Earlier this morning Ed Boon tweeted a possible PC port for MKXL This was something that a lot of us didn’t think was going to happen after they declared the death of MKX PC support. Well as of now they have launched an open beta for MKXL on Steam, can you say 60fps?
The beta will be running all weekend until August 29 at 10:00am PDT. So if you were one of the PC players that was disappointed after the last MKX PC news, this would be the best time to jump back on board and start sending feedback.
Criminal Girls 2: Party Favors‘ Onee-chan, teachers-pet type character, Yurine, is calm, warm, and nurturing. She’ll be your hard-hitting glass cannon type character who is willing to be in your care. Check out her character trailer and screens below!
Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate makes its way to the PSVITA. Originally released on the in Japan on the Nintendo DS in 2010, and the fifth entry from the rouge-like mystery dungeon Shiren the Wanderer series, and I can say this is a pretty interesting title.Even if you’re a hardcore JRPG fan and know your way around the ropes this is one of those titles that will take a lot of time and dedication to master. That being said, let us break down the game and see what it has to offer.
Visuals
This title is a remake of a Nintendo DS game from 2010, which means, sprite art! Yes, this title has sprite art which evidently sets the mood for the rouge-like dungeon crawler retro gamers are used to playing. The difference though, is that it is not just port artwork from the old game. The menus have been redone, the game is more colorful than ever, the hub has been made in HD along with the portraits of the characters, and the games aspect ratio. The aspect ration makes the port look amazing, not to mention the Japanese themed town are on point. Some of the big differences are when you hit the dialog scenes for the story, that is when the art really shines. The downside is that, when you play a good amount of floors in a dungeon map, they become bland and you eventually realize you have seen the same backgrounds over and over again due to the randomly generated maps. This is something very noticeable after putting some hours into the game. Visually, the game looks good but I can say newcomers might not like the retro visuals, fans of it will enjoy the mood it sets.
Sound
One word can describe the soundtrack, AMAZING! This is actually one of those soundtracks any fan of the genre will enjoy, especially any JRPG fan. Weather you’re in a dungeon fighting your way to the next level, making your way in one of the main story towers, or just exploring a town, this soundtrack will set the tone of the game. The game’s sound effects even helps draw players in with the retro sounds of hacking, and slashing from the original game. I really can’t complain much about any of the audio; the game does really well in this category.
Gameplay
So this is where it gets complicated for Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate. This is not a game that everyone will like, and that being said doesn’t mean its a bad game, but more like one that only dedicated players with patience will get into too.
If you are familiar with the Mystery Dungeon games, for example Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, you will be familiar with how Shiren will work. The game is a turn-based tactical strategy game, mixed with a rouge-like dungeon crawler, and all in a somewhat real-time manner. Confused already? Don’t worry, the game will walk you through how the mechanics with its extensive optional tutorial in the “Beginner’s House” in the main village, Nekomaneki Village. After your lessons you are off on an adventure, where you’re intended to explore the dungeon floors filled with different creatures, and eventually end up filling the map which makes the game really hard from the start. Not to mention, once you die you lose all of your items you just found, money, equipment, experience, all to find yourself back at Nekomaneki Village starting all over again. This is where some players may want to drop this title, but players that will have the patience will find out what they did wrong , learn from it, and be off on their adventure again. As players progress they will also realize, not all items are helpful, be weary traps randomly placed on maps, nightfall (because enemies will strengthen up around that time), and be prepared to deposit everything you can once you complete a tower or dungeon because once you’re dead its gone. Players will also run into NPC’s that will join their journey as you progress in the story, but I noticed most of the time I would run into a trap and teleport away from them or vice versa, making my NPC’s useless. Another problem I did run into after hitting a certain point, the game started to make me feel like I never made progression, this actually drew me away , but I did eventually came back. Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate does pretty well in game play, if you like difficult, in-depth games, but that’s the thing with this titles game play, it is hard.
My standpoint for this game is that visually as a remake the title looks good, audio is outstanding, game play is very difficult and will eat up time, but I would recommend this title if you’re a fan of the Mystery Dungeon games or JRPGs. If you are a newcomer, you most likely will be frustrated or overwhelmed with its difficult level.
Square Enix has released new screenshots for World of Final Fantasy showing off some of the Environments, Labyrinthine Dungeons, Legendary Characters and Various Mirages.
The new images show the heroes Reynn and Lann as they encounter the Quacho Queen, who dwells in the wondrous Sunken Temple. Player’s will recognize some familiar Mirages like Ultros, the popular octopus-looking Mirage from FINAL FANTASY VI, along with some new Mirages like the quacho, sharqual, mega sharqual, mindflayer and kraken roam these stunning new environments.
Classic characters – including Boko, Terra, Bartz and Gilgamesh make a return with a chibi art style. The Mega Mirage Bahamut can also be seen using his powerful Megaflare to annihilate everything in sight, while the ultra-rare Bismarck, known as the “shining demon,” lurks in the deep seas.
Gravity Rush 2 is due out for Playstation 4 in December, and with that Sony Interactive Entertainment has revealed some very exciting details about five new characters along with some more world teasers. You can catch all of the details below
■ Story
Following the events of the original Gravity Rush, Kat and her friend Syd find themselves caught in a gravity anomaly and transported far away from the peaceful town of Hekseville and into the mining settlement of Banga.
Banga’s a mobile town – an odd mixture of residencies and boats that are home to miners and their families who make their living collecting gravity ore from the floating reef area below. Under the strict command of their leader Lisa, they regularly dock at other ports in order to stock up on supplies and conduct business.
Powerless without Dusty by her side, Kat and Syd begin working to earn their keep in Banga, and meet a host of interesting characters that will set a new adventure into motion.
■ New Characters
Lisa
Lisa is the strong and short-tempered leader of the Banga Settlement. Ever the realist, she inspires both fear and respect in the villagers but always prioritizes the safety of the settlement.
Vogo
Vogo is a merchant, and head of “Sun Shipping.” He regularly does business with a variety of clients, and is rumored to be involved with the illegal buying and selling of military supplies. His plans for Banga are less than noble.
Cecie
Cecie is a quiet and reserved girl who works as a herder within Banga. As Lisa’s adopted daughter, Cecie is usually on the receiving end of her mother’s strict teachings. When she runs away from home, Kat is asked to track her down.
Fi
Fi is Vogo’s bodyguard and close aide. His quiet and cold demeanor is accompanied by a proficiency in martial arts, and he regularly intimidates those who resist Vogo’s demands.
Misai
Misai is the top miner in Banga, and one of Kat’s biggest critics. His stubbornness leads him into dangerous mining missions in order to prove his worth.
■ World
In case there was any doubt, Gravity Rush 2 retains the beautiful open world structure and gorgeous comic-book presentation that fans fell in love with in the previous game. A wealth of story missions and challenge missions (over 50!) are marked by icons on the map, and completing them will reward players with various types of rewards.
As a final glimpse of things to come, let’s take a look at one final new location: The Rift Plane.
A forbidden land with a wealth of high quality ore, Kat will encounter a number of new Nevi, (or “scarabs” as the Banga Settlers call them) as she makes her way across the Rift Plane. Giant Stone tablets will provide clues on how to proceed, and successfully satisfying their conditions will lead Kat to mysterious new rewards…
Keep up with the latest in Fighting Games, JRPG's, Indie Games, and Anime
Following the events of the original Gravity Rush, Kat and her friend Syd find themselves caught in a gravity anomaly and transported far away from the peaceful town of Hekseville and into the mining settlement of Banga.
New Challenger Gaming 