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NCG Review – Guilty Gear -Strive- (PS4, PS5, and PC)

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Title: Guilty Gear™ -Strive-
Release: June 11, 2021 (Deluxe and Ultimate Editions on June 8, 2021)*
Developer: Arc System Works
Publisher: Arc System Works
Genre: Fighting
Platforms: PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Steam® (PC)

Discover the Smell of the Game

Guilty Gear is a series known for its in depth combo system, unique heavy metal themed characters, and all around fast-pace game play. Two years after the last installment, Guilty Gear -Strive– was announced to the world and is introducing a slower-paced game play for new players to join the battle. Arc System Works showed off a trailer that stunned the Fighting Game Community back in Summer 2019 teasing the new addition to the series and fans were excited to get their hands on a new Guilty Gear title as the last game was fading out. Now, after two years, two open betas and a few delays –Strive– is finally here!

Presentation/ Visuals

Arc System Works is GODLIKE when it comes to pulling off unique visuals, simple menus, and an all around amazing presentation in the fighting game genre. Arc System work does not disappoint with Guilty Gear -Strive-. It’s simple and easy to navigate menus and lobbies in the immersive menus.

The graphics during game play are also stunning. In Battle, although there is so much going on with the character animation and battleground, it does not feel chaotic while playing a match. Despite the particle effects as well as the moving camera angles, the game looks amazing. In addition, the story mode looks like you are watching an anime with smooth frames and animation. All in all, the visuals are stunning from beginning to “EDGE”!

Story

The story of Guilty Gear -Strive- is just as incredible as the previous titles. Join Sol Badguy and the 15 unique characters to finish the story that was 20 years in the making with stunning graphics and English dubbed cut scenes. Or, in Japanese with subs if that’s more your style.

A few new characters are introduced and we have a final confrontation with The Man, the mastermind responsible for the destruction of the world. From start to finish, players will find themselves jumping into over 4 hours of straight cut scenes with no game play, and will instead be presented with a deep and unique story that will have players wanting more. The story is the usual Guilty Gear anime style plot line and doesn’t fall flat, the game also explains the plot and characters in the main menu under the GG World section, so if new players need to know what is going on . I really enjoyed the unique personalities of each character as the story progressed, and the dubbing was actually not that bad. Players will definitely enjoy the story and the -Strive-.

Audio

The OST is very different this time around. Instead of amazing metal instrumentals iconic to the Guilty Gear series, they’ve added vocal tracks to each characters theme. The tracks are not bad but they are very distracting when playing each match. I feel it lacks the creative “oomph” of previous OSTs, detracts from overall feel of the game, and deters from the heavy metal foundation Guilty Gear is known for. To an extent it does match the current title, but it’s not something I want to keep playing in the background or rock out to on car rides. The plus side? You have the ability to unlock tracks from past titles.

The audio of the story line, however, works well for the game. Both English and Japanese options are available and the dub fits each character and the overall feel of the game.

Gameplay

Ok, now to read about what really matters for the game: the mechanics and how good it feels. First, the game play is a lot slower than any Guilty Gear title that has come before it. This is both good and bad depending on how the development goes through the lifespan of the game.

Game play has taken a step backwards in order for the game to be more accessible to new players. Removing air combos and long combos altogether, the game wants players to learn how to do player match ups and to learn all of the simple mechanics to progress and get better at the game. One of the main mechanics of the game that will take new players to get use to is the Roman cancels, There are four types of Roman cancels: all are set for defensive, offensive, and recovery. The best way to learn these would be to do the mission modes where the game shows you how to do each one and when it will work best. The Roman Cancel is one of the main ways to make combos and, with the slower game play, make the player strategize how and when to use them to make combos work or to get out of sticky situations.

The next difference from other Guilty Gear titles is that the air dashes, that made older games so fast paced, does not exist in this game. The mechanic has changed to focus on neutral (players being in the state of no attack) game play. This makes the game feel more like Street Fighter but with a small twist. The game play is addicting and fun but it is missing the fast pace dodging and blocking that made Guilty Gear stand out compared to other titles.

What I can say is that the game is unique and I feel like the Fighting Game Community will make this game become more unique, as the developer intended. Both new and old players of the series will enjoy the accessibility of the game play.

Verdict

-Strive- is not what I expected, and after beta testing to where the game is at now, I can say I can accept the game of Guilty Gear -Strive- for what it is and I can see both fighting game players and causal players enjoy where the series is at. I give Guilty Gear -Strive- a 9 out of 10. The game is fun, addicting, the presentation is amazing, and the soundtrack is what a fan would want.

Be sure to pick up the title for PS4,PS5 or PC.

