RPG’s to date that could possibly be considered a champion in difficulty for the strategy genre. With monsters lurking around every corner, lava rivers in some of the mines, and hidden traps lying around; death could be imminent, so are your chances of survival. With treasures hidden around the maps as well as new paths, players will be challenged to explore, but also to pay attention to details. If not, there may be a troll or flood of enemies waiting right around the corner.


Official Information about the Game:

Seasoned explorers and novices alike venture underground into dangerous caves to collect the coveted material known as Pluton. On your first trip into the depths of these mines, your company of explorers quickly realize that things may be direr than you had imagined when you encounter a brand-new type of evil lurking below the surface. Will your band of explorers be able to defeat this new threat and warn the kingdom of their presence before it’s too late?

Square Enix E-store Sale

Square-Enix Online Store Gets a Back to School Sale
  Originally Published on the Official Blast Away the Game Review Facebook Page
                                                              Written by Dustin Murphy

If there is anything that is a bit of a bummer, it’s going back to school. If you ask any gamer; there is nothing fun about school, but Square-Enix has come up with a way to solve that. Starting now, gamers, fans, and anyone alike can head over to the Square-Enix Online store and receive a discount of 20% on a single title. Want Drakengard 3, but also want Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster (Collector’s Edition for PS3)? That’s not a problem! You can get both for 30% off or if you want, get three or more games and receive up to 50% off!

What games does this include? A lot of them, but the most recognized out of the games are as follows: Drakengard 3, Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII and Murdered: Soul Suspect. Those games alone are enough to cause someone to jump rather quickly at such an amazing sale. For more information regarding the sale, head on over to the Square-Enix Online Store now:
http://store.na.square-enix.com/store/

Moon Hunters Heads to Kickstarter This Week

Moon Hunters Heads to Kickstarter This Week
Originally Published on the Official Blast Away the Game Review Facebook Page
Written by Dustin Murphy

  Originally Published on the Official Blast Away the Game Review Facebook Page
Written by Dustin Murphy

Ever wondered what else would come around the crowdfunding site Kickstarter? Everyone seems to and that’s good! As of today, we’ve learned that Square-Enix Collective and Kitfox Games have banded together in order to crowdfund Moon Hunters; a pixel-art mythology-building RPG. For those interested, starting August 26th, they can head over to Kickstarter and help fund this title!

Square-Enix’s Collective is a curated platform, one that allows for developers of games to post their ideas, and you, the gamers, to choose whether or not these games should become a released title. These games are not, however, are not developed by Square-Enix, but instead, created by your very own neighbors within the gaming community. Luckily, the developers supported by Square-Enix’s Collective undergo a Team Assessment before they can begin their funding campaign to ensure that the team’s ideas are going to pan out, and they have the capability of delivering their title as Square themselves would.

Not familiar with Kitfox yet? Some of you actually may know them for their critically-acclaimed title by the name of Shattered Planet. The game released on mobile platforms and Steam Store. With it having launched and become such a huge hit, they are now ready to go into full development of Moon Hunters. The problem? They need 45,000 USD in order to complete their project.

Official Information from Square-Enix’s Press Release:

“The team is really eager to show off what we’ve been working on and get more input from the community,” commented Tanya Short, designer on Moon Hunters. “Collective has helped us find our audience for a mythology-building RPG, getting the word out about this beautiful game we’re trying to make.”

“Moon Hunters caught my eye very early on with its great visual style and design bursting with personality - and gamers echoed that with strong support during the game’s feedback campaign,” added Phil Elliott, project lead at Collective. “Since getting to know the team at Kitfox Games over the past 9 months, we’re really happy to be supporting them through their Kickstarter - we’ve learnt a great deal since Collective launched fully in April, and we’ll put all of that experience into this campaign and help the team get the best result they can.”

Before crowdfunding, Kitfox Games underwent a Team Assessment from Collective, a process to assess the developer’s skills, experience and plans for use of funds. This was led by an experienced development director at Square Enix. While this is not a guarantee on the part of Square Enix that the developer will accomplish every goal they’ve set, it’s an indication that we believe they have the capability to deliver a finished product according to their stated aims.

For more information regarding the Square-Enix Collective Visit: http://collective.square-enix.com/projects
For more information about Moon Hunters Visit: http://www.moonhuntersgame.com/



Monday, August 25, 2014

Trials Fusion Empire of the Sky



 Ubisoft Releases Empire of the Sky for Trials Fusion
  Originally Published on the Official Blast Away the Game Review Facebook Page
Written by Justin DeMaio - PSN ID: CorePuncher


    I almost named this article “Ubisoft Releases Another Controller-Smashing DLC” or “Ubisoft Releases Another DLC That’ll Make you Quit Gaming” but I decided against that. Ubisoft released another Trials Fusion map pack called “Empire of The Sky”. This is their 2nd of six playable downloadable content packs for Trials Fusion. Coming on the heels of “Riders of the Rustlands”, which was the first DLC released for Trials Fusion, “Empire of the Sky” is very similar in terms of layout and just as challenging, if not more. Some games you’re just good at and some games you’re not and I have concluded that I am just simply not good at Trials Fusion. I can get towards the tops of leaderboards on easier difficulty tracks but when it comes to the Hard and Extreme difficulty tracks, I fail and fail again. I’m sure Ubisoft had this in mind when designing these tracks but I just can’t believe that they wanted someone to fault 200 times and still not be able to get past a particular obstacle.  By the way, I did finally get past that one I’m referring to but trust me, there are plenty more to come and some that are way more difficult. Trials Fusion is a great game, don’t get me wrong, but I am either missing something or just not very good at the game, plain and simple. 
   You can pick up this latest DLC track pack (like that?) for $4.99 or for free if you’re a Season Pass holder. “Empire of the Sky” brings new tracks, challenges, editor objects, and trophies. The maps have more of a futuristic design; even one has limited gravity so you kind of float, which is very cool. In total, there are nine new tracks which include one Supercross track, one Skill Game, and one FMX track. Some of the new editor objects include anti-gravity technology, force fields, and floating platforms to help you create some mind-blowing tracks. User created tracks is one of Trials Fusion’s best features.
   While I can’t spend hours upon hours playing Trials Fusion before starting to go crazy, it’s still an excellent game to pick up maybe once or twice a week and play for a little bit. It’s a great change-of-pace game and I look forward to what new and exciting tracks and features that Ubisoft can bring to the game.