Review copy was provided from Arc System Work, and was written by two NCG Staff Members

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NCG Review – Sakuna: of rice and ruin (Switch, PS4, PC)

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I won’t lie to everyone, but Animal Crossing: New Horizon has basically gotten me through the entire COVID-19 pandemic. After many months of playing, I eventually needed to break away. I needed a new adventure and just a little more action, and yet, I wasn’t able to easily break away. That is, until Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin. Developed by Edelwise and published by XSEED, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a farming simulator/side-scrolling action game. Combined with a new take on Japanese lore, this title is a fantastic combination of story-telling and gameplay.

Story

The story starts with a small group of humans who have had a tough lot in life. Somehow, they make it to the Lofty Realm; the land of the gods. Meanwhile, the goddess, Princess Sakuna, is living her best life celebrating , eating tons of food, and drinking lots of sake. Upon discovering that humans have made it to the Lofty Realm, Sakuna goes to send them back to the human realm lest their appearance cause an uproar amongst the other gods. The humans are just a little bit too clever and end of up getting the best of Sakuna, so much so, that Sakuna ends up blowing up Lady Kamuhitsuki’s store of rice!

Upset to have lost her rice offerings, head goddess Lady Kamuhitsuki bans Sakuna from the lofty realm to the Isle of Demons, where Sakuna must clear the island of all demons before sending the group of humans back to the human realm.

From there, the game progresses. Through the story, we learn about Sakuna’s hertiage, the cause of the demons on the island, the past of the humans, and, of course, about growing rice! The story has a wonderful touch of Japanese mythology and really brings perspective to the rice cultivating culture – it’s a lot of work!

Gameplay

There are two methods of game play: farming and side-scrolling action.

For farming, you need to pay attention to the seasons. Depending on what time of the year it is, you will need to know how to maintain your rice. In the spring time, you need to plant the rice; in the summer time you need to maintain it; by autumn you need to have harvested all of the rice; and by winter you will need to hull the rice, sift out the good seeds, and till the land. Meanwhile, you will need to keep the field weed-free, fertilized, and properly watered! Whew, that’s a lot, isn’t it? You can pass the tasks off to the other characters in the game, however, the quality of the rice is diminished and you won’t have the best results.

The farming, being one of the key parts of the game, feels somewhat clunky to me. I love growing my own rice, but I hate doing the physical actions involved in it. This is mostly because of the controls. The way Sakuna moves in the field, overall, feels very awkward to me and it’s hard to grasp her body position with how I want to use my controller. If I move forward, I want Sakuna to move forward, but instead her body position flips and the task I was trying to do messes up. It takes a lot of getting used to. I’m not sure if this is to emphasize just how difficult growing rice can be, but it definitely made this part of the game hard to get through.

The side-scrolling action part is just that, side-scrolling action. On the Isle of Demons, Sakuna needs to clear each area and learn more about the demons. Sakuna wields two weapons, uses normal attacks, uses heavy attacks, and uses skill attacks. Sakuna also has the divine raiment, a magical sash that assists attacks and helps traverse through the different terrains.

The game play is easy, and I like how I can mix up my buttons to unleash different attacks. Attacks can also be customized so you can put them in for whichever input is most comfortable for you. My least favorite part of the gameplay is the divine raiment. The divine raiment is great for battle to block, counter, and move around the screen to better position Sakuna, but I hate using it to traverse the terrain. This might be personal, but I hate having to jump around in stages! Although, I really like how they created this aspect of Sakuna, since the divine raiment has meaning within the story.

Through growing the rice and fighting demons, Sakuna collects food and supplies that help sustain life on the island.

Another important aspect of the game is food. Sakuna needs to eat. When she is hungry, her health won’t recover. Food also provides extra skills to Sakuna, giving her buffs and extra health. These are especially important when certain stages have challenges such as poison or lava.

This game has a lot of balance. You can’t just focus on farming or grind all the areas. Night will bring stronger demons, Sakuna will get hungry and her health will not recover, and, if you’re up too late you end up being too exhausted to explore new areas the next day. Luckily, there is no shortage of things to keep Sakuna busy. While playing you really have to balance farming and exploring. I think this balance helps pace the game and story.

Graphics/Music

The graphics on this game has a waterpaint cell shaded look. The characters are beautiful and the game runs incredibly smooth. I popped it on the PS5 and was awed by just how amazing the game looked. You get the same effect on a PS4 Pro. The overall look of the game is stunning!

The sound track mixes well with the overall style of the game. It has a traditional sound that places you right on the Isle of Demons.

Verdict

Pros: This game is beautiful! The story is it’s own blend of Japanese mythology with it’s own original story added into it. It also makes something that might not be that interesting (rice harvesting), into a rich storyscape. The characters are all memorable with their own quirks. The game play is fun and balanced so you can’t easily grind through the whole game. You really do need to take your time and cultivate your own land.

Cons: The farming can be clunky, and tedious. It sucks when you’re on a roll exploring a new area and then suddenly you have to go harvest your rice and get it hulled and ready before the spring time. On top of that, Sakuna is difficult to control during these farming actions.

Overall, I would give this game an 8 out of 10. I love the story, characters, gameplay, and overall look and feel of the game. I also love how it makes growing rice a unique experience. If I felt tired by having to farm in the game, can I even begin to imagine what it would be like to grow rice just to live?

Have you had a chance to pick up this title? If so, what do you think? Are there any games you have played that have made something you didn’t even think could be interesting, interesting? Let us know in the comments!

Gaming News

Atelier Mysterious Trilogy Deluxe Pack is Launching April 22, 2021

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Publisher Koei Tecmo America has revealed Atelier Mysterious Trilogy Deluxe Pack will be out this year for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC.

This trilogy will include Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book DX, Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey DX, and Atelier Lydie & Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings DX.

You can check out the announcement trailer, screenshots and more info from press release below;

KOEI TECMO America and developer GUST Studios are proud to reveal the upcoming Atelier Mysterious Trilogy Deluxe Pack, slated for launch on the Apr. 22, 2021 for the Nintendo Switch™ system, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, and Windows PC via Steam®.   The three games: Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book DX, Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey DX, and Atelier Lydie & Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings DX, will come packed with a large amount of the previously released DLC for the titles, as well as all-new content for the DX versions — including a special digital artbook, photo modes, and the option to speed-up battles. This release also marks the first time that Atelier Sophie and Atelier Firis will be playable on the Nintendo Switch™, enabling players to enjoy these adventures at home or on the go. The Atelier Mysterious Trilogy will be available for purchase as individual titles or together in a specially priced Deluxe Pack containing all three games. 

The first title, Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book DX, follows the adventures of young novice alchemist Sophie Neuenmuller, who discovers she is the owner of an enigmatic book imbued with a soul. This Mysterious Book seems to hold the secrets to the art of alchemy, and as Sophie experiments with alchemy throughout the story, she unravels the book’s forgotten memories and eventually sets out to uncover the strange tale of its origin. The DX version of this game includes a brand-new coming-of-age story for Sophie, as she struggles to step into the shoes of her late grandmother – the town’s reliable alchemist.  

Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey DX is the second entry in the ‘Mysterious’ saga, following the adventures of the enthusiastic Firis Mistlud and her loving older sister Liane Mistlud. The sisters have lived their entire lives in the isolated town of Ertona, where Firis uses her unique ability to see where material crystals are buried. By way of a fateful encounter, Firis learns of the Alchemy Exam and decides to take her first step into the outside world, setting off on a grand journey to become a certified alchemist and discover the mysteries that life has to offer! The DX version of the game adds four new vehicles and several exploration items to improve efficiency and speed, as well as seven new quests that lead to unlocking the powerful new foe Palmyra.  

The gripping conclusion to the MysteriousTrilogy, Atelier Lydie & Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings DX, follows the tale of alchemist twins — the reserved but caring Lydie Marlen, and the eccentric and carefree Suelle Marlen. The young twins work alongside their father at the family atelier, but due to his inexperience in alchemy, they rarely see any customers. While working hard to hone their skills, the duo uncovers a mysterious looking painting, and as they reach out to investigate, the girls are drawn inside a world bountiful with rare materials perfect for alchemy! This fateful discovery is just the beginning of the twin’s adventure, leading them to their joint goal — to run the best atelier in the country! The DX version of the game introduces a new painting that connects Lydie and Suelle to the world of Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists. In order to help Lady Nelke develop the city, the twins will have to embark on new missions and fight against perilous new enemies!

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NCG Review – AI: Somnium Files (Switch, PC, PS4)

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Basic Info

“The mind never lies…

In a near-future Tokyo, Special Agent Kaname Date is on the case of a mysterious serial killer. Date must investigate crime scenes as well as dreams on the hunt for clues. From the mind of Kotaro Uchikoshi (Zero Escape series director), with character design by the Yusuke Kozaki (NO MORE HEROES, Fire Emblem series), a thrilling neo-noir detective adventure is about to unfold.”

TITLE AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES
RELEASE DATE Digital (PSN, NSW, STEAM): September 17, 2019
Retail (PS4, NSW) : September 24, 2019
PLATFORM(S) PlayStation®4, Nintendo Switch™, Steam® (PC)
PRICE Standard Edition: $59.99/ €59.99

Special Agent Edition: $89.99/ €99.99
PLAYER(S) 1 player
GENRE Adventure
WEBSITE http://spike-chunsoft.com/ai | Steam Store
RATING ESRB: M/ PEGI: 18 / USK: 16
LANGUAGE(S) English/Traditional Chinese text, Japanese audio/English audio
DEVELOPER Spike Chunsoft, Co., Ltd.
COPYRIGHT ©Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Licensed to and Published by Spike Chunsoft, Inc.

Story

A woman’s body is found with multiple stab wounds and missing her left eye.  She is bound to a merry-go-round in a long abandon amusement park. When the main character, Kaname Date, arrives he immediately recognizes the woman. Shoko Nadami, the ex-wife of his close friend and mother to the young girl he is housing.

You mission? Solve the mysteries around this murder. Can you find the truth behind the incident and capture the killer?90

Throughout the game you play as Kaname Date.  With no memories from 6 years prior and missing his left eye, Kaname Date encounters Boss.  Boss helps Date get hired at the Metro Police as a detective in the Advanced Brain Investigation Squad (ABIS) and replaces his left eye with Aiba, an artificial intelligence directly wired to his brain.  Aiba, who has been with Date for 6 years, assists him with his work as a detective by providing him with instant information, x ray vision, the ability to see long distances, and predict actions that will get Date out of some sticky situations.   Aiba also acts as Date’s avatar when he needs to “Psync” into another person’s consciousness within Somnium (the subconscious world of another character).  Along with Aiba, Date investigates Shoko’s murder to find her killer.c00

There are many twists and turns as you meet new characters and learn their connection and/or involvement in the murder. One story line, based on your choices in Somnium, will play out in a completely different way compared to another route.  Some characters will live in one line, and some characters will die in another.  Can you make it to the “true” ending?

Gameplay

AI: Somnium Files is a mash-up of visual novel and puzzle game.  The basic story line carries core elements of a visual novel, however, rather than reading text on the screen you’re given an opportunity to interact with the room and characters around you. This is all presented to you in a limited way (your character cannot get up and walk around the room or explore new areas on your own), but you have the ability to look around you and take in the environment.01

In additional to visual-novel elements, you’ll be presented with the ability to “psync”.  The concept of this is diving into the sub consciousness of another character and unlock a repressed/hidden memory, which you will need to do in order to further your investigation.  During the Psync, you need to solve puzzles to find the secret hidden in a characters sub consciousness.  In order to solve the puzzle you interact, through Aiba, with the items in an area.  Unlike the limited presentation of the “investigation” aspect of the story, you can control Aiba and move her through the Somnium space.  How you interact with the objects is the key to unlocking the “mental blocks” put in place.  A Psync can only last for 6 minutes (game time), but each interaction you make with an object depletes the remaining time you have.  There are TIMIEs you can use which will decrease the amount of time spent on an action but there are also Negative TIMIEs which will increase the time for your next interaction.  Interactions with the objects are not obvious and you’ll end up burning through time to find the correct interaction.  Fortunately, you get 3 retries but sometimes finding the right order of interaction will take you more than 3 attempts.  There are some actions you perform that will have a Negative TIMIE in order to progress so on your next action so you need to figure out how to maximize the use of your time.10

How you complete the puzzles in Somnium determines the path of story.  Based on which “Mental locks” you open, the story will proceed down that path. Not every Somnium puzzle has separate paths, but ones that have two will lead you down a different story line.AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES_20190417131431

What really sets this game apart from similar titles is that you do not have to repeat the entire story to take a different path in the game.  Instead, you can go back to a “psync” and replay it. This increases the replay value and doesn’t make the game feel so tedious, which tends to happen with visual novels if you don’t know where and when to save.

Visuals/Graphics and Audio

Most visual novels can be very bland and fall flat when it comes to animation and graphics, however, the all dialogue of the game is voiced over which makes the story that much more engaging.  Characters are also animated when talking, moving their arms, making facial expressions and simple gestures, and this is a nice touch since it brings the characters to life.13

Verdict

Pros: Unlike most visual novels, the game doesn’t fall flat.  The story line itself is enough to keep the player intrigued and curious to know all the secrets of the game. Although frustrating at times, the puzzles are challenging.  You’re given hints on what you need to do, but finding the next action isn’t obvious. Although graphics aren’t “triple A” status, the animation and voice overs give enough to the player to bring the story to life.  While in Somnium, when performing an action, rather than the game telling you you’ve made a bad choice, the dialogue between the characters becomes ridiculous, either with Date and Aiba mocking each other or making jokes at Date’s expense.

Cons: The only real qualm I had with the game is the lack of opportunity to save before jumping into a Somnium puzzle.  Save points in games are incredibly important to me because I have to jump on and off of a game (hours of sit through game play? Not in my adult life!).  Sometimes a “Psync” will just start (it will be obvious when it does but almost unexpected) and I do not have the chance to save the game before jumping in.  You cannot save before or during a “psync” so I’m either stuck putting my game in “Sleep Mode” until I can play again, or hope that AutoSave will take me back where I left off.

I would rate this game an 8 out of 10.Score

Overall, I really enjoyed the story and even though the Somnium puzzles took me a few attempts, I found myself going back to unlock different story lines without much hesitation or feeling “too drained” to keep going.

Have you heard of this game? Will you pick up this title? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

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NCG Review: The Caligula Effect: Overdose (Switch, PS4, PC)

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Wanting to forget about the pain of our daily lives is something a majority of us are familiar with, after all, we spend countless hours glued to our phones mindlessly browsing through social media or playing games.  But what would happen if a sentient being created a world for us to live in and be forever happy? Would you want to live in this paradise?21.png

The Caligula Effect: Overdose takes us into the world of Mobius where the lines of fantasy and reality are blurred.  Will you want to live in Mobius?

Story

Created by the sentient vocaloid program, μ (Mu), Mobius is a place for people to forget about their everyday problems and re-live a blissful high school life.  In a setting where fantasy and reality are blurred, the “Go Home Club”, who have awaken to the falsehoods of Mobius, attempt to escape this false paradise.

To be honest, I wasn’t quite familiar with the premise of The Caligula Effect, but I had watched the first couple episodes of the anime and completely forgot about it.  After picking up the game I decided to revisit the anime series.14.png

I played the game for about 5 hours before jumping into the anime series, which was a decent amount of time spent on the game.  In many instances, I usually say the game is better since there is a lot of time to build the story, however, I hate to admit that the anime captures the emotional impact of the game in a clearer and more concise way.

While playing, I found it difficult to balance my interest in the story with the variety of game play elements.  When presented with story line topics, the game fell flat.  The characters want to escape Mobius, but in game there’s an overall apathy about actually trying to escape.  The characters don’t quite come off quite as strong in the video game.

Gameplay

What makes the Caligula Effect: Overdose stand out is the unique combat system.  Although battles are a turn-based, you have the option to customize your battle.  You can pick from your character skills and attack with a single character up to three times.  What’s really cool is that the game will go into a prediction mode and you can watch how the actions and battle moves will play out before you commit to them.  In addition to seeing how moves will play out, you have the option to adjust the timing of your moves.  You can adjust the timing of a hit to be delayed or for the character to attack sooner; it’s like crafting your own battle.  You can do this for each character on your team and strategize your attacks based on the character skills.  Of course, predictions are not 100% accurate and sometimes will not indicate when the opponent will be defeated.  You have to pay close attention and take some risks when designing your battle. Overall, this was an element I really enjoyed since it takes basic “turn based” game play to a different level.08.png

The Caligula Effect: Overdose is your basic RPG game so you have the options to complete missions and side quests.  Accessing side quests is a bit unique since it’s based on your relationship with NPCs.  All the students walking around are the people that inhabit Mobius.  Based on your social connections and reputation you can talk to them and learn about their problems and struggles.  When you reach a certain level of friendship you’ll learn more about what is troubling them and will have to help them resolve their issues. To take it a step further, you can access a sub menu called “LINE” and communicate with the friends you have made by sending texts.  However, the prompts are repetitive and even if you’ve already asked the question the prompt will reappear.  Responses are all generic and you can get the gist of the character personality, but there are so many characters to chat with it’s easy to get overwhelmed and bored with this function of the game.06.png

Audio

μ (Mu) is the creator of Mobius so it’s fitting to have her songs performing in the background.  It’s her music, after all, that influences the characters and keeps them brainwashed.  You get a really fun J-pop track playing throughout the level.  While the songs are all fun and catchy, I didn’t feel inclined to stay in a particular area too long since the chorus is on permanent loop throughout the level.

Verdict

Pros: The battle system is a lot of fun and the game offers a variety of game play elements to delve into.17.png

Cons: The story doesn’t hit quite as hard during game play.  After a while the music can start to irk your nerves.

Overall score:

I’d give it a 5.  It isn’t a must-have, but might be something worth picking up on sale. You might have a better time catching the anime instead.Score

Have you played this game? What did you think? Are you a fan of the anime?

Let me know in the comments!